A Multiphase Pore Scale Network Model of Gas Exchange in Apple Fruit

A multiphase pore scale network model was developed to describe mass transfer in apple fruit. The 3D microscale geometry of the tissue was reconstructed from synchrotron radiation tomography images. Individual cells and pores were identified using a watershed segmentation procedure on a Euclidean distance map of the tissue microstructure. Further morphological characteristics of each individual pore, including its volume, connections to the neighbors and the connected area between the pore and its neighbors, were determined. The tissue was represented by a network of nodes (simplified individual pores and cells) that were interconnected by tubes. The transport of the respiratory gases O₂ and CO₂ between two nodes was modelled using diffusion laws and irreversible thermodynamics, while respiration was taken into account in the individual cellular nodes. A numerical procedure was applied to simulate the gas transport within the discrete network and to compute the local diffusivities of the links in the network. The predicted overall gas diffusivities compared well to experimental data and results computed from a microscale continuum model, thereby validating the pore scale network model. This approach is a computationally attractive alternative to a continuum multiphase approach for modelling gas transport in fruit.     

3D Virtual Pome Fruit Tissue Generation Based on Cell Growth Modeling

A 3D virtual fruit tissue generator is presented that can distinctly define the microstructural components of a fruit tissue and that can be used to model important physical processes such as gas transport during controlled atmosphere storage. The model is based on the biomechanics of plant cells in tissues. The main merit of this algorithm is that it can account for typical differences in intercellular air space networks and in cell size and shape found between different fruit species and tissues. The cell is considered as a closed thin walled structure, maintained in tension by turgor pressure. The cell walls of adjacent cells are modeled as parallel, linear elastic elements which obey Hooke's law. A 3D Voronoi tessellation is used to generate the initial topology of the cells. Intercellular air spaces of schizogenous origin are generated by separating the Voronoi cells along the edges where three Voronoi cells are in contact; while intercellular air spaces of lysigenous origin are generated by deleting (killing) some of the Voronoi cells randomly. Cell expansion then results from turgor pressure acting on the yielding cell wall material. To find the sequence of positions of each vertex and thus the shape of the tissue with time, a system of differential equations for the positions and velocities of each vertex is established and solved using a Matlab ordinary differential equation solver. Statistical comparison with synchrotron tomography images of fruit tissue is excellent. The virtual tissues can be used to study tissue mechanics and exchange processes of important metabolites.     

Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Followed by Capillary High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for the Determination of Six Sulfonylurea Herbicides in Fruit Juices

In this study a simple, rapid, and efficient method has been developed for the determination of six sulfonylurea herbicides (SUHs): triasulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, chlorsulfuron, flazasulfuron, chlorimuron-ethyl, and primisulfuron-methyl in commercial grape and apple juice samples, using dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction coupled with capillary high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Various parameters that influence the extraction efficiency, such as the type and volume of extraction and disperser solvents, sample pH, and salt addition, were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, limits of detection and quantification of the method were in the ranges of 2–9 and 8–29 μg L^?1, respectively, lower than the maximum residue limits set by the European Union for the raw fruits, such as grape and apple. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations varied from 1.0 to 8.2 and 1.8 to 9.8 %, respectively, with recoveries between 72.0 and 109.5 % for commercial grape (both white and red) and apple juice samples, showing satisfactory accuracy for the determination of SUHs in fruit juices.     

LC-Biosensor System for the Determination of the Neurotoxin β-N-Oxalyl-l-α,β-diaminopropionic Acid

An analysis system is described for the determination of the neurotoxin β-N-oxalyl-l-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP). The system is based on liquid chromatographic separation of β-ODAP from interfering amino acids on an anion exchange column coupled with an amperometric enzyme electrode for the registration of β-ODAP. The electrode is based on a graphite rod modified with an Os(2+/3+) redox polymer cross-linked with l-glutamate oxidase and horseradish peroxidase. This LC-bienzyme electrode analytical system enabled monitoring of as low as 4 μM β-ODAP (injection volume 100 μL). The β-ODAP content in real grass pea samples was measured to range between 3.3 and 5.2 g kg(-)(1) in dry grass pea.     

