Research on Online Moisture Detector in Grain Drying Process Based on V/F Conversion

An online resistance grain moisture detector is designed, based on the model of the relationship between measurement frequency and grain moisture and the nonlinear correction method of temperature. The detector consists of lower computer, the core function of which is the sensing of grain resistance values which is based on V/F conversion, and upper computer, the core function of which is the conversion of moisture and frequency and the nonlinear correction of temperature. The performance of the online moisture detector is tested in a self-designed experimental system; the test and analysis results indicate that the precision and stability of the detector can reach the level of the similar products, which can be still improved

Increase of paddy moisture with automatic aeration in a warehouse guided by adsorption equilibrium absolute humidity equation: Poster

An automatic bulk monitoring and aeration controller was programmed with an adsorption equilibrium absolute humidity (CAE)equation and was used to aerate paddy with the aim to increase moisture content (MC) and preventing fissuring. The ventilation control window for rewetting paddy was developed according to two conditions: (i) the average grain bulk temperature (t<sub>g</sub>) is higher than the dewpoint temperature (DPT<sub>a</sub>) of the atmosphere; and (ii) the equilibrium absolute humidity (EAH<sub>g</sub>) of grain moisture content plus 1 percentage point is lower than the absolute humidity (AH<sub>a</sub>) of the atmosphere. The ventilators were turned on when the atmosphere state point was within the ventilation windowand turned off outside that window. In a humid subtropical monsoon climate, during Oct. 8<sup>th</sup> to Nov. 1<sup>st</sup>, 2013, the system was used for a paddy depot of 1035 t in Dianjiang, Chongqing province. The natural humid air was introduced into the paddy bulk by negative pressure suction aeration during the 10-12 h night time period and allowed to equilibrate with grain kernels during the 12-14 h day time period. Aeration increased grain MC by 0.6 percentage points with two 1.5 kW axial flow ventilators and power consumption of 209 kW·h. The unit energy consumption was 0.336 KW·h (1% moisture·t)<sup>-1</sup>. The broken milled rice percentage was decreased by 2-3 percentage points. In the warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate, during April 13<sup>th</sup> to June 16<sup>th</sup>, 2017, the system was used to rewet japonic paddy in a 2489 t depot in Qihe, Shandong province. The conditions for running two 0.85 kW axial flow fans were: (i) when the atmosphere relative humidity (RH<sub>a</sub>) is =80% and its temperature (t<sub>a</sub>) is <28°C, t<sub>g</sub>>DPT<sub>a</sub>, and EAH<sub>g</sub><AH<sub>a</sub>; and (ii) when RH<sub>a</sub> >80% and t<sub>a</sub> <28°C. Whenever t<sub>a</sub> was >28°C, the two fans were switched off. This rewetting aeration increased grain MC from 13.5% to 14.0%, and the unit energy consumption was 0.455 kW·h (1% moisture·t)<sup>-1</sup>. The percentages of average head rice yield and damaged grains after aeration were 71.7% and 7.7%, respectively.An automatic bulk monitoring and aeration controller was programmed with an adsorption equilibrium absolute humidity (CAE)equation and was used to aerate paddy with the aim to increase moisture content (MC) and preventing fissuring. The ventilation control window for rewetting paddy was developed according to two conditions: (i) the average grain bulk temperature (t<sub>g</sub>) is higher than the dewpoint temperature (DPT<sub>a</sub>) of the atmosphere; and (ii) the equilibrium absolute humidity (EAH<sub>g</sub>) of grain moisture content plus 1 percentage point is lower than the absolute humidity (AH<sub>a</sub>) of the atmosphere. The ventilators were turned on when the atmosphere state point was within the ventilation windowand turned off outside that window. In a humid subtropical monsoon climate, during Oct. 8<sup>th</sup> to Nov. 1<sup>st</sup>, 2013, the system was used for a paddy depot of 1035 t in Dianjiang, Chongqing province. The natural humid air was introduced into the paddy bulk by negative pressure suction aeration during the 10-12 h night time period and allowed to equilibrate with grain kernels during the 12-14 h day time period. Aeration increased grain MC by 0.6 percentage points with two 1.5 kW axial flow ventilators and power consumption of 209 kW·h. The unit energy consumption was 0.336 KW·h (1% moisture·t)<sup>-1</sup>. The broken milled rice percentage was decreased by 2-3 percentage points. In the warm temperate semi-humid monsoon climate, during April 13<sup>th</sup> to June 16<sup>th</sup>, 2017, the system was used to rewet japonic paddy in a 2489 t depot in Qihe, Shandong province. The conditions for running two 0.85 kW axial flow fans were: (i) when the atmosphere relative humidity (RH<sub>a</sub>) is =80% and its temperature (t<sub>a</sub>) is <28°C, t<sub>g</sub>>DPT<sub>a</sub>, and EAH<sub>g</sub><AH<sub>a</sub>; and (ii) when RH<sub>a</sub> >80% and t<sub>a</sub> <28°C. Whenever t<sub>a</sub> was >28°C, the two fans were switched off. This rewetting aeration increased grain MC from 13.5% to 14.0%, and the unit energy consumption was 0.455 kW·h (1% moisture·t)<sup>-1</sup>. The percentages of average head rice yield and damaged grains after aeration were 71.7% and 7.7%, respectively

