Effects of polyline simplification of dynamic GPS data under forest canopy on area and perimeter estimations

The objectives of this study were to determine Global Positioning System (GPS) positional errors while moving under the forest canopy and to clarify the effects of polyline simplification on area and perimeter estimations. We used the Pathfinder Pro XR and GPSMAP 76S, which are categorized as “high-end mapping” and “general navigation” GPS receivers, respectively. The field tests were conducted in both natural and plantation forests. The results showed that the Pathfinder Pro XR, which has better multipath rejection technology, worked well, especially in the plantation forest under unfavorable conditions of higher stand density. We used analysis of variance to clarify the effects of the receiver type, positioning mode, stand type, and polyline simplification method on area and perimeter estimations. The receiver type and positioning mode were found to be significant factors that affected area estimation. The Pathfinder Pro XR estimated the area more accurately than the GPSMAP 76S, and differential GPS estimated the area more accurately than autonomous GPS. With respect to the perimeter, the receiver type, positioning mode, and polyline simplification method were found to be significant factors. The results showed that perimeter estimation was improved by using the velocity filter, and further improved by using the velocity filter and Douglas-Peucker algorithm, especially when the Pathfinder Pro XR was used. The GPSMAP 76S estimated the perimeter accurately without any filtering because its default speed filter worked well, even though the GPSMAP 76S is a general navigation GPS receiver.     

Effect of Zinc and Dolomite Treatments on the Chemical Composition of Acid Sandy Soil and Bean Crop

The impact of the application of 4,500 kg ha^?1 dolomite with or without 40 kg ha^?1 ZnSO₄ 7H₂O on the elemental composition of bean and soil as well as on agronomic properties of the crop were examined in a pot experiment. The application of dolomite increased soil ammonium lactate–extractable magnesium content threefold and that of calcium by 80%. Application of zinc increased ammonium lactate–extractable zinc content by 100%. The increase of 0.8 pH unit from 5.4 (Ø-Ø) to pH 6.2 (Ø-dolomite) was accompanied by a significantly lower zinc, manganese, and potassium content of the plant material. Magnesium and potassium antagonistic effects manifest in plant composition and soil–plant relationships but not in soil. Magnesium and phosphorus show contradictory relationships: negative in soil and plant but positive in soil–plant relationship. The dry mass of bean shows the order of ZnSO₄-dolomite > ZnSO₄-Ø > Ø-dolomite > Ø-Ø.     

缺失原始数据的单因素方差分析方法研究

对缺失原始数据的数据资料进行了方差分析。从方差分析的基本原理入手,对基本统计数据进行反向推理,得到处理间和误差项的各项离差平方和、自由度以及均方,从而可以实现缺失原始数据下的方差分析,并编写了SAS程序予以实现整个计算和方差分析过程。     

Rice cultivation and its environmental conditions in the Mediterranean countries II. Soils,their fertility and mineralogy

In Italy paddy aolls have a broad varfability with respect to region and age of the parent material. The regional characteristics, however, predominate over the age relations, i.e., the Po delta soils have higher potentialities than the youngest of those in the middle reaches of the Po. Among soils of the middle reaches the older the parent material, the more depleted the bases. Some of the better drained terrace soils have the morphology of “aquorizem.”

Spanish paddy soils along the Mediterranean coast are all alike, having an alkaline reaction due to the presence of free lime, and SiCL to SiC textures. Morphologically there are two types of paddy soils, one having gleyed subsoils due to groundwater influence, and the other having brown subsoils below strongly gleyed aurface soils under aubmergence.

Portugese paddy soils are generally similar to Spanish soils both in mode of occurrence and In nature, except for neutral to slightly acidic reaction and absence of free lime in the former.

The general soil potentiality aa judged from chemical and mineralogical atudies is in the order of Spanish>Portugese>Italian paddy aoils.     

Sorghum extrusion process combined with biofortified sweet potato contributed for high iron bioavailability in Wistar rats

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sorghum and sweet potato on the bioavailability of iron, gene expression of proteins involved in iron metabolism and the plasma antioxidant capacity in animals fed with whole sorghum grains processed by dry heat or extrusion, combined or not with sweet potato flour with high content of carotenoids. Five experimental groups were tested (n = 7): dry heat sorghum flour (DS); extruded sorghum flour (ES); whole sorghum flour + sweet potato flour (DS + SP); extruded sorghum flour + sweet potato flour (ES + SP) and positive control (FS). The evaluations included: hemoglobin gain, hemoglobin regeneration efficiency, gene expression of divalente metal transporter 1 (DMT-1), duodenal citochroma B (DcytB), ferroportin, hephaestin, transferrin and ferritin and total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC). The ES + SP group showed higher (p < 0.05) expression of DcytB, ferroportin and hephaestin when compared to the control group. The DS group showed high (p < 0.05) expression of DMT-1 and the ES showed high mRNA expression of transferrin and ferritin. The changes in the sorghum physicochemical properties from extrusion process reduced the iron and phytate content, and increased the gene expression of proteins involved in iron metabolism, improving iron bioavailability. The combination of sweet potato and sorghum flour (dry or extruded) improved the iron capture and total antioxidant capacity, probably due to the presence of β-carotene and antioxidant compounds.     

