Variation In Content Research Articles

Study on modeling roller squeezing semi-finished leather products

This study is devoted to the analysis of moisture content in a two-roll module of a machine for squeezing semi-finished leather products after chrome tanning. An analytical relationship was obtained that describes the patterns of variation in moisture content during the roller pressing of semi-finished leather products; inequalities were derived for estimating the residual moisture content of semi-finished leather products. It was revealed that with a decrease in the thickness and initial moisture content of the semi-finished leather product, its moisture content decreases. It was stated that with an increase in the initial moisture content of the semi-finished leather product, its residual moisture content increases and asymptotically approaches a certain value.

Spatial and Temporal analysis of Landsat data to Retrieve the NDWI, NDVI and Land Surface Temperature by thermal remote sensor: A case study of Hyderabad Metropolitan City, Telangana

Urban areas endure larger variations in ground surface temperature, vegetation, and water content than rural areas do due to the accelerated rise of technology, urbanization, and industrialization. These challenges could be investigated by using GIS and remote sensing tools. Using “LANDSAT 5 and LANDSAT 8 OLI/TIRS” data for Hyderabad from 2000 to 2020, this study evaluates changes in vegetation, water availability, and land surface temperature. Variations in NDVI, NDWI, and LST have been observed over time as a result of research on several parameters.Indices of water and vegetation are examined in this study where the Vegetation declined from 0.73006 to 0.49419 between 2000 and 2020, whereas water quantity decreased from 0.7979 to 0.4901 until 2010, at which point it progressively climbed to 0.7015 by that year. Likewise, studies on LST have demonstrated a connection between LST and NDWI. After rising to 40.9°C in 2010 from 39.8°C in 2000, temperatures decreased to 40°C in 2015 and 39.8°C in 2020.This work shows that LST, NDWI and NDVI can be accurately computed using GIS and remote sensing, which is helpful for environmental research and studies.

MODELING AND SIMULATIONS OF WET POROUS MEDIUM CONVECTIVE DRYING

In the convective drying of a wet porous medium by hot air, the medium surface exposed to the air fluid may experience three stages, namely the fully wet, partly wet, and fully dry stages. At the fully wet stage, the medium surface is fully covered by a water film, with the convective moisture transfer taking place all over the medium surface; at the partly wet stage, the medium surface is partly covered by water film, with the convective moisture transfer occurring only at the wet surface where free water is present. In this research, a theoretical model is presented to simulate the convective drying of a wet porous medium, and experiments on hot-air convective drying of a wet porous sand layer are carried out to investigate the sand-layer temperature and water content variations during the drying, in which the sand layer thickness is 4 mm, the initial water-film thickness is 0.4 mm, and the hot-air temperatures are 45, 60, and 75°C, respectively. Inverse calculations are conducted to get some insight into the water-film coverage function based on the experimental data, which are necessary for quantitatively evaluating the effective moisture transfer surface area when calculating the convective moisture transfer at the partly wet stage. By combining the coverage function with the wet porous medium drying model, a comprehensive model is obtained. Calculations are implemented to simulate the convective drying of the wet porous sand layer, and the effects of the two constants included in that function on the wet sand-layer drying characteristics are discussed. The calculation results are compared with the experimental data; they agree very well, supporting the effectiveness of the current model in simulating the sand-layer convective drying process.

Haplophyllum tuberculatum (Forssk.) A. Juss Essential Oils: Seasonal Contents Variation, Bioactivity of the Traditionally-favored, High-yield and Frequent-use Summer Season Oil.

