10 research outputs found
Emerging trends in soil and crop sensing for enhanced data-driven decision making in precision agriculture
No full textThe integration of advanced soil and crop sensing technologies with data-driven strategies is revolutionising precision agriculture, addressing urgent global challenges such as increasing food demand and sustainability. Recent advancements in both proximal and remote sensing methods, including electromagnetic, optical, thermal and LiDAR systems, are enhancing the ability to assess soil status, moisture levels, nutrient availability and crop development. Moreover, the innovative application of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming raw sensor data into actionable insights, enabling more efficient irrigation, optimised nutrient management and improved yield prediction. These technologies are improving operational efficiency considerably by limiting the wastage of resources, lowering labour needs and allowing for timely interventions. Notably, multispectral and hyperspectral imaging are being applied for crop health monitoring, AI-driven pest detection and biomass estimation using 3D modelling advancing sustainable, data-driven precision agriculture. However, despite these promising developments, challenges remain, including difficulties in calibration, system interoperability and the high costs associated with implementation. Therefore, this review addresses the need for standardized methodologies, user-friendly tools for farmers and scalable AI solutions to enhance adoption. Ultimately, by aligning cutting-edge technology with practical agricultural needs, these innovations pave the way for more climate-resilient, productive and sustainable smart farming practices
Multi-Objective Optimization of Hybrid Heat Sinks with Phase Change Materials
No full textA passive method with phase change material (PCM) is an appropriate technique in electronic cooling. But, due to its poor thermal conductivity, many enhancers are employed to reduce the thermal resistance offered by the PCM. A partial filling strategy to reduce the cost and weight of foams with fins is used in this study. A hybrid heat sink with a combination of fins placed at the sidewalls of the enclosure and foams filled at certain heights such as 10, 20, and 30 mm is considered in this present work. A two-dimensional numerical model with n-eicosane as PCM is developed in ANSYS Fluent 19. A multi-objective optimization is carried out using a reliable multi criteria decision making approach. Different weightage is distributed to the objective functions in this method depending on the choice of the user. The pore size and density vary for various filling heights, and 60 cases are investigated for both charging and discharging cycles. The pore size of 0.8-0.95 and pore density of 5-25 pores per inch with a broad range is considered. From the discussions, guidelines for selecting a preferable pore size and pore density can be determined based on the filling height and applied weightage.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Process and Energ
Extensive analysis of PCM-based heat sink with different fin arrangements under varying load conditions and variable aspect ratio
No full textThe present study compares a modified variable height fin heat sink with the conventional constant height fin heat sink. The two heat sinks are filled with an equal volume of PCM (n-eicosane) and a fin volume fraction of 8 %. The experiments are performed for constant loads and also different power surge conditions. The pulsed heat loads are applied for two scenarios: 1. Constant load 4 W - power surge and constant load 4 W - power surge - 1800 s no-load condition, and 2. Power surge (50 s, 100 s, and 150 s) - no-load conditions of 1800 s. During experiments, the proposed variable height fin heat sinks possess better thermal performance for all load scenarios. Further, a 3D computational model is developed using ANSYS Fluent 19 to assess not only the effect of fin arrangement for different aspect ratios but also the impact of fin shape. The enclosure aspect ratio employed for the given study ranges from 0.3 to 0.8 for both the heat sinks. Regarding the fin structure in a heat sink, four types of fin shapes are adopted: square, circular, diamond, and triangular. The contour images of temperature and the liquid fraction are shown for the charging process. For the discharging process, the time required for the heat sinks to completely solidify the PCM is discussed. From the outcomes, variable height fin heat sinks provide enhanced melting/solidification for all the aspect ratios and fin shapes considered. As the aspect ratio increases, the time difference between the heat sink for the completion of the discharging cycle is reduced. Moreover, the triangular shaped fin shows a higher enhancement percentage of 2.29 % and 1.43 % during melting and 6.25 % and 12.5 % during solidification for both the heat sinks, respectively.Process and Energ
