WorldWideScience

Sample records for great power rivalry

  1. Canonical Cortical Circuit Model Explains Rivalry, Intermittent Rivalry, and Rivalry Memory.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shashaank Vattikuti

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available It has been shown that the same canonical cortical circuit model with mutual inhibition and a fatigue process can explain perceptual rivalry and other neurophysiological responses to a range of static stimuli. However, it has been proposed that this model cannot explain responses to dynamic inputs such as found in intermittent rivalry and rivalry memory, where maintenance of a percept when the stimulus is absent is required. This challenges the universality of the basic canonical cortical circuit. Here, we show that by including an overlooked realistic small nonspecific background neural activity, the same basic model can reproduce intermittent rivalry and rivalry memory without compromising static rivalry and other cortical phenomena. The background activity induces a mutual-inhibition mechanism for short-term memory, which is robust to noise and where fine-tuning of recurrent excitation or inclusion of sub-threshold currents or synaptic facilitation is unnecessary. We prove existence conditions for the mechanism and show that it can explain experimental results from the quartet apparent motion illusion, which is a prototypical intermittent rivalry stimulus.

  2. The Long Shadow of Rivalry: Rivalry Motivates Performance Today and Tomorrow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pike, Brian E; Kilduff, Gavin J; Galinsky, Adam D

    2018-05-01

    Research has established that competing head to head against a rival boosts motivation and performance. The present research investigated whether rivalry can affect performance over time and in contests without rivals. We examined the long-term effects of rivalry through archival analyses of postseason performance in multiple high-stakes sports contexts: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Men's Basketball and the major U.S. professional sports leagues: National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL). Econometric analyses revealed that postseason performance of a focal team's rival in year N predicted that focal team's postseason performance in year N + 1. Follow-up analyses suggested that the performance boost was especially pronounced when one's rival won the previous tournament. These results establish that rivalry has a long shadow: A rival team's success exerts such a powerful motivational force that it drives performance outside of direct competition with one's rival and even after a significant delay.

  3. Chromatic interocular-switch rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christiansen, Jens H; D'Antona, Anthony D; Shevell, Steven K

    2017-05-01

    Interocular-switch rivalry (also known as stimulus rivalry) is a kind of binocular rivalry in which two rivalrous images are swapped between the eyes several times a second. The result is stable periods of one image and then the other, with stable intervals that span many eye swaps (Logothetis, Leopold, & Sheinberg, 1996). Previous work used this close kin of binocular rivalry with rivalrous forms. Experiments here test whether chromatic interocular-switch rivalry, in which the swapped stimuli differ in only chromaticity, results in slow alternation between two colors. Swapping equiluminant rivalrous chromaticities at 3.75 Hz resulted in slow perceptual color alternation, with one or the other color often continuously visible for two seconds or longer (during which there were 15+ eye swaps). A well-known theory for sustained percepts from interocular-switch rivalry with form is inhibitory competition between binocular neurons driven by monocular neurons with matched orientation tuning in each eye; such binocular neurons would produce a stable response when a given orientation is swapped between the eyes. A similar model can account for the percepts here from chromatic interocular-switch rivalry and is underpinned by the neurophysiological finding that color-preferring binocular neurons are driven by monocular neurons from each eye with well-matched chromatic selectivity (Peirce, Solomon, Forte, & Lennie, 2008). In contrast to chromatic interocular-switch rivalry, luminance interocular-switch rivalry with swapped stimuli that differ in only luminance did not result in slowly alternating percepts of different brightnesses.

  4. Attentional switching in humans and flies: rivalry in large and miniature brains

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    Steven Mark Miller

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Human perception, and consequently behaviour, is driven by attention dynamics. In the special case of rivalry, where attention alternates between competing percepts, such dynamics can be measured and their determinants investigated. A recent study in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, now shows that the origins of attentional rivalry may be quite ancient. Furthermore, individual variation exists in the rate of attentional rivalry in both humans and flies, and in humans this is under substantial genetic influence. In the pathophysiological realm, slowing of rivalry rate is associated with the heritable psychiatric condition, bipolar disorder. Fly rivalry may therefore prove a powerful model to examine genetic and molecular influences on rivalry rate, and may even shed light on human cognitive and behavioural dysfunction.

  5. Dog rivalry impacts following behavior in a decision-making task involving food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Christy L; Suchak, Malini

    2017-07-01

    Dogs learn a great deal from humans and other dogs. Previous studies of socially influenced learning between dogs have typically used a highly trained demonstrator dog who is unfamiliar to the observer. Because of this, it is unknown how dynamics between familiar dogs may influence their likelihood of learning from each other. In this study, we tested dogs living together in two-dog households on whether individual dogs' rivalry scores were associated with performance on a local enhancement task. Specifically, we wanted to know whether dog rivalry impacted whether an observer dog would approach a plate from which a demonstrator dog had eaten all available food, or whether the observer dog would approach the adjacent plate that still contained food. Dog rivalry scores were calculated using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire and indicated each dog's tendency to engage aggressively with the other household dog. Low-rivalry dogs were more likely to approach the empty plate than high-rivalry dogs when the observer dog was allowed to approach the plates immediately after the demonstrator had moved out of sight. This difference between low- and high-rivalry dogs disappeared, however, when observer dogs had to wait 5 s before approaching the plates. The same pattern was observed during a control condition when a human removed the food from a plate. Compared to low-rivalry dogs, high-rivalry dogs may pay less attention to other dogs due to a low tolerance for having other dogs in close proximity.

  6. Upaya Mengatasi Sibling Rivalry melalui Layanan Konseling Kelompok

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    Eli Turniati

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini dilakukan berdasarkan fenomena yang terjadi pada siswa kelas VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02 kecamatan Tembalang kota Semarang yang mengalami sibling rivalry. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu untuk mengetahui apakah konseling kelompok dapat mengatasi sibling rivalry pada siswa kelas VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02. Jenis penelitian adalah penelitian eksperiment dengan desain penelitian one group pre-test dan pos-test design. Subyek penelitian ini, siswa kelas VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02 yang memiliki tingkat sibling rivalry tinggi yang diperoleh dari hasil DCM dan rekomendasi dari guru kelas yaitu terjaring 10 siswa. Metode pengumpulan data menggunakan skala psikologis berupa skala sibling rivalry. Analisis data menggunakan teknik analisis data deskriptif persentase dan uji wilcoxon. Hasil penelitian menunjukan sibling rivalry siswa sebelum diberi perlakuan berupa konseling kelompok dalam kategori tinggi (75.14%. Setelah diberikan konseling kelompok menunjukkan perbedaan, dilihat dari hasil pos test rata-rata sibling rivalry siswa menurun yaitu berada pada kategori rendah (42,95%. Hal tersebut menunjukan bahwa sibling rivalry dapat diatasi melalui layanan konseling kelompok This research was conducted based on phenomena that occur in grade VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02 Tembalang Semarang who experienced sibling rivalry. The purpose of this research is to find out if counseling groups can overcome sibling rivalry at grade VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02. This type of research is research research design alphabets experiment one group pre test and post test design. The subject of this study, students of class VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02 that has a high level of sibling rivalry that results obtained from DCM and the recommendations of the master class that is netted 10 students. Method of data collection using a scale of psychological scale in the form of sibling rivalry. Data analysis data analysis techniques using a descriptive percentage and wilcoxon test. The research results

  7. The Great Game redux: Energy security and the emergence of tripolarity in Eurasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozdamar, Ibrahim Ozgur

    Securing energy resources has become a key aspect of foreign policy-making since the 1970s. States have used military and economic foreign policy tools to secure the supply of energy to their domestic markets. With the fall of the USSR in 1991, political and economic competition for penetration into energy-rich regions spread through Eurasia. Inspired from the nineteenth century term to describe Russian-British rivalry in the region, the current rivalry among great powers and their allies is called the "New Great Game". This project analyzes three political conflicts that are shaped by such rivalry that can threaten global energy security. Empirical results from the expected utility model (Bueno de Mesquita 1985) suggest the rivalry among the Western (i.e. EU, US) and Eastern (i.e. Russia, China) powers about the Iranian nuclear program, Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia conflicts is likely to continue and shows some Cold War characteristics. I have also found out the expected outcomes of these conflicts and foreign policy tools and obvious and unseen strategic moves available to actors. The major conclusion of the study is that the EU and US should pursue a coordinated foreign policy and balance the Russian and Chinese influence in the region to secure access to energy resources. Most effective foreign policy tools to achieve such aim appear to be the use of economic relations as leverage against Russia and China and support economic and democratic developments of the newly established republics in Eurasia.

  8. Sibling Rivalry: A Parent Education Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calladine, Carole E.

    1983-01-01

    Identifies three styles of sibling rivalry and three parent leadership styles, discussing parental mediation of sibling disputes through contracting and providing examples of group discipline techniques that facilitate development of less negative forms of rivalry and that support positive sibling bonding. (RH)

  9. Sibling rivalry in nursing and the role of nurse psychotherapist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, K A

    1998-01-01

    The burgeoning role of the analytically prepared nurse psychotherapist in Great Britain. To describe the struggles of nurses in this role and ways this struggle might be lessened. Observations of the author, an analytically prepared nurse psychotherapist-in-training in Great Britain. The role of the nurse psychotherapist with psychoanalytic training is in its infancy in Great Britain. Barriers to the development are both external, from outside the nursing profession, and internal, in the form of sibling rivalry or envy from less prepared nurses. Increased communication among nurses is encouraged so that a shared understanding and mutual respect may result.

  10. Binocular rivalry produced by temporal frequency differences

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    David eAlais

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Binocular rivalry occurs when each eye views images that are markedly different. Rather than seeing a binocular fusion of the two, each image is seen exclusively in a stochastic alternation of the monocular images. Here we examine whether temporal frequency differences will trigger binocular rivalry by presenting two random dot arrays that are spatially matched but which modulate temporally at two different rates and contained no net translation. We found that a perceptual alternation between the two temporal frequencies did indeed occur, provided the frequencies were sufficiently different, indicating that temporal information can produce binocular rivalry in the absence of spatial conflict. This finding is discussed with regard to the dependence of rivalry on conflict between spatial and temporal channels.

  11. Generic Rivalry Strategies in Business Networks: Towards a Conceptualization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Poul Houman

    2008-01-01

    This paper discusses rivalry as a process of occupying incompatible positions within business networks. Rivalry is linked to different forms of strategizing as they unfold in stable and dynamic business contexts and a framework of four different types of rivalry is suggested. Furthermore, proposi...

  12. Sibling rivalry, separation, and change in Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzpatrick Hanly, Margaret Ann

    2016-08-01

    The paper explores a process of growth represented in the interplay of Jane Austen's characterizations of Marianne and Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, approaching the text through the lens of psychoanalytic theories on oedipal sibling rivalry, separation, and processes of change. A close reading of Sense and Sensibility tracks Marianne Dashwood's repudiation of any 'second attachment' as the surface of an unconscious fantasy, denying a rival for the mother's love. A psychoanalytic view contrasts Marianne's lack of separation from her mother, her use of denial and projection, and her near death after losing the man she loves, with her older sister Elinor Dashwood's capacities for depression, reflection, and greater acceptance of loss and separation. The narrative portrays Mrs. Dashwood's identification with and idealization of her daughter Marianne, which contribute to her oedipal sibling 'victory'. In the language and structure of the novel, the projections, identifications, aggressions, and separations (conscious and unconscious) of the sisters in the vicissitudes of their adolescent loves and rivalries constitute a process of growth. Austen's novel brings to life, with the vividness and coherence of great literature, forces and fantasies in oedipal sibling rivalries, inspiring renewed attention to their subtle presence in the transference and countertransference of the psychoanalytic process. Copyright © 2015 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

  13. Sibling Rivalry in Educational Attainment: The German Case

    OpenAIRE

    Ira N. Gang; Thomas Bauer

    2000-01-01

    Recent studies exploring sibling rivalry in the allocation of household resources in the U.S. produce conflicting results. We contribute to this discussion by addressing the role of sibling rivalry in educational attainment in Germany. Using the German Socioeconomic Panel (GSOEP) we are able to distinguish how the effects of sibling rivalry vary by cultural affiliation, i.e., among families of West German, East German and foreign origin. We also point out and correct for a reference group pro...

  14. Competitive rivalry, social disposition, and subjective well-being: an experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brandts, J.; Riedl, A.; van Winden, F.

    2009-01-01

    This paper experimentally studies the effects of competitive rivalry in a social dilemma where people's actions cannot be contractually fixed. We find that, in comparison with no rivalry, the presence of rivalry does neither increase efficiency nor does it yield any gains in earnings for the short

  15. Consequences of sibling rivalry vary across life in a passerine bird

    OpenAIRE

    Bebbington, Kat; Kingma, Sjouke A.; Fairfield, Eleanor A.; Spurgin, Lewis G.; Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David S.

    2017-01-01

    Many studies have assessed the costs of sibling rivalry in systems where offspring always have competitors, but conclusions about sibling rivalry in these species are restricted to interpreting the cost of changes in the relative level of competition and are often complicated by the expression of potentially costly rivalry related traits. Additionally, the majority of studies focus on early-life sibling rivalry, but the costs of competition can also affect later-life performance. We test a su...

  16. Measuring colour rivalry suppression in amblyopia.

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    Hofeldt, T S; Hofeldt, A J

    1999-11-01

    To determine if the colour rivalry suppression is an index of the visual impairment in amblyopia and if the stereopsis and fusion evaluator (SAFE) instrument is a reliable indicator of the difference in visual input from the two eyes. To test the accuracy of the SAFE instrument for measuring the visual input from the two eyes, colour rivalry suppression was measured in six normal subjects. A test neutral density filter (NDF) was placed before one eye to induce a temporary relative afferent defect and the subject selected the NDF before the fellow eye to neutralise the test NDF. In a non-paediatric private practice, 24 consecutive patients diagnosed with unilateral amblyopia were tested with the SAFE. Of the 24 amblyopes, 14 qualified for the study because they were able to fuse images and had no comorbid disease. The relation between depth of colour rivalry suppression, stereoacuity, and interocular difference in logMAR acuity was analysed. In normal subjects, the SAFE instrument reversed temporary defects of 0.3 to 1. 8 log units to within 0.6 log units. In amblyopes, the NDF to reverse colour rivalry suppression was positively related to interocular difference in logMAR acuity (beta=1.21, psuppression as measured with the SAFE was found to agree closely with the degree of visual acuity impairment in non-paediatric patients with amblyopia.

  17. Early correlates of visual awareness following orientation and colour rivalry.

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    Veser, Sandra; O'Shea, Robert P; Schröger, Erich; Trujillo-Barreto, Nelson J; Roeber, Urte

    2008-10-01

    Binocular rivalry occurs when dissimilar images are presented to corresponding retinal regions of the two eyes: visibility alternates irregularly between the two images, interspersed by brief transitions when parts of both may be visible. We measured event-related potentials (ERPs) following binocular rivalry by changing the stimulus viewed by one eye to be identical to that in the other eye, eliciting binocular fusion. Because of the rivalry, observers either saw the change, when it happened to the visible stimulus, or did not see the change, when it happened to the invisible stimulus. The earliest ERP differences between visible and invisible changes occurred after about 100 ms (P1) when the rivalry was between stimuli differing in orientation, and after about 200 ms (N1) when the rivalry was between stimuli differing in colour. These differences originated from ventro-lateral temporal and prefrontal areas. We conclude that the rivalling stimulus property influences the timing of modulation of correlates of visual awareness in a property-independent cortical network.

  18. International Rivalry In The Energy Sector: The Eastern European Market Of Atomic Energy In Focus

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    Y. V. Borovsky

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the post-bipolar world nuclear power has become one of the areas of competition and rivalry betweenRussiaand the West. The comprehensive analysis of theoretical publications allows us to consider international competition as an abstract, depoliticized contest of states and other international actors (including companies for some limited (mainly economic benefits. International rivalry is more a political process, necessarily involving some rival pairs of states (or groups of states that compete with each other not only to get some benefits, but to expand their territory or power. The competition and rivalry betweenRussiaand the West in the sphere of nuclear power are especially apparent in the Eastern European region where the American, European and Japanese corporations, with the support of the Western foreign ministries and EU institutions, try to achieve two main goals. The first goal is to win the contracts to build new power units, especially in tenders where Rosatom participates. The second goal is to become suppliers of nuclear fuel for multiple Russian- or Soviet-made VVER-type reactors, which are functioning or will be run in a number of countries in the region (Slovakia,CzechRepublic,Hungary,Bulgaria, andUkraine. Such activities can involve high risks. The West’s efforts to curb the dominant position of "Rosatom" inEastern Europeare formally associated with the need to create a "competitive market" of nuclear services in the region and to ensure the European energy security. It is also noteworthy that the expansion of Rosatom (and its predecessors to foreign markets, including Eastern Europe, is actively supported by the Russian state which in the second half of the 1990s – after a failed attempt of following in the footsteps of the West – joined in the rivalry, mostly imposed by the U.S. and their allies. As shown by the analysis,Russiaand the West, primarily theUnited States, are involved in the nuclear power sector to

  19. Future Hegemonic Rivalry Between China and the West?

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    Erich Weede

    1995-08-01

    Full Text Available Currently there is a unipolar distribution of power. The United States reigns supreme. Russia's economic power will remain insufficient to underwrite a renewed attempt to establish global leadership. While the European Community still commands sufficient resources for exercising global leadership, it lacks the political foundation for unitary action. Moreover, the European addiction to the welfare state undermines European competitiveness. Japan is too much of a "trading state" and unlikely to become a first-rate military power, before she is overtaken by China in economic size. So, count Russia, Europe and Japan out as conceivable challengers to United States hegemony. China is the only plausible candidate. Its economic growth rate is nothing less than spectacular. Moreover, the Chinese government seems capable of extracting the necessary resources for waging a hegemonic rivalry from a society that is likely to remain quite poor for at least another generation. There are a number of conceivable scenarios for the emerging American-Chinese relationship. The future will depend on the relative speed of the American decline and the rise of China as well as on the openness of the global economy. The more open the global economy, the better the prospects for rising per capita incomes in China become, the better the prospects for some mellowing or even democratization of the Chinese regime. Only if the West sticks together under American leadership and if creeping capitalism in China leads to creeping democratization later, is hegemonic rivalry likely to remain benign and peaceful.

  20. Emotion and Interhemispheric Interactions in Binocular Rivalry

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    K L Ritchie

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Previous research has shown that fear-related stimuli presented in peripheral vision are preferentially processed over stimuli depicting other emotions. Furthermore, emotional content can influence dominance duration in binocular rivalry, with the period of dominance for an emotional image (e.g. a fearful face being significantly longer than a neutral image (e.g. a neutral face or a house. Experiment 1 of the current study combined these two ideas to investigate the role of emotion in binocular rivalry with face/house pairs viewed in the periphery. The results showed that faces were perceived as more dominant than houses, and fearful faces more so than neutral faces, even when viewed in the periphery. Experiment 2 extended this paradigm to present a rival pair in the periphery in each hemifield, with each eye either viewing the same stimulus in each location (traditional condition, or a different stimulus in each location (Diaz-Caneja condition. The results showed that the two pairs tended to rival in synchrony only in the traditional condition. Taken together, the results show that face dominance and emotion dominance in binocular rivalry persist in the periphery, and that interhemispheric interactions in binocular rivalry depend on an eye- as opposed to an object-based mechanism.

  1. On the functional order of binocular rivalry and blind spot filling-in.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Cheng S; Brascamp, Jan W; Liu, Taosheng

    2017-07-01

    Binocular rivalry is an important phenomenon for understanding the mechanisms of visual awareness. Here we assessed the functional locus of binocular rivalry relative to blind spot filling-in, which is thought to transpire in V1, thus providing a reference point for assessing the locus of rivalry. We conducted two experiments to explore the functional order of binocular rivalry and blind spot filling-in. Experiment 1 examined if the information filled-in at the blind spot can engage in rivalry with a physical stimulus at the corresponding location in the fellow eye. Participants' perceptual reports showed no difference between this condition and a condition where filling-in was precluded by presenting the same stimuli away from the blind spot, suggesting that the rivalry process is not influenced by any filling-in that might occur. In Experiment 2, we presented the fellow eye's stimulus directly in rivalry with the 'inducer' stimulus that surrounds the blind spot, and compared it with two control conditions away from the blind spot: one involving a ring physically identical to the inducer, and one involving a disc that resembled the filled-in percept. Perceptual reports in the blind spot condition resembled those in the 'ring' condition, more than those in the latter, 'disc' condition, indicating that a perceptually suppressed inducer does not engender filling-in. Thus, our behavioral data suggest binocular rivalry functionally precedes blind spot filling-in. We conjecture that the neural substrate of binocular rivalry suppression includes processing stages at or before V1. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Consequences of sibling rivalry vary across life in a passerine bird.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bebbington, Kat; Kingma, Sjouke A; Fairfield, Eleanor A; Spurgin, Lewis G; Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David S

    2017-01-01

    Many studies have assessed the costs of sibling rivalry in systems where offspring always have competitors, but conclusions about sibling rivalry in these species are restricted to interpreting the cost of changes in the relative level of competition and are often complicated by the expression of potentially costly rivalry related traits. Additionally, the majority of studies focus on early-life sibling rivalry, but the costs of competition can also affect later-life performance. We test a suite of hypothesized immediate (early-life body mass, telomere length, and survival) and delayed (adult reproductive potential and lifespan) costs of sibling rivalry for offspring of differing competitive ability in Seychelles warblers, where most offspring are raised singly and hence competitor success can be compared to a competition-free scenario. Compared to those raised alone, all competing nestlings had lower body mass and weaker competitors experienced reduced survival. However, the stronger competitors appeared to have longer adult breeding tenures and lifespan than those raised alone. We propose that comparisons with competition-free groups, as well as detailed fitness measures across entire lifetimes, are needed to understand the evolution of sibling rivalry and thus individual reproductive strategy in wild systems.

  3. An analysis of intergroup rivalry using Ising model and reinforcement learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Feng-Fei; Qin, Zheng; Shao, Zhuo

    2014-01-01

    Modeling of intergroup rivalry can help us better understand economic competitions, political elections and other similar activities. The result of intergroup rivalry depends on the co-evolution of individual behavior within one group and the impact from the rival group. In this paper, we model the rivalry behavior using Ising model. Different from other simulation studies using Ising model, the evolution rules of each individual in our model are not static, but have the ability to learn from historical experience using reinforcement learning technique, which makes the simulation more close to real human behavior. We studied the phase transition in intergroup rivalry and focused on the impact of the degree of social freedom, the personality of group members and the social experience of individuals. The results of computer simulation show that a society with a low degree of social freedom and highly educated, experienced individuals is more likely to be one-sided in intergroup rivalry.

  4. Rivalry Determinants of Interpersonal Relations between Medical Staff Members

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    V V Levchenko

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The article analyses and systematizes the results of the empirical study, which refine the differentiating effect of the relations of rivalry to different aspects of the life of a group and confirm that rivalry presents one of the essential determinants of formation and functioning of group and personality.

  5. Life history consequences of mammal sibling rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stockley, P; Parker, G A

    2002-10-01

    Mammal life history traits relating to growth and reproduction are extremely diverse. Sibling rivalry may contribute to selection pressures influencing this diversity, because individuals that are relatively large at birth typically have an advantage in competition for milk. However, selection for increased growth rate is likely to be constrained by kin selection and physiological costs. Here, we present and test a model examining the ESS (evolutionarily stable strategy) balance between these constraints and advantages associated with increased prenatal growth in mammal sibling rivalry. Predictions of the model are supported by results of comparative analyses for the Carnivora and Insectivora, which demonstrate an increase in prenatal growth rate with increasing intensity of postnatal scramble competition, and a decrease in postnatal growth rate relative to size at birth. Because increased prenatal growth rates are predicted to select for reduced gestation length under certain conditions, our study also indicates that sibling rivalry may contribute to selection pressures influencing variation in altriciality and precociality among mammals.

  6. Upaya Mengatasi Sibling Rivalry melalui Layanan Konseling Kelompok

    OpenAIRE

    Eli Turniati; Eko Nusantoro

    2015-01-01

    Penelitian ini dilakukan berdasarkan fenomena yang terjadi pada siswa kelas VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02 kecamatan Tembalang kota Semarang yang mengalami sibling rivalry. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu untuk mengetahui apakah konseling kelompok dapat mengatasi sibling rivalry pada siswa kelas VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02. Jenis penelitian adalah penelitian eksperiment dengan desain penelitian one group pre-test dan pos-test design. Subyek penelitian ini, siswa kelas VI SDN Sendangmulyo 02 yang memiliki ting...

  7. Entrepreneurial Tournaments: Towards Disclosing the Rivalry Process Among Corporate Entrepreneurs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Zarei

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The notons and motvatons of inter-organisatonal rivalries among employees have to some extent been highlighted by classical theories of management such as tournament theory. However, employees’ and entrepreneurs’ compettons are fundamentally different in patern. Based on the doctrine of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial compettons are essental for a productve economy. Even so, there have been few in-depth holistc atempts to understand the rivalry process among corporate entrepreneurs. During the last three decades, various fragmented studies have been conducted from different standpoints to clarify the process of corporate entrepreneurship (CE. Nevertheless, considerable room remains for developing a model of the rivalry process with respect to entrepreneurial actvites within large and complex organisatons. Hence, the main contributon of the research can be claimed as investgatng and formulatng the rivalry process. For this purpose, a systematc qualitatve grounded theory methodology (GTM was used. During a fve-month period, corporate entrepreneurs from one of the chief Iranian research insttutes were systematcally interviewed. Based on the research results, in additon to endorsing the existence of such a rivalry process among corporate entrepreneurs, the GTM model extends the literature of CE by examining the previously unaddressed part of the process, i.e., disclosing the corporate entrepreneurs’ implemented strategies, among other blocks of the theory.

  8. Intensity of rivalry among existing competitors in the wine-making branch

    OpenAIRE

    Radka Šperková; Helena Hejmalová

    2012-01-01

    The analysis of the rivalry among existing competitors in the wine-making branch is the aim of this paper. On the whole, the rivalry among existing companies in the wine-making branch may be described as intensive. When evaluating the level of intensity of rivalry among existing businesses in the branch, it is necessary to take into consideration their size and market share. Among first ten most significant companies on the market (84% market share) there is intensive competing. Individual co...

