Retracted and replaced: Enabling technologies for the ‘always best connected’ concept

This article has been retracted and replaced. Retraction notice DOI: 10.1002/wcm.426 ‘Always Best Connected’ (ABC) is considered one of the main requirements for next generation networks. The ABC concept allows a person to have access to applications using the devices and network technologies that best suits his or her needs or profile at any time. Clearly, this requires the combination of a set of existing and new technologies, at all levels of the protocol stack, into one integrated system. In this paper, a considerable set of the technologies, that are expected to play a key role towards the ABC vision, are presented. Starting from a reference architecture, the paper describes the required enhancements at certain levels of a traditional protocol stack, as well as technologies for mobility and end‐to‐end Quality of Service (QoS) support. The paper concludes with a case study that reveals the advantages of the ABC concept. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of fruit blanching on phenolics and radical scavenging activity of highbush blueberry juice

Frozen highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) were processed into juice, and the influence was studied of a steam blanching step, applied to fruit before milling, on the recovery of anthocyanin pigments and total cinnamates, in relation to the radical-scavenging properties of blueberry juices. Inactivation of PPO induced a significant recovery increase of anthocyanin and cinnamate contents. Furthermore juice from blanched fruits was more blue and less red than that obtained in the traditional way, due to the positive effect of the thermal treatment on the extraction of the most soluble anthocyanin pigments, which are also the most intense blue. Blanching of fruit greatly increased the radical-scavenging activity of the juice, in relation to the higher recovery of anthocyanin pigments and total cinnamates.     

Development of a new generation of filament wound composite pressure cylinders

A new generation of composite pressure vessels for large scale market applications has been studied in this work. The vessels consist on a thermoplastic liner wrapped with a filament winding glass fibre reinforced polymer matrix structure. A high density polyethylene (HDPE) was selected as liner and a thermosetting resin used as matrix in the glass reinforced filament wound laminate.     

Characterization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae immobilized onto chrysotile for ethanol production

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (CCT 3174 and commercial baker's yeast) was immobilized by adsorption onto chrysotile. The adsorbed yeast cells were easily washed out, but cells grown in situ were strongly attached by entrapment by chrysotile microfibres. In fermentation experiments with 30% (w/v) glucose solution, the immobilized cells showed a 1·3-fold increase in initial reaction velocity. For immobilized CCT 3174, the final ethanol yield was 26% higher than that with free cells. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Composition,toxic and antinutritional factors of newly developed cultivars of Brazilian soybean (Glycine max)

Five different recently released Brazilian soybean cultivars (Bays, BR-10, Rio Balsas, Serido and Tropical) were compared for their proximate analyses and presence of antinutritional or toxic factors. As expected, the seeds are rich in proteins, varying from 360·7 to 485·4 g kg⁻¹ flour, and they also have a high amount of fat (from 183·0 to 215·3 g kg⁻¹ flour). Crude extracts from seeds of Bays, BR-10, Serido and Tropical were highly toxic to mice within 1–12 h, depending on the administration route (intraperitoneal, intramuscular or subcutaneous) and dose used while Rio Balsas was not. These acute effects were very similar to those produced by the soytoxin, a neurotoxin that has been recently purified from the commercial soybean sold in Brazil. The amount of trypsin inhibited in the presence of crude extracts ranged from 28·5 to 62·5 g kg⁻¹ flour. Urease was also present and the seed lectin agglutinated preferentially rabbit erythrocytes. A heat treatment at 92°C for 1 min destroyed completely the toxic activity while the haemagglutinating and trypsin inhibitor activities were abolished within 5 min. At these conditions urease was still active. Due to its high protein content, lack of soytoxin, and low levels of trypsin inhibitor, lectin, and urease it is suggested that Rio Balsas could be an alternative for breeding programmes aimed to improve the nutritional quality of soybeans. ©1997 SCI     

Investigation on the corrosion resistance of carbon black-graphite-poly(vinylidene fluoride) composite bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

The goal of the present work was to evaluate the corrosion resistance of carbon black (CB)-synthetic graphite (SG)-poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composites using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization curves. The tests were conducted in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ + 2 ppm HF solution at 70 °C to simulate the typical environment of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. The fracture surface of the specimens was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The through-plane electrical conductivity was also determined. The corrosion resistance decreased as the carbon black content increased up to 5 wt.%. The highest electrical conductivity was achieved for the composition CB = 5 wt.%, PVDF = 15 wt.%, SG = 80 wt.%. A detailed discussion of the EIS data is given. This approach is unprecedented in the current literature. EIS has proven to be a valuable tool to the design of electrically efficient bipolar plates.     

Effects of winter housing systems on production,economics, body weight,body condition score,and bedding cultures for organic dairy cows

Certified-organic dairy cows (n = 268) were used to evaluate the effect of 2 winter (December to April) housing systems on milk production, somatic cell score (SCS), body weight, body condition score (BCS), and economics across 3 winter seasons (2013, 2014, and 2015). Bedding cultures from the housing systems were also evaluated. Cows were randomly assigned to 2 treatments (2 replicates per group): (1) outdoor (straw pack, n = 140) or (2) indoor (3-sided compost bedded pack barn, n = 128). Cows calved during 2 seasons (spring or fall) at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, Minnesota, organic dairy. Milk, fat, and protein production and SCS were recorded from monthly milk recording. Body weight and BCS were recorded biweekly as cows exited the milking parlor. Bedding cultures from the housing systems were collected biweekly. Costs for key inputs and the price received for milk production were recorded for the study period and averaged for use in the profitability analysis. Energy-corrected milk and SCS were not different for the outdoor (15.1 kg/d, 2.64) and indoor (15.7 kg/d, 2.57) housing systems, respectively. In addition, cows in the outdoor and indoor housing systems were not different for body weight (528 vs. 534 kg) and BCS (3.22 vs. 3.23), respectively. Daily dry matter intake was 19.1 kg/d for the outdoor cows and 19.6 kg/d for indoor cows. The total bacteria count from bedding samples tended to be lower in the outdoor (13.0 log₁₀ cfu/mL) compared with the indoor (14.9 log₁₀ cfu/mL) system. Milk revenue and feed cost were not different for the 2 housing systems. Labor and bedding costs were lower and net return was higher for the outdoor housing system. The outdoor straw pack system had a $1.42/cow per day net return advantage over the indoor compost bedded pack barn. In summary, lactating cows housed outdoors on straw-bedded packs did not differ for production or SCS, or for body weight, BCS, or dry matter intake, but had greater profitability than cows housed in an indoor compost bedded pack barn.