Active Dihedral Control System for a Torsionally Flexible Wing

A span-loaded, highly flexible flying wing, having horizontal control surfaces mounted aft of the wing on extended beams to form local pitch-control devices. Each of five spanwise wing segments of the wing has one or more motors and photovoltaic arrays, and produces its own lift independent of the other wing segments, to minimize inter-segment loads. Wing dihedral is controlled by separately controlling the local pitch-control devices consisting of a control surface on a boom, such that inboard and outboard wing segment pitch changes relative to each other, and thus relative inboard and outboard lift is varied

Active Dihedral Control System for a Torisionally Flexible Wing

A span-loaded, highly flexible flying wing, having horizontal control surfaces mounted aft of the wing on extended beams to form local pitch-control devices. Each of five spanwise wing segments of the wing has one or more motors and photovoltaic arrays, and produces its own lift independent of the other wing segments, to minimize inter-segment loads. Wing dihedral is controlled by separately controlling the local pitch-control devices consisting of a control surface on a boom, such that inboard and outboard wing segment pitch changes relative to each other, and thus relative inboard and outboard lift is varied

Usefulness of the Paralens™ Fluorescent Microscope Adaptor for the Identification of Mycobacteria in Both Field and Laboratory Settings

The presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in laboratories has traditionally been demonstrated using the fluorochrome method, which requires a fluorescent microscope or the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) method employing light microscopy. Low sensitivity of the ZN method and high costs of fluoroscopy make the need for a more effective means of diagnosis a top priority, especially in developing countries where the burden of tuberculosis is high. The QBC ParaLens™ attachment (QBC Diagnostic Inc., Port Matilda, PA) is a substitute for conventional fluoroscopy in the identification of AFB. To evaluate the efficacy of the ParaLens LED (light-emitting diode) system, the authors performed a two-part study, looking at usefulness, functionality and durability in urban/rural health clinics around the world, as well as in a controlled state public health laboratory setting. In the field, the ParaLens was durable and functioned well with various power sources and lighting conditions. Results from the state laboratory indicated agreement between standard fluorescent microscopy and fluorescent microscopy using the ParaLens. This adaptor is a welcome addition to laboratories in resource-limited settings as a useful alternative to conventional fluoroscopy for detection of mycobacterial species

Spatiotemporal Variability in Allee Effects of Invading Gypsy Moth Populations

The Allee threshold, the critical population density separating growth from decline in populations experiencing strong Allee effects, can vary over space and time but few empirical studies have examined this variation. A lack of geographically extensive, long-term studies on low density population dynamics makes studying variability in Allee effects difficult. We used North American gypsy moth population data from 1996-2016 to quantify Allee thresholds in 11 regions of the invasion front. Allee thresholds spanned a continuum from being undetectable due to strong population growth at all densities, to being unmeasurable because populations declined across all densities. The lag-1 temporal autocorrelation in Allee thresholds tended to be negative and spatial synchrony in Allee thresholds extended no further than adjacent regions. This work furthers understanding of spatiotemporal variation in Allee effects using extensive empirical data at the range edge of an invasive insect

Charting the Course for Sustainability at Aurora Organic Dairy Phase I: Energy and Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Assessment

Organic agriculture has sustained consistent growth in the U.S. over the past decade, but very little systemic environmental impact benchmarking has been performed. This study is the first life cycle assessment (LCA) of a large-scale, vertically integrated organic dairy in the U.S. The focus of this study was Aurora Organic Dairy (AOD), a leading provider of private label organic milk in the US. Over the time frame of analysis, April 2007 to March 2008, AOD owned or leased six dairy farms, located in Colorado and Texas, as well as a milk processing plant, located in Colorado. Primary data from AOD farms and processing facilities were used to build a LCA model for benchmarking the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption across the entire milk production system, from organic feed production to transport of packaged milk to product end of life disposal. Overall GHG emissions were 7.98 kg CO2e per gallon of packaged liquid milk purchased at the retail location. The major GHG contributors include enteric fermentation (25% of total) and feed production (17% of total). The energy consumption for the entire system was 72.6 MJ (1.65 gallons of gasoline equivalent LHV) per gallon of packaged liquid milk. Potential strategies for reducing the system GHG emissions are discussed including wind energy, animal husbandry techniques, biodiesel, photovoltaic energy, and anaerobic digestion.Master of ScienceSchool of Natural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/62094/1/AOD_report_apr21.pd