Repellency and some biological effects of different ultrasonic waves on Mediterranean flour moth,Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Ephestia kuhniella is one of the most important stored pests in the world. Repellency and biological effects of various ultrasonic signals with different frequencies and wave shapes on adult, larvae and pupae of the pest were studied in laboratory conditions. Choice and non-choice tests was performed by an invented signal generator device. In choice tests, different ultrasonic frequencies, and for each frequency, four different waveforms were emitted by the device and numbers of repelled moths were separately calculated. Dispersion patterns, weight and survival of the pest treated by the ultrasound were compared with control in non-choice tests. The choice tests indicated that shape and frequency of ultrasound significantly affected evasive behavior of the moths by the waves. The highest repellency effects of ultrasound were observed at frequencies of 43–45 kHz and wave shapes of Sin (x) and Cos (x). Male moths significantly were more affected by the ultrasound. In non-choice test, weights of the pest larvae and pupae and the larvae survival were significantly reduced when they treated by ultrasound with frequency 40–45 kHz and Sin (x) wave shape that emitted by specific pattern. Also, our findings showed that the larvae and adults considerably tend to avoid from the ultrasound source. Results of the study can be applied for control of the pest in store locations or silage.     

Overcoming barriers and uncertainties in the adoption of residential solar PV

In recent years decreasing hardware costs have driven down the installed price of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and spurred adoption. However, system cost is not the only barrier faced by solar adopters. Potential adopters also face various informational barriers, leading to high indirect costs during the information search process. There is a significant gap in the literature for empirical work on solar adoption linking how the information context (installer marketing; neighbors with solar, i.e., peer effects; etc.) interacts with a potential adopter's motivations to impact decision outcomes. To address this gap we present results of a new survey on the decision-making process of residential PV adopters in northern California. The main aspects of our analysis include: salient motivating factors, information gathering process, peer effects, role of installers, and factors driving the choice of outright purchase versus third-party ownership (e.g., leasing) modes of adoption. We find that installers and neighbors play important, but often supplementary, roles throughout the decision-making process and have influence on both the decision to adopt as well as on the mode of adoption. Furthermore, expected financial returns and concerns about operations and maintenance are the main determining factors for the mode of adoption.     

Incentives for early adoption of carbon capture technology: Further considerations from a European perspective

This note details two comments on a recent policy proposal in Comello and Reichelstein (2014) aimed at favoring the early adoption of Carbon Capture (CC) technology in the next generation of thermal-based power plants to be installed in the United States. First, we examine the implications of a worst-case scenario in which no new CC is adopted internationally beyond what is in place in 2014. Second, we show the potential, under the original proposed subsidy, for the emergence of coordination failures capable of hampering the desired early CC deployment. We propose and evaluate modified schedules of tax-credits sufficient to overcome these concerns. These additions strengthen the argument in the original article: namely, though higher incentive levels are necessary, our findings confirm that the cost of the proposed policy is not out of reach.     

Effects of viscous heating,fluid property variation,velocity slip,and temperature jump on convection through parallel plate and circular microchannels

Theoretical results, based on perturbation techniques, are presented for fully developed, both hydrodynamically and thermally, forced convection in both parallel plate and circular microchannels subject to isoflux wall boundary condition. Scaling effects, including variable property, viscous dissipation, velocity slip, and temperature jump, are studied for flow of both gases and liquids. The interactions between the aforementioned effects, due to temperature-dependence of the fluid properties that couples the momentum and thermal energy equation, are also examined in detail.     

Nonlinear effects of stretch on the flame front propagation

In all experimental configurations, the flames are affected by stretch (curvature and/or strain rate). To obtain the unstretched flame speed, independent of the experimental configuration, the measured flame speed needs to be corrected. Usually, a linear relationship linking the flame speed to stretch is used. However, this linear relation is the result of several assumptions, which may be incorrected. The present study aims at evaluating the error in the laminar burning speed evaluation induced by using the traditional linear methodology. Experiments were performed in a closed vessel at atmospheric pressure for two different mixtures: methane/air and iso-octane/air. The initial temperatures were respectively 300 K and 400 K for methane and iso-octane. Both methodologies (linear and nonlinear) are applied and results in terms of laminar speed and burned gas Markstein length are compared. Methane and iso-octane were chosen because they present opposite evolutions in their Markstein length when the equivalence ratio is increased.The error induced by the linear methodology is evaluated, taking the nonlinear methodology as the reference. It is observed that the use of the linear methodology starts to induce substantial errors after an equivalence ratio of 1.1 for methane/air mixtures and before an equivalence ratio of 1 for iso-octane/air mixtures. One solution to increase the accuracy of the linear methodology for these critical cases consists in reducing the number of points used in the linear methodology by increasing the initial flame radius used.     

