Pollen From Alder (Alnus sp.), Birch (Betula sp.) and Oak (Quercus sp.) in the UK Originate From Small Woodlands

We have analysed the pollen seasons in Worcester for the period 2005–12 for alder (Alnus), birch (Betula) and oak (Quercus) by using back trajectory calculations and produced the first detailed source maps for these three pollen types. The study shows considerable variations in the source–receptor relationship of three of the most important tree pollen types in England with respect to allergy. Long Distance Transport is observed for Quercus and Betula but not for Alnus. The new source maps show a number of high emitting areas for Betula and Quercus, mainly near London, in the Midlands and in Wales. The production of source maps is sensitive to the used type of land cover data and how well they incorporate small woodlands. Two satellite products, Corine Land Cover and Globcover, are compared with the detailed national land cover product Land Cover Map 2007. The broad scale satellite products show either up to 50% less woody coverage or a direct misplacement of woodlands. The Lagrangian back trajectory model, the pollen count observations and the source maps altogether suggest that small woodlands (below 25 ha) play a major role in the overall pollen load in urban areas in England.

Analysing energy use in supply chains: the case of fruits & vegetables and furniture

An increasing number of producers, retailers and third-party logistics providers are interested in carrying out energy assessments of their product supply chain. This is due to sensitivity about climate change and carbon emissions, but also to high energy prices. This paper presents an analytical approach developed to measure energy use in logistics activities in product supply chains. The approach (based on the Life Cycle Approach) quantifies energy use in transport and logistics activities at all stages of a product supply chain. The work has demonstrated that such an assessment approach based on the supply chain is useful in comparing the energy use implications of different strategies. This supply chain approach can be used to consider options such as sourcing and distribution centre locations, transport modes, road freight vehicle types and weights, vehicle load factors, empty running, transport distance and the balance between consumer shopping trips and delivery to the home.

Nano-CF: a Coordination Framework for macro-programming in wireless sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are being used for a number of applications involving infrastructure monitoring, building energy monitoring and industrial sensing. The difficulty of programming individual sensor nodes and the associated overhead have encouraged researchers to design macro-programming systems which can help program the network as a whole or as a combination of subnets. Most of the current macro-programming schemes do not support multiple users seamlessly deploying diverse applications on the same shared sensor network. As WSNs are becoming more common, it is important to provide such support, since it enables higher-level optimizations such as code reuse, energy savings, and traffic reduction. In this paper, we propose a macro-programming framework called Nano-CF, which, in addition to supporting in-network programming, allows multiple applications written by different programmers to be executed simultaneously on a sensor networking infrastructure. This framework enables the use of a common sensing infrastructure for a number of applications without the users having to worrying about the applications already deployed on the network. The framework also supports timing constraints and resource reservations using the Nano-RK operating system. Nano- CF is efficient at improving WSN performance by (a) combining multiple user programs, (b) aggregating packets for data delivery, and (c) satisfying timing and energy specifications using Rate- Harmonized Scheduling. Using representative applications, we demonstrate that Nano-CF achieves 90% reduction in Source Lines-of-Code (SLoC) and 50% energy savings from aggregated data delivery.

Effect of peel and seed removal on the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) fruits

The effect of peel and seed removal, two commonly practiced procedures either at home or by the processing industry, on the physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds contents and antioxidant capacity of tomato fruits of four typical Portuguese cultivars (cereja, chucha, rama and redondo) were appraised. Both procedures caused significant nutritional and antioxidant activity losses in fruits of every cultivar. In general, peeling was more detrimental, since it caused a higher decrease in lycopene, bcarotene, ascorbic acid and phenolics contents (averages of 71%, 50%, 14%, and 32%, respectively) and significantly lowered the antioxidant capacity of the fruits (8% and 10%, using DPPH. and b-carotene linoleate model assays, correspondingly). Although seeds removal favored the increase of both color and sweetness, some bioactive compounds (11% of carotenoids and 24% of phenolics) as well as antioxidant capacity (5%) were loss. The studied cultivars were differently influenced by these procedures. The fruits most affected by peeling were those from redondo cultivar (-66% lycopene, -44% b-carotene, -26% ascorbic acid and -38% phenolics). Seeds removal, in turn, was more injurious for cereja tomatoes (-10% lycopene, -38% b-carotene, -25% ascorbic acid and -63% phenolics). Comparatively with the remaining ones, the rama fruits were less affected by the trimming procedures.

