1,146 research outputs found
The Impact of Biofuel Production on Food Security: A Briefing Paper with a Particular Emphasis on Maize-to-Ethanol Production
A multi-feedstock approach is crucial for sustainable biofuel production in South Africa. In respect of ethanol production, biofuel producers should be allowed to draw on a range of starch-based crops including maize. A multi-feedstock approach will enable producers to select crops best suited to the agro-climate of the regions where their plants are situated and to minimize logistic costs by sourcing crops grown closest to their plants. In recent months, plans to use maize to produce ethanol have raised concerns that this could jeopardize food security in South Africa.biofuel production, food security, maize, Food Security and Poverty, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q10, Q27,
Effect of local treatments of convection upon the solar p-mode excitation rates
We compute, for several solar models, the rates P at which the solar radial p
modes are expected to be excited. The solar models are computed with two
different local treatments of convection : the classical mixing-length theory
(MLT hereafter) and Canuto, Goldmann and Mazzitelli(1996, CGM hereafter)'s
formulation. For one set of solar models (EMLT and ECGM models), the atmosphere
is gray and assumes Eddington's approximation. For a second set of models (KMLT
and KCGM models), the atmosphere is built using a T(tau) law which has been
obtained from a Kurucz's model atmosphere computed with the same local
treatment of convection. The mixing-length parameter in the model atmosphere is
chosen so as to provide a good agreement between synthetic and observed Balmer
line profiles, while the mixing-length parameter in the interior model is
calibrated so that the model reproduces the solar radius at solar age. For the
MLT treatment, the rates P do depend significantly on the properties of the
atmosphere. On the other hand, for the CGM treatment, differences in P between
the ECGM and the KCGM models are very small compared to the error bars attached
to the seismic measurements. The excitation rates P for modes from the EMLT
model are significantly under-estimated compared with the solar seismic
constraints. The KMLT model results in intermediate values for P and shows also
an important discontinuity in the temperature gradient and the convective
velocity. On the other hand, the KCGM model and the ECGM model yield values for
P closer to the seismic data than the EMLT and KMLT models. We conclude that
the solar p-mode excitation rates provide valuable constraints and according to
the present investigation cleary favor the CGM treatment with respect to the
MLT.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, proceedings of the SOHO14/GONG 2004 workshop
"Helio- and Asteroseismology: Towards a Golden Future" from July 12-16 2004
at New Haven CT (USA
The Interaction Of Multiple Convection Zones In A-type Stars
A-type stars have a complex internal structure with the possibility of
multiple convection zones. If not sufficiently separated, such zones will
interact through the convectively stable regions that lie between them. It is
therefore of interest to ask whether the typical conditions that exist within
such stars are such that these convections zones can ever be considered as
disjoint.
In this paper we present results from numerical simulations that help in
understanding how increasing the distance between the convectively unstable
regions are likely to interact through the stable region that separates them.
This has profound implications for mixing and transport within these stars.Comment: 9 pages, 15 figures, Preprint accepted for publication in MNRA
Influence of local treatments of convection upon solar p mode excitation rates
We compute the rates P at which acoustic energy is injected into the solar
radial p modes for several solar models. The solar models are computed with two
different local treatments of convection: the classical mixing-length theory
(MLT hereafter) and Canuto et al (1996)'s formulation (CGM hereafter). Among
the models investigated here, our best models reproduce both the solar radius
and the solar luminosity at solar age and the observed Balmer line profiles.
For the MLT treatment, the rates P do depend significantly on the properties of
the atmosphere whereas for the CGM's treatment the dependence of P on the
properties of the atmosphere is found smaller than the error bars attached to
the seismic measurements. The excitation rates P for modes associated with the
MLT models are significantly underestimated compared with the solar seismic
constraints. The CGM models yield values for P closer to the seismic data than
the MLT models. We conclude that the solar p-mode excitation rates provide
valuable constraints and according to the present investigation clearly favor
the CGM treatment with respect to the MLT, although neither of them yields
values of P as close to the observations as recently found for 3D numerical
simulations.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks of intervention programs to address micronutrient malnutrition: symposium report.
Interventions to address micronutrient deficiencies have large potential to reduce the related disease and economic burden. However, the potential risks of excessive micronutrient intakes are often not well determined. During the Global Summit on Food Fortification, 9-11 September 2015, in Arusha, a symposium was organized on micronutrient risk-benefit assessments. Using case studies on folic acid, iodine and vitamin A, the presenters discussed how to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of intervention programs to address micronutrient malnutrition. Pre-implementation assessment of dietary intake, and/or biomarkers of micronutrient exposure, status and morbidity/mortality is critical in identifying the population segments at risk of inadequate and excessive intake. Dietary intake models allow to predict the effect of micronutrient interventions and their combinations, e.g. fortified food and supplements, on the proportion of the population with intakes below adequate and above safe thresholds. Continuous monitoring of micronutrient intake and biomarkers is critical to identify whether the target population is actually reached, whether subgroups receive excessive amounts, and inform program adjustments. However, the relation between regular high intake and adverse health consequences is neither well understood for many micronutrients, nor do biomarkers exist that can detect them. More accurate and reliable biomarkers predictive of micronutrient exposure, status and function are needed to ensure effective and safe intake ranges for vulnerable population groups such as young children and pregnant women. Modelling tools that integrate information on program coverage, dietary intake distribution and biomarkers will further enable program makers to design effective, efficient and safe programs
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