Automation of production in the nurseries of flower producing companies using barcode scanners have been attempted but with little success.Stationary laser barcode scanners which have been used for automation have fai...Automation of production in the nurseries of flower producing companies using barcode scanners have been attempted but with little success.Stationary laser barcode scanners which have been used for automation have failed due to the close proximity between the barcode and the scanner,and factors such as speed,angle of inclination of the barcode,damage to the barcode and dirt on the barcode.Furthermore,laser barcode scanners are still being used manually in the nurseries making work laborious and time consuming,which leading to reduced productivity.Therefore,an automated image-based barcode detection system to help solve the aforementioned problems was proposed.Experiments were conducted under different situations with clean and artificially soiled Code 128 barcodes in both the laboratory and under real production conditions in a flower producing company.The images were analyzed with a specific algorithm developed with the software tool Halcon.Overall the results from the company showed that the image-based system has a future prospect for automation in the nursery.展开更多
China is in a dominant position in apple production globally with both the largest apple growing area and the largest export of fresh apple fruits. However, the annual productivity of China＇s apple is significantly l...China is in a dominant position in apple production globally with both the largest apple growing area and the largest export of fresh apple fruits. However, the annual productivity of China＇s apple is significantly lower than that of other dominant apple producing countries. In addition, apple production is based on excessive application of chemical fertilizers and the nutrient use efficiency （especially nitrogen） is therefore low and the nutrient emissions to the environment are high. Apple production in China is considerably contributes to farmers＇ incomes and is important as export product. There is an urgent need to enhance apple productivity and improve nutrient use efficiencies in intensive apple production systems in the country. These can be attained by improved understanding of production potential, yield gaps, nutrient use and best management in apple orchards. To the end, priorities in research on apple production systems and required political support are described which may lead to more sustainable and environmental-friendly intensification of apple production in China.展开更多
A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the agronomic and physiological responses of rice under different water management systems, types of fertilizer and seedling age. This experiment was done at the farm of Ag...A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the agronomic and physiological responses of rice under different water management systems, types of fertilizer and seedling age. This experiment was done at the farm of Agri Park, College of Agriculture, Central Experimental Station (CES), Crop Science Cluster of the University of the Philippines Los Banos, College Laguna during 2013. The strip-split plot design with three replications was used with the two types of fertilizer (vermicompost and chemical fertilizer), water management (with and without standing water) and two seedling ages (10 and 14-d old) were the treatments in the experiment. Chemical fertilizer produced the highest grain yield, total dry matter (TDM), leaf area index (LAI), net assimilation rate (NAR) and crop growth rate (CGR). Most of these characters significantly increased in 10-d old seedlings with chemical fertilizer without standing water. The shorter phyllochron and higher root pulling resistance (RPR) were observed in 10-d old seedlings without standing water. For the variety NSIC Rc 216, the use of 10-d old seedlings grown without standing water with chemical fertilizer is the optimum conditions for the better growth and high productivity.展开更多
Two significant issues in Internet-based networked control systems （ INCSs）, transport performance of different protocols and security breach from Internet side, are investigated. First, for improving the performanc...Two significant issues in Internet-based networked control systems （ INCSs）, transport performance of different protocols and security breach from Internet side, are investigated. First, for improving the performance of data transmission, user datagram protocol （UDP） is adopted as the main stand for controllers and plants using INCSs. Second, a dual-channel secure transmission scheme （DCSTS）based on data transmission characteristics of INCSs is proposed, in which a raw UDP channel and a secure TCP （transmission control protocol） connection making use of SSL/TLS （secure sockets layer/transport layer security） are included. Further, a networked control protocol （NCP） at application layer for supporting DCSTS between the controllers and plants in INCSs is designed, and it also aims at providing a universal communication mechanism for interoperability of devices among the networked control laboratories in Beijing Institute of Technology of China, Central South University of China and Tokyo University of Technology of Japan. By means of a networked single-degree-of-free- dom robot arm, an INCS under the new protocol and security environment is created. Compared with systems such as IPSec or SSL/TLS, which may cause more than 91% network throughput deduction, the new DCSTS protocol may yield results ten times better, being just 5.67%.展开更多
The Integrated Agricultural Systems workgroup is examining agricultural systems of the US to determine fundamental principles that underlie successful production systems. Our hypothesis is that principles are applicab...The Integrated Agricultural Systems workgroup is examining agricultural systems of the US to determine fundamental principles that underlie successful production systems. Our hypothesis is that principles are applicable across regions, but key drivers interact to influence producer decisions and create distinct production systems. We interviewed agricultural producers to examine the underlying rationale for producer decisions and discern primary factors influencing production and marketing practices. While drivers are common among regions, interactions between drivers and influences on decision-makers vary substantially to create unique production systems. The internal social driver that values farming lifestyle is the principal factor that leads people to farming. The type of farming is partly a lifestyle choice and is influenced by other factors. Economic drivers and marketing options are primary drivers influencing production systems and management choices, as farmers provide an economic foundation for their families. While all producers employed strategies to manage production and marketing risks, these varied with different marketing channels. Identification of key drivers and principles can be used by producers, scientists and policy makers to direct agricultural production and agricultural research. New management systems can be developed that are flexible enough to respond to changing societal demands, and are environmentally and economically sustainable.展开更多