  9. Consequences of sibling rivalry vary across life in a passerine bird

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bebbington, Kat; Kingma, Sjouke A.; Fairfield, Eleanor A.; Spurgin, Lewis G.; Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David S.

    Many studies have assessed the costs of sibling rivalry in systems where offspring always have competitors, but conclusions about sibling rivalry in these species are restricted to interpreting the cost of changes in the relative level of competition and are often complicated by the expression of

  10. The future of binocular rivalry research: reaching through a window on consciousness

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klink, P. Christiaan; van Wezel, Richard Jack Anton; van Ee, Raymond; Miller, Steven M.

    2013-01-01

    Binocular rivalry is often considered an experimental window on the neural processes of consciousness. We propose three distinct approaches to exploit this window. First, one may look through the window, using binocular rivalry as a passive tool to dissociate unaltered sensory input from wavering

  11. BENTUK PERILAKU SIBLING RIVALRY PADA ANAK KEMBAR BERDASARKAN PENGASUHAN ORANGTUA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Herdian Herdian

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan bentuk perilaku sibling rivalry pada anak kembar berdasarkan pengasuhan orangtua yang terjadi. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif, yang pengambilan datanya menggunakan wawancara serta observasi.Subjek penelitiannya adalah 4 pasang anak kembar dan 8 orang terdekat dengan subjek.Validitas data menggunakan teknik triangulasi data dengan sumber, yang berarti membandingkan dan mengecek balik derajat kepercayaan suatu informasi yang diperoleh melalui waktu dan alat berbeda.Analisis data dilakukan dengan bentuk interaktif.Temuan penelitiannya adalah, perilaku sibling rivalry terjadi karena perlakuan orangtua yang berbeda pada masing-masing anak kembar, selain itu dikarenakan cara orangtua dalam memperlakukan anak dalam menangani konflik yang terjadi pada anak kembar. Terdapat dua subjek yang mendapatkan perlakuan yang berbeda ketika berkelahi yaitu dengan membela salah satu anak kembar dikarenakan posisinya sebagai adik.Perlakuan yang berbeda lainnya terlihat pada salah satu subjek yaitu dengan memberikan uang saku yang berbeda. Penyebab sibling rivalry pada anak kembar lainnya hanya disebabkan oleh rebutan barang, baju yang tertukar serta pemberian barang oleh lingkungan sosial yang masing-masing subjek tidak mendapatkan barang yang sama. Bentuk perilaku sibling rivalry yangterjadi terbagi menjadi tiga aspek yaitu fisik, psikis, dan sosial.Aspek fisik bentuk perilakunya yaitu memukul, menendang, mencakar, menjambak, mencubit, dan meninju tembok.Aspek psikis bentuk perilakunya yaitu menangis, cemburu, rewel, iri, sebal, marah, dan usaha mencari perhatian dengan bersandar ke ibu serta berhias.Aspek sosial bentuk perilakunya yaitu mengganggu, mengejek dan bertengkar.Dari hasil tersebut dapat dikategorikan berdasarkan jenis kelamin, laki-laki yaitu meninju tembok, sedangkan perempuan menjambak, mencubit, usaha untuk mencari perhatian dengan bersandar ke ibu serta berhias. Kata kunci : Sibling Rivalry

  12. The Effect of Competitive Rivalry on Internal Communication in Private Healthcare Organizations: Evidence from Istanbul, Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gültekin Altuntas

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Both competitive rivalry and internal communication play a crucial role for a business to position itself in a favourable manner in order to succeed particularly in a hostile environment. While numerous studies present the importance of competitive rivalry and of communication, even internal communication separately, little is known about the specific linkage of how competitive rivalry affects communication in the literature. Within the framework of internal communication, this study focuses on the notion that competitive rivalry is related to the path and style of communication as well as to the usage of internal communication tools but not to quality of communication. Thus, our research presents the linkage and the interaction between competitive rivalry and internal communication, of which the results indicate that, overall, competitive rivalry has a significant direct positive influence on internal communication dimensions in terms of path, style and quality of communication, as well as usage of communication tools in healthcare organizations.

  13. 'Great Power Style' in China's Economic Policy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jiang, Yang

    2011-01-01

    China’s ascendance attracts concern, even though Beijing claims to be a responsible great power and tries to demonstrate its ‘great power style’ in economic diplomacy. This article therefore discusses the following questions: to what extent does the current notion and practice of Chinese ‘great...... power style’ in economic diplomacy comply with, or differ from, the criteria of benign hegemony; and what are the major constraining factors? Conceptually, China’s ‘great power style’ is rooted in ancient Chinese political philosophy and institution, but it highly resembles the Western notion of benign...

  14. GAMBARAN PENGETAHUAN IBU MULTIGRAVIDA TENTANG SIBLING RIVALRY (KECEMBURUAN DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS RAWAT INAP KEDATON BANDAR LAMPUNG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ike Ate Yusvika

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Gambaran Pengetahuan Ibu Multigravida tentang Sibling Rivalry (Kecemburuan di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Kedaton Bandar Lampung. Persaingan antara saudara sibling rivalry (cemburu kepada saudara kandung merupakan salah satu alasan terkuat anak-anak bertengkar. Salah satu peristiwa kunci dalam kehidupan adalah kelahiran adik baru. Kehamilan itu sendiri merupakan waktu yang ideal untuk memahami darimana bayi berasal dan bagaimana bayi itu dilahirkan. Ibu yang memiliki cukup pengetahuan tentang penanganan sibling rivalry akan segera cepat mengenali reaksi sibling rivalry pada anaknya terutama pada awal-awal kelahiran bayinya dan mengetahui cara yang tepat mengurangi efeknya terhadap anaknya yang lain. Sibling rivalry (kecemburuan yang tidak diatasi pada masa awal anak-anak dapat menimbulkan delayed effect, yaitu dimana pola perilaku tersimpan di bagian alam bawah sadar pada usia 12 tahun hingga 18 tahun dan dapat muncul kembali bertahun-tahun kemudian dalam berbagai bentuk dan perilaku psikologikal yang merusak.Tujuan penelitian adalah diketahui gambaran pengetahuan ibu multigravida tentang sibling rivalry di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Kedaton Bandar Lampung Tahun 2013. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian deskriptif kuantitatif. Subjek penelitian adalah seluruh ibu multigravida di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Kedaton Bandar Lampung yang berjumlah 40 responden, yang diambil sebagai sampel penelitian, analisa yang digunakan adalah univariat untuk mengetahui presentase. Hasil analisa data didapatkan ibu multigravida dengan kategori pengetahuan kurang baik tentang sibling rivalry sebanyak 22 orang atau 55%, kategori pengetahuan baik sebanyak 18 orang atau 45%. Kesimpulan dalam penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa masih kurangnya pengetahuan ibu multigravida tentang sibling rivalry dan diharapkan bagi wilayah Puskesmas Rawat Inap Kedaton Bandar Lampung untuk meningkatkan promosi kesehatan seperti penyuluhan tentang sibling

  15. Team Learning: Through the Relational Dynamics of Co-operation and Rivalry in Team Communities

    OpenAIRE

    Lotz, Maja

    2008-01-01

    In this paper I explore the constructive links between co-operation, rivalry, and learning within the structure of team communities. Drawing upon social learning theory, the main purpose of this paper is to argue that both co-operation and rivalry are important triggers for mobilizing learning processes within and between teams. However, social learning theory tends to disregard the positive aspects of rivalry. Consequently, this paper will argue for the need to extend social learning theory ...

  16. Narcissistic admiration and rivalry: disentangling the bright and dark sides of narcissism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Back, Mitja D; Küfner, Albrecht C P; Dufner, Michael; Gerlach, Tanja M; Rauthmann, John F; Denissen, Jaap J A

    2013-12-01

    We present a process model that distinguishes 2 dimensions of narcissism: admiration and rivalry. We propose that narcissists' overarching goal of maintaining a grandiose self is pursued by 2 separate pathways, characterized by distinct cognitive, affective-motivational, and behavioral processes. In a set of 7 studies, we validated this 2-dimensional model using the newly developed Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ). We showed that narcissistic admiration and rivalry are positively correlated dimensions, yet they have markedly different nomological networks and distinct intra- and interpersonal consequences. The NARQ showed the hypothesized 2-dimensional multifaceted structure as well as very good internal consistencies (Study 1, N = 953), stabilities (Study 2, N = 93), and self-other agreements (Study 3, N = 96). Narcissistic admiration and rivalry showed unique relations to the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), the Big Five, self-esteem, pathological narcissism, and other narcissism-related traits like Machiavellianism, psychopathy, self-enhancement, and impulsivity (Study 4, Ns = 510-1,814). Despite the positive relation between admiration and rivalry, the 2 differentially predicted general interpersonal orientations and reactions to transgressions in friendships and romantic relationships (Study 5, N = 1,085), interpersonal perceptions during group interactions (Study 6, N = 202), and observed behaviors in experimental observations (Study 7, N = 96). For all studies, the NARQ outperformed the standard measure of narcissism, the NPI, in predicting outcome measures. Results underscore the utility of a 2-dimensional conceptualization and measurement of narcissism. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  17. Psilocybin links binocular rivalry switch rate to attention and subjective arousal levels in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Olivia L; Hasler, Felix; Pettigrew, John D; Wallis, Guy M; Liu, Guang B; Vollenweider, Franz X

    2007-12-01

    Binocular rivalry occurs when different images are simultaneously presented to each eye. During continual viewing of this stimulus, the observer will experience repeated switches between visual awareness of the two images. Previous studies have suggested that a slow rate of perceptual switching may be associated with clinical and drug-induced psychosis. The objective of the study was to explore the proposed relationship between binocular rivalry switch rate and subjective changes in psychological state associated with 5-HT2A receptor activation. This study used psilocybin, the hallucinogen found naturally in Psilocybe mushrooms that had previously been found to induce psychosis-like symptoms via the 5-HT2A receptor. The effects of psilocybin (215 microg/kg) were considered alone and after pretreatment with the selective 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin (50 mg) in ten healthy human subjects. Psilocybin significantly reduced the rate of binocular rivalry switching and increased the proportion of transitional/mixed percept experience. Pretreatment with ketanserin blocked the majority of psilocybin's "positive" psychosis-like hallucinogenic symptoms. However, ketanserin had no influence on either the psilocybin-induced slowing of binocular rivalry or the drug's "negative-type symptoms" associated with reduced arousal and vigilance. Together, these findings link changes in binocular rivalry switching rate to subjective levels of arousal and attention. In addition, it suggests that psilocybin's effect on binocular rivalry is unlikely to be mediated by the 5-HT2A receptor.

  18. Market responses to HMOs: price competition or rivalry?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaughlin, C G

    1988-01-01

    Although competition for consumers is increasing in the health care sector, there is disagreement about whether it is resulting in cost containment, as its supporters have argued it would. In part this stems from a confusion between price competition, which under ideal circumstances leads to the production of services at the lowest possible cost, and nonprice competition--or rivalry--which under many circumstances will lead to increased costs. In this paper, I examine the evidence about the competitive response to the growing presence of health maintenance organizations in the health care marketplace. The available evidence suggests that providers are responding not with classical cost-containing price competition but, instead, with cost-increasing rivalry, characterized by increased expenditures to promote actual or perceived product differentiation.

  19. How Simultaneous is the Perception of Binocular Depth and Rivalry in Plaid Stimuli?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Athena Buckthought

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Psychophysical experiments have demonstrated that it is possible to perceive both binocular depth and rivalry in plaids (Buckthought and Wilson 2007, Vision Research 47 2543–2556. In a recent study, we investigated the neural substrates for depth and rivalry processing with these plaid patterns, when either a depth or rivalry task was performed (Buckthought and Mendola 2011, Journal of Vision 11 1–15. However, the extent to which perception of the two stimulus aspects was truly simultaneous remained somewhat unclear. In the present study, we introduced a new task in which subjects were instructed to perform both depth and rivalry tasks concurrently. Subjects were clearly able to perform both tasks at the same time, but with a modest, symmetric drop in performance when compared to either task carried out alone. Subjects were also able to raise performance levels for either task by performing it with a higher priority, with a decline in performance for the other task. The symmetric declines in performance are consistent with the interpretation that the two tasks are equally demanding of attention (Braun and Julesz 1998, Perception & Psychophysics 60 1–23. The results demonstrate the impressive combination of binocular features that supports coincident depth and rivalry in surface perception, within the constraints of presumed orientation and spatial frequency channels.

  20. Sibling rivalry and the new baby: anticipatory guidance and management strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawicki, J A

    1997-01-01

    Sibling rivalry can be found in many families and frequently creates a stressful and challenging situation for parents. The arrival of a new baby often causes older siblings to feel displaced, frustrated, angry, and even unloved. Age, gender, personality and temperament, and parental behavior are factors that appear to influence the degree to which sibling rivalry occurs. Common reactions of older siblings to the birth of a new baby include aggression toward the newborn, behavioral regression, and attention seeking behavior, as well as independence and maturity. Anticipatory guidance is recommended to help parents adequately prepare their older child for the arrival of a new sibling. Strategies for managing sibling rivalry include open parent-child communication, equal treatment of siblings, non-intervention in sibling conflicts, distraction, and separation. Parents can minimize feelings of jealousy between siblings by providing a supportive, nurturing environment that allows each child to feel secure and loved.

  1. Competition with and without priority control: linking rivalry to attention through winner-take-all networks with memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marx, Svenja; Gruenhage, Gina; Walper, Daniel; Rutishauser, Ueli; Einhäuser, Wolfgang

    2015-03-01

    Competition is ubiquitous in perception. For example, items in the visual field compete for processing resources, and attention controls their priority (biased competition). The inevitable ambiguity in the interpretation of sensory signals yields another form of competition: distinct perceptual interpretations compete for access to awareness. Rivalry, where two equally likely percepts compete for dominance, explicates the latter form of competition. Building upon the similarity between attention and rivalry, we propose to model rivalry by a generic competitive circuit that is widely used in the attention literature-a winner-take-all (WTA) network. Specifically, we show that a network of two coupled WTA circuits replicates three common hallmarks of rivalry: the distribution of dominance durations, their dependence on input strength ("Levelt's propositions"), and the effects of stimulus removal (blanking). This model introduces a form of memory by forming discrete states and explains experimental data better than competitive models of rivalry without memory. This result supports the crucial role of memory in rivalry specifically and in competitive processes in general. Our approach unifies the seemingly distinct phenomena of rivalry, memory, and attention in a single model with competition as the common underlying principle. © 2015 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of The New York Academy of Sciences.

  2. Team Learning: Through the Relational Dynamics of Co-operation and Rivalry in Team Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lotz, Maja

    2010-01-01

    This paper explores the constructive links between cooperation, rivalry, and learning within the structure of team communities. Drawing upon social learning theory and qualitative data from case studies conducted in Danish team-based firms, the main purpose is to argue that both cooperation and rivalry are important triggers for mobilizing…

  3. The Effects of Birth Order on Personality Traits and Feelings of Academic Sibling Rivalry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badger, Julia; Reddy, Peter

    2009-01-01

    The influence of birth order on personality and sibling rivalry is controversial; little research has been conducted into academic sibling rivalry, and none into the connection with personality traits. This study considers the interaction of all three factors. Firstborns (N=22) and lastborns (N=24) completed online personality tests and an…

  4. Combining Motion-Induced Blindness with Binocular Rivalry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K Jaworska

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Motion-induced blindness (MIB and binocular rivalry (BR are examples of multistable phenomena in which our perception varies despite constant retinal input. It has been suggested that both phenomena are related and share a common underlying mechanism. We tried to determine whether experimental manipulations of the target dot and the mask systematically affect MIB and BR in an experimental paradigm that can elicit both phenomena. Eighteen observers fixated the center of a split-screen stereo display that consisted of a distracter mask and a superimposed target dot with different colour (isoluminant Red/Green in corresponding peripheral areas of the left and right eye. Observers reported perceived colour and disappearance of the target dot by pressing and releasing corresponding keys. In a within-subjects design the mask was presented in rivalry or not—with orthogonal drift in the left and right eye or with the same drift in both eyes. In control conditions the mask remained stationary. In addition, the size of the target dot was varied (small, medium, and large. Our results suggest that MIB measured by normalized frequency and duration of target disappearance and BR measured by normalized frequency and duration of colour reversals of the target were both affected by motion in the mask. Surprisingly, binocular rivalry in the mask had only a small effect on BR of the target and virtually no effect on MIB. The overall pattern of normalized MIB and BR measures, however, differed across experimental conditions. In conclusion, the results show some degree of dissociation between MIB and BR. Further analyses will inform whether or not the two phenomena occur independently of each other.

  5. Binocular Rivalry and Attention in Helmet-Mounted Display Applications

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Winterbottom, Marc D; Patterson, Robert; Pierce, Byron J; Covas, Christin; Rogers, Jason

    2007-01-01

    .... In the present study, we examined whether rivalry suppression could be objectively measured under conditions that simulated a monocular HMD and OTW display, and whether voluntary attention and moving...

  6. Geographical influences of an emerging network of gang rivalries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegemann, Rachel A.; Smith, Laura M.; Barbaro, Alethea B. T.; Bertozzi, Andrea L.; Reid, Shannon E.; Tita, George E.

    2011-10-01

    We propose an agent-based model to simulate the creation of street gang rivalries. The movement dynamics of agents are coupled to an evolving network of gang rivalries, which is determined by previous interactions among agents in the system. Basic gang data, geographic information, and behavioral dynamics suggested by the criminology literature are integrated into the model. The major highways, rivers, and the locations of gangs’ centers of activity influence the agents’ motion. We use a policing division of the Los Angeles Police Department as a case study to test our model. We apply common metrics from graph theory to analyze our model, comparing networks produced by our simulations and an instance of a Geographical Threshold Graph to the existing network from the criminology literature.

  7. Attachment and sibling rivalry in Little Hans: the fantasy of the two giraffes revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wakefield, Jerome C

    2007-01-01

    Freud's interpretation of Little Hans's "phantasy of the two giraffes" is pivotal to his oedipal analysis that Hans has inchoate desires for sexual intercourse with his mother. Bowlby argued that Freud's focus on his oedipal theory led him to ignore preoedipal attachment-related factors that have equal plausibility in explaining the clinical data. However, Bowlby did not attempt to apply the attachment perspective to the interpretation of Hans's fantasies that form the core of the case material. A microanalysis of Hans's giraffe fantasy and the evidence used to support Freud's claims about it yields an attachment-based sibling rivalry account arguably of greater explanatory power than the oedipal account. Consistent with Bowlby's hypothesis, the evidence suggests that Hans's giraffe fantasy is about the sibling rivalry triangle involved in caregiver attachment access, rather than (or in addition to) the oedipal triangle. The issue of multiple levels of meaning and the methodological challenges raised by multiple determination is also considered. The giraffe fantasy's attachment-theoretic explanation encourages a rethinking of this classic case and strengthens Bowlby's claim that the case is fruitfully viewed from an attachment perspective.

  8. Intensity of rivalry among existing competitors in the wine-making branch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radka Šperková

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The analysis of the rivalry among existing competitors in the wine-making branch is the aim of this paper. On the whole, the rivalry among existing companies in the wine-making branch may be described as intensive. When evaluating the level of intensity of rivalry among existing businesses in the branch, it is necessary to take into consideration their size and market share. Among first ten most significant companies on the market (84% market share there is intensive competing. Individual companies use all their tangible and intangible means in order to extend their share and attract new clients. The aim of this competing is to strengthen the clients’ trust in given brands, and it is about efforts to obtain the best positions possible for negotiations of wine distribution, mainly to chain stores, which requires favorable price quotes. The other group of subjects operating in this branch is formed mainly by small producers (16% market share. Given their small size, they are unable to effectively use the economy of scale, they do not make too big profit, and so they do not have enough finances for intensive competing.

  9. Product Line Rivalry with Brand Differentiation

    OpenAIRE

    Gilbert, Richard J.; Matutes, Carmen

    1989-01-01

    Competition with product rivalry is examined in a model where products are differentiated by both quality and brand name. With no commitment, firms produce a full product line. When firms can commit to restrict their product offerings, firms specialize if the degree of brand-specific differentiation is small and they produce a full product line if brand-specific differentiation is large relative to intrafirm differentiation. Firms may crowd a product space when all competitors would be better...

  10. Binocular Rivalry in a Competitive Neural Network with Synaptic Depression

    KAUST Repository

    Kilpatrick, Zachary P.

    2010-01-01

    We study binocular rivalry in a competitive neural network with synaptic depression. In particular, we consider two coupled hypercolums within primary visual cortex (V1), representing orientation selective cells responding to either left or right eye inputs. Coupling between hypercolumns is dominated by inhibition, especially for neurons with dissimilar orientation preferences. Within hypercolumns, recurrent connectivity is excitatory for similar orientations and inhibitory for different orientations. All synaptic connections are modifiable by local synaptic depression. When the hypercolumns are driven by orthogonal oriented stimuli, it is possible to induce oscillations that are representative of binocular rivalry. We first analyze the occurrence of oscillations in a space-clamped version of the model using a fast-slow analys is, taking advantage of the fact that depression evolves much slower than population activity. We th en analyze the onset of oscillations in the full spatially extended system by carrying out a piecewise smooth stability analysis of single (winner-take-all) and double (fusion) bumps within the network. Although our stability analysis takes into account only instabilities associated with real eigenvalues, it identifies points of instability that are consistent with what is found numerically. In particular, we show that, in regions of parameter space where double bumps are unstable and no single bumps exist, binocular rivalry can arise as a slow alternation between either population supporting a bump. © 2010 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

  11. Binocular Rivalry in a Competitive Neural Network with Synaptic Depression

    KAUST Repository

    Kilpatrick, Zachary P.; Bressloff, Paul C.

    2010-01-01

    We study binocular rivalry in a competitive neural network with synaptic depression. In particular, we consider two coupled hypercolums within primary visual cortex (V1), representing orientation selective cells responding to either left or right

  12. Power play: ritual rivalry and targeted tradition in Glastonbury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marion Bowman

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Glastonbury, a small town in the south-west of England, is considered significant by a wide variety of spiritual seekers, including Christians of various denominations, pagans, Druids, Goddess devotees, self-styled ‘New Agers’, Buddhists, Sufis, earth energies researchers, healers and ­others who feel that they have in some way been ‘called’ or ‘drawn’ to the town. Although, for the most part, groups and individuals of very different reli­gious persuasion co-exist comparatively peacefully and a largely laissez-faire attitude to pluralism has developed in the town, increasingly some rivalries and differences in worldview are being played out publicly in ‘traditional’ forms such as processions, rituals and calendar customs. While such traditional religious means are used on occasion to express concord rather than conflict, proclaiming and reclaiming are very much part of the ethos of ritual and processional activity in Glastonbury at present, with pageantry and calendar customs regarded as valuable tools in establishing presence and priority in both overt and subtle ways. The extent to which rival claims to territorial and spiritual supremacy are being played out in the (recreation of rituals and other forms of public display are examined here briefly through two sets of case studies which feature vernacular religious forms being used in relation to contemporary spir­­ituality. The first set involves the Christian Glastonbury Pilgrimage processions and their pagan counterpart the Goddess in the Cart Procession; the second involves the Glastonbury Thorn Ceremony and the Chalice Well Winter Solstice Celebration. The focus here is on the comparative and tactical aspects of these events

  13. More superimposition for contrast-modulated than luminance-modulated stimuli during binocular rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skerswetat, Jan; Formankiewicz, Monika A; Waugh, Sarah J

    2018-01-01

    Luminance-modulated noise (LM) and contrast-modulated noise (CM) gratings were presented with interocularly correlated, uncorrelated and anti-correlated binary noise to investigate their contributions to mixed percepts, specifically piecemeal and superimposition, during binocular rivalry. Stimuli were sine-wave gratings of 2 c/deg presented within 2 deg circular apertures. The LM stimulus contrast was 0.1 and the CM stimulus modulation depth was 1.0, equating to approximately 5 and 7 times detection threshold, respectively. Twelve 45 s trials, per noise configuration, were carried out. Fifteen participants with normal vision indicated via button presses whether an exclusive, piecemeal or superimposed percept was seen. For all noise conditions LM stimuli generated more exclusive visibility, and lower proportions of superimposition. CM stimuli led to greater proportions and longer periods of superimposition. For both stimulus types, correlated interocular noise generated more superimposition than did anti- or uncorrelated interocular noise. No significant effect of stimulus type (LM vs CM) or noise configuration (correlated, uncorrelated, anti-correlated) on piecemeal perception was found. Exclusive visibility was greater in proportion, and perceptual changes more numerous, during binocular rivalry for CM stimuli when interocular noise was not correlated. This suggests that mutual inhibition, initiated by non-correlated noise CM gratings, occurs between neurons processing luminance noise (first-order component), as well as those processing gratings (second-order component). Therefore, first- and second-order components can contribute to overall binocular rivalry responses. We suggest the addition of a new well to the current energy landscape model for binocular rivalry that takes superimposition into account. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The Great Himalayan Game

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Johannes Dragsbæk; Thapa, Manish

    The aim of this paper is to explore the rivalry between India and China and how it impacts Nepal in geo-strategic and geo-political terms both theoretically, conceptually and empirically. The foreign policy rivalry between India and China appears not only to influence investment and trade decisions...

  15. Academic Entrepreneurship and Traditional Academic Duties: Synergy or Rivalry?

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Silva, Muthu

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the influence of academic entrepreneurship on traditional academic duties carried out in a resource-constrained environment, particularly focusing on whether there is synergy or rivalry between these two activities. Using qualitative evidence, we discover that there are funding, resource, knowledge and skill and networking…

  16. Fusion and rivalry are dependent on the perceptual meaning of visual stimuli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Timothy J; Lotto, R Beau

    2004-03-09

    We view the world with two eyes and yet are typically only aware of a single, coherent image. Arguably the simplest explanation for this is that the visual system unites the two monocular stimuli into a common stream that eventually leads to a single coherent sensation. However, this notion is inconsistent with the well-known phenomenon of rivalry; when physically different stimuli project to the same retinal location, the ensuing perception alternates between the two monocular views in space and time. Although fundamental for understanding the principles of binocular vision and visual awareness, the mechanisms under-lying binocular rivalry remain controversial. Specifically, there is uncertainty about what determines whether monocular images undergo fusion or rivalry. By taking advantage of the perceptual phenomenon of color contrast, we show that physically identical monocular stimuli tend to rival-not fuse-when they signify different objects at the same location in visual space. Conversely, when physically different monocular stimuli are likely to represent the same object at the same location in space, fusion is more likely to result. The data suggest that what competes for visual awareness in the two eyes is not the physical similarity between images but the similarity in their perceptual/empirical meaning.

