Moisture content monitoring in industrial-scale composting systems using low-cost sensor-based machine learning techniques.

Moisture is a key aspect for proper composting, allowing greater efficiency and lower environmental impact. Low-cost real-time moisture determination methods are still a challenge in industrial composting processes. The aim of this study was to design a model of hardware and software that would allow self-adjustment of a low-cost capacitive moisture sensor. Samples of organic composts with distinct waste composition and from different composting stages were used. Machine learning techniques were applied for self-adjustment of the sensor. To validate the model, results obtained in a laboratory by the gravimetric method were used. The proposed model proved to be efficient and reliable in measuring moisture in compost, reaching a correlation coefficient of 0.9939 between the moisture content verified by gravimetric analysis and the prediction obtained by the Sensor Node.

Calorimetric approach to understand pH and salt influence on the adsorption mechanism of lysozyme to a traditional cation exchanger.

Built upon our interest in illustrating the complexity of protein adsorption onto chromatographic supports and to understand the rule of nonspecific interactions in the ion exchange adsorption process, a traditional model system (lysozyme - carboxymethyl cellulose) was used to determine the charge influence during biomolecule adsorption. Flow microcalorimetry (FMC) was exploit as a dynamic technique that provides adsorption and desorption heat signals for a specific system, permitting an improved understanding of the driving forces and mechanisms involved during the interaction. For this purpose, measurements were made at pH 8 at both absence and presence of salt (NaCl 50 mM) and compared with previous studies performed at pH 5. Distinct FMC profiles were observed regarding pH. For most of the experiments, two exothermic heat signals are observed at pH 8 while at pH 5 one endothermic and one exothermic peak are shown. This difference was justified with a less energy demanding for desolvation at pH 8. Lysozyme adsorption was shown to be a multi-step process involving desolvation, primary protein adsorption and secondary adsorption after reorientation with distinct contributions to the overall energy. At pH 8, the exothermic contribution to the adsorption process is lower compared to pH 5, which is justified by the lower charge density that lysozyme presents at pH 8 compared to pH 5.

Lysozyme adsorption onto a cation-exchanger: mechanism of interaction study based on the analysis of retention chromatographic data.

In this study, based on the analysis of retention chromatographic data, we examined the adsorption of lysozyme onto carboxymethyl cellulose. Lysozyme retention data was collected at pH 5 and pH 8. The sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration in the mobile phase ranged from 300mM to 500mM and the temperature for this study varied from 288K to 308K. The retention measurements generated from these experimental conditions were analyzed with the Van't Hoff method, the preferential interaction model and the stoichiometric displacement model. Endothermic heats-of-adsorption and increases in entropy were observed under certain experimental conditions. These data suggest the presence of entropic driving forces such as the release of water and/or possibly structural changes in lysozyme molecules adsorbed to the surface of carboxymethyl cellulose. The modest observed exergonic adsorption ΔG° and the preferential interaction analysis corroborate the presence of water-release for this study. Additional analysis with the stoichiometric displacement model method revealed negligible changes in the structure of lysozyme molecules in contact with the surface of carboxymethyl cellulose.

Enthalpy contributions to adsorption of highly charged lysozyme onto a cation-exchanger under linear and overloaded conditions.

An investigation of the adsorption mechanism of lysozyme onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was conducted using flow calorimetry and adsorption isotherm measurements. This study was undertaken to provide additional insight into the underlying mechanisms involved in protein adsorption that traditional approaches such isotherm measurements or van't Hoff analysis can't always provide, particularly when protein adsorption occurs under overloaded conditions. Lysozyme and CMC were selected for this study because the characteristics of the protein and the adsorbent are well known, hence, allowing the focus of this work to be on the driving forces influencing adsorption. Calorimetry results have showed that lysozyme adsorption onto CMC produced both exothermic and endothermic heats of adsorption. More specifically flow calorimetry data coupled with peak deconvolution methods illustrated a series of chronological events that included dilution, primary protein adsorption, rearrangement of surface proteins and a secondary adsorption of lysozyme molecules. The observations and conclusions derived from the experimental work presented in our figures and tables were developed within the mechanistic framework proposed by Lin et al., J. Chromatogr. A. 912 (2001) 281.

Estudo genético-quantitativo de características de crescimento na raça Tabapuã / A genetic-quantitative study of growth traits in Tabapuã cattle

Estimaram-se os componentes de variância e covariância e as herdabilidades para os efeitos direto e materno, as correlações entre os efeitos direto e materno e a fração de ambiente permanente na variação total, utilizando-se o aplicativo MTDFREML, para os pesos ao nascer (PN), à desmama ajustado para 205 dias (P205), aos 365 (P365) e 550 (P550) dias de idade na raça Tabapuã, para avaliar o efeito materno e a associação dos efeitos direto e materno sobre características de crescimento. Os dados, provenientes do programa de controle ponderal da raça, foram registrados na fazenda Agua Milagrosa, município de Tabapuã, São Paulo, no período de 1978 a 2002. As herdabilidades direta e materna foram: 0,32, 0,10; 0,20, 0,17; 0,21, 0,06 e 0,16; 0,03, para os pesos ao nascer, à desmama, aos 365 e 550 dias, respectivamente. As correlações entre os efeitos direto e materno para a mesma seqüência de pesos foram: -0,10; -0,20; -0,11 e -0,15. As frações do efeito de meio permanente na variância total foram: 1,41x10-6; 2,5x10-7; 2,4x10-7 e 4,0x10-6. Recomenda-se a inclusão do efeito materno nos esquemas de seleção de características de crescimento na raça Tabapuã.

The variance and covariance components, heritability for direct and maternal effects, correlations between direct and maternal effects and permanent environmental component of variance were estimated, using the REML methodology for birth weight (BW), weaning weight adjusted for 205 days (W205), weights at 365 (W365) and at 550 (W550) days of age in Tabapuã animals. Maternal effect and the association between direct and maternal effects on growth traits were estimated. Animal records from 1978 to 2002 are from Fazenda Agua Milagrosa, located at São Paulo State. The direct and maternal heritability were, respectively, 0.32, 0.10; 0.20, 0.17; 0.21, 0.06 and 0.16; 0.03, for birth weight, weaning weight, weights at 365 and at 550 days of age. The correlations between direct and maternal effects for the same sequence of weights were -0.10; -0.20; -0.11 and -0.15. The fractions of permanent environmental of the phenotypic variance were 1.41x10-6; 2.5x10-7; 2,4x10-7 and 4.0x10-6. The inclusion of maternal effect is recommended for growth traits evaluation of Tabapuã animals for selection purpose.