CFD simulation of evaporating electrically charged sprays in food chilling warehouses

A potential novel application for electrically charged (water) spray is to improve cooling efficiency and reduce moisture loss in food chilling warehouses. In this paper we work toward a numerical (CFD) model that can be used to investigate the viability of this application. We build a simplified model which considers the spray droplets as inert particles and compare simulation results with data from literature. This model is then extended to include the effects of evaporation, which plays an important role in cooling and heat transfer

Developmental and tissue-specific expression of the Q5k gene

Expression of the Q5k gene was examined by northern blot analysis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the AKR mouse and various cell lines, each of the H-2k haplotype. Our results show that Q5k mRNA is present during the whole postimplantational development of the AKR embryo/fetus (gestation day 6 to 15). In the juvenile mouse (week 2 to 4) transcription of the Q5k gene persisted in all organs examined. In contrast, in the adult animal expression of the Q5k gene was limited to the thymus and uterus of the pregnant mouse. Upon malignant transformation, the amount of Q5k-specific mRNA increased dramatically in thymus and could also be observed in the spleen of thymoma bearing animals. Expression of the Q5k gene was also detectable in several transformed mouse cell lines. Mitogen stimulation or treatment with cytokines induced Q5k expression in primary spleen cell cultures. A possible explanation for the tissue-restricted expression in the adult AKR mouse is discussed

A splice variant in KRT71 is associated with curly coat phenotype of Selkirk Rex cats.

One of the salient features of the domestic cat is the aesthetics of its fur. The Selkirk Rex breed is defined by an autosomal dominant woolly rexoid hair (ADWH) abnormality that is characterized by tightly curled hair shafts. A genome-wide case - control association study was conducted using 9 curly coated Selkirk Rex and 29 controls, including straight-coated Selkirk Rex, British Shorthair and Persian, to localize the Selkirk autosomal dominant rexoid locus (SADRE). Although the control cats were from different breed lineages, they share recent breeding histories and were validated as controls by Bayesian clustering, multi-dimensional scaling and genomic inflation. A significant association was found on cat chromosome B4 (Praw = 2.87 × 10(-11)), and a unique haplotype spanning ~600 Kb was found in all the curly coated cats. Direct sequencing of four candidate genes revealed a splice site variant within the KRT71 gene associated with the hair abnormality in Selkirk Rex

Reversed combustion of waste in a grate furnace - an experimental study

Most widely used concept for municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is combustion on a moving grate with energy recovery. In MSW incinerators fresh waste stacked on a grate enters the combustion chamber, heats up by radiation from the flame above the layer and ignition occurs. Ignition front propagates downwards producing heat for drying and devolatilisation of the fresh waste below until it reaches the grate. The present project is investigating the so called reversed combustion of waste on a grate. In this new concept the fuel layer is ignited by means of preheated air from below without any external ignition source. As a result a combustion front will be formed close to the grate and will propagate upwards. In order to investigate reversed combustion an experimental set-up that is able to simulate a real moving grate furnace is designed. Experimental study was conducted to determine the influence of different factors (amount of primary air, fuel moisture content etc.) on process parameters. In this paper, the detailed description of setup, as well as the results from experiments will be presented

Scholar-activists in an expanding European food sovereignty movement

This article analyzes the roles, relations, and positions of scholar-activists in the European food sovereignty movement. In doing so, we document, make visible and question the political dimensions of researchers' participation in the movement. We argue that scholar-activists are part of the movement, but are distinct from the affected constituencies, put in place to ensure adequate representation of key movement actors. This is because scholar-activists lack a collective identity, have no processes to formulate collective demands, and no mechanisms for inter-researcher and researchers-movement communication. We reflect on whether and how scholar-activists could organize, and discuss possible pathways for a more cohesive and stronger researcher engagement in the movement.</p

Low temperature water vapor pressure swing for the regeneration of adsorbents for CO₂ enrichment in greenhouses via direct air capture

CO2 enrichment in greenhouses can be achieved by extracting CO2 from the outside air. For this purpose, adsorbents based on Na2CO3 or K2CO3 are promising for trapping and releasing atmospheric CO2. Even though the CO2 capture by these adsorbents has been studied before, there is not much information about their regeneration at low temperatures and using air as flushing gas. In this work an experimental design study has been performed to understand the effect of temperature, water vapor pressure and air flow rate on CO2 desorption. The results show that K-based adsorbents are a more attractive option given their higher CO2 capture capacity and lower energy consumption compared to the Na-based ones. The estimated amount of K-based adsorbent with a capture capacity of 0.1 mmol CO2/gads and regenerated at 50 °C with 90 mbar H2O would occupy only 2% of the total volume contained in a closed greenhouse, fulfilling its daily CO2 demand

Paleostress field reconstruction and revised tectonic history of the Donbas fold and thrust belt (Ukraine and Russia).

In the WNW-ESE Donbas fold belt (DF), inversion of 3500 microtectonic data collected at 135 sites, in Proterozoic, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Cretaceous competent rocks allowed reconstruction of 123 local stress states. Accordingly, four successive paleostress fields reveal the tectonic evolution of the DF. At the numerous sites that have been affected by polyphase tectonics, the chronology between local paleostress states (also paleostress fields) was established using classical criteria (crosscutting striae, pre- or post-folding stress states, stratigraphic control). The oldest event is an extensional stress field with NNE-SSW σ<inf>3</inf>. It corresponds to the rifting phases that generated the basin in Devonian times and its early Visean reactivation. Later, the DF was affected by a transtension, with NW-SE σ<inf>3</inf> characterizing Early Permian tectonism, including the development of the "Main Anticline" of the DF and the pronounced uplift of its southern margin and Ukrainian Shield. Two paleostress fields characterize the Cretaceous/Paleocene inversion of the DF, which was accompanied by folding and thrusting. Both are compressional in type but differ by the trend of σ<inf>1</inf>, which was first NW-SE and subsequently N-S. The discrete paleostress history of the DF allows a revised interpretation of its tectonic evolution with significant implications for understanding the geodynamic evolution of the southern margin of the East European Craton. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union