Moisture Content Of Medium Research Articles

Prolonging heat-moisture treatment time at medium moisture content optimizes the quality attributes of cooked brown rice through starch structural alteration

Brown rice (BR), one of the popular whole grains worldwide, is still limited to consumption due to its rough texture after cooking. Through inspecting structural alteration, this work discloses how heat-moisture treatment (HMT) moisture content (15 %–25 %) and time (1.0 h–3.0 h) modify the starch digestibility and cooked BR texture. The medium moisture content (20 %) allowed the highest pasting viscosity and a uniform network structure of cooked BR. Prolonging the HMT time from 1.0 h to 2.0 h at medium moisture content hindered starch swelling and improved stability. Meanwhile, the relative crystallinity, the surface compactness in nanoscale and R995/1022 decreased, while the gel network structure was improved, contributing to the softened cooked BR texture and the enhanced starch digestibility. Although the resistant starch content raised to 13.55 % after 3.0 h of HMT, the springiness, gumminess and chewiness of cooked BR degraded, and this should be considered in certain conditions.

Realtime Monitoring and Analysis Based on Cloud Computing Internet of Things (CC-IoT) Technology in Detecting Forest and Land Fires in Riau Province

Forest and land fires in Riau are natural disasters that always repeat every time they enter the dry season. The solution of this research is to apply the leading technology of cloud computing internet of things (CC-IoT) to find out more quickly the existence of forest or land fires. This study uses Particle Argon (Photon) to connect to the internet and several IR Fire Detector sensors, DHT22 MQ2 and GPS Neo 6m. Particle Argon can receive input and perform processing so that it is connected using the CC-IoT concept to a web server so the users can monitor land conditions in real time. Based on the test results, it can be concluded that a fire detector using fire parameters (2000 = Normal and 2000 = Danger) , temperature (≤37 = Normal, 38 – 45 = Alert, and 46 = Danger), humidity (≤50 = Dry, 51 = Humid) , smoke (≤ 1700 = Normal, 1700 = Danger), and soil moisture can work well ( 3500 = Dry Moisture Content, 1500 to 3500 = Medium Moisture Content, and 1500 = High Moisture Content). The fire detection tool developed can detect fires in real time and also has a fire early detection function that is useful for anticipating land conditions to prevent fires. The results obtained from the test are that the sensor can read indications of fire, smoke, soil moisture with a success rate of 93% and send location data and sensor values to the website. The use of sensors has their respective roles so that if there is a problem with one of the sensors, the tool has an alternative sensor and can continue to function.

Longer ensilage time improve rumen fermentation of high moisture – High-tannin sorghum grain

The high moisture sorghum grain silage is an important source of feed for livestock in Uruguay and some regions of the world. That is why this study aimed to evaluate the effect of ensilage time, moisture content, and variety on the in vitro fermentation ruminal parameters of moist sorghum grain stored in experimental silos. This study was conducted to analyze gas production in vitro of two sorghum grains varieties, with high and low-tannin content, ensiled with15–25%, 26–32%, and 33–42% moisture content 30, 90, and 180 d of ensilage in experimental silos. Total gas production was higher in low-tannin grains than in those with high-tannin, regardless of the ensilage time or the moisture content. Differences in the gas production rate were also observed in the interactions between tannin and moisture content, ensilage time, and moisture content as between tannin content and moisture contents for the lag time. Moreover, medium moisture content promoted the fermentability in high-tannin grains and high moisture in low-tannin grains. The fermentability of both high and low-tannin grains was enhanced with increasing ensilage time.

