Equilibrium Moisture Properties of Corn Cobs

Equilibrium moisture content-equilibrium relative humidity data for broken corn cobs have been determined for both desorption and adsorption conditions for three temperature levels and five moisture levels. The Modified Henderson and Chung equilibrium moisture equations have been fitted to these data by using non-linear regression procedures to estimate equation parameters. Both equations adequately represented the experimental data. A test of varietal differences indicated no significant difference in cob desorption ERH values for three selected corn varieties

Energy in the Home: Grain Drying Performance Evaluation

When grain is harvested in Kentucky at moisture contents exceeding 13 to 14 percent, it must be dried to insure long-term safe storage. The drier the stored grain, the longer it will retain its quality

An Aeration Duct Design Model for Flat Grain Storage

Traditionally most grain is stored in circular type bins which provide a convenient means for handling and management. With the excess grain production and government loan programs of the past few years, some producers have used rectangular structures and covered piles to complement their round storages. The recommended management practices used with round bins are still required in those alternative storages and may be more critical in obtaining a quality end product. One such recommended practice used with round bins is aeration. This practice is used to maintain a uniform temperature in the grain mass, preventing condensation and hot spots from occurring in the bins. For grain stored in piles and rectangular structures, aeration is generally conducted using above floor or flush mounted duct systems. The design of these systems is dependent on several factors including the configuration of the grain mass, the design airflow rate and grain volume and duct spacing criteria that will provide a relatively uniform distribution of air throughout the grain mass. The objective of this paper is to present a computer model that will determine duct sizes and duct spacing for aeration of rectangular storages based on system design requirements specified by the user. The model will be developed for use on the personal computer and should provide a useful design tool for extension engineers

Increasing Diversity in the City Schools: Unexplored Paths of Opportunity

In its school rezoning and closure process from May 6 - June 3, 2013, the Richmond School Board voted to close 3 schools and change 14 elementary school zones despite opposition that overwhelmingly outweighed support at both public hearings. Though there were a wide range of concerns cited, including the rushed timeline, lack of transparency and absence of clear criteria for closing and rezoning these schools, many stakeholders expressed particular disapproval related to the potential increase in racial isolation that would result from the plan, formally known as Option C. While regional efforts to promote school diversity—a central theme of the Looking Back, Moving Forward conference—remain critical, the school board actions present a specific challenge which could be addressed within a single school system through innovative policies with a record of success in other locales. To that end, this memo has three broad purposes. We identify key demographic changes that present opportunities and challenges for promoting school diversity in Richmond Public Schools (RPS). We also provide a synthesis of more than six decades of social science research showing that integration is still a deeply worthy policy goal. We outline the racial impact of current student assignment policies, in addition to the projected impact of the June 2013 rezoning. And perhaps most importantly, we close with a vision for moving forward in a way that more comprehensively fosters the many benefits of school diversity in Richmond City

Energy in Agriculture: Performance Evaluation for Natural Air and Low-Temperature Drying Systems

Natural air and low-temperature drying systems are generally not recommended for Kentucky because of their slow drying rates. In such systems the grain near the top of the drying bin may remain undried for an extended period of time, possibly leading to grain spoilage and/or the production of aflatoxin

Energy in Agriculture: Dryeration Performance Evaluation

When grain is dried using continuous flow or portable batch dryers it must be cooled before it is placed in storage. The cooling process removes the sensible heat that was used to bring the grain temperature up to the drying air temperature, and hopefully reduces the grain temperature to a point where mold growth is no longer a problem. Unfortunately, rapid cooling of grain results in increased grain damage in terms of stress cracks, and is an energy-inefficient process in that the heat stored in the grain is not used for any useful purpose

Energy in Agriculture: Fan Performance on Grain Drying Bins

One of the keys to successful in·bin grain drying and aeration is the matching of a drying or aeration fan to the drying or storage bin. A properly designed system will be more efficient in terms of both drying and energy utilization. The quantity of air that may be delivered through the grain depends upon grain type, bin size, fan type, fan horsepower, depth of grain, percent of foreign material and the extent to which the grain is packed

Dynamic Simulation of Animal Growth and Reproduction

A rather unique systems analysis approach has been made to simulate the utilization of dry matter by ruminant animals, and the natural breeding and reproduction process within a herd. Physiological factors occurring over time and the time related effects of these factors are simulated

Radially extended kinematics and stellar populations of the massive ellipticals NGC1600, NGC4125 and NGC7619. Constraints on the outer dark halo density profile

We present high quality long slit spectra along the major and minor axes out to 1.5-2 Re (14-22 kpc) of three bright elliptical galaxies (NGC1600, NGC4125, NGC7619) obtained at the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). We derive stellar kinematic profiles and Lick/IDS indices (Hbeta, Mgb, Fe5015, Fe5270, Fe5335, Fe5406). Moreover, for NGC4125 we derive gas kinematics and emission line strengths. We model the absorption line strengths using Simple Stellar Populations models that take into account the variation of [\alpha/Fe] and derive ages, total metallicity and element abundances. Overall, we find that the three galaxies have old and [\alpha/Fe] overabundant stellar populations with no significant gradients. The metallicity is supersolar at the center with a strong negative radial gradient. For NGC4125, several pieces of evidence point to a recent dissipational merger event. We calculate the broad band color profiles with the help of SSP models. All of the colors show sharp peaks at the center of the galaxies, mainly caused by the metallicity gradients, and agree well with the measured colors. Using the Schwarzschild's axisymmetric orbit superposition technique, we model the stellar kinematics to constrain the dark halos of the galaxies. We use the tight correlation between the Mgb strength and local escape velocity to set limits on the extent of the halos by testing different halo sizes. Logarithmic halos - cut at 60 kpc -minimize the overall scatter of the Mgb-Vesc relation. Larger cutoff radii are found if the dark matter density profile is decreasing more steeply at large radii.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Comparison of Observed and Simulated Grow-Finish Swine Performance Under Summer Conditions

As a part of a National Pork Producers Council educational program, our research and extension team at the University of Kentucky was linked with an independent commercial swine producer to test the NCPIG model against observed commercial on-farm data. This experience provided improved information for model development as well as increased producer insight into the data input needs and potential benefits of modeling. Detailed production information comparisons between the NCPIG model and producer data are presented for summer time conditions to assess the validity of the NCPIG model for simulation of grow-finish swine performance. Results demonstrated that the NCPIG model accurately simulated performance