Development of a generic crop model template in the cropping system model APSIM

The Agricultural Production Systems slMulator, APSIM, is a cropping system modelling environment that simulates the dynamics of soil-plant-management interactions within a single crop or a cropping system. Adaptation of previously developed crop models has resulted in multiple crop modules in APSIM, which have low scientific transparency and code efficiency. A generic crop model template (GCROP) has been developed to capture unifying physiological principles across crops (plant types) and to provide modular and efficient code for crop modelling. It comprises a standard crop interface to the APSIM engine, a generic crop model structure, a crop process library, and well-structured crop parameter files. The process library contains the major science underpinning the crop models and incorporates generic routines based on physiological principles for growth and development processes that are common across crops. It allows APSIM to simulate different crops using the same set of computer code. The generic model structure and parameter files provide an easy way to test, modify, exchange and compare modelling approaches at process level without necessitating changes in the code. The standard interface generalises the model inputs and outputs, and utilises a standard protocol to communicate with other APSIM modules through the APSIM engine. The crop template serves as a convenient means to test new insights and compare approaches to component modelling, while maintaining a focus on predictive capability. This paper describes and discusses the scientific basis, the design, implementation and future development of the crop template in APSIM. On this basis, we argue that the combination of good software engineering with sound crop science can enhance the rate of advance in crop modelling. Crown Copyright (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Population density and weed infestation in organic no-tillage corn cropping system under different soil covers

Currently, one of the biggest challenges faced by organic no-tillage farming is weed control. Thus, the use of cropping practices that help in the control of weeds is extremely important. The objective of this study was to evaluate population density and level of weed infestation in an organic no-tillage corn cropping system under different soil covers. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with six repetitions and five treatments, consisting of three soil covers in an organic no-tillage system, and an organic and a conventional system, both without soil cover. The treatments with soil cover used a grass species represented by the black oat, a leguminous species represented by the white lupine, and intercropping between both species. Corn was sown with spacing of 1.0 m between rows and 0.20 m between plants, using the commercial hybrid AG 1051. Infestation in corn was evaluated at stages V5 and V10, and weed density was evaluated at stage V5. The use of black oat straw alone or intercropped with white lupine, in the organic no-tillage corn cropping system, reduced the percentage of weed infestation and absolute weed density. Management-intensive systems and systems without soil cover showed higher relative densities for species Oxalis spp., Galinsoga quadriradiata and Stachys arvensis. The species Cyperus rotundus showed the highest relative density on organic no-tillage corn cropping systems. Black oat straw in the organic no-tillage cropping system limited the productive potential of corn.

Control system design for flexible rotors supported by actively lubricated bearings

This article presents a methodology for calculating the gains of an output feedback controller for active vibration control of flexible rotors. The methodology is based on modal reduction. The proportional and derivative gains are obtained by adjusting the first two damping factors of the system and keeping the lengths of the two eigenvalues constant in the real-imaginary plane. The methodology is applied to an industrial gas compressor supported by active tilting-pad journal bearings. The unbalance response functions and mode shapes of the flexible rotor with and without active control are presented, showing significative improvement in damping reserve with the control. The importance of sensor location is emphasized, on the basis of the energy necessary to operate the active system over the entire frequency range studied. The best results are obtained by a decentralized controller, observing displacement and velocity of the shaft at the bearing positions.

Adaptive Privacy Management System Design For Context-Aware Mobile Devices

While mobile technologies can provide great personalized services for mobile users, they also threaten their privacy. Such personalization-privacy paradox are particularly salient for context aware technology based mobile applications where user's behaviors, movement and habits can be associated with a consumer's personal identity. In this thesis, I studied the privacy issues in the mobile context, particularly focus on an adaptive privacy management system design for context-aware mobile devices, and explore the role of personalization and control over user's personal data. This allowed me to make multiple contributions, both theoretical and practical. In the theoretical world, I propose and prototype an adaptive Single-Sign On solution that use user's context information to protect user's private information for smartphone. To validate this solution, I first proved that user's context is a unique user identifier and context awareness technology can increase user's perceived ease of use of the system and service provider's authentication security. I then followed a design science research paradigm and implemented this solution into a mobile application called "Privacy Manager". I evaluated the utility by several focus group interviews, and overall the proposed solution fulfilled the expected function and users expressed their intentions to use this application. To better understand the personalization-privacy paradox, I built on the theoretical foundations of privacy calculus and technology acceptance model to conceptualize the theory of users' mobile privacy management. I also examined the role of personalization and control ability on my model and how these two elements interact with privacy calculus and mobile technology model. In the practical realm, this thesis contributes to the understanding of the tradeoff between the benefit of personalized services and user's privacy concerns it may cause. By pointing out new opportunities to rethink how user's context information can protect private data, it also suggests new elements for privacy related business models.

