Enhanced light trapping in solar cells using snow globe coating

A novel method, snow globe coating, is found to show significant enhancement of the short circuit current J_SC (35%) when applied as a scattering back reflector for polycrystalline silicon thin‐film solar cells. The coating is formed from high refractive index titania particles without containing binder and gives close to 100% reflectance for wavelengths above 400 nm. Snow globe coating is a physicochemical coating method executable in pH neutral media. The mild conditions of this process make this method applicable to many different types of solar cells. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Doping efficiency and energy-level scheme in C60F48-doped zinc–tetraphenylporphyrin films

High resolution synchrotron-based core level spectroscopy was used to examine the energy level alignment at the interface of zinc–tetraphenylporphyrin films doped by the surface acceptor C₆₀F₄₈. Two distinct fluorofullerene charge states were identified, corresponding to ionized and neutral molecules, and their relative concentration as a function of coverage was used to evaluate the probability of occupation of the acceptor lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). From an initial acceptor energy of ?0.25 eV, the C₆₀F₄₈ LUMO shifts upwards with coverage due to a doping-induced interfacial dipole potential, and stabilization of the LUMO at an energy 0.45 eV above the Fermi energy was obtained. While the energy difference upon saturation is consistent with the results obtained for other donor–acceptor systems that have been interpreted as Fermi level pinning, the present work shows that the energy offset is a direct consequence of the interplay between Fermi–Dirac statistics in combination with the interfacial dipole potential.     

UNICORE 6 — Recent and Future Advancements

UNICORE is a European Grid Technology with more than 10 years of history. Originating from the Supercomputing domain, the latest version UNICORE 6 has turned into a general-purpose Grid technology that follows established standards and offers a rich set of features to its users. The paper starts with an architectural insight into UNICORE 6, highlighting the workflow features, standards and the different clients. Next, the current state of advancement is presented by describing recent developments. The paper closes with an outlook on future planned developments.     

不同纺纱参数对双喷嘴假捻纱成纱结构的影响

比较和分析了双喷嘴喷气纱和涡流纱的差异。纱线强度主要是包缠纤维比例的函数。试验证明纤维在第二喷嘴成纱。第二喷嘴形成的捻度向后传递到牵伸系统,并抵消了第一喷嘴造成的反向捻度。通过调整入口的几何位置、喷嘴压力和纤维喂入的设计参数,可以对加捻三角区产生积极的影响,并可达到提高输出速度的效果。通过这些方法可略微改善成纱结构及性能。     

Apple Allergy: The cDNA Sequence of the Major Allergen of Apple,Determined by Performing PCR with a Primer Based on the N-Terminal Amino Acid Sequence,is Highly Homologous to the Sequence of the Major Birch Pollen Allergen

Considering the known N-terminal amino acid sequence of the major apple allergen, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer was selected to amplify cDNA encoding this protein. A single PCR product was obtained, cloned into Escherichia coli and subsequently sequenced. The missing 5′-end of the apple cDNA sequence was obtained by a 5′-RACE method. The cDNA sequence showed 72% identity with the coding region of one of the known isoforms of Bet v 1, the major allergen of birch pollen. The deduced amino acid sequence resulted in a 158-residue protein with a calculated molecular mass of 17·5 kDa and 63% amino acid sequence identity to Bet v 1. In addition, further protein alignments showed a high degree of identity with allergens from other tree pollens and some ‘pathogenesis-related proteins’ from food plants. According to international regulations the allergen was termed Mal d 1 for this protein, it being the first major allergen discovered and characterised in fruits of apple (Malus domestica).     

Rumination activity of dairy cows in the 24 hours before and after calving

Monitoring rumination behavior serves multiple purposes in feeding and herd management of dairy cows. The process of calving is a major event for cows, and a detailed understanding of alterations in behavioral patterns of animals in the time around calving is important in calving detection. The objective of this study was to describe the short-term changes in rumination patterns in dairy cows immediately before and after parturition. In total, 17 cows were fitted with rumination sensors that were able to monitor rumination time, number of rumination boli, and number of rumination jaw movements. Rumination time was decreased in the last 4 h antepartum and in the first 8 h postpartum. Cows stopped ruminating 123 ± 58 min (mean ± standard deviation) before calving and resumed ruminating 355 ± 194 min after calving. The number of rumination jaw movements and boli per day were decreased in the 24-h period postpartum. Rumination rate, the number of rumination jaw movements per rumination minute, and the number of boli per rumination minute changed little around calving. The calving event primarily influenced the duration and frequency of various rumination characteristics but not rumination intensity. Among detected characteristics, rumination time showed the greatest potential for monitoring of calving events.     