Haplophyllum tuberculatum (Forssk.) A.Juss. volatile oils were obtained by distillation of the aerial parts of the plant growing in Libya during the summer and spring seasons. A yield and componential analysis revealed that the summer season oil, which is frequently used in traditional medicaments by North African communities, was high in yield (0.858%) compared to the spring season oil (0.47%), and distinguished by the presence of major and various diverse constituents, some of which are considered chemical markers. Owing to the traditional and high incidence of use of the summer-produced essential oil for the treatment of several disorders, including hepatic diseases, and fatigue, the oil was pharmacologically investigated for its varied bioactivities of anti-microbial, in vivo anti-oxidant, and in vitro anti-cancer properties. Thirty-three compounds were identified and represented 96.2% of the peaks in the GCchromatogram of the summer oil, in which the major volatile constituents were δ-3-carene (21.5%), bornyl acetate (16.9%), and limonene aldehyde (15.2%). The summer-based essential oil of the plant demonstrated moderate anti-bacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and a relatively strong antibacterial effect against Gram-negative bacteria as compared to the positive antibacterial controls, ampicillin and gentamicin, respectively. Also, antifungal activity against Aspergillus sp. was observed. The summerproduced oil also exhibited in vivo antioxidant and in vitro anti-cancer activities.

Chemical, Functional and Sensory Properties of Ogi–Mango Mesocarp Flour

Ogi, a cereal fermented paste was produced from maize fortified with mango mesocarp. This would definitely result in increased protein intake for consumers since most of the grain protein would still be present in the ogi (except for what is leached during steeping and in the wash water). However, there was decrease in fat and protein content of the blends as the substitution increases. The slight variation in carbohydrate content may be due to alterations in other components (protein, fat, ash, fibre and moisture). The study also recorded reduction in viscosity as the mango mesocarp flour increased. The decrease in viscosity may be ascribed to the reduction of fermented maize flour which consequently reduced the starch content of the blends. The lower viscosity observed in the flour indicated that it could be used as a weaning food. Also the hygroscopicity of the flour increased with mango mesocarp flour inclusion. This may be ascribed to the presence of more hydrophilic carbohydrate from reducing sugars in the mango mesocarp flour. Βeta-carotene increased with increase in mango mesocarp inclusion. Sensory evaluation of the samples was carried out using semi-trained panel consisting of ogi-pap consumers who are familiar with with ogi-pap quality. The control (Sample A) was rated low; in all; the attributes increased significantly (P≤ 0.05) as the percentage of mango mesocarp flour increased. The blends with higher percentages of mango mesocarp flour were most preferred. This implies that incorporation of mango mesocarp flour could improve the sensory attributes of fermented maize flour. The preference for the taste and flavour of the blends increased significantly (P≤ 0.05) with increase in percentage of mango mesocarp flavor. The increase in preference may be attributed to the sugar and flavor components of mango fruits respectively.

Investigation of the influence of technological parameters on the copper deposition process

The possibility of electroplating copper coatings on chemically and chemical-galvanically nickel-plated acrylic fibers has been studied. The effect of electrolyte pH, its composition, current strength at the 1st and 2nd cathodes, as well as the metallization time on the electrophysical, physical and mechanical properties of copper-containing fibers have been studied.
 Electrically conductive fibers with different copper contents have been obtained. Regularities have been established for the change in the electrical properties of fibers depending on the content of copper. The studies have shown that with an increase in the copper content, the electrical conductivity, the uniformity of the coating and the uniformity of the electrophysical properties (for chemical-galvanically nickel-plated fiber) increase. In the case of copper plating of chemically nickel-plated fiber, the coefficient of variation in electrical resistance increases with increasing plating time, despite the fact that the copper content increases, and the coefficient of variation in copper content and electrical resistance decreases.

Quantitative Estimation of Variability in Content of Asiaticoside in Centella asiatica Linn Collected from Different Geographical Regions of India by HPLC

Centella asiatica Linn is a significant and highly valued medicinal plant in various indigenous system of medicine Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Indian system of medicines and Chinese medicines. It is one of the chief herbs for treating skin disorder, wounds healing, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, ulcers, leprosy, vein diseases and memory improvement. In the present study an attempt is made to develop HPLC method for qualitative and quantitative estimation of an important bio active marker Asiaticoside in Centella asiatica collected from different geographical regions of India. Three samples were collected from different geographical regions of India and analyzed by HPLC. The compound separation was achieved on C18 Eclipse, XDB, 4.6mm × 150mm, 5μm particle size column using mobile phase consisted of Acetonitrile: Buffer (25:75v/v) in isocratic elution with flow rate 1.8ml/min. The detection of analytes at 210nm was carried out by using Diode Array Detector (DAD). The comparative study was carried out for variations of Asiaticoside content in Centella Asiatica Linn Collected from different geographical regions of India i.e. Chennai (Tamilnadu), Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) and Raniketh (Uttarakhand). The studies reveal that the maximum amount of the marker compounds Asiaticoside (0.6157%) is present in the sample collected from Chennai compare to the other regions samples.