Case study - Herdade Vale da Rosa – The fruits of passion: The role of a positive entrepreneur vision in the success of an organization from a depressed sector and region

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Light harvesting in solar cells using natural pigments from red fruits adsorbed to mesoporous TiO2

Nature has developed strategies to present us with a wide variety of colours, from the green of leaves to the bright colours seen in flowers. Anthocyanins are between these natural pigments that are responsible for the great diversity of colours seen in flowers and fruits. Anthocyanins have been used to sensitize titanium dioxide (TiO2) in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). DSSCs have become one of the most popular research topic in photovoltaic cells due to their low production costs when compared to other alternatives. DSSCs are inspired in what happens in nature during photosynthesis. A primary charge separation is achieved by means of a photoexcited dye capable of performing the electron injection into the conduction band of a wide band-gap semiconductor, usually TiO2. With this work we aimed to synthesize a novel mesoporous TiO2 structure as the semiconductor in order to increase the dye loading. We used natural occurring dyes such as anthocyanins and their synthetic flavylium relatives, as an alternative to the widely used metal complexes of Ru(II) which are expensive and are environmentally unsafe. This offers not only the chance to use safer dyes for DSSCs, but also to take profit of waste biological products, such as wine and olive oil production residues that are heavily loaded with anthocyanin dyes. We also performed a photodegradation study using TiO2 as the catalyst to degrade dye contaminants, such as those from the wine production waste, by photo-irradiation of the system in the visible region of the light spectrum. We were able to succeed in the synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 both powder and thin film, with a high capacity to load a large amount of dye. We proved the concept of photodegradation using TiO2 as catalyst. And finally, we show that wine production waste is a possible dye source to DSSCs application.

Shots de fruits et légumes : avantages et inconvénients [Fruit and vegetable beverages: advantages and disadvantages]

En Suisse, les recommandations de fruits et légumes sont de 600 g par jour. En réalité, la consommation moyenne se situe à 60% des recommandations, c'est-à-dire à 380 g par jour. L'utilisation de produits tels que des shots de fruits et légumes pourrait réduire l'écart en facilitant la consommation de ces aliments. Cependant, ils ne peuvent pas remplacer à cent pour cent les aliments frais car leurs teneurs en fibres et vitamines C sont plus faibles, et ils interfèrent avec la physiologie de la prise alimentaire (satiété). Ces produits peuvent donc faire partie d'une alimentation variée en prenant la place d'une portion de fruits et légumes. Un autre aspect non négligeable en est le coût puisque si l'on consommait ces produits sur une semaine à la place d'aliments frais la différence serait d'environ CHF 30.- de plus. In Switzerland, fruits and vegetables recommendations are of 600 gr per day. In reality, the average intake is about 60% of these recommendations, it means 380 gr per day. The use of products like fruits and vegetables shots could reduce the gap by making drinking easier. However, they cannot replace one hundred percent fresh food for their content in fibers and vitamin C are lower and they interfere with the physiology of the food intake (satiety). These products can have their importance in a various supply by taking the place of one fruit or vegetable portion. Another non negligible aspect is the price as if we consume these products over one week instead of fresh food, the difference would be of about CHF 30.- more

