Thresholding is a digital image analysis method used to distinguish objects from the background in images and it is mainly used for void and density analysis in soil. It is important to select an ...appropriate thresholding method because the accuracy of void analysis can vary significantly depending on the threshold value; however, there is currently no standard for soil density analysis. Therefore, this study proposes an image analysis method for soil density prediction. The experimental process involved collecting soil samples from agricultural lands, encompassing various soil textures including sandy loam, loam, silt loam, and silty clay loam. These samples were then meticulously prepared under controlled conditions, ensuring a comprehensive range of dry densities and water content levels. Digital images of the soil samples were acquired using a Canon EOS100d camera, employing a high-resolution setup that provided precise imaging capabilities. The porosity of the soil image is calculated by various thresholding methods. Based on the analysis results, we propose a void area curve, a new approach that can be applied to the soil density prediction. The void area curve is the relationship curve between the threshold value and porosity of the soil image. The standard deviation of the void area curve showed a high correlation with the dry density of the soil. The standard deviation of the void area curve was used to predict the dry density under various soil texture and water content conditions, and the RMSE was 0.037 t/m3. The method of estimating soil density with the standard deviation of the void area curve can be used more generally than the existing analysis method because there is no need to select a specific threshold value.
Exploring the causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth is important in energy economics. We performed an empirical re-examination of the causal interactions between these ...two factors in South Korea. As most previous studies in South Korea overlook the nonlinear behavior of energy consumption and economic growth, we examine the possible nonlinear relationship between them in the time-frequency domain. Moreover, we provide additional features of their nonlinear relationship with volatility spillovers on a timescale. The empirical findings have different implications for short-run GDP fluctuations, medium-run business cycles, and long-run economic growth. A unidirectional nonlinear causal relationship exists from economic growth to energy consumption in the short and medium run. However, in the long run, there is no nonlinear causal relationship between them.
•Wavelet decomposition captures the layered characteristics of the timescale-aggregated data.•In the short and medium run, there exist nonlinear causal relations from economic growth to energy consumption.•In the long run, there is no nonlinear causality between energy consumption and economic growth.•Volatility transmissions uncover a source of the nonlinear causal relationship.
For appropriate managing fields and crops, it is essential to understand soil properties. There are drawbacks to the conventional methods currently used for collecting a large amount of data from ...agricultural lands. Convolutional neural network is a deep learning algorithm that specializes in image classification, and developing soil property prediction techniques using this algorithm will be extremely beneficial to soil management. We present the convolution neural network models for estimating water content and dry density using soil surface images. Soil surface images were taken with a conventional digital camera. The range of water content and dry density were determined considering general upland soil conditions. Each image was divided into segmented images and used for model training and validation. The developed model confirmed that the model can learn soil features through appropriate image argumentation of few of original soil surface images. Additionally, it was possible to predict the soil water content in a situation where various soil dry density conditions were considered.
This study aimed to develop a deep neural network model for predicting the soil water content and bulk density of soil based on features extracted from in situ soil surface images. Soil surface ...images were acquired using a Canon EOS 100d camera. The camera was installed in the vertical direction above the soil surface layer. To maintain uniform illumination conditions, a dark room and LED lighting were utilized. Following the acquisition of soil surface images, soil samples were collected using a metal cylinder to obtain measurements of soil water content and bulk density. Various features were extracted from the images, including color, texture, and shape features, and used as inputs for both a multiple regression analysis and a deep neural network model. The results show that the deep neural network regression model can predict soil water content and bulk density with root mean squared error of 1.52% and 0.78 kN/m3. The deep neural network model outperformed the multiple regression analysis, achieving a high accuracy for predicting both soil water content and bulk density. These findings suggest that in situ soil surface images, combined with deep learning techniques, can provide a fast and reliable method for predicting important soil properties.
Reclaimed soil is known to have high salinity due to poor water permeability. Soil conditioner can improve the permeability of the ground by changing the composition or structure of the soil, and ...various materials can be used. Fly ash is mainly recycled as a ready-mixed concrete admixture. However, the high Fe content fly ash limits its recycling due to esthetic problems, so a new recycling plan is needed. Calcium in fly ash can support soil aggregation, but its lower content than that of a general soil conditioner requires additional measures. Therefore, in this study, a new soil conditioner based on high Fe content fly ash with low recycling rate was developed and applied to improve soil in reclaimed land. Three soil conditioners based on fly ash, blast furnace slag cement, CaSO
4
, Al
2
(SO
4
)
3
, and cationic polymer were developed. The soil conditioners increased soil aggregation size and permeability. This improvement is greater in soils with higher fine content, higher additive content in soil conditioners, and a higher mixing ratio of soil conditioners. The rate of capillary rise increased, but the height of capillary rise is predicted to decrease based on particle size analysis. In conclusion, soil conditioner with high Fe content fly ash can be used to improve reclaimed soil. The new recycling method for high Fe content fly ash proposed in this study is expected to increase the recycling rate of fly ash.