Numerical analysis of multiple phase change materials based heat sink with angled thermal conductivity enhancer
No full textPhase change materials (PCM) RT-28HC, RT-35HC, and RT-44HC with three different melting temperatures, 29 °C, 36 °C, and 44 °C, with similar thermal properties, are considered. The PCM is oriented from the left to right side of the heat sink in its increasing order. The fins are attached to the heat sink longitudinally, and its orientation effects are studied low (100–500 W/m2) and high (1000–5000 W/m2) heat fluxes applied on the horizontal bottom surface of the heat sink. A 2D model is developed using ANSYS Fluent 19, and the fin orientation effects are investigated numerically. The orientation of fins at different angles such as 0°, +15°, +30°, +45°, +60°,-15°,-30°,-45°, −60° are considered. The effect of fins on the charging cycle is assessed by comparing a single and double PCM heat sink. Three initial conditions are investigated by altering the initial temperature 300 K, 303 K, and 310 K. At increasing heat input, the negative angled fins possess a higher melting rate. For different initial conditions, −60° provides higher enhancement, and +60° possesses prolonged melting for almost all cases. The performance of a triple PCM design is compared with single and double PCM counterparts under similar conditions.Process and Energ
Enhancing Cotton Production and Sustainability through Multi-Tier Cropping Systems: Growth, Efficiency, and Profitability Analysis
No full textIntercropping presents an opportunity to optimise land use and resource efficiency in cotton cultivation, particularly for small and marginal farmers facing climate-related challenges and rising input costs. This study explores the potential of intercropping short-duration vegetables with cotton to transform this production system into a more economically viable and sustainable one. The study was conducted in the Cotton Department of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore during the winter irrigated season, from August to January, in both 2020 and 2021. The growth, yield parameters, equivalent yield (3645 and 4234 kg ha−1), and net return (Rs. 123,434 ha−1 and Rs. 154,034 ha−1) were higher in the intercropping system with the paired row planting of Bt cotton with two rows of cluster bean. Upon comparing sole cropping and the paired row method of planting, it was found that adopting the paired row system of planting Bt cotton with two rows of cluster bean was highly profitable in all aspects of crop production. Therefore, the adoption of paired row cropping systems with compatible intercrops that promote synergistic effects on the main crop should be considered for enhancing overall productivity, as well as sustainability
Application of nanocomposites in integrated photocatalytic techniques for water pollution remediation
No full textIn recent years, photocatalysis integrated with other water purification technique is emerging to decontaminate the polluted water effectively. Herein, a focus on adsorptive photocatalysis, photo-Fenton, photo–electrocatalysis, photocatalytic ozonation, sono-photocatalysis and photo–piezocatalytic techniques developed for degradation of organic water pollutants has been provided. Specifically, application of nanocomposites in the degradation of different organic pollutants (dyes, pesticides, antibiotics, phenolic compounds etc.,) via integrated photocatalysis was reviewed. The catalytic performances of different nanocomposites along with the experimental parameters such as dosage, light source, irradiation time, pollutant’ concentration was summarized. Photocatalysis integrated with multiple techniques was also introduced. Current challenges, future perspectives and conclusion of this literature survey have been briefed. Researchers who are working in photocatalytic water treatment might be benefited by this review. © 2023 The Author(s)Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico, FONDECYT, (1220663); Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, ANIDUniversidad Autónoma de Chil
Identification and Molecular Characterization of Dahlia Common Mosaic Virus from Silphium spp., a New Natural Host of the Virus
No full textDahlia common mosaic virus (DCMV) was previously reported to infect only dahlias (Dahlia variabilis). However, DCMV was identified for the first time in association with Silphium spp. The complete genome of DCMV was cloned and sequenced from naturally occurring symptomatic silphium plants grown in Kansas. The two DCMV silphium isolates sequenced showed over 98% sequence identity with those reported from dahlia (D. variabilis). The D. variabilis endogenous pararetroviral sequence (DvEPRS) was also detected in all 19 silphium samples tested in this study, suggesting that DvEPRS may exist as an integrated sequence in the silphium genome as well. Our findings indicate that the host range of DCMV appears to include other plant species besides dahlia. [Figure: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license