Horae ad usum romanum

F. 1-12v. Calendrier en français, à l’encre rouge et noire, où l’on remarque des formes dialectales picardes et plusieurs saints du Nord : « sainte Audegonde » (30 janvier) ; « le Candelier » (2 févr.) ; « ste Gertrude » (17 mars) ; « saint Quentin » (2 mai) ; « saint Ernoulx » [ep. Suessonensis] (16 août) ; « saint Bertin » (5 septembre) ; « saint Lambert » (17 septembre) ; « saint Franchois » (4 oct.) ; « saint Gillain » [mart. in Hannonia] (16 oct., Ghislain); « le jour st Estievene » (26 déc., rouge). Une deuxième main très cursive ajouté d’autres saints, dont « s. Amand » (6 févr.) ; « s. Waleri » (1er avril) ; « s. Fuscien » [mart. Ambianensis] (27 juin et 10 déc.) ; « s. Firmin » [mart. Ambianensis] (25 septembre) ; « s. Bavon » (1er oct.). F. 13v-17v. « ... hore sancte Crucis». F. 18v-22v. « ... hore de sancto Spiritu ».F. 23v-85. « ... hore beate marie virginis secundum usum romanum ». F. 86v-94v. Office de la Vierge, selon les temps de l’année. « ... officum beate Marie virginis quod dicitur per totum adventum ad vesperas ».F.95-115. « ... septem psalmi penitentiales cum suis litaniis et precibus ». A noter « ... sancte Lamberte... sancte Rumolde [ep. Mechlinensis]... sancte Fursee [ab. Latiniacensis] ... sancte Amande... sancte Vedaste, sancte Bavo... sancte Philiberte... santa Ursula... sancta Brigida... sancta Aldegondis, sancta Gertrudis... ».F.116v-152v. « ... vigilie mortuorum » office des morts à l’usage de Sarum-Normandie-Metz ; cf. K. Ottosen, Responsories..., p. 242 (116v-151). — « Octo versus beati Bernardi ». « Illumina oculos meos ne umquam obdormiam... » ; cf. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, I, XXX-XXXI (151-152v).F.153-158v. « Initium sancti evvangelii secundum Johannem... secundum Lucam... secundum Matheum... secundum Marcum ».F. 158v-166. Suffrages aux saints : « Memoria de santo Johanne Baptista... ; devota oratio... » ; — « ... de sancto Adriano » ; — « ... de sancto Sebastiano » ; — « ... de sancto Anthonio » ; — « ... de sancto Quintino » ; — « ... de sancto Nicholae » ; — « ... de sancto Andrea » ; — « ... de sancto Fiacro ».F.166v-174v. Prières à la Vierge. « ... devotissima oratio ad beatem virginem Mariam ». « O intemerata... O Johannes... » (éd. Wilmart, Auteurs spirituels, 488-490) (166v-169v). — « Alia oratio ad beatam virginem Mariam ». « Obsecro te.... » (éd. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, II, 346-347) (169v-174). Les deux prières sont rédigées à la forme masculine. — « Laus Marie virginis ». « Salve regina... » (Analecta Hymnica, L, 318-319, n° 245) (174-174v). F. 175-184v. Suffrages aux saintes : « ... de santa Barbara » ; — « ... de sancta Margareta » ; — « ... de sancta Katerina » ; — « ... de sancta Maria Magdelena » ; — « ... de sancta Appolonia » ; — « ... de sancta Venicie [Venice, forme dérivée de Véronique] » « Veni sponsa Christi... Versus. Diffusa est gratia... Oratio. Exaudi nos Deus ut sicut de beate Venicie festivitate gaudemus, ita pie devotionis erudiamur. Per.... » ; sur le culte de sainte Véronique/Venice, en particulier à Paris, voir Gr. A. RUNNALS, Le mystère de sainte Venice, Exeter, 1980 (Textes littéraires) (175-180v). — Prières diverses : « ... quinque gaudia de beata virgine Maria » « Gaude Virgo mater Christi... » (éd. Leroquais, Livres d’heures, I, XXVI-XXVII) (180v-182). — « Oratio devota ad Jesum Christum ». « Ave domine Jhesu Christe verbum patris » (éd. Wilmart, Auteurs spirituels, 412 [III]) (182-183). — « Oratio devota que dicitur ad elevationem Domini ». « Ave verum corpus Domini nostri... » (éd. Szövérffy, Die Annalen , II, 298-299) (183-184). — « Memore de saint Miquiel », en latin (184-184v).