Feasibility of bio-hythane production by co-digesting skim latex serum (SLS) with palm oil mill effluent (POME) through two-phase anaerobic process

Hydrogenogenic batch fermentation without nutrients addition was investigated at different SLS: POME mixing ratios of 100:0, 95:5, 90:10, 85:15, 80:20, 75:25, 70:30, 65:35, 60:40, 55:45,50:50, and 0:100 (Volatile Solid, VS basis) at initial organic concentrations of 21 and 7 g-VS/L. Satisfactory hydrogen yield of 84.5 ± 0.7 mL H₂/g-VS_added was achieved from 7 g-VS/L batch having SLS: POME-VS mixing ratio of 55:45. Adding NaHCO₃ 3 g/L or 0.43 g-NaHCO₃/g-VS) in the two-stage anaerobic system at 7 g-VS/L could provide sufficient buffering capacity. Hydrogenogenic effluent from 7 g-VS/L batch at SLS: POME mixing ratio of 55:45 (VS basis) could further generate rather high methane yield of 311.2 ± 8.0 mL- CH₄/g-VS_added in themethanogenic stage.According to the experimental results, bio-hythane approximately 55.5 × 10⁶ m³/year with 21% (V/V) of hydrogen, equivalent to51.0 × 10⁶ l-gasoline could be produced potentially from 3.88 × 10⁶ m³ of mixed SLS and POME through the two-stage anaerobic co-digestion.     

Merit Figures for the Optical Design of CSP Plants

This work proposes some optical merit figures useful for solar concentration in the phase of optical design. The examined systems are CSP （concentrated solar power） plants with heliostats fields. In order to characterize them, it is suggested to use some optical merit figures, applicable to every CSP plant and synthetize its optical performance. The proposed merit figures have the aim of assessing mirrors field efficiency and receiver optical efficiency. In particular, they are identified using a new definition of the input flux on the mirrors field. The practical advantage of using the optical merit figures is illustrated by means of a simulation.     

On-line measurements in pig carcass classification: Repeatability and variation caused by the operator and the copy of instrument

For nearly all pigs slaughtered in the EU, the lean meat content is assessed on-line at the slaughter line. The assessment is made indirectly by an instrument performing a number of informative measurements including the thickness of back fat as one of the most important and common measurements. Several types of instruments are used for making the measurements. The quality of the calibration (the prediction ability) has to be approved by the EU Commission. However, the maintenance of instruments, training of operators, working conditions and other factors influencing the routine are quite as important for the accuracy as the calibration. As a part of an EU funded project, partners representing thirteen European countries have investigated the instruments used in their countries focusing on the precision of indirect measurements. The preconditions have differed considerably between the countries resulting in a wide range of estimates of the repeatability and the reproducibility (precision) of fat and muscle thickness. Totally, there have been three different types of manual instruments - invasive probe instruments from three manufacturers, non-invasive ultrasound and callipers. Furthermore, the precision of two automatic instruments with respect to lean meat content has partly been estimated. Even though neither the aim nor the design of the experiments was set for a direct comparison between different instruments, none of them seemed to deviate notably from the others with respect to the precision of fat thickness. In this study, the only investigated influencing factors were the variations in operators and copies of instruments. Generally, the variations between operators were more important than the variation between copies of the same type of instrument.     

Virtual dissection of pig carcasses

This paper proposes the use of computed tomography (CT) as a reference method for estimating the lean meat percentage (LMP) of pig carcasses. The current reference is manual dissection which has a limited accuracy due to variability between butchers. A contextual Bayesian classification scheme is applied to classify volume elements of full body CT-scans of pig carcasses into three tissue types. A linear model describes the relation between voxels and the full weight of the half carcass, which can be determined more accurately than that of the lean meat content. Two hundred and ninety-nine half pig carcasses were weighed and CT-scanned. The explained variance of the model was R²=0.9994 with a root-mean-squared error of prediction of 83.6 g. Applying this method as a reference will ensure a more robust calibration of sensors for measuring the LMP, which is less prone to variation induced by manual intervention.     

New method for the preparation of thick conducting polymer composites

A highly porous and absorbable crosslinked polystyrene, prepared by the concentrated emulsion polymerization method, was used as host polymer for the preparation of conducting, large objects, polymer composites. The composites, whose conductivity can be as high as 0.80 S/cm, were prepared by (i) imbibing the host polymer with a pyrrole (or oxidant) solution, (ii) partially drying the imbibed host polymer, and (iii) imbibing again with an oxidant (or pyrrole) solution for polymerization to take place. The electrical conductivity of the composite and the penetration of polypyrrole in the host polymer are influenced by the polymerization conditions (i.e., the concentrations of oxidant and pyrrole and the nature of the solvents used for the oxidant and pyrrole), the order in which the two imbibing solutions are introduced, and the drying time used after the first imbibation. The mechanical properties of the host polymer are improved with the incorporation of polypyrrole. Scanning electron micrographs of the composites indicate that the polypyrrole coats uniformly as a film the inside of the porous host polymer.     