Effects of water content change path on laboratory and field compaction of lime stabilized expansive soil

Generally, the soil requires to be compacted in highway construction. The expansive soil is a special type of soil that is highly susceptible to variations in water content, which affects the degree of compaction at the same compaction energy. In the present study, a series of wet compaction tests and dry compaction tests were carried out in the laboratory. Laboratory test results show that dry compaction will produce a higher optimum water content and a higher maximum dry unit weight compared to wet compaction, because its matric suction is smaller. Field compaction tests were also conducted, the results showed that there might be a risk of under-compacting soils during construction caused by different water content change path in actual field conditions.

A semi-empirical formula for the dependence of upper critical field with component and strain in Nb3Sn

We include the effects of Sn content in the scaling law to generalize the upper critical field function of temperature and strain in Nb3Sn. The basis for this generalization comes from a theory developed by the same author [Scientific Reports 7, 1133 (2017)]. The important assumption in the current work is that, in determining the upper critical field the contributions of strain, temperature and Sn content are independent of each other. It is followed that we write down a semi-empirical expression where the strain function and are affected only by strain and temperature, respectively, and the variation of tin content enters in the function through This separable form of allows one to incorporate Sn content in the scaling law in a natural way, while this variable is not considered by traditional scaling laws. In addition to this advance, one can see a more flexible function with triple variables which could be an effective tool to fit or predict experiments. As the last but most important outcome, this semi-empirical function instructs one how to understand the role of component content played in scaling behaviors of Nb3Sn, so as to reduce the off-stoichiometric composition inducing discrepancy between the results by scaling laws and experiments.

An innovative formulation approach for low-melting ingredients: optimizing an alternative melt suspension technique for Pyraclostrobin suspension concentrate

The agrochemical industry is now focusing more on safer formulations with lowest dose rate. Suspension Concentrate formulations are one of the safest and most commonly utilized type in agrochemical industry. In this study, a suspension concentrate was developed and compared using a novel melt suspension technique alongside the conventional milling process. The objective was to determine the effectiveness of the new technique in terms of particle size reduction, processing time, and storage stability. In the melt suspension process, the low melting active ingredient(fungicide), was melted along with suitable surfactants and antifreeze in water and homogenized at high rotation per minute (2000). The same fungicide suspension concentrate was also prepared using milling process for comparison. Stability studies were conducted following the Food and Agricultural Organization procedure for both suspensions concentrate products. The storage stability results showed that particle size variation was just 0.8 ± 0.84% (w/v), antifungal content variation during storage stability studies was (±3.12 g/L) only, all other physical parameters results variations were < ± 0.5% w/v. Prepared suspension concentrates were further analyzed using three analytical techniques, Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The study suggests that the melt suspension technique can be an alternative to the normal milling process for preparing stable suspension concentrate, particularly for low melting point compounds.

Structural and Thermal Characterization of Milled Wood Lignin from Bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) Grown in Korea.

The structural and thermal characterization of milled wood lignin (MWL) prepared from bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) grown in Korea was investigated, and the results were compared with bamboo MWLs from other studies. The C9 formula of the bamboo MWL was C9H7.76O3.23N0.02 (OCH3)1.41. The Mw and Mn of MWL were 13,000 and 4400 Da, respectively, which resulted in a polydispersity index (PDI) of 3.0. The PDI of the prepared MWL was higher than other bamboo MWLs (1.3-2.2), suggesting a broader molecular weight distribution. The structural features of MWL were elucidated using FT-IR spectroscopy and NMR techniques (1H, 13C, HSQC, 31P NMR), which indicate that MWL is of the HGS-type lignin. The major lignin linkages (β-O-4, β-β, β-5) were not different from other bamboo MWLs. The syringyl/guaiacyl ratio, determined from 1H NMR, was calculated as 0.89. 31P NMR revealed variations in hydroxyl content, with a higher aliphatic hydroxyl content in MWL compared to other bamboo MWLs. Thermal properties were investigated through TGA, DSC, and pyrolysis-GC/MS spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The DTGmax of MWL under inert conditions was 287 °C, and the Tg of MWL was 159 °C. Py-GC/MS at 675 °C revealed a syringyl, guaiacyl, p-hydroxyphenyl composition of 17:37:47.

