Fresnel lenses are used to concentrate solar radiation to a line or point. A linear Fresnel lens (0.91 by 1.52 m, 0.74-m focal length, 0.01- by 1.52-m line focus) was investigated as a method for weed control. Field experiments were conducted to assess the effect of Fresnel lens concentrated solar radiation at various exposure times, stages of plant growth, and soil surface moisture conditions. On a dry soil surface exposure times of 1 to 10 s at 290 C resulted in control of redroot pigweed from 100% for a 1-s exposure at the cotyledon stage to 89% for a 10-s exposure at the 10-leaf stage. Redroot pigweed and kochia control was similar at exposures of 3 to 10 s, but less for kochia at 1 and 2 s. Green foxtail control was less than that of kochia and redroot pigweed. Control was reduced on a moist compared to a dry soil surface. Concentrated solar radiation holds the greatest potential for control of small dicot weeds on a dry soil surface.

A curved-linear Fresnel lens was investigated to test the effect of concentrated solar radiation on surface and buried weed seed. The lens produced a line focus 1 by 150 cm with a mean temperature of 309 C. A 20-s exposure to seed on the soil surface was 100% lethal to green foxtail, kochia, common lambsquarters, common purslane, and wild buckwheat. In a separate study, emergence from kochia and yellow foxtail seed was reduced 100% at 10 mm soil depth after 15 min in soil of 35 and 93 g/kg moisture and 20 to 40% at 178 g/kg moisture content. Concentrated solar radiation from a Fresnel lens has the greatest potential for affecting weed seed on the soil surface. A series of Fresnel lenses and/or larger lenses may be required for many practical field applications.

Individual changes in heat production and body temperature were studied in response to cold exposure, prior to shivering. The subjects ten women (seven men) were of normal weight, had a mean age of 23 (SD 3) years and average BMI 22·2 (SD 1·6) Kg/m2. They were lying supine under thermoneutral conditions for 30 min and were subsequently exposed to air of 15°C until shivering occurred. Heat production was measured with a ventilated hood. Body composition was measured with underwater weighing and 2H dilution. Body temperatures were measured with thermistors. Heat production during cold exposure prior to shivering increased and reached a plateau. Skin temperature decreased and did not reach a plateau during the test period. The non-shivering interval (NSI) ranged from 20 to 148 min, was not related to body composition and was not significantly different between women (81 (sd 15) min) and men (84 (sd 34) min). NSI was negatively related to skin temperature (r2 0·44, P=0·004), and skin temperature was related to heat production (r2 0·39, P=0·007) In conclusion, subjects with a relatively large heat production during cold exposure maintained a relatively high skin temperature but showed a short NSI, independent of differences in body composition.