Evaluation available encapsulation materials for low-cost long-life silicon photovoltaic arrays

Experimental evaluation of selected encapsulation designs and materials based on an earlier study which have potential for use in low cost, long-life photovoltaic arrays are reported. The performance of candidate materials and encapsulated cells were evaluated principally for three types of encapsulation designs based on their potentially low materials and processing costs: (1) polymeric coatings, transparent conformal coatings over the cell with a structural-support substrate; (2) polymeric film lamination, cells laminated between two films or sheets of polymeric materials; and (3) glass-covered systems, cells adhesively bonded to a glass cover (superstrate) with a polymeric pottant and a glass or other substrate material. Several other design types, including those utilizing polymer sheet and pottant materials, were also included in the investigation

Computer recommendations for an automatic approach and landing system for V/STOL aircraft. Volume 2 - Equations

Automatic approach and landing system for V/STOL aircraf

Molecular mechanisms of adaptive evolution revealed by global selection for glyphosate resistance

The human‐directed, global selection for glyphosate resistance in weeds has revealed a fascinating diversity of evolved resistance mechanisms, including herbicide sequestration in the vacuole, a rapid cell death response, nucleotide polymorphisms in the herbicide target (5‐enolpyruvylshikimate‐3‐phosphate synthase, EPSPS) and increased gene copy number of EPSPS. For this latter mechanism, two distinct molecular genetic mechanisms have been observed, a tandem duplication mechanism and a large extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) that is tethered to the chromosomes and passed to gametes at meiosis. These divergent mechanisms have a range of consequences for the spread, fitness, and inheritance of resistance traits, and, particularly in the case of the eccDNA, demonstrate how evolved herbicide resistance can generate new insights into plant adaptation to contemporary environmental stress

A novel approach to estimate product-specific greenhouse gas emissions for 23,550 Australian packaged foods and beverages

Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) data are predominantly available for agricultural commodities and broad dietary patterns. However, data on commonly consumed, multi-ingredient food products as sold in supermarkets and retail outlets are mostly absent. We developed a novel approach to estimate product-specific GHGe for individual packaged foods and beverages marketed in Australia in 2019. Ingredient lists for 23,550 packaged products were systematically disaggregated and a linear program was used to estimate ingredient proportions in each product. Ingredient-specific, cradle-to-farm gate GHGe values were identified from five life cycle assessment data sources. Weighted GHGe values for each ingredient were summed up to a product-specific GHGe estimate that was then additionally adjusted for processing and transport-related emissions to account for most attributable emissions from cradle-to-retail. To assess validity, GHGe for food categories, estimated as the median of product-specific GHGe estimates, were compared against existing GHGe values for analogous food groups. The included products contained 897 different ingredients for which GHGe values were determined using data from 433 life cycle assessments. The estimated median for cradle-to-retail GHGe for all products was 2.35 kg CO2eq/kg product (interquartile range, IQR, [1.24, 4.53]). Product-specific GHGe estimates varied substantially within food categories; the 25th and 75th percentile of GHGe values differed by 2-fold or more for most. ‘Meat and meat products’ had the highest median GHGe value and broadest range of estimates (6.81 kg CO2eq/kg product, IQR [5.84, 29.2]). ‘Fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes’ had the lowest median GHGe (1.20 kg CO2eq/kg product). Median category values for product-specific GHGe estimates aligned well with values for 34 food groups previously reported (R2 = 98.6%). Our approach provides a novel method for estimating product-specific GHGe for Australian packaged foods and beverages. The study enabled clear differentiation between products within a given category due to the unique ingredient proportion estimation method, while retaining good comparability against values derived using existing methods. These data have significant potential for driving industry actions and informing government policies

Siting marine protected areas based on habitat quality and extent provides the greatest benefit to spatially structured metapopulations

Connectivity and its role in the persistence and sustainability of marine metapopulations are attracting increased attention from the scientific community and coastal resource managers. Whether protection should prioritize the connectivity structure or demographic characteristics of a given patch is still unclear. We design a three-stage population model to analyze the relative importance of sources, sinks, quality and extent of juvenile and adult habitat, and node centralities (eigenvector, degree, closeness, and betweenness) as a basis for prioritizing sites. We use a logistic-type stage-structured model to describe the local dynamics of a population with a sessile adult stage and network models to elucidate propagule-exchange dynamics. Our results show that the coupled states of habitat extent and quality, which determine population carrying capacity, are good criteria for protection strategy. Protecting sites on the basis of sources, sinks, or other centrality measures of connectivity becomes optimal only in limited situations, that is, when larval production is not dependent on the adult population. Our findings are robust to a diverse set of larval pathway structures and levels of larval retention, which indicates that the network topology may not be as important as carrying capacity in determining the fate of the metapopulation. Protecting extensive, good quality habitat can help achieve both conservation and fisheries objectives

Associations of Starch Gel Hardness, Granule Size, Waxy Allelic Expression, Thermal Pasting, Milling Quality, and Kernel Texture of 12 Soft Wheat Cultivars

Starches were isolated from 12 soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and were characterized for waxy (Wx) allelic expression, thermal pasting characteristics, and starch granule size. Gels were produced from the thermally degraded starches and were evaluated using large deformation rheological measurements. Data were compared with cultivar kernel texture, milling characteristics, starch chemical analyses, and flour pasting characteristics. Larger flour yields were produced from cultivars that had larger starch granules. Flour yield also was correlated with lower amylose content and greater starch content. Harder starch gels were correlated with higher levels of amylose content and softer kernel texture. The cultivar Fillmore, which had a partial waxy mutation at the B locus, produced the highest peak pasting viscosity and the lowest gel hardness. Softer textured wheats had greater lipid‐complexed amylose and starch phosphorus contents and had less total starch content. Among these wheats of the soft market class, softer textured wheats had larger starch granules and harder textured wheats had smaller starch granules. In part, this may explain why soft wheats vary in texture. The smaller granules have larger surface area available for noncovalent bonding with the endosperm protein matrix and they also may pack more efficiently, producing harder endosperm.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141588/1/cche0163.pd