1,720,988 research outputs found
On-line statistical monitoring for mixing processes: An application in the dairy industry
No full textThe widespread application of electronic sensors and control systems makes industrial productions more efficient. In particular, several intelligent control systems, which mimic human analysis capabilities, are being used in the food-manufacturing industry. In this paper, a control system of a generic mixing process is presented. The proposed control system, which may be used in several food-manufacturing applications e.g. bread making as well as dairy production processes, has been exploited to monitor the level of both viscoelasticity and homogeneity of the mixing compound. The aim of the proposed control system is to optimise the mixing process by reducing the variability of the production quality level. The control system is based on measurements of the electrical power feeding the mixer motor. Thus, an additional benefit is that no sensor intrusion in the mixing machine is required. The proposed technique is exemplified by a real application in the dairy industry. The results have been compared with the operator's opinions indicating agreement with the proposed monitoring system. Copyright (C) 2003 IFAC
Can agricultural fungicides be a source of stress for non-target soil organisms? An ecotoxicological study on Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826)
No full textPlant protection products, highly used in agriculture, can represent a source of stress for non-target
soil organism and have a negative effect on ecosystems’ health. In particular, information on
toxicological effects of fungicides are very poor or absent, despite their widespread use. The aim of
this study was to evaluate the potential toxic effects of 4 commercial fungicides (Prosaro®,
Amistar®xtra, Mirador® and Icarus®) on the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826). Laboratory
experiments were conducted using the filter paper test (FPT): E. fetida was exposed to increasing
concentration of Prosaro® or Amistar®xtra, being the highest dose of treatment the recommended
one for the usage in wheat farming. Field investigations were conducted transplanting E. fetida in
cages in the soil of wheat and durum wheat fields before and during treatment with different
combinations of the 4 fungicides. E. fetida specimens from laboratory and field work were analysed
to evaluate vitality, potential neurotoxic effects (inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE)),
phase II enzymatic defense (glutathione S-transferase (GST)), oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation
(LPO) and catalase (CAT) activity), genotoxic effects (Comet assay) and effect on the immune system
(lysozyme activity). Laboratory studies with Prosaro® and Amistar®xtra showed alterations in
organism’s vitality which increased with increasing treatment doses. Significant alteration of phase
II metabolising enzymes (GST induction) and significant DNA fragmentation (Comet assay) with
respect to controls were detected at environmentally relevant doses of Prosaro®. A statistically
significant induction of GST was found in earthworms transplanted in the fields treated with
Amistar®xtra alone and Amistar®xtra + Prosaro®. This study represents a first step towards a better
understanding of commercial fungicides toxicological potential to non-target organisms. Data
obtained indicate that deeper investigations are needed which should include long term artificial
soil tests (AST) and further field studie
Parasitological investigation and potential effects of parasitism on hematological, genotoxic and immune parameters in free ranging sea turtles rescued along the Southern Adriatic coast (Eastern Mediterranean Sea).
No full textAn econometric model for crop water footprint assessment
Full text linkThe Italian wine industry, while economically significant, is also associated with
environmental impacts, including the over-exploitation of water resources and
the deterioration of water quality. As a result, water management has become an
increasingly important objective for enhancing the sustainability of agricultural
systems. Among the various available methods, the Water Footprint Network
approach is a powerful tool for assessing both the direct and indirect water usage
in agricultural production. This study primarily aims to assess the water footprint
of a large-scale winemaking facility in Italy, which serves as a national reference.
Among the different water fractions that constitute the water footprint, green water
is especially relevant in agriculture, as it is the water directly available to plants
and can be estimated through evapotranspiration, the volume of water lost to the
atmosphere from land and plant biomass. Accurately estimating evapotranspiration
is complex and costly, yet it is essential for determining crop water needs. In
this study, an econometric modeling approach based on primary collected data
was employed to incorporate plant stomatal conductance (the rate at which gas
diffuses through plant stomata) into the widely used Penman–Monteith equation
for evapotranspiration calculation. This research moves beyond the limitations of
using a constant parameter for stomatal conductance in evapotranspiration models
by providing a novel approach that endogenizes values from collected data into
the model. This method resulted in a water footprint of 375.83 L of water per 0.75
L bottle of wine, from cradle to gate. Compared to existing literature, this water
footprint is smaller, potentially due to the overestimation of evapotranspiration in
other commonly used methods or due to the specific case study’s use of a water
recycling system, which reduces overall water consumption
Risposte biochimiche nel granchio Pachygrapsus marmoratus per la valutazione della contaminazione ambientale del porto di Livorno (Italia).
No full textThe main purpose of the present investigation was to assess the health status of Livorno
harbour, through the responses of a set of biomarkers in the crab Pachygrapsus marmoratus (Fabricius,
1787). This investigation is part of the IMPACT project (Port Impact on Marine Protected Area: crossborder co-operative actions), and the aim is to debug cross-borders management plans in order to actually
protect the Marine Protected Areas. Male and female of the crabs were collected from two different
areas: Livorno harbour, considered the polluted area, and the control area, the Marine Protected Area
“Secche della Meloria”, located just a few miles from the Livorno harbour. A battery of biomarkers
was employed to assess neurotoxic effects (acetylcholinesterase, AChE activity), energy metabolism
(isocitrate dehydrogenease, IDH; lactate dehydrogenease, LDH), oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation,
LPO; glutathione S-transferase, GST; glutathione peroxidase, GPX; glutathione reductase, GR;
catalase, CAT; glutathione, GSH) and DNA damage (erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities, ENAs assay).
Moreover, the levels of trace elements and PAHs were evaluated in the specimens. The results of LPO,
CAT, GST, GSH and ENA assay showed that the crabs sampled in Livorno harbour are exposed to
contaminants able to cause oxidative stress and genotoxic effects. The average values of LPO and ENA
assay showed a statistically significant difference between specimens collected into Livorno harbour and
those collected in the marine protected area. The average values of LPO were about three times higher
in crabs sampled in polluted area in comparison to those sampled in the control area. Although the
females showed higher values in comparison with the males, no significant differences between sex were
found. A statistically significant difference was found between the two sampling sites regarding energetic
metabolism biomarkers. The crab P. marmoratus, used as a bioindicator to investigate the contamination
in a port area using a multi biomarker approach, can be considered a good model organism for marine
coastal environment monitoring
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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