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Field Performance (field + performance)
Selected AbstractsVery High Critical Field and Superior Jc -Field Performance in NdFeAsO0.82F0.18 with Tc of 51 K,ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 2 2009Xiaolin Wang A new family of oxypnictide superconductors, LaFeAsO0.89F0.11, brings new impetus to the field of high-temperature superconductivity. In this work, we show that the upper critical field values Hc2 (48 K) = 13 T and Hc2(0) can exceed 80,230 T in a high-pressure-fabricated NdO0.82F0.18FeAs bulk sample with Tc of 51 K. We also demonstrate the superior performance of supercurrent density in fields for this new superconductor. [source] Field performance and seasonal changes in the efficacy against Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) of transgenic cotton expressing the insecticidal protein vip3AAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Danny J. Llewellyn Abstract 1,Three years of field experiments in Eastern Australia were carried out on transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) event Cot102 expressing the insecticidal protein gene vip3A from Bacillus thuringiensis to evaluate performance against Helicoverpa armigera Hübner. Efficacy, defined as the capacity of plant tissues to induce larval mortality, was determined with a well-validated leaf bioassay fortnightly through the growth cycle of the cotton in each season. 2,Cot102 plants proved highly efficacious against H. armigera, particularly early in the season, although their efficacy declined as the season progressed, in a manner similar to, but not as dramatic as, that observed with commercial Cry1Ac expressing cotton (Bollgard or Ingard cotton). 3,Field surveys indicated that very few larvae survived beyond first instar on intact growing plants. 4,In one season efficacy declined for a period of approximately 20 days after a cool wet period, suggesting that this may have had a detrimental effect on the expression or efficacy of the gene, but this will need to be verified in further replicated trials. 5,Quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays indicated that there was no dramatic reduction in production of the vip3A protein during growth and maturation of the crop, suggesting that other host plant factors were affecting the efficacy of the insecticidal protein in the insect gut. 6,These data indicate that Cot102 cotton would provide a useful alternative to Bollgard cotton but, given the similar lytic mode of action of vip3A proteins in the insect midgut, there may be similar inherent vulnerabilities to resistance evolution for these proteins if used alone. Pyramiding of the vip3A trait with a second insecticidal gene would appear to be a high priority for achieving sustainable deployment against H. armigera or similar susceptible species. [source] Performance assessment under field conditions of a rapid immunological test for transgenic soybeansINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2001John Fagan Summary Current market conditions and food regulations make it necessary for international and domestic participants in the agrifood industry to structure supply chains that control the content of genetically modified (GM) material in their products. Tests to detect and/or quantify GM components represent an important tool in maintaining such supply systems. This study assesses the field performance of kits that employ lateral flow immuno-technology to detect soybeans GM to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. Operators at 23 grain-handling facilities were paid to conduct analyses on a series of blinded samples containing defined proportions of conventional and transgenic soybeans. The observed rate of false positives was 6.7% in an experiment in which the highest level of GM material was 1% and 22.3% in a second experiment in which the highest level of GM material was 10%. This difference may be attributed to increased risk of cross-contamination with the higher level of transgenic material used in the second study. Samples containing 0.01% GM material were reported as genetically modified 6.70% of the time, while samples containing 0.1, 0.5 and 1% GM material were classified as genetically modified 29.5, 67.7 and 68.2% of the time, respectively. Thus, the frequencies of false negatives were 93.3, 70.5, 33.3 and 31.8% for samples containing 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0% GM material. Samples containing 10% GM material were correctly reported as genetically modified in all cases. These results lead to the conclusion that the kit under study is useful in screening for lots of soybeans that contain high levels of GM material, but that, as a field tool, it is not effective in monitoring for GM material at the level of 1.0% or lower. Statistical and immunochemical analyses were carried out in order to assess the relative contributions of various factors to the error observed in these studies. These analyses indicated that limitations in operator performance, not defects in test kit materials, were the primary contributors, while sample size may play a secondary role. As both operator performance and sample size are independent of the specific characteristics of the test kit used in this study, it appears justifiable to generalize conclusions obtained here to other similar test systems. [source] Evolution and field performance of a rescue robotJOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS (FORMERLY JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SYSTEMS), Issue 1-2 2008Mark J. Micire Robots are slowly finding their way into the hands of search and rescue groups. One of the robots contributing to this effort is the Inuktun VGTV-Xtreme series by American Standard Robotics. This capable robot is one of the only robots engineered specifically for the search and