  17. Brotherhood/Sisterhood Begin at Home: Notes on Sibling Rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Lilian G.

    Parents who are frequently frustrated and troubled by rivalry among their children may find the following suggestions helpful. If fighting between siblings is bothersome, stop it. Don't lecture, moralize or nag. Once the unpleasant behavior is stopped, look for possible causes and ways of dealing with it. Children's versions of disputes and other…

  18. The power mix in Great-Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trebuchet, Charlotte

    2012-11-01

    This study addresses a new reform of the electric power sector in Great Britain: RIIO (Revenue = Incentives + Innovations + Outputs). The author discusses aspects related to market organisation and aspects related to the grid. First, she gives an overview of the situation of the electricity sector in Great-Britain by describing its evolution from the start of the liberalisation policy until our days, and by presenting the regulation of the electric power transport network. In a second part, she analyses which changes will be introduced by RIIO. She comments the general principles of this reform and discusses its implications for the sector. Appendices describe the LCN Fund (Low carbon network Fund) mechanism which is a specific bidding and selection process, and briefly indicate the projects selected by this fund in 2010 and 2011

  19. GAMBARAN PENGETAHUAN IBU MULTIGRAVIDA TENTANG SIBLING RIVALRY (KECEMBURUAN) DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS RAWAT INAP KEDATON BANDAR LAMPUNG

    OpenAIRE

    Ike Ate Yusvika

    2016-01-01

    Gambaran Pengetahuan Ibu Multigravida tentang Sibling Rivalry (Kecemburuan) di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Rawat Inap Kedaton Bandar Lampung. Persaingan antara saudara sibling rivalry (cemburu) kepada saudara kandung merupakan salah satu alasan terkuat anak-anak bertengkar. Salah satu peristiwa kunci dalam kehidupan adalah kelahiran adik baru. Kehamilan itu sendiri merupakan waktu yang ideal untuk memahami darimana bayi berasal dan bagaimana bayi itu dilahirkan. Ibu yang memiliki cukup pengetahua...

  20. World energy rivalry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lafargue, Francois

    2008-01-01

    The economic development of China and India changes significantly the energy balances, and these countries try to diversify their hydrocarbon supplies in order to reduce their dependence on the Middle-East. As the USA have the same objective, there is an actual competition between these three countries for the access to hydrocarbons. The author first proposes an overview of the evolution of US and Chinese oil policies, of their suppliers and of their consumption. He discusses the energy relationships these both countries have with Russia and India, and then the relationships the USA, China and India have with African countries, Latin American countries, and Central Asian countries. The author discusses the consequences of this competition between the three countries. They can be political (support to autocratic regimes), or concern other sectors like agriculture (high oil prices result in higher farm production costs, and the development of biofuels has consequences on crop prices). The author concludes that this rivalry may result in an economic instability and in political tensions

  1. Crossmodal Semantic Constraints on Visual Perception of Binocular Rivalry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Chuan Chen

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Environments typically convey contextual information via several different sensory modalities. Here, we report a study designed to investigate the crossmodal semantic modulation of visual perception using the binocular rivalry paradigm. The participants viewed a dichoptic figure consisting of a bird and a car presented to each eye, while also listening to either a bird singing or car engine revving. Participants' dominant percepts were modulated by the presentation of a soundtrack associated with either bird or car, as compared to the presentation of a soundtrack irrelevant to both visual figures (tableware clattering together in a restaurant. No such crossmodal semantic effect was observed when the participants maintained an abstract semantic cue in memory. We then further demonstrate that crossmodal semantic modulation can be dissociated from the effects of high-level attentional control over the dichoptic figures and of low-level luminance contrast of the figures. In sum, we demonstrate a novel crossmodal effect in terms of crossmodal semantic congruency on binocular rivalry. This effect can be considered a perceptual grouping or contextual constraint on human visual awareness through mid-level crossmodal excitatory connections embedded in the multisensory semantic network.

  2. Binocular Rivalry Measured 2 Hours After Occlusion Therapy Predicts the Recovery Rate of the Amblyopic Eye in Anisometropic Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lunghi, Claudia; Morrone, Maria Concetta; Secci, Jacopo; Caputo, Roberto

    2016-04-01

    Recent studies on adults have shown that short-term monocular deprivation boosts the deprived eye signal in binocular rivalry, reflecting homeostatic plasticity. Here we investigate whether homeostatic plasticity is present also during occlusion therapy for moderate amblyopia. Binocular rivalry and visual acuity (using Snellen charts for children) were measured in 10 children (mean age 6.2 ± 1 years) with moderate anisometropic amblyopia before the beginning of treatment and at four intervals during occlusion therapy (2 hours, 1, 2, and 5 months). Visual stimuli were orthogonal gratings presented dichoptically through ferromagnetic goggles and children reported verbally visual rivalrous perception. Bangerter filters were applied on the spectacle lens over the best eye for occlusion therapy. Two hours of occlusion therapy increased the nonamblyopic eye predominance over the amblyopic eye compared with pretreatment measurements, consistent with the results in adults. The boost of the nonamblyopic eye was still present after 1 month of treatment, steadily decreasing afterward to reach pretreatment levels after 2 months of continuous occlusion. Across subjects, the increase in nonamblyopic eye predominance observed after 2 hours of occlusion correlated (rho = -0.65, P = 0.04) with the visual acuity improvement of the amblyopic eye measured after 2 months of treatment. Homeostatic plasticity operates during occlusion therapy for moderate amblyopia and the increase in nonamblyopic eye dominance observed at the beginning of treatment correlates with the amblyopic eye recovery rate. These results suggest that binocular rivalry might be used to monitor visual cortical plasticity during occlusion therapy, although further investigations on larger clinical populations are needed to validate the predictive power of the technique.

  3. Syria's predicament : state (de-) formation and international rivalries

    OpenAIRE

    Saouli, Adham

    2014-01-01

    Syria’s war raises important questions about the interaction between the domestic and external dimensions of the conflict. What are the main areas of contention, and how do they relate to regional and international dynamics? Why has the conflict developed into a regional and international battle, and who are the main actors in this rivalry? And, finally, what are the realistic options for ending the Syrian war? The aim of this paper is to answer these questions. In the first, the author exami...

  4. A great potential for market power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trong, Maj Dang

    2003-01-01

    In a report the competition authorities of Norway, Sweden and Denmark conclude that there is a great potential for exerting market power in the Nordic countries. Bottlenecks in the transmission grid divide the Nordic market in shifting constellations of geographic markets and the market concentration in each market may therefore become very high

  5. Narcissism and romantic relationships: The differential impact of narcissistic admiration and rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurst, Stefanie N; Gerlach, Tanja M; Dufner, Michael; Rauthmann, John F; Grosz, Michael P; Küfner, Albrecht C P; Denissen, Jaap J A; Back, Mitja D

    2017-02-01

    Narcissism is known to be related to romantic success in short-term contexts (dating, early stage relationships) but also to problems in long-term committed relationships. We propose that these diverging romantic outcomes of narcissism can be explained by differential associations with agentic versus antagonistic dimensions of grandiose narcissism: Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry. Both dimensions serve the central narcissistic goal of gaining and maintaining a grandiose self-view, but do so by different processes: Admiration is characterized by the tendency to promote the positivity of one's self-view by seeking social admiration (assertive self-enhancement). Rivalry is characterized by the tendency to protect oneself from a negative self-view by derogating others (antagonistic self-protection). Across 7 studies (total N = 3,560) using diverse measures and methodological approaches (self-, peer, and partner reports, as well as interpersonal perception measures in video-based studies, face-to-face laboratory encounters, and online surveys), we show that the short-term romantic appeal associated with narcissism is primarily attributable to the dimension of Admiration, whereas the long-term romantic problems associated with narcissism are primarily attributable to the dimension of Rivalry. These results highlight the utility of a 2-dimensional reconceptualization of grandiose narcissism for explaining its heterogeneous romantic outcomes. The findings further underscore the idea that different facets of personality traits might impact different aspects of romantic relationship quality, depending on the stage of the relationship. Such a more nuanced view increases the predictive validity of personality traits in social relationship research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. The influence of chromatic context on binocular color rivalry: Perception and neural representation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Sang Wook; Shevell, Steven K.

    2008-01-01

    The predominance of rivalrous targets is affected by surrounding context when stimuli rival in orientation, motion or color. This study investigated the influence of chromatic context on binocular color rivalry. The predominance of rivalrous chromatic targets was measured in various surrounding contexts. The first experiment showed that a chromatic surround's influence was stronger when the surround was uniform or a grating with luminance contrast (chromatic/black grating) compared to an equiluminant grating (chromatic/white). The second experiment revealed virtually no effect of the orientation of the surrounding chromatic context, using chromatically rivalrous vertical gratings. These results are consistent with a chromatic representation of the context by a non-oriented, chromatically selective and spatially antagonistic receptive field. Neither a double-opponent receptive field nor a receptive field without spatial antagonism accounts for the influence of context on binocular color rivalry. PMID:18331750

  7. Afghanistan in the whirlwind of US-Russia rivalry in Central Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yahia Baiza

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Afghanistan has been the political and military focal points of the United States (US and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union for over a half a century. Initially, from the 1950s through to the 1970s, the superpowers competed for influence through educational, economic and technical development projects. They used their international development aid as a strategic tool to penetrate the country’s political elite circles to create a space for their political and strategic influence. The nature of development aid then changed to a series of proxy military conflicts throughout the 1980s, which also changed the fate of Afghanistan from that of a developing to that of a conflict country. The current US occupation of Afghanistan (October 2001-present is the latest in the cycle of conflict and rivalry between the US and Russia in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Against this background, this article presents an analysis of how (i the US and Russia create a context and a situation in which they develop, advance, and implement their political and military discourses and strategic concepts, intending to influence each other’s areas of strategic interests; (ii the different components of conflicts and violence are interconnected with one another; and (iii their rivalry for strategic influence in Afghanistan and the broader region of Central Asia triggered a cycle of conflict and a series of continuing proxy wars in Afghanistan. This article applies Johan Galtung’s theories of conflicts as the broader theoretical framework. The developed framework combines Galtung’s three theories of conflict, namely the ABC triangle of conflict, triangle of violence and triangle of peace strategy (Galtung, 1967, 1996. The findings of this article demonstrate that both the US and Russia fight each other in Afghanistan as well as in the wider Central Asia region by supporting and maintaining their satellite countries and periphery elites in power and negotiate each other

  8. Pedagogy, or martial arts - the rivalry in quality, examples of Kazimierz Wielki University publications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Małgorzata Pujszo

    2017-07-01

    Conclusions: The result of the study of the scientific rivalry should be a source of discussion on ways and possibilities of improving the quality of emitted publications of scientists of Kazimierz Wielki University.

  9. The effects of noise on binocular rivalry waves: a stochastic neural field model

    KAUST Repository

    Webber, Matthew A; Bressloff, Paul C

    2013-01-01

    in the wave profile around its instantaneous position at short time scales. We use our analysis to calculate the first-passage-time distribution for a stochastic rivalry wave to travel a fixed distance, which we find to be given by an inverse Gaussian. Finally

  10. Sibling violence silenced: rivalry, competition, wrestling, playing, roughhousing, benign.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Debby A; Phillips, Kate H; Grupp, Kitty; Trigg, Lisa J

    2009-01-01

    In this article, sibling violence and the silence surrounding it is explicated through professional literature and research findings, exemplars from clinical practice, and statistics. Theoretical positions and discourse analysis have been used to help explain how regular broken bones, bruises, lacerations, and verbal humiliation can be minimized as normal sibling rivalry or roughhousing, which does not cause serious consequences. Nursing should be on the front lines of ending practices of violence. Recognizing sibling violence as such is part of this work and is a social justice issue.

  11. Oil and the geopolitics of Central Asia: A "new 'great game'"?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Sati, Saud M.

    The nineteenth century rivalry between the Russian Empire and Great Britain over Central Asia, known as the "great game," was triggered by the quest for power and dominance. This study revisits Sir Halford Mackinder's thesis, which viewed the "heartland," consisting of Russia and Central Asia, as being crucial for international politics. It also discusses the influence of Mackinder's ideas on twentieth century geopolitical thinking. The study also examines the common assumption that the new "great game" in Central Asia is evolving around the exploitation of energy resources, and analyzes the consequences of this new factor for the geopolitical significance of the region. The landlocked nature of the Central Asian countries makes it necessary for them to rely on their neighbors for the export of oil and gas to international markets. Thus, the political and economic interests of Russia, Iran, and Turkey motivate them to compete with each other for export routes through their territories. This study also shows that the estimates of Central Asian proven oil reserves are characterized by considerable ambiguity. Estimates vary from seven to twenty-two billion barrels. Despite the fact that these proven oil reserves are limited compared to those of other regions, such as the Middle East, continued exploration is compatible with the Western strategy of energy resource diversification. Another primary aim of American involvement is to prevent the reintegration of Central Asia into the Russian federation and to block Chinese influence in Central Asia. This study reveals that realities in today's Central Asia are different from those of the nineteenth century. Central Asia now consists of independent countries; the competing powers have changed, with the exception of Russia; and oil has emerged as a new factor. However, the perpetual quest for power and dominance that marked the historical "great game" is still at work in the last decade of the twentieth century. Finally, the

  12. A "New Type of Great Power Relationship" and Governance in the International System of the 21st

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhongying Pang

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In the early decades of the 21st century, the real world of powers is neither the so-called unipolarity of the United States of America as the sole superpower, nor the trans-Atlantic domination of the joint Western hegemony. Things are no longer that simple. A fundamental fact of the contemporary international system is that several great powers co-exist – a great powers system has emerged. Clearly, the emergence of the great powers system is a major global challenge. Unfortunately, there are still no effective solutions to the challenge posed by the great powers system. However, China’s proposal a “new type of great power relationship” touches on the issue of the management of the 21st century’s great powers system. The concept of a “new type of great power relationship” still needs time to be further developed theoretically. The management of the great powers system could be the main aim of the concept. In order for 2 America to maintain its dominant position, America turns towards Asia. However, this may help consolidate American hegemony for a short time but it cannot manage the great powers system on a long-term basis. This article argues that China’s “new type of great power relationship” can be seen as a foreign policy innovation in managing the great powers system. It notices that, like China’s new proposal, similar arguments on how to deal with the global challenge posed by a great powers system are emerging in Europe and the Asia Pacific.

  13. Brood division in birds in relation to offspring size: sibling rivalry and parental control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slagsvold

    1997-12-01

    In some altricial birds with biparental care, it is the female, and in others the male, that provides more food to the smallest offspring within the brood. Many hypotheses have been proposed to account for such puzzling patterns of parental care. A parsimonious explanation is that no difference exists between the parents in priority of care but that differences arise simply from sibling rivalry, with dominant chicks trying to position themselves closest to the parent that provides most care (the sibling rivalry hypothesis). A refinement of the idea is that parents use the way they approach the chicks to counter selfish offspring and in this way control allocation of care (the parental approaching hypothesis). A comparison across species suggested that female care of the smallest chick within a brood is the ancestral and most common pattern. However, strong variation exists within single populations. In one species, the American robin, Turdus migratorius the sibling rivalry hypothesis and the parental approaching hypothesis were both supported because in broods where males provided more care than females, the largest chick was predominantly fed by the male whereas the smallest chick was predominantly fed by the female. When the male provided less care than the female, an opposite result was found. The same patterns of allocation of care also seemed to exist when chicks were quite immobile just after having left the nest and when their positions were experimentally controlled, suggesting parental control.Copyright 1997 The Association for the Study of Animal BehaviourCopyright 1997The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

  14. Ta(l)king sides: ethical and methodological challenges in comparative fieldwork on avid football rivalries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spaaij, R.; Geilenkirchen, M.

    2011-01-01

    Previous research on football (soccer) fan cultures has documented the lived experiences of devoted football supporters. Few studies, however, have used participant observation and intensive interviewing to examine the deep-rooted inter-group oppositions that characterize avid football rivalries.

  15. Optical fiber cable for transmission of high power laser energy over great distances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zediker, Mark S.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Moxley, Joel F.; Koblick, Yeshaya

    2016-05-24

    There is provided a system and apparatus for the transmission of high power laser energy over great distances without substantial power loss and without the presence of stimulated Raman scattering. There is further provided systems and optical fiber cable configurations and optical fiber structures for the delivering high power laser energy over great distances to a tool or surface to perform an operation or work with the tool or upon the surface.

  16. Assessing Attention Deficit by Binocular Rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amador-Campos, Juan Antonio; Aznar-Casanova, J Antonio; Ortiz-Guerra, Juan Jairo; Moreno-Sánchez, Manuel; Medina-Peña, Antonio

    2015-12-01

    To determine whether the frequency and duration of the periods of suppression of a percept in a binocular rivalry (BR) task can be used to distinguish between participants with ADHD and controls. A total of 122 participants (6-15 years) were assigned to three groups: ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C), ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-I), and controls. They each performed a BR task and two measures were recorded: alternation rate and duration of exclusive dominance periods. ADHD-C group presented fewer alternations and showed greater variability than did the control group; results for the ADHD-I group being intermediate between the two. The duration of dominance periods showed a differential profile: In control group, it remained stable over time, whereas in the clinical groups, it decreased logarithmically as the task progressed. The differences between groups in relation to the BR indicators can be attributed to the activity of involuntary inhibition. © The Author(s) 2013.

  17. Smart power. Great leaders know when hard power is not enough.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nye, Joseph S

    2008-11-01

    The next U.S. administration will face enormous challenges to world peace, the global economy, and the environment. Exercising military and economic muscle alone will not bring peace and prosperity. According to Nye, a former U.S. government official and a former dean at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the next president must be able to combine hard power, characterized by coercion, and what Nye calls "soft" power, which relies instead on attraction. The result is smart power, a tool great leaders use to mobilize people around agendas that look beyond current problems. Hard power is often necessary, Nye explains. In the 1990s, when the Taliban was providing refuge to Al Oaeda, President Clinton tried---and failed--to solve the problem diplomatically instead of destroying terrorist havens in Afghanistan. In other situations, however, soft power is more effective, though it has been too often overlooked. In Iraq, Nye argues, the use of soft power could draw young people toward something other than terrorism. "I think that there's an awakening to the need for soft power as people look at the crisis in the Middle East and begin to realize that hard power is not sufficient to resolve it," he says. Solving today's global problems will require smart power--a judicious blend of the other two powers. While there are notable examples of men who have used smart power--Teddy Roosevelt, for instance--it's much more difficult for women to lead with smart power, especially in the United States, where women feel pressure to prove that they are not "soft." Only by exercising smart power, Nye says, can the next president of the United States set a new tone for U.S. foreign policy in this century.

  18. EU-UN partnership in military conflict management: Whither the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    light of this argument, many studies have analysed this relationship in terms of ... the result of great power rivalry, but, in part, also the consequence of differing .... Minister, Anna Lindh, and the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, endorsed the.

  19. North-South Rivalry and Offshore Balancing in Sub-Saharan Africa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kluth, Michael Friederich; Pilegaard, Jess

    Sub-Saharan Africa constitutes a distinct security region and hosts a high proportion of fragile and failed states presiding over territories with abundant resources – but no indigenous great powers! Following offensive neorealist logic, the absence of local great powers explains the continued...... benign neglect of the US. External influence from European powers is nonetheless significant, albeit several BRIC countries are challenging the position of the former colonial masters. In response France and the United Kingdom (UK) have turned to European foreign and security policy integration to pool...... resources and promote burden sharing with other EU partners, in order to maintain power in the region. This European mobilization has kept rivals at bay but has also instigated balancing behaviour as revisionist suitors boost their conventional power projection capabilities....

  20. Bringing China In: International Order and the Role of the Great Powers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-01

    powers. Can China Learn to Behave Like a Great Power: Spoiler, Supporter or Shirker? Realists generally contend that a structural transformation from...abandonment of American values, but for a distinction between the realizable and the absolute.”33 When Washington and Beijing ruminate on how to

  1. Touch interacts with vision during binocular rivalry with a tight orientation tuning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Lunghi

    Full Text Available Multisensory integration is a common feature of the mammalian brain that allows it to deal more efficiently with the ambiguity of sensory input by combining complementary signals from several sensory sources. Growing evidence suggests that multisensory interactions can occur as early as primary sensory cortices. Here we present incompatible visual signals (orthogonal gratings to each eye to create visual competition between monocular inputs in primary visual cortex where binocular combination would normally take place. The incompatibility prevents binocular fusion and triggers an ambiguous perceptual response in which the two images are perceived one at a time in an irregular alternation. One key function of multisensory integration is to minimize perceptual ambiguity by exploiting cross-sensory congruence. We show that a haptic signal matching one of the visual alternatives helps disambiguate visual perception during binocular rivalry by both prolonging the dominance period of the congruent visual stimulus and by shortening its suppression period. Importantly, this interaction is strictly tuned for orientation, with a mismatch as small as 7.5° between visual and haptic orientations sufficient to annul the interaction. These results indicate important conclusions: first, that vision and touch interact at early levels of visual processing where interocular conflicts are first detected and orientation tunings are narrow, and second, that haptic input can influence visual signals outside of visual awareness, bringing a stimulus made invisible by binocular rivalry suppression back to awareness sooner than would occur without congruent haptic input.

  2. THE SUNNI-SHI'ITE RIVALRY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION OF THE MIDDLE EAST

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander A. Kuznetsov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article "The Sunni-Shi'ite rivalry and its influence on the geopolitical situation of the Middle East" is dedicated to the sectarian conflicts in the Middle East region in last 30 years. Author considers the Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran as the point of departure of this conflict. Author of the article makes a difference between the Shi'ite Islamic revolutionary doctrine of Khomeini and the Salafi Islamic fundamentalism of Saudi Arabia. Author realizes the analysis of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980-1988. This analysis is emphasized on the regional geopolitical situation and positions of the outside actors (Saudi Arabia, USA, France, Germany. Then it is covered the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its geopolitical consequences. To the author's mind this aggression and further empowerment of the Shi'ite majority reduced to the civil war in Iraq and exacerbation of the sectarian conflict. Author of the article considers these events as a part of the geopolitical rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia to unfold in the areas of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

  3. The Sunni-Shi'ite Rivalry And Its Influence On The Geopolitical Situation Of The Middle East

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander A. Kuznetsov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article "The Sunni-Shi'ite rivalry and its influence on the geopolitical situation of the Middle East" is dedicated to the sectarian conflicts in the Middle East region in last 30 years. Author considers the Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran as the point of departure of this conflict. Author of the article makes a difference between the Shi'ite Islamic revolutionary doctrine of Khomeini and the Salafi Islamic fundamentalism of Saudi Arabia. Author realizes the analysis of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980-1988. This analysis is emphasized on the regional geopolitical situation and positions of the outside actors (Saudi Arabia, USA, France, Germany. Then it is covered the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its geopolitical consequences. To the author's mind this aggression and further empowerment of the Shi'ite majority reduced to the civil war in Iraq and exacerbation of the sectarian conflict. Author of the article considers these events as a part of the geopolitical rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia to unfold in the areas of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

  4. REDES DE RIVALIDADES Y ALIANZAS ENTRE GRUPOS DE SIMPATIZANTES EN ARGENTINA / Rivalries and alliances networks among supporter’s groups in Argentina.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javier Sebastian Bundio

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Con el objetivo de evaluar la influencia de factores tales como la frecuencia de partidos y la cercanía geográfica de instituciones deportivas en el establecimiento de rivalidades y alianzas entre sus grupos de simpatizantes, llevé adelante un Análisis de Redes Sociales a partir de datos para 186 hinchadas argentinas. El conjunto de datos analizados incluye las redes de enemistades (rivalidades mutuamente reconocidas, amistades (afinidades y alianzas mutuamente reconocidas e interacción (cantidad de partidos jugados en los últimos 40 años, y los atributos de pertenencia  provincial y municipal (localización de los estadios. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la organización regional-nacional de la competencia deportiva, en sus 5 niveles competitivos (Primera A, Nacional B, Primera B, Primera C, Primera D, Argentino A, Argentino B y Argentino C afecta la estructura de las redes de rivalidades y alianzas entre adherentes a equipos de fútbol argentinos. Además detecté una presencia significativa, aunque menor, de tríadas balanceadas de 2 enemistades y 1 amistad lo que permite identificar una “lógica del enemigo común”.   Palabras Claves: fútbol, rivalidad deportiva, alianzas, simpatizantes, análisis de redes sociales.     Abstract In order to evaluate the influence of factors such as frequency of matches played and the geographic proximity of sports institutions in the establishment of rivalries and alliances between soccer supporters, I developed a social network analysis using a dataset for 186 Argentinian hinchadas . The data set includes rivalry's network (rivalries mutually recognized, alliance's network (mutually recognized affinities and alliances and interaction's network (amount of matches played in the last 40 years, and provincial and municipal adscription attributes  (location of stadium. The results show that the regional-national organization of sports competition, in its 5 competitive levels (First A

  5. The effects of noise on binocular rivalry waves: a stochastic neural field model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webber, Matthew A; Bressloff, Paul C

    2013-01-01

    We analyze the effects of extrinsic noise on traveling waves of visual perception in a competitive neural field model of binocular rivalry. The model consists of two one-dimensional excitatory neural fields, whose activity variables represent the responses to left-eye and right-eye stimuli, respectively. The two networks mutually inhibit each other, and slow adaptation is incorporated into the model by taking the network connections to exhibit synaptic depression. We first show how, in the absence of any noise, the system supports a propagating composite wave consisting of an invading activity front in one network co-moving with a retreating front in the other network. Using a separation of time scales and perturbation methods previously developed for stochastic reaction–diffusion equations, we then show how extrinsic noise in the activity variables leads to a diffusive-like displacement (wandering) of the composite wave from its uniformly translating position at long time scales, and fluctuations in the wave profile around its instantaneous position at short time scales. We use our analysis to calculate the first-passage-time distribution for a stochastic rivalry wave to travel a fixed distance, which we find to be given by an inverse Gaussian. Finally, we investigate the effects of noise in the depression variables, which under an adiabatic approximation lead to quenched disorder in the neural fields during propagation of a wave. (paper)

  6. War or Peace? How the Subjective Perception of Great Power Interdependence Shapes Preemptive Defensive Aggression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Yiming; Gries, Peter H; Li, Yang; Stivers, Adam W; Mifune, Nobuhiro; Kuhlman, D M; Bai, Liying

    2017-01-01

    Why do great powers with benign intentions end up fighting each other in wars they do not seek? We utilize an incentivized, two-person "Preemptive Strike Game" (PSG) to explore how the subjective perception of great power interdependence shapes defensive aggression against persons from rival great powers. In Study 1, college students from the United States ( N = 115), China ( N = 106), and Japan ( N = 99) made PSG decisions facing each other. This natural experiment revealed that Chinese and Japanese participants (a) made more preemptive attacks against each other and Americans than against their compatriots, and that (b) greater preexisting perceptions of bilateral competition increased intergroup attack rates. In Study 2, adult Americans ( N = 127) watched real CNN expert interviews portraying United States-China economic interdependence as more positive or negative. This randomized experiment revealed that the more positive portrayal reduced preemptive American strikes against Chinese (but not Japanese), while the more negative portrayal amplified American anger about China's rise, increasing preemptive attacks against Chinese. We also found, however, that preemptive strikes were primarily defensive and not offensive. Interventions to reduce defensive aggression and promote great power peace are discussed.

