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Agricultural machines operate in dirty, dust-laden environments, and keeping the operator’s environment safe and healthy is a challenge for equipment designers. As a result, the air quality system is an essential component of a well designed operator cab. Environmentally controlled cabs reduce operator exposure to harmful particulates such as respirable crystalline silica, aerosols, particulate matter, and other airborne contaminants. In addition to the respiratory hazards, airborne dust can shorten the life of air conditioning systems and other equipment.

The solution to this problem typically involves barrier filtration for the cab ventilation system, but filters become clogged over time, reducing their effectiveness and putting strain on the ventilation system.

So why put dirt on the filter in the first place?

Why not preclean the dirt-laden air before it enters the barrier filter? Our answer is the RESPA-CF Vortex HyperFLOW filtration system, which uses continuous mechanical separation to separate and eliminate particulates before they reach the filter. The results are longer filter life, more efficient filtration, sustainable cab pressurizalion, cleaner cabs and AC components, lower initial costs, reduced maintenance, increased productivity, and a healthier operator environment. In 2011 as proof that we were on to something good, the RESPA-CF system was honored with an AE50 Award,

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How does it work?

The RESPA-CF system uses patented processes that apply centrifugal force to whip the incoming air into a spiral vortex around the inner wall of a cylindrical housing. This process strips the air of particulates larger 5 microns with over 90 percent efficiency. Since the air is prceleaned, the filter does not have to contend with significant amounts of these particulates.

In addition, we used nanotechnology to design a filter specifically for the RESPA-CF system. This filter releases particulates whenever its vibrated such as when the operator shuts the cab door. The debris that falls to the walls of the filter housing is then quickly ejected, making the filter and the filter housing essentially self-cleaning. Under the ASHREA 52.2 filter test standard the filter has a minimum efficiency rated value (MERV) of 16. For comparison, a MERV 17 rating is HERA grade.

The filter is located in the calm space in the center of the vortex, in the eye of the storm, so it’s J/$ bypassed by most of the debris that spins around the perimeter of the housing toward the ejection slots. In addition, rather than vacuuming the remaining debris onto the filter, as in a conventional filtration system, the RESPA-CF system actually pushes air w through the filter. This creates a positive airflow that pressurizes the cab, which prevents unfiltered air and harmful particulates from entering the cab elsewhere through small openings. Instead, the positive pressurization constantly pushes clean air out of the cab, which maintains a much cleaner and healthier environment for the operator.

Because this positive pressurization is essential to maintaining the air quality in the operator’s environment, the RESPA-CF system includes a real-time pressure monitor. This monitor alerts the operator of the system’s performance and when to change the filter. The monitor displays the pressure in Pascals or inches of water column, it has an audible alarm and warning light, and it includes a 0-5 VDC output for use with onboard or remote telemetry systems.

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One question remained: what about ambient dirt that enters the cab when the door is opened? The optional RESPA-CFX unit solves this problem. This inline precleaning and recirculation unit continuously purifies the cabin’s air through MERV 16 filtration. The result is the highest efficiency, most effective cab air quality system that we know of.

How well does it perform?

We installed RESPA-CF Vortex HyperFLOW systems and pressure sensors on six machines operating in a debris-laden landfill. With over 4,500 hours of run time, three of the machines exceeded 1,000 hours of use on the incoming air filter, and all of the machines exceeded six months without needing a filter change. Most important, the cab pressurization was maintained for the length of the tests. The graph shows the cab pressurization over the first 926 hours of run time. Increases in cab pressure correlate to decreases in RESPA-CF restriction, which occur whenever the filter self-cleans.

The RESPA-CF system meets or exceeds the 2009 European ag sprayer cab regulation, known as EN 15695-2, for high-efficiency particulate filtration for Category 1 and 2 cabs and for aerosol filtration for Category 3 cabs. Testing under EN 15695-2 requires the cab system to provide the desired air quality, and no single component by itself can ensure compliance. However, the RESPA-CF system provides cab pressurization, compliant filtration, and pressure monitoring. Each of these factors is necessary for EN 15695-2 compliance. Used in series with carbon filtration, the RESPA-CF provides a logical path to Category 4 compliance.

Bionanotechnology is essentially the study of biological ideas with nanotechnology. To put it in different terms, bionanotechnology is a miniaturized version of biotechnology, a field that centers on the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine, and other fields. Bionanotechnology is an emerging interdisciplinary field at the interface of biotechnology and nanotechnology. Because it’s still in the early stages, the topical areas of bionanotechnology research cover a wide range. In particular, bionanotechnology is ideally suited for understanding the interfaces between organisms in systems biology.

To help understand bionanotechnology, it is important to know what biofilms are. Biofilms are organized structures, primarily made of exopolysaccharides, water, and microbes, that are formed by one or several species of bacteria attached to solid surfaces. Biofilms affect many aspects of human life, including industry, medicine, and biosystems. In particular, biofilms play a major role in plant-microbe interactions, bio-fouling, and biocorrosion.

The challenges associated with characterizing the diverse organisms involved in plant-microbe interfaces and dissecting their molecular exchanges are being addressed in collaborative research with my fellow scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Together, we have developed a variety of analytical tools for use in bionanotechnology, including microfluidic devices to sort bacteria, as well as image processing tools and nanoscale analytical techniques.

Microfluidics

Microfluidics is the science of constructing tiny (or microminiaturized) devices with tunnels and chambers for the precise control and manipulation of fluids. Within the 10 to 100 micron channels of these devices, fluid flow is dominated by surface tension and laminar effects. Since biofilm processes are initiated in confined microscopic spaces, and the size of bacterial cells is on the micron scale, microfluidic systems provide major advantages in studying biofilms. In particular, these systems have unique capabilities for applying stimuli to individual cells or to groups of cells and observing the responses.

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Unlike conventional benchtop systems, microfluidic systems allow efficient control of concentration gradients and avoid mechanical stresses in characterizing biofilms. For example, microfluidic devices have been designed and fabricated to study the influences of hydrodynamics in the bacterial environment, which helps us understand biofilm formation and adhesion kinetics. Combined wife nanoscale features, microfluidic devices also aid in functionally assaying bacteria to investigate species variation.

Our work in microfluidics has been innovative, and it has provided some new developments. For example, we have developed microfluidic methods to sort bacteria based on their affinity to chemo attractants. Using PDMS (poly-dimethyl siloxane) material, microchannels were created on a glass surface. The nanoporous barriers between the fluidic channels confined the bacteria in distinct compartments while allowing controlled delivery and exchange of molecular cues between the compartments (fig. 1).