Detecting soil water redistribution in subsurface drip irrigated processing tomatoes using electrical resistivity tomography, proximal sensing and hydrological modelling

In this study, multiple soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) monitoring methodologies, including electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), proximal thermal sensing techniques, and micrometeorological data, were combined with two-dimensional (2-D) soil hydrological modelling using HYDRUS 2-D to explore the soil water redistribution, and infer the relative crop water status in a subsurface drip irrigated (SDI) processing tomato field located in California (Yolo County, USA). Specifically, time-lapse ERT surveys were performed at two transects distributed parallel and perpendicular, respectively, to the SDI line, during an irrigation event. The ERT results were compared to HYDRUS 2-D outputs and the relative differences were explained in the form of local heterogeneities in electrical resistivity (ER) changes, as a proxy for soil water content (SWC) variations. Concurrent simultaneous soil wetting and root water uptake during the last irrigation event of the season caused negligible changes in ER in the active root zone. Slight differences in ER were observed in the top 20 cm along the dripline, confirming that the emitter spacing is small enough to create a wetted strip along the processing tomato bed. These changes were also compared to SWC values measured with time domain reflectometry soil moisture sensors. A comparison between HYDRUS 2-D and ERT confirmed negligible changes in ER during irrigation due to simultaneous wetting and root water uptake processes. In addition, a good correlation was observed between the proximal sensed and the ERT results. Finally, the findings of this study underscore the necessity of using multiple methods for improving our knowledge of the SPAC system under real field conditions.

Soilless cultivation systems to produce tailored microgreens for specific nutritional needs.

The awareness of the importance of following dietary recommendations that meet specific biological requirements related to an individual's health status has significantly increased interest in personalized nutrition. The aim of this research was to test agronomic protocols based on soilless cultivation for providing consumers with new dietary sources of iodine (I), as well as alternative vegetable products to limit dietary potassium (K) intake; proposed cultivation techniques were evaluated according to their suitability to obtain such products without compromising agronomic performance. Two independent experiments, focused on I and K respectively, were conducted in a commercial greenhouse specializing in soilless production. Four different species were cultivated using three distinct concentrations of I (0, 1.5 and 3 mg L-1 ) and K (0, 60 and 120 mg L-1 ). Microgreens grown in I-rich nutrient solution accumulate more I, and the increase is dose-dependent. Compared to unbiofortified microgreens, the treatments with 1.5 and 3 mg L-1 of I resulted in 4.5 and 14 times higher I levels, respectively. Swiss chard has the highest levels of K (14 096 mg kg-1 of FW), followed by rocket, pea and radish. In radish, rocket and Swiss chard, a total reduction of K content in the nutrient solution (0 mg L-1 ) resulted in an average reduction of 45% in K content. It is possible to produce I-biofortified microgreens to address I deficiency, and K-reduced microgreens for chronic kidney disease-affected people. Species selection is crucial to customize nutritional profiles according to specific dietary requirements due to substantial mineral content variations across different species. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Numerical Simulation Study on the Dynamics of Bluff-Body Flames under Oxygen-Lean Conditions

