Combining Partial Least Squares (PLS) Discriminant Analysis and Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) to Classify Barley Samples According to Year of Harvest and Locality

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) instrument combined with pattern recognition methods as tools to differentiate commercial barley samples from two South Australian localities and three harvests. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and stepwise discriminant analysis were applied to classify samples based on the RVA profiles using full cross validation (leave-one-out) as the validation method. The PLS-DA models correctly classify 96.3 and 97.8 % of the barley samples according to harvest and locality, using the profiles generated by the RVA instrument. Analysis and interpretation of the eigenvectors and loadings from the PCA or PLS-DA models developed verified that the RVA profiles contain relevant information related to starch pasting properties that allows sample classification. These results suggest that RVA coupled with PLS-DA holds necessary information for a successful classification of barley samples sourced from different localities and harvests.     

SC-KF Mobile Robot Localization: A Stochastic Cloning Kalman Filter for Processing Relative-State Measurements

This paper presents a new method to optimally combine motion measurements provided by proprioceptive sensors, with relative-state estimates inferred from feature-based matching. Two key challenges arise in such pose tracking problems: 1) the displacement estimates relate the state of the robot at two different time instants and 2) the same exteroceptive measurements are often used for computing consecutive displacement estimates, a process that renders the errors in these correlated. We present a novel stochastic cloning Kalman filtering (SC-KF) estimation algorithm that successfully addresses these challenges, while still allowing for efficient calculation of the filter gains and covariances. The proposed algorithm is not intended to compete with simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) approaches. Instead, it can be merged with any extended-Kalman- filter-based SLAM algorithm to increase its precision. In this respect, the SC-KF provides a robust framework for leveraging additional motion information extracted from dense point features that most SLAM algorithms do not treat as landmarks. Extensive experimental and simulation results are presented to verify the validity of the proposed method and to demonstrate that its performance is superior to that of alternative position-tracking approaches.     

Evaluation of the use of attenuated total reflectance mid infrared spectroscopy to determine fatty acids in intact seeds of barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy was evaluated to measure fatty acids (FA) and total lipids in intact seed barley (Hordeum vulgare) samples. Results from this study demonstrated the capability of ATR-MIR spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares (PLS) regression to measure FA non-destructively in intact barley seeds. The coefficients of determination in cross validation (R²) and the standard error of cross validation (SECV) were 0.76 and 0.004 g 100 g⁻¹ for stearic, 0.75 and 0.037 g 100 g⁻¹ for oleic, 0.45 and 0.02 g 100 g⁻¹ for palmitic acids, and 0.89 and 0.13 g 100 g⁻¹ for total lipids, respectively. The practical implications of this study showed that ATR-MIR spectroscopy confer valuable benefits for the grain industry and in particular in breeding programs as a non-destructive high throughput method.     

The influence of starch pasting properties and grain protein content on water uptake in barley

Steeping is the first operation of malting and its purpose is to increase the water content of the grain up to 43–46%; however, such a simple step encompasses several metabolic processes that affect germination and the final malt quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of initial grain protein (GP) content and starch pasting properties, measured using the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) on water uptake in different barley varieties. The partial least squares (PLS2) regression algorithm was used to compare the two data matrices, the independent block of variables X (RVA data and GP) and the dependent block Y (water uptake at different steeping times). The first two PLS2 loadings explained 65 and 23% of the total variation in water uptake in the barley samples. Water uptake at 1 and 2 h was poorly explained by the PLS2 models, while after 5 h the models explained more than 40% of the variability. The results from this study showed that, although a relationship between GP and water uptake exists, it is not universal for all the varieties, indicating that the relationship between GP and water uptake is varietal dependent. Copyright © 2014 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Relationships between Swelling Power, Water Solubility and Near-Infrared Spectra in Whole Grain Barley: A Feasibility Study

Starch is the major component of the barley (Hordeum vulgare L) grain (approx. 70 %), and changes in its biophysical properties have an effect on malting and other grain properties. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether swelling properties and water solubility can be determined in whole grain barley samples using NIR spectroscopy and to characterise specific NIR spectra vibration regions that can provide information about these properties. Both swelling and water solubility index were measured in whole grain barley samples by reference methods and using NIR spectroscopy. From the examination of the partial least squares (PLS) loadings, we were able to relate the swelling properties (SP) with wavelengths in the NIR region that can be associated with amylose and amylopectin, while PLS loadings for water solubility index (WSI) were associated with wavelengths in the NIR region related to starch. It was demonstrated that these two parameters can be measured by NIR spectroscopy with standard errors in cross validation of 0.07 g/g and 0.42 % and standard errors of prediction of 0.08 g/g and 0.66 % for SP and WSI, respectively. The use of NIR spectroscopy will allow for the rapid and non-destructive screening of barley germplasm for breeding purposes.     

