ALBERT

All Library Books, journals and Electronic Records Telegrafenberg

X
feed icon rss

Your email was sent successfully. Check your inbox.

An error occurred while sending the email. Please try again.

Proceed reservation?

Export
Filter
  • Articles  (84,342)
  • Molecular Diversity Preservation International  (68,647)
  • Oxford University Press  (5,135)
  • De Gruyter  (3,984)
  • Institute of Physics  (3,068)
  • Hindawi  (2,842)
  • American Physical Society (APS)
  • Annual Reviews
  • Blackwell Publishing Ltd
  • 2015-2019  (84,342)
  • Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering  (56,688)
  • Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition  (22,046)
  • Economics  (9,121)
  • Political Science
Collection
  • Articles  (84,342)
Source
Keywords
Publisher
Years
Year
Journal
Topic
  • 1
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Cover Page (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 2
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Too Busy to Eat with the Kids? Parental Work and Children's Eating (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: Parents influence their children's eating behavior by providing access to certain types of food, creating enjoyable mealtimes and associations with food, and by role modeling. In this study we investigate the association between parental employment and parental time spent eating with their children. Using data from the 2001/02 German Time Budget Survey, we explore associations between time spent eating with children and labor force participation in Germany. We find that parental labor force participation is negatively associated with time spent eating with children. Each additional hour of work per day by the mother is associated with a 2.4 minute decrease in the amount of time the mother spends eating with her children. For paternal hours of work, we find that the more time a father spends working, the less time the child spends eating with the father or with both parents. Overall, we find evidence of mother inter-gender time substitution and some amount of time/food away from home substitution. Understanding how parents allocate their time, where they are most likely to eat, and what drives these decisions is an important endeavor since parents play a critical role in shaping and reinforcing their children's eating practices.
    Keywords: D13 - Household Production and Intrahousehold Allocation
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 3
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Exploring the Role of Incentives in Agricultural Extension Programs (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: While many governments subsidize extension programs, financial incentives for participation in extension programs are rare and little is known about such initiatives. This article assesses whether a financial incentive for an agricultural extension program for dairy farmers in Ireland has an impact on the type of farmer that participates in extension services. The findings reveal that financial incentives encourage participation, especially with cohorts of farmers that previously eschewed such programs. Several aspects of the overall economic effectiveness of the extension program are discussed and policy recommendations are outlined.
    Keywords: Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets, Q16 - R&D ; Agricultural Technology ; Agricultural Extension Services
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 4
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Trade Liberalization versus Climate Change Policy for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture: Some Insights from Norway (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: Using a mathematical programming model of Norwegian agriculture, we explore interconnections between trade liberalization and reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We show that the Doha Round proposals for a new agreement on agriculture through the World Trade Organization would not generate significant reductions in emissions. Further trade liberalization would reduce emissions by cutting agricultural production but would not change production methods. Imposing a carbon tax would lead both to a reduction in output and the extensification of production. In contrast, if farmers are allowed to claim a credit for carbon sequestration the effect is to intensify agricultural production.
    Keywords: F18 - Trade and Environment, Q17 - Agriculture in International Trade, Q54 - Climate ; Natural Disasters ; Global Warming
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 5
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    A Wicked Problem? Cost Containment in the Women, Infants and Children Program (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program is a key part of America's safety net, but its structure fails to incentivize participants to be cost-conscious in their purchases and may cause retailers to attach excessive markups to WIC products. We investigate cost containment in the WIC Program, with a focus on California. Results show that smaller vendors often charge considerably higher prices for WIC foods than their larger counterparts. However, larger vendors do not mark up WIC foods more or promote them less than comparable control products. Cost containment can be improved by targeting WIC Program sales to larger vendors when it is possible to do so without compromising participant access, and using large-vendor prices as a benchmark to limit prices set by smaller vendors.
    Keywords: D12 - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis, I38 - Government Policy ; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs, Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 6
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Crop Prices, Agricultural Revenues, and the Rural Economy1 (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: Policy makers in the United States often justify agricultural subsidies by stressing that agriculture is the engine of the rural economy. We use the increase in crop prices in the late 2000s to estimate the marginal effect of increased agricultural revenues on local economies in the U.S. Heartland. We find that $1 more in crop revenue generated 64¢ in personal income, with most going to farm proprietors and workers (59%) or nonfarmers who own farm assets (36%). The evidence suggests a weak link between revenues and nonfarm income or employment, or on population. Cuts to agricultural subsidies are therefore likely to have little effect on the broader rural economy in regions like the Heartland.
    Keywords: J43 - Agricultural Labor Markets, O13 - Agriculture ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Other Primary Products
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 7
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    A Chat about Insurance: Experimental Results from Rural Bangladesh (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: Farmers throughout the developing world face multiple sources of uninsured risk to agricultural production and household assets. In this paper, we present results from an experimental demand-elicitation exercise in rural Bangladesh to shed light on smallholder farmers' interest in formal insurance products. We propose a suite of insurance and savings products, and we randomly vary the price of one insurance option (area-yield insurance) and the presence of one of the savings options (group savings). Consistent with economic theory, farmers buy more of the insurance products that cover the risks they primarily face. However, because farmers are subject to a variety of risks, they do not focus on only one type of insurance; instead, they evenly split their endowment between life and disability insurance and agricultural insurance. Demand for area-yield insurance falls with price; we also observe important cross-price elasticities with other insurance products. The presence of group savings does not alter demand for insurance, though group savings is found to be a particularly popular risk management tool, especially when decisions are made in groups.
    Keywords: C93 - Field Experiments, G22 - Insurance ; Insurance Companies, O13 - Agriculture ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Other Primary Products, O16 - Economic Development: Financial Markets ; Saving and Capital Investment ; Corporate Finance and, Q14 - Agricultural Finance
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 8
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Subscription Page (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 9
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Revisiting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cycle of food intake: Investigating heterogeneity, diet quality, and a large boost in benefit amounts (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: The monthly cycle of daily food intake among adult participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is examined using data from the 2007–10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Exogenous variation in interview and benefit receipt dates provides means for identification, and a difference-in-differences specification is used to account for the large boost in benefits that began in April 2009 via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Caloric intake declined as much as 25% at the end of the month prior to ARRA, but not after implementation. Few differences were observed for diet quality measures or among subgroups. Increases in SNAP benefit amounts may help smooth food intake over the benefit month.
    Keywords: D12 - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis, E21 - Consumption ; Saving ; Wealth, I38 - Government Policy ; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 10
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Deception in Experiments: Towards Guidelines on use in Applied Economics Research (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: Many applied economics journals ban the use of deception in experiments, which contrasts with the policies in other academic disciplines. We examine the cases for and against deception, and describe the ways deception can be employed in applied economics experiments. We create a general ranking of harms from deception in experiments and present evidence from a survey (conducted in summer 2014) of agricultural and applied economists eliciting attitudes towards ten different deceptive practices. Survey respondents view inflicting physical or psychological harm on participants and not making promised payments as the most severe forms of deception. Less severe forms of deception include providing participants with incomplete product information and conducting an experiment using participants who are not aware they are part of an experiment. Finally, we provide recommendations for policies addressing deception in experiments.
    Keywords: C80 - General, C81 - Methodology for Collecting, Estimating, and Organizing Microeconomic Data, C90 - General
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 11
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Supply Response, Marginal Cost, and Soil Erosion Implications of Stover-based Biofuels (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-11
    Description: Existing economic analysis of corn stover as an energy feedstock has not considered potential changes in land use associated with different stover prices. We estimate the response of corn stover supply density to its price driven by changes in land use and examine its implications for a processing plant's pricing strategy and marginal cost, as well as associated changes in soil erosion. We find that plants will exploit the intensive margin as well as the extensive margin to secure additional amounts of stover. Our results show, counterintuitively, that a market for stover may result in lower soil erosion due to reallocations of land to continuous corn with removal, which, combined with no-till farming, results in lower soil erosion than the baseline without stover removal. Also contrary to expectations, using cover crops with stover removal may result in higher soil erosion due to land use changes within the fuel shed associated with optimal pricing.
    Keywords: Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation, Q24 - Land, Q42 - Alternative Energy Sources
    Print ISSN: 2040-5790
    Electronic ISSN: 2040-5804
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 12
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Calculations of effectiveness factors and the criteria of mass transfer effect for high-temperature methanation (HTM) catalyst (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: Natural gas is an extremely important bridge fuel to a low-carbon energy economy for improving local air quality. Coal to synthetic natural gas (SNG) is an effective way to convert the high-carbon energy (coal) into the low-carbon energy with rich hydrogen (natural gas). For the modern coal to SNG industry, the high-temperature methanation (HTM) catalyst plays an important role, and the advanced evaluation process should necessitate the elimination of mass transfer effect. Some simple but effective model catalysts, such as slab and sphere, can be very helpful in defining the reaction conditions, and thus facilitating the evaluation process for real HTM catalysts. In this work, slab and sphere model catalysts were adopted to derive mass transfer and reaction-coupled equations, the numerical methods were used to solve the coupled equations for the concentration profiles in catalysts, and the effectiveness factors were accordingly calculated. By taking advantage of the Thiele module and the Weisz–Prater module , the criteria for the elimination of mass transfer effect in the HTM catalyst evaluation process were successfully defined. This work also complements the Weisz–Prater criterion by incorporating ‘negative reaction orders’.
    Keywords: Other low-carbon energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 13
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    A novel low-carbon space conditioning system incorporating phase-change materials and earth-air heat exchangers (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: The energy expended for conditioning buildings around the world is worryingly large and increasing every year. Currently, almost half of houses around the world use some type of energy-expensive conventional air-conditioning system. These systems are high emitters of gases such as carbon dioxide and so high contributors to climate change. Consequently, alternatives must be considered. Earth–air heat exchangers (EAHEs) and phase-change materials (PCMs) may be options; they have, however, limitations. This paper proposes a novel hybrid space-conditioning system combining EAHEs with PCMs, which uses surfaces as sources of heating or cooling to provide better temperature distribution across a space and comfort enhancement with low energy use. The idea is to use an EAHE to provide cool air to discharge the PCM, consequently helping to overcome most of the limitations of both strategies. Two of a series of experiments undertaken to test the proposed system are reported in this article. The EAHE + PCM system compared with a reference room could decrease temperature swings by up to 47%. The system was proved to work although further work is required to make it commercially viable.
    Keywords: Other low-carbon energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 14
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    3D analysis of the incident diffuse irradiance on the building's surfaces in an urban environment (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: The design of a future building with very high-energy efficiency demands from the architect to study the available solar resources in this urban environment. The purpose of the presented methodology is to study the variations in all components of the incident solar radiation daily, monthly and seasonally for all building facades. This is realized in the computer program 3D–SOLARIA. In the focus of the paper is the estimation of the background component of the incident diffuse solar irradiation on a building facade under orthogonally obstructed sky, using anisotropic sky view factors.
