Wooden Box Research Articles

The Effect of Container Type and Fermentation Period Towards Cocoa Beans Quality in Tidore Island

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of wooden box containers on the quality of fermented cocoa beans. The experimental design used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with one factor, namely the length of fermentation consisting of each treatment repeated 3 times so that 9 experiments were obtained. The results obtained are analyzed for variance and if there is a significant difference between treatments, the Dancen test will be carried out. By the results of the treatment and discussion, it can be concluded that after fermenting cocoa beans using wooden boxes, the results obtained were an increase in the fermentation index of dry cocoa beans on the 3rd to 5th days (0.243, 1.147 and 2.027). This number indicates a change in color from purple to brown. Furthermore, the yield of dry cocoa beans, the content of moldy beans, and the skin content were at quality levels B and C and the water content and fat content still met the requirements of SNI-2323-2008. Polyphenols as antioxidants are in the range of 0.06 - 0.08. Based on this research it is also recommended that the fermentation process of beans use wooden boxes because it meets the requirements of the Indonesian National Standard for Cocoa Quality Number 2323-2008.

Arrangement of reinforcement in variable density timber slab systems for multi-story construction

The arrangement of columns and their spacing in multi-story timber construction is restricted to rectangular grids by the production and shipping sizes of floor assemblies. This is particularly true for hollow box floor systems, for which the punctual supports must be placed at the reinforced edges of the hollow boxes. The arrangement of the columns and their spacing is thereby restricted by the production and shipping sizes of the box ceilings to rectangular grids. To overcome these design limits a new wooden box building system is developed that allows for irregular column layouts through a tailored slab interior design. This development allows for the increased applicability of timber floor systems regardless of site shape or architectural design intent. The slab interior design is dependent on occurring forces and fabrication requirements. Three methods for the internal slab layout are developed and compared: a sequential method, a structurally informed agent-based method, and a geometrically informed agent-based method that uses both a sequential and agent-based approach. The structural performance of each method is compared through the analysis of three reinforcement layouts an architectural testing setup.

Ground Penetrating Radar detection of unmarked historic graves at the Fairlawn Cemetery in Stillwater, Oklahoma

AbstractGround Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey was conducted to detect historic unmarked graves from the period of the Civil War (1861–1865) at the Fairlawn Cemetery in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The GPR survey at the Fairlawn Cemetery will help preserve the unmarked historic graves if they exist or clear sections of the cemetery for possible expansion. GPR detection of historic graves are often a challenge as these graves are made of wooden boxes, bones and coffins, with no metal caskets or concrete burial vaults. It was even more challenging to detect unmarked graves in this study as the cemetery is covered with iron‐rich silty clay soil, which attenuates the GPR signals. We conducted the GPR survey along a grid consisting of 44 parallel 30‐m‐long profiles spaced at 50‐cm intervals using the 400‐MHz antenna. The acquired GPR data were processed as 2D profiles and produced a pseudo‐3D GPR volume to resolve the unmarked graves. Multiple features extracted from the pseudo‐3D volume at depths ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 m aligned along three north–south rows. Based on the dimensions, orientation, distribution and depth of burial of the anomalous features relative to the recent graves, we interpreted these features as unmarked graves. This study has demonstrated the GPR as an effective non‐invasive technique in detecting historical unmarked graves that contain no metal caskets or concrete burial vaults. This work will contribute not only to the science of historical archaeology but also to prehistorical archaeology, as caskets were not typically part of the prehistorical burials, and the modern‐day archaeology, particularly in the cases of mass graves in recent conflicts.

Species redescription and nest architecture of Plebeia flavocincta (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Bees are important insects both environmentally and economically. Despite this, most bee species are poorly characterized regarding their morphology and nesting habits, which are relevant characteristics for planning management and conservation. Plebeia flavocincta is a stingless bee species that occurs in the Northeast region of Brazil and there is little knowledge about its morphology and nesting biology. Here, we morphologically characterize Plebeia flavocincta workers from 54 colonies and use seven colonies to describe the structure of the species’ nest. All nests were found in seasonally dry forest areas in different substrates, namely, hollow of native trees, wall, post, and wooden boxes. The structure of the species’ nest was detailed in terms of the number, shape, and area of the combs; brood cell size; size of food pots; nest size; and honey volume. Plebeia flavocincta is found in both natural and urban environments. The structure of the nest of Plebeia flavocincta is similar to that found in other species of the same genus. This is the first nest diagnosis study of the species. In addition, by establishing morphological data to recognize Plebeia flavocincta, this study provides useful information for management and conservation plans for the species.