Rain garden hydrological performance – Responses to real rainfall events

Rain gardens, as bioretention facilities belonging to blue-green infrastructure solutions, are becoming increasingly implemented in cities. The main reason for this is to support traditional drainage systems in receiving runoff from impermeable surfaces and managing it through temporary retention and infiltration into the ground. However, as practice shows, investors focusing on the construction of the systems and their commissioning skip their monitoring during the operating period, thus missing the opportunity to obtain reliable data on their hydrological performance under actual field conditions.The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a rain garden, located in an urban area, to capture runoff from the roof of a building. The assessment was based on the results of measurements carried out in 2021 on the variability of the levels of water retained in the rain garden and on measurements of growing medium moisture content at several selected points in the rain garden depression against thermal and rainfall conditions. The results showed that the rain garden demonstrated good hydrological performance. This was proven by the observed direct infiltration of rainwater into the structural layer or the short retention time for rainfall events with a higher rainfall total. The highest growing medium moisture was observed in the area of rainwater inflow to the rain garden. The results of the research may be useful in the planning and realization of future investments with rain gardens, which are to be situated in areas of similar meteorological conditions.

Thermophysical Properties and Elemental Composition of Black Locust, Poplar and Willow Biomass

Biomass is currently the main renewable energy source (RES) in the EU, particularly in Poland. Solid biomass for energy purposes is primarily sourced from forests, the wood processing industry, and agriculture. A significant source of this energy feedstock could also be short-rotation woody crops (SRWCs), including black locust, poplar, and willow. Since numerous factors determine the SRWC biomass quality, the current study aimed at assessing biomass thermophysical properties and elemental composition depending on the plant species, soil enrichment procedure, and the plant harvest rotation over a consecutive 12-year period of cultivation. The characteristics under study, including the moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, fixed carbon, higher heating value (HHV), and the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and chlorine contents, were significantly differentiated by all the main factors, i.e., the SRWC species, the soil enrichment procedure, the harvest rotation, and the interactions between these factors. The SRWC species accounted for the highest percentage of the variation in the biomass moisture content, ash content, HHV, and nitrogen content, while the harvest rotation made the largest contribution to the variation in carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine contents. The black locust biomass was characterized by the significantly lowest moisture content (an average of 38.89%) and the highest sulfur content (an average of 0.033% DM), nitrogen content (an average of 0.91% DM), and chlorine content (an average of 0.032% DM). However, poplar was characterized by the highest HHV (an average of 19.84 GJ Mg−1 DM) and the highest moisture content (56.52% DM), carbon content (56.52% DM), and ash content (an average of 1.67% DM). Willow was characterized by the lowest ash content (an average of 1.67% DM), a medium moisture content, and the lowest nitrogen content (an average of 0.38% DM) and chlorine content (an average of 0.19% DM).

Distribution of Airflow and Media Moisture Content across Two Vertical Bed Biofilters

For its small square footage, a vertical bed biofilter was developed for odor emission mitigation for livestock facilities with limited area available for biofilter installation. However, a concern about the design is that airflow and moisture may be poorly distributed across the biofilter due to the effects of gravity. Relevant data are sporadic in the literature. To fill the knowledge gap, two vertical bed biofilters were constructed at a university swine facility and monitored for two months. The monitoring was taken at 27 grid points on each biofilter per field visit. Results revealed that both the airflow and medium moisture content were unevenly distributed. The sun-facing side of the biofilters had significantly lower medium moisture content (p < 0.01) due to solar-induced water evaporation. The side directly facing the barn exhaust had the highest airflow. Airflows varied along the height of the biofilters, but no significant difference was noted. The uniformity of airflow and moisture content, characterized by coefficient of variance (CV) and distribution uniformity (DU) respectively, were examined over the monitoring campaign. Possible reasons for uneven distribution were explored and recommendations are made to address the uniformity issue. The findings from the study are expected to further the development and implementation of biofiltration technology for livestock odor control.

