Utjecaj parenja na lomljenje oraha (Juglans regia L.)

The influence of hot steam vaporization of the walnut (Juglans regia L.) cultivar \u27Franquette\u27 on the required force for deformation (breaking) and the energy required to fracture the shell with the centrifugal breaking machine was studied under the laboratory conditions. The maximum force (248.04 N) was used for breaking nuts, which were vaporized for 5 minutes and 171.35 N for 15 minutes vaporized samples of nuts. The shortest deformation (1.3 mm) was measured for breaking 0 minute vaporized nuts, and the maximum deformation (4.15 mm) for 15 minutes vaporization samples. The largest percent of the whole kernels (74.62 %), was measured on 15 minutes vaporized nuts and the lowest on 0 minutes vaporized sample (28.47 %).U pokusu usporedbe morfoloških i fizikalnih svojstava ploda oraha (Juglans regia L.) sorte \u27Franquette\u27 proučavan je utjecaj parenja vručom parom na potrebnu silu za deformaciju (lomljenje) ploda te potrebnu energiju za lom ljuske ploda pomoću centrifugalnog stroja za lomljenja. Maksimalna sila (248,04 N) za lomljenje oraha izmjerena je kod 5 minuta parenih uzoraka, a najmanja kod 15 minuta parenja (171,35 N). Najmanja deformacija (1,3 mm) izmjerena je kod lomljenja suhih oraha, a najveća kod 15 minuta parenih (4,15 mm). Najveći dio celih jezgri (74,62 %), dobiven je kod lomljenja 15 minuta parenih oraha a najmanji kod 0 minuta parenja (28,47 %.)

Usporedba morfoloških i fizikalnih svojstava plodova triju sorata lijeske (Corylus avellana L.)

Morphological and physical characteristics of three hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) varieties (‘Istrska dolgoplodna leska’, ‘Tonda gentile delle langhe’ and ‘Fertile de coutard’) were examined in the trial to determine the parameters of the machine for mechanical crushing of hazelnuts. Three morphological characteristics (height, diameter and mass) and three physical characteristics (force, shell deformation and energy impact for shell crushing) were measured on the laboratory device. The maximum force (367.04 N) for crushing hazelnut shells by the diameter was measured with ‘Istrska dolgoplodna leska’, while for crushing by the height the maximum force was determined with the ‘Fertile de coutard’ variety (526.15 N). The biggest shell deformation in crushing by the height (1.00 mm) as well as by the diameter (1.11 mm) was measured with ‘Istrska dolgoplodna leska’. The most energy for crushing the shell by the nut height was required by ‘Fertile de coutard’ (0.24 J), while for crushing the shell by the diameter 0.22 J the most energy was spent by ‘Istrska dolgoplodna leska’. According to the morphological and mechanical characteristics of the shell, the ‘Istrska dolgoplodna leska’ variety was suggested to be the most suitable for mechanical crushing.U pokusu usporedbe morfoloških i fizikalnih svojstava ploda lijeske (Corylus avellana L.) uključene su sorte: \u27Istrska dolgoplodna leska\u27, \u27Tonda gentile delle langhe\u27 i \u27Fertile de coutard\u27. Pomoću izmjerenih morfoloških osobina: veličina ploda po promjeru i visini te masa ploda; i fizikalnih količina: sila, deformacija ploda i potrebna energija za lom ljuske ploda analizirana je mogućnost strojnog lomljenja ljuske. Maksimalna sila (367,04 N) za lomljenje lješnjaka po promjeru izmjerena je kod sorte \u27Istrska dolgoplodna leska\u27, a za lomljenje po visini kod sorte \u27Fertile de coutard\u27 (526,15 N). Najveća deformacija kod lomljenja lješnjaka izmjerena je po visini (1,00 mm) i promjeru (1,11 mm) kod sorte \u27Istrska dolgoplodna leska\u27. Najveći utrošak energije za lomljenje lješnjaka po visini potreban je kod sorte \u27Fertile de coutard\u27 (0,24 J), a za lomljenje ljuske po promjeru lješnjaka kod sorte \u27Istrska dolgoplodna leska\u27 (0,22 J). Na temelju morfoloških i fizikalnih svojstava za strojno lomljenje najpovoljnija je sorta \u27Istrska dolgoplodna leska\u27

ALAD and APOE polymorphisms are associated with lead and mercury levels in Italian pregnant women and their newborns with adequate nutritional status of zinc and selenium

