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Kosovo, like the global trend, is experiencing a rising demand for eggs, emphasizing the necessity for stringent regulatory oversight to maintain freshness and meet increasing consumer and industrials' needs. The research aimed to evaluate the compliance of eggs in the local market with specified quality criteria outlined in the local Administrative Directive and EC Regulation. Several quality parameters were scrutinized, including egg weight, length, width, specific gravity, air cell, Haugh units (HU), yolk and egg white weights, yolk color intensity, shell weight, and shell thickness. Key parameters varied significantly among Fresh Eggs and farms F1 to F5. Most groups displayed significantly lower egg weights, yolk, and egg white weights compared to Fresh Eggs (p < 0.01). Among different groups, Fresh Eggs have the highest Haugh unit and the lowest specific gravity, indicating superior egg quality. Among groups, F4 has the lowest Haugh unit (p < 0.00001), and F3/F4 exhibited the largest air cell size (p < 0.0001), while F5/Fresh Eggs were the smallest, with no significant differences between themselves (p > 0.05). Fresh eggs outshined in all groups in relation to size and yolk color (p < 0.0001). The study found positive correlations (p < 0.01) between egg weight and internal parameters, including yolk and white weights. Eggshell weight also correlated positively with yolk and white weights (p < 0.05). Conversely, Haugh unit and air cell exhibited negative correlations (p < 0.01), indicating their influence on egg dimensions. Classification based on regulation revealed distinct categories for consumption and industrial use. These findings contribute valuable insights to Kosovo's egg market, impacting standards and promoting fair competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kosovo, like the global trend, is experiencing a rising demand for eggs, emphasizing the necessity for stringent regulatory oversight to maintain freshness and meet increasing consumer and industrials’ needs. The research aimed to evaluate the compliance of eggs in the local market with specified quality criteria outlined in the local Administrative Directive and EC Regulation. Several quality parameters were scrutinized, including egg weight, length, width, specific gravity, air cell, Haugh units (HU), yolk and egg white weights, yolk color intensity, shell weight, and shell thickness. Key parameters varied significantly among Fresh Eggs and farms F1 to F5. Most groups displayed significantly lower egg weights, yolk, and egg white weights compared to Fresh Eggs (p 0.05). Fresh eggs outshined in all groups in relation to size and yolk color (p

This study examined the effects of a six-week preparatory training program on physical performance and physiological adaptations in junior soccer players. Additionally, we investigated whether a relationship existed between external and internal loads. Youth soccer players (aged 16 years old) from a youth football academy participated in six weeks of pre-conditioning training. Wireless Polar Team Pro and Polar heart rate sensors (H10) were used to monitor physical performance indicators (sprint and acceleration scores, covered distance, maximum and average speed and duration), physiological responses (maximum and average heart rate [HR] and R-R interval, time in HR zones 4+5, and heart rate variability [HRV]), and training load score. Additionally, muscle status and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scores were measured using digital questionnaires. Significant increases were observed in the majority of physical performance indicators [i.e., sprints (p = 0.015, ES = 1.02), acceleration (p = 0.014, ES = 1), total distance (p = 0.02, ES = 0.87), as well as maximum speed (p = 0.02, ES = 0.87)]. A trend towards improvement was observed in the remaining performance indicators (i.e., distance/min and avg speed; ES = 0.6), training load (ES = 0.2), muscle status (ES = 0.3)), and all physiological responses parameters (ES = 0.1 to 0.6). Significant correlations were found between the majority of external load parameters (i.e., performance indicators) and objective (i.e., physiological responses) and subjective (i.e., RPE, muscle status) internal load parameters (p < 0.001). The highest number of moderate-large correlations were registered between performance indicators and time in HR zone 4+5 (0.58 < r < 0.82), training load (0.53 < r < 0.83), average HR (0.50 < r < 0.87), maximal HR (0.51 < r < 0.54) and average R-R interval (0.58 < r < 0.76). HR zone 4+5, average and maximal HR, average R-R interval, and training load score may help control training parameters and reduce the risk of under- or over-training in youth soccer players. However, these conclusions should be confirmed and replicated in future studies with more diverse subject populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thisstudy examined the effects of a six-week preparatory training program on physical performance and physiological adaptations in junior soccer players. Additionally, we investigated whether a relationship existed between external and internal loads. Youth soccer players (aged 16 years old) from a youth football academy participated in six weeks of pre-conditioning training. Wireless Polar Team Pro and Polar heart rate sensors (H10) were used to monitor physical performance indicators (sprint and acceleration scores, covered distance, maximum