    Keywords: Sustainable/low carbon buildings
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 15
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    An integrated approach for sustainable design and assessment of residential building envelope: part I (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: The assessment of building envelope sustainability using existing building performance assessment methods is still a challenge and yet to be fully addressed. This is due to the single-dimensional nature and lack of integration of sustainable performance values. Besides, the issue of sustainability assessment in the building envelope requires considering many factors including life cycle considerations. As such, in an effort to develop an integrated approach that combines relevant sustainable development factors and life cycles, an integrated performance model (IPM) was developed. The IPM is an essential tool developed to aid the sustainable design of the residential building envelope that can reduce carbon emission and whole residential building energy consumption and ensure sustainable performance of the building envelope.
    Keywords: Sustainable/low carbon buildings
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 16
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Towards the generation of distributed electric power: self-consumption with net balance (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: The results and considerations on one self-consumption photovoltaic installation with net balance in Granada (South of Spain) are presented and discussed in this paper. The use of the building (one faculty) makes it optimal for this kind of consumption. Finally, the potential benefits and problems of self-consumption with net balance are presented.
    Keywords: Solar energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 17
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Numerical investigation of turbulent flow heat transfer and pressure drop of AL2O3/water nanofluid in helically coiled tubes (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: Passive convective heat transfer enhancement can be achieved by improving the thermo-physical properties of the working fluid, changing flow geometry or both. This work presents a numerical study to investigate the combined effect of using helical coils and nanofluids on the heat transfer characteristics and pressure losses in turbulent flow regime. The developed computational fluid dynamics models were validated against published experimental data and empirical correlations. Results have shown that combining the effects of alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles and tube coiling could enhance the heat transfer coefficient by up to 60% compared with that of pure water in straight tube at the same Reynolds number. Also, results showed that the pressure drop in helical coils using Al 2 O 3 nanofluid for volume fraction of 3% was six times that of water in straight tubes (80% of the pressure drop increase is due to nanoparticles addition), while the effect of Reynolds number on the pressure drop penalty factor was found to be insignificant.
    Keywords: Other low-carbon energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 18
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Control strategies for indoor environment quality and energy efficiency--a review (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: The demand for better indoor environment has led to a wide use of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. However, this demanding cannot be sustained without a strategy to reduce the energy consumption of HVAC systems. Employing advanced HVAC control is one of the strategies to maintain high-quality indoor thermal comfort with low energy consumption. This paper reviews the development of control technologies for HVAC systems. It summarizes the problems in existing reviews and gives a future perspective on HVAC control systems for occupant comfort and energy efficiency.
    Keywords: Built environment and low-carbon society
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 19
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Variability of the Warta River water discharge in the city of Poznań as influenced by the Jeziorsko reservoir / Zmienność przepływów rzeki Warty w Poznaniu w aspekcie eksploatacji zbiornika Jeziorsko (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 53-59
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 20
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Phytoremediation of phenol using Polygonum orientale and its antioxidative response (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 39-46
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 21
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Design and Testing of a Shell-Encapsulated Solar Collector with the Compound Surface Concentrators (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-04
    Description: This paper presents design and testing of a shell-encapsulated solar collector which can be used in north area of China for wall-amounting installation. The designed solar collector is based on the combination of a novel compound curved surface concentrator and an aluminum concentric solar receiver, which is contained in a glass evacuated-tube. As there is no perforative joint between the double-skin glass evacuated-tube and the aluminum concentric solar receiver, the difficulty of vacuum keeping for a glass-metal joint is avoided. The cavity shell provides an additional thermal insulation to reduce heat loss of the designed solar collector. The working principle of the compound curved surface concentrator is described. The ray-tracing results are given to show the effect of deviation angle of the concentrator on its optical efficiency, hence determining its maximum acceptance angle. A prototype of the designed solar collector has been constructed and tested under the sunny winter weather condition. The experimental results indicate that the hot water temperature higher than 80°C with a daily average efficiency of about 45~50% has been achieved at the average ambient temperature below 0°C, so the designed solar collector can produce hot water at a useful temperature in winter.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 22
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Recent Research Progress in Solar Thermal Conversion Theory and Applications (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 23
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    A Study on Thermal Performance of a Novel All-Glass Evacuated Tube Solar Collector Manifold Header with an Inserted Tube (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: A novel all-glass evacuated tube collector manifold header with an inserted tube is proposed in this paper which makes water in all-glass evacuated solar collector tube be forced circulated to improve the performance of solar collector. And a dynamic numerical model was presented for the novel all-glass evacuated tube collector manifold header water heater system. Also, a test rig was built for model validation and comparison with traditional all-glass evacuated tube collector. The experiment results show that the efficiency of solar water heater with a novel collector manifold header is higher than traditional all-glass evacuated tube collector by about 5% and the heat transfer model of water heater system is valid. Based on the model, the relationship between the average temperature of water tank and inserted tube diameter (water mass flow) has been studied. The results show that the optimized diameter of inserted tube is 32 mm for the inner glass with the diameter of 47 mm and the water flow mass should be less than 1.6 Kg/s.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 24
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Performance Investigation and Structure Optimization of a Flat Dual-Function Solar Collector (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: The performance of a dual-function solar collector (DFSC) that can work as either water heater or air heater depending on seasonal requirement is investigated via both experimental and numerical approaches in this paper. The numerical results are well consistent with the experimental results. Daily efficiency of the thermosiphon system with DFSC is more than 55% in water heating mode and the instantaneous air heating efficiency of the collector reaches 60%. The effects of inner parameters on the thermal efficiency of the collector are analyzed by numerical simulations of the operation of DFSC in two working modes. It is found that the depths of the two air channels in DFSC have an optimal range suitable for both working modes. The thickness of back insulation should be no less than 0.06 m to prevent heat loss via backboard, and the diameter and number of copper tubes show notable effect on the efficiency of DFSC in water heating mode but slight effect in air heating mode.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 25
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    An Enhanced Preventive Maintenance Optimization Model Based on a Three-Stage Failure Process (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: Nuclear power plants are highly complex systems and the issues related to their safety are of primary importance. Probabilistic safety assessment is regarded as the most widespread methodology for studying the safety of nuclear power plants. As maintenance is one of the most important factors for affecting the reliability and safety, an enhanced preventive maintenance optimization model based on a three-stage failure process is proposed. Preventive maintenance is still a dominant maintenance policy due to its easy implementation. In order to correspond to the three-color scheme commonly used in practice, the lifetime of system before failure is divided into three stages, namely, normal, minor defective, and severe defective stages. When the minor defective stage is identified, two measures are considered for comparison: one is that halving the inspection interval only when the minor defective stage is identified at the first time; the other one is that if only identifying the minor defective stage, the subsequent inspection interval is halved. Maintenance is implemented immediately once the severe defective stage is identified. Minimizing the expected cost per unit time is our objective function to optimize the inspection interval. Finally, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed models.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 26
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Improved Modelling and Assessment of the Performance of Firefighting Means in the Frame of a Fire PSA (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: An integrated deterministic and probabilistic safety analysis (IDPSA) was carried out to assess the performances of the firefighting means to be applied in a nuclear power plant. The tools used in the analysis are the code FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) for fire simulation and the tool MCDET (Monte Carlo Dynamic Event Tree) for handling epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. The combination of both tools allowed for an improved modelling of a fire interacting with firefighting means while epistemic uncertainties because lack of knowledge and aleatory uncertainties due to the stochastic aspects of the performances of the firefighting means are simultaneously taken into account. The MCDET-FDS simulations provided a huge spectrum of fire sequences each associated with a conditional occurrence probability at each point in time. These results were used to derive probabilities of damage states based on failure criteria considering high temperatures of safety related targets and critical exposure times. The influence of epistemic uncertainties on the resulting probabilities was quantified. The paper describes the steps of the IDPSA and presents a selection of results. Focus is laid on the consideration of epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. Insights and lessons learned from the analysis are discussed.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 27
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    A Flooding Induced Station Blackout Analysis for a Pressurized Water Reactor Using the RISMC Toolkit (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: In this paper we evaluate the impact of a power uprate on a pressurized water reactor (PWR) for a tsunami-induced flooding test case. This analysis is performed using the RISMC toolkit: the RELAP-7 and RAVEN codes. RELAP-7 is the new generation of system analysis codes that is responsible for simulating the thermal-hydraulic dynamics of PWR and boiling water reactor systems. RAVEN has two capabilities: to act as a controller of the RELAP-7 simulation (e.g., component/system activation) and to perform statistical analyses. In our case, the simulation of the flooding is performed by using an advanced smooth particle hydrodynamics code called NEUTRINO. The obtained results allow the user to investigate and quantify the impact of timing and sequencing of events on system safety. In addition, the impact of power uprate is determined in terms of both core damage probability and safety margins.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 28
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Safety Assessment of Nuclear Power Plants for Liquefaction Consequences (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: In case of some nuclear power plants constructed at the soft soil sites, liquefaction should be analysed as beyond design basis hazard. The aim of the analysis is to define the postevent condition of the plant, definition of plant vulnerabilities, and identification of the necessary measures for accident management. In the paper, the methodology of the analysis of liquefaction effects for nuclear power plants is outlined. The procedure includes identification of the scope of the safety analysis and the acceptable limit cases for plant structures having different role from accident management point of view. Considerations are made for identification of dominating effects of liquefaction. The possibility of the decoupling of the analysis of liquefaction effects from the analysis of vibratory ground motion is discussed. It is shown in the paper that the practicable empirical methods for definition of liquefaction susceptibility provide rather controversial results. Selection of method for assessment of soil behaviour that affects the integrity of structures requires specific considerations. The case of nuclear power plant at Paks, Hungary, is used as an example for demonstration of practical importance of the presented results and considerations.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 29
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Delayed Station Blackout Event and Nuclear Safety (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: The loss of off-site power (LOOP) event occurs when all electrical power to the nuclear power plant from the power grid is lost. Complete failure of both off-site and on-site alternating current (AC) power sources is referred to as a station blackout (SBO). Combined LOOP and SBO events are analyzed in this paper. The analysis is done for different time delays between the LOOP and SBO events. Deterministic safety analysis is utilized for the assessment of the plant parameters for different time delays of the SBO event. Obtained plant parameters are used for the assessment of the probabilities of the functional events in the SBO event tree. The results show that the time delay of the SBO after the LOOP leads to a decrease of the core damage frequency (CDF) from the SBO event tree. The reduction of the CDF depends on the time delay of the SBO after the LOOP event. The results show the importance of the safety systems to operate after the plant shutdown when the decay heat is large. Small changes of the basic events importance measures are identified with the introduction of the delay of the SBO event.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 30
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Long-term stand dynamics of managed spruce-fir-beech mountain forests in Central Europe: structure, productivity and regeneration success (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    In: Forestry
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-07
    Description: With a total area of several million hectares, mountain forests of Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.), silver fir ( Abies alba Mill.) and European beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) connect the beech-covered lowlands and spruce-dominated alpine regions and still represent the most natural though managed forests in Europe. For sustaining their unique functions and services, their natural gap dynamics are emulated by the combined shelterwood–femel-coupe system. In the 1970s, 22 long-term experimental plots were established in the Bavarian Alps in order to substantiate the formerly mainly experience-based silvicultural prescriptions. After more than 40 years of successive surveys including the integrated evaluation of the old stands and the measurement of natural regeneration, analyses reveal: (1) The reduction of overstorey density is generally associated with a proportional reduction of the overstorey stand growth. So, the recommended 20–40 per cent density reduction of a combined shelterwood–femel coupe may reduce the mean annual increment also by ~20–40 per cent, but part of this loss is compensated by the additional growth of the regeneration. (2) Over time, the natural regeneration is continuously augmented by new recruitment of seedlings and saplings. (3) However, even 40 years after initiating regeneration, spruce is rare in the regeneration compared with fir, beech and other broadleaved species. Further observation will show whether spruce will catch up with the other species or whether it requires either larger disturbances than gap and femel coupes, or possibly planting. Based on these findings, a refined shelterwood–femel-coupe system is proposed and its advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
    Print ISSN: 0015-752X
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3626
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 31
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    The effect of carfentrazone-ethyl on soil microorganisms and soil enzymes activity / Wpływ karfentrazonu etylu na mikroorganizmy i aktywność enzymów glebowych (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 3-10
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 32
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Do Boys and Girls Use Computers Differently, and Does It Contribute to Why Boys do Worse in School Than Girls? (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-21
    Description: Journal Name: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy Issue: Ahead of print
    Print ISSN: 1555-0494
    Electronic ISSN: 1935-1682
    Topics: Economics
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 33
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Preface to the COST Action FP0904 (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-22
    Print ISSN: 0018-3830
    Electronic ISSN: 1437-434X
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 34
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Duckweed does not improve the efficiency of municipal wastewater treatment in lemna system plants / Rzęsa nie poprawia efektywności oczyszczania ścieków komunalnych w oczyszczalniach typu Lemna System (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 47-52
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 35
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Why did the Portuguese economy stop converging with the OECD? Institutions, politics and innovation (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-22
    Description: Underlying the crisis affecting peripheral European countries is their structural, long-term loss of competitiveness (Hadjimichalis, 2011, European Urban and Regional Studies , 18: 254–274). This article will focus on the Portuguese case and discuss the institutional constraints that hindered its economy from transitioning towards the production of higher-value added goods and services. It will discuss institutions as the product of a political process laden with power asymmetries and argue that the dominance of a relatively small community at the heart of economic and political life in Portugal has conditioned the development of the economy as a whole. Using this framework, this article will then contribute to the literatures on innovation and technological modernisation and argue that alongside a technical process of catching up there is a political process that can enable or constrain development.
