Determination of physical properties of crambe fruits during drying

The Knowledge of the physical properties of agricultural products has great importance for the construction and operation of equipment for drying and storage, to achieve increased efficiency in post-harvest operations. The aim was to determine and analyze the physical properties of crambe fruits during drying at different temperatures. Crambe fruits with an initial moisture content of 0.36 (decimal d.b.) which was reduced by drying at 37.0; 58.8 and 83.5 ºC and relative humidity of 29.4; 11.2 and 3.2%, respectively, to 0.09 ± 1 (decimal d.b.). At different levels of moisture contents (0.36; 0.31; 0.26; 0.21; 0.17; 0.13 and 0.09 decimal d.b.), was evaluated the intergranular porosity, the bulk density, the true density as well as the volumetric shrinkage and the fruit mass. The study was installed by the factorial 3 x 7, and three drying temperatures and seven moisture contents in a randomized design. Data were analyzed using regression. The bulk density and the true density decreases along the drying process; the volumetric shrinkage and the mass increased with lower moisture content and the intergranular porosity decreased sharply with the increasing drying temperature.

Effects of maintenance management procedures in sugarcane mechanic harvesting system equipment

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of modifying the maintenance programming of equipment used in sugarcane mechanical harvesting, by transferring actions that can be planned to periods when machines are inactive due to meal breaks and other working shift transitions stoppages. A simulation model was developed to represent the maintenance procedures of combines, haulouts, and other vehicles used by a harvest team. Scenarios were tested using alternatives for interventions such as refueling, lubrication and harvester blade replacement, enabling strategies to be focused towards better utilization of cutting, loading, and transport (CLT) system equipment. As a result, it was possible to remove one combine and two haulouts, while maintaining current daily production. The maintenance time for harvesters, which refers to corrective maintenance and the transfer of remaining interventions for periods of inactivity, was reduced from 10.0% to 3.5% over the useful period. This study indicates that maintenance management in the sugarcane sector enables the expanded use of equipment, leading to the greater productivity of the CLT system.

The probabilistic risk analysis of external hazards of an interim storage for spent nuclear fuel

Tässä diplomityössä tehtiin Olkiluodon ydinvoimalaitoksella sijaitsevan käytetyn ydinpolttoaineen allasvarastointiin perustuvan välivaraston todennäköisyysperustainen ulkoisten uhkien riskianalyysi. Todennäköisyysperustainen riskianalyysi (PRA) on yleisesti käytetty riskien tunnistus- ja lähestymistapa ydinvoimalaitoksella. Työn tarkoituksena oli laatia täysin uusi ulkoisten uhkien PRA-analyysi, koska Suomessa ei ole aiemmin tehty vastaavanlaisia tämän tutkimusalueen riskitarkasteluja. Riskitarkastelun motiivina ovat myös maailmalla tapahtuneiden luonnonkatastrofien vuoksi korostunut ulkoisten uhkien rooli käytetyn ydinpolttoaineen välivarastoinnin turvallisuudessa. PRA analyysin rakenne pohjautui tutkimuksen alussa luotuun metodologiaan. Analyysi perustuu mahdollisten ulkoisten uhkien tunnistamiseen pois lukien ihmisen aikaansaamat tahalliset vahingot. Tunnistettujen ulkoisten uhkien esiintymistaajuuksien ja vahingoittamispotentiaalin perusteella ulkoiset uhat joko karsittiin pois tutkimuksessa määriteltyjen karsintakriteerien avulla tai analysoitiin tarkemmin. Tutkimustulosten perusteella voitiin todeta, että tiedot hyvin harvoin tapahtuvista ulkoisista uhista ovat epätäydellisiä. Suurinta osaa näistä hyvin harvoin tapahtuvista ulkoisista uhista ei ole koskaan esiintynyt eikä todennäköisesti koskaan tule esiintymään Olkiluodon vaikutusalueella tai edes Suomessa. Esimerkiksi salaman iskujen ja öljyaltistuksen roolit ja vaikutukset erilaisten komponenttien käytettävyyteen ovat epävarmasti tunnettuja. Tutkimuksen tuloksia voidaan pitää kokonaisuudessaan merkittävinä, koska niiden perusteella voidaan osoittaa ne ulkoiset uhat, joiden vaikutuksia olisi syytä tutkia tarkemmin. Yksityiskohtaisempi tietoisuus hyvin harvoin esiintyvistä ulkoisista uhista tarkentaisi alkutapahtumataajuuksien estimaatteja.