A Refined Global Segmentation of X-Ray CT Images for Multi-phase Geomaterials

X-ray computed tomography images of three-phase silica sand and glass bead specimens are analyzed and used to evaluate the segmentation performances of Otsu-, and recursion-based multilevel algorithms. A global image segmentation technique that combines iterative and recursive algorithms, namely a refined statistics-based global segmentation is proposed for segmenting multi-phase granular geomaterials. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested by segmenting partially saturated silica sand and glass bead specimens. For the tested silica sand specimen, the refined statistics method estimated void ratio and degree of saturation were 0.67 and 39.35%. The estimates for the glass bead specimen yielded 0.64 and 43.49%, respectively. The true void ratio (0.66) and degree of saturation (37.71%) were determined with a user-controlled Image processing software package—Image-Pro. It was found that the proposed method estimated the void ratio and the degree of saturation with 1.52 and 4.35 percent errors for the silica sand and with 15.63 and 0.34 percent errors for the glass bead, respectively. The computational time of the proposed method was found to be shorter than other methods considered. Overall, it is concluded that the proposed technique performed better in segmenting three-phase granular geomaterials.     

The dynamics of urban expansion and land use/land cover changes using remote sensing and spatial metrics: the case of Mekelle City of northern Ethiopia

Information on the rate and pattern of urban expansion is required by urban planners to devise proper urban planning and management policy directions. This study evaluated the dynamics and spatial pattern of Mekelle City’s expansion in the past three decades (1984–2014). Multi-temporal Landsat images and Maximum Likelihood Classifier were used to produce decadal land use/land cover (LULC) maps. Changes in LULC and spatial pattern of urban expansion were analysed by post-classification change detection and spatial metrics, respectively. The results showed that in the periods 1984–1994, 1994–2004, and 2004–2014, the built-up area increased annually by 10%, 9%, and 8%, respectively; with an average annual increment of 19% (100 ha year^?1), from 531 ha in 1984 to 3524 ha in 2014. Between 1984 and 2014, about 88% of the gain in built-up area was from conversion of agricultural lands, which decreased by 39%. Extension of existing urban areas was the dominant growth type, which accounted for 54%, 75%, and 81% of the total new development during 1984–1994, 1994–2004, and 2004–2014, respectively. The spatial metrics analyses revealed urban sprawl, with increased heterogeneity and gradual dispersion in the outskirts of the city. The per capita land consumption rate (ha per person) increased from 0.009 in 1984 to 0.014 in 2014, indicating low density urban growth. Based on the prediction result, the current (2014) built-up area will double by 2035, and this is likely to have multiple socioeconomic and environmental consequences unless sustainable urban planning and development policies are devised.     

Preparation and characterization of graphene‐agar and graphene oxide‐agar composites

Biodegradable counterparts of petro plastics for packaging applications are highly desired due to environmental considerations. Agar can be a potential material due to its availability and biodegradability. However, moderate mechanical strength and thermal stability, in addition to poor resistance against water, needs to be addressed before agar can be commercially implemented as packaging material. As a step toward this objective, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced GO (RGO) were incorporated in agar and were solution casted in the form of films. The tensile strength was increased by 118.4% and 69.4% at 2% GO and 2% RGO loading, respectively. Higher interfacial bonding between GO and agar compared to that of RGO and agar was attributed for the observed mechanical properties. Resistance to swelling and hydrophobicity (contact angle) of the composite were improved as well when compared to pure agar. The tensile strength and the contact angle values were however, decreased after the addition of 2% GO and 2% RGO. The morphological investigation showed that the formation of pores at higher concentration of reinforcement was the contributing factor for the decrease in tensile strength. No significant change in thermal properties was observed. The transmittance value was reduced to 0% after the incorporation of GO and RGO. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45085.     

Design of a multichannel, multiresolution smart imaging system

This paper presents the design of a multichannel imaging system where the different optical channels have a different angular resolution and field-of-view. Such an imaging system is able to resolve fine details in a small region of interest through the channel that has the highest angular resolution (0.0096°) while controlling the surrounding region through the channel that has the widest field-of-view (2×40°). An interesting feature of such a multichannel, multiresolution imaging system is that various image processing algorithms can be applied at different segments of the image sensor. We have designed a three channel imaging system where each optical channel consists of four aspheric lens surfaces. These three imaging channels share a single image sensor with a resolution of 1440×960 and a 10 μm pixel size. All imaging channels have diffraction-limited performance ensuring good overall image quality.