Inbreeding in Swiss Braunvieh and its influence on breeding values predicted from a repeatability animal model.

Inbreeding coefficients were computed for 910,444 animals of the Swiss Braunvieh population. Of the animals born in 1984, 71.5% were inbred with 67.9, 3.4, and .2% having inbreeding coefficients between greater than 0 and 5%, greater than 5 to 10%, and greater than 10%, respectively. The average inbreeding coefficient was 1.14% but, for animals with both parents and at least one grandparent known, it was 1.67%. Breeding values for total milk, fat, and protein yields and for fat and protein percentages were predicted using a repeatability animal model including a regression on the inbreeding coefficient. Phenotypic performance was sizeably depressed for milk yield only (-26 kg/% of inbreeding or 2.4% of the phenotypic standard deviation). Adjusting for inbreeding increased the estimated genetic trend slightly. Inbreeding is only partially accounted for when it is ignored in the construction of the inverse of the numerator relationship matrix. This effect was investigated by comparing predicted breeding values from a model including the complete matrix with predicted breeding values from a model including a matrix constructed with inbreeding ignored. Only .8% of all predicted breeding values were affected by more than +/- 5.5 kg. The maximum difference observed was 55.3 kg. The observed average absolute differences between the breeding values of offspring predicted with the two models increased with inbreeding of parents.     

Integrated Fire Evolution Monitoring System (IFEMS) for monitoring spatial-temporal behaviour of multiple fire phenomena

This study focuses on multiple fire phenomena in Valencia, Spain. The monitoring of fire recurrence was conducted by means of smoke visualization, mapping the burned area and fire detection, and took place for the whole of the fire period from 21 May to 13 July 1994. The temporal and spatial evolution of the fire was addressed on a daily basis, by means of approaches for mapping burned areas, fire detection, and integrated fire evolution monitoring system.     

Modeling Transmission of Microwaves Through Dynamic Vegetation

In this paper, we develop a model for estimating canopy opacity tau for sweet corn. We estimate the refractive index based upon moisture distribution in the corn during different stages of growth. The moisture distribution was observed during two season-long field experiments. We found that the moisture content decreased linearly as the height of the corn increased, with the distribution closer to Gaussian in the fruit region during reproductive stages. The tau obtained from our model was compared to that estimated using a widely used Jackson model. In general, our tau estimates were higher than those obtained using the Jackson model, with a root mean-square difference (rmsd) of up to 0.23 Np between the two models. The tau values were used in a microwave emission model at C-band, and the model estimates of brightness were compared with field observations. We found that the model brightness temperatures matched well with observations, with rmsd values of 5.13 and 4.88 K, using our model and the Jackson model for tau, respectively.     

Gate‐Controlled Energy Barrier at a Graphene/Molecular Semiconductor Junction

The formation of an energy‐barrier at a metal/molecular semiconductor junction is a universal phenomenon which limits the performance of many molecular semiconductor‐based electronic devices, from field‐effect transistors to light‐emitting diodes. In general, a specific metal/molecular semiconductor combination of materials leads to a fixed energy‐barrier. However, in this work, a graphene/C₆₀ vertical field‐effect transistor is presented in which control of the interfacial energy‐barrier is demonstrated, such that the junction switches from a highly rectifying diode at negative gate voltages to a highly conductive nonrectifying behavior at positive gate voltages and at room temperature. From the experimental data, an energy‐barrier modulation of up to 660 meV, a transconductance of up to five orders of magnitude, and a gate‐modulated photocurrent are extracted. The ability to tune the graphene/molecular semiconductor energy‐barrier provides a promising route toward novel, high performance molecular devices.     

Non-conventional metallic electrodes for organic field-effect transistors

We study micrometer-sized organic field-effect transistors with either Pd or NiFe metallic electrodes. Neither of these materials is commonly used in organic electronics applications, but they could prove to be particularly advantageous in certain niche applications such as organic spintronics. Using organic semiconductors with different carrier transport characteristics as active layer, namely n-type C60 fullerene and p-type Pentacene, we prove that Pd (NiFe) is a very suitable electrode for p- (n-) type semiconductors. In particular, we characterized devices with channel lengths in the order of the micrometer, a distance which has allowed us to evaluate the electronic behavior in a regime where the interfacial problems become predominant and it is possible to reach elevated longitudinal electric fields. Our experimental results agree well with a simple model based on rigid energy levels.     

Evaluation of thermodynamic properties using GAB model to describe the desorption process of cocoa beans

The desorption isotherms and thermodynamic properties of cocoa beans were obtained during the drying process of this product. The isotherms were determined by dynamic method for various temperature (25, 35, 45 and 55 °C) and relative humidity (RH) conditions (30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80%). Equilibrium moisture content data were correlated by the Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB) model, which presented good fit to the data, according to statistical procedures. Equilibrium moisture content ranged from 5.90 to 16.67 d.b.; it increased with an increment in the RH and decreased with increased temperature at a constant RH. Enthalpy values for each model coefficient were encountered, ranging from ?90.05 to 545.96 kJ kg^?1. The integral isosteric heat of desorption and differential entropy increased with decreased equilibrium moisture content, a tendency also found for Gibbs free energy.     

Unipolar plasma electrolytic oxidation: Waveform optimisation for corrosion resistance of commercially pure titanium

This study deals with the anodisation of titanium grade 2 in 0.5-M sulphuric acid using a pulsed signal in a unipolar regime. The electrical parameters investigated are voltage, frequency and duty cycle. The use of duty cycles with a high percentage of anodic polarisation (90%), combined with high frequencies (1000 Hz) and the higher voltage tested (220 V), favoured the establishment of a plasma regime involving strong dielectric discharges, allowing the growth of thicker oxides but with rough architecture. The corrosion resistance of the formed film has been characterised by potentiodynamic tests in 0.5-M NaBr for localised corrosion resistance and by immersion tests in 10% v/v sulphuric acid solution for a uniform corrosion assessment. Current–time curves, visual observations and electron microscope analysis (scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) were the tools selected to provide a correlation between technological parameters and oxide growth mechanism. For localised and uniform corrosion, anodisation at 220 V with a high level of anodic polarisation (90%) and frequency (1000 Hz) was verified to be particularly advantageous.     

Identification of the genetic variants of κ-casein in milk by isoelectric focusing electrophoresis

The genetic variants of κ-casein (κ-CN) A and B were analysed in milk from Holstein–Friesian (HF) and Jersey cows by means of isoelectric focusing (IEF) electrophoresis. Milk samples were obtained in triplicate from pure-breed HF and Jersey cows (three of each) to estimate the protein content, casein and purify κ-CN. The protein and casein contents in the milk from both breeds were statistically different ( P <  0.05). The κ-CN A migrates first with an isoelectric point (pI) of 7.2–7.3 and then B with a pI of 7.5–7.7. Differences in the expression proportion of both variants were detected.     

Analysis of cubic and orthorhombic C<Subscript>3</Subscript>A hydration in presence of gypsum and lime

Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been used to study the microstructural changes and phase development that take place during the hydration of cubic (pure) and orthorhombic (Na-doped) tricalcium aluminate (C₃A) and gypsum in the absence and presence of lime. The results demonstrate that important differences occur in the hydration of each C₃A polymorph and gypsum when no lime is added; orthorhombic C₃A reacts faster with gypsum than the cubic phase, forming longer ettringite needles; however, the presence of lime slows down the formation of ettringite in the orthorhombic sample. Additional rheometric tests showed the possible effects on the setting time in these cementitious mixes.