and average speed and duration), physiological responses (maximum and average heart rate [HR] and R-R interval, time in HR zones 4+5, and heart rate variability [HRV]), and training load score. Additionally, muscle status and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scores were measured using digital questionnaires. Significant increases were observed in the majority of physical performance indicators [i.e., sprints (p = 0.015, ES = 1.02), acceleration (p = 0.014, ES = 1), total distance (p = 0.02, ES = 0.87), as well as maximum speed (p = 0.02, ES = 0.87)]. A trend towards improvement was observed in the remaining performance indicators (i.e., distance/min and avg speed; ES = 0.6), training load (ES = 0.2), muscle status (ES = 0.3)), and all physiological responses parameters (ES = 0.1 to 0.6). Significant correlations were found between the majority of external load parameters (i.e., performance indicators) and objective (i.e., physiological responses) and subjective (i.e., RPE, muscle status) internal load parameters (p

Absorption cooling technologies converting excess heat and renewable heat resources to cooling energy have shown progress in recent years. In this study, two 400 kW LiBr solution absorption chiller types with series and parallel connected are analyzed over a range of parameter values to better understand their applicability for different uses. Thermodynamic models for the components were constructed and validated. The performance of the chillers related to heat transfer, energy, exergy, and economy performance was comprehensively analyzed. The operating performance was investigated by considering the external variables, including inlet cooling water, chilled water, and inlet steam temperatures and the solution allocation ratio. The results indicate that the parallel connected chiller reaches higher energy and exergy performance than the series-connected chiller, but the heat transfer and economic performance was lower. The coefficient of performance and the exergy efficiency of the parallel chiller were for the reference system 1.30 and 24.42%, respectively. Except for the exergy efficiency, the inlet steam and inlet chilled water temperature had positive impact on the heat transfer, energy, and economic performance, while the inlet cooling water temperature trends the opposite. The sensitivity analysis on solution allocation ratio showed that a higher ratio decreases the heat transfer and economic performance, but considering the energy and exergy performance, a suitable allocation ratio would be 0.54. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to predict the motion of vehicles is essential for autonomous vehicles. Aiming at the problem that existing models cannot make full use of the external parameters including the outline of vehicles and the lane, we proposed a model to use the external parameters thoroughly when predicting the trajectory in the straight-line and non-free flow state. Meanwhile, dynamic sensitive area is proposed to filter out inconsequential surrounding vehicles. The historical trajectory of the vehicles and their external parameters are used as inputs. A shared Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) cell is proposed to encode the explicit states obtained by mapping historical trajectory and external parameters. The hidden states of vehicles obtained from the last step are used to extract latent driving intent. Then, a convolution layer is designed to fuse hidden states to feed into the next prediction circle and a decoder is used to decode the hidden states of the vehicles to predict trajectory. The experiment result shows that the dynamic sensitive area can shorten the training time to 75.86% of the state-of-the-art work. Compared with other models, the accuracy of our model is improved by 23.7%. Meanwhile, the model's ability of anti-interference of external parameters is also improved.

Abstract Plasma polymers are micro-, or more commonly, nano-sized coatings that can be deposited on a variety of substrates through different approaches. The versatility of these polymers is incremented by the possibility to use other precursors than conventional polymerization reactions and by potential changes in the polymerization mechanisms according to the intrinsic physical and chemical properties of the plasma. That flexibility offers a fruitful ground to a great range of scientific and engineering fields, but it also brings many challenges for universalization of empirical observations. In this review, the use of different precursors, substrates and changes in plasma external parameters were evaluated as common, but not necessarily ideal nor exhaustive, variables for the analysis of mechanical properties of plasma polymer films. The commonly reported trends are complemented with the exceptions, and a variety of hypothesis drawn by the empirical observations are shown. The techniques and methods used for determining the mechanical properties of plasma polymers, the effect of post-treatments on them and some applications are evaluated. Finally, a general conclusion highlighting the challenges of the field is provided. Article highlights 1. The mechanical properties of plasma polymers are evaluated as a function of selected parameters. 2. The techniques of characterization of mechanical properties of plasma polymers are summarized. 3. A discussion of future and current demands for the analysis of mechanical properties of plasma polymers is done.