Data curation is vital for selecting effective demonstration examples in graph-to-text generation.However,evaluating the quality ofKnowledgeGraphs(KGs)remains challenging.Prior research exhibits a narrowfocus on struc...Data curation is vital for selecting effective demonstration examples in graph-to-text generation.However,evaluating the quality ofKnowledgeGraphs(KGs)remains challenging.Prior research exhibits a narrowfocus on structural statistics,such as the shortest path length,while the correctness of graphs in representing the associated text is rarely explored.To address this gap,we introduce a dual-perspective evaluation framework for KG-text data,based on the computation of structural adequacy and semantic alignment.Froma structural perspective,we propose the Weighted Incremental EdgeMethod(WIEM)to quantify graph completeness by leveraging agreement between relation models to predict possible edges between entities.WIEM targets to find increments from models on“unseen links”,whose presence is inversely proportional to the structural adequacy of the original KG in representing the text.From a semantic perspective,we evaluate how well a KG aligns with the text in capturing the intended meaning.To do so,we instruct a large language model to convert KGs into natural language andmeasure the similarity between generated and reference texts.Based on these computations,we apply a Top-K union method,integrating the structural and semantic modules,to rank and select high-quality KGs.We evaluate our framework against various approaches for selecting few-shot examples in graph-to-text generation.Experiments on theAssociation for Computational LinguisticsAbstract Graph Dataset(ACL-AGD)and Automatic Content Extraction 05(ACE05)dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in distinguishing KG-text data of different qualities,evidenced by the largest performance gap between top-and bottom-ranked examples.We also find that the top examples selected through our dual-perspective framework consistently yield better performance than those selected by traditional measures.These results highlight the importance of data curation in improving graph-to-text generation.展开更多
Knowledge graphs convey precise semantic information that can be effectively interpreted by neural networks,and generating descriptive text based on these graphs places significant emphasis on content consistency.Howe...Knowledge graphs convey precise semantic information that can be effectively interpreted by neural networks,and generating descriptive text based on these graphs places significant emphasis on content consistency.However,knowledge graphs are inadequate for providing additional linguistic features such as paragraph structure and expressive modes,making it challenging to ensure content coherence in generating text that spans multiple sentences.This lack of coherence can further compromise the overall consistency of the content within a paragraph.In this work,we present the generation of scientific abstracts by leveraging knowledge graphs,with a focus on enhancing both content consistency and coherence.In particular,we construct the ACL Abstract Graph Dataset(ACL-AGD)which pairs knowledge graphs with text,incorporating sentence labels to guide text structure and diverse expressions.We then implement a Siamese network to complement and concretize the entities and relations based on paragraph structure by accomplishing two tasks:graph-to-text generation and entity alignment.Extensive experiments demonstrate that the logical paragraphs generated by our method exhibit entities with a uniform position distribution and appropriate frequency.In terms of content,our method accurately represents the information encoded in the knowledge graph,prevents the generation of irrelevant content,and achieves coherent and non-redundant adjacent sentences,even with a shared knowledge graph.展开更多
Background GOSSYM is a mechanistic,process-based cotton model that can simulate cotton crop growth and development,yield,and fiber quality.Its fiber quality module was developed based on controlled experiments explici...Background GOSSYM is a mechanistic,process-based cotton model that can simulate cotton crop growth and development,yield,and fiber quality.Its fiber quality module was developed based on controlled experiments explicitly conducted on the Texas Marker^(-1)(TM1)variety,potentially making its functional equations more aligned with this cultivar.To assess the model’s broader applicability,this study analyzed fiber quality data from 40 upland cotton cultivars,including TM1.The measured fiber quality from all cultivars was then compared with the modelsimulated fiber quality.Results Among the 40 upland cultivars,fiber strength varied from 28.4 cN·tex^(-1) to 34.6 cN·tex^(-1),fiber length ranged from 27.1 mm to 33.3 mm,micronaire value ranged from 2.7 to 4.6,and length uniformity index varied from 82.3%to 85.5%.The model simulated fiber quality closely matched the measured values for TM1,with the absolute percentage error(APE)being less than 0.92%for fiber strength,fiber length,and length uniformity index and 4.7%for micronaire.However,significant differences were observed for the other cultivars.The Pearson correlation coefficient(r)between the measured and simulated values was negative for all fiber quality traits,and Wilmotts’s index of agreement(WIA)was below 0.45,indicating a strong model bias toward TM1 without incorporating cultivar-specific parameters.After incorporating cultivar-specific parameters,the model’s performance improved significantly,with an average r-value of 0.84 and WIA of 0.88.Conclusions The adopted methodology and estimated cultivar-specific parameters improved the model’s simulation accuracy.This approach can be applied to newer cotton cultivars,enhancing the GOSSYM model’s utility and its applicability for agricultural management and policy decisions.展开更多
Fungal plant diseases are infections caused by pathogenic fungi that affect crops,ornamental plants,and trees.Symptoms of these diseases can include leaf spots,fruit rot,root rot,and generalized growth retardation.Fun...Fungal plant diseases are infections caused by pathogenic fungi that affect crops,ornamental plants,and trees.Symptoms of these diseases can include leaf spots,fruit rot,root rot,and generalized growth retardation.Fungal diseases can result in decreased quality and quantity of crops,which can have a negative economic impact on farmers and producers.Moreover,these diseases can cause environmental damage.Indeed,fungal diseases can directly affect crops by reducing plant growth and yield,as well as altering their quality and nutritional value.Although effective,the use of many chemical products is often harmful to health and the environment,and their use is increasingly restricted due to their high toxicity.To address this issue,it is becoming increasingly essential to replace these chemical products with products that respect the environment and human health,and for sustainable agriculture,such as regenerative agricultural practices.Regenerative agricultural practices such as crop rotation,intercropping,composting,and notill farming techniques can offer sustainable solutions for the prevention and control of plant fungal diseases.These regenratives approaches not only help to control fungal plant disease by strengthening plant disease resistance,but also significantly contribute to the improvement of sustainable agriculture,by restoring soil health,increasing biodiversity and reducing the use of harmful chemicals to the environment and human health in order to keep a long-termecosystem resilience,promote environmental sustainability,and support global food security.Using regenerative agricultural practices can provide a holistic and effective approach to controlling fungal plant diseases while improving the health and productivity of farming systems.展开更多