  7. War or Peace? How the Subjective Perception of Great Power Interdependence Shapes Preemptive Defensive Aggression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiming Jing

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Why do great powers with benign intentions end up fighting each other in wars they do not seek? We utilize an incentivized, two-person “Preemptive Strike Game” (PSG to explore how the subjective perception of great power interdependence shapes defensive aggression against persons from rival great powers. In Study 1, college students from the United States (N = 115, China (N = 106, and Japan (N = 99 made PSG decisions facing each other. This natural experiment revealed that Chinese and Japanese participants (a made more preemptive attacks against each other and Americans than against their compatriots, and that (b greater preexisting perceptions of bilateral competition increased intergroup attack rates. In Study 2, adult Americans (N = 127 watched real CNN expert interviews portraying United States–China economic interdependence as more positive or negative. This randomized experiment revealed that the more positive portrayal reduced preemptive American strikes against Chinese (but not Japanese, while the more negative portrayal amplified American anger about China’s rise, increasing preemptive attacks against Chinese. We also found, however, that preemptive strikes were primarily defensive and not offensive. Interventions to reduce defensive aggression and promote great power peace are discussed.

  8. Intensity of rivalry in Czech furniture production industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucie Špačková

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper focuses on furniture production industry in the Czech Republic and evaluates the influence of competition forces within this industry. These forces have a direct impact on success of competitive strategies of the firms. Furniture production industry is a typical branch occupied by numerous small and medium-sized firms. Small firms aim on satisfying domestic (or rather local demand, medium-sized and big firms are much more aiming on exports. The methodical sources for evaluation of rivalry represent particular influences defined by Porter in his model of five competitive forces. Main influences identified by Porter, which are increasing the intensity of competition in the furniture production industry in the Czech Republic include low industry concentration, relatively low diversity of competitors, decline in sales, low (or none switching costs, and existing excessive capacity within the industry. Further development will be most significantly influenced by a growing concentration of the bigger Czech producers on domestic market and overall economic development.

  9. The effects of noise on binocular rivalry waves: a stochastic neural field model

    KAUST Repository

    Webber, Matthew A

    2013-03-12

    We analyze the effects of extrinsic noise on traveling waves of visual perception in a competitive neural field model of binocular rivalry. The model consists of two one-dimensional excitatory neural fields, whose activity variables represent the responses to left-eye and right-eye stimuli, respectively. The two networks mutually inhibit each other, and slow adaptation is incorporated into the model by taking the network connections to exhibit synaptic depression. We first show how, in the absence of any noise, the system supports a propagating composite wave consisting of an invading activity front in one network co-moving with a retreating front in the other network. Using a separation of time scales and perturbation methods previously developed for stochastic reaction-diffusion equations, we then show how extrinsic noise in the activity variables leads to a diffusive-like displacement (wandering) of the composite wave from its uniformly translating position at long time scales, and fluctuations in the wave profile around its instantaneous position at short time scales. We use our analysis to calculate the first-passage-time distribution for a stochastic rivalry wave to travel a fixed distance, which we find to be given by an inverse Gaussian. Finally, we investigate the effects of noise in the depression variables, which under an adiabatic approximation lead to quenched disorder in the neural fields during propagation of a wave. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd and SISSA Medialab srl.

  10. Resolving Rivalries and Realigning Goals: Challenges of Clinical and Research Multiteam Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerber, David E; Reimer, Torsten; Williams, Erin L; Gill, Mary; Loudat Priddy, Laurin; Bergestuen, Deidi; Schiller, Joan H; Kirkpatrick, Haskell; Craddock Lee, Simon J

    2016-11-01

    This article describes the care processes for a 64-year-old man with newly diagnosed advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who was enrolled in a first-line clinical trial of a new immunotherapy regimen. The case highlights the concept of multiteam systems in cancer clinical research and clinical care. Because clinical research represents a highly dynamic entity-with studies frequently opening, closing, and undergoing modifications-concerted efforts of multiple teams are needed to respond to these changes while continuing to provide consistent, high-level care and timely, accurate clinical data. The case illustrates typical challenges of multiteam care processes. Compared with clinical tasks that are routinely performed by single teams, multiple-team care greatly increases the demands for communication, collaboration, cohesion, and coordination among team members. As the case illustrates, the described research team and clinical team are separated, resulting in suboptimal function. Individual team members interact predominantly with members of their own team. A considerable number of team members lack regular interaction with anyone outside their team. Accompanying this separation, the teams enact rivalries that impede collaboration. The teams have misaligned goals and competing priorities that create competition. Collective identity and cohesion across the two teams are low. Research team and clinical team members have limited knowledge of the roles and work of individuals outside their team. Recommendations to increase trust and collaboration are provided. Clinical providers and researchers may incorporate these themes into development and evaluation of multiteam systems, multidisciplinary teams, and cross-functional teams within their own institutions.

  11. Cortical microcircuit dynamics mediating Binocular Rivalry: The role of adaptation in inhibition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Panagiota eTheodoni

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Perceptual bistability arises when two conflicting interpretations of an ambiguous stimulus or images in binocular rivalry (BR compete for perceptual dominance. From a computational point of view competition models based on cross-inhibition and adaptation have shown that noise is a crucial force for rivalry and operates in balance with adaptation in order to explain the observed alternations in perception. In particular, noise-driven transitions and adaptation-driven oscillations define two dynamical regimes and the system operates near its boundary. In order to gain insights into the microcircuit dynamics mediating spontaneous perceptual alternations we used a reduced recurrent attractor-based biophysically realistic spiking network well known for working memory, attention and decision-making, where a spike-frequency adaptation mechanism is implemented to account for perceptual bistability. We, thus, derived a consistently reduced four-variable population rate model using mean-field techniques and tested it on BR data collected from human subjects. Our model accounts for experimental data parameters such as time dominance, coefficient of variation and gamma distribution. In addition, we show that our model also operates on the boundary between noise and adaptation and agrees with Levelt’s second revised and fourth propositions. These results show for the first time that a consistent reduction of a biophysically realistic spiking network of integrate and fire neurons with spike frequency adaptation could account for BR. Moreover, we demonstrate that BR can be explained only through the dynamics of the competing neuronal pools, without taking into account the adaptation of inhibitory interneurons..However, adaptation of interneurons affects the optimal parametric space of the system, by decreasing the overall adaptation necessary for the bifurcation to occur.

  12. [Sibling relations from the family therapy perspective--support, attachment, rivalry and envy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cierpka, M

    2001-01-01

    In family therapy, during the last years more and more importance is attached to the dynamics of the sibling subsystem. In the present paper differences between them as well as similarities are discussed from the point of view of family theory. Relevant dimensions like support, attachment, rivalry and envy between brothers and sisters contribute essentially to the family dynamics. In this clinically orientated paper, we describe by means of a case example how the couple's conflicts after their separation is unconsciously repeated in the sibling subsystem. It is shown how the intergenerational dynamics can be interrupted by the initiative of the children and the initiated family therapy.

  13. Developing a hybrid solar/wind powered irrigation system for crops in the Great Plains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Some small scale irrigation systems (powered by wind or solar do not require subsidies, but this paper discusses ways to achieve an economical renewable energy powered center pivot irrigation system for crops in the Great Plains. By adding a solar-photovoltaic (PV) array together with a wind...

  14. Intrasexual vigilance: the implicit cognition of romantic rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maner, Jon K; Miller, Saul L; Rouby, D Aaron; Gailliot, Matthew T

    2009-07-01

    Four experiments tested the hypothesis that concerns about infidelity would lead people, particularly those displaying high chronic levels of romantic jealousy, to display a functionally coordinated set of implicit cognitive biases aimed at vigilantly processing attractive romantic rivals. Priming concerns about infidelity led people with high levels of chronic jealousy (but not those low in chronic jealousy) to attend vigilantly to physically attractive same-sex targets at an early stage of visual processing (Study 1), to strongly encode and remember attractive same-sex targets (Study 2), and to form implicit negative evaluations of attractive same-sex targets (Studies 3 and 4). In each case, effects were observed only for same-sex targets who were physically attractive-individuals who can pose especially potent threats to a person's own romantic interests. These studies reveal a cascade of implicit, lower order cognitive processes underlying romantic rivalry and identify the individuals most likely to display those processes. At a broader conceptual level, this research illustrates the utility of integrating social cognitive and evolutionary approaches to psychological science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Sibling rivalry and the gender gap: evidence from child health outcomes in Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garg, A; Morduch, J

    1998-01-01

    "When capital and labor markets are imperfect, choice sets narrow, and parents must choose how to ration available funds and time between their children. One consequence is that children become rivals for household resources. In economies with pro-male bias, such rivalries can yield gains to having relatively more sisters than brothers. Using a rich household survey from Ghana [the 1988-1989 Ghana Living Standards Survey], we find that on average if children had all sisters (and no brothers) they would do roughly 25-40% better on measured health indicators than if they had all brothers (and no sisters)." excerpt

  16. Reward modulates perception in binocular rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marx, Svenja; Einhäuser, Wolfgang

    2015-01-14

    Our perception does not provide us with an exact imprint of the outside world, but is continuously adapted to our internal expectations, task sets, and behavioral goals. Although effects of reward-or value in general-on perception therefore seem likely, how valuation modulates perception and how such modulation relates to attention is largely unknown. We probed effects of reward on perception by using a binocular-rivalry paradigm. Distinct gratings drifting in opposite directions were presented to each observer's eyes. To objectify their subjective perceptual experience, the optokinetic nystagmus was used as measure of current perceptual dominance. In a first experiment, one of the percepts was either rewarded or attended. We found that reward and attention similarly biased perception. In a second experiment, observers performed an attentionally demanding task either on the rewarded stimulus, the other stimulus, or both. We found that-on top of an attentional effect on perception-at each level of attentional load, reward still modulated perception by increasing the dominance of the rewarded percept. Similarly, penalizing one percept increased dominance of the other at each level of attentional load. In turn, rewarding-and similarly nonpunishing-a percept yielded performance benefits that are typically associated with selective attention. In conclusion, our data show that value modulates perception in a similar way as the volitional deployment of attention, even though the relative effect of value is largely unaffected by an attention task. © 2015 ARVO.

  17. Natural Tendency towards Beauty in Humans: Evidence from Binocular Rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mo, Ce; Xia, Tiansheng; Qin, Kaixin; Mo, Lei

    2016-01-01

    Although human preference for beauty is common and compelling in daily life, it remains unknown whether such preference is essentially subserved by social cognitive demands or natural tendency towards beauty encoded in the human mind intrinsically. Here we demonstrate experimentally that humans automatically exhibit preference for visual and moral beauty without explicit cognitive efforts. Using a binocular rivalry paradigm, we identified enhanced gender-independent perceptual dominance for physically attractive persons, and the results suggested universal preference for visual beauty based on perceivable forms. Moreover, we also identified perceptual dominance enhancement for characters associated with virtuous descriptions after controlling for facial attractiveness and vigilance-related attention effects, which suggested a similar implicit preference for moral beauty conveyed in prosocial behaviours. Our findings show that behavioural preference for beauty is driven by an inherent natural tendency towards beauty in humans rather than explicit social cognitive processes.

  18. Preserving ‘Great Power Status’: The Complex Case of the British Intervention in the Falklands (1982

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grandpierron Matthieu

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to examine the importance of an often overlooked argument when it comes to explaining why great powers go to war against a weaker actor. This argument involves great power status considerations. The article argues that states care deeply about their status, especially states which are current and former great powers, and would opt to go to war to preserve this status even if the political and military consequences of such intervention are negligible to objective observers. To illustrate this argument, I will be looking at why the British decided to reestablish their sovereignty over the Falklands in 1982. The empirical part of the analysis is based on formerly secret documents declassified by the British government. This qualitative primary analysis of British documents provides new insights about the crisis and suggests that status considerations played a large role in the British decision to re-conquer the Falklands.

  19. Altruism, Rivalry and Crowding-Out in the Nonprofit Firm's Supply of Charity Services: The Case of Hospitals

    OpenAIRE

    Richard G. Frank; David S. Salkever

    1988-01-01

    This paper extends previous research on Individuals' supply of charitable donations to the behavior of nonprofit firms. Specifically, we study provision of charity care by private, nonprofit hospitals. We demonstrate that In the absence of large positive income effects on charity care supply, convex preferences for the nonprofit hospital imply crowding out by other private or government hospitals. Extending our model to include patient heterogeneity and impure altruism (rivalry) provides a po...

  20. Economic feasibility of sail power devices on Great Lakes bulk carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1982-03-24

    Progress is reported in a project to determine whether retro-fitting existing Great Lakes bulk carriers with auxiliary sail powering devices is economically feasible. The approach being used is to apply known technology both in terms of sail devices and calculation methods to determine the amount of fuel that can be saved and the probable cost of the sail device. Progress includes the identification and collection of data needed to determine the state of the art as well as to model the problem. Several sail powering devices were compared and an unstayed cat rig was chosen for further analysis and its performance characteristics were incorporated into a computer model, which is flow charted. (LEW)

  1. Changes in the structure and relations of property in the Great Britain nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rumyantsev, V.V.

    1990-01-01

    Analysis of nuclear power development in the Great Britain is given. Currently it is reoriented to a wide application of PWR reactors instead of gas cooled ones, their economic indices being incapable of providing sufficient competitiveness on the British market. Reasons and state of affairs in denationalizing nuclear power, economic and financial difficulties connected with the realization of this politico-economic procedure are reported

  2. Reinforcement of perceptual inference: reward and punishment alter conscious visual perception during binocular rivalry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregor eWilbertz

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Perception is an inferential process, which becomes immediately evident when sensory information is conflicting or ambiguous and thus allows for more than one perceptual interpretation. Thinking the idea of perception as inference through to the end results in a blurring of boundaries between perception and action selection, as perceptual inference implies the construction of a percept as an active process. Here we therefore wondered whether perception shares a key characteristic of action selection, namely that it is shaped by reinforcement learning. In two behavioral experiments, we used binocular rivalry to examine whether perceptual inference can be influenced by the association of perceptual outcomes with reward or punishment, respectively, in analogy to instrumental conditioning. Binocular rivalry was evoked by two orthogonal grating stimuli presented to the two eyes, resulting in perceptual alternations between the two gratings. Perception was tracked indirectly and objectively through a target detection task, which allowed us to preclude potential reporting biases. Monetary rewards or punishments were given repeatedly during perception of only one of the two rivalling stimuli. We found an increase in dominance durations for the percept associated with reward, relative to the non-rewarded percept. In contrast, punishment led to an increase of the non-punished compared to a relative decrease of the punished percept. Our results show that perception shares key characteristics with action selection, in that it is influenced by reward and punishment in opposite directions, thus narrowing the gap between the conceptually separated domains of perception and action selection. We conclude that perceptual inference is an adaptive process that is shaped by its consequences.

  3. What We Have Learned: "New Foundations for Global Governance"

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Alan S. Alexandroff; David Shorr

    2010-01-01

    @@ In a Conference convened at Princeton University in January 2010, international relations experts were asked to consider, among other things, great power leadership and explore what would enable these powers to solve some of the great challenges facing global governance. The Conference noted a growing disjunction between our "inherited" multilateral institutions, the evolving architecture of global governance and the daunting scope and complexity of today's global governance agenda. Two key leadership questions dominated discussions at the Conference. The first: what would be the role of the remaining superpower-the United States-in the years ahead? Could the United States accept a greater multilateral environment with possibly a diminished hegemonic role? Secondly, could China successfully achieve great power status without the rivalry competition and even conflict that normally accompanies a rising power? And, in what ways could China exercise leadership in global governance?

  4. China in search of 'legitimate' great power intervention

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Camilla T. N.

    2016-01-01

    Thanks to Beijing’s expanding global role and interests, it is no longer possible for China to follow its traditional ‘lay low’ [tao guang yang hui] strategy and the traditionally rather strict interpretation of the principle of non-intervention. Consequently, among Chinese International Relations...... (IR) scholars there is an intense debate on how China can protect and promote its global presence and interests while at the same time continuing to ‘stay within’ the principle of non-intervention. New concepts and approaches are developing as the debate progresses. Current Chinese foreign...... and security policy reflects a more flexible and pragmatic Chinese interpretation – and implementation – of the principle of non-intervention. This chapter examines the search for ‘legitimate’ great-power intervention that characterizes both the debate among Chinese IR scholars and current Chinese foreign...

  5. Interprofessional Rivalry in Nigeria's Health Sector: A Comparison of Doctors and Other Health Workers' Views at a Secondary Care Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omisore, Akinlolu G; Adesoji, Richard O; Abioye-Kuteyi, Emmanuel A

    2017-10-01

    To examine interprofessional rivalry (IPR) between doctors and other health workers and their understanding of its effects. IPR in Nigeria's health system is a burgeoning issue with apparent adverse effects. The most profound rivalry appears to be between doctors and other health workers. A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 120 health workers (24 doctors and 96 other health workers) at the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria. Pertinent data were collected via semistructured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS Version17.0. IPR is perceived to be the leading cause of conflicts among health workers by 70% of respondents. Doctors and other workers had significantly divergent opinions on the leadership of the health team, patient management, establishment positions, and monetary issues as well as on the effects of IPR with more doctors recognizing its hazards. Nearly half of the respondents believe that strikes are justifiable and the most recommended antidote is for the government to attempt to meet group needs. IPR has reached unprecedented levels in Nigeria. However, its adverse effects have not been duly recognized, especially by nondoctors. There is an urgent need for education of health workers on the deleterious effects of IPR.

  6. Artistic Alliances and Revolutionary Rivalries in the Baltic Art World, 1890-1914

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bart Pushaw

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In the areas now known as Estonia and Latvia, art remained a matter for the Baltic German minority throughout the nineteenth century. When ethnic Estonian and Latvian artists gained prominence in the late 1890s, their presence threatened Baltic German hegemony over the region’s culture. In 1905, revolution in the Russian Empire spilled into the Baltic Provinces, sparking widespread anti-German violence. The revolution also galvanized Latvian and Estonian artists towards greater cultural autonomy and independence from Baltic German artistic institutions. This paper argues that the situation for artists before and after the 1905 revolution was not simply divisive along ethnic lines, as some nationalist historians have suggested. Instead, this paper examines how Baltic German, Estonian and Latvian artists oscillated between common interests, inspiring rivalries, and politicized conflicts, questioning the legitimacy of art as a universalizing language in multicultural societies.

  7. Birth spacing, sibling rivalry and child mortality in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitworth, Alison; Stephenson, Rob

    2002-12-01

    The detrimental impact of short preceding birth intervals on infant and early childhood mortality is well documented in demographic literature, although the pathways of influence within the relationship remain an area of debate. This paper examines the impact of the length of the preceding birth interval on under-two mortality in India, and examines the pathways through which short preceding birth intervals may lead to an increased risk of mortality. Three mortality periods are examined: neonatal, early post neonatal and late post-neonatal and toddler, using the 1992 Indian National Family Health Survey. A multilevel modelling approach is used to account for the hierarchical nature of the data. The determinants of infants following a short or long birth interval are also examined. The results show that short preceding birth intervals (sibling rivalry is a pathway through which short birth intervals influence mortality, with the death of the previous sibling removing the competition for scarce resources, and resulting in lower risks of mortality than if the previous sibling was still alive. The greatest risks of an infant following a short birth interval are among those whose previous sibling died, high parities, those with young mothers, and those whose previous sibling was breastfed for a short duration. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

  8. Vertical integration as a source of market power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Phelps, J.H.

    1981-11-01

    This paper has put forward a theory of vertial integration where the ability of a group of firms to engage in noncompetitive pricing is increased by altering conjectural variations. An analysis of conditions faced by major oil companies at refining indicated little likelihood of market power, short of a complex, secret price fixing agreement. Vertical integration to branded retail outlets appears to have created the ability to price noncompetitively without overt collusion. More interesting for vertical policy are the results on non price rivalry where excess profits appear to have been turned into social costs.

  9. Public perception of risks from nuclear power plants in Japan, before the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murayama, Rumiko; Nakaune, Naoko; Kishikawa, Hiroki; Uchiyama, Iwao

    2011-01-01

    On this research we aim to clarify public perception of risks from nuclear power plants before the Great East Japan Earthquake. The findings of the questionnaire survey conducted in 2010 showed that 1) about 70% of the people felt that they gained benefit from nuclear power plants and these were needed for their daily life. 2) Fifty percent respondents recognized there was danger to themselves and their family members with regards to nuclear power plants. The risks of nuclear power plants to Japanese society ware estimated higher than that risk to individuals of Japanese public. 3) Perception of risks from nuclear power plants to individual Japanese tended to be slightly lower between 1999 and 2010. (author)

  10. Marginal greenhouse gas emissions displacement of wind power in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomson, R. Camilla; Harrison, Gareth P.; Chick, John P.

    2017-01-01

    There is considerable uncertainty over the effect of wind power on the operation of power systems, and the consequent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions displacement; this is used to project emissions reductions that inform energy policy. Currently, it is approximated as the average emissions of the whole system, despite an acknowledgement that wind will actually displace only the generators operating on the margin. This article presents a methodology to isolate the marginal emissions displacement of wind power from historical empirical data, taking into account the impact on the operating efficiency of coal and CCGT plants. For Great Britain over 2009–2014, it was found that marginal emissions displacement has generally been underestimated with, for example, the emissions displacement factor for wind being 21% higher than that the average emissions factor in 2010. The actual displacement depends upon the relative merit of coal and CCGT, with a greater discrepancy between marginal displacement and average emissions during more normal system operation, suggesting that policies to penalise high-carbon generation can increase the effectiveness of wind at reducing GHG emissions. Furthermore, it was also identified that wind power is almost as technically effective as demand-side reductions at decreasing GHG emissions from power generation. - Highlights: • Marginal emissions displacement was calculated from operational data for 2009–2014. • Existing estimates of emissions displacement are generally low. • Emissions displacement is a function of the relative merit of coal and CCGT plants. • Policies to penalise high-carbon generation should increase emissions displacement. • Wind almost as effective as demand-reduction at reducing emissions.

  11. THE ROLE OF THE “NEW COLD WAR” CONCEPT IN CONSTRUCTING RUSSIA’S GREAT POWER NARRATIVE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ionela Maria CIOLAN

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available For the past two years, since the annexation of Crimea (2014, there is strong evidence to confirm that the relations between the West and Moscow have deteriorated. As conflicts are unfolding both in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the tensions between the United States and Russia are at their highest point since the end of Cold War. In this context, the concept of “New Cold War” started to be more frequently used in Western media and think tank analyses, but also in Russian high officials’ discourses. The concept was frequently used as a metaphor in public discourse with various tensed occasions in the last 2 decades. But it was most frequently used after the events in Ukraine. The main purpose of the article is to investigate the present context in which this concept is being used in relation with the main premises of Russian foreign policy. We are initializing our research with our research question: “How the “New Cold War” concept fosters the idea of the Russian Federation as a great power?”. This paper argues that the “New Cold War” is a symbolic concept used to strengthen Russia’s great power narrative. Using constructivists’ arguments of the international relations theory, we will examine this idea and will observe how this social construct helps Russia to strengthen its great power and offers a new interpretation to the international environment.

  12. The discharge of radioactive effluents from the nuclear power programme into western waters of Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allday, C.

    1977-01-01

    A brief account is presented of the British nuclear power programme and the types of radioactive effluent that arise from the power stations and from the Windscale reprocessing plant. Routes by which these effluents could affect human populations, and radiation dose limits which have been laid down, are discussed. The discharge of permitted amounts of activity into western coastal waters of Great Britain, and the requirements for monitoring the discharges, are described. (U.K.)

  13. Trans-Saharan geopolitics. The game and the stakes; Geopolitique transsaharienne. Le jeu et l'enjeu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chegrouche, L. [Universite Paris 1, 75 (France)

    2010-02-15

    The geopolitics of energy exports from the trans-Saharan region are similar to the Caspian great game' at the end of the last century. In North/West Africa as in West/Central Asia, the question of control over hydrocarbon reserves and lines of access to those reserves lies at the source of various conflicts. Rivalries are expressed through open and complex conflicts in which powers confront one another over oil-rich zones through proxy ethnic, religious or cultural groups, as dictated by the colossal economic interests at stake. The increasing number of conflicts - the Niger Delta, Darfur, the Azawak, etc. - is an illustration of this. The shock waves from this rivalry undermine regional peace and security, as well as the security of international energy supplies. The question here is to understand the game and the stakes of this trans-Saharan chess-board, to study its principal features and its energetic consequences. The national oil companies and states of the region can work around or through the geopolitical rifts caused by local rivalries and extra-regional appetites. There is therefore a need to understand the ways in which the players in the trans-Saharan 'great game' interact with one another, an to identifies the effects these interactions may have in the field of energy, in terms of potential reserves and transport projects. The TSGP is presented as an illustration of this geopolitical dynamics. (author)

  14. Trans-Saharan geopolitics. The game and the stakes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chegrouche, L.