In this study, a morphometric investigation was carried out on the Akbash Turkish shepherd dog breed using 30 exterior parameters. The study consisted of 96 dogs (54 males and 42 females) ranging in age from 2 to 9 years. All dogs were bred in the West Anatolia region of Turkey, around the city of Eskisehir. The following exterior parameters were measured and their means were obtained: height at withers (65.22±3.99 cm), height at mid-back (62.24±4.24 cm), height at rump (64.97±4.16 cm), height at base of tail (58.2±5.01 cm), height to elbow (36.07±4.06 cm), height to knee (35.83±4.96 cm), height to hock (17.08±3.21 cm), height to tip of sternum (45.12±4.30 cm), body length (70.58±5.58 cm), chest depth (29.58±3.23 cm), chest width (21.02±3.18 cm), breast width (16.86±3.41 cm), chest circumference (77.86±7.05 cm), pastern circumference (13.27±1.67 cm), rump length (19.21±3.27 cm), pelvic width (8.65±2.18 cm), rump protuberance width (7.58±3.02 cm), head length (27.20±2.85 cm), skull length (16.58±1.92 cm), muzzle length (10.30±2.35 cm), skull width (14.06±1.96 cm), muzzle width (7.60±1.26 cm). According to the obtained morphological characteristics the dog has a rectangular body format, and the rump is somewhat higher than the height at the withers. According to its craniological characteristics it belongs to the group of mesaticephalic dogs. The width of the skull is smaller than its length. Angles of the hind legs are more open than angles of the front legs.

Absorption cooling technologies converting excess heat and renewable heat resources to cooling energy have shown progress in recent years. In this study, two 400 kW LiBr solution absorption chiller types with series and parallel connected are analyzed over a range of parameter values to better understand their applicability for different uses. Thermodynamic models for the components were constructed and validated. The performance of the chillers related to heat transfer, energy, exergy, and economy performance was comprehensively analyzed. The operating performance was investigated by considering the external variables, including inlet cooling water, chilled water, and inlet steam temperatures and the solution allocation ratio. The results indicate that the parallel connected chiller reaches higher energy and exergy performance than the series-connected chiller, but the heat transfer and economic performance was lower. The coefficient of performance and the exergy efficiency of the parallel chiller were for the reference system 1.30 and 24.42%, respectively. Except for the exergy efficiency, the inlet steam and inlet chilled water temperature had positive impact on the heat transfer, energy, and economic performance, while the inlet cooling water temperature trends the opposite. The sensitivity analysis on solution allocation ratio showed that a higher ratio decreases the heat transfer and economic performance, but considering the energy and exergy performance, a suitable allocation ratio would be 0.54.

In order to disentangle the physical effects at the origin of transition metal K‐edge X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) in coordination polymers and quantify small structural distortions from the intensity of these signals, a systematic investigation of Prussian blue analogs as model compounds is being conducted. Here the effects of the temperature and of the external magnetic field are tackled; none of these external parameters modify the shape of the XMCD signal but they both critically modify its intensity. The optimized experimental conditions, as well as a reliable and robust normalization procedure, could thus be determined for the study of the intrinsic parameters. Through an extended discussion on measurements on other XMCD‐dedicated beamlines and for other coordination compounds, we finally provide new transition metal K‐edge XMCD users with useful information to initiate and successfully carry out their projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More realistic simulation of hazards caused by Tropical Cyclones (TCs) requires knowledge of the mechanisms that formulate tropical cyclone. Here, sensitivity of an idealized framework has been tested to investigate role of two external parameters in vertical entropy flux. The first parameter controls the ratio of width of eyewall and downdraft regions to radius of maximum wind and the second parameter controls radial decay of wind velocity between two regions. This numerical model used conservation principles, assumed axi-symmetry and steadiness to model TC vortex, and let ventilation be occurred via the path-ways of downdrafts outside eyewall and eddy fluxes directly into eyewall. To test this framework, Tropical Cyclone Haiyan (TCH, formed over the Western part of Pacific Ocean on 3 November 2013) has been selected. Two kinds of datasets including Joint Typhoon Warning Centers (JTWC) Best Track data of Japan Meteorology Agency and Global Forecast System Analysis (GFS-ANL) data have been used. The model has been run for 60 different configurations, based on change of the two external parameters and size of two random do-mains. The sensitivity of the modeled convective entropy flux to the applied changes has been examined via two different aspects of investigation. In the first aspect, terms of the reference equation of convective entropy flux have been considered and their responses to the changes have been studies. While in the second aspect, values of the convective entropy flux at TCH peak activity time (PAT), before and after that have been inspected. Results, obtained from the first aspect, obviously indicate that the increase of the first external parameter increases the all terms of the referred equation, while increase of the second external parameter influenced the terms differently. Also enlarging the domains’ size does not impress the results similarly. Outcomes of the second aspect reveal that the implemented changes non-uniformly impact the values of the modeled convective entropy flux in the three considered times.