    Keywords: B52 - Institutional ; Evolutionary, O33 - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences ; Diffusion Processes, P16 - Political Economy
    Print ISSN: 1468-2702
    Electronic ISSN: 1468-2710
    Topics: Geography , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 36
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    The geography of financial inclusion across Europe during the global crisis (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-22
    Description: This article identifies the main determinants of financial inclusion, defined as the probability of using both banking and credit services, across 18 Eastern European economies and 5 Western European ‘comparator’ countries. We elicit demographic and socio-economic information on 25,000 European households from the second round of the Life in Transition Survey undertaken during the 2008–2010 global crisis; the survey also includes several questions on households’ financial decisions collecting data at the regional and local level. Our results show that households hit by negative job or income shocks and without any asset to pledge are less likely to be financially included, especially in Eastern Europe. The individual likelihood of financial inclusion is also affected by the average use of financial services at the local level suggesting the presence of a financial multiplier effect. These results provide useful information for mapping financial inclusion across Europe during the crisis, which in turn can inform policy action at the local level.
    Keywords: D14 - Personal Finance, G21 - Banks ; Other Depository Institutions ; Micro Finance Institutions ; Mortgages
    Print ISSN: 1468-2702
    Electronic ISSN: 1468-2710
    Topics: Geography , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 37
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Soil Carbon Accumulation and CO2 Flux in Experimental Restoration Plots, Southern Iceland: Comparing Soil Treatment Strategies (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-24
    Description: Experimental plots were established on severely eroded land surfaces in Iceland in 1999 to study the rates and limits of soil carbon sequestration during restoration and succession. The carbon content in the upper 10 cm of soils increased substantially during the initial eight years in all plots for which the treatments included both fertilizer and seeding with grasses, concomitant with the increase in vegetative cover. In the following five years, however, the soil carbon accumulation rates declined to negligible for most treatments and the carbon content in soils mainly remained relatively constant. We suggest that burial of vegetated surfaces by aeolian drift and nutrient limitation inhibited productivity and carbon sequestration in most plots. Only plots seeded with lupine demonstrated continued long-term soil carbon accumulation and soil CO2 flux rates significantly higher than background levels. This demonstrates that lupine was the sole treatment that resulted in vegetation capable of sustained growth independent of nutrient availability and resistant to disruption by aeolian processes.
    Print ISSN: 1687-7667
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-7675
    Topics: Geosciences , Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 38
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Thermal Analysis of Direct Liquid-Immersed Solar Receiver for High Concentrating Photovoltaic System (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-13
    Description: Concentrator solar cells that operate at high solar concentration level must be cooled. In this paper, direct liquid immersion cooling of triple-junction solar cells (InGaP/InGaAs/Ge) is proposed as a heat dissipation solution for dense-array high concentrating photovoltaic (HCPV) systems. The advantages of triple-junction CPV cells immersed in a circulating dielectric liquid and dish HCPV technology are integrated into a CPV system to improve the system electrical conversion efficiency. An analytical model for the direct liquid-immersed solar receiver with triple-junction CPV cells is presented. The main outputs of the model are the components temperatures of the receiver and the system electrical efficiency. The influence of concentration factor, mass flow rate, and inlet liquid temperature on the operating temperature of the triple-junction CPV cells and the system electrical conversion efficiency are discussed. It is shown that the system electrical conversion efficiency is very high for a wide range of operating conditions. The three operating parameters have a major effect on the operating temperature of the triple-junction CPV cells and, by extension, system output power. The flow rate selection should match concentration factor to keep the triple-junction CPV cells temperature lower and increase the electrical conversion efficiency of the dense-array HCPV system.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 39
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Assessment of the influence of composts on microbiological and biochemical parameters of substrates and the morphological traits of scarlet sage / Ocena wpływu kompostów na parametry mikrobiologiczne i biochemiczne podłoży oraz cechy morfologiczne szałwii (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 28-38
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 40
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    The use of multi-criteria analysis for selection of technology for a household WWTP compatible with sustainable development / Zastosowanie analizy wielokryterialnej do wyboru rozwiązania technologicznego przydomowej oczyszczalni ścieków zgodnego z ideą zr (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 76-82
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 41
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Tracer gas technique for measurement of air infiltration and natural ventilation: case studies and new devices for measurement of mechanical air ventilation in ducts (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: In buildings without mechanical ventilation, the fresh air needed by the occupants is supplied only by air infiltration or natural ventilation. Its quantification by analytical methods is difficult, and so experimental methods such as the tracer gas technique are very useful. In this work, several case studies are presented, where one may see the potential of this technique to detect small differences in building air tightness, due to different envelope elements, namely the type of window frames and location of blinds' boxes. The applicability of this technique to other spaces rather than buildings can also be analyzed. When dealing with mechanical ventilation, it is difficult to measure the duct air flow rate precisely, because of the minimum duct length necessary to obtain a good mixing of the tracer gas with the air, when conventional probes are used. Research was carried out with the development of new probes to overcome this situation, and results are also shown. With accurate measurements of air flow rates, it is possible to reduce CO 2 emissions due to air heating or cooling in buildings.
    Keywords: Built environment and low-carbon society
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 42
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Readdressing working fluid selection with a view to designing a variable geometry ejector (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: A number of factors influence the performance of an ejector, e.g. working fluid, geometry and operating conditions. In the present work, six low-environmental-impact working fluids were evaluated for their use in an ejector cooling system running on low-temperature thermal energy. The numerical analysis was based on a model applying the 1D constant-pressure mixing theory. Ejector performance was assessed for the temperatures of the generator, evaporator and condenser in the range of 80–120°C, 5–15°C and 25–40°C, respectively. The results indicated that owing to its high coefficient of performance and moderate operating pressures throughout the entire ejector cycle, isobutane is a good choice for a refrigerant. The area ratio required for running the ejector in critical mode, under changing operating conditions, varied in a significant range regardless of the selected refrigerant. This clearly indicates the importance of a variable geometry ejector design to strengthen the position of ejector cooling systems among other refrigeration technologies.
    Keywords: Other low-carbon energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 43
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    The European Union and its energy security challenges (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-30
    Description: Energy security remains a vital issue for the European Union (EU), even more so in the wake of the events that unfolded in early 2014 in Ukraine. The EU’s already fragile position in the international energy arena in terms of security of supply appears to be more uncertain than ever after its umpteenth fallout with its historic energy supplier, Russia. This situation is untenable and calls for swift and decisive action to adequately tackle the issue once and for all. The article looks at the creation of a single EU energy market through integration of energy networks in the EU. It then examines various ways to diversify the EU’s energy supply, whether through increasing the import of liquefied natural gas, through its relations with the Eurasian Union, the promotion of renewable energy or the construction of alternative pipelines and energy routes. The article then offers an analysis of the latest developments of the Energy Charter Conference. The article concludes that from energy transit, to technology transfer, to investment protection, energy and trade present interplays across various fields. Improvements can be made to the EU trading system to ensure greater energy security and more efficient energy markets.
    Print ISSN: 1754-9957
    Electronic ISSN: 1754-9965
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Law , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 44
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    The legal and contractual framework pertaining to the exploration and production of shale gas in Egypt (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-30
    Description: Despite the Egyptian authorities’ great hopes for the fledging shale gas industry in Egypt, it appears that it could be difficult for Egypt to realize these lofty ambitions, at least in the near future. The Egyptian shale gas industry faces technical challenges as well as a critical lack of detailed regulations regarding the exploration for and the production of shale gas. There is also a lack of guidance over the manner in which foreign investments can be made in the industry.