Experimental study of using solar energy storage wall for heating Iraqi houses purposes

In this article a simple type solar heat storage Trombe wall was built and tested at Baghdad winter. This wall had an area of 0.8281 m2 and facing south, it is consisted of a wooden box covered with clear glass of 3mm thickness, and 18 plastic refill bottles (2.25 liter capacity each) arranged in this box. Many holes are made at the bottom and upper faces of the box to facilities the air circulation across the plastic bottles, which are filled with water to increase the heat capacity. A small air fan was used to increase air circulation through the box. The wall was tested at Baghdad under Iraqi condition at December 2006, January, and February 2007. The results show the ability of this wall to assist the heating systems in houses at night up to 5:30 A.M. of the next day in winter seasons.

The Design of a Red Cracker (Kerupuk Merah) Dough Mixing Machine in the Development of the Small Industry in Lima Puluh Kota Regency

Kerupuk merah is a type of crackers made of flour, and it isred in color. It is a type of snacks used as complementary foods, and it can add more taste and aesthetic value on the main dish. It is a unique local product. In West Sumatra, a kerupuk merah industrial center can be found in Piladang, Akabiluru District, Lima Puluh Kota Regency. The production of this cracker is still performed manually, raising major concerns with production capacity and hygiene. The capacity of kerupuk merah production is determined by the dough mixing process (the first process). This process involves the use of a rectangular wooden box and man power from 3 to 4 people for kneading. The production capacity is 500 kg of dough/day or 56–63 kg/hour. The dough mixing process is performed 1–2 times/week. The data above reflect that the production process of kerupuk merah is energy- and time-consuming, thereby reducing the quantity and quality of the production. The design of a dough mixing machine is a solution to this problem. The dough mixer drum is designed in length, width, and height of 80 cm, 80 cm, and 60 cm, respectively. The optimum capacity of the dough mixer drum in each mixing process at the speed of 27.2 rpm and mixing rate of 906.34 kg/h is 150–200 kg. The mixing machine designed is food-safe because it is made of stainless steel. This invention may increase the industrial production capacity of kerupuk merah, save the kneading time, and improve the hygiene of the production, allowing the business to be developed.

Differences In Lower-extremity Muscle Activation Patterns During Anticipated Or Unanticipated Single-leg Drop Jump Tasks

PURPOSE: To examine the muscle activation patterns of the lower-extremity during an anticipated or unanticipated single-leg drop jump task. METHODS: Surface electromyography (EMG, 1,500 Hz) was collected from 17 healthy young male subjects (173 cm; 72 kg), including gluteus medius (GM), rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), semitendinosus (ST), biceps femoris (BF), tibialis anterior (TA), and medial gastrocnemius (MG) on the dominant leg. Subjects were asked to drop down from a wooden box with a height of 40-cm with their dominant leg (landing), then immediately jump as high as possible (jumping). For the anticipated condition, subjects were informed of the drop jump task prior to the initial drop. For the unanticipated condition, the specific task was visually shown on the light-emitting diode screen (upwards or downwards arrow for jumping or landing, respectively), which triggered by the infrared sensor when a subject’s foot was sensed prior to initial contact (average time from sensor to initial contact: 48-ms). The data during unanticipated jumping were selectively compared to those during anticipated jumping. Time of muscle onset (time to reach 8% of peak amplitude) and time to peak amplitude were identified during the pre-contact phase (before initial contact: BIC) and the post-contact phase (after initial contact: AIC), and then analysed through t-tests (p < 0.05) and Cohen’s d effect size (d). RESULTS: Time of muscle onset of the BF (t = -2.21, p = 0.03) and TA (t = -2.76, p = 0.01) were different. Specifically, onset of the BF (116-ms BIC, d = 0.45) and TA (174-ms BIC, d = 0.56) was faster in the anticipated than the unanticipated condition (BF: 54-ms BIC; TA: 118-ms BIC). Time to peak amplitude of the GM (t = -2.51, p = 0.01), VM (t = -2.33, p = 0.02), ST (t = -2.01, p = 0.05), and BF (t = -2.69, p = 0.01) were different. Specifically, time to peak of the GM (350-ms AIC, d = 0.52), VM (365-ms AIC, d = 0.47), ST (374-ms AIC, d = 0.41), and BF (454-ms AIC, d = 0.54) was faster in the anticipated than unanticipated (GM: 439-ms AIC; VM: 451-ms AIC; ST: 472-ms AIC; BF: 646-ms AIC). CONCLUSIONS: When the task was unanticipated (between either landing or jumping after a drop landing from a 40-cm), the onset of the BF and TA were delayed during pre-contact while the GM, VM, ST, and BF were delayed reaching the peak amplitude during the post-contact phase.