Egg production, quality parameters and sensory attributes were assessed using two hundred and eight (208) uniform female Japanese quails aged six weeks fed low-protein diet supplemented with lysine. The birds were raised on a conventional diet before being allocated into 4 dietary groups of 4 replicates of 13 birds each in a completely randomized design in a six week feeding trial. Diet T1 had a crude protein (CP) content of 21% and lysine inclusion of 0.10% while diets T2, T3 and T4 contained 19%, 17% and 15% CP with lysine inclusion of 0.15%, 0.20% and 0.25% respectively. Birds fed T2 had significantly higher (p

This study aimed to understand the involvement of agro-climatic conditions, external quality and defence system of Hass avocado fruits on blackspot disorder development after prolonged cold storage. The results prompt us to conclude that the weight of the fruits at harvest and weight loss during the storage period is involved in blackspot disorder development. Large incidence of lenticelosis in fruits and lower activity of SOD, CAT, POD, PAL, phenolics and epicatechin levels may contribute to blackspot spot development during cold storage. Non-supervised techniques pointed for epicatechin and derivatives, temperature, relative humidity and enzymes as important specific variables that affect blackspot disorder while predictive models showed positive correlation with minimum temperature (below 5°C) and maximum temperature and relative humidity displayed negative association with blackspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Computer Measurement & Control is the property of Magazine Agency of Computer Measurement & Control and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In response to the climate emergency, new uses are plugged to low voltage (LV) electrical networks. The development of self-consumption complicates the LV grid operation, and force distribution system operators (DSOs) to better model and characterize their networks. DSOs mainly use a three-conductor model (3 CM) to compute power flows, and consider error margins of 2% for voltage profiles to reflect their model inaccuracy. The characteristics of the future LV grids call into question these margins, and the models used. In this paper, a four-conductor model (4 CM), and an additional model named 4 CMext, that considers external parameters (i.e., cable temperature, ground electrical resistivity, and value/number of the earthing resistances) are proposed. The best model for cable characterization and voltage profile calculation is chosen; the 4 CMext is more adapted for the characterization, and corresponds with the finite element model, with an error margin of 4%, experimental measurements of 15%, and French cable manufacturer data of 0.5%. For the voltage profile, the 4 CMext provides a more detailed view of the critical cases that could lead to a violation of the limits of the EN 50160 standard than 3 CM and 4 CM. Violations of high or low voltages are underestimated by two to six times by the 3 CM and 4 CM. Not considering external parameters can lead to a voltage profile error of above 3%. In this paper, we recommend that DSOs use the 4 CMext to represent LV networks, which would allow LV networks to be used closer to their physical limits, and avoid or postpone network reinforcements.