Explaining tolerance for bitterness in chocolate ice cream using solid chocolate preferences

Chocolate ice cream is commonly formulated with higher sugar levels than nonchocolate flavors to compensate for the inherent bitterness of cocoa. Bitterness, however, is an integral part of the complex flavor of chocolate. In light of the global obesity epidemic, many consumers and health professionals are concerned about the levels of added sugars in foods. Once a strategy for balancing undesirable bitterness and health concerns regarding added sugars has been developed, the task becomes determining whether that product will be acceptable to the consumer. Thus, the purpose of this research was to manipulate the bitterness of chocolate ice cream to examine how this influences consumer preferences. The main goal of this study was to estimate group rejection thresholds for bitterness in chocolate ice cream, and to see if solid chocolate preferences (dark vs. milk) generalized to ice cream. A food-safe bitter ingredient, sucrose octaacetate, was added to chocolate ice cream to alter bitterness without disturbing other the sensory qualities of the ice cream samples, including texture. Untrained chocolate ice cream consumers participated in a large-scale sensory test by indicating their preferences for blinded pairs of unspiked and spiked samples, where the spiked sample had increasing levels of the added bitterant. As anticipated, the group containing individuals who prefer milk chocolate had a much lower tolerance for bitterness in their chocolate ice cream compared with the group of individuals who prefer dark chocolate; indeed, the dark chocolate group tolerated almost twice as much added bitterant in the ice cream before indicating a significant preference for the unspiked (control) ice cream. This work demonstrates the successful application of the rejection threshold method to a complex dairy food. Estimating rejection thresholds could prove to be an effective tool for determining acceptable formulations or quality limits when considering attributes that become objectionable at high intensities.     

The effect of temperature and radiation on flavonol aglycones and flavonol glycosides of kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica)

The winter crop kale has a complex profile of different glycosylated and acylated flavonol glycosides which may be affected by global warming. To the best of our knowledge, compound–climate relationships for flavonol aglycones and flavonol glycosides were established for the first time. The investigated 10 major flavonol glycosides responded structure-dependent in the investigated temperature range between 0 and 12 °C and the photosynthetic active radiation range between 4 and 20 mol m⁻² d⁻¹, e.g. the decrease in temperature led to an increase in sinapic acid monoacylated and diacylated quercetin glycosides, while the sinapic acid monoacylated kaempferol glycosides showed a maximum at 4.5 °C. Furthermore, the hydroxycinnamic acid residues and the different number of glucose moieties in the 7-O position affected the response of kaempferol triglucosides. Consequently, global warming would result in lower concentrations of antioxidant-relevant quercetin glycosides in winter crops, suggesting a production at e.g. higher altitudes due to lower temperature.     

Distribution and identification of culturable airborne microorganisms in a Swiss milk processing facility

Airborne communities (mainly bacteria) were sampled and characterized (concentration levels and diversity) at 1 outdoor and 6 indoor sites within a Swiss dairy production facility. Air samples were collected on 2 sampling dates in different seasons, one in February and one in July 2012 using impaction bioaerosol samplers. After cultivation, isolates were identified by mass spectrometry (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight) and molecular (sequencing of 16S rRNA and rpoB genes) methods. In general, total airborne particle loads and total bacterial counts were higher in winter than in summer, but remained constant within each indoor sampling site at both sampling times (February and July). Bacterial numbers were generally very low (<100 cfu/m³ of air) during the different steps of milk powder production. Elevated bacterial concentrations (with mean values of 391 ± 142 and 179 ± 33 cfu/m³ of air during winter and summer sampling, respectively; n = 15) occurred mainly in the “logistics area,” where products in closed tins are packed in secondary packaging material and prepared for shipping. However, total bacterial counts at the outdoor site varied, with a 5- to 6-fold higher concentration observed in winter compared with summer. Twenty-five gram-positive and gram-negative genera were identified as part of the airborne microflora, with Bacillus and Staphylococcus being the most frequent genera identified. Overall, the culturable microflora community showed a composition typical and representative for the specific location. Bacterial counts were highly correlated with total airborne particles in the size range 1 to 5 µm, indicating that a simple surveillance system based upon counting of airborne particles could be implemented. The data generated in this study could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the dairy plant’s sanitation program and to identify potential sources of airborne contamination, resulting in increased food safety.     

Development and Performance of Crystallization with Additives Applied on Different Milk Samples

Crystallization with additives is developed on milk samples from different processing treatments. Performance tests are carried out based on structure analysis of the crystallization patterns. Crystallization with milk as additive is applied following changes in milk after different processing treatments. When an aqueous cupric chloride dihydrate solution crystallizes in the presence of milk as additive, specific patterns emerge, which can be evaluated by image analysis. Milk samples were heated and homogenized in a pilot plant and characterized by various parameters. Furthermore, milk samples from the market were tested. Patterns from milk after heat treatment and homogenization are significantly different from those derived from untreated milk. The experiments could be reproduced for other milk samples, on different days and in another laboratory.