Sun Through Broken Screen: Murakami and Gutai

Sun Through Broken Screen: Murakami and Gutai

The oldest surviving and rare wooden box for keeping Kaaba’s keys, dated 1142 AH / 1729 AD, preserved in a private collection in Riyadh (publish and study)

The oldest surviving and rare wooden box for keeping Kaaba’s keys, dated 1142 AH / 1729 AD, preserved in a private collection in Riyadh (publish and study)

The oldest surviving and rare wooden box for keeping Kaaba’s keys, dated 1142 AH / 1729 AD, preserved in a private collection in Riyadh (publish and study)

The oldest surviving and rare wooden box for keeping Kaaba’s keys, dated 1142 AH / 1729 AD, preserved in a private collection in Riyadh (publish and study)

Design and construction of a solar powered grill using a wooden box

Design and construction of a solar powered grill using a wooden box

Design and construction of a solar powered grill using a wooden box

A solar powered grill using wooden box cooker was successfully constructed with cheap and locally available material with efficiency from the various experiments that were carried out, the highest temperature gotten both on the ground floor and at the top of the roof was 72ºC both on the days with air temperature of 38ºC and 35ºC respectively. Efficiency was found to increase with decreasing temperature difference between collector temperature and ambient temperature. Increase in temperature does not necessarily lead to increase in efficiency. Efficiency decreased with decreasing solar radiation. Now a day non-renewable energy available less percentage, that’s why we have to use renewable energy i.e. solar energy, wind energy etc. Nothing is cheaper than free of cost .But solar energy is available in abundant amount in nature at free of cost so that we can use solar energy as option for non-renewable energy source. Hence to replace traditional cooking method by solar energy can be considered. Solar cooker is one of the best appliances to utilize solar energy for cooking. Solar cooking is a form of outdoor cooking and is often used in situation where minimum fuel consumption is important or the danger of accidental fire is high and the health and environmental consequences of alternative are severe.

Effect of storage conditions on physico-chemical and sensory acceptability of sweet potato in Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The effect of different storage conditions (pit, sack, wooden box and clump) on the physico-chemical and sensory acceptability of sweet potatoes was conducted. Sweet potatoes were stored in the four storage conditions and untreated sweet potatoes (control) were used for this study. In four storage conditions, 10 kg of freshly harvested sweet potatoes were stored until the end of four storage months. Per cent of weight loss, sprouting, and spoilage of sweet potatoes data were collected from storage conditions in monthly intervals. All samples were analyzed for physic-chemical properties at Hawassa University, Food Chemistry and Food Microbiology Laboratory, and sensory acceptability was evaluated by using untrained 45 panellists at the end of the storage period. Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used for storage conditions with three replication. The mean scores of appearance, taste, flavour, smell, and texture of sweet potato in storage conditions at the end of four months and untreated sweet potatoes had not shown significant difference except for overall acceptability of sweet potato. The mean scores of moisture and protein of sweet potato samples had not shown significant (p&lt;0.05) differences in all storage conditions and untreated sweet potatoes. The pit storage scored the highest mean of moisture (71.30), ash (1.53), protein (6.73), fat (4.66) and fiber (1.76) than other storage conditions but less than untreated sweet potato except for fiber content of pit storage. The least mean per cent of weight loss (26.45), sprouting (9.72), and spoilage (2.87) of sweet potato was recorded at pit storage than in other storage conditions at the end of the fourth month. It was concluded that pit is storage preferable to other storage conditions based on weight loss, sprouting, spoilage, better physic-chemical and sensory acceptability, and recommended to farmers for storing sweet potatoes. Further study will be needed on the microbial quality of sweet potatoes in different storage conditions during storage periods.