A Streptomyces strain isolated from the soil sediments of tropical freshwater wetlands in Malaysia demonstrated promising attributes to be developed into a versatile microbial nanofactory for the sustainable synthesis of ferric oxide nanoparticles (IONP). Process parameters such as temperature, ferric salt precursor concentration, cell free extract (CFE) concentration and biomass harvesting times are serious players in the extracellular generation of metallic nanoparticles. A statistical approach using One-Variable-At-A-Time (OVAT) Analysis followed by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed towards the optimization of the microbial bioprocess and modulation of nanoparticle size dimensions. OVAT revealed that IONP production increased with increasing temperature, precursor concentration, harvesting time and CFE concentration with highest yield at 65 °C, 2 mM precursor concentration, 68 h harvesting time and 100% CFE concentration. A detailed statistical analysis using RSM (RSM) showed significantly strong negative interactive effects between temperature and CFE concentration (p = 0.0037), temperature and precursor concentration (p = 0.0093) and mild interactive effects between CFE and precursor concentration (p = 0.0301). Taking into account the interactive influence of these variables, numerical analysis using RSM proposed that for optimal generation of microbial mediated IONP, a CFE concentration of 55.58%, temperature of 55.75 °C and precursor concentration of 2.46 mM FeCl 3.6H 2 O would be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-documented in the visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (VNIRS) studies that soil moisture content (SMC) negatively affects the prediction accuracy of soil attributes. This work was undertaken to remove the negative effect of SMC on the on-line prediction of soil organic carbon (SOC). A mobile VNIR spectrophotometer with a spectral range of 305–1700 nm and spectral resolution of 1 nm (CompactSpec, Tec5 Technology, Germany) was used for the spectral measurements at four farms in Flanders, Belgium. A total of 381 fresh soil samples were collected and divided into a calibration set (264) and a validation set (117). The validation samples were processed (air-dried and grind) and scanned with the same spectrophotometer in the laboratory. Three SMC correction methods, namely, external parameter orthogonalization (EPO), piecewise direct standardization (PDS), and orthogonal signal correction (OSC) were used to correct the on-line fresh spectra based-on its corresponding laboratory spectra. Then, the Cubist machine learning method was used to develop calibration models of SOC using the on-line spectra (after correction) of the calibration set. Results indicated that the EPO-Cubist outperformed the PDS-Cubist and the OSC-Cubist, with considerable improvements in the prediction results of SOC (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.76, ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) = 2.08, and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) = 0.12%), compared with the corresponding uncorrected on-line spectra (R2 = 0.55, RPD = 1.24, and RMSEP = 0.20%). It can be concluded that SOC can be accurately predicted on-line using the Cubist machine learning method, after removing the negative effect of SMC with the EPO method.

Reflectance spectroscopy is an alternative to describe soil properties, with potential to reduce costs and environmental impacts of conventional practices related to this activity. Acquisition of soil spectra on-the-go has several advantages over 'in-situ' static approaches, like deriving information with high spatial density. However, issues concerning on-the-go spectral measurements exist, mainly due to sensor movement and heterogeneous soil condition in the field. Procedures to mitigate these drawbacks, like external parameter orthogonalization (EPO) and direct standardization (DS), have mainly been applied so far to static spectral readings. In this study, EPO, DS and orthogonal signal correction (OSC) are tested in the context of on-the-go spectra acquisition for prediction of soil properties related to liming (i.e., pH in CaCl 2 , pH in SMP buffer, concentration of organic matter, calcium and magnesium, potential acidity, sum of basis, cation exchange capacity and its saturation by basis, lime requirement and moisture content). A detailed dataset (300 soil samples coupled with laboratory and field spectral measurements) was acquired in two sites in Brazil with contrasting soil attributes (site 1 with ‘clayey texture’ – Ferralsol; site 2 with ‘sandy texture’ – Alisol), and variability of soil properties was increased in these sites through application of different limestone rates in experimental plots. Spectral correction procedures slightly improved the accuracy of lime requirement predictions, with reduction of root mean squared error (RMSE) from 1.43 to 1.17 t ha −1 , for study site 1 after applying OSC, and from 0.59 to 0.44 t ha −1 , for study site 2 after DS was implemented. However, models based on laboratory data still performed considerably better with RMSE of 0.99 and 0.43 t ha −1 for site 1 and 2, respectively. ‘Global’ (i.e., one general correction model for a given field) or ‘specific’ models (i.e., several correction models, derived according to clusters obtained through fuzzy k-means applied to OSC components) performed considerably worse in comparison with other studies. Probably occurrence of external factors affecting the spectral information was not constant in the mapped fields. Also, different external factors may have affected the spectra at the same time and efficiency of the correction procedures decreased. Considering the high sensitivity of predictions based on field data to the approach used to interpolate the spectra and the poor performance of the correction methods applied in this context, more investigation is needed to improve predictions based on spectral data acquired on-the-go. Homogeneous spatial distribution of factors not related to the properties of interest, or at least in a degree allowing correction by the methods tested here, may not happen when current measurement systems are used. Despite that, spatial patterns