As modern aeroengine combustors advance towards high temperatures, afterburners are inevitably affected by diminished oxygen content in incoming flows, thus affecting combustion efficiency, instability, and flammability limits. In this study, the dynamic combustion characteristics of V-shaped bluff body-stabilised diffusion flames were investigated using a large eddy simulation method with an oxygen mass fraction range of 14–23% and temperatures ranging from 900 to 1100 K. The results show the significant effects of oxygen content and inflow temperature on the flame/flow behaviours downstream of the bluff-body flame holder. In a separated shear layer, two distinct modes of flow/flame shedding are observed when varying the oxygen content and inflow temperature. The results show that BVK instability governs the far-field wake flow/flame features, whereas the oxygen concentration and temperature significantly affect their oscillation amplitudes. In addition, variations in the incoming oxygen content and temperature shift the axial position of the transition from KH instability to BVK instability. Finally, a spectral analysis is conducted to investigate the characteristics of pressure and heat release pulsations under different scenarios. This study highlights the importance of oxygen content on the combustion dynamics of bluff body-stabilised diffusion flames at various temperatures, which is essential for optimising combustion efficiency and stability in practical applications.

Quantifying the role of genome size and repeat content in adaptive variation and the architecture of flowering time in Amaranthus tuberculatus.

Genome size variation, largely driven by repeat content, is poorly understood within and among populations, limiting our understanding of its significance for adaptation. Here we characterize intraspecific variation in genome size and repeat content across 186 individuals of Amaranthus tuberculatus, a ubiquitous native weed that shows flowering time adaptation to climate across its range and in response to agriculture. Sequence-based genome size estimates vary by up to 20% across individuals, consistent with the considerable variability in the abundance of transposable elements, unknown repeats, and rDNAs across individuals. The additive effect of this variation has important phenotypic consequences-individuals with more repeats, and thus larger genomes, show slower flowering times and growth rates. However, compared to newly-characterized gene copy number and polygenic nucleotide changes underlying variation in flowering time, we show that genome size is a marginal contributor. Differences in flowering time are reflected by genome size variation across sexes and marginally, habitats, while polygenic variation and a gene copy number variant within the ATP synthesis pathway show consistently stronger environmental clines than genome size. Repeat content nonetheless shows non-neutral distributions across the genome, and across latitudinal and environmental gradients, demonstrating the numerous governing processes that in turn influence quantitative genetic variation for phenotypes key to plant adaptation.

Exploring Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities in Mulberry Leaves (Morus alba L.) across Growth Stages: A Comprehensive Metabolomic Analysis with Chemometrics.

Metabolic product accumulation exhibited variations among mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves (MLs) at distinct growth stages, and this assessment was conducted using a combination of analytical techniques including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Multivariate analysis was applied to the data, and the findings were correlated with antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects in vitro. Statistical analyses divided the 27 batches of MLs at different growth stages into three distinct groups. In vitro assays for antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition revealed that IC50 values were highest at the Y23 stage, which corresponds to the 'Frost Descends' solar term. In summary, the results of this study indicate that MLs at different growth stages throughout the year can be categorized into three primary growth stages using traditional Chinese solar terms as reference points, based on the observed variations in metabolite content.

Hydrology Drives Crustal Deformation and Modulates Seismicity in the Matese Massif (Italy)

Abstract We analyze the interplay between hydrology, deformation, and seismicity in the Matese massif, located in the Italian Southern Apennines. We find that this area is characterized by the concurrent action of two hydrologically driven processes: the first is the deformation detected by the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data in the shallowest part (above the elevation of the major springs) of the Earth crust, in phase with the hydrological forcing; the second is the triggering of seismicity at depth with a delay suggesting a downward diffusive process. We study the first process by applying a principal component analysis to the GNSS displacements time series, aiming to identify a common signal describing the largest data variance. We find that the maximum horizontal displacements associated with the first principal component (PC1) are larger than 1 cm in two GNSS sites, and the PC1 temporal evolution is well correlated and in phase with the flow of the largest spring of the region, which we consider as proxy of the water content of the massif. This suggests that the main source of horizontal deformation is the water content fluctuations in the shallow portion of the Matese aquifer, in particular within fractures located in correspondence of the main mapped faults. The deformation rates caused by this process are one order of magnitude larger than the tectonic ones. Finally, we infer the second process by observing the correlation between the background seismicity and the spring discharge with a time lag of 121 days. In our interpretation, downward diffusive processes, driven by aquifer water content variations, propagate pore-pressure waves that affect the fault’s strength favoring the occurrence of microearthquakes. This is supported by the values of hydraulic diffusivity (1.5 m2/s) and rock permeability (3.2–3.8×10−13 m2), which are compatible with what is observed in karstified limestones.