    2010-01-01

    The geopolitics of energy exports from the trans-Saharan region are similar to the Caspian great game' at the end of the last century. In North/West Africa as in West/Central Asia, the question of control over hydrocarbon reserves and lines of access to those reserves lies at the source of various conflicts. Rivalries are expressed through open and complex conflicts in which powers confront one another over oil-rich zones through proxy ethnic, religious or cultural groups, as dictated by the colossal economic interests at stake. The increasing number of conflicts - the Niger Delta, Darfur, the Azawak, etc. - is an illustration of this. The shock waves from this rivalry undermine regional peace and security, as well as the security of international energy supplies. The question here is to understand the game and the stakes of this trans-Saharan chess-board, to study its principal features and its energetic consequences. The national oil companies and states of the region can work around or through the geopolitical rifts caused by local rivalries and extra-regional appetites. There is therefore a need to understand the ways in which the players in the trans-Saharan 'great game' interact with one another, an to identifies the effects these interactions may have in the field of energy, in terms of potential reserves and transport projects. The TSGP is presented as an illustration of this geopolitical dynamics. (author)

  15. Fabrication of NaYF4:Yb,Er Nanoprobes for Cell Imaging Directly by Using the Method of Hydrion Rivalry Aided by Ultrasonic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhihua; Miao, Haixia; Fu, Ying; Liu, Yuxiang; Zhang, Ran; Tang, Bo

    2016-12-01

    A novel method of fabricating water-soluble bio-probes with ultra-small size such as NaYF 4 :Yb,Er (18 nm), NaGdF 4 :Yb,Er (8 nm), CaF 2 :Yb,Er (10 nm), PbS (7 nm), and ZnS (12 nm) has been developed to provide for the solubility switch of nanoparticles from oil-soluble to water-soluble in terms of hydrion rivalry aided by ultrasonic. Using NaYF 4 :Yb,Er (18 nm) as an example, we evaluate the properties of as-prepared water-soluble nanoparticles (NPs) by using thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential (ζ) testing, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 HNMR). The measured ζ value shows that the newly prepared hydrophilic NaYF 4 :Yb,Er NPs are the positively charged particles. Acting as reactive electrophilic moiety, the freshly prepared hydrophilic NaYF 4 :Yb,Er NPs have carried out the coupling with amino acids and fluorescence labeling and imaging of HeLa cells directly. Experiments indicate that the method of hydrion rivalry aided by ultrasonic provides a simple and novel opportunity to transform hydrophobic NPs into hydrophilic NPs with good reactivity, which can be imaging some specific biological targets directly.

  16. Summary of Great East Japan Earthquake response at Onagawa Nuclear Power Station and further safety improvement measures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Toru

    2013-01-01

    A large earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011 and tsunami was generated following it. The East Japan suffered serious damage by the earthquake and tsunami. This is called the Great East Japan Earthquake. Onagawa Nuclear Power Station (NPS) is located closest to the epicenter of Great East Japan Earthquake. We experienced intense shake by the earthquake and some flooding from the tsunami, however, we have succeeded safely cold shutdown of the reactors. In this paper, we introduce summary of Great East Japan Earthquake response a Onagawa NPS and safety improvement measures which are based on both experience of Onagawa NPS and lesson from Fukushima Daiichi NPS accident. (author)

  17. Disarmament and security measures in South-East Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasmy Bin Agam

    1992-01-01

    The situation in South-East Asia is something of a paradox wrought by the end of the cold war and super Power rivalry. As a subregion and integral part of the great Pacific region in cannot be considered in isolation. On the other hand South-East Asia is one of great complexity in terms of its history, peoples and cultures, as well as in its political social and economic systems and orientation. Security picture in South-east Asia in the coming decades depends on a number of impoderables, mainly the situation in Indochina, notably Cambodia, the kind of relationship that will develop between the ASEAN member states and the Indochina countries, as well as with China, as nuclear owning regional Power

  18. Early visual responses predict conscious face perception within and between subjects during binocular rivalry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sandberg, Kristian; Bahrami, Bahador; Kanai, Ryota

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies indicate that conscious face perception may be related to neural activity in a large time window around 170–800 msec after stimulus presentation, yet in the majority of these studies changes in conscious experience are confounded with changes in physical stimulation. Using...... multivariate classification on MEG data recorded when participants reported changes in conscious perception evoked by binocular rivalry between a face and a grating, we showed that only MEG signals in the 120–320 msec time range, peaking at the M170 around 180 msec and the P2m at around 260 msec, reliably...... activity associated with conscious face perception generalized from one participant to another around the times of maximum prediction accuracy. Our work thus demonstrates that the neural correlates of particular conscious contents (here, faces) are highly consistent in time and space within individuals...

  19. Foreign powers competition in the mining sector of Mongolia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodionov Vladimir

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper is about the issue of Mongolia cooperation with foreign companies playing an important role in its foreign policy strategy and national security. At the beginning of the 1990s, having proclaimed a “multipillar” policy strategy in relations with the world, Ulaanbaatar tends to follow it in the economic cooperation not willing to give any preference to any country. It creates a situation of competition between foreign companies backed by their states, especially such great powers as Russia, China, the USA. The most tense moment in the struggle for the influence in Mongolia is the rivalry betw een the different discourses, pretending the exclusive right to nominate the most effective model of cooperation between Mongolia and foreign states in the ore-mining industry. Among the most well-defined discourses, there are three of them. China prefers to define the discourse of “economic feasibility”. Western states, as a rule, tend to rely on the discourse of “values community”, which includes such concepts as “democracy”, “environmentally friendly”, “transparency” Russia often uses the “geopolitical” discourse. In spite of the attractiveness and relative effectiveness of the discourse selected by Russia, there are certain limits to its use.

  20. Regulating the Access to Awareness: Brain Activity Related to Probe-related and Spontaneous Reversals in Binocular Rivalry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzger, Brian A; Mathewson, Kyle E; Tapia, Evelina; Fabiani, Monica; Gratton, Gabriele; Beck, Diane M

    2017-06-01

    Research on the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) has implicated an assortment of brain regions, ERP components, and network properties associated with visual awareness. Recently, the P3b ERP component has emerged as a leading NCC candidate. However, typical P3b paradigms depend on the detection of some stimulus change, making it difficult to separate brain processes elicited by the stimulus itself from those associated with updates or changes in visual awareness. Here we used binocular rivalry to ask whether the P3b is associated with changes in awareness even in the absence of changes in the object of awareness. We recorded ERPs during a probe-mediated binocular rivalry paradigm in which brief probes were presented over the image in either the suppressed or dominant eye to determine whether the elicited P3b activity is probe or reversal related. We found that the timing of P3b (but not its amplitude) was closely related to the timing of the report of a perceptual change rather than to the onset of the probe. This is consistent with the proposal that P3b indexes updates in conscious awareness, rather than being related to stimulus processing per se. Conversely, the probe-related P1 amplitude (but not its latency) was associated with reversal latency, suggesting that the degree to which the probe is processed increases the likelihood of a fast perceptual reversal. Finally, the response-locked P3b amplitude (but not its latency) was associated with the duration of an intermediate stage between reversals in which parts of both percepts coexist (piecemeal period). Together, the data suggest that the P3b reflects an update in consciousness and that the intensity of that process (as indexed by P3b amplitude) predicts how immediate that update is.

  1. Using Porter’s Five Forces Model for Analysing the Competitive Environment of Thailand’s Sweet Corn Industry

    OpenAIRE

    Tanakorn Rachapila; Dr. Sittha Jansirisak

    2013-01-01

    The competition in Thailand sweet corn industry relatively high: Bargaining power of suppliers: supplier concentration, availability of substitute input, importance of suppliers’ input to buyer and importance of industry to supplier; Intensity of Rivalry of rivalry among existing competitors: number of competitors, augmented capacity in large increments, value of fixed costs and exit barriers; Threat of entrants or potential competitors: economical scale; Determinant of buyer power: product d...

  2. Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: the Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    Hylton Hollander; Guangling Liu

    2014-01-01

    This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

  3. Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: The Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

    OpenAIRE

    Hylton Hollander and Guangling Liu

    2014-01-01

    This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

  4. Survey of fish impingement at power plants in the United States. Volume I. The Great Lakes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, R.K.; Freeman, R.F. III.

    1977-03-01

    Impingement of fish at cooling-water intakes of 20 power plants located on the Great Lakes has been surveyed and data are presented. Descriptions of site, plant, and intake design and operation are provided. Reports in this volume summarize impingement data for individual plants in tabular and histogram formats. Information was available from differing sources such as the utilities themselves, public documents, regulatory agencies, and others. Thus, the extent of detail in the reports varies greatly from plant to plant. Histogram preparation involved an extrapolation procedure that has inadequacies. The reader is cautioned in the use of information presented in this volume to determine intake-design acceptability or intensity of impacts on ecosystems. No conclusions are presented herein; data comparisons are made in Volume IV

  5. Electric power's new competitive marketplace

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hornick, R.; Zeppieri, J.; Rudden, K.

    1993-01-01

    Currently, competition is limited primarily to power generation, the sale of wholesale bulk power, and fuel substitution at the point of end use. However, within the next several years, the rivalry will focus on large, energy-intensive industrial and large commercial customers. Driven by the disparity in rates among neighboring and regional utilities, large users are expected to lobby aggressively for retail wheeling and access to new supplies. New competitors will provide customers with additional supply options, forcing traditional utilities to offer better prices and or service. Competition at the point of end use also will increase as the natural gas industry develops new end-use technologies, gas utilities compete more aggressively, and some state regulatory commissions promote fuel switching as part of integrated resource planning (IRP) and demand-side management (DSM). However, as long as electric utilities are subject to cost-based rate of return regulation within price-sensitive markets, they will be a competitive disadvantage. The paper discusses the following: competitive risks by market segment, wholesale markets, industrial markets, commercial markets, residential markets, and franchise markets

  6. With great power comes great responsibility : Max Havelaar Lecture 2010

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J.M. van Tulder (Rob)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractThis is the motto of the struggling hero Spiderman. The continuous struggle of Spiderman with grasping his powers as well as linking this to his responsibilities not only provides an exiting sequel, but also a strong metaphor for the struggle of big corporations around the world when

  7. The Impact of Japan’s Rivalry with China on Its Willingness to Pursue Free Trade Agreements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonya Chum

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the main causes that have led Japan to conclude an FTA with ASEAN. This paper appraises Japan­ASEAN relations and shows that closer relations between Japan and ASEAN have provided momentum for the launch of Japan's FTAs with ASEAN. Consequently, this paper explores the origins and progress of Japan­ASEAN FTA, as well as the strategies and initiatives embraced by Japan in its FTA negotiations with ASEAN. By examining the domestic, regional, and global factors that led to the launch of the Japan­ASEAN FTA, this paper concludes that the strategies adopted were primarily aimed at its main rival, China. The rivalry has resulted in both positive and negative consequences for East Asian Regional economic environment. The negative consequences include the creation of a "spaghetti bowl", which increases costs for Japanese firms operating abroad, and "slows down the progress of the creation of an effective single regional institution".

  8. Great Lakes Energy Institute

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, J. Iwan [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2012-11-18

    The vision of the Great Lakes Energy Institute is to enable the transition to advanced, sustainable energy generation, storage, distribution and utilization through coordinated research, development, and education. The Institute will place emphasis on translating leading edge research into next generation energy technology. The Institute’s research thrusts focus on coordinated research in decentralized power generation devices (e.g. fuel cells, wind turbines, solar photovoltaic devices), management of electrical power transmission and distribution, energy storage, and energy efficiency.

  9. Seismic measures and defence in depth of nuclear power plant. Lessons learned from the great east Japan earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ochiai, Kanehiro

    2011-01-01

    The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in March 11, 2011 brought about severe accident at nuclear power plant, which gave significant lessons to nuclear experts concerned with safety measures. Concepts of defence in depth was basic philosophy to assure safety of nuclear power plant even against uncertainties exceeding design basis. This concept consisted of prevention, monitoring, and action to mitigate consequences of failures such as a series of physical barriers between the reactor core and the environment, which were called multiple safety systems, each with backup and designed to accommodate human error. As for natural disaster, depth of recognition of characteristic of natural phenomena and its effect and engineering judgment was of prime importance. Different waveforms of ground motion at Fukushima and Onagawa at the Great East Japan Earthquake showed that design ground motion should have large uncertainties. To cope with uncertainties of ground motion, robust seismic measures based on experience were such as design of static seismic intensity and rigid structure of natural period less than 0.1 sec. As for tsunami, defence in depth measures were prepared for the cooling of reactor core, spent fuel and related electric generation equipment with taking into account 1) time lag between tsunami generation and arrival, 2) tsunami affected area could be limited by coastal levee or anti-inundation measure, 3) system redundancy could be assured by different locations of equipments and 4) repair works could be done by shipment of replacement equipment from outside due to limitation of affected regional area. Success examples of Onagawa, Tokai unit 2, Fukushima Daiichi unit 6 and Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plants could suggest definite tsunami defence in depth measures. Containment vent system as final heat sink and emergency condenser as reactor core cooling at outage should be properly utilized for Fukushima Daiichi unit 1 Nuclear Power Plant. (T. Tanaka)

  10. Science and technology and their implications for peace and security

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    The issue of scientific and technological developments in relation to international peace and security has recently attracted a great deal of interest in the international community, due partly to their enormous potential for the well-being of humanity and also to their enormous implications for instability in the world, an instability characterized as the 'quantitative arms race'. There is a growing concern that, in parallel with 'quantitative disarmament' between the major Powers and the East and West Europe, a new rivalry might develop and extend to the quantitative improvement of weapons, with world-wide consequences. The General Assembly of United Nations has considered this problem and adopted several resolutions on the matter. There has been a great deal of interest in the continuation of international dialogue on the subject

  11. Resolution 8.069/012 It approval the regulations for the installation of of great bearing structures, intended for wind power generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-01-01

    This resolution is about: regulations made by the Florida Administration, Oriental Republic of Uruguay to locate of great bearing structures intended for wind power generation.At the same time they have been included them :definition, objectives, installation rights, site areas, minimum distances, presentation, technical responsibility, maintenance, external documentation

  12. Power, Profits, and Politics: Energy Security and Cooperation in Eurasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svyatets, Ekaterina

    This study explores varying outcomes of energy cooperation, defined as diplomatic relations, bilateral trade, and investment in oil and natural gas. Tests of theories pertinent to energy security - broadly speaking, realism, liberalism, and domestic politics---reveal that they alone can offer only a narrow and one-sided explanation, not embracing the complexity of energy issues. Nevertheless, using them as a starting point, this study outlined a structured framework that incorporates three variables---economic potential, geopolitical rivalry, and domestic interest groups---that are applied to the cases of U.S.-Russia, U.S.-Azerbaijan, and Russia-Germany energy ties. This study concludes that if the economic potential (defined by geographic proximity and resource availability) is very high, such as in the case of Russia-Germany, states can overcome geopolitical rivalries and historical enmities in favor of energy cooperation. However, if the economic potential is relatively low (because of geographic obstacles or easily available alternative suppliers, as in the cases of U.S.-Russia and U.S.-Azerbaijan), then geopolitics prevails---for example, to bypass Russia or to limit American access to contracts in Russia when U.S.-Russian relations are strained. In all the cases explored here, domestic interest groups have mixed influence: if they are united along energy issues, they usually successfully achieve their energy policy goals, although the impact of these groups often becomes intertwined with state interests. In other situations, when powerful interest groups are divided or focused on non-energy-related issues (such as ethnic priorities), their influence over energy deals is much lower.

  13. Using Porter’s Five Forces Model for Analysing the Competitive Environment of Thailand’s Sweet Corn Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanakorn Rachapila

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The competition in Thailand sweet corn industry relatively high: Bargaining power of suppliers: supplier concentration, availability of substitute input, importance of suppliers’ input to buyer and importance of industry to supplier; Intensity of Rivalry of rivalry among existing competitors: number of competitors, augmented capacity in large increments, value of fixed costs and exit barriers; Threat of entrants or potential competitors: economical scale; Determinant of buyer power: product differentiation, switching costs to use other products, switching costs to use other products and buyers’ use of multiple sources, threat of substitute products or services relatively low.

  14. Great expectations. Projections of nuclear power around the world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonald, Alan; Rogner, Hans-Holger; Gritsevskyi, Andrii

    2009-01-01

    In its 2008 edition of Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period to 2030, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has again revised its projections for nuclear power upwards. Every year since 1981 the IAEA has published 2 updated projections for the world's nuclear power generating capacity, a low projection and a high projection. The low projection is a down to earth, business-as-usual projection. The high projection takes into account government and corporate announcements about longer-term plans for nuclear investments as well as potential new national policies, e.g., to combat climate change. The results for the 2008 projections are presented. In the low projection, the projected nuclear power capacity in 2030 is 473 GW(e), some 27% higher than today's 372 GW(e). In the high projection, nuclear capacity in 2030 is 748 GW(e), double today's capacity. But while projections for nuclear power's future rose, its share of the world's electricity generation today dropped from 15% in 2006 to 14% in 2007. The main reason is that while total global electricity generation rose 4.8% from 2007 to 2008, nuclear electricity actually dropped slightly. The overall message from the IAEA's 2008 edition of Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period to 2030 is that global electricity use will grow significantly, that nuclear power will have to expand more rapidly than it has done recently in order to maintain its share, and that nuclear power can meet the challenge. (orig.)

  15. Fetal programming by co-twin rivalry in sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casellas, J; Caja, G

    2014-01-01

    Fetal rivalry for space and nutrients compromises intrauterine environment and fetal growth, this leading to further consequences during adult life (i.e., fetal programming). Focusing on sheep, relevant fetal programming effects have been revealed on body composition and growth although little is known about their potential impact on the reproductive performance of adult ewes. This research focused on the analysis of fetal programming-related effects on 41,475 litter size (LS) records from 7,177 purebred Ripollesa ewes. Fetal programming sources of variation accounted for the linear and quadratic effect of absolute birth BW (ABBW), relative birth BW (RBBW) of twin-born ewes (i.e., both magnitude and direction of the birth BW difference between the ewe and its co-twin), and sex of twin ewe's littermate (SLM). More specifically, data were analyzed under a threshold mixed model and the statistical relevance of models accounting for different combinations of ABBW, RBBW, and SLM effects was compared by Bayes factors (BF; i.e., the ratio between the posterior probability of 2 competing models). The model accounting for RBBW and discarding both ABBW and SLM effects was clearly preferred; its posterior probability was 35.2 to 362.3 times higher than from remaining models and provided very strong (31.6 100) supporting the relevance of RBBW and the negligibility of both ABBW and SLM. Single-born ewes were included as reference group and they reached a predicted LS of 1.189 lambs per lambing. Twin-born ewes being >600 g lighter than their co-twins suffered from an impaired reproductive ability with 1.162 lambs per lambing (95% credible interval [95CI], 1.147 to 1.179), and this estimate increased until ewes were 151 to 300 g lighter than their co-twins (1.226 lambs per lambing; 95CI, 1.208 to 1.244). Remaining categories (i.e., ewes being heavier or equal than their co-twins) did not provide significant differences and showed an enhanced reproductive ability of approximately

  16. The Concert of Europe and Great Power Governance Today: What Can the Order of 19th-Century Europe Teach Policymakers About International Order in the 21st Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    13 These differences became alarmingly clear once liberal revolutions broke out across multiple European polities in 1820.61 The eastern powers ...dealings with that eastern power that they had so often worked with in concert. For in that treat- ment, the western powers ultimately “ broke the first...KYLE LASCURETTES The Concert of Europe and Great- Power Governance Today What Can the Order of 19th-Century Europe Teach Policymakers About

  17. Energy and water in the Great Lakes.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tidwell, Vincent Carroll

    2011-11-01

    The nexus between thermoelectric power production and water use is not uniform across the U.S., but rather differs according to regional physiography, demography, power plant fleet composition, and the transmission network. That is, in some regions water demand for thermoelectric production is relatively small while in other regions it represents the dominate use. The later is the case for the Great Lakes region, which has important implications for the water resources and aquatic ecology of the Great Lakes watershed. This is today, but what about the future? Projected demographic trends, shifting lifestyles, and economic growth coupled with the threat of global climate change and mounting pressure for greater U.S. energy security could have profound effects on the region's energy future. Planning for such an uncertain future is further complicated by the fact that energy and environmental planning and regulatory decisionmaking is largely bifurcated in the region, with environmental and water resource concerns generally taken into account after new energy facilities and technologies have been proposed, or practices are already in place. Based on these confounding needs, the objective of this effort is to develop Great Lakes-specific methods and tools to integrate energy and water resource planning and thereby support the dual goals of smarter energy planning and development, and protection of Great Lakes water resources. Guiding policies for this planning are the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The desired outcome of integrated energy-water-aquatic resource planning is a more sustainable regional energy mix for the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.

  18. Analysis of the physiotherapy industry: challenges for marketing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheppard, L

    1996-01-01

    The physiotherapy industry can be analysed using Porter's (1979) five forces. Physiotherapy uses medical, geographic and funding segmentation. The power of the buyers in these segments is considerable. Substitutes are posing a threat to physiotherapy with few barriers to entry to operate in the health care environment. The suppliers, particularly doctors, have significant power in referring clients. Competitive rivalry for these clients can exist between individual physiotherapists and multi-disciplinary clinics. The difference in orientation of private and public physiotherapy can also be a basis for rivalry. Repositioning to view the client as both the supplier and recipients enables the physiotherapy industry to gain competitive advantage and ensures long term growth.

  19. Emergency response of Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station during the Great East Japan Earthquake and its lessons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, Shinichi

    2016-01-01

    At the time of the occurrence of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station (hereinafter, Fukushima Daini) was operating four units of BWRS-5 type plants with an output of 1,100 MWe/unit. Among these plants, No. 1, 2, and 4 Units lost all the functions of heat removal equipment of reactors affected by tsunami. However, ad-hoc activities such as the exchange of submerged motors and temporary power installation allowed the recovery of residual heat removal (RHR) system, leading to a success in cold shutdown. This is a success story more than expectation in dealing with emergency situations, but not necessarily all of the correspondences were successfully carried out, leaving some problems. As lessons, the following are pointed out: (1) confirmation of the damage situation of the site and setting of priority rank of recovery, (2) securement of the means that do not depend on initial on-site activities, and (3) possession at the site of the skills of emergency restoration, equipment diagnostic technology, and repair technology. With reflecting lessons and challenges in these correspondences, Tokyo Electric Power Company is working to improve the accident response capability of the organization including Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station. As an example of effort of emergency response capability strengthening, there is an application of the US Incident Management System (IMS). The company is continuously making efforts for improving safety through training. (A.O.)

  20. FORMULATION STRATEGY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF POWER COMPETITION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ljiljana Stošić Mihajlović

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the subject of the research is defined starting hypothesis that formulation in the form of answers to the question: What factors - competitive forces shape strategy? Strategy formulation essentially boils down to competition. Competitors are all - customers, suppliers, potential new entrants to the market and producers of substitutes - and depending on the industry, may be more or less important or active. The first primary determinant of a firm's profitability is the attractiveness of the system to which it belongs. Competitive strategy must be developed from the basic knowledge of the rules of competition that determine the attractiveness of an economic system. The ultimate aim of competitive strategy is to apply, or - ideally - a change these rules in favor of the company. In any economic system, regardless of Whether it is domestic or international, and Whether products or services, the rules of competition are embodied in five competitive factors, the five basic forces: the entry of new competitors into the market, the threat of substitution, bargaining power of the buyer, bargaining power of suppliers and rivalry among existing competitors. Joint strength of these forces determines the ultimate potential of an activity to make a profit.

  1. Russia, China, and the United States in Central Asia: Prospects for Great Power Competition and Cooperation in the Shadow of the Georgian Crisis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-02-01

    energy, public health, and food safety) shape Chinese foreign relations with neighboring states. Professor Wishnick also writes about great power...Dismisses Georgia’s Leader as ‘Political Corpse’,” The New York Times, September 3, 2008, p. A10; Ellen Barry, “Russians with Pumpkins Protest Many U.S

  2. PowerPoint and Concept Maps: A Great Double Act

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, Jon

    2015-01-01

    This article explores how concept maps can provide a useful addition to PowerPoint slides to convey interconnections of knowledge and help students see how knowledge is often non-linear. While most accounting educators are familiar with PowerPoint, they are likely to be less familiar with concept maps and this article shows how the tool can be…

  3. Renewables, nuclear, or fossil fuels? Scenarios for Great Britain’s power system considering costs, emissions and energy security

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfenninger, Stefan; Keirstead, James

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We compare a large number of cost-optimal future power systems for Great Britain. • Scenarios are assessed on cost, emissions reductions, and energy security. • Up to 60% of variable renewable capacity is possible with little cost increase. • Higher shares require storage, imports or dispatchable renewables such as tidal range. - Abstract: Mitigating climate change is driving the need to decarbonize the electricity sector, for which various possible technological options exist, alongside uncertainty over which options are preferable in terms of cost, emissions reductions, and energy security. To reduce this uncertainty, we here quantify two questions for the power system of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland): First, when compared within the same high-resolution modeling framework, how much do different combinations of technologies differ in these three respects? Second, how strongly does the cost and availability of grid-scale storage affect overall system cost, and would it favor some technology combinations above others? We compare three main possible generation technologies: (1) renewables, (2) nuclear, and (3) fossil fuels (with/without carbon capture and storage). Our results show that across a wide range of these combinations, the overall costs remain similar, implying that different configurations are equally feasible both technically and economically. However, the most economically favorable scenarios are not necessarily favorable in terms of emissions or energy security. The availability of grid-scale storage in scenarios with little dispatchable generation can reduce overall levelized electricity cost by up to 50%, depending on storage capacity costs. The UK can rely on its domestic wind and solar PV generation at lower renewable shares, with levelized costs only rising more than 10% above the mean of 0.084 GBP/kWh for shares of 50% and below at a 70% share, which is 35% higher. However, for more than an 80% renewable

  4. Assessment of biomass cogeneration in the Great Lakes region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burnham, M.; Easterly, J.L.

