bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
New Generation of State Test House Equipment
Authors: Ratajeski Roy 
Published: January 2018

The new generation State Test House Brix/Acid test system, is a bold integration of open platform, personal computer and process controller instrumentation and software sub-systems designed to maximize the efficiency and utilization of existing automatic fruit analyzer hardware. The new equipment provides cost-effective, state-of-the-art hardware connectivity and software programmability.
The new generation of test house equipment is a recombination of basic industry approved automatic fruit analysis, test hardware and procedures. The scope of modernization and renovation included system rewiring, incorporation of a programmable controller, a new test computer, UNIX operating system, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software, a fourth generation relational data base, communications system, and a central office host computer. A new environmental systems enclosure, new weight controllers, sample scale, Super VGA color monitor, pH and temperature sensing instrumentation, multi-form printers, and 9600 baud modems were also furnished. The method of testing for Brix and acid remained intact.
Paper published with permission.
Workplace Ergonomics: An Approach to Health, Safety, and Productivity
Authors: Kress Gary 
Published: January 2018

Ergonomics is a discipline that considers the mental and physical capabilities and limitations of people in relation to the demands of their work. The goal of ergonomics is to minimize error and fatigue by matching job requirements with human abilities through a process of analysis and design in determining the dimensions and layout of the workspace, the design of tools and equipment, and the development of work procedures. When jobs fit people, the result is improved productivity, reduced accidents and injuries and greater job satisfaction. This paper briefly examines the ergonomic approach to identifying and reducing job related risk factors associated with cumulative trauma disorders and back stress. Examples of controls to eliminate risk factors are presented along with some workplace design principles and guidelines.
Paper published with permission.
Energy Efficiency Opportunities for Citrus Processing
Authors: Benson Jeannie 
Published: January 2018

Improving efficiency and saving money are primary concerns of any citrus processing operation. Conducting a full scale energy audit will reveal the energy use characteristics of your entire operation and help you to discover opportunities to improve energy efficiency. Projects are evaluated on the basis of economic feasibility and operational practicality, and accepted or rejected by the appropriate plant personnel. Utility rebates are often available for the accepted projects based upon energy savings. Energy efficiency programs can be, and have been, used to improve operational efficiency and save money — money that could be better used to expand your operation or increase your profit margin.
Paper published with permission.
A Review of Citrus Harvesting in Florida
Authors: Whitney Jodie D. 
Published: January 2018

The removal of Florida citrus from the tree for harvesting is still done by handpickers on ladders and requires a work force of 20,000 to 35,000 persons. Moving fruit from the grove and subsequent fruit handling has been mechanized in the last 40 years. Factors affecting harvesting are fruit type and utilization, grove characteristics, and harvest labor requirements and costs. Although mechanical harvesting research over the past 35 years has not developed a feasible machine to replace the picker, substantial design and field performance information has been developed to mechanize the harvest of a significant portion of the crop if labor becomes unavailable or too costly. Some picking aids have been implemented to increase the productivity of pickers, but their feasibility is questionable under current conditions. Renewed attempts have been made to mechanize the harvest since 1993. A harvesting program administrator was employed by the Florida Department of Citrus in January 1995 to develop a program which will insure the harvest of future crops at a competitive cost, Record crops, low fruit prices, steadily increasing harvest costs, and more regulations are predicted for the next decade.
Paper published with permission.
Short Time Reaction System for Improved Citrus Peel Processing
Authors: Marques Daniel Stefanelli 
Published: January 2018

A new concept for citrus residues reaction is presented and compared to the screw type and to the tank reaction systems.
Comments on Cutrale’s pathways to reach this simplified technology will be addressed.
Emphasis will be given on the advantages of this concept and on the new development opportunities for optimizing the operations in dried citrus peel manufacturing.
Paper published with permission.
Feed Mill Automation (to Improve Efficiency and Quality)
Authors: Sykora Glenn 
Published: January 2018

A typical South Florida citrus feed mill was studied by controls engineers to determine the benefits of modern controls. The peel bin, lime addition, dryer, and waste heat evaporator all showed considerable savings potential (2.5 year simple payback). With modern controls, the pellet feed output will be more consistent in quality while consuming less energy to produce. With total computer monitoring, safety for the operators will also be improved.
Paper published with permission.
Thermal Imaging of Electrical and Mechanical Systems
Authors: Symmes Joe 
Published: January 2018