Rethinking Te Aro in the 1910s

Wellington's Te Aro neighbourhood is particularly notable for both its broad expanse of relatively flat land and for its rectilinear grid of streets and associated superblocks in a city otherwise known for its hills and irregular road system. Over the course of the nineteenth-century after the start of European settlement in 1840, the town acres within the superblocks of Te Aro were more intensively developed in myriad ways, resulting in a haphazard arrangement of worker dwellings, commercial premises, and industrial outfits aligned along largely private lanes and alleys. With the notable exception of the street grid, nearly all vestiges of this initial, Victorian-era development were progressively destroyed during the twentieth century.&#x0D; Although most of the architectural and urban reinvention of Te Aro did not occur until the decades following World War II, acknowledgment of the major factors that would ultimately contribute to this process - traffic congestion, the low quality of the existing building stock, and a strong shift away from residential functions - became more and more emphasised during the 1910s. A writer for the Evening Post in 1913 imagined the neighbourhood just seven years in the future: "the dingy wooden boxes on Te Aro Flat will have given place to handsome warehouses and shops and factories …The problem of traffic, already threatening trouble … is certainly a task for the ablest engineer nowadays to suggest a way out" (Autos "The Future" p 3). This degree of optimism for rapid change was quickly tempered by the realities of world war and, in retrospect, the 1910s can be interpreted as a period of incubation for ideas about architecture urban planning in Te Aro that would only come to fruition later in the century.

An open-source smartphone app for the quantitative evaluation of thin-layer chromatographic analyses in medicine quality screening

Substandard and falsified medicines present a serious threat to public health. Simple, low-cost screening tools are important in the identification of such products in low- and middle-income countries. In the present study, a smartphone-based imaging software was developed for the quantification of thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) analyses. A performance evaluation of this tool in the TLC analysis of 14 active pharmaceutical ingredients according to the procedures of the Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) Minilab was carried out, following international guidelines and assessing accuracy, repeatability, intermediate precision, specificity, linearity, range and robustness of the method. Relative standard deviations of 2.79% and 4.46% between individual measurements were observed in the assessments of repeatability and intermediate precision, respectively. Small deliberate variations of the conditions hardly affected the results. A locally producible wooden box was designed which ensures TLC photography under standardized conditions and shielding from ambient light. Photography and image analysis were carried out with a low-cost Android-based smartphone. The app allows to share TLC photos and quantification results using messaging apps, e-mail, cable or Bluetooth connections, or to upload them to a cloud. The app is available free of charge as General Public License (GPL) open-source software, and interested individuals or organizations are welcome to use and/or to further improve this software.

Process Engineering Design of Tobacco wastes Incinerator with Utilization of Heat Energy from Combustion Gases

An integrated incineration unit was developed to handle tobacco waste within a processing plant in the Eastern Company, Egypt. In addition to the unit, subsequent utilization of the heat content of combustion gases was investigated. The incinerator design was tailored around the current process of solid waste combustion within the tobacco processing plants of the Eastern Company in 6th October City, Egypt. A feeding rate of 1 ton/hr of solid waste consisted of 50% mass of tobacco, 20% paper, and cartons, 20% wooden boxes, and 10% plastics. The volume occupied by the remaining ash after the incineration process would not exceed 5% of the feedstock. The overall material and energy balances were calculated based on a 25490 kg/hr combustion gas discharge with a heat content of 20.09 Gj/hr. Energy from flue gases would be utilized to generate saturated steam or produce hot water. The design included a fired-tube boiler capable of generating 7 ton/hr saturated steam at 185 °C and 10 bar. The temperature of the exhaust effluent combustion gases vented into the atmosphere had to stand at 200 °C to avoid penalties. Moreover, this effluent temperature is considered to be effective and efficient utilization of the heat content in the waste.

It takes a community to maintain a tree hollow: Food web complexity enhances decomposition and wood mould production