described by wet-chemical analysis could be represented, at certain extent, through predicted values of lime requirement (LR), derived from field spectra. For instance, predictions after spectral correction resulted in autocorrelation patterns and map of LR comparable with those observed using conventional methods, for the site 1. These results, coupled with a semiquantitative potential of predictions based on field data after spectral correction, indicate that on-the-go measurements have potential for soil properties characterization, although full quantitative potential will require further advances in sensing solutions and chemometric methods applied in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is a contribution to reduce water deficiency in my country by using the solar distillation means. We propose a model of solar still planted under climatic conditions of the area of Constantine located at Eastern of Algeria. A theoretical approach is used to simulate the behavior of some internal and external parameters related to the solar-still with time, and their effects on the system performance during a sunny period. These parameters include the temperature difference between the evaporation surface and that of the condensation, internal heat transfer, water depth, wind velocity, solar radiation, ambient temperature, and external heat transfer. The obtained results show that the productivity is strongly related the solar radiation in the best direction of the still and a large temperature difference between the glass and the water surface improves the daily production. Moreover, shallow water of 0.02 m in basin of still gives higher production. Daily yield of still increases as wind speed increases up to critical value at 10 m/s where production reaches its maximum. The still productivity has increased by 57, 71% when the wind velocity increases from 2 to 10 m/s. The internal and the external heat transfers affect directly the performance of the still in relation with solar radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying soil texture is critical to investigate soil processes and functions influencing agronomic decisions and environmental stewardship. Despite the multiple benefits together with accurate estimation potential of visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) over the traditional method of texture analysis, the prediction accuracy of the Vis-NIRS decreases due to the negative effect of soil moisture content (MC) on soil spectra. This study evaluated the performance of piecewise direct standardization (PDS) and direct standardization (DS) for eliminating the soil MC influence from fresh (non-processed wet) soil spectra to improve the accuracy of soil texture classification using a short-ranged (305–1700 nm) Vis-NIRS (Tec5 Technology, Germany). A set of 96 composite soil samples was collected from 18 fields, and the second set of 294 non-composite samples was collected from 10 of these 18 fields. All soil samples were scanned using a Vis-NIRS sensor after drying, grinding, and sieving, while the non-composite samples were additionally scanned in wet conditions. After analysing the composite samples for percent sand, silt, and clay, partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were calibrated (72 samples in calibration set) and validated (23 samples in validation set). Then, the PLSR model was used to predict the textural fractions for the wet, air-dried, DS and PDS transferred spectra of non-composite soil samples followed by their texture classification. Validation results indicated that the Vis-NIRS sensor predicted sand, silt, and clay fractions with excellent accuracies [coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.88–0.93; residual prediction deviation (RPD) = 2.91–3.74; ratio of the performance to interquartile range (RPIQ) = 2.12–5.02; root means square error (RMSE) = 3.62–8.06 %). Spectra transferred by the PDS and DS improved the texture classification accuracy up to 70 % and 90 %, respectively, while the wet soil spectra misclassified most fields (accuracy = 20 %). Unlike PDS, the DS predicted particles' distribution seemed approximately similar to laboratory observations. Therefore, it was concluded that transferring the wet Vis-NIRS spectra by the DS algorithm can provide a rapid and accurate prediction of particle fractions and classification of soil texture classes with minimized effort, time, and cost. • Direct standardization (DS) eliminated moisture influences from soil spectra. • Visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy predicted sand, silt, clay accurately. • Non-transferred (wet) soil spectra failed to classify textures correctly. • Transfer based learning improved the classification accuracy up to 70–90 %. • DS predicted soil textural particles resembled the observed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Liquid Crystal & Displays is the property of Chinese Journal of Liquid Crystal & Displays and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A novel double-parameters sensor based on composite interference structure has been designed and implemented in this letter. It can be regarded as a cascade of the traditional single mode-multimode-single mode structure and multimode-single mode-multimode structure. The output signal is a series of interference superposition; external parameters can be measured by monitoring the spectral characteristics of interference dips. The interesting properties of the sensor include good operation linearity. In addition, simultaneous measurement of temperature and refractive index have been achieved. The sensitivities of temperature and refractive index can reach up to 0.1385 nm/°C and 100.97 nm/RIU, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Disjoint top-view networked cameras are among the most commonly utilized networks in many applications. One of the open questions for these cameras' study is the computation of extrinsic parameters (positions and orientations), named extrinsic calibration or localization of cameras. Current approaches either rely on strict assumptions of the object motion for accurate results or fail to provide results of high accuracy without the requirement of the object motion. To