An understanding of the complex chemical communications between plants and the bacteria that surround the plant roots was also achieved using microfluidic systems. The bacteria are attracted by chemicals that are produced by the plant roots and travel toward them for biofilm formation. Sometimes, for various reasons, the bacteria form colonies on the root surface. Without microfluidic systems, it would not be possible to understand the behavior of these bacteria.

In addition, fabricated nanos-tructured microfluidic devices have helped us understand the effect of chemical cues on cellular processes, such as surface recognition, adhesion kinetics, cell communication, and chemotaxis. Microtluidic devices are small and portable, which makes them suitable for screening field isolates of bacteria as well as for food quality monitoring. The devices can also be used to emulate drug delivery using tissues cultured inside the microtluidic compartments.

Image processing and nanoscale analysis

Imaging studies of the colonization and surface adhesion kinetics of bacteria using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and confocal laser scanning can reveal the evolution of microbial biofilm morphologies and the structure of the bacterial pili (the hair-like appendages found on many bacteria). By understanding the way bacteria attach to different surfaces, it is possible to create nano-patterned surfaces so that biofouling and biocorrosion activity can be minimized or avoided.

Quantitative imaging of live biological samples has also been achieved using AFM and confocal laser scanning. We quantified the pico-force with which the bacteria (fig. 2) are attached to different surfaces using mica, polystyrene, polypropylene, and glass substrates. Non-intrusive investigation of single biomoleeules is possible, and il is useful for screening and diagnostic purposes, as there are connections between biomarkers and genetic disorders.

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We have also been successful in producing nanowires from bacteria. These nanowires are 6 to 8 run in diameter (fig. 3). They can conduct electrons and could be used as single-molecule electronic devices. To produce them, the growth conditions of bacteria were optimized to make the bacteria express nanowires from specific field isolates. The nanowires were then deposited on mica substrates and imaged using atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In the near future, we will be able to grow nanowires in quantity, and researchers will create biological circuits with this new micromaterial.

The association of plants and microbes can often benefit plant health. Often, though, little is known about the specific organisms involved or the mechanisms through which these processes occur, particularly in natural ecosystems. Therefore, we examined the spatial and temporal namics of microbial colonization of Populus roots using microbial isolates that express green fluorescent protein (GFP). The association and attachment of bacteria to Populus roots is an initial step in microbial colonization and is influenced by numerous factors, including molecular signaling events, bacterial transport, and surface recognition. Standard molecular methods were used to introduce GFP into microbial isolates. Confocal and atomic force microscopy were then used to characterize the morphology, surface characteristics, and dynamics of biofilm formation of selected microbes isolated from the Populus rhizosphere.

The gamma-proteobacteria isolate YR343 was observed to attach to the Populus roots (fig. 4) after approximately five hours of co-culture. The cells were observed to grow and form colonies on the surface of the root. Expression i during the biofilm formation and distinct morphotypes revealed by the image analysis. These colonization studies provide direct evidence that microbes collected from the rhizosphere associate directly with Populus roots, and the dynamics of colonization were observed in real time using GFP-expressing microbes. The methods developed for this study will enable additional studies aimed at investigating plant and microbial responses to colonization.

To sum it up

Our research in the field of bionan-otechnology has been highly productive. We have developed novel image processing tools and nanoscale analytical techniques to study systems biology, biofilms. and plantmicrobe interactions, and we have designed and fabricated microfliridic devices and systems for studying bacterial chemotaxis. In particular, we have been highly successful in studying how bacteria attach to root surfaces and in imaging live bacteria colonization on root surfaces. Last but not least, we have developed tools to create DNA tern-plates and analyze chromosome structures using atomic force microscopy. All that, and the field of bionanotechnologv is just beginning.

A single source of energy that can replace crude oil–call it a silver bullet does not exist. Instead, what the United States needs is more like silver buckshot–a combination of many sources of energy, along with increased energy efficiency.

A major component of this approach is developing domestic renewable energy sources that can power our society and ensure its continuation as the planet’s supply of fossil energy becomes scarcer. This is not the time to debate when fossil energy will be depleted or whether we have reached global “peak oil” production. Why? Because we already know that all petroleum, including the oil sands in Alberta and the Bakken formation in North Dakota, is finite.

Finite means that crude oil will one day be depleted. In the meantime, the law of supply and demand will apply: as Oil becomes scarcer, it will increase in cost. If the demand for petroleum increases, of even if demand stays the same while the supply decreases, the increased costs will eventually force us to seek alternative sources of energy.

How will the U.S. and global economy respond? The standard of living in the United States and around the world will be vulnerable in a petroleum-limited future. Why? Because global economic stability rests mainly with a nation’s ability to supply energy to fuel its economy, especial ly the supply of crude oil. Here in the United States, our vulnerability to disruption in the energy supply is severe. Last year, we consumed more than 25 percent of the world’s total output of petroleum, yet the United States has only 5 percent of the world’s population. And over 60 percent of the petroleum that we use is imported! That is not sustainable.

A little background

The OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s was a wake-up call. We suddenly realized that petroleum permeated every aspect of the U.S. economy Those of us who are old enough can still remember the long lines of cars waiting at filling stations and the effect that the embargo had on our shaky economy at the time. Unfortunately, when the petroleum spigot was turned back on in the early. 1980s, we abandoned most of our energy production and efficiency research programs. We went back to using petroleum as if it was an inexhaustible resource.

The thinking back in the 1970s, and to some extent still today, is that all we have to do is harvest more petroleum by drilling more holes in the earth’s crust (“drill, baby, drill!”). However, petroleum is not a commodity, like corn or soybeans, that is produced every year. Petroleum is a reserve that accumulated over millions of years and cannot be regenerated. Knowing that there is a limited supply of this essential resource, can the United States and global society adjust to life without it, before its loss causes economic chaos?

A silver lining?

Here is the bright spot in this potentially dismal future scenario. Today, our society has a greater understanding of the energy situation than we had in the 1970s. We realize that petroleum, as well as other fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, is finite. In addition and most importantly, there is now a real interest in achieving energy security, and a willingness to do something about it.

However, further complicating the reality of finite petroleum reserves is the increased demand for petroleum driven by the increases in the global standard of living and in the global population. Projections are that the world’s population will reach nine billion by mid-century. With that increased population, there will be additional demands on global resources of food, fiber, and shelter.

We can expect that those nine billion people will aspire to a higher standard of living, seeking to match that of the developed nations. We can also expect that people in developing nations will seek to enhance their standard of living through exploitation of fossil fuels, especially petroleum. If global society, especially in developing nations, continues to aspire to a higher standard of living through increased energy consumption, the same way the developed nations increased their standard of living, then the finite reserves of petroleum will be depleted even more rapidly.