醅层高度对白酒蒸馏及酒质影响的研究

通过对浓香型白酒蒸馏过程中甑内乙醇和主要风味物质变化过程以及馏出规律的研究,重点就醅层高度对蒸馏效果的影响进行探索研究。通过实验数据表明,浓香型大曲白酒蒸馏过程中醅层高度以0．9～1．0m为宜,过高过低都不利于有效保证蒸馏效率和产品质量。     

A comprehensive review of spermidine: Safety,health effects,absorption and metabolism,food materials evaluation,physical and chemical processing,and bioprocessing

Spermidine, a natural autophagy inducer, has a variety of health effects, such as antitumor, antiaging, anti-inflammation, cardiovascular protection, and neuromodulation. It has been a hot topic in the field of food processing, and current research findings suggest that spermidine-rich foods may be used in intervention and prevention of age-related diseases. In this article, recent findings on the safety, health effects, absorption and metabolism of spermidine were reviewed, and advances in food processing, including the raw materials evaluation, physical and chemical processing, and biological processing of spermidine, were highlighted. In particular, the core metabolic pathways, key gene targets, and efficient metabolic engineering strategies involved in the biosynthesis of spermidine and its precursors were discussed. Moreover, limitations and future perspectives of spermidine research were proposed. The purpose of this review is to provide new insights on spermidine from its safety to its food processing, which will advance the commercial production and applications of spermidine-rich foods and nutraceuticals.     

一种辅助改善记忆保健食品功能评价的动物模型

目的 为辅助改善记忆类保健食品的功能评价提供新的动物模型.方法使用滚筒睡眠干扰仪对小鼠进行不同时间(5、10、15 d)睡眠干扰后,用自主活动仪检测自主活动,水迷宫、避暗试验检测认知功能.结果 干扰5d组小鼠的自主活动、水迷宫定位航行和空间探索、避暗训练和检测各指标与对照组比较,差异无统计学意义;干扰10 d组与对照组比较,自主活动总路程、平均速度、运动总时间增加,水迷宫定位航行潜伏期从第4d起增加,空间探索穿台次数的差异无统计学意义,避暗训练错误次数、潜伏期、暗室路程增加,避暗检测的差异无统计学意义:干扰15d组与对照组比较,自主活动差异无统计学意义,水迷宫定位航行潜伏期增加、空间探索穿台次数减少,避暗训练错误次数、潜伏期、暗室时间、暗室路程增加,明室时间显著减少,避暗检测差异无统计学意义.结论 采用本法,干扰5d对小鼠自主活动和认知功能无影响,干扰10 d影响小鼠自主活动、损害其空间学习和避暗学习能力,干扰15d不影响小鼠自主活动、损害其空间学习记忆和避暗学习能力,可为辅助改善记忆类保健食品的功能评价提供新的动物模型.     

DIRECTION REVERSALS IN THE MECHANICAL SIGNATURE OF CELLULAR SNACKS: A MEASURE OF BRITTLENESS?

The “mechanical signatures” of brittle cellular foods are known to be irregular and irreproducible. Nevertheless, their degree of jaggedness is remarkably similar and can be a measure of such foods' brittleness and perceived crunchiness/crispiness. An irregular curve's “jaggedness” is manifested by frequent direction reversals. Hence, their number can serve as a jaggedness's index. Counting the number of direction reversals in a digitized force‐displacement curve can be done with a simple algorithm, implemented in any general‐purpose software. The number of direction reversals is strongly correlated with the signature's apparent fractal dimension. It is also a reproducible enough parameter to monitor the loss of brittleness in snacks as a result of moisture sorption. This measure of jaggedness, however, is inapplicable to smooth force‐displacement curves because in such records, the small random force fluctuations produced by the digitizing process can create a false impression of “jaggedness.” Although a correction for this artifact can be introduced into the program, its utility is doubtful.