Additions to the composition of the ural beryls and inclusions of syngenetic minerals in them

In addition to the data of predecessors, the chemical composition of zoned or zoned-sectorial beryl crystals from pegmatites of the Mariinsky and Kvartalny deposits of the Urals emerald mines in the Central Urals, granitic pegmatite of mine no. 242 of the Ilmeny State Reserve and Svetlinsky pegmatite quarry in the South Urals is characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive analysis. The light peripheral zones of prism and pinacoid in crystal sections differ in variations in Al, Fe and Mg contents from the inner zones or areas. The presence of fractures and regenerated fragments of early beryl indicates synmineralization tectonics. In beryl from the Mariinsky deposit, the previously unknown syntactic ingrowths of bavenite and zones of parallel columnar aggregates of co-crystallization of beryl and bavenite, as well as late pyrite, fuorite, gismondine-Ca and tobermorite, are identifed. Beryls from mine no. 242 of the Ilmeny State Reserve are yellowish-greenish and bluish with a peripheral white zone and syntactic microingrowths of annite and syngenetic inclusions of columbite and Ta-Nb rutile. Muddy bluish-white beryl regenerated by colorless beryl from the Svetlinsky quarry hosts numerous syntactic inclusions of muscovite, gahnite, calcite, quartz and quartz-muscovite microaggregates with pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, siderite, calcite, and micropores. The syntaxy of mica, quartz and gahnite with beryl is revealed for the frst time.

The Kavalactone Content and Profile of Fiji Kava Sold on the Local Market

Kava is the traditional intoxicating beverage of the Pacific with mild sedative and muscle relaxant effects, which are attributed to a group of compounds known as kavalactones. This paper aims to evaluate the quality of kava sold in the local markets of Fiji through the quantification of the six major kavalactones in kava root bundles and powdered kava packages using ethanolic extracts and HPLC. It was found in this work that kava root bundles contain mainly noble kava roots with a total kavalactone content of 8–13%; kavain had the highest concentration among kavalactones and kavain, methysticin, and yangonin together represented 69–71% of the total kavalactone content. Adulteration via mixing noble kava roots with those of non-noble kava with a relatively high dihydrokavain and dihydromethysticin content has also been observed. Powdered kava products were found to contain lower amounts of kavalactones (3–5%) with a less favorable kavalactone profile than those of root bundles, possibly due to mixing roots, rhizomes, and/or basal stems. The findings of this work, namely the variation in kavalactone content and profile in marketed products, indicate the need for rigorous quality control and quality indicators on kava commodities. Suggestions to include quantitative measures in the previously proposed chemical standardization code are also presented.

Design of equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging for postharvest cabbages preservation based on introducing available active sites into film materials as gas transport channels

This work aims to explore an available avenue to design an equilibrium modified atmosphere packaging (EMAP) by the modification of gas permeability of material. In this work, the introduction of available active sites endowed materials with adjustable gas permeability properties. With varying concentrations of the resulting materials with various gas permeability, the CO2 and O2 gas permeability of the blending films were modified at the range of 3.92 ∼ 17.84 barrier and 0.65 ∼ 3.46 barrier, respectively. On this basis, the films were used as EMAP to preserve postharvest cabbages. The results indicated that each EMAP achieved an equilibrium atmosphere containing 6.8 % ∼ 3.8 % CO2 and 2.1 % ∼ 5.2 % O2 within 15 h and maintained it continuously. In these atmosphere, the respiratory rate of the preserved cabbages was significantly inhibited, thereby delaying the deterioration of their storage quality. As the results, sensory scores of the preserved samples were maximally maintained. Declines of color indexes and texture indexes were obviously inhibited. Chemical variations in chlorophyll content, total phenolics content, total flavonoids content, ascorbic acid and nitrite content were significantly suppressed. The overall findings revealed that this method is suitable and promising to develop EMAP for the postharvest vegetables.