A cooking pot lit by fire

Recent research into the records of eclipses in the Chronicle of the English monk, Gervase of Canterbury, has indicated that an entry for the year 1187 C.E. may contain a description of solar prominences being visible during the total eclipse of that year. As such it is not only the earliest report of the phenomenon from England, but also reveals that a British Library manuscript contains the earliest surviving contemporary record of such an observation

Methods for the recovery of nutrients and energy from swine manure. 1. Biogas.

The recovery of nutrients from pig manure (300 l/day discharged by 100 pigs) during digestion for biogas production amounted to 1435 kg N, 350 kg P and 490 kg K per year. When spread on the 15.26 ha of land required to grow the corn and soybean for the pig ration, each hectare would receive 94 kg N, 23 kg P and 32 kg K per year. The energy value of the recovered fertilizer represents 4.4% of the total energy input of the pig production system. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Semi-field assessment of the BG-Malaria trap for monitoring the African malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis

Odour-baited technologies are increasingly considered for effective monitoring of mosquito populations and for the evaluation of vector control interventions. The BG-Malaria trap (BGM), which is an upside-down variant of the widely used BG-Sentinel trap (BGS), has been demonstrated to be effective to sample the Brazilian malaria vector, Anopheles darlingi. We evaluated the BGM as an improved method for sampling the African malaria vectors, Anopheles arabiensis. Experiments were conducted inside a large semi-field cage to compare trapping efficiencies of BGM and BGS traps, both baited with the synthetic attractant, Ifakara blend, supplemented with CO2. We then compared BGMs baited with either of four synthetic mosquito lures, Ifakara blend, Mbita blend, BG-lure or CO2, and an unbaited BGM. Lastly, we compared BGMs baited with the Ifakara blend dispensed via either nylon strips, BG cartridges (attractant-infused microcapsules encased in cylindrical plastic cartridge) or BG sachets (attractant-infused microcapsules encased in plastic sachets). All tests were conducted between 6P.M. and 7A.M., with 200–600 laboratory-reared An. arabiensis released nightly in the test chamber. The median number of An. arabiensis caught by the BGM per night was 83, IQR:(73.5–97.75), demonstrating clear superiority over BGS (median catch = 32.5 (25.25–37.5)). Compared to unbaited controls, BGMs baited with Mbita blend caught most mosquitoes (45 (29.5–70.25)), followed by BGMs baited with CO2 (42.5 (27.5–64)), Ifakara blend (31 (9.25–41.25)) and BG lure (16 (4–22)). BGM caught 51 (29.5–72.25) mosquitoes/night, when the attractants were dispensed using BG-Cartridges, compared to BG-Sachet (29.5 (24.75–40.5)), and nylon strips (27 (19.25–38.25)), in all cases being significantly superior to unbaited controls (p < 000.1). The findings demonstrate potential of the BGM as a sampling tool for African malaria vectors over the standard BGS trap. Its efficacy can be optimized by selecting appropriate odour baits and odour-dispensing systems

New connection formulae for some q-orthogonal polynomials in q-Askey scheme

New nonlinear connection formulae of the q-orthogonal polynomials, such continuous q-Laguerre, continuous big q-Hermite, q-Meixner-Pollaczek and q-Gegenbauer polynomials, in terms of their respective classical analogues are obtained using a special realization of the q-exponential function as infinite multiplicative series of ordinary exponential function

Methodology for the comparative assessment of the Satellite Power System (SPS) and alternative technologies

The energy systems concerned are the satellite power system, several coal technologies, geothermal energy, fission, fusion, terrestrial solar systems, and ocean thermal energy conversion. Guidelines are suggested for the characterization of these systems, side-by-side analysis, alternative futures analysis, and integration and aggregation of data. A description of the methods for assessing the technical, economic, environmental, societal, and institutional issues surrounding the development of the selected energy technologies is presented

All the colours of the rainbow.

Our perception of colour has always been a source of fascination, so it's little wonder that studies of the phenomenon date back hundreds of years. What, though, can modern scientists learn from medieval literature — and how do we go about it