The impacts of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ALAD and VDR genes on Pb health effects and/or kinetics are inconclusive at low exposure levels, while studies including APOE SNPs are rare. In this study, we examined the associations of ALAD, VDR and APOE SNPs with exposure biomarkers of Pb and other trace elements (TEs) in Italian pregnant women (N = 873, aged 18–44 years) and their newborns (N = 619) with low-level mixed-element exposure through diet, the environment or endogenously. DNA from maternal peripheral venous blood (mB), sampled during the second and third trimesters, was genotyped for ALAD (rs1800435, rs1805313, rs1139488, rs818708), VDR (rs2228570, rs1544410, rs7975232, rs731236) and APOE (rs429358, rs7421) using TaqMan SNP assays. Personal and lifestyle data and TE levels (mB, maternal plasma, hair and mixed umbilical cord blood [CB]) from the PHIME project were used. Multiple linear regression models, controlling for confounding variables, were performed to test the associations between SNPs and TEs. The geometric means of mB-Pb, mB-Hg, mB-As and mB-Cd (11.0 ng/g, 2.16 ng/g, 1.38 ng/g and 0.31 ng/g, respectively) indicated low exposure levels, whereas maternal plasma Zn and Se (0.72 μg/mL and 78.6 ng/g, respectively) indicated adequate micronutritional status. Variant alleles of ALAD rs1800435 and rs1805313 were negatively associated with mB-Pb levels, whereas a positive association was observed for rs1139488. None of the VDR SNPs or their haplotypes had any association with Pb levels. Regarding APOE, the ϵ4 allele was associated with lower mB-Hg and CB-Hg, while a positive association was found with the ϵ2 allele and CB-Pb when the model included only newborn girls. The observed associations indicate possible modification effects of ALAD and APOE SNPs on Pb or Hg kinetics in women and their newborns with low exposure to non-essential TEs, as well as an adequate nutritional status of Zn and Se

When do apples stop growing, and why does it matter?

Apples in the commercial food chain are harvested up to two weeks before maturity. We explore apple fruit development through the growing season to establish the point at which physical features differentiating those cultivars become evident. This is relevant both for the understanding of the growing process and to ensure that any identification and classification tools can be used both on ripened-on-tree and stored fruit. Current literature presents some contradictory findings on apple growth, we studied 12 apple cultivars in the Brogdale National Fruit Collection, UK over two seasons to establish patterns of growth. Fruit were sampled at regular time points throughout the growing season and four morphometrics (maximum length, maximum diameter, weight, and centroid size) were collected. These were regressed against growing degree days in order to appropriately describe the growth pattern observed. All four morphometrics were adequately described using log-log linear regressions, with adjusted R2 estimates ranging from 78.3% (maximum length) to 86.7% (weight). For all four morphometrics, a 10% increase in growing degree days was associated with a 1% increase in the morphometric. Our findings refine previous work presenting rapid early growth followed by a plateau in later stages of development and contrast with published expo-linear models. We established that apples harvested for commercial storage purposes, two weeks prior to maturity, showed only a modest decrease in size compared with ripened-on-tree fruit, demonstrating that size morphometric approaches are appropriate for classification of apple fruit at point of harvest

Recording behaviour of indoor-housed farm animals automatically using machine vision technology: a systematic review

Large-scale phenotyping of animal behaviour traits is time consuming and has led to increased demand for technologies that can automate these procedures. Automated tracking of animals has been successful in controlled laboratory settings, but recording from animals in large groups in highly variable farm settings presents challenges. The aim of this review is to provide a systematic overview of the advances that have occurred in automated, high throughput image detection of farm animal behavioural traits with welfare and production implications. Peer-reviewed publications written in English were reviewed systematically following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After identification, screening, and assessment for eligibility, 108 publications met these specifications and were included for qualitative synthesis. Data collected from the papers included camera specifications, housing conditions, group size, algorithm details, procedures, and results. Most studies utilized standard digital colour video cameras for data collection, with increasing use of 3D cameras in papers published after 2013. Papers including pigs (across production stages) were the most common (n = 63). The most common behaviours recorded included activity level, area occupancy, aggression, gait scores, resource use, and posture. Our review revealed many overlaps in methods applied to analysing behaviour, and most studies started from scratch instead of building upon previous work. Training and validation sample sizes were generally small (mean±s.d. groups = 3.8±5.8) and in data collection and testing took place in relatively controlled environments. To advance our ability to automatically phenotype behaviour, future research should build upon existing knowledge and validate technology under commercial settings and publications should explicitly describe recording conditions in detail to allow studies to be reproduced

Harmonized human biomonitoring in European children, teenagers and adults: EU-wide exposure data of 11 chemical substance groups from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (2014-2021)

As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participants of three age groups: (i) 3,576 children aged 6-12 years, (ii) 3,117 teenagers aged 12-18 years and (iii) 4,102 young adults aged 20-39 years. The participants were recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11-12 countries per age group, geographically distributed across Europe. Depending on the age group, internal exposure to phthalates and the substitute DINCH, halogenated and organophosphorus flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), cadmium, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic species, acrylamide, mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol (total DON)), benzophenones and selected pesticides was assessed by measuring substance specific biomarkers subjected to stringent quality control programs for chemical analysis. For substance groups analyzed in different age groups higher average exposure levels were observed in the youngest age group, i.e., phthalates/DINCH in children versus teenagers, acrylamide and pesticides in children versus adults, benzophenones in teenagers versus adults. Many biomarkers in teenagers and adults varied significantly according to educational attainment, with higher exposure levels of bisphenols, phthalates, benzophenones, PAHs and acrylamide in participants (from households) with lower educational attainment, while teenagers from households with higher educational attainment have higher exposure levels for PFASs and arsenic. In children, a social gradient was only observed for the non-specific pyrethroid metabolite 3-PBA and di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP), with higher levels in children from households with higher educational attainment. Geographical variations were seen for all exposure biomarkers. For 15 biomarkers, the available health-based HBM guidance values were exceeded with highest exceedance rates for toxicologically relevant arsenic in teenagers (40%), 3-PBA in children (36%), and between 11 and 14% for total DON, Sigma (PFOA + PFNA + PFHxS + PFOS), bisphenol S and cadmium. The infrastructure and harmonized approach succeeded in obtaining comparable European wide internal exposure data for a prioritized set of 11 chemical groups. These data serve as a reference for comparison at the global level, provide a baseline to compare the efficacy of the European Commission's chemical strategy for sustainability and will give leverage to national policy makers for the implementation of targeted measures

