Testing Photovoltaic Pavers for Roadway Applications

Concrete and asphalt are the primary materials used to construct roadways for motor vehicles, bike paths for pedestrians and bicyclists, and runways for aircraft. Solar Roadways®, Inc. (SR) in Sandpoint, ID, proposed using robust, Solar Road Panels (SRPs) as an alternative roadway material due to the potential for creating a modular, multi-functional infrastructure product with cost-savings, user-safety, power-generation, and a better alternative in terms of environmental sustainability when compared to contemporary pavement materials. Typical roadway construction materials, on average, need to be replaced every 10-15 years while also requiring regular annual maintenance to maintain proper safety standards. SR’s novel roadway material is intended to extend roadway replacement timelines, lower annual maintenance costs, and provide energy to the power grid. In this study, we tested the mechanical properties of the “SR3” model prototype SRP and evaluated its suitability as a replacement roadway material with the added benefit of generating electric power. Specifically, we tested this unique pavement material in submerged water environments, under extreme temperature conditions, and under dynamic loading conditions

Diversidad genética de las razas porcinas ibérica y alentejana mediante el genotipado de variantes genéticas en genes mayores y genes candidatos

Las razas porcinas ibérica y alentejana se encuentran biogeográficamente localizadas en el suroeste de la península Ibérica. Estas razas comparten un conjunto de características comunes. Ambas son fenotípicamente muy similares; muestran un bajo índice de crecimiento y una elevada deposición grasa y tienen un sistema común de producción al aire libre en el que se explotan los recursos de la Dehesa. El objetivo del presente trabajo, dentro del marco del proyecto TREASURE, consistió en caracterizar la diversidad genética de ambas razas usando los datos de genotipado de 39 polimorfismos localizados en 34 genes previamente asociados a distintos caracteres de interés económico. Estos polimorfismos fueron genotipados en 950 cerdos pertenecientes a las razas ibérica y alentejana y a 18 razas europeas autóctonas adicionales. Los bajos valores para heterozigosidad observada y esperada indican una baja diversidad genética en ibéricos y alentejanos. Las distancias genéticas estimadas usando DS y FST fueron cercanas a 0 (0.007 y 0.039, respectivamente), sugieren que estas razas son genéticamente muy similares. Asimismo, las técnicas de análisis multivariante utilizadas como análisis de componentes principales y asignación a grupos mostraron que los individuos de estas razas están muy próximos formando clusters diferenciados del resto de razas. Estos resultados concuerdan con los de otros autores que ya mostraron distancias genéticas cortas entre ambas razas usando secuencias de ADN mitocondrial

Genetic diversity of Alentejano and Iberian breeds assessed by polymorphisms of major genes

Alentejano and Iberian breeds are biogeographically located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. These breeds shared a set of common characteristics. Both are phenotypically very similar showing a low growth rate and a high intramuscular fat content and are reared under extensive systems in open range fields. The aim of the current study, carried out within the framework of the TREASURE project, intends to characterize of the genetic diversity of Alentejano and Iberian breeds using the genotyping data of 32 polymorphisms located on 26 major genes. These polymorphisms were genotyped in a total of 950 animals belonging to Alentejano, Iberian and 18 additional European breeds. The low mean values of observed (Ho) and expected (Hs) heterozygosity and FIS point out a low genetic diversity in the analyzed breeds. The genetic distances estimated using Ds and FST revealed values were close to 0 (0.005 and 0.030, respectively), suggesting that these breeds are genetically similar. The population structure analyzed with multivariate methods such as Discriminant Analysis of Principal Component and admixture analyses showed that both breeds were grouped within the same cluster. These results are supported by other authors based on mitochondrial sequences who reported short genetic distances between these breeds. Although complementary analyses using a larger number of markers should be performed, the results of the current analyses support the hypothesis of Alentejano and Iberian could be different strains of the same breed

A novel Digital OTA topology with 66-dB DC Gain and 12.3-kHz Bandwidth

The paper introduces an enhanced digital OTA topology which allows increasing the DC gain thanks to the adoption of an inverter-based output stage. Moreover, a new equivalent small-signal model is proposed which allows to simplify the circuit analysis and paves the way to new frequency compensation strategies. Designed using a 28-nm standard CMOS technology and working at 0.3-V power supply, post-layout simulations show a 66-dB gain and a 12.3-kHz gain bandwidth product while driving a 250-pF capacitive load. As compared to other ultra-low-voltage OTAs in literature, an increase of small and large signal performance, respect to area occupation, equal to 4.6X and 1.5X, respectively, is obtained

Irregular meal pattern-effects on energy expenditure, metabolism and appetite regulation: a randomized controlled trial in healthy normal-weight women

Background: Obesity is increasing in parallel with greater all-day food availability. The latter may promote meal irregularity, dysregulation of the energy balance, and poor metabolic health. Objective: We investigated the effect of meal irregularity on the thermic effect of food (TEF), lipid concentrations, carbohydrate metabolism, subjective appetite, and gut hormones in healthy women. Design: Eleven normal-weight women (18–40 y of age) were recruited in a randomized crossover trial with two 14-d isoenergetic diet periods (identical foods provided and free living) that were separated by a 14-d habitual diet washout period. In period 1, participants followed a regular meal pattern (6 meals/d) or an irregular meal pattern (3–9 meals/d), and in period 2, the alternative meal pattern was followed. Before and after each period, when participants were fasting and for 3 h after intake of a test drink, measurements were taken of energy expenditure, circulating glucose, lipids (fasting only), insulin, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and ghrelin. An ad libitum test meal was offered. Subjective appetite ratings were assessed while fasting, after the test drink, after the ad libitum meal, and during the intervention. Continuous interstitial glucose monitoring was undertaken for 3 consecutive days during each intervention, and the ambulatory activity pattern was recorded (ambulatory energy expenditure estimation). Results: Regularity was associated with a greater TEF (P , 0.05) and a lower incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for glucose after intake of the test drink (over 3 h) and, for some identical meals, during the 2 interventions (over 90 min) (day 7: after breakfast; day 9: after lunch and dinner). There was no difference between treatments for the test-drink gut hormone response. A time effect was noted for fasting GLP-1, fasting PYY, PYY responses, and hunger-rating responses to the test drink (P ˂ 0.05). Lower hunger and higher fullness ratings were seen premeal and postmeal during the regular period while subjects were free living. Conclusion: Meal regularity appears to be associated with greater TEF and lower glucose responses, which may favor weight management and metabolic health. This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT02052076

use of the electronic nose on products of cinta senese pigs

The use of a quartz microbalance based (QMB) electronic nose for feed traceability of fresh and cured fat of Cinta Senese pigs has been evaluated. Thirty-three pigs were fed different feeding during fattening: "three months chestnut" (3-CH), "1 month chestnut" (1-CH) "fed commercial feedstuff" (0-CH). Fresh fat and cured lard of each animal were analysed. Overall data set was analysed by factorial analysis to test if the instruments allowed a satisfactory pattern separation among groups. Afterwards, on the three factors generated by factorial analysis, a GLM procedure was applied to estimate effects such as: feeding type, operative temperature, day of analysis, order within day, layer of the subcutaneous fat. The results showed a clear separation according to feeding regimen in fresh fat only, especially between 1-CH and 0-CH, but also a strong effect of the other sources of variability. Concerning this, the date of analysis had a significant effect on each factor generated by factorial analysis that invalidated the discrimination obtained