    Print ISSN: 1754-9957
    Electronic ISSN: 1754-9965
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Law , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 45
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Growth, Development, and Mineral Nutrient Accumulation and Distribution in Tulip from Planting through Postanthesis Shoot Senescence (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-04
    Description: Tulips were grown under field conditions from mid-November through early-June. Plants were harvested and dissected into eight organs on twenty-one dates. These parts were dried, weighed, and analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. A transition (as determined by curve join points) from a linear to a steep negative cubic response occurred prior to shoot emergence for N (82 days after planting (DAP)), at shoot emergence for K (93 DAP) and Ca (94 DAP), and after shoot emergence for Mg (102 DAP) and dry matter (118 DAP). A transition from a linear to a steeper linear response occurred at shoot emergence for P (93 DAP). Growth, organ development, and nutrient accumulation occurred continuously from planting to maturity (188 DAP), except for K which did not accumulate during the initial linear phase. Since the increase in accumulation of all five nutrients preceded the dry matter accumulation, these nutrients could be used as predictors in growth models. Practical implications from this study include the importance of maintaining soil Ca levels through liming and applying the N, P, and Mg as split applications with smaller rates at planting and larger rates at emergence. The entire K application may be applied at emergence.
    Print ISSN: 1687-8159
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-8167
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 46
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Improved Optimization Study of Integration Strategies in Solar Aided Coal-Fired Power Generation System (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-04
    Description: Solar aided coal-fired power generation system (SACFPGS) combines solar energy and traditional coal-fired units in a particular way. This study mainly improves the solar thermal storage system. Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the SACFPGS. The best integration approach of the system, the collector area, and the corresponding thermal storage capacity to replace each high-pressure extraction are obtained when the amount of coal saving in unit solar investment per hour is at its largest. System performance before and after the improvement is compared. Results show that the improvement of the thermal storage system effectively increases the economic benefit of the integrated system.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 47
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Theoretical and Experimental Study of Spectral Selectivity Surface for Both Solar Heating and Radiative Cooling (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-04
    Description: A spectral selectivity surface for both solar heating and radiative cooling was proposed. It has a high spectral absorptivity (emissivity) in the solar radiation band and atmospheric window band (i.e., 0.2~3 μm and 8~13 μm), as well as a low absorptivity (emissivity) in other bands aside from the solar radiation and atmospheric window wavelengths (i.e., 3~8 μm or above 13 μm). A type of composite surface sample was trial-manufactured combining titanium-based solar selective absorbing coating with polyethylene terephthalate (TPET). Sample tests showed that the TPET composite surface has clear spectral selectivity in the spectra of solar heating and radiation cooling wavelengths. The equilibrium temperatures of the TPET surface under different sky conditions or different inclination angles of surface were tested at both day and night. Numerical analysis and comparisons among the TPET composite surface and three other typical surfaces were also performed. These comparisons indicated that the TPET composite surface had a relative heat efficiency of 76.8% of that of the conventional solar heating surface and a relative temperature difference of 75.0% of that of the conventional radiative cooling surface, with little difference in cooling power.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 48
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Solar Lighting Technologies for Highway Green Rest Areas in China: Energy Saving Economic and Environmental Evaluation (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: In this paper, taking Lushan West Sea highway green rest area in Jiangxi Province of China as the case study, the suitable types, applicability, advantages, and effective methods of solar lighting technologies for highway rest area were determined based on the analysis of characteristics of highway green rest area. It was proved that solar lighting technologies including the natural light guidance system, solar LED lighting, and maximizing natural light penetration were quite suitable for highway rest area in terms of lighting effects and energy and economic efficiency. The illuminance comparison of light guidance system with electrical lighting was made based on the on-site experiment. Also, the feasibility of natural light guidance system was well verified in terms of the lighting demand of the visitor centre in the rest area by the illuminance simulation analysis. The evaluation of the energy saving, economic benefits, and environmental effects of solar lighting technologies for highway rest area was, respectively, made in detail. It was proved that the application of solar technology for green lighting of highway rest facilities not only could have considerable energy saving capacity and achieve high economic benefits, but also make great contributions to the reduction of environment pollution.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 49
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Scenario Grouping and Classification Methodology for Postprocessing of Data Generated by Integrated Deterministic-Probabilistic Safety Analysis (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: Integrated Deterministic-Probabilistic Safety Assessment (IDPSA) combines deterministic model of a nuclear power plant with a method for exploration of the uncertainty space. Huge amount of data is generated in the process of such exploration. It is very difficult to “manually” process and extract from such data information that can be used by a decision maker for risk-informed characterization, understanding, and eventually decision making on improvement of the system safety and performance. Such understanding requires an approach for interpretation, grouping of similar scenario evolutions, and classification of the principal characteristics of the events that contribute to the risk. In this work, we develop an approach for classification and characterization of failure domains. The method is based on scenario grouping, clustering, and application of decision trees for characterization of the influence of timing and order of events. We demonstrate how the proposed approach is used to classify scenarios that are amenable to treatment with Boolean logic in classical Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) from those where timing and order of events determine process evolution and eventually violation of safety criteria. The efficiency of the approach has been verified with application to the SARNET benchmark exercise on the effectiveness of hydrogen management in the containment.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 50
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Probabilistic Dynamics for Integrated Analysis of Accident Sequences considering Uncertain Events (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: The analytical/deterministic modelling and simulation/probabilistic methods are used separately as a rule in order to analyse the physical processes and random or uncertain events. However, in the currently used probabilistic safety assessment this is an issue. The lack of treatment of dynamic interactions between the physical processes on one hand and random events on the other hand causes the limited assessment. In general, there are a lot of mathematical modelling theories, which can be used separately or integrated in order to extend possibilities of modelling and analysis. The Theory of Probabilistic Dynamics (TPD) and its augmented version based on the concept of stimulus and delay are introduced for the dynamic reliability modelling and the simulation of accidents in hybrid (continuous-discrete) systems considering uncertain events. An approach of non-Markovian simulation and uncertainty analysis is discussed in order to adapt the Stimulus-Driven TPD for practical applications. The developed approach and related methods are used as a basis for a test case simulation in view of various methods applications for severe accident scenario simulation and uncertainty analysis. For this and for wider analysis of accident sequences the initial test case specification is then extended and discussed. Finally, it is concluded that enhancing the modelling of stimulated dynamics with uncertainty and sensitivity analysis allows the detailed simulation of complex system characteristics and representation of their uncertainty. The developed approach of accident modelling and analysis can be efficiently used to estimate the reliability of hybrid systems and at the same time to analyze and possibly decrease the uncertainty of this estimate.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 51
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Turf and Illegal Drug Market Competition between Gangs (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-07
    Description: Journal Name: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy Issue: Ahead of print
    Print ISSN: 1555-0494
    Electronic ISSN: 1935-1682
    Topics: Economics
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 52
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Effect of three partial cutting practices on stand structure and growth of residual black spruce trees in north-eastern Quebec (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    In: Forestry
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-07
    Description: Partial cutting practices are increasingly used in boreal forests for two major reasons: (1) maintaining age structure and tree diameter distribution according to the principles of ecosystem-based management and (2) increasing tree growth by decreasing competition. This study evaluated the effects of three different partial cutting treatments applied to even- and uneven-aged black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) stands in north-eastern Quebec, Canada. The effect of partial cutting was assessed by comparing treated and control plots in terms of age structure, diameter and spatial distribution, amount of deadwood and tree radial growth. Age structure and diameter distribution were not different from control plots after partial cuttings applied in both uneven-aged and even-aged stands, but lower deadwood basal area was observed. Tree radial growth generally increased in uneven-aged stands but can be limited by tree age and inter-tree competition. In even-aged stands, tree removal was more uniformly distributed and the overall reduction in inter-tree competition resulted in an increased tree radial growth. Overall, these results suggest that the studied partial cuttings were adequate for maintaining structural attributes and increasing tree growth, but adjustments should be made to treatments to increase the amount of deadwood to a level observed in natural forests and to lower inter-tree competition.
    Print ISSN: 0015-752X
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3626
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 53
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Effects of intensity of forest regeneration measures on stand development in a nationwide Swedish field experiment (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    In: Forestry
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-07
    Description: The general belief that intense regeneration measures are financially viable and essential for high sustained yields of commercial forest products has been inadequately tested. This field experiment evaluates effects of three different regeneration intensities 24–27 years after clear-cutting of 14 sites across Sweden. The treatments, designated high (HI), normal (NI) and low (LI), respectively, consisted of: mechanical site preparation and planting of large seedlings at 2 x 2 m spacing, with supplemental planting and pre-commercial thinning (PCT) when deemed necessary; standard local practices; and natural regeneration with no site preparation, artificial regeneration or PCT. Average crop seedling densities were highest and lowest (3359 and 1662 ha –1 ) under the HI and LI treatments, respectively, 4–8 growing seasons after planting. After 24–27 years, HI also resulted in higher mean stem volume (90 m 3 ha –1 ) than LI (36 m 3 ha –1 ) but was not significantly different from NI (65 m 3 ha –1 ) and increasing the regeneration intensity was not consistently positive. In some cases, high planted seedling mortality and generally abundant natural regeneration resulted in minor (or no) differences between the treatments. The results illustrate that current Swedish regeneration standards may need revision in order to reflect contemporary societal and commercial demands.