rescue domain. This paper describes the adaptation of the VGTV platform from an industrial inspection robot into a capable and versatile search and rescue robot. These adaptations were based on growing requirements established by rescue groups, academic research, and extensive field trials. A narrative description of a successful search of a damaged building during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is included to support these claims. Finally, lessons learned from these deployments and guidelines for future robot development is discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] EXPERIMENTAL AND NEURAL NETWORK PREDICTION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR TUNNEL DRIER FOR DRYING JACKFRUIT BULBS AND LEATHERJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2005B.K. BALA ABSTRACT This article presents the field performance of a solar tunnel drier for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather. The drier consists of a transparent plastic-covered flat-plate collector and a drying tunnel connected in series to supply hot air directly into the drying tunnel using two direct-current fans operated by a photovoltaic module. The drier has a loading capacity of 120,150 kg of fruits. Sixteen experimental runs were conducted for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather (eight runs each). The use of a solar tunnel drier led to a considerable reduction in drying time and dried products of better quality in comparison to products dried under the sun. A multilayered neural network approach was used to predict the performance of the solar tunnel drier. Using solar drying data of jackfruit bulbs and leather, the model has been trained using backpropagation algorithm. The prediction of the performance of the drier was found to be excellent after it was adequately trained. It can be used to predict the potential of the drier for different locations, and can also be used in a predictive optimal control algorithm. [source] Novel method for testing the grease resistance of pet food packagingPACKAGING TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Issue 2 2002J. Lange Abstract For paper-based dry pet food packaging, one of the main requirements is a high resistance against staining from the fat in the product. For both development and quality control, rapid and reliable standardized test procedures assessing this property are needed. Although a number of tests are available, they either apply only to certain types of packaging materials and show limited correlation with field behaviour, or employ non-standard testing substances, long testing times and complicated equipment. In response to this situation, a new testing procedure that reflects field behaviour but without the drawbacks of the existing tests has been developed. The new test shows high reproducibility and good correlation with field performance for a wide range of multiwall bag and folding box materials with different types of grease resistance treatment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Molecular and agronomic evaluation of wheat doubled haploid lines obtained through maize pollination and anther culture methodsPLANT BREEDING, Issue 4 2003J. Guzy-Wrobelska Abstract Although maize pollination (MP) and anther culture (AC) are alternative techniques widely used for wheat doubled haploid (DH) production, there is only limited information on the attributes of the plant materials produced through both methods. This study was conducted to evaluate genetic fidelity, transmission of parental gametes, and to compare field performance of DH populations produced by the MP and AC methods from the F1s of two crosses between spring bread wheat cultivars. The DH populations were compared to single seed descent (SSD) lines created from the same crosses. In total, 76 MP and 122 AC lines of the cross between cultivars of divergent origin were subjected to RAPD and AFLP analysis. Only changes in AFLP banding patterns, at similarly low frequencies, 0.18% (MP) and 0.21% (AC), were detected. The frequency of the DH lines affected by the variation, 14.5% (MP) and 14.8% (AC), was similar in both populations. For most of the DH lines, variation in 1-2 loci only, out of several hundreds scored, was observed. A total of 14.3% (MP) and 22.2% (AC) marker loci showed the significant segregation distortion from the expected 1 : 1 ratio, but in at least one polymorphic locus the within-cultivar variation was responsible for the skewed segregation. The field performance of the corresponding MP and AC lines derived from two crosses confirmed the equivalency of both DH populations. In most of the traits analyzed, the MP and AC lines performed the same as the SSD populations created from the same crosses. No, or very small differences in means and ranges, were observed when the best 10% of the lines from all three methods were compared. Moreover, the best 10 % of the lines of the cross between Polish wheat cultivars adapted to the local environment performed significantly better for some traits than different groups of checks used in the study. [source] Effective efficiency of PV modules under field conditionsPROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS: RESEARCH & APPLICATIONS, Issue 1 2007Marko Topi Abstract The conversion efficiency of photovoltaic modules varies with irradiance and temperature in a predictable fashion, and hence the effective efficiency averaged over a year under field conditions can be reliably assessed. The suggested procedure is to define the efficiency versus irradiance and temperature for a specific module, collect the local irradiance and temperature data, and combine the two mathematically, resulting in effective efficiency. Reasonable approximations simplify the process. The module performance ratio is defined to be the ratio of effective efficiency to that under standard test conditions. Variations of the order of 10% in this factor among manufacturers, primarily the result of the differences in effective series resistance and leakage conductance, are not unusual. A focus on these parameters that control the effective efficiency should provide a path to PV modules with improved field performance. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] In situ remediation of PCE at a site with clayey lithology and a significant smear zoneREMEDIATION, Issue 3 2010Josephine Molin Groundwater at the former Serry's Dry Cleaning site in Corvallis, Oregon, was impacted by chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs). The primary CVOCs impacting the site include tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, dichloroethene, and vinyl chloride, which were detected at concentrations up to 22,000, 1,700, 3,100, and 7 ,g/L, respectively, prior to treatment. Large seasonal fluctuations in groundwater CVOC concentrations indicated that a significant fraction of the CVOC mass was present in the smear zone. Field-scale pilot tests were performed for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's Dry Cleaner Program to evaluate the performance of EHC® in situ chemical reduction (ISCR) technology. The pilot study involved evaluating field performance and physical distribution into low-permeability soil using basic Geoprobe® injection tooling. The testing results confirmed that bioremediation enhanced by ISCR supported long-term treatment at the site. This article describes the implementation and results of the tests. Performance data are available from a three-year period following the injections, allowing for a discussion about sustained performance and reagent longevity. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Resistance of insect pests to neonicotinoid insecticides: Current status and future prospects ,ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2005Ralf Nauen Abstract The first neonicotinoid insecticide introduced to the market was imidacloprid in 1991 followed by several others belonging to the same chemical class and with the same mode of action. The development of neonicotinoid insecticides has provided growers with invaluable new tools for managing some of the world's most destructive crop pests, primarily those of the order Hemiptera (aphids, whiteflies, and planthoppers) and Coleoptera (beetles), including species with a long history of resistance to earlier-used products. To date, neonicotinoids have proved relatively resilient to the development of resistance, especially when considering aphids such as Myzus persicae and Phorodon humuli. Although the susceptibility of M. persicae may vary up to 20-fold between populations, this does not appear to compromise the field performance of neonicotinoids. Stronger resistance has been confirmed in some populations of the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, and the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Resistance in B- and Q-type B. tabaci appears to be linked to enhanced oxidative detoxification of neonicotinoids due to overexpression of monooxygenases. No evidence for target-site resistance has been found in whiteflies, whereas the possibility of target-site resistance in L. decemlineata is being investigated further. Strategies to combat neonicotinoid resistance must take account of the cross-resistance characteristics of these mechanisms, the ecology of target pests on different host plants, and the implications of increasing diversification of the neonicotinoid market due to a continuing introduction of new molecules. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 58:200,215, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Überwachung und Analyse der Lebensdauer von TunnelbauwerkenBETON- UND STAHLBETONBAU, Issue 1 2007Konrad Bergmeister Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Im Tunnelbau bildet die Überwachung der signifikanten Einwirkungs- und Strukturparameter während der Bauphase und des Betriebs die Basis für die Bewertung des Zustands und der Sicherheit des Bauwerks. Die erfassten Daten stellen des Weiteren die Grundlage zur nummerischen und mechanischen Modellbildung dar, um eine effiziente Entscheidungsfindung und Maßnahmenplanung zu gewährleisten. Die Überwachung beinhaltet die Erfassung und Bewertung der geologischen Gegebenheiten, der induzierten Auswirkungen während des Vortriebs und die kontinuierliche Kontrolle für den weiteren Betrieb und Unterhalt des Bauwerks. Methoden der Bauwerksüberwachung und Diagnose stellen aufgrund der quantitativ erfassten Systemparameter ein wesentliches Element für die Zuverlässigkeitsanalyse dar. Die geeignete Wahl von Kontroll- und Messinstrumenten ist jedoch nur einen Teilaspekt der Bauwerksüberwachung. Die Auswertung und Interpretation der erhobenen Daten, die Gegenüberstellung mit den normativen Anforderungen und Grenzwerten, die Anpassung der analytischen Modellannahmen aufgrund des Vergleichs von gemessenen und berechneten Daten zeigen die Komplexität dieses Aufgabengebietes. Monitoring and Analysis of Durability of Tunnels Monitoring continuously the decisive parameters, during both the construction and the operation phase, provides the quantitative basis for safety and condition assessment, analytical modelling and decision making. This includes evaluating the conditions and induced effects during excavation and construction, and continues during operation in terms of maintenance decision making and reliability assessment. The utilisation of monitoring devices and measurement elements is however only the start of monitoring field performance. Interpretation of the acquired data is equally important, namely the validation of compliance with normative specifications and the comparison of measured and calculated data in order to evaluate analytical model assumptions. [source] |