Locally made equipment

kuv., 22 x 29 cm

Evaluation of skin sensitivity in dogs bearing allergic dermatitis to standardized allergenic extract of house dust and storage mites

The objective of the study was to evaluate whether allergenic extracts of five house dust and storage mite species standardized for humans might be used for the diagnosis of canine atopic dermatitis (CAD). Extracts of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Pyroglyphidae), D. farinae (Pyroglyphidae), Blomia tropicalis (Glycyphagidae), Lepidoglyphus destructor (Glycyphagidae) and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Acaridae) were evaluated by intradermal testing in 20 healthy dogs (control) and 25 dogs with allergic dermatitis. A significant difference in the response was observed between the two groups (p<0.05). Only one dog (5%) in the control group reacted to the intradermal test, whereas 14 dogs (56%) in the allergic group were positive for at least one extract (odds ratio = 24.2). Most of the positive reactions observed in the allergic group occurred against the extracts of T. putrescentiae or L. destructor, each inducing reactions in 10 dogs (40%). D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus e B. tropicalis extracts induced reactions in 7 (28%), 3 (12%) and 3 (12%) dogs, respectively. The allergenic extracts standardized for humans evaluated in the present study may be used as a tool to complement the diagnosis of the disease, as well as to select potential allergen candidates for allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Seuraajasuunnitteluprosessi ja sen toimivuus KONE Oyj:n New Equipment Business -liiketoimintayksikössä

Tämä tutkimus käsittelee seuraajasuunnitteluprosessia ja sen toimivuutta. Tutkimus on tapaustutkimus, jossa tutkittava ilmiö eli seuraajasuunnittelu ja kohteena oleva tapaus eli organisaatio KONE Oyj:n yksi liiketoimintayksikkö New Equipment Business, NEB voidaan erottaa toisistaan. Tutkimuksen kohteena on seuraajasuunnitteluprosessin toimivuus tapausorganisaatiossa. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on hankkia tietoa ja ymmärtää prosessin toteutumista sekä löytää jo käytössä olevat parhaimmat käytännöt sekä merkittävimmät kehitysalueet. Tutkimuksen lähestymistapa on kvalitatiivinen. Seuraajasuunnitteluprosessin toimivuutta tutkittiin tekemällä teemahaastatteluja tutkimuksen kohteena olevan organisaation eri funktioiden henkilöstöpäälliköiden ja yksiköiden johtajien kanssa. Haastattelujen lisäksi tutkimuksessa käytettiin tausta-aineistona yrityksen sisäisiä arkistointitietoja ja materiaalia. Työn tuloksena saatiin selville, miten seuraajasuunnitteluprosessi toteutuu kohdeorganisaatiossa. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella näyttää siltä, että panostamalla talenttien kehitystoimenpiteisiin sekä lisäämällä henkilöiden liikkuvuutta yli organisaatiorajojen voidaan kehittää seuraajasuunnitteluprosessia vastaamaan tulevaisuuden haasteisiin.

Histochemical study of the oviducal gland and analysis of the sperm storage tubules of Mustelus schmitti Springer, 1939 (Chondrichthyes, Triakidae)

Abstract: The paired oviducal glands of immature and mature females of Mustelus schmitti were examined macro and microscopically. Findings indicate that these glands possessed the same zonation as in most chondrichthyans from anterior to posterior: club, papillary, baffle and terminal zones. The whole gland is composed by simple tubular glands that connect with transverse grooves all along the organ. The club zone presents a typical indian club shape with a simple columnar and ciliated epithelium including secretory cells PAS (+) and AB (+). The papillary zone is characterized by lamella forming small and long cones in numbers of three. The epithelium of this zone contains ciliated cells with apical nuclei and secretory cells with basal nuclei that stain AB (+)The baffle zone consists of apically flattened lamellae alternating with spinnerets which are small projections disposed by both sides of the plateau. This whole structure is present in number of 8 or 9 units. A simple columnar ciliated epithelium covers the plateau and spinnerets and no AB or PAS staining is observed. The epithelium of the terminal zone is PAS (-) and AB (+), and elongated tubules, that run adjacent to the baffle zone are the site where groups of spermatozoa are clearly observed in the lumen. The epithelium of the sperm storage tubules do not stain with any of the dyes tested. Sperm was also observed in the baffle zone, presumably in its way to the fecundation in the oviduct because it displays no aggregation pattern and was between the folds of the epithelium. By scanning electron microscopy sperm was observed in the club and baffle zones in a gland which belonged to a pregnant female.

Computational studies for the design of process equipment with complex geometries