    Print ISSN: 0015-752X
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3626
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 54
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    A novel and highly efficient polymerization of sulfomethylated alkaline lignins via alkyl chain cross-linking method (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-08
    Description: Authors: Hong, Nanlong / Yu, Wei / Xue, Yuyuan / Zeng, Weimei / Huang, Jinhao / Xie, Wenqin / Qiu, Xueqing / Li, Yuan
    Print ISSN: 0018-3830
    Electronic ISSN: 1437-434X
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 55
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Scanning UV microspectrophotometry as a tool to study the changes of lignin in hydrothermally modified wood (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-04
    Description: Authors: Andersons, Bruno / Noldt, Guna / Koch, Gerald / Andersone, Ingeborga / Meija-Feldmane, Anete / Biziks, Vladimirs / Irbe, Ilze / Grinins, Juris
    Print ISSN: 0018-3830
    Electronic ISSN: 1437-434X
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 56
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Seasonal variability of foliar photosynthetic and morphological traits and drought impacts in a Mediterranean mixed forest (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-04
    Description: The Mediterranean region is a hot spot of climate change vulnerable to increased droughts and heat waves. Scaling carbon fluxes from leaf to landscape levels is particularly challenging under drought conditions. We aimed to improve the mechanistic understanding of the seasonal acclimation of photosynthesis and morphology in sunlit and shaded leaves of four Mediterranean trees ( Quercus ilex L., Pinus halepensis Mill., Arbutus unedo L. and Quercus pubescens Willd.) under natural conditions. V c,max and J max were not constant, and mesophyll conductance was not infinite, as assumed in most terrestrial biosphere models, but varied significantly between seasons, tree species and leaf position. Favourable conditions in winter led to photosynthetic recovery and growth in the evergreens. Under moderate drought, adjustments in the photo/biochemistry and stomatal/mesophyllic diffusion behaviour effectively protected the photosynthetic machineries. Severe drought, however, induced early leaf senescence mostly in A. unedo and Q. pubescens , and significantly increased leaf mass per area in Q. ilex and P. halepensis . Shaded leaves had lower photosynthetic potentials but cushioned negative effects during stress periods. Species-specificity, seasonal variations and leaf position are key factors to explain vegetation responses to abiotic stress and hold great potential to reduce uncertainties in terrestrial biosphere models especially under drought conditions.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 57
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Mechanisms of induced susceptibility to Diplodia tip blight in drought-stressed Austrian pine (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-04
    Description: Plants experiencing drought stress are frequently more susceptible to pathogens, likely via alterations in physiology that create favorable conditions for pathogens. Common plant responses to drought include the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the accumulation of free amino acids (AAs), particularly proline. These same phenomena also frequently occur during pathogenic attack. Therefore, drought-induced perturbations in AA and ROS metabolism could potentially contribute to the observed enhanced susceptibility. Furthermore, nitrogen (N) availability can influence AA accumulation and affect plant resistance, but its contributions to drought-induced susceptibility are largely unexplored. Here we show that drought induces accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in Austrian pine ( Pinus nigra Arnold) shoots, but that shoot infection by the blight and canker pathogen Diplodia sapinea (Fr.) Fuckel leads to large reductions in H 2 O 2 levels in droughted plants. In in vitro assays, H 2 O 2 was toxic to D. sapinea , and the fungus responded to this oxidative stress by increasing catalase and peroxidase activities, resulting in substantial H 2 O 2 degradation. Proline increased in response to drought and infection when examined independently, but unlike all other AAs, proline further increased in infected shoots of droughted trees. In the same tissues, the proline precursor, glutamate, decreased significantly. Proline was found to protect D. sapinea from H 2 O 2 damage, while also serving as a preferred N source in vitro. Fertilization increased constitutive and drought-induced levels of some AAs, but did not affect plant resistance. A new model integrating interactions of proline and H 2 O 2 metabolism with drought and fungal infection of plants is proposed.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 58
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Heterogeneity of competition at decameter scale: patches of high canopy leaf area in a shade-intolerant larch stand transpire less yet are more sensitive to drought (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-04
    Description: Small differences in the sensitivity of stomatal conductance to light intensity on leaf surfaces may lead to large differences in total canopy transpiration ( E C ) with increasing canopy leaf area ( L ). Typically, the increase of L would more than compensate for the decrease of transpiration per unit of leaf area ( E L ), resulting in concurrent increase of E C . However, highly shade-intolerant species, such as Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr., may be so sensitive to increased shading that such compensation is not complete. We hypothesized that in such a stand, windfall-induced spatial variation at a decameter scale would result in greatly reduced E L in patches of high L leading to lower E C than low competition patches of sparse canopy. We further hypothesized that quicker extraction of soil moisture in patches of lower competition will result in earlier onset of drought symptoms in these patches. Thus, patches of low L will transition from light to soil moisture as the factor dominating E L . This process should progressively homogenize E C in the stand even as the variation of soil moisture is increasing. We tested the hypotheses utilizing sap flux of nine trees, and associated environmental and stand variables. The results were consistent with only some of the expectations. Under non-limiting soil moisture, E L was very sensitive to the spatial variation of L , decreasing sharply with increasing L and associated decrease of mean light intensity on leaf surfaces. Thus, under the conditions of ample soil moisture maximum E C decreased with increasing patch-scale L . Annual E C and biomass production also decreased with L , albeit more weakly. Furthermore, variation of E C among patches decreased as average stand soil moisture declined between rain events. However, contrary to expectation, high L plots which transpired less showed a greater E L sensitivity to decreasing stand-scale soil moisture, suggesting a different mechanism than simple control by decreasing soil moisture. We offer potential explanations to the observed phenomenon. Our results demonstrate that spatial variation of L at decameter scale, even within relatively homogeneous, single-species, even-aged stands, can produce large variation of transpiration, soil moisture and biomass production and should be considered in 1-D soil–plant–atmosphere models.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 59
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Extraction and estimation of the quantity of calcium oxalate crystals in the foliage of conifer and hardwood trees (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-04
    Description: The main goal of this study was to develop a method for the extraction and indirect estimation of the quantity of calcium oxalate (CaOx) in the foliage of trees. Foliar tissue was collected from a single tree of each species (five conifers and five hardwoods) for comparison of extractions in different solvents using 10 replicates per species from the same pool of tissue. For each species, calcium (Ca) and oxalate were extracted sequentially in double deionized water and 2N acetic acid, and finally, five replicate samples were extracted in 5% (0.83N) perchloric acid (PCA) and the other five in 2N hydrochloric acid (HCl); three cycles of freezing and thawing were used for each solvent. Total ions were extracted by microwave digestion. Calcium was quantified with an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrophotometer method and oxalate was eluted and quantified using a high performance liquid chromatography method. This experiment was repeated again with two conifer and two hardwood species using four trees per species, and two analytical replicates for each tree. We report here that, regardless of age of individual trees within a species, time of collection or species type, the third extraction in PCA or HCl resulted in near equimolar quantities of Ca and oxalate ( r 2  ≥ 0.99). This method provides an easy estimate of the quantity of CaOx crystals using a small sample of foliar tissue. An additional benefit of PCA is that it precipitates the nucleic acids and proteins, allowing the quantification of several free/soluble metabolites such as amino acids, polyamines, organic acids and inorganic elements all from a single sample extract.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 60
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Graded Carrier Concentration Absorber Profile for High Efficiency CIGS Solar Cells (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-09
    Description: We demonstrate an innovative CIGS-based solar cells model with a graded doping concentration absorber profile, capable of achieving high efficiency values. In detail, we start with an in-depth discussion concerning the parametrical study of conventional CIGS solar cells structures. We have used the wxAMPS software in order to numerically simulate cell electrical behaviour. By means of simulations, we have studied the variation of relevant physical and chemical parameters—characteristic of such devices—with changing energy gap and doping density of the absorber layer. Our results show that, in uniform CIGS cell, the efficiency, the open circuit voltage, and short circuit current heavily depend on CIGS band gap. Our numerical analysis highlights that the band gap value of 1.40 eV is optimal, but both the presence of Molybdenum back contact and the high carrier recombination near the junction noticeably reduce the crucial electrical parameters. For the above-mentioned reasons, we have demonstrated that the efficiency obtained by conventional CIGS cells is lower if compared to the values reached by our proposed graded carrier concentration profile structures (up to 21%).
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 61
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Light Scattering and Current Enhancement for Microcrystalline Silicon Thin-Film Solar Cells on Aluminium-Induced Texture Glass Superstrates with Double Texture (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-09
    Description: Microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) thin-film solar cells are processed on glass superstrates having both micro- and nanoscale surface textures. The microscale texture is realised at the glass surface, using the aluminium-induced texturing (AIT) method, which is an industrially feasible process enabling a wide range of surface feature sizes (i.e., 700 nm–3 μm) of the textured glass. The nanoscale texture is made by conventional acid etching of the sputter-deposited transparent conductive oxide (TCO). The influence of the resulting “double texture” on the optical scattering is investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) (studying the surface topology), haze measurements (studying scattering into air), and short-circuit current enhancement measurements (studying scattering into silicon). A predicted enhanced optical scattering efficiency is experimentally proven by a short-circuit current enhancement of up to 1.6 mA/cm2 (7.7% relative increase) compared to solar cells fabricated on a standard superstrate, that is, planar glass covered with nanotextured TCO. Enhancing the autocorrelation length (or feature size) of the AIT superstrates might have the large potential to improve the μc-Si:H thin-film solar cell efficiency, by reducing the shunting probability of the device while maintaining a high optical scattering performance.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 62
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Measurements and Simulations on the Mechanisms of Efficiency Losses in HIT Solar Cells (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-09
    Description: We study the electrical and the optical behavior of HIT solar cell by means of measurements and optoelectrical simulations by TCAD simulations. We compare the HIT solar cell with a conventional crystalline silicon solar cell to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the HIT technology. Results highlight different mechanisms of electrical and optical efficiency losses caused by the presence of the amorphous silicon layer. The higher resistivity of the a-Si layers implies a smaller distance between the metal lines that causes a higher shadowing. The worst optical coupling between the amorphous silicon and the antireflective coating implies a slight increase of reflectivity around the 600 nm wavelength.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 63
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Enhancement of Spectral Response in -:H Thin-Film Solar Cells with a-Si:H/c-Si:H P-Type Window Layers (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-06-09
    Description: The hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)/hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (c-Si:H) double p-type window layer has been developed and applied for improving microcrystalline silicon-germanium p-i-n single-junction thin-film solar cells deposited on textured SnO2:F-coated glass substrates. The substrates of SnO2:F, SnO2:F/c-Si:H(p), and SnO2:F/a-Si:H(p) were exposed to H2 plasma to investigate the property change. Our results showed that capping a thin layer of a-Si:H(p) on SnO2:F can minimize the Sn reduction during the deposition process which had H2-containing plasma. Optical measurement has also revealed that a-Si:H(p) capped SnO2:F glass had a higher optical transmittance. When the 20 nm c-Si:H(p) layer was replaced by a 3 nm a-Si:H(p)/17 nm c-Si:H(p) double window layer in the cell, the conversion efficiency () and the short-circuit current density () were increased by 16.6% and 16.4%, respectively. Compared to the standard cell with the 20 nm c-Si:H(p) window layer, an improved conversion efficiency of 6.19% can be obtained for the cell having a-Si:H(p)/c-Si:H(p) window layer, with  = 490 mV,  = 19.50 mA/cm2, and FF = 64.83%.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 64
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Structural Characterization of Prosopis africana Populations (Guill., Perrott., and Rich.) Taub in Benin (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-07-30
    Description: The structural characterization of Prosopis africana of Benin was studied on the basis of forest inventory conducted in three different vegetation types (savannah, fallow, and field) and three climate zones. The data collected in 139 plots of 1000 m2 each related to the diameter at breast (1.3 m above ground), total height, identification, and measurement of DBH related P. africana species height. Tree-ring parameters such as Blackman and Green indices, basal area, average diameter, height of Lorey, and density were calculated and interpreted. Dendrometric settings of vegetation type and climate zone (Guinea, Sudan-Guinea, and Sudan) were compared through analysis of variance (ANOVA). There is a significant difference in dendrometric settings according to the type of vegetation and climate zone. Basal area, density, and average diameter are, respectively, 4.47 m2/ha, 34.95 stems/ha, and 37.02 cm in the fields; 3.01 m2/ha, 34.74 stems/ha, and 33.66 cm in fallows; 3.31 m2/ha, 52.39 stems/ha, and 29.61 cm in the savannahs. The diameter distribution and height observed at the theoretical Weibull distribution show that the diameter and height of the populations of the species are present in all positively skewed distributions or asymmetric left, a characteristic of single-species stands with predominance of young individuals or small diameters or heights.