The widespread adoption of cloud computing has underscored the critical importance of efficient resource allocation and management, particularly in task scheduling, which involves assigning tasks to computing resource...The widespread adoption of cloud computing has underscored the critical importance of efficient resource allocation and management, particularly in task scheduling, which involves assigning tasks to computing resources for optimized resource utilization. Several meta-heuristic algorithms have shown effectiveness in task scheduling, among which the relatively recent Willow Catkin Optimization (WCO) algorithm has demonstrated potential, albeit with apparent needs for enhanced global search capability and convergence speed. To address these limitations of WCO in cloud computing task scheduling, this paper introduces an improved version termed the Advanced Willow Catkin Optimization (AWCO) algorithm. AWCO enhances the algorithm’s performance by augmenting its global search capability through a quasi-opposition-based learning strategy and accelerating its convergence speed via sinusoidal mapping. A comprehensive evaluation utilizing the CEC2014 benchmark suite, comprising 30 test functions, demonstrates that AWCO achieves superior optimization outcomes, surpassing conventional WCO and a range of established meta-heuristics. The proposed algorithm also considers trade-offs among the cost, makespan, and load balancing objectives. Experimental results of AWCO are compared with those obtained using the other meta-heuristics, illustrating that the proposed algorithm provides superior performance in task scheduling. The method offers a robust foundation for enhancing the utilization of cloud computing resources in the domain of task scheduling within a cloud computing environment.展开更多
An individual's mental health influences their capacity to think effectively,feel emotionally stable,and perform daily activities.As mental health concerns become more prevalent worldwide,new awareness and diagnos...An individual's mental health influences their capacity to think effectively,feel emotionally stable,and perform daily activities.As mental health concerns become more prevalent worldwide,new awareness and diagnostic and treatment tactics are needed.Digital tools and technology are helping solve these problems by providing scalable,tailored solutions for large populations.This detailed review examines mental health‐promoting internet tools.Smartphone applications,web‐based therapy systems,wearable tech,artificial intelligence‐powered resources,and virtual reality(VR)technologies were evaluated for efficacy and side effects.PubMed,PsycINFO,Scopus,IEEE Xplore,and Google Scholar were carefully searched.Search terms included“digital mental health tools,”“online therapy,”and“AI in mental health.”Randomized controlled trials,cohort studies,cross‐sectional studies,systematic reviews,and meta‐analyses of digital technology and mental health were included from among the literature published after 2010.Cognitive behavioral therapy methods,mood monitoring,and mindfulness exercises are among the numerous features of smartphone applications that have been demonstrated to mitigate symptoms of anxiety,depression,and tension.Online therapy platforms let marginalized individuals obtain therapy remotely.Wearable technology may detect heart rate,blood pressure,and sleep length,which may reveal mental health difficulties.Chatbots employ machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to deliver customized support and show promise for quick intervention.Exposure therapy for anxiety and trauma is increasingly using virtual reality environments.Although digital mental health therapies face challenges in relation to data privacy,limited long‐term efficacy,and technological inequality,digital technologies are modernizing mental healthcare.By offering inexpensive and effective alternatives to traditional therapies,digital technologies may help healthcare systems meet the growing demand for mental health services and overall well‐being.展开更多
Big data with its vast volume and complexity is increasingly concerned, developed and used for all professions and trades. Remote sensing, as one of the sources for big data, is generating earth-observation data and a...Big data with its vast volume and complexity is increasingly concerned, developed and used for all professions and trades. Remote sensing, as one of the sources for big data, is generating earth-observation data and analysis results daily from the platforms of satellites, manned/unmanned aircrafts, and ground-based structures. Agricultural remote sensing is one of the backbone technologies for precision agriculture, which considers within-field variability for site-specific management instead of uniform management as in traditional agriculture. The key of agricultural remote sensing is, with global positioning data and geographic information, to produce spatially-varied data for subsequent precision agricultural operations. Agricultural remote sensing data, as general remote sensing data, have all characteristics of big data. The acquisition, processing, storage, analysis and visualization of agricultural remote sensing big data are critical to the success of precision agriculture. This paper overviews available remote sensing data resources, recent development of technologies for remote sensing big data management, and remote sensing data processing and management for precision agriculture. A five-layer-fifteen- level （FLFL） satellite remote sensing data management structure is described and adapted to create a more appropriate four-layer-twelve-level （FLTL） remote sensing data management structure for management and applications of agricultural remote sensing big data for precision agriculture where the sensors are typically on high-resolution satellites, manned aircrafts, unmanned aerial vehicles and ground-based structures. The FLTL structure is the management and application framework of agricultural remote sensing big data for precision agriculture and local farm studies, which outlooks the future coordination of remote sensing big data management and applications at local regional and farm scale.展开更多
To investigate how the popular magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet(aluminum 3%,zinc 1%)behaves in cold working,deep drawing experiments at room temperature,along with finite element(FE)simulation,were performed on the cold for...To investigate how the popular magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet(aluminum 3%,zinc 1%)behaves in cold working,deep drawing experiments at room temperature,along with finite element(FE)simulation,were performed on the cold forming sheet of the AZ31 alloy after being annealed under various conditions.The activities were focused on the fracture pattern,limit drawing ratio(LDR),deformation load,thickness distribution,anisotropic effect,as well as the influences of the annealing conditions and tool configuration on them.The results display that punch shoulder radius instead of die clearance,has much influence on the thickness distribution.The anisotropy is remarkable in cold working,which adversely impacts the LDR.The fracture often happens on the side wall at an angle to axis of the deformed specimen.The results also imply that the LDR for the material under present experimental conditions is 1.72,and annealing the material at 450 ℃ for 1 h may be preferable for the cold deep drawing.展开更多
This study investigated three different types of multispectral imaging systems for airborne remote sensing to support management in agricultural application and production.The three systems have been used in agricultu...This study investigated three different types of multispectral imaging systems for airborne remote sensing to support management in agricultural application and production.The three systems have been used in agricultural studies.They range from low-cost to relatively high-cost,manually operated to automated,multispectral composite imaging with a single camera and integrated imaging with custom-mounting of separate cameras.Practical issues regarding use of the imaging systems were described and discussed.The low-cost system,due to band saturation,slow imaging speed and poor image quality,is more preferable to slower moving platforms that can fly close to the ground,such as unmanned autonomous helicopters,but not recommended for low or high altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft.With the restriction on payload unmanned autonomous helicopters are not recommended for high-cost systems because they are typically heavy and difficult to mount.The system with intermediate cost works well for low altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft with field shapefile-based global positioning triggering.This system also works well for high altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft with global positioning triggering or manually operated.The custom-built system is recommended for high altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft with waypoint global positioning triggering or manually operated.展开更多