Investigation of the Modified Beam-in-Slab Bridge System, Design Guide, 2004, Vol. 3

Design guide

Investigation of the Modified Beam-in-Slab Bridge System, Design Manual, 2004, Vol. 2

Design Manual

Cost system design and cost management in the Spanish public sector

Cost systems have been shown to have developed considerably in recent years andactivity-based costing (ABC) has been shown to be a contribution to cost management,particularly in service businesses. The public sector is composed to a very great extentof service functions, yet considerably less has been reported of the use of ABC tosupport cost management in this sector.In Spain, cost systems are essential for city councils as they are obliged to calculate thecost of the services subject to taxation (eg. waste collection, etc). City councils musthave a cost system in place to calculate the cost of services, as they are legally requirednot to profit , from these services.This paper examines the development of systems to support cost management in theSpanish Public Sector. Through semi-structured interviews with 28 subjects within oneCity Council it contains a case study of cost management. The paper contains extractsfrom interviews and a number of factors are identified which contribute to thesuccessful development of the cost management system.Following the case study a number of other City Councils were identified where activity-based techniques had either failed or stalled. Based on the factors identified inthe single case study a further enquiry is reported. The paper includes a summary usingstatistical analysis which draws attention to change management, funding and politicalincentives as factors which had an influence on system success or failure.

Fertilizer 15N balance in a coffee cropping system: a case study in Brazil

Knowledge about the fate of fertilizer nitrogen in agricultural systems is essential for the improvement of management practices in order to maximize nitrogen (N) recovery by the crop and reduce N losses from the system to a minimum. This study involves fertilizer management practices using the 15N isotope label applied in a single rate to determine the fertilizer-N balance in a particular soil-coffee-atmosphere system and to deepen the understanding of N plant dynamics. Five replicates consisting of plots of about 120 plants each were randomly defined within a 0.2 ha coffee plantation planted in 2001, in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. Nine plants of each plot were separated in sub-plots for the 15N balance studies and treated with N rates of 280 and 350 kg ha-1 during 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, respectively, both of them as ammonium sulfate enriched to a 15N abundance of 2.072 atom %. Plant shoots were considered as separate parts: the orthotropic central branch, productive branches, leaves of productive branches, vegetative branches, leaves of vegetative branches and fruit. Litter, consisting of dead leaves accumulated below the plant canopy, was measured by the difference between leaves at harvest and at the beginning of the following flowering. Roots and soil were sampled down to a depth of 1.0 at intervals of 0.2 m. Samples from the isotopic sub-plots were used to evaluate total N and 15N, and plants outside sub-plots were used to evaluate dry matter. Volatilization losses of NH3 were estimated using special collectors. Leaching of fertilizer-N was estimated from deep drainage water fluxes and 15N concentrations of the soil solution at 1 m soil depth. At the end of the 2-year evaluation, the recovery of 15N applied as ammonium sulfate was 19.1 % in aerial plant parts, 9.4 % in the roots, 23.8 % in the litter, 26.3 % in the fruit and 12.6 % remaining in the 0_1.0 m soil profile. Annual leaching and volatilization losses were very small (2.0 % and 0.9 %, respectively). After two years, only 6.2 % N were missing in the balance (100 %) which can be attributed to other non-estimated compartments and experimental errors. Results show that an enrichment of only 2 % atom 15N allows the study of the partition of fertilizer-N in a perennial crop such as coffee during a period of two years.

Cropping system impact on soil quality determinants

Selostus: Viljelyjärjestelmän vaikutus maan kasvukuntoa määrääviin tekijöihin

Product information management system design framework for production oriented company

Diplomityössä luodaan viitekehys tuotetiedonhallintajärjestelmän esisuunnittelua varten. Siinä on kolme ulottuvuutta: lisäarvontuotto-, toiminnallisuus- ja ohjelmistoulottuvuus. Viitekehys auttaa- tunnistamaan lisäarvontuottokomponentit, joihin voidaan vaikuttaa tiettyjen ohjelmistoluokkien tarjoamilla tuotetiedonhallintatoiminnallisuuksilla. Viitekehyksen järjestelmäsuunnittelullista näkökulmaa hyödynnetään tutkittavissa yritystapauksissa perustuen laskentamatriisin muotoon mallinnettuihin ulottuvuuksien välisiin suhteisiin. Matriisiin syötetään lisäarvontuotto- ja toiminnallisuuskomponenttien saamat tärkeydet kohdeyrityksessä suoritetussa haastattelututkimuksessa. Matriisin tuotos on tietyn ohjelmiston soveltuvuus kyseisen yrityksen tapauksessa. Soveltuvuus on joukko tunnuslukuja, jotka analysoidaan tulostenkäsittelyvaiheessa. Soveltuvuustulokset avustavat kohdeyritystä sen valitessa lähestymistapaansa tuotetiedonhallintaan - ja kuvaavat esisuunnitellun tuotetiedonhallintajärjestelmän. Viitekehyksen rakentaminen vaatii perinpohjaisen lähestymistavan merkityksellisten lisäarvontuotto- ja toiminnallisuuskomponenttien sekä ohjelmistoluokkien määrittämiseen. Määritystyö perustuu työssä yksityiskohtaisesti laadittujen menetelmien ja komponenttiryhmitysten hyödyntämiselle. Kunkin alueen analysointi mahdollistaa viitekehyksen ja laskentamatriisin rakentamisen yhdenmukaisten määritysten perusteella. Viitekehykselle on ominaista sen muunneltavuus. Nykymuodossaan se soveltuu elektroniikka- ja high-tech yrityksille. Viitekehystä voidaan hyödyntää myös muilla toimialoilla muokkaamalla lisäarvontuottokomponentteja kunkin toimialan intressien mukaisesti. Vastaavasti analysoitava ohjelmisto voidaan valita tapauskohtaisesti. Laskentamatriisi on kuitenkin ensin päivitettävä valitun ohjelmiston kyvykkyyksillä, minkä jälkeen viitekehys voi tuottaa soveltuvuustuloksia kyseiseen yritystapaukseen perustuen

