As the number falls,alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number method: A review

This review examines the application, limitations, and potential alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number (FN) method used in the global wheat industry for detecting the risk of poor end-product quality mainly due to starch degradation by the enzyme α-amylase. By viscometry, the FN test indirectly detects the presence of α-amylase, the primary enzyme that digests starch. Elevated α-amylase results in low FN and damages wheat product quality resulting in cakes that fall, and sticky bread and noodles. Low FN can occur from preharvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity α-amylase (LMA). Moist or rainy conditions before harvest cause PHS on the mother plant. Continuously cool or fluctuating temperatures during the grain filling stage cause LMA. Due to the expression of additional hydrolytic enzymes, PHS has a stronger negative impact than LMA. Wheat grain with low FN/high α-amylase results in serious losses for farmers, traders, millers, and bakers worldwide. Although blending of low FN grain with sound wheat may be used as a means of moving affected grain through the marketplace, care must be taken to avoid grain lots from falling below contract-specified FN. A large amount of sound wheat can be ruined if mixed with a small amount of sprouted wheat. The FN method is widely employed to detect α-amylase after harvest. However, it has several limitations, including sampling variability, high cost, labor intensiveness, the destructive nature of the test, and an inability to differentiate between LMA and PHS. Faster, cheaper, and more accurate alternatives could improve breeding for resistance to PHS and LMA and could preserve the value of wheat grain by avoiding inadvertent mixing of high- and low-FN grain by enabling testing at more stages of the value stream including at harvest, delivery, transport, storage, and milling. Alternatives to the FN method explored here include the Rapid Visco Analyzer, enzyme assays, immunoassays, near-infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.     

Friction compensation controller for load varying machine tool feed drive

The load applied to a machine tool feed drive changes during the machining process as material is removed. This load change alters the Coulomb friction of the feed drive. Because Coulomb friction accounts for a large part of the total friction the friction compensation control accuracy of the feed drives is limited if this nonlinear change in the applied load is not considered. This paper presents a new friction compensation method that estimates the machine tool load in real time and considers its effect on friction characteristics. A friction observer based on a Kalman filter with load estimation is proposed for friction compensation control considering the applied load change. A specially designed feed drive testbed that enables the applied load to be modified easily was constructed for experimental verification. Control performance and friction estimation accuracy are demonstrated experimentally using the testbed.     

Automated network management and configuration using Probabilistic Trans-Algorithmic Search

Online configuration of large-scale systems such as networks requires parameter optimization within a limited amount of time, especially when configuration is needed as a response to recover from a failure in the system. To quickly configure such systems in an online manner, we propose a Probabilistic Trans-Algorithmic Search (PTAS) framework which leverages multiple optimization search algorithms in an iterative manner. PTAS applies a search algorithm to determine how to best distribute available experiment budget among multiple optimization search algorithms. It allocates an experiment budget to each available search algorithm and observes its performance on the system-at-hand. PTAS then probabilistically reallocates the experiment budget for the next round proportional to each algorithm’s performance relative to the rest of the algorithms. This “roulette wheel” approach probabilistically favors the more successful algorithm in the next round. Following each round, the PTAS framework “transfers” the best result(s) among the individual algorithms, making our framework a trans-algorithmic one. PTAS thus aims to systematize how to “search for the best search” and hybridize a set of search algorithms to attain a better search. We use three individual search algorithms, i.e., Recursive Random Search (RRS) (Ye and Kalyanaraman, 2004), Simulated Annealing (SA) (Laarhoven and Aarts, 1987), and Genetic Algorithm (GA) (Goldberg, 1989), and compare PTAS against the performance of RRS, GA, and SA. We show the performance of PTAS on well-known benchmark objective functions including scenarios where the objective function changes in the middle of the optimization process. To illustrate applicability of our framework to automated network management, we apply PTAS on the problem of optimizing link weights of an intra-domain routing protocol on three different topologies obtained from the Rocketfuel dataset. We also apply PTAS on the problem of optimizing aggregate throughput of a wireless ad hoc network by tuning datarates of traffic sources. Our experiments show that PTAS successfully picks the best performing algorithm, RRS or GA, and allocates the time wisely. Further, our results show that PTAS’ performance is not transient and steadily improves as more time is available for search.     