Optimization and validation of the protocol used to analyze the taste of traditional Chinese medicines using an electronic tongue

Tools to define the active ingredients and flavors of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) are limited by long analysis times, complex sample preparation and a lack of multiplexed analysis. The aim of the present study was to optimize and validate an electronic tongue (E‑tongue) methodology to analyze the bitterness of TCMs. To test the protocol, 35 different TCM concoctions were measured using an E‑tongue, and seven replicate measurements of each sample were taken to evaluate reproducibility and precision. E‑tongue sensor information was identified and classified using analysis approaches including least squares support vector machine (LS‑SVM), support vector machine (SVM), discriminant analysis (DA) and partial least squares (PLS). A benefit of this analytical protocol was that the analysis of a single sample took \u3c15 min for all seven sensors. The results identified that the LS‑SVM approach provided the best bitterness classification accuracy (binary classification accuracy, 100%; ternary classification accuracy, 89.66%). The E‑tongue protocol developed showed good reproducibility and high precision within a 6 h measurement cycle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of an E‑tongue being applied to assay the bitterness of TCMs. This approach could be applied in the classification of the taste of TCMs, and serve important roles in other fields, including foods and beverages

Recycling spent lead-acid battery into lead halide for resource purification and multifunctional perovskite diode

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Effects of a Commercial Microbial Agent on the Bacterial Communities in Shrimp Culture System

Commercial microbial agents (e.g., probiotics, microbial products, microorganism preparation et al.) have been widely applied for disease control in shrimp culture. However, the effect of these microbial agents (MA) on shrimp health is unstable and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The effect of MA can probably be achieved by influencing the bacterial community of shrimp culture system. To test this hypothesis, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to investigate the dynamics of both planktonic and intestinal bacterial composition in shrimp culture ponds with or without commercial MA applied weekly. The results showed that MA application increased the temporal turnover rate of bacterioplankton community. Within 1 week, MA-treatment significantly drove bacterioplankton community composition to divert from that without MA-treatment at day 2 after MA application, but the deviation tended to vanish at days 4 and 7. At day 21, a significant difference was observed in shrimp intestinal bacterial community between two groups. The relative abundance of Rhodobacteraceae in shrimp intestine was significantly greater in the MA-treated group than that in the control. However, MA-treatment did not significantly improve the growth or survival ratio of shrimp. This study suggest that MA works in terms of accelerating bacterioplankton community turnover and shifting intestinal bacterial community, however, its effect on shrimp growth might vary greatly and might be improved by optimizing the method in activation and application and more investigation on the microbial ecological process of shrimp culture system is needed before we develop and apply probiotics more efficiently

Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatment of cotton on the cotton leafhopper, Amrasca devastans(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), and its natural enemies

BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid seed treatments suppress populations of pest insects efficiently and can enhance crop growth, but they may have negative effects on beneficial arthropods. We evaluated the effects of either imidacloprid or thiamethoxam on the abundances of a sucking pest, the cotton leafhopper (Amrasca devastans), and its arthropod predators under field conditions. We also evaluated the impact of seed treatment on transgenic cotton plant growth, with pests and natural enemies present or absent. RESULTS Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam reduced pest abundance, with greater effects when dosages were higher. Treatment at recommended doses delayed the pest in reaching the economic damage threshold by around 10–15 days (thiamethoxam) and 20 days (imidacloprid). Recommended doses also enhanced plant growth under all tested conditions; growth is affected directly as well as via pest suppression. Neonicotinoid applications reduced abundance of beneficial arthropods, with lower populations after higher doses, but negative effects of imidacloprid were not apparent unless the manufacturer-recommended dose was exceeded. CONCLUSION Imidacloprid applied at the recommended dose of 5 g kg−1 seed is effective against A. devastans and appears to be safer than thiamethoxam for natural enemies, and also enhances plant growth directly. We caution, however, that possible sublethal negative effects on individual beneficial arthropods were not evaluated

A pharmacological analysis of high-affinity sodium transport in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.): a 24Na+/42K+ study

Soil sodium, while toxic to most plants at high concentrations, can be beneficial at low concentrations, particularly when potassium is limiting. However, little is known about Na+ uptake in this ‘high-affinity’ range. New information is provided here with an insight into the transport characteristics, mechanism, and ecological significance of this phenomenon. High-affinity Na+ and K+ fluxes were investigated using the short-lived radiotracers 24Na and 42K, under an extensive range of measuring conditions (variations in external sodium, and in nutritional and pharmacological agents). This work was supported by electrophysiological, compartmental, and growth analyses. Na+ uptake was extremely sensitive to all treatments, displaying properties of high-affinity K+ transporters, K+ channels, animal Na+ channels, and non-selective cation channels. K+, NH4+NH4+, and Ca2+ suppressed Na+ transport biphasically, yielding IC50 values of 30, 10, and <5 μM, respectively. Reciprocal experiments showed that K+ influx is neither inhibited nor stimulated by Na+. Sodium efflux constituted 65% of influx, indicating a futile cycle. The thermodynamic feasibility of passive channel mediation is supported by compartmentation and electrophysiological data. Our study complements recent advances in the molecular biology of high-affinity Na+ transport by uncovering new physiological foundations for this transport phenomenon, while questioning its ecological relevance

Synthesis and characterization of new Ti–Bi2O3 anode and its use for reactive dye degradation

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization and application of a Ti–Bi2O3 anode for the electrochemical decolorization of the textile dye Reactive Red 2. The anode was synthesized by electrodeposition on a Ti substrate immersed in an acidic bismuth (III) solution at constant potential, followed by calcination in air at 600 °C. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the electrodeposited material was predominantly metallic bismuth, which was oxidized to pure α-Bi2O3 during the calcination in air. SEM micrographs revealed that the Bi2O3 coat at the anode surface was inhomogeneous and porous. Reactive Red 2 was completely electrochemically decolorized at the synthesized anode in the presence of H2O2. The applied current density, H2O2 and Na2SO4 concentration, medium pH and initial dye concentration affected the dye decolorization rate. The optimal process parameters were found to be as follows: an applied current density of 40 mA cm−2 using a mixture of 10 mmol dm−3 H2O2 and 10 mmol dm−3 Na2SO4 at pH 7. The dye decolorization rate was shown to decrease as its initial concentration increased. The decolorization reactions were found to follow pseudo-first order kinetics

Gut-joint axis in knee synovitis: gut fungal dysbiosis and altered fungi–bacteria correlation network identified in a community-based study