address these shortcomings, we present a location-constrained maximum a posteriori (LMAP) approach by applying known locations in the surveillance area, some of which would be passed by the object opportunistically. The LMAP approach formulates the problem as a joint inference of the extrinsic parameters and object trajectory based on the cameras' observations and the known locations. In addition, a new task-oriented evaluation metric, named MABR (the Maximum value of All image points' Back-projected localization errors' L2 norms Relative to the area of field of view), is presented to assess the quality of the calibration results in an indoor object tracking context. Finally, results herein demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method over the state-of-the-art algorithm based on the presented MABR and classical evaluation metric in simulations and real experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The benzyl radical was studied by optical emission spectroscopy in gas phase. This radical was produced in a radio-frequency (RF, 13.56MHz) discharge, using benzyl alcohol (ØCH2OH) as a precursor. The fluorescence from the first excited electronic state 12A2 to ground state 12B2 (450nm) was studied as a function of several external parameters (pressure, RF power, electrodes and mixtures of the inert gases Ar, Ne, He, N2, with the precursor). We also used a DC discharge to produce this radical but, in this case, the decomposition was fast. We observed changes in the electronic transitions of this radical, and found the best conditions to study it by optogalvanic spectroscopy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In response to the climate emergency, new uses are plugged to low voltage (LV) electrical networks. The development of self-consumption complicates the LV grid operation, and force distribution system operators (DSOs) to better model and characterize their networks. DSOs mainly use a three-conductor model (3 CM) to compute power flows, and consider error margins of 2% for voltage profiles to reflect their model inaccuracy. The characteristics of the future LV grids call into question these margins, and the models used. In this paper, a four-conductor model (4 CM), and an additional model named 4 CMext, that considers external parameters (i.e., cable temperature, ground electrical resistivity, and value/number of the earthing resistances) are proposed. The best model for cable characterization and voltage profile calculation is chosen; the 4 CMext is more adapted for the characterization, and corresponds with the finite element model, with an error margin of 4%, experimental measurements of 15%, and French cable manufacturer data of 0.5%. For the voltage profile, the 4 CMext provides a more detailed view of the critical cases that could lead to a violation of the limits of the EN 50160 standard than 3 CM and 4 CM. Violations of high or low voltages are underestimated by two to six times by the 3 CM and 4 CM. Not considering external parameters can lead to a voltage profile error of above 3%. In this paper, we recommend that DSOs use the 4 CMext to represent LV networks, which would allow LV networks to be used closer to their physical limits, and avoid or postpone network reinforcements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impacts of vehicular, operational, topological, and external parameters on the energy consumption (EC) of battery-electric buses (BEBs) in transit operation. Furthermore, the study develops a data-driven prediction model for BEB energy consumption in transit operation that considers these four parameters. A Simulink energy model is developed to estimate the EC rates and validated using the Altoona's test real-world data. A full-factorial experiment is used to generate 907,199 scenarios for BEB operation informed by 120 real-world drive cycles. A multivariate multiple regression model was developed to predict BEB's EC. The regression model explained more than 96% of the variation in the EC of the BEBs. The results show the significant impacts of road grade, the initial state of charge, road condition, passenger loading, driver aggressiveness, average speed, HVAC, and stop density on BEB's energy consumption, each with a different magnitude. The study concluded that the optimal transit profile for BEB operation is associated with rolling grade and relatively lower stop density (one to two stops/km). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Extrinsic calibration of multiple cameras with Gray code from a single projector. • No overlap in the field of view of the cameras needed. • Gray code provides robust features in a high density. • Real-world experiments show rotation errors of 0.36 or less. • Accuracy comparable to state-of-the art but with a simple and practical procedure. Multi-camera setups require the transformations between the involved cameras to be known. The intrinsic camera calibration can be done relatively easily in advance in lab conditions before positioning the cameras. The extrinsic calibration on the other hand can only be obtained when the cameras are mounted in their final position. This is usually done using checkerboards or similar markers, which require some degree of overlap of the field of view. In this work, we propose a method where Gray code is projected on a plane (floor or wall) using a standard projector. The extrinsic calibration is found using a bundle adjustment method that optimizes the pose of the plane and the cameras with respect to the projector. No overlap is required in the field of view of the cameras; it is enough that in each camera part of the Gray code pattern is visible. A sensitivity analysis is performed on simulated images. The method has a low sensitivity to sensor noise and to errors in the intrinsic calibration of the projector. Using real-world experiments, we show that the method is accurate for both overlapping and non-overlapping cameras, with median rotation errors of 0.36° and below. The accuracy of the proposed method is comparable to the state of the art, but this method provides a more practical procedure: no checkerboards must be held in place and only one projector pose is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]