IONS AS PROBES OF SUB-PS WATER NETWORK DYNAMICS
No full textAuthor Institution: Department of Physical Chemistry II, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Koc University, 34450 Istanbul, Turkey; Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, 89557 Reno, Nevada, USAWe present THz measurements of salt solutions which shed new light on the controversy of salts as kosmotropes (structure makers) or chaotropes (structure breakers). We performed concentration dependent narrow-band THz-absorption spectroscopy on fifteen alkali-halide salt solutions around 85~cm (2.5 THz) and wide-band (30-300~cm) THz Fourier transform measurements on six alkali halide salt solutions. All solutions show an increased THz-absorption compared to pure water with a linear concentration dependence. Our comprehensive data set is well-described by a model including damped harmonic oscillations (rattling modes) of both anions and cations within the water network. This model well-predicts key features of THz spectra for a variety of salt solutions. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations using the TIP3P water model support experiments and show that the fast sub-ps ionic motions and their surroundings are almost decoupled. These findings provide a complete description of the solute-induced changes in the THz solvation dynamics for the investigated salts and suggests a treatment of the ions as simple defects in an H-bond network. Our results show that THz spectroscopy is a powerful experimental tool to establish a new insights on contributions to the structuring of water by anions and cations
Black gram husk-derived carbon dots: characterization and catalytic dye reduction activities
No full textHerein, we demonstrated an easy hydrothermal carbonization route to prepare fluorescent carbon dots by utilizing black gram husk (BGH) as a carbon source. The formation of black gram husk-derived carbon dots (BGH-CDs) was confirmed by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The presence of functional groups in BGH-CDs was explored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The fluorescence behavior of BGH-CDs was identified by fluorescence spectroscopy. At the optimized condition, BGH-CDs exhibited greater catalytic performance in the reduction (or decolorization) of methylene blue and carmoisine dyes with a removal efficiency of 99.5 and 97.5% within 4 and 6 min respectively. The prepared BGH-CDs could become a high-performance catalyst in the reduction of water pollutants. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, DST; Science and Engineering Research Board, SERB; Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, AER
Strengthening reading comprehension in second grade boys and girls, through the development of executive functions.
No full textEl presente documento tiene como finalidad determinar si el desarrollo de las Funciones Ejecutivas contribuye al fortalecimiento de la comprensión lectora en niños y niñas de segundo grado; para cumplir con el objetivo se adopta una metodología que implica una investigación de tipo descriptivo, explicativa y experimental, con un enfoque mixto donde se combina el análisis cualitativo con el cuantitativo.
Los resultados obtenidos son concordantes con otros estudios donde se evidencia que efectivamente existe una relación entre las Funciones Ejecutivas (FE) y la comprensión lectora, pues el fortalecimiento de los procesos ejecutivos como la atención, el cambio de atención, la supervisión, la inhibición de respuesta y el establecimiento de secuencias, contribuyen a mejorar la capacidad del estudiantes para comprender un texto de forma literal, hacer inferencias de lo leído y analizar críticamente lo que el autor quiso trasmitir. Bajo este contexto para el caso el mejoramiento en la comprensión lectora fue del 38%, gracias al uso de juegos que permitieron fortalecer las FE.Instituto Tecnico De OrienteMagister en Tecnologías de la Información aplicadas a la EducaciónMaestríaThe purpose of this document is to determine if the development of Executive Functions contributes to the strengthening of reading comprehension in second grade boys and girls; To meet the objective, a methodology is adopted that involves descriptive, explanatory and experimental research, with a mixed approach where qualitative and quantitative analysis are combined.
The results obtained are consistent with other studies where it is evidenced that there is indeed a relationship between Executive Functions (EF) and reading comprehension, since the strengthening of executive processes such as attention, change of attention, supervision, inhibition of response and the establishment of sequences, contribute to improve the ability of students to understand a text literally, make inferences from what is read and critically analyze what the author wanted to convey. Under this context, for the case, the improvement in reading comprehension was 38%, thanks to the use of games that made it possible to strengthen the FE