The relationship between per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and energy consumption is linear. The higher a country’s standard of living, the more energy is consumed per person. For example, in the United States, the GDP per capita is around $10,000, and we consume about a 1,000 BTUs of energy per person. On the other hand, China’s GDP is around $800 per capita, and China consumes around 90 BTUs of energy per person. We all know that China is working to improve its standard of living. If China’s per capita consumption of energy, food, fiber, and shelter ever reaches that of the United States, then there is no way that the global reserves of petroleum and other natural resources, such as land and water, can meet this demand.

The perfect storm

An increasing population demanding a higher standard of living and requiring more energy, food, fiber, and shelter, combined with an exhaustible source of energy and a finite land base for food, fiber, and shelter production–it’s a perfect storm! Meanwhile, the essential means of dealing with this coming storm, that is, the global agricultural and forestry industries, are facing this challenge with little support and little recognition. Without research and development in agriculture and forestry, how can we hope to achieve energy and food security?

The “perfect storm” scenario will gain strength over the coming decades as the increasing global population demands a higher standard of living, which will result in a greater demand for energy, food, fiber, and shelter. The storm is certain to hit if we try to satisfy the increasing demands with historical, finite energy resources, such as petroleum. The agricultural and forestry industries can lessen and perhaps eliminate the coming storm. Here are five suggestions for minimizing the impact:

First: Energy security is a national challenge. Therefore, all federal agencies should rise to the challenge. There is evidence that most federal agencies are already responding. For example, the USDA has a loan guarantee program and energy assistance programs such as BCAP. The DOD has an aggressive program to enhance biofuels for aviation as well as land vehicles, and the EPA has programs such as Energy Star. The DOE has dedicated a complete agency for research and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

In addition, there are cross-agency programs such as the Biomass Research and Development Board. However, when it comes to funding research and development programs, there appears to be a perception that the energy challenge is a task for the DOE alone. Our suggestion is that federal funding for energy-related research and deployment programs be allocated to all pertinent federal agencies in addition to the DOE. Stimulus funds available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act have provided considerable resources to the DOE but nothing for research and deployment programs in the USDA or other agencies.

However, domestic energy production will rely on land as the base resource for its implementation. Who will grow biomass energy crops? Who owns the land where wind farms will be erected? Most renewable energy technologies are landbased, and farmers own the land, but there has been no support for agricultural energy research, development, deployment, and education programs in the stimulus packages.

Second: Make sure that adequate research is complete before investing taxpayer money in commercial, demonstration, or even pilot-scale conversion plants. Upfront research increases the probability of success.

A significant percentage of federal appropriated funds, especially recent stimulus funds, were invested in large-scale energy production and conversion projects, with the expectation of producing megawatts and/or thousands of barrels of liquid fuel. Several of these projects were funded without adequate initial research. Consequently, they have been significantly delayed in meeting their goals, and some have been abandoned, with significant dollars wasted.

Doing the research before building a multimillion dollar facility seems logical, yet this has not always been the approach. There seems to be a feeling in Washington that if you appropriate enough money for a project, then it should work. Dollars take the place of sound scientific research. That is a failed model.

Furthermore, meeting the challenge of producing domestic renewable energy will require an increase in research funding to a level beyond present funding levels, maybe even beyond what the U.S. Congress and agricultural leaders realize! The “can do” spirit of the agricultural scientists and engineers working on energy security is impressive, but the magnitude of the commitment so far is not sufficient to the seriousness of the problem.

Third: Biomass energy systems should take a lesson from the success of the food and fiber agricultural system, which is a continuum from production to marketing of the end product. From-field to food, from forest to house–why not from field to fuel?

Put another way, we believe that farmers should be in the energy business, and not just producers of raw material for the energy business. Since we are in the very early stages of addressing the energy challenge, why not-think of agriculture as an energy source, and not just a producer of biomass? Integrated projects that demonstrate an understanding of the continuum of growing the biomass, harvesting it, transporting it, storing it, and then converting it into useful energy for distribution to the end user should receive the highest consideration for funding. To accomplish this, agriculture and forestry must be recognized as an integrated solution that provides both the biomass feedstock and its conversion to a usable form of energy. This is an alternative to the “Field of Dreams” situation, that is, if big business builds a biomass conversion plant, then the: biomass will come.

Fourth: Large, centralized processing facilities will require biomass or other feedstocks from a radius of 20 to 30 or even 40 miles. Given that long reach, agriculture and forestry must focus on being a part of the renewable energy industry, and not just a source of biomass. They must be a part of the field to-fuel continuum, otherwise, they will just be outside suppliers, negotiating contracts with the companies that own and operate the processing facilities.

Does this scenario remind you of existing fully integrated industries, such as poultry, in which farmers take on significant capital investment and risk with the expectation that the processing company will continue to do contract business with them? That is not the way that agriculture should become a part of the energy solution. By being producers of energy; not just producers of biomass, the farmers can control their destiny.

Farmers and foresters already have the land, water, and management expertise necessary to be producers of energy. In fact, processing of grain biomass into fuel ethanol was pioneered on farms. As processes are developed to make a fuel out of non-grain biomass, effort should be directed at developing far-in-kale production units.

Fifth: Since we are still conducting research to develop more efficient ways to process biomass into a usable energy form, why not focus research on developing a distributed system, so that individual farmers or groups of farmers can turn their agricultural products into energy? This would enable farmers to add value to their production. We should therefore consider on-farm production of usable energy.

Imagine a farmer or group of farmers running a fuel station at the corner of a field, much like farmers sell their produce today. Farfetched? Not really. Value-added agriculture is a tried and true way to. strengthen American agriculture. This approach would contribute to domestic energy security, and it would enable farmers to control their economic future as producers of energy.

Our best and only option

Achieving global energy security might be the greatest challenge that human society has ever faced. What are our options? We suggest that there is just one: do the research and work to develop the technology, the processes, and the integrated systems that will enable us to capture the sun’s energy through biomass (residual or energy crop) to fuel our future.

Studies show there is a clear return on investment in technology to the tax base and the national economy. Nobelwinning economist Robert Solow showed that more than 80 percent of growth in the first half of the 20th century was driven by advances in technology. More recent economic analyses have shown that the same held true for the second half of the 20th century.

Whether in biotechnology, satellite technology, nuclear energy, or the internet, technological advances supported by public investment have been the force behind economic growth and the creation of entire industries. And economic growth is one of the greatest deficit-reduction tools that we have at our disposal.

