EFFECT OF SETTING THE PARAMETERS OF FLAME WEEDER ON WEED CONTROL EFFECTIVENESS

Unconventional ways of growing plants, when we return to non-chemical methods of controlling weeds, require new weed control methods. One of the few physical methods, which found wider application in practice, is a flame weeder with heat burners based on the use of gas (LPG). However, the process of practical use of this flame weeder has a number of factors that positively or negatively affect the effectiveness of weed control. A precise setting of flame weeders is influenced, for example by weed species, weed growth stage, weather, type of crop grown, but also heat transmission and heat absorption by plant. Many variables that enter into the process must be eliminated for their negative impacts on achieving the best results in fighting against weeds. In this paper, we have focused on naming these parameters, on field trials that confirm the justification of the precise setting of parameters, and recommendations for practice to achieve a higher efficiency of thermal weed control

Proactive Ergonomics Based on Digitalization Using 3D Scanning and Workplace Modeling in Texnomatix Jack with Augmented Reality

This paper suggests a vision of present possibilities of modern ergonomics, and an application model of the proposed system in the digital environment of digital plant. Future trends and visions use a proactive approach of modern ergonomics integrated with sustainable success management. The implementation of new approaches digital plant of ergonomics and occupational safety and health management assumes synergic effect brought by the harmony between proactive ergonomics and risk management in everyday working operations. It makes it possible to improve both safety and production quality. The application of innovative methods and progressive software tools as digitalization using 3D scanning and workplace modeling in Texnomatix Jack with augmented reality, enables plants to increase their production quality, to reduce the number of defective products, to carry out efficient maintenance, to identify risks on time, to increase human factor safety and reliability before launching the actual operation of the system, as well as to prevent losses in the very pre-production phase

Nitrogen and sulphur fertilisation affecting soybean seed spermidine content

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is the major protein and oilseed crop worldwide. Soybean seeds are a rich source of spermidine and other polyamines, which have various positive health effects such as anti-ageing, antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties. Beside its macro-nutritional composition, soybean contains various bioactive compounds adding health-protecting functional properties to soy-based foods. The present research is based on the hypothesis that soil application of nitrogen and sulphur might stimulate soybean seed polyamines in addition to agronomic traits. As effects of fertiliser application on spermidine were unknown before, a respective pot experiment was carried out, applying ammonium sulphate or urea at nitrogen levels of 0, 1 or 3 g per 5 kg soil in two soybean cultivars. The results indicated that cultivars differed significantly in seed yield, thousand seed weight (TSW) and oil content. For both tested cultivars, seed yield, TSW and contents of protein and spermidine were lowest in the unfertilised treatment. The spermidine content increased significantly after the application of each dose of ammonium sulphate (280 - 283 mg kg-1 DM) or the lower dose of urea (267 mg kg-1 DM) as compared to the unfertilised control (228 mg kg-1 DM). The contrast in spermidine levels between non-sulphur (256 mg kg-1 DM) and sulphur (282 mg kg-1) treatments was significant as well, whereas no significant effects were found for the spermine content. The results demonstrate that an application of appropriate doses of nitrogen and sulphur can increase the content of spermidine in soybean seeds apart from affecting other traits. © 2018, Polish Society Magnesium Research. All rights reserved.Internal Grant Agency (IGA) of the Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies of Mendel University in Brno [2016/017

Případová studie řízení vícerozměrných systémů - návrh a aplikace statického optimálního kompenzátoru

By multivariable decentralized control, changing one set-point in result acts as a disturbance to other control loops. This can be solved by using multivariable controller or compensator. In this paper, a novelty approach to control non-square eighth-order system with four inputs and three outputs is demonstrated using a static compensator that guarantees autonomy in the steady state (changing one input, affects one output) and also optimal solution for non-square overdetermined systems (systems with more manipulated variables than controlled variables). To evaluate the control quality of this method, the system is also controlled without static compensator for comparison.Při vícerozměrném decentralizovaném řízení působí změna jedné žádané hodnoty ve výsledku jako porucha pro ostatní regulační smyčky. To lze řešit použitím vícerozměrného regulátoru nebo kompenzátoru. V tomto článku je demonstrován nový přístup k řízení nečtvercové soustavy osmého řádu se čtyřmi vstupy a třemi výstupy pomocí statického kompenzátoru, který zaručuje autonomii v ustáleném stavu (změna jednoho vstupu, ovlivňuje jeden výstup) a také optimální řešení pro nečtvercové přeurčené soustavy (soustavy s více manipulovanými veličinami než řízenými). Pro posouzení kvality řízení touto metodou je pro srovnání systém řízen také bez statického kompenzátoru