Effect of Performance of Water Stashes Irrigation Approaches on Selected Species of Plant’s Water Productivity in Urban Rooftop Agriculture with Respect to Climate Change

Urbanization and population growth have led to urban areas with a substantial concrete surface compared to adjacent rural areas, creating challenges regarding fresh food, water security, and the need for agricultural land. Climate change affects the rainfall pattern and ground water in urban areas, so the gradual growth of urban rooftop agriculture (URTA) is an increasing trend for the owners of residential buildings. URTA is increasing in the form of private initiatives, but without consideration of efficient water management techniques and application of other related inputs. URTA differs substantially from traditional agriculture in terms of sunshine, thermal regime, the moisture dynamics of a concrete roof top, etc. Considering these aspects of URTA, an effective, efficient, science-based and economically viable irrigation method is necessary to popularize this approach and consequently increase the productivity of crops. With this in mind, the drip irrigation method is considered for the cultivation and determination of water productivity for selected species of plants such as the Bottle Gourd, Tomato, Chili, and Brinjal in the URTA, which was also compared to the traditional irrigation approach. This is why groundwater and green (grey and rain) water were considered as the source of irrigation during the dry season, based on the daily crop evapotranspiration and moisture content of the plant growing medium. For this reason, ET0 of the selected crops was measured using the CROPWAT 8.0 model. The results of this study revealed that the optimum irrigation water requirement of any crop in URTA is around 54% access (ETc), and 46–64% of access irrigation water is used by the traditional method compared to the drip irrigation method. The study reported that with drip irrigation with potable water, the yield was increased by 21.43–22.40% and rain and grey-water also increased yield by 31.87–33.33% compared to container and traditional pipe irrigation. It was also found that the water qualities of mixed water (grey and rainwater) are in an acceptable range limit for irrigation. As a result, urban planners, city dwellers, and researchers can formulate appropriate plans to cultivate different species of plants through this water saving irrigation method using green water, and should explore the concept of water-smart URTA technologies as organic inventions embedded in these results.

Characteristics of moisture migration and volatile compounds of rice stored under various storage conditions

Yellowing is associated with the changes in rice quality during storage. This study revealed that the increased yellowness of rice was highly associated with the moisture content of rice during storage. The hysteresis loop formed by sorption and desorption curves showed that the water loss of japonica rice was the largest, suggesting the internal structure of japonica rice was more vulnerable to be damaged. The heat enthalpy of rice increased first, and then decreased during yellowing, indicating the changes in the corresponding rice structure. The changes in the moisture migration were monitored by low-field NMR, and the data showed that the content of tightly bound water decreased during yellowing, and the tightly bound water transferred to higher fluidity in medium moisture content (MMC) and higher moisture content (HMC) sample. The concentration of most esters, ketones and alcohols of rice was increased during yellowing in a lower moisture content (LMC) sample. This study revealed that the yellowing process could inhibit the release of some volatiles for MMC and HMC samples. The increased 1,2-dimethoxy-benzene and phenol in HMC sample during yellowing were the characteristic volatiles for the highest yellowed rice samples. This study may highlight the further understanding of rice yellowing mechanism.

Enrichment of laccase production by Phoma herbarum isolate KU4 under solid-state fermentation by optimizing RSM coefficients using genetic algorithm.

The process parameters were optimized to obtain enhanced enzyme activity from the fungus Phoma herbarum isolate KU4 using rice straw and saw dust as substrate under solid-state fermentation using Response surface methodology (RSM). Genetic algorithm was used to validate the RSM for maximum laccase production. Six variables, viz., pH of the media, initial moisture content, copper sulphate concentration, concentration of tannic acid, inoculum concentration and incubation time were found to be effective and optimized for enhanced production. Maximum laccase production was achieved by RSM at pH 5·0 and 86% of initial moisture content of the culture medium, 150µmoll-1 of CuSO4 , 1·5% tannic acid and 0·128g inoculum g-1 dry substrate inoculum size on the fourth day of fermentation. The highest laccase activity was observed as 79008Ug-1 , which is approximately sixfold enhanced production compared to the unoptimized condition (12085·26Ug-1 ).

Cultivation characteristics and yield of Sparassis crispa according to medium pH, medium moisture content, and inoculum volume of liquid spawn

Cultivation characteristics and yield of Sparassis crispa according to medium pH, medium moisture content, and inoculum volume of liquid spawn

Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response.