In closing, let us remember that the agricultural and forestry industries have a long history of providing food and fiber for an expanding society. Why would the U.S. scientific and business community not engage these proven industries in the energy. challenge? Those of us who work in agricultural research have the power to change that perception. But we must act now to ensure a prosperous future where energy and food are abundant, affordable, economical, and sustainable.

Waste not, want not–a phrase that engineers are keenly familiar with. In most processing industries, waste is plentiful. Food processing industries generate large volumes of both liquid and solid waste. This represents a significant opportunity to reclaim valuable products and byproducts from the waste streams, in the search for sustainable energy solutions, this is very fertile ground.

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Bottling plants generate liquid waste as a result of problems on the production line, improper packaging issues, or product that becomes outdated. Currently, the waste product is sent to wastewater treatment plants for disposal, at a cost. But soft drinks contain carbohydrates that are potentially valuable for energy production. Most sodas contain high-fructose corn syrup, with a sugar content of 11 to 15 percent. This sugar could be a valuable feedstock for production of biofuels.

Fermentation of numerous soft drink products has been conducted at Oklahoma State University (OSU). The results have shown that, with some added nutrients and pH adjustment, the efficiency of sugar conversion to ethanol was very high for ail the products tested.

How the project began

The project was initiated by an inquiry from a company in Tulsa, Okla., that handles recycling of bottling waste. Company representatives contacted the OSU Food and Agricultural Products Center about potential uses for the soft drink waste that they were collecting. The company was paid to dispose of truckloads of soda bottling waste. The process involved adjusting the pH and then sending the waste to a local wastewater treatment plant for disposal. The goal was to find an alternative use for the liquid waste.

The waste’s sugar content gave it potential value as a fermentation substrate. Motivated largely by curiosity, preliminary testing was conducted to determine how easily soft drinks could be fermented to ethanol. The initial experiments were part of a freshman class research project, and the testing was continued after seeing positive results.

Fermentation experiments were initially targeted at four common sodas (Pepsi, Coke, Mountain Dew, and Sprite) representing different preservatives, varying levels of caffeine, and different colors. The initial goals were to determine the sugar conversion efficiency, the level of pH adjustment necessary, and whether added nutrients were required. Most soft drinks also contain other compounds, such as phosphoric acid, citric acid, caffeine, salt, preservatives, and added coloring, which may inhibit the fermentation process. In addition, the pH is typically between 2.3 and 3.0, a condition that is not ideal for yeast fermentation.

The initial results showed that varied levels of pM adjustment were required, and all the products required nutrient addition (ammonium phosphate). With no pH adjustment and no nutrient addition, very little ethanol was produced; however, under favorable conditions, high levels of sugar conversion efficiency (>85 percent) were achieved for all the sodas tested.

Current work

We are now focused on a more detailed analysis of the process parameters, with the goal of optimizing the fermentation time and efficiency. Factors such as temperature, type of yeast and yeast inoculation level affect the rate of the fermentation process. Data on these effects will be necessary for a thorough evaluation of the economic feasibility of the process.

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The ultimate goal of this work is for an Oklahoma bottling company to establish a process for using its waste for energy production. Such a process would turn a waste liability into an energy asset. That goal appears to be technically feasible and relatively simple; hopefully, the economic evaluation will be positive as well.

Several undergraduate students have participated in the research. Three students in particular have each spent a significant amount of time on the project: Flint Holbrook, Jonathan Lim, and Sydney Herlocker, all biosystems and agricultural engineering undergraduate students at OSU.

Future implications

Turning soft drink waste into biofuel isn’t going to solve the world’s energy needs. The volumes aren’t large enough to put a dent in petroleum imports. But if every industry focused on converting its waste into energy, then that could have an impact, one step at a time.

In processing industries, particularly in food processing industries, there are many opportunities for improvements in efficiency if we consider reuse of the various waste streams. As energy and waste disposal both become more expensive, the motivation for these improvements in efficiency will also increase.

Ironically, in the current environment, researchers go to great lengths to convert biomass feedstocks into sugar for biofuel production, yet in some processing industries, such as soda bottling, truckloads of liquid containing 11 to 15 percent sugar are literally being poured down the drain. Perhaps some of the solution to our future energy and resource needs can be met by recycling, efficient utilization of waste products, and a little common sense. It isn’t rocket science, and it could be very valuable.

INTRODUCTION

Arthropod invertebrates such as insects and crustaceans require periodic moulting to attain somatic growth. Further among crustaceans the cycles of growth and moulting are controlled by steroid hormones such as ecdysteroids secreted by paired endocrine glands the Yorgan (Lachaise et al. 1993; Webster 1998). The sinus gland complex present in the eyestalks is the major endocrine center in crustaceans. Moult inhibiting hormone (MIH), one of the important neurohormones synthesized and released from the X-organ sinus gland complex is primarily involved in the regulation of moulting (Lachaise et al. 1993). Within this group apart from the peptides that inhibit moulting, are those that have been functionally identified as crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) and mandibular organ inhibiting hormone (MOIH) (Webster 1998). In crabs MIH and CHH are active in repressing ecdysteroid synthesis by Y-organ (Webster and Keller 1986). The fact that neuromodulators including neurotransmitters mediate and control a wide variety of physiological actions of neurohormones has been discussed elsewhere (Vaca and Alfaro 2000).