A Pipeline Technique for Dynamic Data Transfer on a Multiprocessor Grid

This paper describes a pipeline technique which is used to redistribute data on a multiprocessor grid during runtime. The main purposes of the algorithm are to minimize the data transfer time, prevent congestion on the ports of the receiving processors, and minimize the number of idle processors. One of the key ideas for this algorithm is the creation of processor classes, firstly introduced by Desprez et al. [IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems 9(2):102 (1998).] Based on the idea of classes, we create the pipeline tasks used to organize the redistribution of data. Our experimental results show that this pipeline technique can significantly reduce the amount of time required to complete a dynamic data transfer task.     

Refining the Prediction of Potential Malt Fermentability by Including an Assessment of Limit Dextrinase Thermostability and Additional Measures of Malt Modification,Using Two Different Methods for Multivariate Model Development

Prediction of malt fermentability (apparent attenuation limit — AAL) by measurement of the diastatic power enzymes (DPE), α‐amylase, total limit dextrinase, total β‐amylase, β‐amylase thermostability, and the Kolbach index (KI or free amino nitrogen — FAN) is superior to the conventional use of diastatic power (DP) alone. The thermostability of β‐amylase is known to be an important factor in determining fermentability, thus the thermostability of the other relatively thermolabile enzyme, limit dextrinase, was investigated to determine if it was also useful in predicting fermentability. To facilitate this aim, methods were developed for a rapid and cost efficient assay of both β‐amylase and limit dextrinase thermostability. Internationally important Australian and international malting varieties were compared for their total limit dextrinase and β‐amylase activity and thermostability. Interestingly, the level of limit dextrinase thermostability was observed to be inversely correlated with total limit dextrinase activity. The prediction of malt fermentability was achieved by both forward step‐wise multi‐linear regression (MLR) and the partial least squares (PLS) multivariate model development methods. Both methods produced similar identifications of the parameters predicting wort fermentability at similar levels of predictive power. Both models were substantially better at predicting fermentability than the traditional use of DP on its own. The emphasis of this study was on the identification of predictive factors that can be consistently used in models to predict fermentability, because the model parameter estimates will subtly vary depending on mashing conditions, yeast strain/fermentation conditions and malt source. The application of these multivariate model development methods (PLS and MLR) enabled the identification of further potential fermentability predicting factors. The analyses divided the predictive parameters into those defined by DP enzymes and those associated with modification (KI, FAN, fine/coarse difference, wort β‐glucan and friability). Surprisingly, limit dextrinase thermostability was not a substantial predictor of fermentability, presumably due to its negative correlation with total limit dextrinase activity. The application of these insights in the malting and brewing industries is expected to result in substantial improvements in brewing consistency and enable more specific quality targets for barley breeder's progeny selection cut‐off limits to be more precisely defined.     

Evaluation of water injection effect on compressor and engine performance and operability

Gas turbine performance enhancement technologies such as inlet fogging, combustor water/steam injection and overspray are being employed by users in recent years without fully evaluating their effect on gas turbine performance and operability. The water injection techniques can significantly affect the engine operating point thus a careful analysis should precede the application of performance enhancement devices, especially when the devices are retrofitted to old engines or engines operating at extreme conditions. The present paper examines the most widespread techniques that implement water injection by using in-house models that can reproduce the effects of water injection on the gas turbine and compressor off-design operation. The results are analyzed with respect to both performance augmentation and engine operability in order to give further insight on gas turbine operation with water injection. The behaviour of the gas turbine is interpreted while the risks on engine integrity due to water injection are identified.     

Two efficient solutions for visual odometry using directional correspondence

This paper presents two new, efficient solutions to the two-view, relative pose problem from three image point correspondences and one common reference direction. This three-plus-one problem can be used either as a substitute for the classic five-point algorithm, using a vanishing point for the reference direction, or to make use of an inertial measurement unit commonly available on robots and mobile devices where the gravity vector becomes the reference direction. We provide a simple, closed-form solution and a solution based on algebraic geometry which offers numerical advantages. In addition, we introduce a new method for computing visual odometry with RANSAC and four point correspondences per hypothesis. In a set of real experiments, we demonstrate the power of our approach by comparing it to the five-point method in a hypothesize-and-test visual odometry setting.     

Scattering by an infinite circular dielectric cylinder coatingeccentrically an elliptic metallic one

The scattering of a plane electromagnetic wave by an infinite-circular dielectric cylinder, containing eccentrically an elliptic metallic one is considered. The electromagnetic field is expressed in terms of both circular and elliptical-cylindrical wave functions, connected with one another by well-known expansion formulas. Translational addition theorems for circular cylindrical wave functions are also used for the satisfaction of the boundary conditions in the dielectric cylinder. When the solution is specialized to small values of h=k₁c/2, with k₁ the wavenumber of the dielectric cylinder and c the interfocal distance of the elliptic conductor, semianalytical expressions of the form S(h)=S(0)[1+gh²+O(h ⁴)] are obtained for the scattered field and the various scattering cross sections of this configuration. Both polarizations are considered for normal incidence. Numerical results are given for various values of the parameters