Swarming is a form of surface motility observed in many bacterial species including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Here, dense populations of bacteria move over large distances in characteristic tendril-shaped communities over the course of hours. Swarming is sensitive to several factors including medium moisture, humidity, and nutrient content. In addition, the collective stress response, which is observed in P. aeruginosa that are stressed by antibiotics or bacteriophage (phage), repels swarms from approaching the area containing the stress. The methods described here address how to control the critical factors that affect swarming. We introduce a simple method to monitor swarming dynamics and the collective stress response with high temporal resolution using a flatbed document scanner, and describe how to compile and perform a quantitative analysis of swarms. This simple and cost-effective method provides precise and well-controlled quantification of swarming and may be extended to other types of plate-based growth assays and bacterial species.

The temperature coefficient delay time of the Rayleigh waves

The effect of variation of temperature of adsorbing surface and humidity of gas medium on velocity of surface acoustic waves in layered system "adsorbed water - lithium niobate" has been investigated. The dependence of temperature coefficient delay time of the Rayleigh waves in system "adsorbed water - lithium niobate" on degree of moisture content of gas medium was considered.

Mineralogical and Environmental Geochemistry of Coal Combustion Products from Shenhuo and Yihua Power Plants in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Northwest China

The mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of feed coals and coal combustion products (CCPs) from the Shenhuo and Yihua Power Plants in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, were studied by means of proximate analysis, Power X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray analyzer (SEM-EDX), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-AES). The environmental geochemistry of CCPs was evaluated by Al-normalized enrichment factor as well as European Standard EN-12457 leaching test. Two feed coals have the characteristics of low sulfur content, medium to high volatiles matter yields, medium moisture content, super low to medium ash yield, medium to high calorific value and low mineral content. The main crystalline facies in fly ash and slag are quartz and mullite, with a small amount of calcite, and some unburned carbon. Hematite, SrSO4 and barite also can be observed in fly ashes by SEM. Typical plerophere occurs in fine fly ash rather than the coarse fly ash. The concentration of most trace elements in CCPs falls within the lower concentration range of European fly ashes. With respect to the partitioning behavior of trace elements during coal combustion, S is highly volatile, and Mg, Na, Zn, B, Co, As, Nb, Zr, Cu and K also show certain volatility, which may to some extent emit to the atmosphere. Furthermore, leaching experiments show that leachable concentrations of most of the potentially toxic elements in CCPs are low, and the CCPs fall in the range between inert and nonhazardous landfill material regulated by the 2003/33/EC Decision.

Analysis of the changes in medium moisture content according to a crop irrigation strategy and the medium properties for precise moisture content control in rock wool

The substrate moisture content affects crop absorption, microorganisms, oxygen concentration, water stress, and the ultimate evaporation amount. The moisture content in the rhizosphere can be controlled by the amount of water, the frequency of water supply, the time of water supply, and the rate of water supply provided to the crops. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical properties of a rock wool medium and to investigate the water movement characteristics of the medium according to different watering conditions. To measure the moisture content of the substrate and the drainage amount, load cells were used as weight sensors, and the total irrigation capacity was 99 and 198 mL/min, respectively. The moisture content at each irrigation starting point was set from 30 to 80% of the substrate moisture content at each 5%. The relationship of the starting point of drainage, the 30% drainage rate, the point of the first saturation according to the two different irrigation rates, and the point of moisture content at the start of irrigation showed a sigmoidal relationship. When reviewing the irrigation to the first saturation point, the substrate moisture content got higher as the moisture content at the irrigation start increased. Also, it was shown that the higher the irrigation rate, the higher the saturated moisture content seen in the substrate. The high irrigation rate is useful for the saturation of the substrate, but a large amount of water was needed to adjust the drainage rate. For this reason, we analyzed the irrigation rate under various cultivation conditions.

