Towards In-situ Based Printed Sensor Systems for Real-Time Soil-Root Nutrient Monitoring and Prediction with Polynomial Regression

This dissertation explores how to increase sensor density in the agricultural framework using low-cost sensors, while also managing major bottlenecks preventing their full commercial adoption for agriculture, accuracy and drift. It also investigated whether low-cost biodegradable printed sensor sheets can result in improved stability, accuracy or drift for use in precision agriculture. In this dissertation, multiple electrode systems were investigated with much of the work focused on printed carbon graphene electrodes (with and without nanoparticles). The sensors were used in two configurations: 1) in varying soil to understand sensor degradation and the effect of environment on sensors, and 2) in plant pod systems to understand growth. It was established that 3) the sensor drift can be controlled and predicted 2) the fabricated low-cost sensors work as well as commercial sensors, and 3) these sensors were then successfully validated in the pod platform. A standardized testing system was developed to investigate soil physicochemical effects on the modified nutrient sensors through a series of controlled experiments. The construct was theoretically modeled and the sensor data was matched to the models. Supervised machine learning algorithms were used to predict sensor responses. Further models produced actionable insight which allowed us to identify a) the minimal amounts of irrigation required and b) optimal time after applying irrigation or rainfall event before achieving accurate sensor readings, both with respect to sensor depth placement within the soil matrix. The pore-scale behavior of solute transport through different depths within the sandy soil matrix was further simulated using COMSOL Multi-physics. This work leads to promising disposable printed systems for precision agriculture

Review—Machine Learning Techniques in Wireless Sensor Network Based Precision Agriculture

The use of sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) is key to moving the world\u27s agriculture to a more productive and sustainable path. Recent advancements in IoT, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have the potential to address some of the environmental, economic, and technical challenges as well as opportunities in this sector. As the number of interconnected devices continues to grow, this generates more big data with multiple modalities and spatial and temporal variations. Intelligent processing and analysis of this big data are necessary to developing a higher level of knowledge base and insights that results in better decision making, forecasting, and reliable management of sensors. This paper is a comprehensive review of the application of different machine learning algorithms in sensor data analytics within the agricultural ecosystem. It further discusses a case study on an IoT based data-driven smart farm prototype as an integrated food, energy, and water (FEW) system

Exploring Wireless Sensor Network Technology In Sustainable Okra Garden: A Comparative Analysis Of Okra Grown In Different Fertilizer Treatments

The goal of this project was to explore commercial agricultural and irrigation sensor kits and to discern if the commercial wireless sensor network (WSN) is a viable tool for providing accurate real-time farm data at the nexus of food energy and water. The smart garden consists of two different varieties of Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) planted in raised beds, each grown under two different fertilizer treatments. Soil watermark sensors were programed to evaluate soil moisture and dictate irrigation events up to four times a day, while soil temperature and photosynthetic solar radiation sensors also recorded data every six hours. Solar panels harvested energy to power water pump and sensors. The objectives of the experiments were to evaluate and compare plant and soil parameters of the two okra varieties grown under two different fertilizer treatments. The plant parameters evaluated and compared were basal diameter, plant height, fruit production, and fruit size. Soil parameters measured were soil moisture, soil temperature, and soil nitrate concentration. The commercial sensors were evaluated on efficiency, accuracy, ease of use and overall practicality. Clemson spineless produced larger okra plants with the highest plant parameter values, followed by Emerald okra. However, they both averaged nearly the same yield and length of okra fruit. Nature’s Care fertilizer leached more in beds containing Clemson spineless, while Garden-tone leached more in beds containing Emerald okra. When the WSN is installed properly, the system’s great performance undoubtedly aides the farmer by providing real time field data. However, a properly installed apparatus does not promise a stable system. There are numerous challenges and limitations of which can diminish the performance quality of the WSN, those being battery power, data transmission, and data storage. Data storage is also an issue depending on the amount of data collected, rate of data collection, and size of storage unit. These issues can hinder the decision making for precision farmers

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

HIV-1 specific IgA detected in vaginal secretions of HIV uninfected women participating in a microbicide trial in Southern Africa are primarily directed toward gp120 and gp140 specificities.

CAPRISA, 2014.Abstract available in pdf

Geology and geophysics of the Beata Ridge - Caribbean

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Not availabl

Structure and stratigraphy of late quaternary deposits on the outer Louisiana Shelf

Vita.Regional investigation of late Quaternary deposits on the outer Louisiana shelf indicated two principle structural provinces: (1) a western province between West Cameron and Ship Shoal Areas which is highly faulted and structurally controlled by salt tectonics; and (2) an eastern province occupying South Timbalier and Grand Isle Areas which is greatly influenced by the effects of tectonics and sedimentation associated with the Old Mississippi Canyon complex. Vertical forces due to a mobile salt layer at depth, continual basin subsidence, and the incompetence of the overlying sedimentary strata dominate the western structural province where the main locus of deposition was located during Pleistocene time. Growth faults, post-depositional faults, salt dome faults (Radial and peripheral), grabens, horsts, and collapse faults are found in the western province; movement along several of these faults is occurring at the present. In the eastern province little deformation is apparent in the late Quaternary section where thick accumulations of recent sediments are deposited. Thick regional sands are widely distributed across the outer Louisiana shelf. These sands represent fluvial-deltaic sediments that were initially deposited in a series of coalescing deltas during low stands of sea level. As sea level rose these sands were subsequently transported to the north and laterally spread across large areas. Transgressive bars formed during intermittent halts in sea level rises.

Structure and stratigraphy of late quaternary deposits on the outer Louisiana Shelf

Vita.Regional investigation of late Quaternary deposits on the outer Louisiana shelf indicated two principle structural provinces: (1) a western province between West Cameron and Ship Shoal Areas which is highly faulted and structurally controlled by salt tectonics; and (2) an eastern province occupying South Timbalier and Grand Isle Areas which is greatly influenced by the effects of tectonics and sedimentation associated with the Old Mississippi Canyon complex. Vertical forces due to a mobile salt layer at depth, continual basin subsidence, and the incompetence of the overlying sedimentary strata dominate the western structural province where the main locus of deposition was located during Pleistocene time. Growth faults, post-depositional faults, salt dome faults (Radial and peripheral), grabens, horsts, and collapse faults are found in the western province; movement along several of these faults is occurring at the present. In the eastern province little deformation is apparent in the late Quaternary section where thick accumulations of recent sediments are deposited. Thick regional sands are widely distributed across the outer Louisiana shelf. These sands represent fluvial-deltaic sediments that were initially deposited in a series of coalescing deltas during low stands of sea level. As sea level rose these sands were subsequently transported to the north and laterally spread across large areas. Transgressive bars formed during intermittent halts in sea level rises.