Background:Bacillus amyloliquefaciens(BA)and Bacillus subtilis(BS)are usually used as feed supplements directly or bacterial inoculants in biological feeds for animals.However,few research have reported the effects of...Background:Bacillus amyloliquefaciens(BA)and Bacillus subtilis(BS)are usually used as feed supplements directly or bacterial inoculants in biological feeds for animals.However,few research have reported the effects of BA and BS on fermentation characteristics and bacterial community successions of whole-plant corn silage during ensiling.If the BA and BS inoculants have positive effects on silages,then they could not only improve fermentation characteristics,but also deliver BA or BS viable cells to ruminants,which would play its probiotic effect.Therefore,the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of BA and BS on the fermentation,chemical characteristics,bacterial community and their metabolic pathway of whole-plant corn silage.Results:Freshly chopped whole-plant corn was inoculated without or with BA and BS,respectively,and ensiled for1,3,7,14 and 60 d.Results showed that BA and BS inoculations increased lactic acid concentrations of whole-plant corn silages compared with control,and BA inoculation decreased acetic acid concentrations,whereas BS inoculation decreased fiber contents and increased crude protein(CP)content.Higher water-soluble carbohydrate contents and lower starch contents were observed in BA-and BS-inoculated silages compared with that in control.The decreased CP content and increased non-protein nitrogen content were observed in BA-inoculated silage,which was consistent with the higher amino acid metabolism abundances observed in BA-inoculated silage.In addition,it was noteworthy that BA and BS inoculations increased the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins,and decreased the relative abundances of drug resistance:antimicrobial pathways.We also found that the bacterial metabolism pathways were clearly separated into three clusters based on the ensiling times of whole-plant corn silage in the present study.There were no significant differences in bacterial community compositions among the three groups during ensiling.However,BA and BS inoculations decreased the relative abundances of undesirable bacteria such as Acetobacter and Acinetobacter.Conclusion:Our findings suggested that the BS strain was more suitable as silage inoculants than the BA strain in whole-plant corn silage in this study.展开更多
Rangelands of Central Asia (referring to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in this study), the largest contiguous area of grazed land in the world, serve as an important source of livelih...Rangelands of Central Asia (referring to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in this study), the largest contiguous area of grazed land in the world, serve as an important source of livelihood for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in this region. They also play an important role in absorbing CO<sub>2</sub> as a global carbon sink. However, unsustainable management of rangelands has led to their degradation hugely by downgrading their potential agro-ecological, environmental and socio-economical roles. This paper reviewed the rangeland degradation in Central Asia, a topic which so far has received only scant coverage in the international scientific literature. It also provided examples of successful experiences and outlined possible options that land managers can adopt to enhance the sustainable management of these vast degraded rangelands. The experiences and lessons described in this paper may also be relevant for other degraded rangeland areas, especially in the developing countries. The causes of rangeland degradation within the Central Asian region are numerous, complex and inter-related. Therefore, while addressing the factors associated with improper rangeland management may shed some light on the causes of rangeland degradation, the scope of this paper would not be all-encompassing for the major causes of degradation. There is a need to develop and widely apply the viable and locally accepted and adapted packages of technical, institutional and policy options for sustainable rangeland management. Incentivizing the collective action of small-scale pastoralists who group together to facilitate access to remote pastures can reduce the degree of overgrazing within community pastures, such as those near the settlements. We also found that migratory grazing through pooling of resources among small-scale pastoralists can increase household income. After their independence, most Central Asian countries adopted various rangeland tenure arrangements. However, the building of enhanced capacities of pasture management and effective local rangeland governance structures can increase the likelihood, which will be sustainable and equitable. Finally, this paper presented several promising technical options, aiming at reversing the trend of rangeland degradation in Central Asia.展开更多
Paddy fields in the southeastern basin of Dianchi Lake have rapidly changed to greenhouses since 1999. A total of 61 surface soil samples, including 43 greenhouse soils, 12 upland soils, and 6 paddy soils, were collec...Paddy fields in the southeastern basin of Dianchi Lake have rapidly changed to greenhouses since 1999. A total of 61 surface soil samples, including 43 greenhouse soils, 12 upland soils, and 6 paddy soils, were collected from a flat lowland area mainly used for agricultural production fields in the southeastern basin of Dianchi Lake. Analyses of the soil samples indicated that the greenhouse soils were characterized by a lower organic matter content, lower pH, and higher soluble nutrients than the paddy soils in the area. The lower organic matter content of the greenhouse soils was ascribed to environmental or management factors rather than the clay content of the soil. Accumulation of soluble nutrients, especially inorganic N, was due to over-application of fertilizers, which also caused soil acidification. The average amount of readily available N, P, and K accumulated in the greenhouse soils was estimated to be equal to or higher than the annual input of these nutrients as a fertilizer, indicating that a reduction in fertilizer application was possible and recommended. In contrast, a very low available Si content was observed in the paddy soils, suggesting the need for Si application for rice production.展开更多