    Print ISSN: 1687-9368
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-9376
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 65
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Photocorrosion Mechanism of TiO2-Coated Photoanodes (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-04
    Description: Atomic layer deposition was used to coat CdS photoanodes with 7 nm thick TiO2 films to protect them from photocorrosion during photoelectrochemical water splitting. Photoelectrochemical measurements indicate that the TiO2 coating does not provide full protection against photocorrosion. The degradation of the film initiates from small pinholes and shows oscillatory behavior that can be explained by an Avrami-type model for photocorrosion that is halfway between 2D and 3D etching. XPS analysis of corroded films indicates that a thin layer of CdS remains present on the surface of the corroded photoanode that is more resilient towards photocorrosion.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 66
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Study on a Mid-Temperature Trough Solar Collector with Multisurface Concentration (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-04
    Description: A new trough solar concentrator which is composed of multiple reflection surfaces is developed in this paper. The concentrator was analyzed firstly by using optical software. The variation curves of the collecting efficiency affected by tracking error and the deviation angle were given out. It is found that the deviation tolerance for the collector tracking system is about 8 degrees when the receiver is a 90 mm flat. The trough solar concentrators were tested under real weather conditions. The experiment results indicate that, the new solar concentrator was validated to have relative good collecting efficiency, which can be more than 45 percent when it operated in more 145°C. It also has the characteristics of rdust, wind, and snow resistance and low tracking precision requirements.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 67
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Numerical and Experimental Study on Energy Performance of Photovoltaic-Heat Pipe Solar Collector in Northern China (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-04
    Description: Several studies have found that the decrease of photovoltaic (PV) cell temperature would increase the solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency. Water type PV/thermal (PV/T) system was a good choice but it could become freezing in cold areas of Northern China. This paper proposed a simple combination of common-used PV panel and heat pipe, called PV-heat pipe (PV-HP) solar collector, for both electrical and thermal energy generation. A simplified one-dimensional steady state model was developed to study the electrical and thermal performance of the PV-HP solar collector under different solar radiations, water flow rates, and water temperatures at the inlet of manifold. A testing rig was conducted to verify the model and the testing data matched very well with the simulation values. The results indicated that the thermal efficiency could be minus in the afternoon. The thermal and electrical efficiencies decreased linearly as the inlet water temperature and water flow rate increased. The thermal efficiency increased while the electrical efficiency decreased linearly as the solar radiation increased.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 68
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Risk-Based Clustering for Near Misses Identification in Integrated Deterministic and Probabilistic Safety Analysis (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: In integrated deterministic and probabilistic safety analysis (IDPSA), safe scenarios and prime implicants (PIs) are generated by simulation. In this paper, we propose a novel postprocessing method, which resorts to a risk-based clustering method for identifying Near Misses among the safe scenarios. This is important because the possibility of recovering these combinations of failures within a tolerable grace time allows avoiding deviations to accident and, thus, reducing the downtime (and the risk) of the system. The postprocessing risk-significant features for the clustering are extracted from the following: (i) the probability of a scenario to develop into an accidental scenario, (ii) the severity of the consequences that the developing scenario would cause to the system, and (iii) the combination of (i) and (ii) into the overall risk of the developing scenario. The optimal selection of the extracted features is done by a wrapper approach, whereby a modified binary differential evolution (MBDE) embeds a -means clustering algorithm. The characteristics of the Near Misses scenarios are identified solving a multiobjective optimization problem, using the Hamming distance as a measure of similarity. The feasibility of the analysis is shown with respect to fault scenarios in a dynamic steam generator (SG) of a nuclear power plant (NPP).
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 69
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Demonstration of Emulator-Based Bayesian Calibration of Safety Analysis Codes: Theory and Formulation (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-05
    Description: System codes for simulation of safety performance of nuclear plants may contain parameters whose values are not known very accurately. New information from tests or operating experience is incorporated into safety codes by a process known as calibration, which reduces uncertainty in the output of the code and thereby improves its support for decision-making. The work reported here implements several improvements on classic calibration techniques afforded by modern analysis techniques. The key innovation has come from development of code surrogate model (or code emulator) construction and prediction algorithms. Use of a fast emulator makes the calibration processes used here with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling feasible. This work uses Gaussian Process (GP) based emulators, which have been used previously to emulate computer codes in the nuclear field. The present work describes the formulation of an emulator that incorporates GPs into a factor analysis-type or pattern recognition-type model. This “function factorization” Gaussian Process (FFGP) model allows overcoming limitations present in standard GP emulators, thereby improving both accuracy and speed of the emulator-based calibration process. Calibration of a friction-factor example using a Method of Manufactured Solution is performed to illustrate key properties of the FFGP based process.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 70
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Beyond physical health and safety: supporting the wellbeing of workers employed in the forest industry (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    In: Forestry
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-07
    Description: A healthy, productive and resilient workforce is important to any industry, and supporting the wellbeing of workers is a key factor in achieving this. Worldwide, the forest industry is amongst the most physically dangerous industries to work in. Workplace health and safety strategies have traditionally focused on improving the physical safety of forestry workplaces. It is equally important to consider the broader wellbeing of workers, not only to ensure their quality of life, but also to support a healthy and sustainable workforce with low turnover. To do this, it is critical to understand the work-related factors that affect worker wellbeing. We examine this via a survey of workers in the Australian forest industry. We find that work-related factors known to influence wellbeing in other industries, such as income, job security and workplace culture, are strongly correlated with forest worker wellbeing, that negative perceptions of the forest industry by those outside it are associated with lower levels of worker wellbeing and that the extent to which a forest industry worker has a strong work-related social identity is associated with their wellbeing. Our findings highlight the importance of implementing workplace strategies that consider wellbeing in broader terms than the traditional focus on physical safety.
    Print ISSN: 0015-752X
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3626
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 71
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Preventive control of Botryosphaeria canker affecting Quercus suber in southern Spain (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    In: Forestry
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-07
    Description: Botryosphaeria canker is likely the most injurious disease for cork production in the Mediterranean Basin. The exclusion of Benomyl, the standard commercial product used to prevent Botryosphaeria canker, from the EU Pesticide Database in 2003 necessitates the search for new alternatives to prevent cork oak cankering. In vitro experiments showed that every fungicide tested at 10 3 mg l –1 active ingredient was effective in reducing mycelial growth of Diplodia corticola . An initial field experiment showed that cork oak trunks sprayed with Thiophanate-methyl, Carbendazim, Difenoconazole, Pyraclostrobin or Copper-Calcium Sulphate under low-humidity environmental conditions exhibited significant decreases in the number and length of trunk lesions, 3 years post-treatment, compared with untreated trees. A second field experiment conducted under extremely wet conditions showed that only Thiophanate-methyl was effective, 2.5 years after treatments, when sprayed just after peeling. Finally, in a third field experiment, under wet conditions, the preventive effectiveness of Thiophanate-methyl, Copper-Calcium Sulphate and a mix of both fungicides was confirmed, although no synergistic effect of the mixture was measured. Copper-Calcium Sulphate or Thiophanate-methyl, when applied immediately after trunk peeling, is effective for preventive control of Botryosphaeria canker on cork oak and may be considered as an effective replacement for Benomyl.
    Print ISSN: 0015-752X
    Electronic ISSN: 1464-3626
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 72
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Construction and Optical Testing of Inflatable Membrane Mirror Using Structured Light Technique (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-10
    Description: Construction and characterization of an inflatable mirror prototype made out of flexible polymeric membranes are being presented. Surfaces were curved by imposing a slight excess of air pressure. Lightweighted, lowcost, and commercially available materials were selected in order to produce solar concentration elements at competitive prices. In this sense, large-area, image-forming mirrors with low optical acuity were achieved by concentration purposes. Optical characterization of the mirror’s shape at a given pressure or curvature radius was done by means of a structuredlight technique with a resolution of 0.1 mm finding a conical shape acquired by the inflated mirror as the best approximation. Concentration ratio achieved for a focal length of 5068 mm was of 25.1 suns, making a promising approach for lowering initial investment costs in applications such as hot-water, parabolic dish with Stirling engines, or concentrated photovoltaic electricity generation.
    Print ISSN: 1110-662X
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-529X
    Topics: Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology , Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 73
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Effect of Spacing Regimes on Growth, Yield, and Wood Properties of Tectona grandis at Longuza Forest Plantation, Tanzania (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-14
    Description: This study examined the effects of planting spacing on growth, yield, and wood properties of teak planted at square spacing regimes of 2 m, 3 m, and 4 m at Longuza Forest Plantation, Tanzania. To achieve this, tree, stand, and wood properties were studied at age of 14 years. Results showed that diameter at breast height and total height increased with increasing spacing. Mean annual increment increased significantly with increasing spacing while spacing did not have significant effect on total volume production and basal area. Basic density is also not affected by spacing while heartwood proportion increases as planting spacing increases. All studied wood properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, compression strength tangential to grain, and shear tangential to the grain) except cleavage tangential to grain were not significantly affected by increasing spacing. It is recommended to use the spacing of 3 × 3 m, but if thinning can be done before onset of competition at 5 years, the currently used spacing of 2.5 × 2.5 m can still be used. However, the use of a spacing of 4 × 4 m can give at least 50% heartwood at shorter rotation age of 30 years.
    Print ISSN: 1687-9368
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-9376
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 74
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Constructal optimization of a disc-shaped body with cooling channels for specified power pumping (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: The thermal performance of a disc-shaped heat generation body with cooling channels is investigated by using constructal theory based on previous model of heat convection on a disc and previous analytical method of heat conduction on a disc. By taking minimum dimensionless maximum thermal resistance as optimization objective, the optimal aspect ratio of the elemental sector in the radial-pattern disc is obtained for the specified power pumping of the elemental sector; the optimal width ratio of the first-order and elemental cooling channels and the optimal dimensionless radius of the elemental sector are obtained for the specified power pumping of the disc. There exists a critical radius of the disc to determine whether the radial-pattern design and branched-pattern design should be adopted. These conclusions are different from those obtained by Wechsatol et al. 's model, and the essential reason for these differences is that the power pumping is specified in this article, but not the specified flow rate number in Wechsatol et al. 's model. Finally, the assumption about the heat capacity of the coolant and the thermal conductivity of the disc is validated. An analytical method is introduced in this article, which can provide another thought for the constructal optimization of disc with heat convection. The optimal constructs of the discs are obtained for the specified power pumping, which provides some different guidelines for the design of disc with heat convection.