Biogenic amines have been found to modulate the release of various neurohormones from crustacean neuroendocrine tissue. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is an amine-derived neurotransmitter implicated in the regulation of a wide variety of physiological and behavioral processes of vertebrates and invertebrates (Zifa and Fillion 1992; Fingerman 1997). In vertebrates, 5-HT acts through a membrane-bound G-protein coupled receptor that stimulates the signal transduction pathway. Serotonin (5-HT) has been reported to stimulate the release of moult inhibiting hormone (MIH) (Mattson and Spaziani 1985), the crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) (Keller and Beyer 1968) the neurodepressing hormone (NDH) (Arechiga et al. 1985) and red pigment dispersing hormone (RPDH) (Rao and Fingerman 1970). Serotonin has also been implicated as a regulator of life-long neurogenesis in the lobster brain (Benton and Beltz 2001; Beltz et al. 2001). In view of the importance of aminergic neurotransmitters in the regulation of various crustacean neurohormones, an attempt has been made to elucidate the modulatory effect of serotonin on moulting in the Indian freshwater field crab Oziotelphusa senex senex (Fabricius).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult, healthy crabs, O. senex senex procured from local paddy fields prior to the application of pesticides, were acclimated to laboratory conditions for about a week. They were kept in large plastic troughs containing filtered tap water (pH 7.3 [+ or -] 1; temperature 25[+ or -] 2C; oxygen 5-6 PPM). The crabs fed daily on fresh muscle pieces of frog and the water in the troughs was changed following feeding in order to remove remnants of food particles. Intermoult male crabs of similar body size (25 [+ or -] 2g) of C4 (Intermoult) stage (as determined by Drach (1939) and Stevenson (1972)) were selected for experimentation to avoid possible variations due to sex, size and moulting effects. The crabs were divided into four groups of 50 each. Crabs from all the groups were induced to moult by removing four pairs of walking legs (Skinner and Graham 1974) since the moulting activity in the intact crabs is generally low. Immediately after removing the walking legs Vaseline was applied at the limbs in order to avoid loss of body fluids. One of the groups served as control while others, which were given injections of serotonin @ 1×10-8, 1×10-7, and 1x[10.sup.-6] per crab respectively served as experimental groups. The injections were given on day 1, 11 and 21. Moulting was observed until each crab exhibited at least one moult within the experimental duration of 50 days.

RESULTS

No mortalities occurred in either experimental groups or in the control groups. The crabs those lacking four legs that served as controls that underwent ecdysis at a rapid rate. First Moulting was observed on 21st day of the experiment (Fig.1). However, the crabs received injections of serotonin underwent ecdysis at a much slower rate than did the controls (Fig.1). The degree of moult inhibition increased with dose of serotonin. Depending on the dose given, serotonin caused either a delay in the incipience of moult or a decrease in the percentage of moulting individuals. First Moulting was observed on 29th, 34th and 39th day of experiment for the serotonin doses @1x[10.sup.-8], 1x[10.sup.-7] and 1x[10.sup.-6] mol/crab respectively (table 1) . When compared with the controls, the percentage moult inhibition was 42%, 70% and 86% for serotonin doses @1x[10.sup.-8], 1x[10.sup.-]7 and 1x[10.sup.-6] mol/crab.

DISCUSSION

The crabs received injections of serotonin underwent ecdysis at a much slower rate than did the controls in a dose dependent mode. A possible explanation for a relationship between serotonin and incidence of moult delay is related to the neuroendocrine control of moulting. Concepts of hormonal control of moulting were in-fact first made several decades ago (Kopec 1922). The interrelationship between X-organ and Y-organ in crustacean moulting has been well documented (Skinner 1985; Lachaise et al. 1993). The inhibition of moulting process recruitment into premoult is mediated by steroid hormone, 20-hydroxy ecdysone. The secretory source of the steroid hormone is the Y-organ (Lachaise and Feyereisen 1976; Chang and O’Connor 1988; Vijayan et al. 1993). The rate of synthesis and secretion of ecdysone by the Y-organ is negatively regulated by the X-organ sinus gland complex. It is well known that the circulating titer of 20-hydroxyecdysone varies along the molt cycle. Immediately after ecdysis, the titer is low and generally remains so during intermolt. A major increase occurs at stage D1 -D2 followed by an abrupt drop just before the moulting (Chang, 1992). The serotonin may affect the X-organ in such a way that the production and release of moult inhibiting hormone continued beyond the normal time, the effect would be to delay in initiation of ecdysis. Another possible cause of delay is that serotonin act directly on Y-organs and affects the synthesis and release of ecdysone by the Y-organ. Ecdysteroids regulate gene activities at the transcriptional level through binding with the ecdysteroid receptor which ultimately heterodimerizes with ultraspiracle protein (Oberdorster and Cheek 2000). This dimer binds to specific DNA response elements in the genes that code for the enzymes responsible for exoskeleton degradation such as chitobiase that are regulated by the molting hormones (Zou 2005). It is necessary to note that chitobiase activity in general varied between tissues and the moult cycle stage with control most likely under the influence of the crab’s steroid moulting hormones (Zou and Fingerman 1999). Inhibition of synthesis and release of ecdysone by the serotoin might not be facilitating the transcription of the genes that codes for the enzymes such as chitobiase.

Another possible cause of delay of moulting may be the crabs enter into reproduction and starts synthesizing vitellogenin. We observed that ovarian index, oocyte diameter and ovarian total lipid content increased in serotonin-injected crabs (data not shown). The sterols available through the diet are utilizing for synthesizing the vitellogenin and moulting thereby delayed. However, the exact mechanism of inhibition of moulting can not be speculated from this data.

CONCLUSION

The results of this investigation suggest that the moulting in crustaceans might be altered by the biogenic amines.

You can spend quality turn away from your normal life easily achieved by taking a cruise. This can lead to new adventures, with lots of rest, and the fun time you deserve. Whether you have never gone on a cruise or if you go all the time, this is a great way to travel and Carnival Cruises offers many destinations for you to choose from.

With spring break coming around March, you may want to plan accordingly. At this time of year, many cruises have the warmer weather areas book up quickly and be full. If you plan to travel even sometimes in March or April, you need to book your cruise well in advance to ensure that you find on the site. This will help make sure you get exactly what you want out of your cabin and out of your trip.

However, if you do not want to travel at this time you can find one of the best cruise deals to book for a different type of year. You just need to know when to book and decide you really want out of the cruise you are going to take. Sometimes you can find great last minute deals from ports like Galveston, Texas or Miami, Florida if you wait until a month before you book your cruise. This can ensure that you get a lot and it works well if you want to travel in September.

Most of the time of their cruises go to areas in the Caribbean, Europe, and Alaska, but they are also traveling to Mexico, Hawaii, and a few other islands. If you travel to one of the destinations on a plane, you would find it to be very expensive. This makes a great choice to cruise around the world see you have ever seen. You can find a port near you, fly or drive to the port area, get on a boat, and the open sea, enjoy traveling to many great destinations you would not be able to afford to see any other way.

Carnival provides different types of cruises including three days, five days, seven days, and even longer. Closer to the cruise, the cheaper it will be, but you will also get smaller ports. They are very experienced company to offer ships and in ports more than any other company in the U.S. offers. This gives you plenty of options and helps to ensure that you are not limited to the options. This also helps keep the cost down and you can get a price that you can give your cruise.

Would you like to spend some time reading reviews and find out information about the various ships and what amenities they offer will be considered. Some ships cater to larger families, while others are perfect for adults looking to get out. This will help you decide on the ship that is exactly what you want and go to the places you want to go to. The atmosphere of the cruise also change depending on where you are headed. Will be heading to Europe or Alaska the same act as the heading to a tropical destination, just like a cruise for families to be much different than one for an adult.