Precision agriculture accounts for within-field variability for targeted treatment rather than uniform treatment of an entire field.It is built on agricultural mechanization and state-of-the-art technologies of geogra...Precision agriculture accounts for within-field variability for targeted treatment rather than uniform treatment of an entire field.It is built on agricultural mechanization and state-of-the-art technologies of geographical information systems(GIS),global positioning systems(GPS)and remote sensing,and is used to monitor soil,crop growth,weed infestation,insects,diseases,and water status in farm fields to provide data and information to guide agricultural management practices.Precision agriculture began with mapping of crop fields at different scales to support agricultural planning and decision making.With the development of variable-rate technology,precision agriculture focuses more on tactical actions in controlling variable-rate seeding,fertilizer and pesticide application,and irrigation in real-time or within the crop season instead of mapping a field in one crop season to make decisions for the next crop season.With the development of aerial variable-rate systems,low-altitude airborne systems can provide high-resolution data for prescription variable-rate operations.Airborne systems for multispectral imaging using a number of imaging sensors(cameras)were developed.Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)provide a unique platform for remote sensing of crop fields at slow speeds and low-altitudes,and they are efficient and more flexible than manned agricultural airplanes,which often cannot provide images at both low altitude and low speed for capture of high-quality images.UAVs are also more universal in their applicability than agricultural aircraft since the latter are used only in specific regions.This study presents the low-altitude remote sensing systems developed for detection of crop stress caused by multiple factors.UAVs,as a special platform,were discussed for crop sensing based on the researchers'studies.展开更多
基金This project was part of the WeGa-Network(www.wega-online.org)funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
文摘Automation of production in the nurseries of flower producing companies using barcode scanners have been attempted but with little success.Stationary laser barcode scanners which have been used for automation have failed due to the close proximity between the barcode and the scanner,and factors such as speed,angle of inclination of the barcode,damage to the barcode and dirt on the barcode.Furthermore,laser barcode scanners are still being used manually in the nurseries making work laborious and time consuming,which leading to reduced productivity.Therefore,an automated image-based barcode detection system to help solve the aforementioned problems was proposed.Experiments were conducted under different situations with clean and artificially soiled Code 128 barcodes in both the laboratory and under real production conditions in a flower producing company.The images were analyzed with a specific algorithm developed with the software tool Halcon.Overall the results from the company showed that the image-based system has a future prospect for automation in the nursery.
基金the project "Cash Crops Research Network of China" of the Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, China Agricultural UniversityProfessor Oene Oenema from Alterra Wageningnen University, the Netherlands, for his financial support of the research
文摘China is in a dominant position in apple production globally with both the largest apple growing area and the largest export of fresh apple fruits. However, the annual productivity of China＇s apple is significantly lower than that of other dominant apple producing countries. In addition, apple production is based on excessive application of chemical fertilizers and the nutrient use efficiency （especially nitrogen） is therefore low and the nutrient emissions to the environment are high. Apple production in China is considerably contributes to farmers＇ incomes and is important as export product. There is an urgent need to enhance apple productivity and improve nutrient use efficiencies in intensive apple production systems in the country. These can be attained by improved understanding of production potential, yield gaps, nutrient use and best management in apple orchards. To the end, priorities in research on apple production systems and required political support are described which may lead to more sustainable and environmental-friendly intensification of apple production in China.
文摘A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the agronomic and physiological responses of rice under different water management systems, types of fertilizer and seedling age. This experiment was done at the farm of Agri Park, College of Agriculture, Central Experimental Station (CES), Crop Science Cluster of the University of the Philippines Los Banos, College Laguna during 2013. The strip-split plot design with three replications was used with the two types of fertilizer (vermicompost and chemical fertilizer), water management (with and without standing water) and two seedling ages (10 and 14-d old) were the treatments in the experiment. Chemical fertilizer produced the highest grain yield, total dry matter (TDM), leaf area index (LAI), net assimilation rate (NAR) and crop growth rate (CGR). Most of these characters significantly increased in 10-d old seedlings with chemical fertilizer without standing water. The shorter phyllochron and higher root pulling resistance (RPR) were observed in 10-d old seedlings without standing water. For the variety NSIC Rc 216, the use of 10-d old seedlings grown without standing water with chemical fertilizer is the optimum conditions for the better growth and high productivity.
文摘Two significant issues in Internet-based networked control systems （ INCSs）, transport performance of different protocols and security breach from Internet side, are investigated. First, for improving the performance of data transmission, user datagram protocol （UDP） is adopted as the main stand for controllers and plants using INCSs. Second, a dual-channel secure transmission scheme （DCSTS）based on data transmission characteristics of INCSs is proposed, in which a raw UDP channel and a secure TCP （transmission control protocol） connection making use of SSL/TLS （secure sockets layer/transport layer security） are included. Further, a networked control protocol （NCP） at application layer for supporting DCSTS between the controllers and plants in INCSs is designed, and it also aims at providing a universal communication mechanism for interoperability of devices among the networked control laboratories in Beijing Institute of Technology of China, Central South University of China and Tokyo University of Technology of Japan. By means of a networked single-degree-of-free- dom robot arm, an INCS under the new protocol and security environment is created. Compared with systems such as IPSec or SSL/TLS, which may cause more than 91% network throughput deduction, the new DCSTS protocol may yield results ten times better, being just 5.67%.
文摘The Integrated Agricultural Systems workgroup is examining agricultural systems of the US to determine fundamental principles that underlie successful production systems. Our hypothesis is that principles are applicable across regions, but key drivers interact to influence producer decisions and create distinct production systems. We interviewed agricultural producers to examine the underlying rationale for producer decisions and discern primary factors influencing production and marketing practices. While drivers are common among regions, interactions between drivers and influences on decision-makers vary substantially to create unique production systems. The internal social driver that values farming lifestyle is the principal factor that leads people to farming. The type of farming is partly a lifestyle choice and is influenced by other factors. Economic drivers and marketing options are primary drivers influencing production systems and management choices, as farmers provide an economic foundation for their families. While all producers employed strategies to manage production and marketing risks, these varied with different marketing channels. Identification of key drivers and principles can be used by producers, scientists and policy makers to direct agricultural production and agricultural research. New management systems can be developed that are flexible enough to respond to changing societal demands, and are environmentally and economically sustainable.