Dough rheological properties and noodle-making performance of non-waxy and waxy whole-wheat flour blends

Dough rheological properties and noodle-making performance of non-waxy whole-wheat flour (WWF) with partial- or full-waxy (PW- or FW-) WWF substitution were studied. The substitution levels were 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 g/kg, respectively. FW-WWF reduced the peak viscosity and pasting temperature of WWF blends as its substitution level was increased due to its higher proportions of B-type starch granules and short amylopectin chains, while PW-WWF increased peak viscosity with the increasing substitution level because of its higher amylopectin content. As demonstrated by farinograph and rheometer measurements, FW-WWF interfered with gluten development because of the increased competition for water by arabinoxylans and amylopectin; however, PW-WWF enhanced dough strength due primarily to its increased protein content. Consequently, FW-WWF showed a detrimental effect on cooked noodle texture as the cooked noodle hardness was reduced by 50% at the 1000 g/kg substitution level. In contrast, PW-WWF enhanced noodle integrity and elasticity by increasing cooked noodle cohesiveness and resilience by 10.1% and 14.8%, respectively, at the 1000 g/kg substitution level. The results suggest that with waxy WWF substitution, the changes in starch composition, arabinoxylans, and protein content could modify the interactions among flour components and influence the quality characteristics of noodle products.     

Effects of particle size on the quality attributes of reconstituted whole-wheat flour and tortillas made from it

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of whole-wheat flour (WWF) particle size on the quality attributes of WWF tortillas. WWF samples of different particle size distributions from commercial U.S. hard white (median diameters: 175.7, 128.6, 120.0, 108.5 and 102.4 μm), hard red winter (median diameters: 173.7, 133.6, 124.3, 110.8 and 104.2 μm) and hard red spring (median diameters: 173.7, 132.1, 124.7, 112.9, 106.3 μm) wheat classes were obtained by fine grinding of bran and shorts and re-combining with the rest of fractions. For all three wheat classes, as WWF median particle size decreased, the L* (lightness) value decreased but the adjusted damaged starch, polyphenol oxidase activity, and a* and b* values increased. Mixolab data showed that development time decreased as WWF particle size was reduced, while stability time and starch retrogradation increased. As for WWF tortilla quality, the breaking force and extensibility increased with decreasing particle size from ∼175 to 129–134 μm, but diameter and thickness were not significantly affected. The results indicated that reducing the median particle sizes of WWFs from ∼175 μm to ∼130 μm would significantly improve the WWF tortilla quality.     

Kernel vitreousness and protein content: Relationship,interaction and synergistic effects on durum wheat quality

Four sets of durum samples were used in this study to further understand the interrelationships among hard vitreous kernels (HVK), protein content, and pigment concentration, with a focus on the interaction and synergistic effects of protein content and vitreousness on durum quality. HVK level increases with higher protein content in the range of 9.5–12.5%, but this relationship is less evident in durum samples with high protein content (12.5–14.5%). Both protein content and kernel vitreousness can significantly affect durum milling quality. White starchy kernels (WSK) in low protein durum have a very detrimental impact on milling and pasta processing quality, but high protein content can mitigate the adverse impact of WSK on durum quality. Although protein content plays a dominant role, higher HVK might contribute positively to pasta firmness. There was no significant difference in yellow pigment content between HVK and WSK. However, pigment loss from semolina to dough was higher for WSK than HVK. Despite the difference in protein content, HVK and WSK have little difference in gluten strength. The monomeric protein was preferentially accumulated in HVK. The glutenin proteins of HVK and WSK were similar in the ratios of 1Bx/1By and HMW/LMW-GS.     

Combined mutations in five wheat STARCH BRANCHING ENZYME II genes improve resistant starch but affect grain yield and bread-making quality

Increases in the proportion of amylose in the starch of wheat grains result in higher levels of resistant starch, a fermentable dietary fiber associated with human health benefits. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of combined mutations in five STARCH BRANCHING ENZYME II (SBEII) genes on starch composition, grain yield and bread-making quality in two hexaploid wheat varieties. Significantly higher amylose (∼60%) and resistant starch content (10-fold) was detected in the SBEII mutants than in the wild-type controls. Mutant lines showed a significant decrease in total starch (6%), kernel weight (3%) and total grain yield (6%). Effects of the mutations in bread-making quality included increases in grain hardness, starch damage, water absorption and flour protein content; and reductions in flour extraction, farinograph development and stability times, starch viscosity, and loaf volume. Several traits showed significant interactions between genotypes, varieties, and environments, suggesting that some of the negative impacts of the combined SBEII mutations can be ameliorated by adequate selection of genetic background and growing location. The deployment of wheat varieties with increased resistant starch will likely require economic incentives to compensate growers and millers for the significant reductions detected in grain and flour yields.