    Keywords: Other low-carbon energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 75
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Theoretical investigation of hot box solar cookers having conventional and finned absorber plates (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: In this paper, solar box cookers with ordinary and finned absorber plates are theoretically investigated in terms of thermodynamic performance parameters. For a typical summer and winter day, temperatures of solar cooker components such as glass cover, internal air, absorber plate, cooking vessel and the liquid are determined theoretically versus time. The analysis is carried out for conventional and finned absorber plates, and accuracy of the results is verified by a previously published experimental work. Energy and exergy efficiencies of box-type solar cookers are plotted versus time for various cases. The methodology presented in this paper enables to make a preliminary evaluation of ordinary and modified solar box cookers with respect to changes in main environmental parameters such as temperature and illumination intensity. Some recommendations are also made to enhance the power outputs of the aforementioned solar cookers.
    Keywords: Solar energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 76
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Design of a celestial vault image capture device for its application in the solar radiation field (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: The sun is the more plentiful source of natural power that we have in the Earth. However, the amount of radiation reaching the Earth's surface depends on astronomical and climatic factors. One of the factors exerting a greater influence is cloudiness. For that reason, it is important to quantify its influence on solar radiation. According to that, in this work, a prototype to capture images of the celestial vault is designed and implemented to be able to measure parameters related to the cloud properties and, later, to determine their influence on solar radiation.
    Keywords: Solar energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 77
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Investigation of concentrating and nonconcentrating evacuated tube solar water heaters using 2D particle imaging velocimetry (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: Under transient climatic conditions, solar water heaters using heat pipes are more effective at capturing incident solar radiation than other equivalent sized solar water heaters. The cost must be reduced to improve uptake of such systems. To investigate two methods were considered by this study: thermosyphon fluid flow and reflective concentrators. A physical reconfigurable laboratory model of the manifold and associated condensers of a heat-pipe-evacuated tube system were fabricated; fluid circulation was via thermosyphonic action, particle imaging velocimetry derived velocity maps and the use of concentrators was simulated. When condenser spacing was doubled, the Nusselt number increased by 43%, the velocity by 55% but the heat transfer efficiency of the model manifold decreased by 9%. Potential annual energy savings of 10 207 GWh could be realized if such systems could be successfully fabricated.
    Keywords: Solar energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 78
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    ADM1-based modeling of anaerobic codigestion of maize silage and cattle manure – calibration of parameters and model verification (part II) / Modelowanie kofermentacji kiszonki kukurydzy i obornika bydlęcego za pomocą ADM1 – kalibracja i weryfikacja model (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 20-27
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 79
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Identification of processes controlling chemical composition of pit lakes waters located in the eastern part of Muskau Arch (Polish-German borderland) / Identyfikacja procesów kształtujących skład chemiczny wód zbiorników zlokalizowanych na obszarach pogó (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 60-69
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 80
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    The pyrolysis and gasification of digestate from agricultural biogas plant / Piroliza i gazyfikacja pofermentu z biogazowni rolniczych (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 70-75
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 81
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    The impact of surface characteristics on ambient temperature at urban micro scale: comparative field study in two climates (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: This paper presents the results of two field studies to examine the differences in ambient temperatures in a micro-scale environment (at distances of 50–200 m between measuring points) in two different climates during typical summer weather conditions at two similar sites in terms of construction and activities. The analysis considered the land use around the measuring locations split into three categories (built, green and open) as well as climatic conditions and studied the effect of these on ambient temperature at each measuring location. It was found that, similarly to macro-scale studies at the urban level, measuring locations with a higher green cover have a lower ambient temperature compared with measuring locations with a higher built and/or open land cover. The results provide measured evidence in two different climates that small green areas distributed within the urban environment can provide a reduction in the ambient temperature thus contributing to the mitigation of urban heat island.
    Keywords: Built environment and low-carbon society
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 82
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Computational study of a 2D capillary pump evaporator (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: Capillary pump loop (CPL) is a two-phase heat transfer device considered as a useful solution for thermal control applications in spacecrafts, satellites and electronic components. The purpose of this paper is to study various aspects of the working state of the CPL evaporator. A two-dimensional computational model was developed in order to analyze the flow and the phase transformation inside a cylindrical evaporator. At the present analysis, different cases were studied by changing liquid saturation temperature, inclination angle of the evaporator and the length of the porous heated wick. Water, ammonia, acetone and freon-134 were used as working liquids for numerical experiments. Results present the evaporator capability to vaporize each working liquid and find out its possibility of dry-out causing failure. This information is useful in choosing the best working liquid for an evaporator, enabling bigger amounts of heat to be transferred.
    Keywords: Other low-carbon energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 83
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Failure of natural ventilation strategy in a sustainable house in China (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: In recent years, the concept of green building is becoming popular in China. Architects and engineers have the opportunity to actually implement green building practices. This paper reveals the failure of a naturally ventilated LEED-certified townhouse development project in China mentioned in recent research. The house owners made great alterations for the purpose of decoration, which removed or minimized the effectiveness of natural ventilation elements in the original design. The research shows that the houses show ‘International Style’ because the natural ventilation design principles were not fully applied in the design and the localized natural ventilation strategies were not fully considered by means of computational simulation in the design stage. Also, the lack of communication between designers and the owners caused the removal of most natural ventilation elements of these houses during the occupancy period. The authors advocate three criteria to avoid failures of natural ventilation design: localized/ climate adaptive design, relationship among design elements and design intention awareness.
    Keywords: Sustainable/low carbon buildings
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 84
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Design guideline for application of earth-to-air heat exchanger coupled with solar chimney as a natural heating system (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: In the present paper, design of solar chimney (SC) and earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE) to meet the thermal need of flat buildings are studied regarding adaptive thermal comfort criteria. Investigation on the effects of geometric features shows that the design of SC with the air gap and outlet sizes of 0.2 m and also EAHE with the diameter and length of 0.5 and 25.0 m reveals better performance. Thermal comfort analysis shows that the SC is capable to power the underground heating system during few hours of the sunny days even at the ambient temperature as low as 0°C and the heating demand of 1000 W without needing the auxiliary devices. In addition, the required numbers of SCs and the underground air channels are strongly influenced by environmental outdoor conditions and heating demand of building and are approximately calculated by: $$\hbox{ room }\phantom{\rule{0.08em}{0ex}}\hbox{ volume/50 }\phantom{\rule{0.08em}{0ex}}\hbox{ and }\phantom{\rule{0.08em}{0ex}}\hbox{ 2 }\times (\hbox{ room }\phantom{\rule{0.08em}{0ex}}\hbox{ volume/50 })+\hbox{ 1, }$$ respectively.
    Keywords: Other low-carbon energy technologies
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 85
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Adaptive facade design for the daylighting performance in an office building: the investigation of an opening design strategy with cellular automata (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-16
    Description: Daylighting has an important role in sustainable architecture as it affects the energy consumption in a building. Especially for an office building, daylight helps not only to reduce the load on artificial lighting but also to promote work efficiency through promoting good human health, well-being and user comfort. The objective of this research is to develop an innovative façade design strategy that comes from the development of digital technology and dynamic daylight performance measuring methods. Thus, the various parameters are studied through the computational process of cellular automata (CA) to generate the several alternative opening patterns on the building façade. Each CA design value was tested under static and dynamic sky condition to analyze the quality and quantity of daylight and visual comfort throughout the year. The results were compared to find an optimum alternative design in terms of the daylighting design criteria, from building code, standard and design guidelines for the office building. Finally, research of an adaptive façade design strategy was concluded with the results from the above hybridization of generative and performative design methodology. This study discovers the architectural design approach from the CA and it will make not only progress in building façade esthetics, but also human comfort with building sustainability.
    Keywords: Sustainable/low carbon buildings
    Print ISSN: 1748-1317
    Electronic ISSN: 1748-1325
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 86
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Soil salinity effects on phenological traits, plant height and seed yield in rapeseed genotypes (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Soil Science Annual Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Pages: 17-20
    Topics: Geosciences , Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Society of Soil Science / Polskie Towarzystwo Gleboznawcze.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 87
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Genesis and classification of the soils developed from the sediments of the former Oleszek mill pond basin (the Chełmińskie Lakeland, N Poland) / Geneza i pozycja systematyczna gleb wykształconych z osadów niecki dawnego stawu młyńskiego Oleszek (Pojezier (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Soil Science Annual Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Pages: 29-35
    Topics: Geosciences , Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Society of Soil Science / Polskie Towarzystwo Gleboznawcze.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 88
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Directional sensitivity of differential pressure sensors of gas velocity used in manual gravimetric measurements of dust emissions from stationary sources / Czułość kierunkowa różnicowo-ciśnieniowych czujników prędkości gazu stosowanych w manualnych pomia (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-08-17
    Description: Journal Name: Archives of Environmental Protection Volume: 41 Issue: 3 Pages: 83-96
    Electronic ISSN: 2083-4810
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by De Gruyter on behalf of The Polish Academy of Sciences.
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 89
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Wages, Hours, and the School-to-Work Transition: The Consequences of Leaving School in a Recession for Less-Educated Men (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-11
    Description: Journal Name: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy Issue: Ahead of print
    Print ISSN: 1555-0494
    Electronic ISSN: 1935-1682
    Topics: Economics
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 90
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Characterisation of cubic oak specimens from the Vasa ship and recent wood by means of quasi-static loading and resonance ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-11
    Description: Authors: Vorobyev, Alexey / Arnould, Olivier / Laux, Didier / Longo, Roberto / van Dijk, Nico P. / Gamstedt, E. Kristofer
    Print ISSN: 0018-3830
    Electronic ISSN: 1437-434X
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 91
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    A Macroeconomic Model of Imperfect Competition with Patent Licensing (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-16
    Description: Journal Name: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy Issue: Ahead of print
    Print ISSN: 1555-0494
    Electronic ISSN: 1935-1682
    Topics: Economics
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 92
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Analysis of the EBR-II SHRT-45R Unprotected Loss of Flow Experiment with ERANOS and RELAP (2015)
    Hindawi
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-17
    Description: This paper presents the results of the analysis of the Unprotected Loss of Flow (ULOF) experiment SHRT-45R performed in the EBR-II fast reactor. These experiments are being analyzed in the scope of a benchmark exercise coordinated by the IAEA. The SHRT-45R benchmark contains a neutronic and a thermal-hydraulic part and results are presented for both. Neutronic calculations are performed with the ERANOS2.0 code in combination with various sets of nuclear data. The thermal-hydraulic evaluation is done with RELAP5-3D. The results are that the major neutronic parameters are well predicted with error margins on the order of 1%. The thermal-hydraulic results are less favourable: a consistent overestimation of the outlet temperature occurs in combination with erroneous flow distribution. Observed differences with measured data cannot be explained easily. The work presented in this paper was undertaken to investigate and validate the effectiveness of the calculational tools and data that are commonly used in our lab for the design and analysis of liquid metal cooled fast reactors.