文摘Data curation is vital for selecting effective demonstration examples in graph-to-text generation.However,evaluating the quality ofKnowledgeGraphs(KGs)remains challenging.Prior research exhibits a narrowfocus on structural statistics,such as the shortest path length,while the correctness of graphs in representing the associated text is rarely explored.To address this gap,we introduce a dual-perspective evaluation framework for KG-text data,based on the computation of structural adequacy and semantic alignment.Froma structural perspective,we propose the Weighted Incremental EdgeMethod(WIEM)to quantify graph completeness by leveraging agreement between relation models to predict possible edges between entities.WIEM targets to find increments from models on“unseen links”,whose presence is inversely proportional to the structural adequacy of the original KG in representing the text.From a semantic perspective,we evaluate how well a KG aligns with the text in capturing the intended meaning.To do so,we instruct a large language model to convert KGs into natural language andmeasure the similarity between generated and reference texts.Based on these computations,we apply a Top-K union method,integrating the structural and semantic modules,to rank and select high-quality KGs.We evaluate our framework against various approaches for selecting few-shot examples in graph-to-text generation.Experiments on theAssociation for Computational LinguisticsAbstract Graph Dataset(ACL-AGD)and Automatic Content Extraction 05(ACE05)dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in distinguishing KG-text data of different qualities,evidenced by the largest performance gap between top-and bottom-ranked examples.We also find that the top examples selected through our dual-perspective framework consistently yield better performance than those selected by traditional measures.These results highlight the importance of data curation in improving graph-to-text generation.
文摘Knowledge graphs convey precise semantic information that can be effectively interpreted by neural networks,and generating descriptive text based on these graphs places significant emphasis on content consistency.However,knowledge graphs are inadequate for providing additional linguistic features such as paragraph structure and expressive modes,making it challenging to ensure content coherence in generating text that spans multiple sentences.This lack of coherence can further compromise the overall consistency of the content within a paragraph.In this work,we present the generation of scientific abstracts by leveraging knowledge graphs,with a focus on enhancing both content consistency and coherence.In particular,we construct the ACL Abstract Graph Dataset(ACL-AGD)which pairs knowledge graphs with text,incorporating sentence labels to guide text structure and diverse expressions.We then implement a Siamese network to complement and concretize the entities and relations based on paragraph structure by accomplishing two tasks:graph-to-text generation and entity alignment.Extensive experiments demonstrate that the logical paragraphs generated by our method exhibit entities with a uniform position distribution and appropriate frequency.In terms of content,our method accurately represents the information encoded in the knowledge graph,prevents the generation of irrelevant content,and achieves coherent and non-redundant adjacent sentences,even with a shared knowledge graph.
基金supported by United States Department of Agriculture,Agricultural Research Service(No.58-8042-9-072)United States Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture(No.2019-34263-30552)+1 种基金Management Information System(No.043050)United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service-Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement(No.58-6066-2-030).
文摘Background GOSSYM is a mechanistic,process-based cotton model that can simulate cotton crop growth and development,yield,and fiber quality.Its fiber quality module was developed based on controlled experiments explicitly conducted on the Texas Marker^(-1)(TM1)variety,potentially making its functional equations more aligned with this cultivar.To assess the model’s broader applicability,this study analyzed fiber quality data from 40 upland cotton cultivars,including TM1.The measured fiber quality from all cultivars was then compared with the modelsimulated fiber quality.Results Among the 40 upland cultivars,fiber strength varied from 28.4 cN·tex^(-1) to 34.6 cN·tex^(-1),fiber length ranged from 27.1 mm to 33.3 mm,micronaire value ranged from 2.7 to 4.6,and length uniformity index varied from 82.3%to 85.5%.The model simulated fiber quality closely matched the measured values for TM1,with the absolute percentage error(APE)being less than 0.92%for fiber strength,fiber length,and length uniformity index and 4.7%for micronaire.However,significant differences were observed for the other cultivars.The Pearson correlation coefficient(r)between the measured and simulated values was negative for all fiber quality traits,and Wilmotts’s index of agreement(WIA)was below 0.45,indicating a strong model bias toward TM1 without incorporating cultivar-specific parameters.After incorporating cultivar-specific parameters,the model’s performance improved significantly,with an average r-value of 0.84 and WIA of 0.88.Conclusions The adopted methodology and estimated cultivar-specific parameters improved the model’s simulation accuracy.This approach can be applied to newer cotton cultivars,enhancing the GOSSYM model’s utility and its applicability for agricultural management and policy decisions.
基金provided by SIRAM project within the framework of PRIMA,a program supported by H2020,the European Program for Research and Innovation and the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research(MERS).
文摘Fungal plant diseases are infections caused by pathogenic fungi that affect crops,ornamental plants,and trees.Symptoms of these diseases can include leaf spots,fruit rot,root rot,and generalized growth retardation.Fungal diseases can result in decreased quality and quantity of crops,which can have a negative economic impact on farmers and producers.Moreover,these diseases can cause environmental damage.Indeed,fungal diseases can directly affect crops by reducing plant growth and yield,as well as altering their quality and nutritional value.Although effective,the use of many chemical products is often harmful to health and the environment,and their use is increasingly restricted due to their high toxicity.To address this issue,it is becoming increasingly essential to replace these chemical products with products that respect the environment and human health,and for sustainable agriculture,such as regenerative agricultural practices.Regenerative agricultural practices such as crop rotation,intercropping,composting,and notill farming techniques can offer sustainable solutions for the prevention and control of plant fungal diseases.These regenratives approaches not only help to control fungal plant disease by strengthening plant disease resistance,but also significantly contribute to the improvement of sustainable agriculture,by restoring soil health,increasing biodiversity and reducing the use of harmful chemicals to the environment and human health in order to keep a long-termecosystem resilience,promote environmental sustainability,and support global food security.Using regenerative agricultural practices can provide a holistic and effective approach to controlling fungal plant diseases while improving the health and productivity of farming systems.