灵芝菌丝体多糖的分离纯化及其单糖组成分析与分子量测定

前期杂交优化后赤芝菌种经液体深层发酵后,提取灵芝菌丝体多糖,并过DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow柱分离纯化,利用高效体积排阻色谱(HPSEC)检测多糖级分的纯度,采用完全酸水解PMP柱前衍生化RP—HPLC测定多糖级分的单糖组成,多角度光散射仪联用装置(SEC—MALLS)测定其绝对重均分子量(Mw),并且根据分子旋转半径与分子摩尔数的关系曲线斜率初步推断其空间构象。结果显示:分离纯化得到3个多糖级分GLMP1、GLMP2和GLMP3,HPSEC检测其峰面积百分比分别为93.58%,97.64%,99.19%,单糖组成分析结果表明GLMP1、GLMP2和GLMP3均含有甘露糖、鼠李糖、半乳糖醛酸、葡萄糖、半乳糖、木糖、阿拉伯糖和岩藻糖,但单糖摩尔比各异。SEC—MALLS测试GLMP1、GLMP2和GLMP3的Mw分别为4.526×105,4.603×104,3.760×103 g/mol,3个多糖级分构象可能均为高度紧缩且具有分支结构的聚合物。     

Length–weight relationships of five catfish species (Siluriformes) from the Ganga River,India

Knowledge of the length–weight relationships (LWRs) of fish is an important tool to understand fish body form, growth pattern, stock management and their conservation. The present study focused on investigating the length–weight relationships for five catfish species, Pachypterus atherinoides (Bloch, 1794), belonging to family Horabagridae; Batasio batasio (Hamilton, 1822) family Bagridae; Bagarius yarrelli (Sykes, 1839), family Gogangra viridescens (Hamilton, 1822); and Sisor rhabdophorus (Hamilton, 1822) belonging to family Sisoridae. Specimens were collected from the middle stretch of the Ganga River in India from November 2016 to May 2018. A total of 174 specimens of five fish species were collected, and their total lengths were measured to the nearest centimetre and the body weight to the nearest gram. The value of the parameter slope (b) of LWRs of the five species ranged from 2.86 (B. yarrelli) to 3.16 (G. viridescens), with a mean value of 2.99. The results of the present study documented the new maximum total length (TL) for P. atherinoides and S. rhabdophorus. The present study also provides the first reference regarding LWRs for S. rhabdophorus.     

Volatile organic compound profiles of yoghurt produced from cow's milk with different somatic cell counts

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of somatic cell count (SCC) of raw cow's milk on the volatile organic compound (VOC) profiles of yoghurt. Test yoghurt samples were produced from three batches of cow's milk with low, medium and high SCC, respectively. The VOCs were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. A lower diacetyl and acetoin content and a higher content of 2‐heptanone, and butanoic and hexanoic acids were established in the yoghurt samples from batches with high SCC of above 1 000 000 cells/cm³. The increased SCC of cow's milk had a negative effect on the volatile organic compound profiles of yoghurt.     

水利项目评价指标赋权模型的建立及其应用

提出了用于水利项目方案评价的方法——基于相对最优方案的指标赋权模型,介绍了该方法的基本原理,建立了综合考虑保证出力、年发电量、单位千瓦投资等因素的基于相对最佳方案的指标赋权模型,并用实例加以说明,与模糊优选神经网络模型的评价结果相对比,研究表明该模型适合于水利项目方案的评价和优选。     

Occupational Factors and 5-Year Weight Change Among Men in a Danish National Cohort.

This study explored whether factors related to the work environment could predict changes in body mass index (BMI) and whether the effect of psychosocial factors was dependent on baseline BMI. The sample consisted of 1,980 male employees from the Danish National Work Environment Cohort Study. Changes in BMI between 1995 and 2000 were analyzed, by multiple regression, as a function of background variables and a series of occupational variables obtained in 1995. Age, baseline BMI, job insecurity, and psychological demands predicted changes in BMI. Job insecurity and high or low psychological demands increased the likelihood of weight gain among obese employees, whereas they increased the likelihood of weight loss among employees with a low BMI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)