<i>Aspergillus europaeus</i> sp. nov., a widely distributed soil-borne species related to <i>A. wentii </i>(section <i>Cremei</i>)

A new species belonging to Aspergillus section Cremei is described, A. europaeus sp. nov. This species is most closely related to A. wentii, A. dimorphicus, and A. chrysellus and can be distinguished by an unique phenotype (colour of sporulation, production of yellow soluble pigment on MEA, shape of vesicle, ornamentation of conidia), specific spectrum of produced exometabolites and internal transcribed spacers (ITS), β-tubulin and calmodulin gene sequence data. In total, 18 isolates were identified which originated from soil (n = 14), cork (n = 2), indoor air (n = 1) and clinical material (n = 1) in the Czech Republic, Romania, Spain, Portugal, France and Tunisia. All strains were first identified by morphological characters as A. wentii or A. tamarii suggesting that A. europaeus is a common species but it has been overlooked and frequently misidentified. The ex-type strain is CCF 4409T = CBS 134393T = IBT 32228T = NRRL 66252T

Micron-Scale Deformation: A Coupled In Situ Study of Strain Bursts and Acoustic Emission

Plastic deformation of micron-scale crystalline materials differ considerably from bulk ones, because it is characterized by random strain bursts. To obtain a detailed picture about this stochastic phenomenon, micron sized pillars have been fabricated and compressed in the chamber of a SEM. An improved FIB fabrication method is proposed to get non-tapered micro-pillars with a maximum control over their shape. The in-situ compression device developed allows high accuracy sample positioning and force/displacement measurements with high data sampling rate. The collective avalanche-like motion of dislocations appears as stress drops on the stress-strain curve. To confirm that these stress drops are directly related to dislocation activity, and not to some other effect, an acoustic emission transducer has been mounted under the sample to record emitted acoustic activity during strain-controlled compression tests of Al-5\% Mg micro-pillars. The correlation between the stress drops and the acoustic emission signals indicates that indeed dislocation avalanches are responsible for the stochastic character of the deformation process

Minimal node affection in gastric carcinoma--pilote multicentric study results

Lymphadenectomy is an essential part of surgical treatment of gastric cancer. In the part of hematoxylin-eosin negative nodes, small foci of tumour cells (micrometastastasis and isolated tumour cells) can be found using immunostaing or RT-PCR. The aim of this study is to asses clinical and prognostic relevance of these findings. Multicenter, prospective, non-randomised clinical trial running in four Czech centres. All lymphatic nodes from patients after radical resection are stained using standard hematoxylin-eosin technique, all negative nodes are further processed with immunostaining employing cytokeratin antibody. In the period of two years (1st January 2009 - 31st December 2010), 73 patients (100%) were included into the study from four Czech centers. All patients underwent radical resection for gastric cancer. Subtotal resection was performed in 33 patients (45%), total gastrectomy in the remaining 40 patients (55%). Total number of acquired lymphatic nodes (LN) reached 1245, average number of nodes per one patient was 17.3. H-E metastasis were disclosed in 364 LN (29%). All H-E negative nodes were further processed using immunohistochemical staining. Lymph node micrometastasis (MM) were discovered in 35 LN (3%), isolated tumour cells (ITC) in another 72 LN (6%). Clinical and prognostic relevance of lymph node MM and ITC was assessed based on the patients' survival data. Preliminary results of this study indicate that presence of the lymph node MM and ITC in gastric cancer patients is not linked to worse oncological outcome. Based on our results we can conclude, that expensive, time consuming and technically demanding immunostaining technique could not yet be recommended as a routine part of histological investigation of lymphatic nodes