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Jun 4, 2020

Crystal–rotator-I–rotator-II phase transitions in the mixtures of alkanes

Using the combination of Flory–Huggins theory of isotropic mixing and Landau theory, we discuss the crystal–rotator-I–rotator-II phase transitions in the binary mixture of alkanes. The influence of concentration on the order parameters and the transition temperatures is discussed. Theoretical results show the first order character of both the rotator-I to crystal and rotator-II to rotator-I phase transitions in the mixture of alkanes. A good agreement between theoretical and experimental results are presented in this paper.

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Apr 15, 2025

Assessing the impact of climatic factors on the trade performance of South African maize commodity

The maize commodity is of strategic significance to the South African economy as it is a stable commodity and therefore a key factor for food security. In recent times climate change has impacted on the productivity of this commodity and this has impacted trade negatively. This paper explores the intricate relationship between climatic factors and trade performance for the South African maize. Secondary annual time series data spanning 2001 to 2023, was sourced from an abstract from Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and World Bank’s Climate Change Knowledge Portal. Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration technique was used as an empirical model to assess the long-term and short-term relationships between explanatory variables and the dependent variable. Results of the ARDL model show that, average annual rainfall (β = 2.184, p = 0.056), fertilizer consumption (β = 1.919, p = 0.036), gross value of production (β = 1.279 , p = 0.006) and average annual surface temperature (β = −0.650, p = 0.991) and change in temperature for previous years, (β = −0.650, p = 0.991) and the effects towards coefficient change for export volumes, (β = 0.669, p = 0.0007). In overall, as a recommendation, South African policymakers should consider these findings when developing strategies to mitigate the impacts of some of these climatic factors and implementing adaptive strategies for maize producers.

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Sept 2, 2024

Supplier performance assessment: Empirical evidence in Indonesian freight forwarding companies

This research aimed to assess the results of two vendors used by the company in the shipping process of export goods. Two leading suppliers for one similar activity had caused more difficulties in the monitoring and controlling activities of DHL Global Forwarding Indonesia. This research used qualitative and quantitative methods, with the Analytic Hierarchy Process decision-making method using 36 internal staff members as the sample. Through a qualitative calculation method by distributing questionnaires to the existing suppliers, namely Monang Sianipar Kargo and Andima Transportindo, it was found that the weighted score for Monang Sianipar Kargo was 22.84 and for Andima Transportindo was 10.66. Subcriteria and indicators should be prioritized in the criteria of Price and service, significantly to improve the performance of problematic suppliers. This research recommended using the Analytic Hierarchy Process for assessment since it facilitated the research development by the opinion of the company’s experts. Such a finding implied that a policy from the management was needed in the assessment of suppliers. As an implication, it was necessary to assess all suppliers cooperating with DHL Global Forwarding Indonesia by using actual data from the current month.

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Mar 28, 2024

An Adaptive Algorithm for Workpiece Edge Detection Combining Morphology and Canny Operator

Addressing the challenges of limited noise suppression, inaccurate edge detection, and poor adaptability encountered in the detection of workpiece image edges in complex industrial environments, this study introduces an adaptive algorithm for edge detection that integrates morphological processing with the Canny operator. Firstly, a weighted adaptive morphological processing is designed to extract the gradient magnitude and direction. Secondly, this extracted information is weighted fused with the gradient magnitude and direction obtained from the traditional Canny operator. Subsequently, an adaptive dual threshold algorithm is devised for edge detection and connection. Finally, the proposed algorithm is experimentally validated using images collected from industrial robot assembly lines. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms traditional methods, detecting more effective and continuous edges with significant noise reduction.

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Feb 2, 2024

Genetic association analysis in advance tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) lines for horticultural and yield contributing traits

Twenty-two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) genotypes were examined for correlation and path analysis in the randomized block design under open field conditions. Total fruit yield showed a significant positive correlation with the number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, lycopene content, and percent seedling survival in the field at both the genotypic and phenotypic levels. A strong correlation between these characters revealed that selection based on these characters would consequently improve the total fruit yield. Path analysis showed that the number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, percent seedling survival in the nursery, and number of locules per fruit exhibited high positive direct phenotypic effects on total fruit yield, whereas the number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, percent seedling survival in the field, and pollen viability had very high positive direct genotypic effects. Therefore, to increase the yield, it would be profitable to prioritize these traits in the selection program.

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