文摘The widespread adoption of cloud computing has underscored the critical importance of efficient resource allocation and management, particularly in task scheduling, which involves assigning tasks to computing resources for optimized resource utilization. Several meta-heuristic algorithms have shown effectiveness in task scheduling, among which the relatively recent Willow Catkin Optimization (WCO) algorithm has demonstrated potential, albeit with apparent needs for enhanced global search capability and convergence speed. To address these limitations of WCO in cloud computing task scheduling, this paper introduces an improved version termed the Advanced Willow Catkin Optimization (AWCO) algorithm. AWCO enhances the algorithm’s performance by augmenting its global search capability through a quasi-opposition-based learning strategy and accelerating its convergence speed via sinusoidal mapping. A comprehensive evaluation utilizing the CEC2014 benchmark suite, comprising 30 test functions, demonstrates that AWCO achieves superior optimization outcomes, surpassing conventional WCO and a range of established meta-heuristics. The proposed algorithm also considers trade-offs among the cost, makespan, and load balancing objectives. Experimental results of AWCO are compared with those obtained using the other meta-heuristics, illustrating that the proposed algorithm provides superior performance in task scheduling. The method offers a robust foundation for enhancing the utilization of cloud computing resources in the domain of task scheduling within a cloud computing environment.
文摘An individual's mental health influences their capacity to think effectively,feel emotionally stable,and perform daily activities.As mental health concerns become more prevalent worldwide,new awareness and diagnostic and treatment tactics are needed.Digital tools and technology are helping solve these problems by providing scalable,tailored solutions for large populations.This detailed review examines mental health‐promoting internet tools.Smartphone applications,web‐based therapy systems,wearable tech,artificial intelligence‐powered resources,and virtual reality(VR)technologies were evaluated for efficacy and side effects.PubMed,PsycINFO,Scopus,IEEE Xplore,and Google Scholar were carefully searched.Search terms included“digital mental health tools,”“online therapy,”and“AI in mental health.”Randomized controlled trials,cohort studies,cross‐sectional studies,systematic reviews,and meta‐analyses of digital technology and mental health were included from among the literature published after 2010.Cognitive behavioral therapy methods,mood monitoring,and mindfulness exercises are among the numerous features of smartphone applications that have been demonstrated to mitigate symptoms of anxiety,depression,and tension.Online therapy platforms let marginalized individuals obtain therapy remotely.Wearable technology may detect heart rate,blood pressure,and sleep length,which may reveal mental health difficulties.Chatbots employ machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to deliver customized support and show promise for quick intervention.Exposure therapy for anxiety and trauma is increasingly using virtual reality environments.Although digital mental health therapies face challenges in relation to data privacy,limited long‐term efficacy,and technological inequality,digital technologies are modernizing mental healthcare.By offering inexpensive and effective alternatives to traditional therapies,digital technologies may help healthcare systems meet the growing demand for mental health services and overall well‐being.
基金financially supported by the funding appropriated from USDA-ARS National Program 305 Crop Productionthe 948 Program of Ministry of Agriculture of China (2016-X38)
文摘Big data with its vast volume and complexity is increasingly concerned, developed and used for all professions and trades. Remote sensing, as one of the sources for big data, is generating earth-observation data and analysis results daily from the platforms of satellites, manned/unmanned aircrafts, and ground-based structures. Agricultural remote sensing is one of the backbone technologies for precision agriculture, which considers within-field variability for site-specific management instead of uniform management as in traditional agriculture. The key of agricultural remote sensing is, with global positioning data and geographic information, to produce spatially-varied data for subsequent precision agricultural operations. Agricultural remote sensing data, as general remote sensing data, have all characteristics of big data. The acquisition, processing, storage, analysis and visualization of agricultural remote sensing big data are critical to the success of precision agriculture. This paper overviews available remote sensing data resources, recent development of technologies for remote sensing big data management, and remote sensing data processing and management for precision agriculture. A five-layer-fifteen- level （FLFL） satellite remote sensing data management structure is described and adapted to create a more appropriate four-layer-twelve-level （FLTL） remote sensing data management structure for management and applications of agricultural remote sensing big data for precision agriculture where the sensors are typically on high-resolution satellites, manned aircrafts, unmanned aerial vehicles and ground-based structures. The FLTL structure is the management and application framework of agricultural remote sensing big data for precision agriculture and local farm studies, which outlooks the future coordination of remote sensing big data management and applications at local regional and farm scale.
文摘To investigate how the popular magnesium alloy AZ31 sheet(aluminum 3%,zinc 1%)behaves in cold working,deep drawing experiments at room temperature,along with finite element(FE)simulation,were performed on the cold forming sheet of the AZ31 alloy after being annealed under various conditions.The activities were focused on the fracture pattern,limit drawing ratio(LDR),deformation load,thickness distribution,anisotropic effect,as well as the influences of the annealing conditions and tool configuration on them.The results display that punch shoulder radius instead of die clearance,has much influence on the thickness distribution.The anisotropy is remarkable in cold working,which adversely impacts the LDR.The fracture often happens on the side wall at an angle to axis of the deformed specimen.The results also imply that the LDR for the material under present experimental conditions is 1.72,and annealing the material at 450 ℃ for 1 h may be preferable for the cold deep drawing.
文摘This study investigated three different types of multispectral imaging systems for airborne remote sensing to support management in agricultural application and production.The three systems have been used in agricultural studies.They range from low-cost to relatively high-cost,manually operated to automated,multispectral composite imaging with a single camera and integrated imaging with custom-mounting of separate cameras.Practical issues regarding use of the imaging systems were described and discussed.The low-cost system,due to band saturation,slow imaging speed and poor image quality,is more preferable to slower moving platforms that can fly close to the ground,such as unmanned autonomous helicopters,but not recommended for low or high altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft.With the restriction on payload unmanned autonomous helicopters are not recommended for high-cost systems because they are typically heavy and difficult to mount.The system with intermediate cost works well for low altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft with field shapefile-based global positioning triggering.This system also works well for high altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft with global positioning triggering or manually operated.The custom-built system is recommended for high altitude aerial remote sensing on fixed-wing aircraft with waypoint global positioning triggering or manually operated.