Harmonized human biomonitoring in European children, teenagers and adults: EU-wide exposure data of 11 chemical substance groups from the HBM4EU Aligned Studies (2014–2021)

As one of the core elements of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) a human biomonitoring (HBM) survey was conducted in 23 countries to generate EU-wide comparable HBM data. This survey has built on existing HBM capacity in Europe by aligning national or regional HBM studies, referred to as the HBM4EU Aligned Studies. The HBM4EU Aligned Studies included a total of 10,795 participants of three age groups: (i) 3,576 children aged 6–12 years, (ii) 3,117 teenagers aged 12–18 years and (iii) 4,102 young adults aged 20–39 years. The participants were recruited between 2014 and 2021 in 11–12 countries per age group, geographically distributed across Europe. Depending on the age group, internal exposure to phthalates and the substitute DINCH, halogenated and organophosphorus flame retardants, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), cadmium, bisphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), arsenic species, acrylamide, mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol (total DON)), benzophenones and selected pesticides was assessed by measuring substance specific biomarkers subjected to stringent quality control programs for chemical analysis. For substance groups analyzed in different age groups higher average exposure levels were observed in the youngest age group, i.e., phthalates/DINCH in children versus teenagers, acrylamide and pesticides in children versus adults, benzophenones in teenagers versus adults. Many biomarkers in teenagers and adults varied significantly according to educational attainment, with higher exposure levels of bisphenols, phthalates, benzophenones, PAHs and acrylamide in participants (from households) with lower educational attainment, while teenagers from households with higher educational attainment have higher exposure levels for PFASs and arsenic. In children, a social gradient was only observed for the non-specific pyrethroid metabolite 3-PBA and di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP), with higher levels in children from households with higher educational attainment. Geographical variations were seen for all exposure biomarkers. For 15 biomarkers, the available health-based HBM guidance values were exceeded with highest exceedance rates for toxicologically relevant arsenic in teenagers (40%), 3-PBA in children (36%), and between 11 and 14% for total DON, Σ (PFOA + PFNA + PFHxS + PFOS), bisphenol S and cadmium. The infrastructure and harmonized approach succeeded in obtaining comparable European wide internal exposure data for a prioritized set of 11 chemical groups. These data serve as a reference for comparison at the global level, provide a baseline to compare the efficacy of the European Commission's chemical strategy for sustainability and will give leverage to national policy makers for the implementation of targeted measures

Estimation of mango crop yield using image analysis – Segmentation method

This paper presents an approach to count mango fruit from daytime images of individual trees for the purpose of a machine vision based estimation of mango crop yield. Images of mango trees were acquired over a three day period, three weeks before commercial harvest occurred. The fruit load of each of fifteen trees was manually counted, and these trees were imaged on four sides. Correlation between tree counts and manual image counts was strong (R2=0.91 for two sides). A further 555 trees were imaged on one side only. For these images, pixels were segmented into fruit and background pixels using colour segmentation in the RGB and YCbCr colour ranges and a texture segmentation based on adjacent pixel variability. Resultant blobs were counted to obtain a per image mango count. Across a set of 555 images (with mean + standard deviation of fruit per tree of 32.3 + 14.3), a linear regression, (y = 0.582 x – 0.20, R2 = 0.74, bias adjusted root mean square error of prediction = 7.7) was achieved on the machine vision count relative to the image count. The algorithm decreased in effectiveness as the number of fruit on the tree increased, and when imaging conditions involved direct sunlight. Approaches to reduce the impact of fruit load and lighting conditions are discussed

Possible application of differential global positioning system (DGPS) to harvesting date and precision viticulture

From 2004 to 2008, the maturity of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) was researched on the basis of sugar content and total titratable acidity at six locations with an undulating topography in three varieties: 'Chardonnay', 'Riesling' and 'Sauvignon'. All sampling points were geo-referenced simultaneously with differential global positioning system (DGPS) for creating sugar maps. The significant influence of the varying altitude above sea level (from 389 to 462 m) on the concentration of total sugar and the total titratable acidity of grapes were estimated during the ripeness of vine berry from July to September. The results of a five-year study proved that significant improvement of the grapes quality is possible by creating site-specific maps, which enable separate begging of harvest according to the different sea level.Key words: Vineyard, sugar map, GIS, DGPS