Estimation of Paddy Plant Population Using Aerial Image Captured by Drone

Abstract Monitoring of rice plants population density is important for crop setting and fertilizer management to achieve high target yield. Currently, the population density is determined by manually counting the tiller number of total rice plants in a 25 cm x 25 cm square frame. Generally, several random sampling locations of a paddy plot are selected to perform tiller counting. This is time-consuming, labour intensive and costly. An automatic counting tiller number method using digital image processing technique is introduced to overcome the problem. Monitoring paddy population can be done by using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or Drones. The use of drones can take a wider picture, save time and be more efficient. For this research, the DJI Mavic Pro Drone is used to scout the areas. The drone has captured the image from the air and sending to the computer via wireless. The image is processed in different technique such as filtering, enhancement, segmentation and thresholding. As a result, the image processing technique is practical, feasible and effective in estimating tiller number for monitoring of rice plant population density.</jats:p

Patterned conductive nanostructures from reversible self-assembly of 1D coordination polymer

In this study, the outstanding ability of the coordination polymer [Pt-2(nBuCS(2))(4)I](n) (nBu = n-butyl) (1) to reversibly self-organize from solution was demonstrated. This feature allowed us to generate highly electrical conductive structures located upon demand on technologically relevant surfaces, by easy-to-handle and low cost micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC) and lithographically controlled wetting (LCW). Electrical characterization reveals a near Ohmic behaviour and a high stability of the stripes (in air). Electrodes produced by the MIMIC technique from a solution of compound 1 demonstrated that this material can be efficiently used as electrodes for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs)

Adaptive PD Controller Performance for Direct Cooling of Thermoelectric Refrigerator

Abstract Refrigerator is the key component to keep the medicine and biological sample in the hospital. The domestic refrigerator has the problem of larger size and heavier weight since to the compact system like condenser, compressor, evaporator and expansion valve are assemble and using in the refrigerator. This project focused on design of temperature control of the portable thermoelectric refrigerator for medical purpose. Thermoelectric refrigerator is using the direct cooling method through thermoelectric module. Thermoelectric refrigerator has several advantages such as smaller size, lighter and silent when operated. Since maintain a constant temperature for the storage of medical product is important, a specific refrigerator is needed to ensure the medicine is stored in desired temperature. This project is to design and develop an adaptive control system which can perform a good temperature control for the thermoelectric refrigerator. The second order model is applied to design adaptive Proportional-Derivative (PD) controller. The selected controller is the adaptive PD controller because the performance of response shows 0.42°C of less steady state error and 0.21°C of lower undershoot. The adaptive PD control system designed able to let the refrigerator operate in different operating condition without influence the performance of the refrigerator.</jats:p

Rat liver tryptophan pyrrolase activity and gene expression during alcohol withdrawal

Rat liver tryptophan (Trp) pyrrolase activity and gene expression were studied in relation to the alcohol-withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Both activity and gene expression were enhanced after withdrawal of ethanol-containing liquid diets and the time-course of these changes mirrored that of development and intensity of the behavioural disturbances of the AWS. By contrast, no correlation was observed between the AWS-induced behaviour and changes in activity of another hepatic glucocorticoid-inducible enzyme, tyrosine aminotransferase, and a negative correlation was noted between behaviour and the gene expression of this latter enzyme and also of that of the hepatic glucocorticoid receptor. We suggest that the metabolic consequences of activation of liver Trp pyrrolase during alcohol withdrawal may play a role in the behavioural features of the AWS