This study combines several projects related to the flows in vessels with complex shapes representing different chemical apparata. Three major cases were studied. The first one is a two-phase plate reactor with a complex structure of intersecting micro channels engraved on one plate which is covered by another plain plate. The second case is a tubular microreactor, consisting of two subcases. The first subcase is a multi-channel two-component commercial micromixer (slit interdigital) used to mix two liquid reagents before they enter the reactor. The second subcase is a micro-tube, where the distribution of the heat generated by the reaction was studied. The third case is a conventionally packed column. However, flow, reactions or mass transfer were not modeled. Instead, the research focused on how to describe mathematically the realistic geometry of the column packing, which is rather random and can not be created using conventional computeraided design or engineering (CAD/CAE) methods. Several modeling approaches were used to describe the performance of the processes in the considered vessels. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to describe the details of the flow in the plate microreactor and micromixer. A space-averaged mass transfer model based on Fick’s law was used to describe the exchange of the species through the gas-liquid interface in the microreactor. This model utilized data, namely the values of the interfacial area, obtained by the corresponding CFD model. A common heat transfer model was used to find the heat distribution in the micro-tube. To generate the column packing, an additional multibody dynamic model was implemented. Auxiliary simulation was carried out to determine the position and orientation of every packing element in the column. This data was then exported into a CAD system to generate desirable geometry, which could further be used for CFD simulations. The results demonstrated that the CFD model of the microreactor could predict the flow pattern well enough and agreed with experiments. The mass transfer model allowed to estimate the mass transfer coefficient. Modeling for the second case showed that the flow in the micromixer and the heat transfer in the tube could be excluded from the larger model which describes the chemical kinetics in the reactor. Results of the third case demonstrated that the auxiliary simulation could successfully generate complex random packing not only for the column but also for other similar cases.

Reflectance indices as a diagnostic tool for weed control performed by multipurpose equipment in precision agriculture

Several tools of precision agriculture have been developed for specific uses. However, this specificity may hinder the implementation of precision agriculture due to an increasing in costs and operational complexity. The use of vegetation index sensors which are traditionally developed for crop fertilization, for site-specific weed management can provide multiple utilizations of these sensors and result in the optimization of precision agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between reflectance indices of weeds obtained by the GreenSeekerTM sensor and conventional parameters used for weed interference quantification. Two experiments were conducted with soybean and corn by establishing a gradient of weed interference through the use of pre- and post-emergence herbicides. The weed quantification was evaluated by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the ratio of red to near infrared (Red/NIR) obtained using the GreenSeekerTM sensor, the visual weed control, the weed dry matter, and digital photographs, which supplied information about the leaf area coverage proportions of weed and straw. The weed leaf coverage obtained using digital photography was highly associated with the NDVI (r = 0.78) and the Red/NIR (r = -0.74). The weed dry matter also positively correlated with the NDVI obtained in 1 m linear (r = 0.66). The results indicated that the GreenSeekerTM sensor originally used for crop fertilization could also be used to obtain reflectance indices in the area between rows of crops to support decision-making programs for weed control.

Rising to the impossible challenge: the storage of all research data, forever?

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Reserve substances and storage of Cyathea delgadii Sternb. spores

The spores used were collected from a population of trees of Cyathea delgadii Sternb. growing in a gallery forest at the Reserva Biológica e Estação Experimental de Moji Guaçu, São Paulo state, Brazil (22°18’S and 47°11’W). The germination of spores of Cyathea delgadii decreases with time when kept in closed bottles under storage at 4°C in darkness. Germination is still very high after storage for one year. Spores stored for three years do not germinate. The results also show a decrease in soluble proteins and an increase in starch after several months storage.

Analyses of the usefulness of Software Defined Storage Solutions for Web-based Digital Preservation Applications

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Light and storage on the germination of spores of Dicksonia sellowiana (Presl.) Hook., Dicksoniaceae

Spores of Dicksonia sellowiana are positively photoblastic and reach the maximum percentage of germination at 23 ± 2°C in white light after seven days of imbibition. The pre-induction phase for spores induced by white or red light for 24 hours was 72 hours. Gametophytes grown in white light were plane and bidimensional, while those grown under red light were filamentous. The higher the number of hours of light applied per day during 10 days, the higher the percentage of germination. Germination was higher for long white light treatments applied on a daily basis. The effect of different light intensities on germination was also investigated here. The lower percentages of germination were observed for spores kept under 43% and 2% of full sunlight, while those kept under 26, 19 and 4% presented higher percentages. Spores presented circa 82% of germination after 731 days of storage under refrigeration at aproximately 10°C.

Effect of storage of achenes of Bidens gardneri Baker on light sensitivity during germination

Bidens gardneri is a very common herbaceous species in the cerrados of the state of São Paulo, whose seeds become light sensitive at 25°C only. Achenes of this species were stored in refrigerator at 4°C and in cerrado soil and in forest soil. The field experiments were carried out in the cerrado at the Reserva Biológica e Estação Experimental de Moji Guaçu, in Moji Guaçu and in the forest of the Instituto de Botânica, in São Paulo, Brazil. Achenes of B. gardneri vary in size and achenes from 7 to 12 mm long were used. Achenes stored for up to 6 months at 4°C showed light sensitivity; after 9 months storage, the difference in germination between light and darkness had disappeared for the smallest and the largest achenes used. Seeds of B. gardneri germinated during the period of storage in soil; the number of germinated seeds increased over the storage time, while the number of intact achenes decreased for the same period, no matter if the experiment was being carried out in the cerrado or in the forest. Therefore, the achenes germinated in soil in darkness. Light sensitivity was lost in intact achenes that had been stored in soil for three months.