On Transmission System Design for Wireless Broadcasting

This thesis considers aspects related to the design and standardisation of transmission systems for wireless broadcasting, comprising terrestrial and mobile reception. The purpose is to identify which factors influence the technical decisions and what issues could be better considered in the design process in order to assess different use cases, service scenarios and end-user quality. Further, the necessity of cross-layer optimisation for efficient data transmission is emphasised and means to take this into consideration are suggested. The work is mainly related terrestrial and mobile digital video broadcasting systems but many of the findings can be generalised also to other transmission systems and design processes. The work has led to three main conclusions. First, it is discovered that there are no sufficiently accurate error criteria for measuring the subjective perceived audiovisual quality that could be utilised in transmission system design. Means for designing new error criteria for mobile TV (television) services are suggested and similar work related to other services is recommended. Second, it is suggested that in addition to commercial requirements there should be technical requirements setting the frame work for the design process of a new transmission system. The technical requirements should include the assessed reception conditions, technical quality of service and service functionalities. Reception conditions comprise radio channel models, receiver types and antenna types. Technical quality of service consists of bandwidth, timeliness and reliability. Of these, the thesis focuses on radio channel models and errorcriteria (reliability) as two of the most important design challenges and provides means to optimise transmission parameters based on these. Third, the thesis argues that the most favourable development for wireless broadcasting would be a single system suitable for all scenarios of wireless broadcasting. It is claimed that there are no major technical obstacles to achieve this and that the recently published second generation digital terrestrial television broadcasting system provides a good basis. The challenges and opportunities of a universal wireless broadcasting system are discussed mainly from technical but briefly also from commercial and regulatory aspect

Yield in double cropping system as affected by N fertilization rate with pig slurry in a Catalonia dryland region

Intensive swine production is an important agricultural and economical activity in Europe. The high availability of pig slurry (PS) lead to attractive fertilization strategy to reduce costs, therefore is mainly applied as fertilizer in agricultural systems. The optimization N fertilization in these areas should be taken in into to avoid nitrates losses by lixiviation and to achieve maximum efficiency in crop nutrition. Many studies have shown that PS applications can achieve satisfactory yields in different crops by partially or completely replacing synthetic fertilizers. In addition, for the last years, in Northeast Spain (Catalonia) has been widely extended the double-cropping forage system.

Wild onion (Asphodelus tenuifolius) competition in rainfed chickpea-chickpea cropping system

Chickpea yield potential is limited by weed competition in typical chickpea growing areas of Pakistan where zero tillage crop grown on moisture conserved from rains received during the months of September and August. The objective of this work was to evaluate the growth and yield characteristics of chickpea grown in coexistence with increasing densities of wild onion (Asphodelus tenuifolius). The experiment was comprised of six density levels viz. zero, 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 plants m-2 of A. tenuifolius. A decrease in chickpea primary and secondary branches per plant, pods per plant, seeds per pod, 100-seed weight and seed yield was observed due to more accumulation of dry matter per increasing densities of A. tenuifolius. The increase in A. tenuifolius density accelerated chickpea yield losses and reached the maximum values of 28, 35, 42, 50, 58 and 96% at 20, 40, 80, 160 and 320 A. tenuifolius plants m-2, respectively. The yield loss estimation model showed that chickpea losses with infinite A. tenuifolius density were 60%. Yield reduction could be predicted by 2.52% with increase of one A. tenuifolius plant m-2. It is concluded that A. tenuifolius has a strong influence on chickpea seed yield and showed a linear response at the range of densities studied.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MANUFACTURING SYSTEM DESIGN IN THE DEFENSE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

Manufacturing has evolved to become a critical element of the competitive skill set of defense aerospace firms. Given the changes in the acquisition environment and culture; traditional “thrown over the wall” means of developing and manufacturing products are insufficient. Also, manufacturing systems are complex systems that need to be carefully designed in a holistic manner and there are shortcomings with available tools and methods to assist in the design of these systems. This paper outlines the generation and validation of a framework to guide this manufacturing system design process.

A Holistic Approach to Manufacturing System Design in the Defense Aerospace Industry

Manufacturing has evolved to become a critical element of the competitive skill set of defense aerospace firms. Given the changes in the acquisition environment and culture; traditional “thrown over the wall” means of developing and manufacturing products are insufficient. Also, manufacturing systems are complex systems that need to be carefully designed in a holistic manner and there are shortcomings with available tools and methods to assist in the design of these systems. This paper outlines the generation and validation of a framework to guide this manufacturing system design process.