TechnoFile’s Most Interesting Tech Products of 2011

By Jim Bray
TechnoFile.com

What a great time it is to be a tech nut! Every day, it seems, some new and exciting gadget or technology comes along that promises to make our lives easier, more fun, more fulfilled, more whatever. And while a lot of them don’t live up to that ideal, there’s still plenty of neat stuff out there.

It’s traditional at this time of year to look back at some of the most interesting things that have come along over the past 12 months. This “Most Intriguing” list doesn’t necessarily mean these are the best products I looked at in 2011, just the ones that turned my crank the most, for better or worse. I spent most of the year playing with Blu-rays and/or games, audio systems costing from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars, iPad/Android apps, and a bunch of other stuff.

I don’t play a lot of games, but I got to spend quite a bit of quality seat time with Gran Turismo 5 and I still love it. The PS3 game bills itself more as a driving simulator than a game, and that’s a pretty good analogy, especially if you have a racing wheel and pedals with which to exploit it (in fact, I can’t imagine enjoying GT5 without a wheel/pedals). The race tracks – real and imagined – are challenging, the driving experience is probably as good as you can get from a game – er, simulation – and the graphics and sounds are top notch. And there’s just something awesome about driving over 200 miles per hour safely and securely with no risk of crash. Well, no risk of a crash that will hurt you physically; there’s plenty of risk of “virtual” crash!

My only real complaint is the lack of Porsches. I found a RUF Boxster in one of the car lots – and snapped it up immediately – but where are the 911′s, the Carrera GT, Caymans and the like. Perhaps it’s a rights issue, but I don’t like it.

The other game I spent too much otherwise productive time on was Blizzard’s StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. This entry joins a popular series of terrific real time strategy games Blizzard has unleashed, most notably the WarCraft series. StarCraft is basically the same game, but dressed up in a science fiction setting. Real time strategy games (and first person shooters) are my favorite PC games and StarCraft II ups the ante nicely from the original, with a compelling story, excellent graphics and enjoyable game play. It’s a bit of a resource hog, but if you have the resources and enjoy this type of game, you might enjoy having them hogged this way.

The “Silly Little Gadget You Can’t Live Without” award goes to the Toddy, which isn’t really a gadget at all. Rather, it’s a cleaning cloth for smart phones or tablets and it’s absolutely wonderful if you don’t like the way finger marks mar your screens. The Toddy does a marvelous job of wiping the screen clean without needing sprays or chemicals (well, not often anyway). It accomplishes its task this by having a “rough side” that’s kind of like a cat’s tongue with which you wipe all the crap off your screen; then you turn Toddy over and buff the screen with its shiny side to make it look brand new again. I have both sizes, a little one ($9.99) that’s great for smart phones and glasses, and a larger one ($14.99) that’s ideal for tablets and flat screen TV’s.

As one who spends plenty of time on the iPad, I find myself using the Toddy multiple times a day, because I can and because I’m anal about fingermarks – even though they’re usually mine! Toddys are available in a variety of designs.

Blu-ray of the year is a tie: Alliance/Atlantis’ extended editions of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and, for its body of work, Eagle Rock Entertainment (a.k.a. Eagle Vision) and its seemingly endless stream of concert discs. The LOTR package is not only the first time the definitive extended versions of the fantasy masterpiece have been available on BD disc, with so many extras you could probably use up your retirement checking out all the stuff, but it also corrects a less than stellar “Fellowship of the Ring” BD that wasn’t up to the quality of the other discs in the original “Theatrical version” Blu-ray release of about a year earlier.

This is definitely the version to get if you have time to sit through the much longer versions of the movies – and it’s worth sitting through them because these versions flesh out the story and the characters nicely, so much so that the movies seem more complete, as if they were the director’s original vision but had to be shortened for theatrical audiences. This is as opposed to some “director’s cuts” that seem to just add stuff from the cutting room floor so they can market it as a special edition.

Eagle Rock’s stuff runs the gamut from brand new (2011) concerts to vintage ones. I recently reviewed the Cream reunion concert that is my “Eagle Vision disc of the year” because of its incredible performances as well as awesome picture and sound. I’ve also enjoyed discs from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Deep Purple and others, and Eagle Vision has also unleashed concerts from such notables as Lindsay Buckingham, The Rolling Stones (a vintage concert from the “Some Girls” concert tour), Peter Gabriel, Dream Theater, Styx, and many others. Chances are that if you’re a classic rock, jazz or blues fan, there’s a disc with your name on it, and the ones from concerts recorded recently are usually of top notch video and audio quality to boot.

Gadget of the year is the Livio “Kit,” a nifty little device that can make an older car Bluetooth, hands-free phone compliant – and more. It plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter – er, power adapter – and sends your phone’s signals and/or streaming media from your phone to the car’s FM radio. The interface is a tad clunky (but no worse than some cars’ that I’ve driven) and depending on where your power adapter is the Kit could be a bit in the way, but overall it works well.

The $120 device also includes a USB port for charging your smart device, auxiliary jack I/O for cars/devices that are equipped so, and it even includes Livio’s terrific Internet radio app that brings in something like 45,000 radio stations from all over the world, an app I have on my iPad and which is probably the third party app I use the most. It’s available for iOS devices and Android.

My home theater reviews ran the gamut from low end to high end this year, and the systems of the year are from Crestron and Panasonic. The latter set me up with a complete 3D home theater consisting of their excellent $1900 TC-P50GT30, a 50 inch 3D plasma coupled with the $599 SC-BTT770 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc home theater (Blu-ray player and 5.1 audio system including all speakers). Whether you use it for 3D or 2D, the plasma offers excellent performance (and you can exploit Internet-based content with it as well) and the audio system does a first rate job for its price.

When you consider the fact that the whole shebang will set you back only about $2500 in total, it really is a bargain for people who want good quality but who also don’t live and breathe this stuff like I do.

And if you do live and breathe audio and video, you might want to check out Crestron’s PROCISE audio system, which costs about 10 times the price of the Panasonic– and it doesn’t include the TV, Blu-ray player or speakers! The Crestron system I auditioned includes the PSPHD surround sound processor ($11,000), ProAmp7x400 ($8,000), CP2e Compact Control System with Ethernet ($1,800), TPMC-9 Isys 9 inch Tilt Touchpanel ($3,800) and CEN-POE5 Power over Ethernet Switch ($400). What you get is a huge and heavy amplifier that pumps out 400 watts into seven channels – without ever breaking a sweat even at nearly ear splitting volumes. I used it in a 5.1 setup running my own reference Definitive Technology speakers, coupled with an Epson 1080p front projector and 106 inch screen and it sounded fantastic.