Thermal analysis of north wall insulated greenhouse dryer at different bed conditions operating under natural convection mode

AbstractAn experimental investigation has been carried out on the modified greenhouse dryer with insulated north wall operating under natural convection mode of heat transfer for different floor conditions, namely ground floor, concrete floor, gravel floor, and black painted gravel floor. The terms like coefficient of diffusivity, coefficient of performance, overall heat transfer coefficient, heat loss factor, and heat utilization factor has been calculated for different floor conditions. The maximum difference between room temperature and ambient temperature was found to be 32.4°C at 13 O'clock for black painted gravel floor, followed by gravel floor, concrete floor, and ground floor which are 27, 14.1, and 11.5°C, respectively. It has been observed that the rise in the percentage of maximum room temperature in comparison to maximum ambient temperature for black painted gravel floor, gravel floor, concrete floor, and the ground floor was 50.31, 46.15, 30.1, and 26.6%, respectively at 13 O'clock. It has been found that the maximum temperature absorbed by black painted gravel bed. Hence, this type of floor condition is highly recommended for drying of low and medium moisture content type vegetables and fruits. The thermal parameters of the result obtain from the present setup was compared with the published literature, and it was found that all parameters show the similar trends; however, the present setup shows the superior performance compared to other research work.

Optimization of Cultivation Conditions of Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes) for the Highest Antioxidant Activity and Antioxidant Content.

Ganoderma lucidum is a famous medicinal mushroom that is rich in antioxidants. The content of antioxidant components of grains can be effectively improved by G. lucidum as the fermenting strain. Optimization of the solid-state fermentation medium and optimization of the fermentation conditions were studied. The optimal fermentation substrate combination of G. lucidum TS (GL-TS) was 46.79% buckwheat, 53.21% rice; the optimal fermentation substrate combination of G. lucidum Am (GL-Am) was 4.17% soybean, 95.83% rice. The optimal fermentation conditions of GL-TS and GL-Am were as follows: inoculum amounts of 4.5% and 7.5%, temperatures of 30°C and 32°C, medium moisture content of 70% for both media, material granularities of 0.212-0.355 mm and 0.500-0.710 mm, and optimal fermentation time of 12.0 d and 10.5 d, respectively. Results of the analysis of antioxidant components in the fermentation substrates indicated that the antioxidant components were rich in antioxidant varieties and high in content. The contents of the antioxidant components (triterpenoids, total polyphenols, reducing sugars, anthocyanins, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E) in the full-fermentation substrates were greater than those in the nonfennentation substrates (except for flavonoids in the full-fermentation substrates, which were less than in the nonfennentation substrates). Glutathione was the major antioxidant component in the fermentation substrates, and the glutathione content was the highest. Therefore, the fermentation substrates of G. lucidum can be used to make antioxidant foods. This research contributes to the foundation for developing antioxidant foods based on G. lucidum.

Physicochemical Properties and Plant Coverage of Wood-based Growing Media on Slopes

The use of wood waste as substrate for plant growth exemplifies a strategy for turning waste into resources. The overall objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of wood-based growing media on plant cover in a slope area. Moreover, we tried to find out what physicochemical properties affect plant cover on a slope. For treatments, we tested natural soil, soil mixed with wood-based growing medium (1:1, w/w), and wood-based growing medium by itself. Physical and chemical characteristics were evaluated after four months from the date of treatment application to the experimental slope site. Soil coverage with seedlings of Lespedeza cyrtobotrya was measured for plant growth evaluation. Physicochemical properties were altered by mixing the natural soil with wood-based growing medium. Particularly, soil moisture and organic matter contents were significantly changed in soils treated with wood-based growing medium compared to soil alone. We confirmed that plant coverage rate was high when wood-based growing medium was mixed with the natural soil. There was a significant linear relationship between moisture content and CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) of all growth media tested and plant coverage. This result was expected, as moisture content tends to increase with organic matter content, such as in wood-based growing medium. In conclusion, the high moisture content of the wood-based growing medium was considered effective for plant growth in the experimental slope site, and this wood-based growing medium provides a means to improve the harmony between the slope and the surrounding environment.