    1994-01-01

    Many biomass cogeneration facilities have successfully entered into power sales agreements with utilities across the country, often after overcoming various difficulties or barriers. Under a project sponsored by the Great Lakes Regional Biomass Energy Program of the U.S. Department of Energy, DynCorp sm-bullet Meridian has conducted a survey of biomass facilities in the seven Great Lakes states, selecting 10 facilities for case studies with at least one facility in each of the seven states. The purpose of the case studies was to address obstacles that biomass processors face in adding power production to their process heat systems, and to provide examples of successful strategies for entering into power sales agreements with utilities. The case studies showed that the primary incentives for investing in cogeneration and power sales are to reduce operating costs through improved biomass waste management and lower energy expenditures. Common barriers to cogeneration and power sales were high utility stand-by charges for unplanned outages and low utility avoided cost payments due to excess utility generation capacity

  5. Damage of the Unit 1 reactor building overhead bridge crane at Onagawa Nuclear Power Station caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and its repair works

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugamata, Norihiko

    2014-01-01

    The driving shaft bearings of the Unit 1 overhead bridge crane were damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake at Onagawa Nuclear Power Station. The situation, investigation and repair works of the bearing failure are introduced in this paper. (author)

  6. Performance of industrial melting pots in the provision of dynamic frequency response in the Great Britain power system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, Meng; Wu, Jianzhong; Galsworthy, Stephen J.; Gargov, Nikola; Hung, William H.; Zhou, Yue

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: •Thermodynamics of Melting Pot (MP) loads is modeled based on field measurements. •Power consumption of MPs is controlled to keep varying with grid frequency changes. •Frequency response (FR) of MPs is similar but faster than that of generators. •FR provided by loads can mitigate the impact of reduced system inertia. •Firm FR in the GB power system is most beneficial for load aggregators to tender. -- Abstract: As a result of the increasing integration of Renewable Energy Source (RES), maintenance of the balance between supply and demand in the power system is more challenging because of RES’s intermittency and uncontrollability. The smart control of demand is able to contribute to the balance by providing the grid frequency response. This paper uses the industrial Melting Pot (MP) loads as an example. A thermodynamic model depicting the physical characteristics of MPs was firstly developed based on field measurements carried out by Open Energi. A distributed control was applied to each MP which dynamically changes the aggregated power consumption of MPs in proportion to changes in grid frequency while maintaining the primary heating function of each MP. An aggregation of individual MP models equipped with the control was integrated with the Great Britain (GB) power system models. Case studies verified that the aggregated MPs are able to provide frequency response to the power system. The response from MPs is similar but faster than the conventional generators and therefore contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions by replacing the spinning reserve capacity of fossil-fuel generators. Through the reviews of the present balancing services in the GB power system, with the proposed frequency control strategy, the Firm Frequency Response service is most beneficial at present for demand aggregators to tender for. All studies have been conducted in partnership between Cardiff University, Open Energi London – Demand Aggregator, and National

  7. On the protection and operation of nuclear power plants and great structures in Central Europe with respect to the tectonics of European Alps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nedoma, J.

    1991-01-01

    The aim of the study is to show that the financial resources needed for exploitation of the energetical resources as well as for the security of great energetical structures (i.e. nuclear power plants (NPP), deep mines, great waterdams, etc.), can be employed with high efficiency only when using appropriate basic and applied geological and geophysical investigations. One can only by this way save money expended during the last years to great structures built in critical regions. The breakdown of the Chernobyl NPP and the catastrophic earthquake in Armenia as well as the construction of a NPP there, situated on the Ararat deep fault, in a relatively small distance from the earthquake region, warn us and constitute the main reason for the realization of the research programme presented here as well as for the recommendation of this research programme to be solved within the framework of a Pentagonal group. (author) 13 refs.; 2 figs

  8. Validation of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire Short Scale (NARQ-S) in convenience and representative samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leckelt, Marius; Wetzel, Eunike; Gerlach, Tanja M; Ackerman, Robert A; Miller, Joshua D; Chopik, William J; Penke, Lars; Geukes, Katharina; Küfner, Albrecht C P; Hutteman, Roos; Richter, David; Renner, Karl-Heinz; Allroggen, Marc; Brecheen, Courtney; Campbell, W Keith; Grossmann, Igor; Back, Mitja D

    2018-01-01

    Due to increased empirical interest in narcissism across the social sciences, there is a need for inventories that can be administered quickly while also reliably measuring both the agentic and antagonistic aspects of grandiose narcissism. In this study, we sought to validate the factor structure, provide representative descriptive data and reliability estimates, assess the reliability across the trait spectrum, and examine the nomological network of the short version of the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ-S; Back et al., 2013). We used data from a large convenience sample (total N = 11,937) as well as data from a large representative sample (total N = 4,433) that included responses to other narcissism measures as well as related constructs, including the other Dark Triad traits, Big Five personality traits, and self-esteem. Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory were used to validate the factor structure and estimate the reliability across the latent trait spectrum, respectively. Results suggest that the NARQ-S shows a robust factor structure and is a reliable and valid short measure of the agentic and antagonistic aspects of grandiose narcissism. We also discuss future directions and applications of the NARQ-S as a short and comprehensive measure of grandiose narcissism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. The last will and testament in literature: rupture, rivalry, and sometimes rapprochement from Middlemarch to Lemony Snicket.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stone, Elizabeth

    2008-12-01

    Although the psychological literature on the last will and testament is sparse, authors of fiction and memoir have filled the gap, writing in rich detail about the impact of wills on families. Henry James, George Eliot, J. R. Ackerley, and others reveal that a will is not only a legal document but a microcosm of family life: a coded and non-negotiable message from the will's writer to its intended readers, the heirs, delivered at a stressful time and driving home the truth that options for discussion between testator and heirs are now gone, all factors which may intensify the ambivalence of grief and stall its resolution. Among the problems the authors chronicle: reinvigorated sibling rivalries, vindictive testators, and the revelation of traumatic family secrets. Writers also demonstrate how contemporary social factors, such as divorce, second families, and geographic distance between family members, may complicate wills and ensuing family relations. Exemplary wills, or will-like documents, appear in fiction by Maria Katzenbach and Marilynne Robinson, allowing the living to make rapprochements with the dead, and pointing to testamentary strategies clinicians might develop to lead to a resolution of grief. The depth of these writers' accounts allows clinicians to imagine points at which they might productively intervene in matters pertaining to a will.

  10. Case study of medical evacuation before and after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in the great east Japan earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okumura, Tetsu; Tokuno, Shinichi

    2015-01-01

    In Japan, participants in the disaster-specific medical transportation system have received ongoing training since 2002, incorporating lessons learned from the Great Hanshin Earthquake. The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011, and the very first disaster-specific medical transport was performed. This article reviews in detail the central government's control and coordination of the disaster medical transportation process following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident. In total, 124 patients were air transported under the coordination of the C5 team in the emergency response headquarter of the Japanese Government. C5 includes experts from the Cabinet Office, Cabinet Secretariat, Fire Defense Agency, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Ministry of Defense. In the 20-30 km evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 509 bedridden patients were successfully evacuated without any fatalities during transportation. Many lessons have been learned in disaster-specific medical transportation. The national government, local government, police, and fire agencies have made significant progress in their mutual communication and collaboration. Fortunately, hospital evacuation from the 20-30 km area was successfully performed with the aid of local emergency physicians and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) who have vast experience in patient transport in the course of day-to-day activities. The emergency procedures that are required during crises are an extension of basic daily procedures that are performed by emergency medical staff and first responders, such as fire fighters, emergency medical technicians, or police officers. Medical facilities including nursing homes should have a plan for long-distance (over 100 km) evacuation, and the plan should be routinely reevaluated with full-scale exercises. In addition, hospital evacuation in disaster settings should be

  11. Urban Life and Local Politics in Roman Bithynia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bekker-Nielsen, Tønnes

    Most studies of Roman local administration focus on the formal structures of power, as defined by imperial laws, urban institutions and magistracies. This book explores the interplay of formal power with informal factors such as social prejudice, parochialism and personal rivalries in the cities...

  12. Nuclear power, the great illusion. Promises, setbacks and threats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marignac, Y.

    2008-01-01

    In the context of high oil, gas and coal prices, and of ever deepening and more specific anxieties about global warming, France seems to have decided to use its EU presidency from July to December 2008 to do everything to persuade its European partners that a massive resurgence in nuclear energy is absolutely necessary. This will, of course, be to the great benefit of France's industry. Nicolas Sarkozy has made it a key point of the 'energy/climate package' whose negotiation he hopes to have completed by the end of his European mandate. He has received significant support from the current President of the European Commission for this initiative, which has been widely debated across Europe. More widely, the French President has undertaken nothing short of an international crusade on the subject, focusing in particular on Mediterranean countries such as Morocco and Algeria, to whom he has proposed active collaboration with French industry and the French Government, stressing the advantages of such cooperation in the 'war on terror'. In so doing, he is relying on the global reputation which France and its industry has acquired in this field by tirelessly extolling the virtues of energy independence and the economic boost that large-scale nuclear electricity production can bring to a country's energy system, while being environmentally harmless and perfectly safe, secure and long-lasting. This line of argument, developed over decades by French governments both right and left, and the nuclear lobby which is closely linked to them, has managed to take hold in a France weak in independent expertise. This weakness has been deliberately maintained by the authorities and the elites, who prefer the comfort of an almost religious consensus to the debate which would inevitably be triggered by an independent and unrestricted evaluation. The French President is counting on the self-declared virtues of nuclear energy and the exemplary nature of the French experience to convince

  13. The great intimidators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, Roderick M

    2006-02-01

    After Disney's Michael Eisner, Miramax's Harvey Weinstein, and Hewlett-Packard's Carly Fiorina fell from their heights of power, the business media quickly proclaimed thatthe reign of abrasive, intimidating leaders was over. However, it's premature to proclaim their extinction. Many great intimidators have done fine for a long time and continue to thrive. Their modus operandi runs counter to a lot of preconceptions about what it takes to be a good leader. They're rough, loud, and in your face. Their tactics include invading others' personal space, staging tantrums, keeping people guessing, and possessing an indisputable command of facts. But make no mistake--great intimidators are not your typical bullies. They're driven by vision, not by sheer ego or malice. Beneath their tough exteriors and sharp edges are some genuine, deep insights into human motivation and organizational behavior. Indeed, these leaders possess political intelligence, which can make the difference between paralysis and successful--if sometimes wrenching--organizational change. Like socially intelligent leaders, politically intelligent leaders are adept at sizing up others, but they notice different things. Those with social intelligence assess people's strengths and figure out how to leverage them; those with political intelligence exploit people's weaknesses and insecurities. Despite all the obvious drawbacks of working under them, great intimidators often attract the best and brightest. And their appeal goes beyond their ability to inspire high performance. Many accomplished professionals who gravitate toward these leaders want to cultivate a little "inner intimidator" of their own. In the author's research, quite a few individuals reported having positive relationships with intimidating leaders. In fact, some described these relationships as profoundly educational and even transformational. So before we throw out all the great intimidators, the author argues, we should stop to consider what

  14. Designing low-carbon power systems for Great Britain in 2050 that are robust to the spatiotemporal and inter-annual variability of weather

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeyringer, Marianne; Price, James; Fais, Birgit; Li, Pei-Hao; Sharp, Ed

    2018-05-01

    The design of cost-effective power systems with high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies requires a modelling approach that simultaneously represents the whole energy system combined with the spatiotemporal and inter-annual variability of VRE. Here, we soft-link a long-term energy system model, which explores new energy system configurations from years to decades, with a high spatial and temporal resolution power system model that captures VRE variability from hours to years. Applying this methodology to Great Britain for 2050, we find that VRE-focused power system design is highly sensitive to the inter-annual variability of weather and that planning based on a single year can lead to operational inadequacy and failure to meet long-term decarbonization objectives. However, some insights do emerge that are relatively stable to weather-year. Reinforcement of the transmission system consistently leads to a decrease in system costs while electricity storage and flexible generation, needed to integrate VRE into the system, are generally deployed close to demand centres.

  15. Power control of the Angra-2 Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza Mendes, J.E. de

    1986-01-01

    The systems for the power control of the Nuclear Power Plant Angra 2 have a high degree of automation so that few operator actions are required during power operation. The power control strategy and the operation principles of the control systems, here presented, make possible a great flexibility of the Plant operation. (Author) [pt

  16. Cooperation or Silent Rivalry?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zank, Wolfgang

    2010-01-01

    a gravitational pull which goes beyond economic problems. Furthermore, the EU has gradually built up a coherent policy on many fields. The EU has become the “reform anchor” and most important cooperation partner for Egypt. The progress towards increasing Egypt’s “Stake in the Internal Market” places cooperation......For decades the US has had a hegemonic position in the Middle East. A key country in this respect has been Egypt. However, in recent decades the EU has made itself increasingly felt in the region. Due to enlargements the EU came geographically much closer, and the Internal Market has generated...... to see the US and EU as rivals. Their roles are rather complementary. The article explores developments in a long-term perspective. Internal and structural developments have had a heavy impact, but at important junctions ideas and strategies for gaining political legitimacy were powerful factors too...

  17. Adaptive reactive power control of PV power plants for improved power transfer capability under ultra-weak grid conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yang, Dongsheng; Wang, Xiongfei; Liu, Fangcheng

    2017-01-01

    The Photovoltaic (PV) power plants are usually deployed in remote areas with the high solar irradiance, and their power transfer capabilities can be greatly limited by the large impedance of long-distance transmission lines. This paper investigates first the power transfer limit of the PV power p...

  18. Forces that direct the competition in the electric power industry in the new institutional scenery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro Filho, Ary Pinto; Moraes, Walter Fernando Araujo de

    1999-01-01

    This work identifies the probable strategic characteristics of the interconnected North-Northeast Brazilian electricity industry, after the current restructuring and privatization process has been implemented. It is a 15.0 thousand MW generation industry supplying more than 33.5 million consumers. The normative scenery for analysis of the electricity industry takes into consideration the premises that the government establishes the vertical separation of generation, transmission, distribution and retailing, and introduces the regulation to a competitive industrial structure in generation and retailing. It is assumed that free access to transmit and distribute electricity and broad choices for consumers are the main features for competition in both generation and retailing. The essence of formulating strategy is to relate a company with its environment, considering the industrial structure. Porter's five forces model for industry environment and competition, emphasizing the role of the government in such regulated industry, is the basic theoretical reference. The main strategic characteristics related to entry barriers, rivalry intensity, supplier power, customer power and substitute products are analyzed. (author)

  19. The great battles of the energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chevalier, J.M.

    2004-10-01

    This book presents an introduction to the great world energy challenges. The first part of this book, is devoted to the energy sources history with a special interest for the petroleum. The advantages and disadvantages of the energy sources as the natural gas, the coal, the nuclear power and the renewable energies, are also discussed. Two chapters are devoted to the analysis of the energy sectors deregulation in Europe, in particular the electric power market. The last part proposes to discuss on the twenty century challenge: how to reconcile the energy demand, the environment protection and the developing countries economic development? (A.L.B.)

  20. Impacts of nuclear and hydroelectric great projects: economical, technological, environmental and social aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosa, L.P.; Sigaud, L.; Mielnik, O.

    1988-01-01

    Some studies about the Great Impacts of Energy Sources, mainly nuclear power plant and hydroelectric power plant, in Brazil are presented. The technological, economical, social and environmental aspects are described [pt

  1. POWER AND CULTURE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-16

    of Great Power Politics (New York: W.W. Norton , 2001), 19. 10 As quoted in Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, 19. 11 Mearsheimer...century’s defining battleground” by Robert Kaplan , land power is largely irrelevant. As Samuels pointed out, PRC moves in 1974 were the result of a new...University Press, 1995. Mearsheimer, John J. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York: W. W. Norton , 2001. Poling, Gregory. Spratley

  2. THE GREAT SILK ROAD BECOMES THE GREAT OIL AND GAS ROAD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. S. Zonn

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The Great Silk Road (GSR called so in the late 19th century by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen started shaping in the 2nd century B.C. In the minds of peoples the Silk Road is a generalized symbol of trade caravan routes crossing Central Asia, connecting until the 16th century the Far East, in particular Japan, China, with Middle Asia. Appearance in the early 21st century of new independent states in Central Asia along the GSR route was a powerful impetus for revival of the ancient trade route. In September 2013 Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, during his visit to the Central Asian countries offered the strategic concept of joint construction of the “economic corridor along the Silk Road” based on innovative cooperation in order to revive and consolidate the economic contacts among the Eurasian countries. Establishment of the modern analog of GSR, a powerful transport and pipeline corridor includes the integrated system of railroads and automobile roads, oil and gas pipelines, airlines, and sea lines.

  3. Energy - Resources, technologies and power issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazzucchi, Nicolas

    2017-01-01

    For a better understanding of complex relationships between States, enterprises and international bodies, the author proposes a detailed analysis of power issues which structure the energy sector at the world level. He first considers the energy policy of a country as a result of an arbitration between three main concerns (access to energy, energy security, and struggle against climate change) which are differently addressed depending on consumption and production profiles of the country, and on its geographic and political characteristics. The author then proposes a synthetic overview of this landscape by analysing the history of exploitation of different energy sources (oil, coal, gas, uranium) and by proposing a regional analysis of resources. In the next part, he addresses various aspects of energy transports (bottlenecks of sea transport, trans-national grids, geopolitical restructuring of pipelines in front of the development of new LNG terminals). Then, for different regions, he describes the various modes of energy consumption, and challenges related to the transformation of this consumption due to the emergence of renewable energies. He analyses and discusses international mechanisms which underlie energy markets, and power issues which govern them. He shows that nuclear and renewable energies in fact strengthen the dependence on strategic materials and on technological companies. A chapter proposes an analysis of relationships between three prevailing actors in the elaboration of energy policies (enterprises, State and civil society) with their reciprocal influences, moments of collaboration, and information exchange or withholding. The last chapter addresses the study of power rivalries in the elaboration of policies for the struggle against climate change, and proposes a critical review of international organisations which square them

  4. Great deal achieved at Cape's nuclear island

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1979-01-01

    Since the civil engineering contract commenced a great deal has been achieved at Escom's Koeberg nuclear power station north of Cape Town. About 50 percent of the civil work has now been done and the entire project remains on schedule for a January 1982 start-up on nuclear reactor unit number one and a January 1983 start-up on unit two. Final handover is scheduled for January 1984. Completion of the civil works is scheduled for December 1981. The construction of the Koeberg nuclear power station is discussed, as well as the contractors for the civil engineering work

  5. Rivalry of homeostatic and sensory-evoked emotions: Dehydration attenuates olfactory disgust and its neural correlates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Lea; Friedrich, Hergen; Federspiel, Andrea; Jann, Kay; Morishima, Yosuke; Landis, Basile Nicolas; Wiest, Roland; Strik, Werner; Dierks, Thomas

    2015-07-01

    Neural correlates have been described for emotions evoked by states of homeostatic imbalance (e.g. thirst, hunger, and breathlessness) and for emotions induced by external sensory stimulation (such as fear and disgust). However, the neurobiological mechanisms of their interaction, when they are experienced simultaneously, are still unknown. We investigated the interaction on the neurobiological and the perceptional level using subjective ratings, serum parameters, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a situation of emotional rivalry, when both a homeostatic and a sensory-evoked emotion were experienced at the same time. Twenty highly dehydrated male subjects rated a disgusting odor as significantly less repulsive when they were thirsty. On the neurobiological level, we found that this reduction in subjective disgust during thirst was accompanied by a significantly reduced neural activity in the insular cortex, a brain area known to be considerably involved in processing of disgust. Furthermore, during the experience of disgust in the satiated condition, we observed a significant functional connectivity between brain areas responding to the disgusting odor, which was absent during the stimulation in the thirsty condition. These results suggest interference of conflicting emotions: an acute homeostatic imbalance can attenuate the experience of another emotion evoked by the sensory perception of a potentially harmful external agent. This finding offers novel insights with regard to the behavioral relevance of biologically different types of emotions, indicating that some types of emotions are more imperative for behavior than others. As a general principle, this modulatory effect during the conflict of homeostatic and sensory-evoked emotions may function to safeguard survival. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The Great Recession was not so Great

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Ours, J.C.

    2015-01-01

    The Great Recession is characterized by a GDP-decline that was unprecedented in the past decades. This paper discusses the implications of the Great Recession analyzing labor market data from 20 OECD countries. Comparing the Great Recession with the 1980s recession it is concluded that there is a

  7. The pawn of great powers: The East–West competition for Caucasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald Grigor Suny

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available My argument in this paper is that Caucasia has become an area of contention, like much of post-Soviet Eurasia, between the East and West, particularly between Russia's Caucasian policy, which revolves around its long-term interest in re-establishing its regional hegemony in the so-called Near Abroad, and the United States' grander ambition for global hegemony. The South Caucasus has provided the first opportunity for Russia to demonstrate its will to prevent the United States, NATO, and the European Community from penetrating the southern tier of the former USSR. Russia's move is not a program of imperial control, but rather a determined effort to contain or even roll back the influence of other powers, most importantly, the United States and NATO in the regions closest to Russia's borders. The “southern tier” of the former Soviet Union – Caucasia and Central Asia – contains the most vulnerable regions in which other powers might intervene, and it is here where Russia will test its new policies. Up until August 2008 it used primarily “soft power” vigorously to prevent other powers from increasing their influence in the region. In August it demonstrated it was prepared, when pushed, to use “hard power.” The Russo–Georgian War was a watershed in East–West relations with a more assertive Russia willing to take on its more powerful competitors.

  8. Turkey - An 'Ormuz strait' in the US strategy for global energy control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagha, Chegrouche

    2003-01-01

    Following the events of September 11, 2001, rivalry in the Caspian region has taken the form of open conflicts in which the various powers confront one another via zones and 'proxy' ethnic and/or cultural communities. Alliances are circumstantial and can be changed as the geostrategic interests of the protagonists dictate. This is a rivalry that is re-shaping the geopolitical and strategic order in this region. New facts come along to expose a new American strategy for the global control of energy resources. Turkey appears as a Eurasian barrier in this new strategy and warfare as a means to open up the Caspian region. (authors)

  9. Hidden in Plain Sight: Signs of Great Power War

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    China can change the strategic balance of power in the region without ever fighting—the acme of skill according to Sun Tzu . In fact, the balance of...68 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...put anyone into the shade, but we demand a place for ourselves in the sun .”20 This speech became the ideological foundation for Germany’s

  10. Distributed Power Flow Controller

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yuan, Z.

    2010-01-01

    In modern power systems, there is a great demand to control the power flow actively. Power flow controlling devices (PFCDs) are required for such purpose, because the power flow over the lines is the nature result of the impedance of each line. Due to the control capabilities of different types of

  11. Study of electrical power facilities and measures for planned outages in Japanese hemodialysis clinics after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishida, Kai; Sawa, Manami; Fujiwara, Kousaku; Hirose, Minoru; Tsuruta, Harukazu; Takeuchi, Akihiro; Ikeda, Noriaki

    2013-02-01

    The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 caused major damage in northeastern Japan. The Kanto region experienced a massive electrical power shortage in the summer of 2011. A questionnaire was submitted to 354 hemodialysis clinics in Kanagawa prefecture and the Tokyo metropolitan area, excluding isolated islands, and 176 responses were analyzed (49.7%). The questions included evaluation of the availability of a private electricity generator, countermeasures in case of a planned outage, awareness of saving electricity, and improvement of safety of medical devices or electrical facilities after the earthquake. Only 12% of the clinics had private electricity generators and many clinics had no plans to introduce this facility. However, 96% of the clinics had established countermeasures to deal with a planned outage. Many clinics planned to provide dialysis on a different day or at a different time. All clinics had tried hard to establish procedures to save electricity in the summer of 2011, and 84% of the clinics had reconsidered and improved the safety of medical devices or electricity facilities after the earthquake. These results show that the awareness of crisis management was greatly improved in the wake of the earthquake. © 2012 The Authors. Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis © 2012 International Society for Apheresis.

  12. 1994 - Starting a new era for nuclear power in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collier, J.G.

    2004-01-01

    A gap is opening up between what the world would like to consume in terms of energy and what the world's environment can sustain. To bridge this gap a much greater contribution from nuclear and renewables is needed to limit the emission of CO 2 and other harmful gases. Plans already laid in some Pacific Rim countries recognise this need and nuclear energy is expected to grow rapidly in this region over the next 20-30 years. For Pacific Rim countries without plentiful indigenous fossil fuel resources, nuclear power is the most economic form of electricity generation, minimising the need for expensive imports and strengthening security of energy supply. Nuclear power already makes a significant contribution to reducing emissions in other regions, especially Europe. Well over a third of electricity in Europe comes from nuclear power. In the UK the figure is nearer a quarter and rising. If nuclear power is to fulfil its role as a key part of UK energy supply into the 21st century, we need to maintain our existing capacity as our older plant retires by building further, modern PWRs. Central to our future is Sizewell B power station - the UK's first PWR. Construction is complete and commissioning is well under way. The project is nearing completion - ahead of time and under budget. The success of Sizewell B is the foundation for the future of nuclear power in the UK. Stations based on the Sizewell design will become the workhorses of our utility. Already Nuclear Electric has submitted a planning application to construct Sizewell C. This is a technical replica of Sizewell B in twin reactor form with a net output of around 2600MW. And this design also has strong export potential. Westinghouse and Nuclear Electric have submitted a joint-vender to build a PWR here in Taiwan. Our bid is based on the Sizewell design; an innovative, safe and proven nuclear power plant design for supplying reliable low-cost electricity for the Republic of China's growing economy. The Sizewell

  13. The Power of Eloquence: Moderation of Style in Puritan Great Awakening Sermons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelms, Gerald

    The latter part of the twentieth century has brought explicit emotional appeals; some by advertisers for commercial goods and others from political and religious leaders. The religious appeals to feelings can be traced back in history to the revivals in the mid-eighteenth century where the "Great Awakening" opened up religious…

  14. Pricing regulations in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cicoletti, G.

    1993-01-01

    This paper briefly describes the structure and functions of Great Britain's essential electric power regulatory authority institutionalized by the 1989 British Electricity Act, i.e., the Office of Electricity Regulation, OFFER, and the responsibilities and tasks of the head of OFFER -the Director General of Electricity Supply (DGES). In particular, with regard to the latter, the paper describes how the DGES works together with regional electricity commissions to ensure the respect, by the various utilities, of consumer price caps and compliance with overall quality of service standards, as well as, to oversee 'pooling' activities by producers and distributors

  15. Pricing regulations in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cicoletti, G.

    1993-01-01

    This paper briefly describes the structure and functions of Great Britain's essential electric power regulatory authority institutionalized by the 1989 British Electricity Act, i.e., the Office of Electricity Regulation, OFFER, and the responsibilities and tasks of the head of OFFER - the Director General of Electricity Supply (DGES). In particular, with regard to the latter, the paper describes how the DGES works together with regional electricity commissions to ensure the respect, by the various utilities, of consumer price caps and compliance with overall quality of service standards, as well as, to oversee 'pooling' activities by producers and distributors

  16. Improved Symmetry Greatly Increases X-Ray Power from Wire-Array Z-Pinches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanford, T.W.; Allshouse, G.O.; Marder, B.M.; Nash, T.J.; Mock, R.C.; Spielman, R.B.; Seamen, J.F.; McGurn, J.S.; Jobe, D.; Gilliland, T.L.; Vargas, M.; Struve, K.W.; Stygar, W.A.; Douglas, M.R.; Matzen, M.K.; Hammer, J.H.; De Groot, J.S.; Eddleman, J.L.; Peterson, D.L.; Mosher, D.; Whitney, K.G.; Thornhill, J.W.; Pulsifer, P.E.; Apruzese, J.P.; Maron, Y.