If you can afford it, this beast of a system (which is touchscreen operated and can be installed out of sight if you choose) will keep you happy for many years. It truly is awesome.

And while you can get a Blu-ray player for about the price of a box of cereal now, audio and videophiles might want to look a bit higher up market – at Oppo’s BDP-95 nearly universal Blu-ray audio/video player. This baby runs about a grand U.S., but is an incredibly flexible player that handles not only DVD’s (upconverted superbly to 1080p) and Blu-rays, but also plays DVD-Audio and SACD discs (and CD’s of course). You can also play digital files on it via USB or, if you have the proper software on your computer, by streaming. And the performance is superb.

Oppo has been making players that offer excellent value and performance for several years, but this flagship is their best yet. The audio and video quality are such that I think the $1000 price tag is more than reasonable, making this yet another winner from Oppo Digital.

There is no shortage of wonderful things to see and do while you stay at the Park Hotel Amsterdam. Why not begin at the Hermitage museum? Located on the banks of the Amstel River Amsterdam, the Dutch branch museum of the world-famous Hermitage in Saint Petersburg (Russia). The Hermitage Museum was patronized by Tsar Peter, who lived in Amsterdam for several years. During his time, visitors will enjoy the cheap shot of vodka museum, which is sadly no longer practice going!

Not surprisingly, the Hermitage Amsterdam is a treasure trove of unique Russian history and culture. On display you’ll find a wealth of paintings, graphic works, sculptures and applied art, archaeological and numismatic material, mainly from the State Hermitage collection. The Hermitage Amsterdam as well as special children of this section and there are regular workshops for the public to help spread appreciation for the arts and encourage creativity.

Another major attraction of Anne Frank see the interests at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam attracts over 1 million visitors every year. Here is where he lived the Jewish girl, Anne Frank, hiding with her family for more than 2 years during the Second World War and wrote what would come to be known as the “Diary of Anne Frank” famous internationally.

The door to the annex where Anne and her family hide hid behind a bookcase specially built removable. But after the August 4, 1944, was betrayed the hiding place and Anne and everyone else was hidden deported to various concentration camps. But Anne father Otto Frank survived the war.

Currently, the rooms at Anne Frank House, though empty, still breathe the atmosphere of the period of time hidden. You’ll see historical documents, photographs, film images, and original objects associated with those in hiding and those who helped them. Original Diary of Anne and other notebooks on display in the museum. The house features a sobering exhibition about persecution of Jews through the centuries, and also focuses on the overall theme of discrimination and how it affects the lives of individuals and social culture.

On a lighter note, showcases the former Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, a national monument, 18 attractions and includes interactive displays to show different Heinecken’s rich history and the craft of brewing.
Among things to do at the Heineken Experience mini brewery, tasting bar, as well as the ‘Walk Stable’, where visitors can gain access to the stables to view Heineken shire horses to still deliver beer around the city. Heineken beer was brewed by the Heineken Brewery Amsterdam until 1988, when the brewery of Heineken took over production Zoeterwoude, but you can still get a glass of beer here for free when you take the tour.

And if you have a good trip with tasty additions, be sure to visit the Cheese Tasting Rooms Reypenaer in old center of Amsterdam. Here you will personally test and the taste, the aroma and the qualifications of some of the traditional Reypenaer Dutch cheeses, all under the guidance of an expert to assess cheese tasting. And that’s just a small sample of the many things you’ll need to do while you stay at the Park Hotel Amsterdam.

The years seem to get shorter the older I get, which means it’s already time to take a year end look at the most interesting cars I drove in 2011. These aren’t necessarily the best, the fastest or most luxurious, but cars I found most noteworthy for a variety of reasons.

This was definitely the year of the Korean carmaker, as Hyundai and Kia between them not only figure extensively on my personal list, but the companies also copped five out of the 11 category winners in the Canadian Car of the Year Awards in late October. Congratulations to them, too; they earned it by building compelling, well-equipped vehicles that offer good value for the dollar.

The biggest surprise for me was the Kia Optima, of which my review sample was the top-end SX Turbo model. It earns my “Most Interesting Sedan” award because, other than it coming with wheels that look like UFO’s, the Optima looks fantastic inside and outside and, even offers a decent driving experience. I hadn’t driven many Kias before I slid my bum into the Optima and, given the company’s reputation for inexpensive (perhaps even cheap) wheels, I hadn’t expected the car to be nearly as good as it is. It blew me away.

My turbo Optima was powered by a 274 hp 2.0-liter GDI turbo four that moves it along smartly, with little turbo lag – and the Optima rides along serenely at cruising speed, with a only smidgen of wind noise from the passenger side giving any indication of speed. Add in a nice, Sportmatic clutchless automatic with paddle shifters that bring some fun and added control to the experience as well as just about every technological and/or luxury gadget within reason, and you have a very nice car indeed. If I wore a hat I’d take it off to Kia.

For smaller sedans, I have to waffle because it really came down to a tie between Hyundai and Ford, for the Elantra and the Focus, respectively. I liked the exterior style of both cars, though the Focus hatchback is much more attractive than the sedan. But both the Ford and the Hyundai are modern and attractive, the Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design giving it a very space age appearance while the Focus’ modern but slightly more traditional mien is no less fetching.

Inside, I prefer the Elantra for its simplicity. Both bristle with technology if you choose to order them loaded, but Ford’s MyFord Touch system is a tad problematic right now, though Ford has announced an upgrade that will hopefully make it work more to its potential. In the meantime, you can order a Focus that only includes Ford’s SYNC system, which works well and which would make for a car that’s more comparable to the Elantra.

On the other hand, I found the Focus more fun to drive, and that’s an important consideration for me. Its chassis feels tighter and its dual clutch automatic transmission works well. You can also get a manual, though I haven’t tried it. The Focus is the apex carver of the pair and just feels sportier overall. Hence the tie.

Most Interesting Entry Level Vehicle is Korean as well, the Hyundai Accent. I drove this little five door hatchback expecting it to be good, because I liked the previous generation Accent and am impressed with the direction Hyundai is taking, but it still surprised me. Sure, it’s entry level, but it drives nicely, looks great, and is comfortable, efficient and attractive inside. And it’s equipped well for the price. For what more could anyone want at this end of the market?

The Accent even offers decent power for its niche: 138 horsepower @ 6300 rpm and 123 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4850 revs. Sure, it won’t set the world on fire if you want to drag race, but that’s not why it exists – and when it comes to performing its mandate, the Accent does a very nice job.