The main objective of predictive maintenance is to identify a small problem before it becomes a big problem. Thermal Imaging is one of the best tools for predictive maintenance. This technology allows us to see a small temperature increase before it becomes a catastrophic failure. Modern technology is able to more accurately evaluate potential problems. The technology allows for collecting better and more extensive data than was previously available — from which very detailed temperature analysis can be made. Thermal inspections of electrical and mechanical systems will show you the necessary areas in your company on which to concentrate your efforts. By focusing specifically on those areas that need to be maintained, you will be saving money several ways: avoiding downtime in production, non-productive wages, greater repair costs and lost time. By performing annual thermal inspections you will also benefit by maintaining the most favorable insurance rating.
Paper published with permission.
How to Calculate Return on Investment for Maintenance Improvement Projects
Authors: Wireman Terry 
Published: January 2018

Maintenance — a function within most corporations, that most people do not understand. Unfortunately, too many people think they understand the maintenance function. This is evident by the many differing methods currently used to organize and perform maintenance in American corporations. It is no secret that many corporate and plant executives have concentrated on operations or manufacturing management, while management of the more technical disciplines such as maintenance have been ignored or placed in a secondary status. Maintenance, for example, has been viewed as an necessary evil or insurance policy, where money is paid and nothing (in their lifetime) is ever seen as a return.
Paper published with permission.
High Pressure Pasteurization of Citrus Juices
Authors: Braddock R. J. , Parish M. E. , Goodner J. K. 
Published: January 2018

High hydrostatic pressures affect chemical reactions and phase changes of matter, denaturing proteins, solidifying lipids and disrupting biological membranes. The consequences of this in food systems has importance in killing spoilage microbes without the need for heat. Some applications of high pressure treatment to the processing of citrus juices are included herein. Effective pressures for pasteurization of yeasts and yeast ascospores in citrus juice fall in the range of 43,000–72,000 psi. The corresponding Dp (time for 1 log cycle reduction) values for inactivation of ascospores were 10 min at 43,000 psi or 8 sec at 72,000 psi. Pressure treatments of orange and grapefruit juices to by-pass thermal processing for pectinesterase (PE) inactivation were in the range of 72,000–130,000 psi. Dp values for orange PE inactivation at 72,000 and 87,000 psi were 83.3 minutes and 2.4 minutes, respectively. Pressures ≥87,000 psi caused instantaneous inactivation of the heat labile form, but did not inactivate the heat stable form of PE. Heat labile grapefruit PE was also more sensitive than orange to pressure. Orange juice pressurized at 100,000 psi for 1 minute had no cloud loss for >50 days.
Paper published with permission.
Pumps in Industry: Theory and Application
Authors: Weaver Walter , Bradner Eric 
Published: January 2018

A basic review of hydraulics will serve us well as a starting point for discussing the unique applications of the Citrus industry. To begin this review, certain pertinent terms will be defined to help build a foundation of understanding. This review is not meant to be taken as a complete dissertation on the subject but to be held as a useful reference. The majority of the following information has been paraphrased from Worthington Pump’s technical symposium.
Paper published with permission.
Wide Belt Optical Inspection of Whole Citrus for Processing
Authors: Reardon Tim 
Published: January 2018

Removing defective fruit and foreign material from citrus processing lines has been a facet of the business since its inception. While the public demands 100% pure Florida orange juice, citrus processors receive fruit that contains quality defects of a wide variety of types, which must be removed to maintain final product quality. Quality control supports demand, which supports the business.
Paper published with permission.
Evaluation of Two Protein Extraction Protocols Based on Freezing and Mechanical Disruption for Identifying Nontuberculous Mycobacteria by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry from Liquid and Solid Cultures
Authors: Rodriguez-Temporal David , Perez-Risco Daniel , Struzka Eduardo A. , Mas Mireia , Alcaide Fernando 
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has proved to be a useful diagnostic method for identifying conventional bacteria. In the case of mycobacteria, a good protein extraction protocol is essential in order to obtain reliable identification results. To date, no such protocol has been definitively established. The aim of this study was to compare the manufacturer's recommended protein extraction protocol (protocol A) with two novel protocols (protocols B and C), which apply different freezing temperatures and mechanical disruption times using an automatic tissue homogenizer. A total of 302 clinical isolates, comprising 41 nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) species, were grown in parallel on solid and liquid media and analyzed: 174 isolates were slow-growing mycobacteria (SGM) and 128 isolates were rapid-growing mycobacteria (RGM). Overall, MALDI-TOF MS identified a higher number of NTM isolates from solid than from liquid media, especially with protocol C (83.4 and 68.2%, respectively;
P
< 0.05). From solid media, this protein extraction method identified 57.9 and 3.9% more isolates than protocols A (
P
< 0.001) and B (
P
< 0.05), respectively. In the case of liquid media, protocol C identified 49.7 and 6.3% more isolates than protocols A and B, respectively (
P
< 0.001). With regard to the growth rate, MALDI-TOF MS identified more RGM isolates than SGM isolates in all of the protocols studied. In conclusion, the application of freezing and automatic tissue homogenizer improved protein extraction of NTM and boosted identification rates. Consequently, MALDI-TOF MS, which is a cheap and simple method, could be a helpful tool for identifying NTM species in clinical laboratories.
Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone blockade reduces atrial fibrillation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Huang Chen-Yu , Yang Yao-Hsu , Lin Lian-Yu , Tsai Chia-Ti , Hwang Juey-Jen , Chen Pau-Chung , Lin Jiunn-Lee 
Published: January 2018