    1996-01-01

    A systematic experimental study of annular aluminum-wire Z-pinches on a 20-TW electrical generator shows that the measured spatial characteristics and emitted x-ray power agree more closely with rad-hydro simulations when large numbers of wires are used. The measured x-ray power increases first slowly and then rapidly with decreasing interwire gap spacing. Simulations suggested that this increase reflects the transition from implosion of individual wire plasmas to one of an azimuthally symmetric plasma shell. In the plasma-shell regime, x-ray powers of 40TW are achieved. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  17. Small Molecules, Diversity and Great Expectations

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Small Molecules, Diversity and Great Expectations · PowerPoint Presentation · Slide 3 · Slide 4 · Slide 5 · Slide 6 · Slide 7 · Slide 8 · Slide 9 · Slide 10 · Slide 11 · Slide 12 · Slide 13 · Slide 14 · Slide 15 · Slide 16 · Slide 17 · Slide 18 · Slide 19 · Slide 20 · Slide 21 · Slide 22 · Slide 23 · Slide 24 · Slide 25 · Slide 26 · Slide 27.

  18. Children's Perceptions of the Qualities of Sibling Relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furman, Wyndol; Buhrmester, Duane

    1985-01-01

    Developed a framework for describing and assessing the qualities of sibling relationships by interviewing upper elementary school children and administering a self-report questionnaire to fifth- and sixth-grade children. Component analysis yielded four underlying factors: warmth/closeness, relative status/power, conflict, and rivalry. Relative…

  19. 600 MW nuclear power database

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao Ruiding; Chen Guorong; Chen Xianfeng; Zhang Yishu

    1996-01-01

    600 MW Nuclear power database, based on ORACLE 6.0, consists of three parts, i.e. nuclear power plant database, nuclear power position database and nuclear power equipment database. In the database, there are a great deal of technique data and picture of nuclear power, provided by engineering designing units and individual. The database can give help to the designers of nuclear power

  20. Credit Risk Evaluation of Large Power Consumers Considering Power Market Transaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulin, Li; Erfeng, Xu; ke, Sun; Dunnan, Liu; Shuyi, Shen

    2018-03-01

    Large power users will participate in power market in various forms after power system reform. Meanwhile, great importance has always attached to the construction of the credit system in power industry. Due to the difference between the awareness of performance and the ability to perform, credit risk of power customer will emerge accordingly. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate credit risk of large power customers in the new situation of power market. Firstly, this paper constructs index system of credit risk of large power customers, and establishes evaluation model of interval number and AHP-entropy weight method.

  1. The Inauguration of Suez Canal and Its Impacts on Navigation in seas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    maryam sheypari

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The inauguration of Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to Red Sea, had a great impact on marine communications. In other words, this canal not only offered the easier access of European countries to their colonies in Asia because of the new marine route between Asia and Europe but also developed the use of steamboats instead of sailboats due to its specific geographical position. In fact, the trade between Asia and Europe spanned via the seas located between Asia and Europe after four centuries as the result of inauguration of Suez Canal in 1869A.D. Furthermore, the importance of Seas i.e. Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and black Sea had the great economic _ political role in the world and the expansion of rivalry between countries in Persian Gulf due to this canal.  This study investigates to the process of diving Suez and the influence of Suez Canal on marine changes among the countries, especially in Persian Gulf by the beginning of the First World War. The outcome of this study demonstrates that the inauguration of Suez Canal led to the rivalry situation for England in the period of its supremacy.

  2. INFLUENCE OF GREAT HYDRAULIC WORKS UPON NATURE AND MANKIND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mircea O. POPOVICIU

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The great hydraulic works represent heavy environmental modifications and influence both humans (during the construction and the utilization and nature. The present paper compares these influences for two such works the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal. Both are relatively recent, have the same purpose (the increase of the East-West trade and were initiated by Ferdinand de Lesseps. The possibility of realization was analyzed long time before the beginning of the work. Both works are sources of huge incomes and created endless disputes between the great powers. The forecast level increase of the planetary ocean will affect differently these works.

  3. Pregnancy and birth survey after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Fukushima prefecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimori, Keiya; Kyozuka, Hyo; Yasuda, Shun; Goto, Aya; Yasumura, Seiji; Ota, Misao; Ohtsuru, Akira; Nomura, Yasuhisa; Hata, Kenichi; Suzuki, Kouta; Nakai, Akihito; Sato, Mieko; Matsui, Shiro; Nakano, Kyoko; Abe, Masafumi

    2014-01-01

    On 11 March 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by a powerful tsunami hit the Pacific Coast of Northeast Japan and damaged Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing a radiation hazard in Fukushima Prefecture. The objective of this report is to describe some results of a questionnaire-based pregnancy and birth survey conducted by the Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey. Questionnaires were sent to women who received maternal and child health handbooks from municipal officers in Fukushima Prefecture between 1 August 2010 and 31 July 2011, with the aim of reaching those who were pregnant at the time of the disaster. Mailing began 18 January 2012. Data were analyzed separately for six geographic areas in Fukushima Prefecture. The total number of women meeting survey criteria was 15,972. The number of responses received to date is 9,298 (58.2%). Data from 8602 respondents were analyzed after excluding 634 invalid responses and 5 induced and 57 spontaneous abortions (less than 22 gestational weeks). The incidences of stillbirth (over 22 completed gestational weeks), preterm birth, low birth weight and congenital anomalies were 0.25%, 4.4%, 8.7% and 2.72%, respectively. These incidences are similar to recent averages elsewhere in Japan. Considering the pregnancy and birth survey data in aggregate, our disaster seemed to provoke no significant adverse outcomes over the whole of Fukushima prefecture. But post-disaster prenatal care and support intended for patients' safety and security should be coupled with ongoing surveillance and rigorous data analysis.

  4. Urgent Safety Measures in Japan after Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taniura, W.; Otani, H.

    2012-01-01

    Due to tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, the operating and refueling reactor facilities at Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni Nuclear Power Plants of Tokyo Electric Power Co. caused a nuclear hazard. Japanese electric power companies voluntarily began to compile various urgent measures against tsunami within the week the hazard was caused. As for the urgent safety measures of each licensee, it is clarified that effective measures have been appropriately implemented as a result of the inspection of the national government, the verification based on the guideline of the Japan Society of Maintenology and the stress test. (author)

  5. Great Britain 1994: Starting a new era for nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collier, J.G.

    1994-01-01

    In the course of the British program of privatization of the state-owned electricity generating industry the nuclear power plants in England and Wales were incorporated into the newly founded (and state-owned) NE in 1989. In addition, the government decided in favor of a moratorium in the construction of more nuclear power plants. Only Sizewell B, Britain's first pressurized water reactor (PWR), was to be completed. At that point in time, three other PWRs were in the planning stage. The government decision included a review of the future of nuclear technology to be held in 1994. At the beginning of 1994, the nuclear future of Britain appears in a much more positive light than had been thought possible in 1989. When founding NE, the British government endowed it with a startup capital and also instituted a tax levied on fossil energy sources, the revenue from which is being made available to NE in compensation for the old liabilities NE had to assume. (orig./UA) [de

  6. Patrimonialism and Military Regimes in Africa | Ikpe | African Journal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... and pernicious effect on democracy because of unconcealed ethnic/sectional alignment of regimes. This generates inter-ethnic acrimony and rivalry, in effect, delegitimizes the state and state power, and consequently, engenders an uncongenial environment for cultivating democracy. (A. J. of Political Science: 2001 5(1): ...

  7. Sibling Self-Disclosure in Early Adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howe, Nina; Aquan-Assee, Jasmin; Bukowski, William M.; Rinaldi, Christina M.; Lehoux, Pascale M.

    2000-01-01

    Studied sibling-directed self-disclosure of 40 preadolescents through interviews, a questionnaire, and subjects' daily diaries. Found that warmth in sibling relationship was most strongly associated with sibling disclosure, but not with rivalry, conflict, or power. Daily sibling disclosures were more strongly associated with reports of unhappy…

  8. China from a regional perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Johannes Dragsbæk

    The paper explains the political economic background for China's insertion to the world system. It furthermore expands on a critical perspective on China's soft power strategy. It goes on to discuss China's foreign policy strategy towards Southeast Asia and China's rivalry with the US in the region....

  9. On the causes of the partition of Central Africa, 1875-85

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Foeken, D.W.J.

    1995-01-01

    This article deals with the partitioning of Central Africa between 1875 and 1885. The first part presents a brief summary of the process and the rivalries between the actors involved, the ensuing territorial conflicts and the diplomacy which led to the treaties between the European powers. The

  10. Perspective of Japanese energy policy after the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikkawa, Takeo

    2012-01-01

    After the Great East Japan Earthquake and following shutdown of damaged Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) with no admittance of restart of periodically inspected NPPs, Japan was to face a great danger of shortage of power supply which led to hollowing out of Japanese industry and shifting production capacity overseas. Toward needed restart of NPPs, safety standards against severe accidents should be newly established so as to implement hazards minimization measures of NPPs, which was harmonized with the requests of Fukui prefecture having the oldest and most numerous NPPs. Author's short-term or urgent proposals were (1) safety standards should incorporate site-specific historical utmost earthquake and tsunami and be updated by reflecting latest knowledge, (2) restart of old NPPs should be put off until investigation committee concluded the relation between oldness of Fukushima Daiichi NPPs and accident progression, and (3) separation of electric power production from power distribution and transmission should be careful and not be concluded with more haste than caution. Mid-and-long-term proposals were (1) reform of nuclear power; establishment of independent nuclear regulatory authority, separation of nuclear business from private company and nationalization, and promotion of transfer of power-resources development tax to local government, (2) institutional reform of electric power; reinforcement and expansion of frequency converter and electricity interconnectors, and promotion of intense competition among electric power companies, (3) thermal power shift response; gaining bargaining power for LNG procurement and carbon dioxide reduction using bilateral offset credit mechanism through technology transfer of coal-fired thermal power; (4) expansion of renewable energy; use of geothermal, small hydro and biomass power, use of solar and wind power as distributed generation, and promotion of Smart Community activities in north Kyushu and Kamaishi. Electric power sources

  11. Wireless electricity (Power) transmission using solar based power satellite technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maqsood, M; Nasir, M Nauman

    2013-01-01

    In the near future due to extensive use of energy, limited supply of resources and the pollution in environment from present resources e.g. (wood, coal, fossil fuel) etc, alternative sources of energy and new ways to generate energy which are efficient, cost effective and produce minimum losses are of great concern. Wireless electricity (Power) transmission (WET) has become a focal point as research point of view and nowadays lies at top 10 future hot burning technologies that are under research these days. In this paper, we present the concept of transmitting power wirelessly to reduce transmission and distribution losses. The wired distribution losses are 70 – 75% efficient. We cannot imagine the world without electric power which is efficient, cost effective and produce minimum losses is of great concern. This paper tells us the benefits of using WET technology specially by using Solar based Power satellites (SBPS) and also focuses that how we make electric system cost effective, optimized and well organized. Moreover, attempts are made to highlight future issues so as to index some emerging solutions.

  12. An evaluation of greenhouse gas mitigation options for coal-fired power plants in the US Great Lakes States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Froese, Robert E.; Shonnard, David R.; Miller, Chris A.; Koers, Ken P.; Johnson, Dana M.

    2010-01-01

    We assessed options for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation in the US Great Lakes States, a region heavily dependent on coal-fired power plants. A proposed 600 MW power plant in northern Lower Michigan, USA provided context for our evaluation. Options to offset fossil CO 2 emissions by 20% included biomass fuel substitution from (1) forest residuals, (2) short-rotation woody crops, or (3) switchgrass; (4) biologic sequestration in forest plantations; and (5) geologic sequestration using CO 2 capture. Review of timber product output data, land cover data, and expected energy crop productivity on idle agriculture land within 120 km of the plant revealed that biomass from forestry residuals has the potential to offset 6% and from energy crops 27% of the annual fossil fuel requirement. Furthermore, annual forest harvest in the region is only 26% of growth and the surplus represents a large opportunity for forest products and bioenergy applications. We used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare mitigation options, using fossil energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions per unit electricity generation as criteria. LCA results revealed that co-firing with forestry residuals is the most attractive option and geologic sequestration is the least attractive option, based on the two criteria. Biologic sequestration is intermediate but likely infeasible because of very large land area requirements. Our study revealed that biomass feedstock potentials from land and forest resources are not limiting mitigation activities, but the most practical approach is likely a combination of options that optimize additional social, environmental and economic criteria.

  13. The Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: a triple disaster affecting the mental health of the country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Jun; Shigemura, Jun

    2013-09-01

    The Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 caused 2 other serious disasters: a tsunami and a nuclear power plant accident. A chronic shortage of mental health resources had been previously reported in the Tohoku region, and the triple disaster worsened the situation. Eventually a public health approach was implemented by providing a common room in temporary housing developments to build a sense of community and to approach evacuees so that they could be triaged and referred to mental health teams. Japan now advocates using psychological first aid to educate first responders. This article extracts key lessons from relevant literature. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Electricity - a great asset for Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chretien, Jean.

    1983-06-01

    Canada has a great national asset in its ability to generate electricity economically from its abundant hydro, coal, and uranium resources. Its nuclear industry has an excellent product. Despite lack of orders for now, the CANDU will be a competitive force when the reactor market recovers. Canada has a proven record of reliability for electricity trade with the United States. There appear to be some opportunities for plants in Canada dedicated to the export of electric power. The federal government is prepared to work closely with the provinces to develop projects which will be attractive to customers in the United States

  15. A Compound Algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking Used in Laser Power Beaming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Cheng; Liu, Qiang; Gao, Shan; Teng, Yun; Cheng, Lin; Yu, Chengtao; Peng, Kai

    2018-03-01

    With the high voltage intelligent substation developing in a pretty high speed, more and more artificial intelligent techniques have been incorporated into the power devices to meet the automation needs. For the sake of the line maintenance staff’s safety, the high voltage isolating switch draws great attention among the most important power devices because of its capability of connecting and disconnecting the high voltage circuit. However, due to the very high level voltage of the high voltage isolating switch’s working environment, the power supply system of the surveillance devices could suffer from great electromagnetic interference. Laser power beaming exhibits its merits in such situation because it can provide steady power from a distance despite the day or the night. Then the energy conversion efficiency arises as a new concern. To make as much use of the laser power as possible, our work mainly focuses on extracting maximum power from the photovoltaic (PV) panel. In this paper, we proposed a neural network based algorithm which relates both the intrinsic and the extrinsic features of the PV panel to the proportion of the voltage at the maximum power point (MPP) to the open circuit voltage of the PV panel. Simulations and experiments were carried out to verify the validness of our algorithm.

  16. The Great Hedge of India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moxham, Roy

    2015-01-01

    The 'Great Hedge of India', a 3 700 kilometre-long hedge installed by the British customs to safeguard the colonial salt tax system and avoid salt smuggling totally faded from both memory and records (e.g. maps) in less than a century. Roy Moxham found traces of the hedge in a book footnote and searched it for several years until he found its meagre remains. The speaker wrote a book about this quest. He said that this story reveals how things disappear when they are no longer useful and, especially, when they are linked to parts of history that are not deemed particularly positive (the hedge was a means of colonial power)

  17. Offshoring in the automobile ancillary sector. Who competes with its production plants?; Deslocalizacion en el sector auxiliar del automovil. Con quien compite su planta de produccion?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lampon, J. F.; Vazquez, X. H.; Garcia-Vazquez, J. M.

    2010-07-01

    The paper addresses the causes of off shoring in the Spanish car industry. It compares the internal rivalry between European subsidiaries of the same multinational with the external rivalry stemming from other competitors located in Spain. Our analysis shows two important results: firstly, that productivity is more important than profitability in off shoring decisions; and second, that these differences are more evident for internal rivalry than for external rivalry. (Author) 21 refs.

  18. The Power of Positive Emotions

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español The Power of Positive Emotions KidsHealth / For Teens / The Power ... great one. 2. Practice Positivity Every Day Building habits that encourage us to feel more positive emotions ...

  19. Improving Sibling Relationships among Young Children: A Social Skills Training Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, Laurie; Radey, Chad

    1997-01-01

    Evaluates a new approach to improving sibling relationships in which social skills training was used to coach small groups of children (n=21) in prosocial sibling behaviors. Results show that children in the training group exhibited increased warmth, decreased rivalry, fewer problematic sibling behaviors, and a reduced status/power differential…

  20. The Great War and Dutch Contract Law : Resistance, Responsiveness and Neutrality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boom, van W.H.

    2014-01-01

    Throughout the Great War, the Netherlands tried frantically to remain a neutral nation between the warring Central Powers and the Entente Forces. Notwithstanding its neutrality, the war left distinct marks on Dutch society and economy. This article argues that it also left marks, both temporary and

  1. Eight Personal Characteristics Associated with the Power to Live with Disasters as Indicated by Survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Motoaki Sugiura

    Full Text Available People perceive, judge, and behave differently in disasters and in a wide range of other difficult situations depending on their personal characteristics. The power to live, as captured by characteristics that are advantageous for survival in such situations, has thus far been modeled in arbitrary ways. Conceptualizing such characteristics in more objective ways may be helpful for systematic preparations for future disasters and life difficulties. Here, we attempted to identify the major factors of the power to live by summarizing the opinions of survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. We conducted personal interviews with 78 survivors about their survival experiences and elicited their opinions about the power to live as relevant to those experiences. We then incorporated these opinions into a questionnaire that was completed by 1400 survivors. Factor analysis identified eight factors related to the power to live: leadership, problem solving, altruism, stubbornness, etiquette, emotional regulation, self-transcendence, and active well-being. All factors had sufficient internal construct validity, and six of them showed significant associations with one or more measures of survival success in the disaster, including immediate tsunami evacuation, problem solving in refugee situations, recovery during reconstruction, physical health, and mental health. Overall, the personal characteristics described by the eight factors largely overlap with those described in previous arbitrary models. Further research should investigate the domains, phases, and contexts in which each factor contributes to survival, address whether the factors are rooted in nature or in nurture, and explore their psychological or physiological bases.

  2. Eight Personal Characteristics Associated with the Power to Live with Disasters as Indicated by Survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sugiura, Motoaki; Sato, Shosuke; Nouchi, Rui; Honda, Akio; Abe, Tsuneyuki; Muramoto, Toshiaki; Imamura, Fumihiko

    2015-01-01

    People perceive, judge, and behave differently in disasters and in a wide range of other difficult situations depending on their personal characteristics. The power to live, as captured by characteristics that are advantageous for survival in such situations, has thus far been modeled in arbitrary ways. Conceptualizing such characteristics in more objective ways may be helpful for systematic preparations for future disasters and life difficulties. Here, we attempted to identify the major factors of the power to live by summarizing the opinions of survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. We conducted personal interviews with 78 survivors about their survival experiences and elicited their opinions about the power to live as relevant to those experiences. We then incorporated these opinions into a questionnaire that was completed by 1400 survivors. Factor analysis identified eight factors related to the power to live: leadership, problem solving, altruism, stubbornness, etiquette, emotional regulation, self-transcendence, and active well-being. All factors had sufficient internal construct validity, and six of them showed significant associations with one or more measures of survival success in the disaster, including immediate tsunami evacuation, problem solving in refugee situations, recovery during reconstruction, physical health, and mental health. Overall, the personal characteristics described by the eight factors largely overlap with those described in previous arbitrary models. Further research should investigate the domains, phases, and contexts in which each factor contributes to survival, address whether the factors are rooted in nature or in nurture, and explore their psychological or physiological bases.

  3. Sourozenecká rivalita a její odraz ve školní úspěšnosti na prvním stupni ZŠ

    OpenAIRE

    Hánová, Radka

    2016-01-01

    In its theoretical part, the thesis "Sibling rivalry as reflected in primary school success" provils a description of the primary school pupil and definitions of sibling rivalry and scholastic success. Further attention in giwen to parenting practices which foster sibling rivalry. The aim of the practical part of the thesis is to decode the tokens of sibling rivalry and to covvelate it with scholastic success in the kontext of parent - pupiů - teacher relationships. Both qualitative and quant...

  4. Joint care can outweigh costs of nonkin competition in communal breeders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bebbington, Kat; Fairfield, Eleanor A; Spurgin, Lewis G; Kingma, Sjouke A; Dugdale, Hannah; Komdeur, Jan; Richardson, David S

    2018-01-01

    Competition between offspring can greatly influence offspring fitness and parental investment decisions, especially in communal breeders where unrelated competitors have less incentive to concede resources. Given the potential for escalated conflict, it remains unclear what mechanisms facilitate the evolution of communal breeding among unrelated females. Resolving this question requires simultaneous consideration of offspring in noncommunal and communal nurseries, but such comparisons are missing. In the Seychelles warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis, we compare nestling pairs from communal nests (2 mothers) and noncommunal nests (1 mother) with singleton nestlings. Our results indicate that increased provisioning rate can act as a mechanism to mitigate the costs of offspring rivalry among nonkin. Increased provisioning in communal broods, as a consequence of having 2 female parents, mitigates any elevated costs of offspring rivalry among nonkin: per-capita provisioning and survival was equal in communal broods and singletons, but lower in noncommunal broods. Individual offspring costs were also more divergent in noncommunal broods, likely because resource limitation exacerbates differences in competitive ability between nestlings. It is typically assumed that offspring rivalry among nonkin will be more costly because offspring are not driven by kin selection to concede resources to their competitors. Our findings are correlational and require further corroboration, but may help explain the evolutionary maintenance of communal breeding by providing a mechanism by which communal breeders can avoid these costs.

  5. A novel nuclear-powered propulsion system for ship

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Tao; Han Weishi

    2003-01-01

    A novel nuclear-powered propulsion system for ship is presented in this paper. In this system, a minitype liquid sodium-cooled reactor is used as power; alkali-metal thermal-to-electric conversion (AMTEC) cells are utilized to transform the heat energy to electric energy and superconducting magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) work as propulsion. This nuclear-powered propulsion system has great advantages in low noise, high speed, long survivability and simple manipulation. It has great significance for the development of propulsion system. (author)

  6. Necessity of nuclear power engineering development in Kazakstan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takibaev, Zh.S.; Cherepnin, Yu.S.

    1996-01-01

    Kazakstan is a great land country. Mining and delivery of great coal amount to power facilities will require to rise prices for electrical power. High expenditures for energy will lead to rising prime cost of every industry production unit produced in the country. If all power supply in the country is obtained from solid fuel, than geographical factor would be a heavy weight for it economy that would be not able to produce competition able. There is no doubt, that Kazakstan coal power supply will be prevailing electric power source for a long period of future. But it is urgently necessary consider and develop alternative conceptions for development of young country. There are a number of favourable reasons for atomic power engineering development

  7. Research on the security of nuclear power equipment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Jiong; Wu Jinzong

    2008-06-01

    Recently, the rapidly growing economy in conflict with the lack of power in the whole country become more and more seriously in our country. In other hand, there is also various kind of problems such as greenhouse effect and the oil price rising conditions. It greatly promote our country's development of Nuclear power project. As forecast, the number of Nuclear Power Plant will increase greatly in the future. However, the security of the Nuclear Power Plant is one of the topics that people always pay more attention to. Combining with the practice experience of Nuclear Power Plant in Japanese, the security of Nuclear Power Plant in multi-angles is discussed. It is pointed that the risk assesment and management system of nuclear power plant are effective measure for security of the development of nuclear power. (authors)

  8. Great Apes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Cerveny, Shannon

    2014-01-01

    Anesthesia of great apes is often necessary to conduct diagnostic analysis, provide therapeutics, facilitate surgical procedures, and enable transport and translocation for conservation purposes. Due to the stress of remote delivery injection of anesthetic agents, recent studies have focused on oral delivery and/or transmucosal absorption of preanesthetic and anesthetic agents. Maintenance of the airway and provision of oxygen is an important aspect of anesthesia in great ape species. The provision of analgesia is an important aspect of the anesthesia protocol for any procedure involving painful stimuli. Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often administered alone, or in combination to provide multi-modal analgesia. There is increasing conservation management of in situ great ape populations, which has resulted in the development of field anesthesia techniques for free-living great apes for the purposes of translocation, reintroduction into the wild, and clinical interventions.

  9. Fungal levels in houses in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant evacuation zone after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinohara, Naohide; Tokumura, Masahiro; Hashimoto, Kazuhiro; Asano, Katsuyoshi; Kawakami, Yuji

    2017-10-01

    Residences located within 20 km of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated shortly after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The levels of airborne and surface fungi were measured in six houses in the evacuation zone in August 2012 and February 2013. Airborne fungal levels in all of the houses in the summer were higher than the environmental standard levels for residential houses published in Architectural Institute of Japan (>1000 colony-forming units [CFU]/m 3 ). In two houses whose residents rarely returned to visit, fungal levels were extremely high (>52,000 CFU/m 3 ). Although fungal levels in the winter were much lower than those in the summer, they were still higher than environmental standard levels in several houses. Indoor fungal levels were significantly inversely related to the frequency with which residents returned, but they were not correlated with the air exchange rates, temperature, humidity, or radiation levels. Cladosporium spp. and Penicillium spp. were detected in every house. Aspergillus section Circumdati (Aspergillus ochraceus group) was also detected in several houses. These fungi produced ochratoxin A and ochratoxin B, which have nephrotoxic and carcinogenic potential. The present study suggests that further monitoring of fungal levels is necessary in houses in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant evacuation zone, and that some houses may require fungal disinfection. The results suggest that residents' health could be at risk owing to the high levels of airborne fungi and toxic fungi Aspergillus section Circumdati. Therefore, monitoring and decontamination/disinfection of fungi are strongly recommended before residents are allowed to return permanently to their homes. In addition, returning to home with a certain frequency and adequate ventilation are necessary during similar situations, e.g., when residents cannot stay in their homes for a long period, because fungal levels in houses in the Fukushima Daiichi

  10. Analisis Industri Ritel Di Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Soliha, Euis

    2008-01-01

    This article presents an overview the analisys of retail industry in Indonesia.Retail industry in Indonesia grow rapidly. Industrial presence of modern retailbasically exploits public shopping pattern especially middle-weight and to which donot want to mill around in traditional market. Analysis Five Forces is used toanalysis retail industry. Analysis five force is bargaining power of buyers,bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, threat of new substituteproducts, and rivalry a...