Speaking of setting the world on fire, it’s tough to do a “Most Intriguing” column without mentioning Porsche, the company whose vehicles I lust after the most. For 2011, I have two Porsche entries, one predictable and one that may be surprising.

Let’s take the predictable first: the 911 Turbo S. I fell so much in love with this car that it must have taken Porsche’s detailers a week to get all the drool out of it when I handed it back reluctantly.

I was fortunate enough to take a lovely light blue 911 Turbo S on a road trip through the Rocky Mountains, which gave me a great opportunity to sample Porsche’s legendary 3.8 liter flat six engine, which has all the high tech stuff you’d expect (direct fuel injection, VarioCam Plus variable valve timing and lift, etc.), enhanced by variable geometry twin turbochargers that help the engine blast an intoxicating 530 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque onto the road. The power comes on smoothly at first, then the turbos whoosh into life and you’re pressed against the seat back as if a pair of solid rocket boosters has been fired up.

Yet it’s a civilized car, as luxurious as you could need, comfortable for long hours in the seats and easy to drive. The seven speed PDK twin clutch auto/manual transmission is fantastic, combining with the car’s superb handling and power to make the vehicle so responsive it seems almost as if the mighty Turbo S is hard wired into your brain.

As for the biggest surprise of the year, it has to do with two hybrids: the Infiniti M35h and the Porsche Cayenne S. Both of these vehicles have helped convince me that hybrids don’t have to suck. I’d driven a couple of interesting hybrids before, such as Lexus’ GS 450h, but this pair upped the fun ante to the point that the hybrid aspect became irrelevant to the driving experience. I think part of it was that they both eschewed CVT transmissions in favor of more conventional, but state-of-the-art, autoboxes.

The Infiniti uses a 3.5 liter V6 gas engine paired with a 50kW electric motor which gets the power and torque to the pavement via an electronic seven speed automatic transmission that shifts as smoothly as a luxury sedan should. Combined power is rated at a healthy 360 horsepower, which places the hybrid squarely between the normal V6 version and the V8-powered M56. I quibble with some of the electronic driving aids, which are obtrusive and can be annoying, but overall the Infiniti M35h is an extremely nice luxury sedan, and I marveled at how I could cruise the downtown core of my home town in electric-only mode as long as I didn’t goose the gas pedal.

The Cayenne S hybrid does much the same, but in an SUV that still manages to drive like a Porsche. In the German company’s case, the supercharged V6 gas engine it uses displaces three liters and, when combined with the hybrid electrical motor stuff, puts out 380 horses at 5500 rpm. And as with the Infiniti, it splits the oomph difference between the base Cayenne and the V8-powered Cayenne S very well.

The Cayenne hybrid uses a slick eight speed Tiptronic S transmission, has permanent all-wheel drive with a self-locking center differential and a 40/60 front/rear power split. Handling is just like you’d expect from a Porsche Cayenne, which means it’s very good. My sample also had the optional self-leveling air suspension, and that makes it even better. Incidentally, Porsche also makes a Panamera hybrid, but I haven’t driven it yet.

I may get struck by lightning for saying this, but either of these hybrids are vehicles that I would own. I’d probably choose the Porsche, however, because it has a lower annoyance quotient than the gadgety M35h.

That leaves “Most Intriguing SUV’s” to be named, and here the Germans – one German company, in fact – rule. My favorite SUV’s, with honorable mentions going to Kia for its very nice Sportage and Sorento – and of course Porsche for the Cayenne S hybrid – were the VW Touareg and Tiguan. I drove the diesel version of the big Touareg, and the smaller “Cute Ute” Tiguan came with a nice two liter turbo four.

Volkswagen’s TDI clean diesel technology has made me a believer in diesels; they’re smooth and efficient and their outrageous torque (the Touareg’s puts out 406 lb.-ft.!) makes up for the more anemic horsepower ratings – all while supposedly saving you money at the pump. I wish the Tiguan were available with a turbo diesel, but its GTI-based two liter turbo four (200/207 horsepower/torque) does a good job once you get past the turbo lag.

Both vehicles are also very nice inside; I think Volkswagen does the best interiors on the market, with well thought out designs, good materials, and interfaces that should be mimicked by everyone else.

What I find interesting about my choices for this year is that, as a confirmed fan of Japanese cars (I’ve owned Honda, Toyota, and Nissan/Infiniti since 1976), there’s only one vehicle from Japan (the M hybrid) on my “Most Intriguing” list. What’s going on? Are Japanese cars suddenly no good?

Hardly. Maybe they’re playing it safe, maybe their losing their edge; I don’t know. Given Japanese companies’ achievements and competitiveness, however, I wouldn’t write them off just yet. It looks like there’s some interesting stuff coming from the Land of the Rising Sun, too, with a new, rear wheel drive sports coupe from Toyota and Subaru, a new Lexus GS, Mazda’s SkyActiv technology, possibly a new Acura NSX, and more.

There are always times when you need to deliver cargo in a time frame is very important, such as perishable goods, livestock or some dangerous paraphernalia. Would need to ship the incredibly large amount of materials or loads overhead and also require the use of cargo charters as this is a common characteristic that exceed regular cargo restrictions.

Some items can not be shipped directly to regular freight carriers. The solution is to employ cargo charters. Aircraft Services and Jet Charter rentals typically are known to provide such private business jet services suited for traveling business men and executives. While it is true that many private business travel and the most common services provided by the usual many private jet companies, establishments still offer charter passenger services-non.

Cargo Chartering is a great way to ship your goods at any time, prompt, safe and cost effective manner. The most corporate jet cargo services to freight charter flights worldwide each day of the week. You do not even have to fret or worry scheduling shipments of any public holiday.

And depending on your needs, be most establishments providing air charter services always have the ability to provide the appropriate type of air craft you think suitable for your needs and your cargo.

Before you decide to choose the air charter business you trust the shipping of goods, it is proposed would, if not the best, to ensure that the service provider is the type of air vehicle to meet your needs. For example, large aircraft and outsized goods just let light jets (or turbo propellers) for small loads. Due to the use of the right kind of air transport / vehicle easier to achieve the requirements of clients you want. As much as possible to contact with air charter vessel establishments with a large fleet and expand. Many of these people are often kind of always aiming fleet up to ship your goods directly and you’ll commonly found with fast delivery service. Also, since the great fleet and are very likely serve many clients in need of charter flights annually, offering lots / competitive quotes or rates that suits your expenses allocated to provided.