    Print ISSN: 1687-6075
    Electronic ISSN: 1687-6083
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
    Published by Hindawi
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 93
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Strength properties and dimensional stability of particleboards with different proportions of thermally treated recycled pine particles (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-22
    Description: Authors: Andrade, Paulo Ivan / Araújo, Solange de Oliveira / Neiva, Duarte Miranda / Vital, Benedito Rocha / Oliveira Carneiro, Angélica de Cássia / Gominho, Jorge / Pereira, Helena
    Print ISSN: 0018-3830
    Electronic ISSN: 1437-434X
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 94
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Gender Differences in Competitiveness: Evidence from Educational Admission Reforms (2015)
    De Gruyter
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-25
    Description: Name der Zeitschrift: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy Heft: Ahead of print
    Print ISSN: 1555-0494
    Electronic ISSN: 1935-1682
    Topics: Economics
    Published by De Gruyter
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 95
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Transcriptional responses of Norway spruce (Picea abies) inner sapwood against Heterobasidion parviporum (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-25
    Description: The white-rot fungus Heterobasidion parviporum Niemelä & Korhonen establishes a necrotrophic interaction with Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) H.Karst.) causing root and butt rot and growth losses in living trees. The interaction occurs first with the bark and the outer sapwood, as the pathogen enters the tree via wounds or root-to-root contacts. Later, when the fungus reaches the heartwood, it spreads therein creating a decay column, and the interaction mainly occurs in the inner sapwood where the tree creates a reaction zone. While bark and outer sapwood interactions are well studied, little is known about the nature of the transcriptional responses leading to the creation of a reaction zone. In this study, we sampled bark and sapwood both proximal and distal to the reaction zone in artificially inoculated and naturally infected trees. We quantified gene expression levels of candidate genes in secondary metabolite, hormone biosynthesis and signalling pathways using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. An up-regulation of mainly the phenylpropanoid pathway and jasmonic acid biosynthesis was found at the inoculation site, when inoculations were compared with wounding. We found that transcriptional responses in inner sapwood were similar to those reported upon infection through the bark. Our data suggest that the defence mechanism is induced due to direct fungal contact irrespective of the tissue type. Understanding the nature of these interactions is important when considering tree breeding-based resistance strategies to reduce the spread of the pathogen between and within trees.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 96
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Does reduced precipitation trigger physiological and morphological drought adaptations in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)? Comparing provenances across a precipitation gradient (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-25
    Description: Global warming and associated decreases in summer rainfall may threaten tree vitality and forest productivity in many regions of the temperate zone in the future. One option for forestry to reduce the risk of failure is to plant genotypes which combine high productivity with drought tolerance. Growth experiments with provenances from different climates indicate that drought exposure can trigger adaptive drought responses in temperate trees, but it is not well known whether and to what extent regional precipitation reduction can increase the drought resistance of a species. We conducted a common garden growth experiment with five European beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) populations from a limited region with pronounced precipitation heterogeneity (816–544 mm year –1 ), where phylogenetically related provenances grew under small to large water deficits. We grew saplings of the five provenances at four soil moisture levels (dry to moist) and measured ~30 morphological (leaf and root properties, root : shoot ratio), physiological (leaf water status parameters, leaf conductance) and growth-related traits (above- and belowground productivity) with the aim to examine provenance differences in the drought response of morphological and physiological traits and to relate the responsiveness to precipitation at origin. Physiological traits were more strongly influenced by provenance (one-third of the studied traits), while structural traits were primarily affected by water availability in the experiment (two-thirds of the traits). The modulus of leaf tissue elasticity reached much higher values late in summer in plants from moist origins resulting in more rapid turgor loss and a higher risk of hydraulic failure upon drought. While experimental water shortage affected the majority of morphological and productivity-related traits in the five provenances, most parameters related to leaf water status were insensitive to water shortage. Thus, plant morphology, and root growth in particular, did respond to reduced water availability with higher phenotypic plasticity than did physiology. We conclude that beech provenances exposed to different precipitation regimes have developed some genotypic differences with respect to leaf water status regulation, but these adaptations are associated with only minor adaptation in plant morphology and they do not affect the growth rate of the saplings.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 97
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Vegetation-zonation patterns across a temperate mountain cloud forest ecotone are not explained by variation in hydraulic functioning or water relations (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-25
    Description: Many studies have demonstrated linkages between the occurrence of fog and ecophysiological functioning in cloud forests, but few have investigated hydraulic functioning as a determining factor that explains sharp changes in vegetation. The objective of this study was to compare the plant water status during cloud-immersed and non-immersed conditions and hydraulic vulnerability in branches and roots of species across a temperate, mountain fog ecotone. Because cloud forests are often dark, cool and very moist, we expected cloud forest species to have less drought-tolerant characteristics (i.e., lower P e and P 50 —the pressures required to induce a 12 and 50% loss in hydraulic conductivity, respectively) relative to non-cloud forest species in adjacent (lower elevation) forests. Additionally, due to the ability of cloud forest species to absorb cloud-fog water, we predicted greater improvements in hydraulic functioning during fog in cloud forest species relative to non-cloud forest species. Across the cloud forest ecotone, most species measured were very resistant to losses in conductivity with branch P 50 values from –4.5 to –6.0 MPa, hydraulic safety margins ( min – P 50 ) 〉1.5 MPa and low calculated hydraulic conductivity losses. Roots had greater vulnerabilities, with P 50 values ranging from –1.4 to –2.5 MPa, leading to greater predicted losses in conductivity (~20%). Calculated values suggested strong losses of midday leaf hydraulic conductance in three of the four species, supporting the hydraulic segmentation hypothesis. In both cloud forest and hardwood species, s were greater on foggy days than sunny days, demonstrating the importance of fog periods to plant water balance across fog regimes. Thus, frequent fog did not result in systemic changes in hydraulic functioning or vulnerability to embolism across our temperate cloud forest ecotone. Finally, roots functioned with lower hydraulic conductivity than branches, suggesting that they may serve as more sensitive indicators of hydraulic functioning in these mesic, foggy ecosystems.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 98
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Volatile organic compounds emitted from silver birch of different provenances across a latitudinal gradient in Finland (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-25
    Description: Climate warming is having an impact on distribution, acclimation and defence capability of plants. We compared the emission rate and composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from silver birch ( Betula pendula (Roth)) provenances along a latitudinal gradient in a common garden experiment over the years 2012 and 2013. Micropropagated silver birch saplings from three provenances were acquired along a gradient of 7° latitude and planted at central (Joensuu 62°N) and northern (Kolari 67°N) sites. We collected VOCs emitted by shoots and assessed levels of herbivore damage of three genotypes of each provenance on three occasions at the central site and four occasions at the northern site. In 2012, trees of all provenances growing at the central site had higher total VOC emission rates than the same provenances growing at the northern site; in 2013 the reverse was true, thus indicating a variable effect of latitude. Trees of the southern provenance had lower VOC emission rates than trees of the central and northern provenances during both sampling years. However, northward or southward translocation itself had no significant effect on the total VOC emission rates, and no clear effect on insect herbivore damage. When VOC blend composition was studied, trees of all provenances usually emitted more green leaf volatiles at the northern site and more sesquiterpenes at the central site. The monoterpene composition of emissions from trees of the central provenance was distinct from that of the other provenances. In summary, provenance translocation did not have a clear effect in the short-term on VOC emissions and herbivory was not usually intense at the lower latitude. Our data did not support the hypothesis that trees growing at lower latitudes would experience more intense herbivory, and therefore allocate resources to chemical defence in the form of inducible VOC emissions.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 99
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    High rates of virus-induced gene silencing by tobacco rattle virus in Populus (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-25
    Description: Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) has been shown to be an effective tool for investigating gene functions in herbaceous plant species, but has rarely been tested in trees. The establishment of a fast and reliable transformation system is especially important for woody plants, many of which are recalcitrant to transformation. In this study, we established a tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based VIGS system for two Populus species, Populus euphratica and P.   x   canescens . Here, TRV constructs carrying a 266 bp or a 558 bp fragment of the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene were Agrobacterium -infiltrated into leaves of the two poplar species. Agrobacterium -mediated delivery of the shorter insert, TRV2 -PePDS 266 , into the host poplars resulted in expected photobleaching in both tree species, but not the longer insert, PePDS 558 . The efficiency of VIGS was temperature-dependent, increasing by raising the temperature from 18 to 28 °C. The optimized TRV–VIGS system at 28 °C resulted in a high silencing frequency and efficiency up to 65–73 and 83–94%, respectively, in the two tested poplars. Moreover, syringe inoculation of Agrobacterium in 100 mM acetosyringone induced a more efficient silencing in the two poplar species, compared with other agroinfiltration methods, e.g., direct injection, misting and agrodrench. There were plant species-related differences in the response to VIGS because the photobleaching symptoms were more severe in P.   x   canescens than in P. euphratica. Furthermore, VIGS-treated P. euphratica exhibited a higher recovery rate (50%) after several weeks of the virus infection, compared with TRV-infected P.   x   canescens plants (20%). Expression stability of reference genes was screened to assess the relative abundance of PePDS mRNA in VIGS-treated P. euphratica and P.   x   canescens. PeACT7 was stably expressed in P. euphratica and UBQ-L was selected as the most suitable reference gene for P.   x   canescens using three different statistical approaches, geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. Quantitative real-time PCR showed significant reductions in PDS transcripts (55–64%) in the photobleached leaves of both VIGS-treated poplar species. Our results demonstrate that the TRV-based VIGS provides a practical tool for gene functional analysis in Populus sp., especially in those poplar species which are otherwise recalcitrant to transformation.
    Print ISSN: 0829-318X
    Electronic ISSN: 1758-4469
    Topics: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
  • 100
    facet.materialart.
    Unknown
    Mexico's very first bid round (2015)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2015-09-29
    Print ISSN: 1754-9957
    Electronic ISSN: 1754-9965
    Topics: Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering , Law , Economics
    Published by Oxford University Press
    Location Call Number Expected Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
    PAPER CURRENT
Close ⊗
This website uses cookies and the analysis tool Matomo. More information can be found here...