A 3-D coupled Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Coarse-Grained model to simulate drying mechanisms of small cell aggregates

• 3-D Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)-Coarse-Grained (CG) cell aggregate model. • Ability to model the morphological changes of small cell aggregates during drying. • Sensitivity analyses on smoothing length, wall forces and mass transfer parameters. • Paving the pathway to model complicated physics and larger tissues in plant tissues. Recently, meshfree-based computational modelling approaches have become popular in modelling biological phenomena due to their superior ability to simulate large deformations , multiphase phenomena and complex physics compared to the conventional grid-based methods. In this article, small plant cell aggregates were simulated using a three dimensional (3-D) Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Coarse-Grained (CG) coupled computational approach to predict the morphological behaviour during drying. The model predictions of these cell aggregate models have been compared qualitatively and quantitatively through comparisons with experimental findings. The results show that the shrinkage and wrinkling behaviour of cell cluster models are in fairly good agreement with real cellular structures. The agreement between the cell aggregate model predictions and the experimental findings are closer in the high and medium moisture content values ( X / X 0 ≥ 0.3), than highly dried stages ( X / X 0 < 0.3). Further, optimisation and sensitivity studies have been conducted on model parameters such as particle resolution, smoothing length, mass transfer characteristics and wall forces. Overall, the 3-D nature of this model allows it to predict real 3-D morphological changes more realistically compared to the previous meshfree based 2-D cellular drying models. The proposed 3-D modelling approach has a higher potential to be used to model larger plant tissues with complicated physical and mechanical interactions as well as their multiscale interactions.

Geochemical characteristics of Jurassic coal and its paleoenvironmental implication in the eastern Junggar Basin, China

This study is the first to provide geochemical and paleoenvironmental information of Jurassic Xishanyao Formation coal in the eastern Junggar Basin, China. Twenty-seven coal core samples were collected from the zk0413 boreholes in Dajing area to determine the geochemical variability. Proximate analyses show that the Xishanyao Formation coal has the medium moisture content (average 13%), special low ash yield (average 6%) and high volatile matter (average 34%), which slightly fluctuate from bottom to top of coal seam. Organic matter in the coal are type III kerogen, with coalification degrees determined as subbituminous A or high volatile bituminous C. All coal samples have poor hydrocarbon generating potential with the yield between 31.93 and 72.36 (average of 43.57) mg HC/g.rock. The primary input of organic matter for coal-formation was higher terrestrial plants, with greater input from algae and micro-organisms and greater role of bacteria in plant degradation higher in the seam. The process of peatification in the lower section of the seam occurred under more acidic and oxic conditions. Coal accumulated in a lacustrine freshwater environment with the rise of the (ground) water table from bottom to top. There is evidence of higher salinity of water within the lower seam and decreased salinity (brackish to fresh water) within the middle of the seam, then an increase to moderate salinity (fresh water to brackish). The increasing stratified water column upward with reduced oxidation in the coal seams may result from the increased temperature in periods of a relatively hot and dry climate. The environment changes demonstrated in this study illustrate the importance of studying combined elemental and organic geochemistry to reconstruct paleoenvironment.

Substrates and irrigation levels for growing desert rose in pots

ABSTRACT In the past decades, desert rose has become a very popular ornamental plant, especially among collectors, due to its exotic and sculptural forms. However, it has been grown on a commercial scale only recently, and little is known about how to best manage it as a container-grown plant, or even which potting medium (substrate) to recommend. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the interactions between potting media and irrigation levels for growing desert rose as a potted ornamental plant. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a 6 x 2 factorial arrangement with six replications, six potting media and two irrigation levels. The mixes were characterized by measuring their physical properties, specifically the density and water retention capacity (WRC), as well as chemical properties, such as the pH and electrical conductivity (EC). After 210 days, plant growth and plant water consumption were evaluated and measured. A lower dry density for the vermiculite mixes was observed in comparison to that for the sand mixes. However, WRC ranged from 428 to 528 mL L-1 among the mixes, values considered close to ideal. In general, plant growth exhibited higher increases in mixes consisting of coconut fiber + sand or vermiculite, regardless of the irrigation level. Mixes of vermiculite + coconut fiber and sand + coconut fiber can be used to grow desert rose in pots, as long as irrigation is used to maintain the moisture content of the potting medium (mix) between 60-70% and 80-90% of the WRC.