AbstractVeteran trees are keystone structures and play vital roles in ecosystems. Tree hollows, which are filled with a mix of leaves and wood that is transformed by the biotic community into wood mould, represent an important microhabitat. Tree hollow communities consist of three major groups of organisms: microbes, mesofauna (nematodes, mites and springtails) and macrofauna (beetles, millipedes and other insects). Little is known about the interplay between associated biota and their importance for decomposition and wood mould production. The aim of this study was to test how initial food web complexity in artificial tree hollows influences community structure, decomposition, and wood mould production. We used large wooden boxes to imitate natural hollows, and mounted them on 20 veteran oaks in Southern Norway. The food webs were manipulated into three levels: (i) a complex community with macrofauna and mesofauna, (ii) a simple community without macrofauna, and (iii) only the defaunated material. Three boxes (one of each treatment, N = 60 boxes) were mounted on each oak and left in the field from May 2017 to October 2019 (28 months). After the field experiment, macrofauna and mesofauna were collected and identified, mass loss in the boxes was determined, and nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the wood mould were measured. We found that the complex community treatment had the greatest diversity of beetles and the highest number of predatory macrofauna. The nematodes within the complex community treatment had greater trophic structuring with K‐selected species associated with stable conditions. The nematodes communities also indicated that the complex community had a balanced decomposition pathway, while the simple community was dominated by fungi and the defaunated community by bacteria. Lastly, we found that the boxes with the complex community treatment had the highest overall rate of mass loss, and greater amounts of wood mould with higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. Our results indicate that macrofauna in artificial hollows increase trophic structuring, enhance decomposition rates and wood mould production, and mediate the decomposition pathway. These findings highlight the importance of food web complexity for promoting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in veteran tree hollows.Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Development of Solar Operated Evaporative Refrigerating System

People in the rural regions of the developing countries where electricity supply is not available are facing the problems of preserving their food through refrigeration. They need affordable and efficient method of food preservation. Therefore, a solar operated refrigerator was designed, constructed and evaluated. The system consists of three major parts, namely: the mild steel box (0.4 𝑚 × 0.4 𝑚 × 0.5 𝑚), the clay shell and the wooden box (0.5 𝑚 × 0.5 𝑚 × 0.6 𝑚). The mild steel box is enclosed in a clay shell, which is in turn enclosed in a wooden box with four open ducts. The work evaluated convective heat transfer through the ducts and the machine was tested on no load and also by using it to cool 40 kg of water for seven consecutive days over a period of eight hours per day. The results from its performance tests indicated that the system has a cooling process coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.48 and overall coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.64.

DEVELOPMENT OF SOLAR HEAT CONCENTRATION BOX DRYER AND LM 35 SENSOR AS TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE

The solar heat concentration box is a system which convert the solar energy to heat energy in a closed system for farmers to dry their farm produce. The system uses solar collector to harness energy from the Sun and concentrate it on a drying chamber to remove moisture from plantain, tomatoes, yam and pepper harvested from the farm. The system have three compartments system. Firstly, heat chamber. The heat chamber is made up of a solar glass collector, reflector foil and a rectangular wooden box. This chamber converts the Sun energy to heat energy. It is mounted at angle of 60o to the drying chamber. Secondly, the drying chamber. The drying chamber comprises of a cuboids, tray and isolating material. This is the chamber where the farm produce is laid and removal of moisture takes place. Thirdly, an electronic system which is made up of LM 35 sensor is used to convert the heat distribution inside the drying chamber to temperature. The LM 35 is interface with an Ardiuno UNO microcontroller. The microcontroller converts the analog signal output generated from the sensor to a digital output signal which is been display on visual system. The electronic device will enable farmers measure the temperature of the drying chamber at a particular time or period of the day. The system will enable farmers to dry perishable farm produce which is seasonal. This will reduce food shortage and increase in the cost of such seasonal and perishable farm produce during harvest and off-season.

Monitoring of cocoa post-harvest process practices on a small-farm level at five locations in Ecuador

Cocoa post-harvest practices were monitored on a small-farm scale (ca. 50 kg fresh beans) at five intermediaries from four provinces in Ecuador: (A) in Manabí, (B) and (E) in Los Ríos, (C) in Cotopaxi, (D) in Guayas. Temperature, pH (pulp, cotyledon), cell counts (yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria) were recorded daily, and cut-tests and sensory descriptive analysis evaluated end quality. An overall inconsistency and variability in processing were observed with different fermentation devices (jute/plastic bags, wooden boxes), pre-drying, turning during fermentation, fermentation duration, and different drying processes (temperatures, direct/indirect). Key parameters (maximum temperature, pH cotyledon development) revealed a significant impact of the fermentation device on the post-harvest process and, therefore, on the fermentation development. 67–74 h in jute bags without turning was sufficient to reach well-fermented cocoa beans without moldy off-flavors, whereas 133 h in plastic bags without turning resulted in 3 ± 1% moldy beans and cocoa liquor with moldy off-flavor. Drying at high temperatures (80 ± 10 °C) with direct heat contact resulted in beans roasted to burnt off-flavor. Conclusively, the whole post-harvest process was crucial for well-fermented beans without off-flavor. Plastic bags seemed unsuitable, while jute bags could be an alternative to wooden boxes.