ObjectivesAtrial fibrillation (AF) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with increased mortality, mainly mediated by increased thromboembolic events and progressive heart failure. Many studies suggested inhibition of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) could reduce new AF in various clinical conditions. However, evidence concerning the effects of RAAS inhibitors on AF prevention remains unclear in HCM. Our study is to investigate whether treatment with ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) could lower the risk of new AF in HCM.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study including subjects diagnosed HCM between January 1997 and December 2013 by using a nationwide database covering almost all Taiwanese from National Health Research Institute. All participants, aged 18 or older, had no ACEIs or ARBs exposure or AF diagnosis before enrolment. Propensity score matching and multivariate Cox hazard regression were employed to estimate the risk of new AF occurrence.ResultsTotal 18 266 subjects were included in the analysis with median follow-up duration 8.13 years. Patients taking ACEIs or ARBs are associated with lower risk of developing new AF than those without taking neither of medications (3.16% vs 5.65%, relative risk 0.56 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.64), HR 0.572 (95% CI 0.480 to 0.683)). The correlation is more prominent with longer ACEIs or ARBs treatment (HRs from T1 to T3: 0.741, 0.579, 0.337, P<0.001). These results remain consistent after propensity score adjustment.ConclusionIn patients with HCM, lower risk of new AF is observed in patients treated with either ACEIs or ARBs compared with those receiving neither of these medications.
Reasons for and consequences of oral anticoagulant underuse in atrial fibrillation with heart failure
Authors: Savarese Gianluigi , Sartipy Ulrik , Friberg Leif , Dahlström Ulf , Lund Lars H 
Published: January 2018

ObjectiveAtrial fibrillation (AF) is common in patients with heart failure (HF), and oral anticoagulants (OAC) are indicated. The aim was to assess prevalence of, predictors of and consequences of OAC non-use.MethodsWe included patients with AF, HF and no previous valve replacement from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry. High and low CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores were defined as above/below median. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess the associations between baseline characteristics and OAC use and between CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores and OAC use. Multivariable Cox regressions were used to assess associations between CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores, OAC use and two composite outcomes: all-cause death/stroke and all-cause death/major bleeding.ResultsOf 21 865 patients, only 12 659 (58%) received OAC. Selected predictors of OAC non-use were treatment with platelet inhibitors, less use of HF treatments, paroxysmal AF, history of bleeding, no previous stroke, planned follow-up in primary care, older age, living alone, lower income and variables associated with more severe HF. For each 1-unit increase in CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED, the ORs (95% CI) of OAC use were 1.24 (1.21–1.27) and 0.32 (0.30–0.33), and the HRs for death/stroke were 1.08 (1.06–1.10) and for death/major bleeding 1.18 (1.15–1.21), respectively. For high versus low CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED, the ORs of OAC use were 1.23 (1.15–1.32) and 0.20 (0.19–0.21), and the HRs for death/stroke were 1.25 (1.19–1.30) and for death/major bleeding 1.28 (1.21–1.34), respectively.ConclusionsPatients with AF and concomitant HF do not receive OAC on rational grounds. Bleeding risk inappropriately affects decision-making more than stroke risk.
The Puerto Princesa Underground River (Palawan, Philippines): some peculiar features of a tropical, high-energy coastal karst system
Authors: Badino Giovanni , De Vivo Antonio , Forti Paolo , Piccini Leonardo 
Published: January 2018