基金funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China(project no.31872417)。
文摘Background:Bacillus amyloliquefaciens(BA)and Bacillus subtilis(BS)are usually used as feed supplements directly or bacterial inoculants in biological feeds for animals.However,few research have reported the effects of BA and BS on fermentation characteristics and bacterial community successions of whole-plant corn silage during ensiling.If the BA and BS inoculants have positive effects on silages,then they could not only improve fermentation characteristics,but also deliver BA or BS viable cells to ruminants,which would play its probiotic effect.Therefore,the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of BA and BS on the fermentation,chemical characteristics,bacterial community and their metabolic pathway of whole-plant corn silage.Results:Freshly chopped whole-plant corn was inoculated without or with BA and BS,respectively,and ensiled for1,3,7,14 and 60 d.Results showed that BA and BS inoculations increased lactic acid concentrations of whole-plant corn silages compared with control,and BA inoculation decreased acetic acid concentrations,whereas BS inoculation decreased fiber contents and increased crude protein(CP)content.Higher water-soluble carbohydrate contents and lower starch contents were observed in BA-and BS-inoculated silages compared with that in control.The decreased CP content and increased non-protein nitrogen content were observed in BA-inoculated silage,which was consistent with the higher amino acid metabolism abundances observed in BA-inoculated silage.In addition,it was noteworthy that BA and BS inoculations increased the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins,and decreased the relative abundances of drug resistance:antimicrobial pathways.We also found that the bacterial metabolism pathways were clearly separated into three clusters based on the ensiling times of whole-plant corn silage in the present study.There were no significant differences in bacterial community compositions among the three groups during ensiling.However,BA and BS inoculations decreased the relative abundances of undesirable bacteria such as Acetobacter and Acinetobacter.Conclusion:Our findings suggested that the BS strain was more suitable as silage inoculants than the BA strain in whole-plant corn silage in this study.
基金the Asian Development Bank,the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas,Russian Scientific Fund(14-38-00023)the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems for their support and funding
文摘Rangelands of Central Asia (referring to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in this study), the largest contiguous area of grazed land in the world, serve as an important source of livelihood for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in this region. They also play an important role in absorbing CO<sub>2</sub> as a global carbon sink. However, unsustainable management of rangelands has led to their degradation hugely by downgrading their potential agro-ecological, environmental and socio-economical roles. This paper reviewed the rangeland degradation in Central Asia, a topic which so far has received only scant coverage in the international scientific literature. It also provided examples of successful experiences and outlined possible options that land managers can adopt to enhance the sustainable management of these vast degraded rangelands. The experiences and lessons described in this paper may also be relevant for other degraded rangeland areas, especially in the developing countries. The causes of rangeland degradation within the Central Asian region are numerous, complex and inter-related. Therefore, while addressing the factors associated with improper rangeland management may shed some light on the causes of rangeland degradation, the scope of this paper would not be all-encompassing for the major causes of degradation. There is a need to develop and widely apply the viable and locally accepted and adapted packages of technical, institutional and policy options for sustainable rangeland management. Incentivizing the collective action of small-scale pastoralists who group together to facilitate access to remote pastures can reduce the degree of overgrazing within community pastures, such as those near the settlements. We also found that migratory grazing through pooling of resources among small-scale pastoralists can increase household income. After their independence, most Central Asian countries adopted various rangeland tenure arrangements. However, the building of enhanced capacities of pasture management and effective local rangeland governance structures can increase the likelihood, which will be sustainable and equitable. Finally, this paper presented several promising technical options, aiming at reversing the trend of rangeland degradation in Central Asia.
基金Supported by the JSPS KAKENHI,Japan(No.21255007)
文摘Paddy fields in the southeastern basin of Dianchi Lake have rapidly changed to greenhouses since 1999. A total of 61 surface soil samples, including 43 greenhouse soils, 12 upland soils, and 6 paddy soils, were collected from a flat lowland area mainly used for agricultural production fields in the southeastern basin of Dianchi Lake. Analyses of the soil samples indicated that the greenhouse soils were characterized by a lower organic matter content, lower pH, and higher soluble nutrients than the paddy soils in the area. The lower organic matter content of the greenhouse soils was ascribed to environmental or management factors rather than the clay content of the soil. Accumulation of soluble nutrients, especially inorganic N, was due to over-application of fertilizers, which also caused soil acidification. The average amount of readily available N, P, and K accumulated in the greenhouse soils was estimated to be equal to or higher than the annual input of these nutrients as a fertilizer, indicating that a reduction in fertilizer application was possible and recommended. In contrast, a very low available Si content was observed in the paddy soils, suggesting the need for Si application for rice production.
文摘Precision agriculture accounts for within-field variability for targeted treatment rather than uniform treatment of an entire field.It is built on agricultural mechanization and state-of-the-art technologies of geographical information systems(GIS),global positioning systems(GPS)and remote sensing,and is used to monitor soil,crop growth,weed infestation,insects,diseases,and water status in farm fields to provide data and information to guide agricultural management practices.Precision agriculture began with mapping of crop fields at different scales to support agricultural planning and decision making.With the development of variable-rate technology,precision agriculture focuses more on tactical actions in controlling variable-rate seeding,fertilizer and pesticide application,and irrigation in real-time or within the crop season instead of mapping a field in one crop season to make decisions for the next crop season.With the development of aerial variable-rate systems,low-altitude airborne systems can provide high-resolution data for prescription variable-rate operations.Airborne systems for multispectral imaging using a number of imaging sensors(cameras)were developed.Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)provide a unique platform for remote sensing of crop fields at slow speeds and low-altitudes,and they are efficient and more flexible than manned agricultural airplanes,which often cannot provide images at both low altitude and low speed for capture of high-quality images.UAVs are also more universal in their applicability than agricultural aircraft since the latter are used only in specific regions.This study presents the low-altitude remote sensing systems developed for detection of crop stress caused by multiple factors.UAVs,as a special platform,were discussed for crop sensing based on the researchers'studies.