Objectives: Knee synovitis is a highly prevalent and potentially curable condition for knee pain; however, its pathogenesis remains unclear. We sought to assess the associations of the gut fungal microbiota and the fungi–bacteria correlation network with knee synovitis. Methods: Participants were derived from a community-based cross-sectional study. We performed an ultrasound examination of both knees. A knee was defined as having synovitis if its synovium was ≥4 mm and/or Power Doppler (PD) signal was within the knee synovium area (PD synovitis). We collected faecal specimens from each participant and assessed gut fungal and bacterial microbiota using internal transcribed spacer 2 and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We examined the relation of α-diversity, β-diversity, the relative abundance of taxa and the interkingdom correlations to knee synovitis. Results: Among 977 participants (mean age: 63.2 years; women: 58.8%), 191 (19.5%) had knee synovitis. β-diversity of the gut fungal microbiota, but not α-diversity, was significantly associated with prevalent knee synovitis. The fungal genus Schizophyllum was inversely correlated with the prevalence and activity (ie, control, synovitis without PD signal and PD synovitis) of knee synovitis. Compared with those without synovitis, the fungi–bacteria correlation network in patients with knee synovitis was smaller (nodes: 93 vs 153; edges: 107 vs 244), and the average number of neighbours was fewer (2.3 vs 3.2). Conclusion: Alterations of gut fungal microbiota and the fungi–bacteria correlation network are associated with knee synovitis. These novel findings may help understand the mechanisms of the gut-joint axis in knee synovitis and suggest potential targets for future treatment

Roughage quality determines the production performance of post-weaned Hu sheep via altering ruminal fermentation, morphology, microbiota, and the global methylome landscape of the rumen wall

Roughage quality is a crucial factor influencing the growth performance and feeding cost of ruminants; however, a systematic investigation of the mechanisms underlying this is still lacking. In this study, we examined the growth performance, meat quality, ruminal fermentation parameters, rumen microbiome, and tissue methylomes of post-weaned Hu sheep fed low- or high-quality forage-based diets. Our results showed that sheep in the alfalfa hay (AG) and peanut vine (PG) groups exhibited better growth performance, slaughter performance, and meat quality than sheep in the wheat straw group (WG). The sheep in the AG possessed relatively higher contents of serum immunoglobins (IgA, IgG, and IgM) and lower contents of serum inflammation factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8) than those in the WG and the PG did. In addition, the levels of blood T lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+) and the CD4-to-CD8 ratio were significantly higher in the AG sheep than in the WG sheep and PG sheep. The concentration of ruminal NH3-N was highest in WG sheep, whereas the concentrations of individual and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were highest in the PG sheep. The length, width, and surface area of ruminal papillae were markedly different among the three groups, with the sheep in the PG being the most morphologically developed. The main ruminal microbes at the genus level include Prevotella 1, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, norank f F082, Ruminococcus 1, and Ruminococcus 2. The relative abundances of certain species are positively or negatively associated with fermentation parameters and growth index. For example, the fibrolytic bacteria Ruminococcaceae UGG-001 showed positive relationships with the concentration of SCFAs, except propionate. In addition, the relative abundances of fibrolytic bacteria (e.g., Ruminoccus 1) showed a negative relationship with starch-degrading bacteria (e.g., Prevotellaceae). The genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed that rumen tissues in the PG sheep and WG sheep occupied different global DNA methylomes. The genes with differentially methylated promoters were involved in known pathways (e.g., the FoxO signaling pathway) and the Gene Ontology (GO) terms (e.g., anatomical structure morphogenesis) pertaining to rumen development. Two candidate genes (ACADL and ENSOARG00020014533) with hyper- and hypo-methylated promoters were screened as potential regulators of rumen development. In conclusion, roughage quality determines sheep growth performance via directly influencing rumen fermentation and microbiome composition, and indirectly affecting rumen development at the epigenetic level