Novel Design of a Rotation Centre Auto-Matched Ankle Rehabilitation Exoskeleton with Decoupled Control Capacity

This paper presents a novel ankle rehabilitation exoskeleton for post-stroke patients, with its rotational centre automatically conforming with ankle complex once people wear it. This exoskeleton has 2 rotation DOFs and is able to provide 2 different rotation patterns by reconfiguring. In the combined-rotation pattern arrangement, the mechanism can generate all three kinds of rotations that the ankle complex is naturally capable of realising. Among these rotational motions, adduction/abduction rotation is coupled motion. This rotation can be further reduced, or eliminated, by minimizing the distance between the lower connection points of the actuated links and the human ankle complex, and vice versa. For the other rotation pattern, a 90-degree arrangement of the side link offers decoupled motion control of the mechanism. Numerical studies reveal that the required rehabilitation workspace for dynamical gait exercises can be achieved with high dexterity, without generating singularities. Further investigations indicate that this mechanism has great potential for rehabilitating post-stroke patients of a wide range of heights and weights.

Techno-Economic Feasibility of In Situ Vegetable Residue Return in the Chinese Solar Greenhouse

The tremendous scale of protected vegetable cultivation incidentally produces considerable vegetable residue, which refers to the remaining parts of plants after the final harvest. The low use rate of vegetable residue results in nutrient waste and environmental pressure in China. In this study, we put forward vegetable residue directly returned to the soil and investigated its feasibility. Residue return was steadily conducted 5 times in a Chinese solar greenhouse with the cucumber–tomato rotation pattern. Results showed that residue return increased the soil alkali-hydrolysed nitrogen and available potassium contents by 4.97–26.22% and 9.31–21.92%, respectively, along with slightly reduced soil pH and bulk density by 1.00–5.39% and 6.72–11.81%, respectively. Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota were the major phyla with noticeable changes when residue return was conducted 5 times. Fruit yield began to obtain remarkable increase by 5.81–9.26 t·ha−1 after residue return was conducted 3 times, bringing about additional profits of 5382.0–8519.2 USD·ha−1. Residue return could cut down the disposal expense of vegetable residues by 480.89 USD·ha−1. Moreover, residue return could supplement nutrients to soil, potentially contributing to reducing chemical fertilizer inputs. In conclusion, in situ vegetable residue return could be considered to be a feasible and sustainable use technique for vegetable residues in the Chinese solar greenhouse.

Unique octahedral rotation pattern in the oxygen-deficient Ruddlesden–Popper compound Gd3Ba2Fe4O12

A novel Ruddlesden–Popper-related compound, Gd3Ba2Fe4O12, was discovered and its crystal structure was determined via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure has an ordered structure of octahedra and pyramids along the c axis. Gd3Ba2Fe4O12 belongs to the tetragonal system P42/ncm, with a = 5.59040 (10) Å and c = 35.1899 (10) Å. The A-site ions in the Ruddlesden–Popper structure, i.e. Gd3+ and Ba2+, exhibit an ordering along the c axis. The perfect oxygen deficiency is accommodated at the GdO layers in the proper Ruddlesden–Popper structure. Using the bond-valence-sum method, the Fe ions in the FeO6 octahedra and FeO5 pyramids represent valence states of +3 and +2.5, respectively, demonstrating a two-dimensional charge disproportionation. The corner-sharing FeO6 octahedra and FeO5 pyramids are tilted in opposite directions, with the neighbours around one axis of the simple perovskite configuration, which, using Glazer's notation, can be represented as a − b 0 c 0/b 0 a − c 0. In the perovskite blocks, the facing FeO5 pyramids across the Gd layer rotate in the same sense, which is a unique rotation feature related to oxygen deficiency.

DYNAMICS OF SOIL CARBON AND N, P, K NUTRIENTS ON CORN PLANTING PATTERN IN DRY LAND

A study was conducted during two planting seasons, namely planting season 1 (PS-1) 2017/2018 and (PS-2): 2018/2019, in Oelnasi Village, Central Kupang sub-district, Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. This study aimed to evaluate the rotation pattern of maize with legumes ground covers towards the dynamics of soil carbon and nutrients N, P, K during the two growing seasons in a dryland farming system. The experiment was designed using a randomized block design with 3 (three) treatments replicated five times. The treatments evaluated were: crop rotation patterns consisting of: without rotation (farmer practice) and rotation pattern with Phaseolus lunatus; rotation pattern with Mucuna pruriens. Legume crops planted after harvesting the food crop and allowed to grow during the dry season. Approaching the rainy season, the biomass of the legume crop is returned to the land by immersing them it together with soil cultivation. Chemical fertilizers is given as an independent variables with a dose of 150 kg/ha of Urea; 100 kg/ha of SP36 and 100 kg/ha of KCL. The results showed that the rotation pattern of Mucuna pruriens significantly increased the soil organic C content by 50.56% and legume Phaseolus lunatus by 37.64% to PS-2. The rotation pattern of the legume covers / covered crop also significantly increased the efficiency of agronomic nutrients (N, P, and K nutrients) and maize yields during the two growing seasons. On the other hand, the farmer pattern (without rotation) showed a decrease in soil carbon to PS-2 which of course affect the efficiency of nutrient absorption.

