Photovoltaic system costs using local labor and materials in developing countries

The use of photovoltaic (PV) technology in countries that do not presently have high technology industrial capacity was investigated. The relative cost of integrating indigenous labor (and manufacturing where available) into the balance of the system industry of seven countries (Egypt, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, and the Phillipines) was determined. The results were then generalized to other countries, at most levels of development. The results of the study imply several conclusions: (1) the cost of installing and maintaining comparable photovoltaic systems in developing countries is less than in the United States; (2) skills and some materials are available in the seven subject countries that may be applied to constructing and maintaining PV systems; (3) there is an interest in foreign countries in photovoltaics; and (4) conversations with foreign nationals suggest that photovoltaics must be introduced in foreign markets as an appropriate technology with high technology components rather than as a high technology system

From search engine optimisation to search engine marketing management: development of a new area for information systems research

Search Engine Optimisation was a term used by web developers in the late 90s to highlight the importance of increasing a website’s position in search engines’ results. Further development of the Internet in terms of the diversity of its users and uses such as e-commerce, blogging and wikis have highlighted the need for technical staff to work more closely with marketing professionals resulting in a new area of work – Search Engine Marketing Management. The paper highlights the emerging role of Search Engine Marketing Management as a new and increasingly important area for future information systems researchers and research. Reaching beyond the 'simple' undifferentiated goal of increasing visitors to a website, a mature perspective of marketing is developing - that of realising strategic marketing objectives. The practical contribution of this paper is found in the development of awareness among management roles of the importance and nuances of search engines and the tactics required to harness the benefits of multiple online communication channels within organisational marketing strategy

Mandatory public benefit reporting as a basis for charity accountability: findings from England & Wales

Charitable status is inherently linked in many jurisdictions with the requirement that an entity must be established for public benefit. But, until recently the public benefit principle had relatively little impact on the operations of most established charities. However, in England and Wales, reforms linked to the Charities Act 2006 led to a new requirement for public benefit reporting in the trustees’ annual report (TAR) of every registered charity. This new narrative reporting requirement had the potential to affect the understanding of accountability by charities. The paper investigates the impact of that requirement through a study of over 1400 sets of charity reports and account

Laser-spectroscopic measurement techniques for hypersonic, turbulent wind tunnel flows

A review is given of the nature, present status, and capabilities of two laser spectroscopic methods for the simultaneous measurement of temperature, density, and their fluctuations owing to turbulence in high speed wind tunnel flows. One method is based on the two frequency excitation of nitric oxide seeded into a nitrogen flow, using tunable dye lasers. The second, more recent method relies on the excitation of oxygen in air flows using a tunable, ArF excimer laser. Signal are obtained from both the laser induced fluorescence and from Raman scattering of the same laser pulse. Measurements are demonstrated in the turbulent boundary layer of a Mach-2 channel flow

Induction of dark-adaptive retinomotor movement (cell elongation) in teleost retinal cones by cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate.

In the teleost retina, the photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) undergo extensive movements (called retinomotor movements) in response to changes in light conditions and to an endogenous circadian rhythm. Photoreceptor movements serve to reposition the light-receptive outer segments and are effected by changes in inner segment length. Melanin granule movements within the RPE cells provide a movable melanin screen for rod outer segments. In the dark (night), cones elongate, rods contract, and pigment granules aggregate to the base of the RPE cell; in the light (day), these movements are reversed. We report here that treatments that elevate cytoplasmic cyclic adenosine 3,5-monophosphate (cAMP) provoke retinomotor movements characteristic of nighttime dark adaptation, even in bright light at midday. To illustrate this response, we present a quantitative description of the effects of cyclic nucleotides on cone length in the green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus. Cone elongation is induced when light-adapted retinas are exposed to exogenous cAMP analogues accompanied by phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors (either by intraocular injection or in retinal organ culture). Cone movements is not affected by cyclic GMP analogies. Dose-response studies indicate that the extent, but not the rate, of cone elongation is proportional to the concentration of exogenous cAMP and analogue presented. As has been reported for other species, we find that levels of cAMP are significantly higher in dark- than in light-adapted green sunfish retinas. On the basis of these observations, we suggest that cAMP plays a role in the light and circadian regulation of teleost cone length