Abstract
The Puerto Princesa Underground River, amongst the largest caves of the Philippine Islands, is the most visited show cave in the country, even though it has undergone no tourism adaptation at all. Its scientific importance primarily relies on the fact that it is one of the largest known underground estuaries in the world, and the effect of tides is visible along more than 7 km of the cave length. The complex relationships between sea and freshwater influence not only the hydrodynamics of the system and the speleogenetic processes presently active, but also its climate and its ecosystem. The systematic exploration and research of this coastal karst system started some 40 years ago and have shown that the Puerto Princesa Underground River is one of the most important caves in the world with regard to many different scientific fields. Speleogenesis concerns the initial phreatic solution followed by vadose erosion with periodical marine invasion, and subsequent saline/freshwater-mixing processes during sea-level highstands. The hydrodynamic behaviour of the water flowing inside the cave is rather complex, being simultaneously controlled by allogenic recharge and tides. Speleothems abundantly occur with several forms, some of which have never been described before. Several minerals, some of which are very rare, are present, together with palaeontological remains exposed by differential corrosion on rock walls. Last but not least, two large populations of bats and swiftlets sustain a complex subterranean ecosystem.
Acute high-fat diet upregulates glutamatergic signaling in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus
Authors: Clyburn Courtney , Travagli R. Alberto , Browning Kirsteen N. 
Published: January 2018

Obesity is associated with dysregulation of vagal neurocircuits controlling gastric functions, including food intake and energy balance. In the short term, however, caloric intake is regulated homeostatically although the precise mechanisms responsible are unknown. The present study examined the effects of acute high-fat diet (HFD) on glutamatergic neurotransmission within central vagal neurocircuits and its effects on gastric motility. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a control or HFD diet (14% or 60% kcal from fat, respectively) for 3–5 days. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings and brainstem application of antagonists were used to assess the effects of acute HFD on glutamatergic transmission to dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) neurons and subsequent alterations in gastric tone and motility. After becoming hyperphagic initially, caloric balance was restored after 3 days following HFD exposure. In control rats, the non- N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), but not the NMDA receptor antagonist, amino-5-phosphonopentanoate (AP5), significantly decreased excitatory synaptic currents and action potential firing rate in gastric-projecting DMV neurons. In contrast, both AP5 and DNQX decreased excitatory synaptic transmission and action potential firing in acute HFD neurons. When microinjected into the brainstem, AP5, but not DNQX, decreased gastric motility and tone in acute HFD rats only. These results suggest that acute HFD upregulates NMDA receptor-mediated currents, increasing DMV neuronal excitability and activating the vagal efferent cholinergic pathway, thus increasing gastric tone and motility. Although such neuroplasticity may be a persistent adaptation to the initial exposure to HFD, it may also be an important mechanism in homeostatic regulation of energy balance. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Vagal neurocircuits are critical to the regulation of gastric functions, including satiation and food intake. Acute high-fat diet upregulates glutamatergic signaling within central vagal neurocircuits via activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors, increasing vagal efferent drive to the stomach. Although it is possible that such neuroplasticity is a persistent adaptation to initial exposure to the high-fat diet, it may also play a role in the homeostatic control of feeding.
Organ-level right ventricular dysfunction with preserved Frank-Starling mechanism in a mouse model of pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Wang Zhijie , Patel Jitandrakumar R. , Schreier David A. , Hacker Timothy A. , Moss Richard L. , Chesler Naomi C. 
Published: January 2018

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rapidly fatal disease in which mortality is due to right ventricular (RV) failure. It is unclear whether RV dysfunction initiates at the organ level or the subcellular level or both. We hypothesized that chronic pressure overload-induced RV dysfunction begins at the organ level with preserved Frank-Starling mechanism in myocytes. To test this hypothesis, we induced PAH with Sugen + hypoxia (HySu) in mice and measured RV whole organ and subcellular functional changes by in vivo pressure-volume measurements and in vitro trabeculae length-tension measurements, respectively, at multiple time points for up to 56 days. We observed progressive changes in RV function at the organ level: in contrast to early PAH (14-day HySu), in late PAH (56-day HySu) ejection fraction and ventricular-vascular coupling were decreased. At the subcellular level, direct measurements of myofilament contraction showed that RV contractile force was similarly increased at any stage of PAH development. Moreover, cross-bridge kinetics were not changed and length dependence of force development (Frank-Starling relation) were not different from baseline in any PAH group. Histological examinations confirmed increased cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and decreased von Willebrand factor expression in RVs with PAH. In summary, RV dysfunction developed at the organ level with preserved Frank-Starling mechanism in myofilaments, and these results provide novel insight into the development of RV dysfunction, which is critical to understanding the mechanisms of RV failure. NEW & NOTEWORTHY A multiscale investigation of pulmonary artery pressure overload in mice showed time-dependent organ-level right ventricular (RV) dysfunction with preserved Frank-Starling relations in myofilaments. Our findings provide novel insight into the development of RV dysfunction, which is critical to understanding mechanisms of RV failure.