Mints Locations and Chronology of Gnaeus and Sextus Pompey’s Bronze Coinage (RRC 471, 478 and 479): A Die Axes Study

The coinage of Pompey the Great’s sons has long attracted the attention of numismatists and historians trying to reconstruct a detailed chronology of their activities. One of the problems examined was the location of the places they minted coins. This article tries to indicate the possible locations of mints producing Gnaeus’ and Sextus’ bronze coinage (RRC 471, RRC 478, RRC 479) based on the analysis of the die axes of 794 coins and attempts to interpret the results based on local traditions regarding this aspect of coin morphology. The results show that RRC 471 was most likely minted in Corduba. The unusual die alignment of the RRC 478 indicates that it may have been minted not in Spain or Sicily, but in Achaia or Bithynia. It is, however, difficult to reconcile this with the geographical distribution of the finds that points to Sicily. Nonetheless we should probably move dating of this type until after the signing of the Treaty of Misenum in 39 BC. The die axes of the RRC 479 is consistent with traditions of most Sicilian mints. The exception to this is one of the series whose different rotation pattern indicates production in one of only two Sicilian mints (Panormos or Centuripae) or one of the several South Italian cities (most probably Rhegion).

METHODOLOGY AND TEST RESULTS OF THE SOWING SECTION USED FOR SEEDING FORAGE CROPS

The sound practice of keeping meadows and pastures, including the simultaneous use of long-term fallow lands in the crop rotation pattern, is possible only through improving the existing agrotechnical methods, sowing being the least energy-intensive among them. The study goal was to assess the uneven seeding of small-seeded crops using the technical modernization of a seeder equipped with mechanical seeding units and an innovative coulter group that ensures high-quality sowing. Comprehensive studies of the problems under consideration were carried out at Tver State Agricultural Academy. The authors present a systematic approach for assessing and implementing the technological process of sowing multi-species agrophytocenosis of small-seeded crops. The method includes the following stages: studying the profi le of the soil layer necessary for even germination of seeds; analyzing the parameters of placing the seed material, taking into account the depth of planting, the inter-row spacing width, the width between the seeds in the rows and determining the modeled level of plant density; assessing the possibility of modernization and use of the grain-fertilizer seeder SZ-3.6 for the simultaneous sowing of seeds of two crops; designing and testing a combination opener for simultaneous strip sowing of two diff erent crops. The data obtained aim to expand the theoretical and practical grounds for the development of new seeding machines and their working elements and introduce highly productive multicomponent agrophytocenoses for forage production. The following stages of research will optimize the methodology for studying the seeding parameters of agricultural plants to reduce the labor intensity and conduct fi eld tests of the sowing section using various types of small-seeded crops.

The Effect of Residues of Plant Rotation Patterns with Cover Crop Legums on Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics and Corn Products During Two Seasons of Planting

This study aimed to estimate wherewith the residual effect of the crop rotation pattern with the cover crop lagoon on the dynamics of soil organic carbon and maize yield during the two growing seasons in the Kupang region of Indonesia. The treatments evaluated were: maize rotation pattern with several types of seasonal legume cover crops and how to return the legume biomass. The results showed a very significant increase in soil organic carbon and maize yield. The rotation pattern with legumes P. lunatus, M. pririens and C. juncea had a statistically significant effect on increasing soil organic carbon storage and maize yield during the two growing seasons. These three types of legumes still have a positive effect until the second planting season where there is an increase in soil organic carbon storage (at a depth of 0-30 cm) of 0.75-1.19 % C-organic (82.08 to 84.38 t.ha-1 soil carbon storage) compared to C.chayan and control treatment which decreased soil organic carbon storage was greater. About maize yields, up to PS- 2 still showed relatively stable results, namely only a decrease in maize yield (kg.ha-1) of 3.14% -4.19% compared to C. chayan which decreased yields of 15% and without control rotation ) with a reduction in yield of up to 30% . The method of restoring the cover crop legume biomass with the mulching technique was able to increase soil organic carbon storage by 0.71%, and the yield of dry shelled maize (kg.ha-1) on PS-2 only decreased yield by 2.48% compared to the immersion method which reduced the yield up to 11, 02%. This study found that the rotation pattern does not need to be done every planting season. Still, it is sufficient to do it in intervals of two to three growing seasons. The residual effect can significantly guarantee the maintenance of organic carbon stocks in the soil. With the assurance of soil organic carbon stores coupled with proper management, soil productivity is maintained and sustainable. When soil organic carbon increases, it can benefit maize and other food crops.