In recent years, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been increasingly utilized to estimate forest resources. This study was conducted to identify the applicability of a LiDAR sensor for such ...estimations by comparing data on a tree’s position, height, and diameter at breast height (DBH) obtained using the sensor with those by existing forest inventory methods for a Cryptomeria japonica forest in Jeju Island, South Korea. For this purpose, a backpack personal laser scanning device (BPLS, Greenvalley International, Model D50) was employed in a protected forest, where cutting is not allowed, as a non-invasive means, simultaneously assessing the device’s field applicability. The data collected by the sensor were divided into seven different pathway variations, or “patterns” to consider the density of the sample plots and enhance the efficiency. The accuracy of estimating the variables of each tree was then assessed. The time spent acquiring and processing real-time data was also analyzed for each method, as well as total time and the time required for each measurement. The findings showed that the rate of detection of standing trees by LiDAR was 100%. Additionally, a high statistical accuracy was observed in pattern 5 (DBH: RMSE 1.22 cm, bias—0.90 cm, Height: RMSE 1.66 m, bias—1.18 m) and pattern 7 (DBH: RMSE 1.22 cm, bias—0.92 cm, Height: RMSE 1.48 m, bias—1.23 m) compared to the results from the typical inventory method. A range of 115–162.5 min/ha was required to process the data using the LiDAR, while 322.5–567.5 min was required for the typical inventory method. Thus, the application of a backpack personal LiDAR can lead to higher efficiency when conducting a forest resource inventory in a coniferous plantation with understory vegetation. Further research in various stands is necessary to confirm the efficiency of using backpack personal laser scanning.
Reclaimed land and coastal soils have characteristics of poor drainage and high salinity because they are adjacent to the ocean. As salty soil hinders growth of crops, it is necessary to improve ...drainage performance and desalinize the soil for efficient use of reclaimed land. Bottom ash and oyster shells are produced in significant amounts as by-products and wastes in Korea each year and, if left unattended, can cause environmental problems. Because these materials are large in size, particle size distribution and permeability of the soil can be improved by mixing of such ash and shells. Carbonate, a main component of oyster shell, is known to promote granulation of soil particles and can affect the grain size distribution of the soil. In addition, bottom ash has a porous structure that can improve permeability when it is mixed with soil. Therefore, several experiments and numerical analyses were performed in this study on use of bottom ash and oyster shells as soil improvement materials and drainage materials to improve the desalinization efficiency of reclaimed land. Permeability was improved by about 2.7 times at a 20% mixing ratio and by about 5.5 times at a 40% mixing ratio of oyster shell, and bottom ash was most suitable and effective when used as a material for the drainage layer. Desalinization efficiency was highest when mixing oyster shells at a 40% ratio and using bottom ash for drainage, which increased the efficiency by approximately 2.6 times over 10 days. In conclusion, reuse of bottom ash and oyster shell could improve the efficiency of reclaimed land use.
Soil particle size distribution is a crucial factor in determining soil properties and classifying soil types. Traditional methods, such as hydrometer tests, have limitations in terms of time ...required, labor, and operator dependency. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to quantify soil particle size analysis using machine vision analysis with an RGB camera. The method aims to overcome the limitations of traditional techniques by providing an efficient and automated analysis of fine-grained soils. It utilizes a digital camera to capture the settling properties of soil particles, eliminating the need for a hydrometer. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the machine vision-based approach in accurately determining soil particle size distribution. The comparison between the proposed method and traditional hydrometer tests reveals strong agreement, with an average deviation of only 2.3% in particle size measurements. This validates the reliability and accuracy of the machine vision-based approach. The proposed machine vision-based analysis offers a promising alternative to traditional techniques for assessing soil particle size distribution. The experimental results highlight its potential to revolutionize soil particle size analysis, providing precise, efficient, and cost-effective analysis for fine-grained soils.
Recent studies indicate that signaling molecules traditionally associated with central nervous system function play critical roles in cancer. Dopamine receptor signaling is implicated in various ...cancers including glioblastoma (GBM) and it is a recognized therapeutic target, as evidenced by recent clinical trials with a selective dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) inhibitor ONC201. Understanding the molecular mechanism(s) of the dopamine receptor signaling will be critical for development of potent therapeutic options. Using the human GBM patient-derived tumors treated with dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists, we identified the proteins that interact with DRD2. DRD2 signaling promotes glioblastoma (GBM) stem-like cells and GBM growth by activating MET. In contrast, pharmacological inhibition of DRD2 induces DRD2-TRAIL receptor interaction and subsequent cell death. Thus, our findings demonstrate a molecular circuitry of oncogenic DRD2 signaling in which MET and TRAIL receptors, critical factors for tumor cell survival and cell death, respectively, govern GBM survival and death. Finally, tumor-derived dopamine and expression of dopamine biosynthesis enzymes in a subset of GBM may guide patient stratification for DRD2 targeting therapy.
Fault diagnosis of power transmission systems (PTSs) is crucial for ensuring the reliability of power grids because most grids are exposed to harsh environments. For integrity diagnosis of PTSs, this ...article proposes a nondestructive patrol inspection method that employs a smart inspection system (SIS) mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This system overcomes the geographical limitations faced in accessing PTSs. The SIS includes an ultraviolet camera system that can detect partial discharges on the damaged surfaces of PTSs. The SIS is characterized by three main features. First, it employs an automatic line-tracking method based on image-processing methods. Second, defect locations are automatically estimated on the basis of the consistency of partial discharges, where consistency indicates the steadiness of corona discharges in one-dimensional global coordinates. Third, an alarm is triggered on the basis of the combination of the result from a statistical outlier detection method and the estimated partial discharge locations on a two-dimensional partial discharge map. Finally, a UAV equipped with the proposed system is field-tested for PTS inspection in the autopilot mode. Field tests conducted on ultrahigh-voltage PTSs confirmed the damage detection capabilities of the proposed method and demonstrated its effectiveness and convenience.
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