Effect of deposition parameters on adhesion, hardness and wear resistance of Sn-Ni electrolytic coatings

The present investigation has been conducted in order to determine the influence of both the chemical composition of the bath and current density employed, on the adhesion, hardness and wear resistance of electrolytic Sn-Ni coatings deposited on a steel substrate. The micro-scratch test method was employed to evaluate the coating adhesion. Three scratches were performed at progressive loads. The subsequent observation of the surface damage by means of optical microscopy allowed the determination of the critical load, defined as the smallest load at which coating delamination will occur. The composite hardness of the system was determined by means of Vickers indentation and represented as a function of the relative indentation depth (R.I.D.). The absolute hardness of the coatings was computed by using a model published previously in the literature by one of the authors. The evaluation of the wear resistance was carried out through an accelerated wear test, without lubricant, under a ball-on-disc configuration, using a ball of AISI 52100 steel as a static counterpart. The wear scar morphology was studied by Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) techniques coupled with the energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS). The results indicate that the Sn-Ni coatings obtained by means of the chloride-fluoride bath (CF) have apparently a higher adhesion to the steel substrate and wear resistance, in comparison with the coatings which were obtained by using the pyrophosphate bath (PF), irrespective to the current density value employed during deposition. However, the hardness results indicate that the coatings obtained from the pyrophosphate bath have a better endurance against indentation loads. Such a behavior has been partially explained in terms of the different microstructural features that characterized both coatings. The CF deposits were observed to present an elongated columnar grain structure free of cracks, whereas the PF coatings were observed to have an equiaxial structure with a high crack density. The present study has allowed the conclusion that the CF coatings have an overall better performance than the PF coatings.     

Optimal Scheduling of Nitrogen Fertilization and Irrigation

This paper develops and applies a mathematical model for determining the economically optimal scheduling of fertilization and irrigation (fertigation) that maximizes the farmer's profits. The analysis assumes a single crop (corn) and a single growing season. For a given total seasonal fertigation level, the optimal scheduling solution to the optimization problem identifies not only the maximum profits but also the minimum total nitrogen leached below the root zone and, therefore, the minimum groundwater contamination. The conceptual framework, coupled with the experimental data for corn, are used to investigate the impacts of taxing the total nitrogen leaching and an action equivalent taxation of nitrogen fertilizer. It is demonstrated that the increase in the fertilizer tax required to achieve a given level of reduction of total nitrogen leaching is much smaller in relation to the change in the tax on leached nitrogen required to achieve the same reduction.     

Energy saving in agricultural buildings through fan motor control by variable frequency drives

A comparison was conducted between ON–OFF and variable frequency drive (VFD) systems to control ventilation fans of greenhouses and poultry houses. The study aimed to determine the effect of each system on the energy consumption and resulting microclimate within the houses. The experiments were carried out in a commercial-size greenhouse in which pepper was grown and in commercial poultry houses. Reducing the fan speed with the VFD system resulted in reductions in the airflow rate through the houses and energy consumption, the latter being much more significant. The study showed that VFD control can reduce electricity consumption compared with ON–OFF operation. In the present study, the average energy consumption with the VFD control system was about 0.64 and 0.75 of that with an ON–OFF system in the greenhouse and poultry houses, respectively. The average greenhouse daily air temperatures and humidity ratios obtained with each control system between 07:00 and 18:00 were nearly equal. The results obtained in the greenhouse further showed that the VFD system has a greater potential than the ON–OFF, to reduce the range of amplitude variations in the air temperature and humidity ratio within the greenhouse. The average air temperatures over day and night, in the poultry houses, with each control system were nearly equal. The relative humidity, however, was slightly lower with VFD than with ON–OFF. Reductions in the range of amplitude variations of the air temperature and humidity were also observed in the poultry houses.     

In the name of Mussolini: Explaining the schism in an Italian right-wing political party.

The authors present a study testing and refining the social psychological model of schism in groups (F. Sani, 2005) by applying it to the schism that occurred in Alleanza Nazionale--an Italian political party of the right--in 2003. The authors found that perceptions of identity subversion (a sense that the group essence has been undermined by a change made by the group majority) have negative effects on group identification and positive effects on aversive emotions (dejection, agitation, and anger). Perceived identity subversion also has a negative influence on perceived group entitativity, which in turn has positive effects on group identification. Finally, group identification has a negative impact, and aversive emotions have a positive impact, on schismatic intentions. The authors also found that the more those who oppose the change are seen as having the ability to voice their dissent, the less both the negative impact of group identification and the positive impact of aversive emotions on schismatic intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The attachment system in fledgling relationships: An activating role for attachment anxiety.

Is it sensible to study attachment dynamics between potential romantic partners before they share a full-fledged attachment bond? The present data indicate that such an approach may reveal novel insights about initial attraction processes. Four studies suggest that the state-like experience of attachment anxiety has functional implications within fledgling (i.e., desired or undeveloped) romantic relationships, well before the formation of an attachment bond. Studies 1 and 3 reveal that attachment anxiety directed toward a particular romantic interest is elevated before (in comparison with after) participants report being in an established relationship. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrate that such partner-specific attachment anxiety predicts attachment-relevant outcomes in fledgling relationships, including proximity seeking, safe haven, secure base, passionate love, and other approach behaviors. These associations were reliable above and beyond (and were typically as strong as or stronger than) the effect of sexual desire. Finally, Study 4 presents evidence that partner-specific attachment anxiety may cause several of these attachment-relevant outcomes. Attachment anxiety seems to be a normative experience and may signal the activation of the attachment system during the earliest stages of romantic relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)