  11. Evaluation Strategy Michael Porter's five forces model of the competitive environment on the dairy industry (Case Study: Amoll Haraz Dvshh dairy company)

    OpenAIRE

    Mohammad Bolorian Tehrani; Faezeh Rahmani

    2016-01-01

    State of competition in an industry depends on five basic forces. Porter's five forces model including bargaining power of customers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of newcomers to the industry, threat of substitute products is the intensity of rivalry between competitors. Joint strength of these forces determines the ultimate benefit of potentially any industry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the competitive environment of the dairy industry based on Michael Por...

  12. Powering China: reforming the power industry in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Yi Chong

    2002-06-01

    This, the first text to study the Chinese electric power industry in great detail, examines the ownership and the restructuring of the industry. The reform of the electric power industry is also seen as part of the wider economic development that has been taking place in China, thus providing fresh perspectives on the changes taking place in both the economy and society more generally. Presenting a wealth of extensive research on the subject, the book elucidates the power struggle between political and bureaucratic elite and explains the sensitive and volatile relationship between the central and provincial government against an increasingly complex global background. (Author)

  13. JUNTOS E SEPARADOS: A RIVALIDADE ENTRE TORCIDAS DE UM CLUBE DE FUTEBOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Leal de Lima

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: it is seen with a certain tranquility the rivalry between football teams. However, it is observed rivalries of different organized supporters of the same team. Objective: to analyze the dynamics of rivalry in the Flamengo Football Club. Methods: review Results: it was observed that this starts from different social and historical influences. Shields and songs reinforce their processes belonging. Conclusions: We note that the final competition for physical space in stadiums is a major form of mobilization of this rivalry.

  14. Long-term outcomes of patients evacuated from hospitals near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igarashi, Yutaka; Tagami, Takashi; Hagiwara, Jun; Kanaya, Takahiro; Kido, Norihiro; Omura, Mariko; Tosa, Ryoichi; Yokota, Hiroyuki

    2018-01-01

    After the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant due to the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, the Japanese government issued a mandatory evacuation order for people living within a 20 km radius of the nuclear power plant. The aim of the current study was to investigate long-term outcomes of these patients and identify factors related to mortality. Patients who were evacuated from hospitals near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to the Aizu Chuo Hospital from 15 to 26 March, 2011 were included in this study. The following data were collected from medical records: age, sex, activities of daily life, hospital they were admitted in at the time of earthquake, distance between the facility and the nuclear power plant, reasons of evacuation and number of transfers. The patient outcomes were collected from medical records and/or investigated on the telephone in January 2012. A total of 97 patients (28 men and 69 women) were transferred from 10 hospitals via ambulances or buses. No patients died or experienced exacerbation during transfer. Median age of the patients was 86 years. Of the total, 36 patients were not able to obey commands, 44 were bed-ridden and 61 were unable to sustain themselves via oral intake of food. Among 86 patients who were followed-up, 41 (48%) died at the end of 2011. Multiple-regression analysis showed that non-oral intake [Hazard Ratio (HR): 6.07, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.94-19.0] and male sex [HR: 8.35, 95% CI: 2.14-32.5] had significant impact on mortality. This study found that 48% of the evacuated patients died 9 months after the earthquake and they had significantly higher mortality rate than the nursing home residents. Non-oral intake and male sex had significant impact on mortality. These patients should be considered as especially vulnerable in case of hospital evacuation.

  15. Post-War Economics. Micro-Level Evidence from the African Great Lakes Region

    OpenAIRE

    D'Aoust, Olivia

    2015-01-01

    This thesis starts by arguing that the civil conflicts that erupted in the African Great Lakes are rooted in a continuous pursuit of power, in which ethnic, regional and political identifiers are used by the contenders for power to rally community support. In an introductory chapter, I go back to the colonial era, drawing attention to Burundi and Rwanda, and then describe in more details Burundi's refugee crisis, ex-combatants' demobilization and the 2010 elections, all of which will be addre...

  16. Japanese energy balances after the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsuzuki, Kazuhiro; Moriyama, Ryo; Ishimoto, Yuki; Tomikatsu, Koji; Hagiwara, Naoto

    2012-01-01

    After the Great East Japan Earthquake, disaster response and risk of nuclear accident became a new issue and the public against nuclear power was increasing with knowing a long-term period required for restoration from Fukushima accident. This article described effects of 'de-nuclear power' policy with no additional plants on energy balances in 2030 and 2050 with simulated energy model based on government's long-term energy supply-demand outlook issued in 2009. Main assumed conditions were as follows; (1) nuclear power of case B) 40 years operation and C) 60 years operation, (2) share of photovoltaic and wind power was assumed to be 9% of total power generation and the same as planned before the earthquake disaster, which could not replace nuclear power and (3) final consumption of case 2) 8% saving and 3) 20% saving. Effects of 'de-nuclear power' in 2030 were (1) CO 2 emission difference between B) and C) was 50 Mt and (2) estimated cost increase between B) and C) was 0.1 T yen/year for CO 2 emission, 1 T yen/year for LNG procurement and 2.4 T yen for thermal power construction. Energy balances in 2050 were much influenced by trend of renewable energy technology development and fossil energy procurement and use. Sophisticated power change measures using storage battery for renewable energy should be developed, otherwise if power change were dealt with thermal power, share would be limited to 15-20% of total power generation. If CO 2 emission in 2050 was limited to 50% instead of formally announced 80% of CO 2 emission in 1990, share of non-fossil power (nuclear power + renewable energy) became almost 100% for case 3). Base technology of nuclear power should remain as option for the case where fossil energy procurement and CO 2 emission limit became restrictive in 2050. (T. Tanaka)

  17. [Salzburg 1908. Karl Abraham caught between Freud and Jung].

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Schoonheten, Anna Bentinck

    2010-01-01

    The first psychoanalytic congress in Salzburg has often been described as a great success with one blemish: a conflict between Jung and Abraham, mainly caused by the rivalry in Abraham's behaviour. A new study of the material, and taking Abraham's perspective, provides a different view. Abraham, still a beginner in psychoanalysis, got in the way of Freud and Jung who at that time had a deep theoretical disagreement. In the end they both blamed Abraham.

  18. Cracks show in African Commission | Daniels | Africa Insight

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Far from providing leadership, the African Commission is riven with regional, linguistic and religious rivalries. Article Metrics. Metrics Loading ... Metrics powered by PLOS ALM · http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ai.v31i4.22383 · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE AJOL... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors. OTHER ...

  19. Public opinion on environmental and energy issues. Result of the census after 3 years of the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosugi, Motoko

    2014-01-01

    The public opinion on the energy and environmental issues has changed greatly in Japan through experiences in and along the Great East Japan Earthquake. We conducted a social survey in order to grasp public opinions for environment and energy issues in March, 2014, which obtained 2313 valid responses (response rate was 64.3%). For the energy and environmental issues, while respondents show high interests in matters related to the Fukushima accident and nuclear power generation as well as electricity prices, they show relatively low interest in every other aspect. With regard to Japan's energy policy in the future, as expectations for renewable and natural sources of energy are large, about 60% of respondents have negative attitude in restart of nuclear power. For nuclear power, as compared to the previous survey conducted in August 2008, evaluation of 'control-ability of environmental impacts' and 'the power companies' risk management ability' was greatly reduced in particular. These results suggest the importance of provoke interest in the energy issues in general, as a premise to seek an understanding of the activities of the government and power companies. Furthermore, in order for the power companies to restore trust from the public, it is important to sympathize to public's anticipations of impacts on the health and environment through uses of nuclear power in the future. (author)

  20. Analyzing the development of Indonesia shrimp industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wati, L. A.

    2018-04-01

    This research aimed to analyze the development of shrimp industry in Indonesia. Porter’s Diamond Theory was used for analysis. The Porter’s Diamond theory is one of framework for industry analysis and business strategy development. The Porter’s Diamond theory has five forces that determine the competitive intensity in an industry, namely (1) the threat of substitute products, (2) the threat of competition, (3) the threat of new entrants, (4) bargaining power of suppliers, and (5) bargaining power of consumers. The development of Indonesian shrimp industry pretty good, explained by Porter Diamond Theory analysis. Analysis of Porter Diamond Theory through four main components namely factor conditions; demand condition; related and supporting industries; and firm strategy, structure and rivalry coupled with a two-component supporting (regulatory the government and the factor of chance). Based on the result of this research show that two-component supporting (regulatory the government and the factor of chance) have positive. Related and supporting industries have negative, firm and structure strategy have negative, rivalry has positive, factor condition have positive (except science and technology resources).

  1. Wind power: public policies; Energia eolica: politicas publicas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferreira, Henrique Tavares; Faga, Murilo Tadeu Werneck [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia. Programa Interunidades de Pos-graduacao em Energia]. E-mail: henrique@iee.usp.br; murfaga@iee.usp.br

    2006-07-01

    This paper presents the incentive models to the wind power applied in Germany and Denmark, two countries with great participation of wind power in their energetic matrixes, analysing the barriers found to the wind power development.

  2. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Mussel Watch(2009-2014)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Following the inception of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to address the significant environmental issues plaguing the Great Lakes region, the...

  3. DUALISM OF GEOSTRATEGIC PROSPECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN IN THE MODERN SYSTEM OF GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexey N. Yeletsky

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Peculiarities of a modern position of Great Britain in the global economy are analysed. Its role as one of the local centres of influence in the European Union is emphasized. «Special relationship» between England and the United States in the context of formation of a new «Anglo-Saxon empire» is examined. Particular attention is paid to the key role of Great Britain in the alliance of English-speaking powers.

  4. Ecology of fire in shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paulette L. Ford; Guy R. McPherson

    1996-01-01

    The ecology of fire in shortgrass prairie of the southern Great Plains includes a complex interaction between the shortgrass prairie ecosystem and its inhabitants, all inextricably linked to land-use patterns. The history of the relationship between man and fire has been filled with ambivalence and mistrust, along with an appreciation of the power of fire as a...

  5. Wind power and market power in competitive markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Twomey, Paul; Neuhoff, Karsten

    2010-01-01

    Average market prices for intermittent generation technologies are lower than for conventional generation. This has a technical reason but can be exaggerated in the presence of market power. When there is much wind smaller amounts of conventional generation technologies are required, and prices are lower, while at times of little wind prices are higher. This effect reflects the value of different generation technologies to the system. But under conditions of market power, conventional generators with market power can further depress the prices if they have to buy back energy at times of large wind output and can increase prices if they have to sell additional power at times of little wind output. This greatly exaggerates the effect. Forward contracting does not reduce the effect. An important consequence is that allowing market power profit margins as a support mechanism for generation capacity investment is not a technologically neutral policy.

  6. Transient analysis models for nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agapito, J.R.

    1981-01-01

    The modelling used for the simulation of the Angra-1 start-up reactor tests, using the RETRAN computer code is presented. Three tests are simulated: a)nuclear power plant trip from 100% of power; b)great power excursions tests and c)'load swing' tests.(E.G.) [pt

  7. Reactor experiments, workshops, and human resource development education simulating the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horiguchi, Tetsuo; Yamamoto, Tomosada

    2012-01-01

    Kinki University Atomic Energy Research Institute has been implementing a social education program such as reactor experiments and training sessions for junior and senior high school teachers since 1987, and in recent years, it has been implementing an education program for common citizens. However, the Great East Japan Earthquake has made it necessary to consider not only the dissemination of accurate knowledge, but also responding to the anxiety on nuclear power. This paper explains the contents of the social contribution activities and workshops conducted at Kinki University Atomic Energy Research Institute, after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident. As the activities that are carried out in addition to training sessions, it introduces the implementation state of telephone consultation about nuclear power, and earthquake reconstruction assistance advisory at Kawamata Town, Date-gun, Fukushima Prefecture. As workshop support, it reports human resource development education in the nuclear field at the university, activities at the workshops for junior/senior high school teachers and general public, and questionnaire survey at the time of the workshops. (A.O.)

  8. Η ανάλυση του κατασκευαστικού κλάδου με βάση το μοντέλο των 5 δυνάμεων ανταγωνισμού του Porter

    OpenAIRE

    Τζώρτζη, Σταματίνα

    2007-01-01

    The scope of this thesis is the analysis of the construction field based on Porter’s model: Forces driving industry competition. According to Michael Porter, an authority on competitive strategy, the success of a corporation, which is the ultimate profit potential, is determined by five basic competitive forces: threat of new entrants, rivalry among existing firms, threat of substitute products or services, bargain power of buyers and bargain power of suppliers. A general and theoretical i...

  9. Applications of power beaming from space-based nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, J.R.; Botts, T.E.; Hertzberg, A.

    1981-01-01

    Power beaming from space-based reactor systems is examined using an advanced compact, lightweight Rotating Bed Reactor (RBR). Closed Brayton power conversion efficiencies in the range of 30 to 40% can be achieved with turbines, with reactor exit temperatures on the order of 2000 0 K and a liquid drop radiator to reject heat at temperatures of approx. 500 0 K. Higher RBR coolant temperatures (up to approx. 3000 0 K) are possible, but gains in power conversion efficiency are minimal, due to lower expander efficiency (e.g., a MHD generator). Two power beaming applications are examined - laser beaming to airplanes and microwave beaming to fixed ground receivers. Use of the RBR greatly reduces system weight and cost, as compared to solar power sources. Payback times are a few years at present prices for power and airplane fuel

  10. Microsoft Hyper-V PowerShell automation

    CERN Document Server

    Menon, Vinith

    2015-01-01

    This book is great for administrators who are new to automating Hyper-V administration tasks using PowerShell. If you are familiar with the PowerShell command line and have some experience with the Windows Server, this book is perfect for you.

  11. Low power predictable memory and processing architectures

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Jiaoyan

    2013-01-01

    Great demand in power optimized devices shows promising economic potential and draws lots of attention in industry and research area. Due to the continuously shrinking CMOS process, not only dynamic power but also static power has emerged as a big concern in power reduction. Other than power optimization, average-case power estimation is quite significant for power budget allocation but also challenging in terms of time and effort. In this thesis, we will introduce a methodology to support mo...

  12. Power gating of VLSI circuits using MEMS switches in low power applications

    KAUST Repository

    Shobak, Hosam

    2011-12-01

    Power dissipation poses a great challenge for VLSI designers. With the intense down-scaling of technology, the total power consumption of the chip is made up primarily of leakage power dissipation. This paper proposes combining a custom-designed MEMS switch to power gate VLSI circuits, such that leakage power is efficiently reduced while accounting for performance and reliability. The designed MEMS switch is characterized by an 0.1876 ? ON resistance and requires 4.5 V to switch. As a result of implementing this novel power gating technique, a standby leakage power reduction of 99% and energy savings of 33.3% are achieved. Finally the possible effects of surge currents and ground bounce noise are studied. These findings allow longer operation times for battery-operated systems characterized by long standby periods. © 2011 IEEE.

  13. Penis Envy and the Female Oedipus Complex: A Plea to Reawaken an Ineffectual Debate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zepf, Siegfried; Seel, Dietmar

    2016-06-01

    Going along with Laplanche's assumption that there is no endogenous sexuality, the authors discuss Freud's concepts of the female Oedipus complex and penis envy and some of its proposed alternatives. The female oedipal conflict turns out to be the outcome of a projective identification with the Oedipus complexes of the mother and father. In the context of the rivalry with the mother, penis envy refers to the maternal power over the father's penis that the daughter wants to have in herself, while, in the context of the rivalry with the father, penis envy arises from the jealousy of the father's penis that the daughter believes is necessary to have on herself in order to satisfy her mother. The authors conclude that in Freud's day such insights were already available, which might have culminated in the conceptualization they present in this paper.

  14. Great War legacies in Serbian culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milojković-Đurić Jelena

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the aftermath of the Great War, Ivo Andrić published a number of poems, essays and short stories describing the hard-won victorious outcome as transient to the dire reality of the inordinate loss of human lives and suffering. Yet, personal experiences, although perceived as ephemeral, helped to define the historical discourse capturing man’s resolve to persist in his chosen mission. Over time, Serbian literature and fine arts sustained an unfinished dialogue of the past and the present, merging the individual voices with the collective voices to construct the national narrative. The young writer Miloš Crnjanski observed the sights of destruction and despair that seemed to pale in new literary works pertaining to the war. His novel A Diary about Čarnojević was closely related to his own perilous wartime journey as a conscript in the Austrian army. The vastness of Pannonian plains and Galician woods must have invoked a comparison of sorts with another historic chapter recorded in the collective consciousness of his nation: the Great Migration of Serbs led by Patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević (Crnojević in 1690. The very title of the novel contained a powerful reference to the migration, and its illustrious historic leader which has not been discussed or explored before.

  15. The Bright, the Dark, and the Blue Face of Narcissism: The Spectrum of Narcissism in Its Relations to the Metatraits of Personality, Self-Esteem, and the Nomological Network of Shyness, Loneliness, and Empathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radosław Rogoza

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism seem to be uncorrelated in empirical studies, yet they share at least some theoretical similarities. In the current study, we examine the relation between grandiose (conceptualized as admiration and rivalry and vulnerable narcissism in the context of the Big Five personality traits and metatraits, self-esteem, and their nomological network. To this end, participants (N = 314 filled in a set of self-report measures via an online survey. Rivalry was positively linked with both admiration and vulnerable narcissism. We replicated the relations of admiration and rivalry with personality traits and metatraits—as well as extended existing knowledge by providing support for the theory that vulnerable narcissism is simultaneously negatively related to the Stability and Plasticity. Higher scores on vulnerable narcissism and rivalry predicted having fragile self-esteem, whereas high scores on admiration predicted having optimal self-esteem. The assumed relations with the nomological network were confirmed, i.e., vulnerable narcissism and admiration demonstrated a contradictory pattern of relation to shyness and loneliness, whilst rivalry predicted low empathy. Our results suggest that the rivalry is between vulnerable narcissism and admiration, which supports its localization in the self-importance dimension of the narcissism spectrum model. It was concluded that whereas admiration and rivalry represent the bright and dark face of narcissism, vulnerable narcissism represents its blue face.

  16. The Bright, the Dark, and the Blue Face of Narcissism: The Spectrum of Narcissism in Its Relations to the Metatraits of Personality, Self-Esteem, and the Nomological Network of Shyness, Loneliness, and Empathy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogoza, Radosław; Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Magdalena; Kwiatkowska, Maria M.; Kwiatkowska, Katarzyna

    2018-01-01

    Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism seem to be uncorrelated in empirical studies, yet they share at least some theoretical similarities. In the current study, we examine the relation between grandiose (conceptualized as admiration and rivalry) and vulnerable narcissism in the context of the Big Five personality traits and metatraits, self-esteem, and their nomological network. To this end, participants (N = 314) filled in a set of self-report measures via an online survey. Rivalry was positively linked with both admiration and vulnerable narcissism. We replicated the relations of admiration and rivalry with personality traits and metatraits—as well as extended existing knowledge by providing support for the theory that vulnerable narcissism is simultaneously negatively related to the Stability and Plasticity. Higher scores on vulnerable narcissism and rivalry predicted having fragile self-esteem, whereas high scores on admiration predicted having optimal self-esteem. The assumed relations with the nomological network were confirmed, i.e., vulnerable narcissism and admiration demonstrated a contradictory pattern of relation to shyness and loneliness, whilst rivalry predicted low empathy. Our results suggest that the rivalry is between vulnerable narcissism and admiration, which supports its localization in the self-importance dimension of the narcissism spectrum model. It was concluded that whereas admiration and rivalry represent the bright and dark face of narcissism, vulnerable narcissism represents its blue face. PMID:29593627

  17. The Bright, the Dark, and the Blue Face of Narcissism: The Spectrum of Narcissism in Its Relations to the Metatraits of Personality, Self-Esteem, and the Nomological Network of Shyness, Loneliness, and Empathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogoza, Radosław; Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Magdalena; Kwiatkowska, Maria M; Kwiatkowska, Katarzyna

    2018-01-01

    Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism seem to be uncorrelated in empirical studies, yet they share at least some theoretical similarities. In the current study, we examine the relation between grandiose (conceptualized as admiration and rivalry) and vulnerable narcissism in the context of the Big Five personality traits and metatraits, self-esteem, and their nomological network. To this end, participants ( N = 314) filled in a set of self-report measures via an online survey. Rivalry was positively linked with both admiration and vulnerable narcissism. We replicated the relations of admiration and rivalry with personality traits and metatraits-as well as extended existing knowledge by providing support for the theory that vulnerable narcissism is simultaneously negatively related to the Stability and Plasticity. Higher scores on vulnerable narcissism and rivalry predicted having fragile self-esteem, whereas high scores on admiration predicted having optimal self-esteem. The assumed relations with the nomological network were confirmed, i.e., vulnerable narcissism and admiration demonstrated a contradictory pattern of relation to shyness and loneliness, whilst rivalry predicted low empathy. Our results suggest that the rivalry is between vulnerable narcissism and admiration, which supports its localization in the self-importance dimension of the narcissism spectrum model. It was concluded that whereas admiration and rivalry represent the bright and dark face of narcissism, vulnerable narcissism represents its blue face.

  18. Urgent Safety Measures in Japan after Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taniura, Wataru; Otani, Hiroyasu

    2012-01-01

    Due to tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the operating and refueling reactor facilities at Fukushima Dai-ichi and Dai-ni Nuclear Power Plants caused a nuclear hazard. Given the fact, Japanese electric power companies voluntarily began to compile various urgent measures against tsunami. And then the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) ordered the licensees to put into practice the voluntarily compiled urgent safety measures, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the means for recovering cooling functions along with avoiding the release of radioactive substances to the possible minimum, even if a huge tsunami following a severe earthquake hits nuclear power plants. The following describes the state and the effect of the urgent safety measures implemented for 44 reactors (under operation) and 1 reactor (under construction) in Japan and also describes the measures to be implemented by the licensees of reactor operation in the future.

  19. Good practice at Onagawa power plant during the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakabayashi, Toshiaki

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes the situation of Onagawa Nuclear Power Station after The off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake on March 11, 2011: (1) outline of situation of nuclear power plant Unit 1, 2 and 3, (2) assumption of push wave from the recognition of the tsunami due to large earthquakes that occurred in the past and tsunami countermeasures, and securement of cooling function at the time of push/pull wave based on emergency seawater pumps, (3) installation of handrail sticks on the central control room monitoring and control panel as a countermeasure from the lessons from the past earthquakes, (4) improvement of the seismic tolerance of facilities, and (5) earthquake resistant reinforcement of main office building and new construction of a seismic isolation office building. As response to emergency situation, the following are described: (1) unification of external response service at the head office, and the helicopter transportation of goods due to power plant needs as the power station support from the head office, and (2) as the countermeasures of on-site power plant, the duplication of information transmission route and the survey/examination and countermeasures by individual teams for each problem (especially, fire at Unit 1 and seawater infiltration at Unit 2). In additive, through the emergency response at the time of The off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, this paper examined the required qualities of an on-site commander based on the experience stories of persons concerned. (A.O.)

  20. Between power and influence of states

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexei D. Bogaturov

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: The author considers the contemporary state of affairs in international relations in the context of accelerating global trends of world development of the latest decade. In particular, the article deals with the issue of correlation between power and infl uence in foreign policies of great powers, taking into consideration the nuclear factor and current international crises. The author resort to and explains the notions of “supremacy” and “parity” to analyze the on-going transformation of world system and the role of key regional and great powers, including Russia, in this process. The article also proposes the typology of subjects in international interaction, as well as the potential of their infl uence on world political system, whose development scenarios is in the focus of author’s attention.

  1. The Time Scale of Recombination Rate Evolution in Great Apes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevison, Laurie S.; Woerner, August E.; Kidd, Jeffrey M.; Kelley, Joanna L.; Veeramah, Krishna R.; McManus, Kimberly F.; Bustamante, Carlos D.; Hammer, Michael F.; Wall, Jeffrey D.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract We present three linkage-disequilibrium (LD)-based recombination maps generated using whole-genome sequence data from 10 Nigerian chimpanzees, 13 bonobos, and 15 western gorillas, collected as part of the Great Ape Genome Project (Prado-Martinez J, et al. 2013. Great ape genetic diversity and population history. Nature 499:471–475). We also identified species-specific recombination hotspots in each group using a modified LDhot framework, which greatly improves statistical power to detect hotspots at varying strengths. We show that fewer hotspots are shared among chimpanzee subspecies than within human populations, further narrowing the time scale of complete hotspot turnover. Further, using species-specific PRDM9 sequences to predict potential binding sites (PBS), we show higher predicted PRDM9 binding in recombination hotspots as compared to matched cold spot regions in multiple great ape species, including at least one chimpanzee subspecies. We found that correlations between broad-scale recombination rates decline more rapidly than nucleotide divergence between species. We also compared the skew of recombination rates at centromeres and telomeres between species and show a skew from chromosome means extending as far as 10–15 Mb from chromosome ends. Further, we examined broad-scale recombination rate changes near a translocation in gorillas and found minimal differences as compared to other great ape species perhaps because the coordinates relative to the chromosome ends were unaffected. Finally, on the basis of multiple linear regression analysis, we found that various correlates of recombination rate persist throughout the African great apes including repeats, diversity, and divergence. Our study is the first to analyze within- and between-species genome-wide recombination rate variation in several close relatives. PMID:26671457

  2. Great Lakes Literacy Principles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortner, Rosanne W.; Manzo, Lyndsey

    2011-03-01

    Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie together form North America's Great Lakes, a region that contains 20% of the world's fresh surface water and is home to roughly one quarter of the U.S. population (Figure 1). Supporting a $4 billion sport fishing industry, plus $16 billion annually in boating, 1.5 million U.S. jobs, and $62 billion in annual wages directly, the Great Lakes form the backbone of a regional economy that is vital to the United States as a whole (see http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/economy/11-708-Great-Lakes-Jobs.pdf). Yet the grandeur and importance of this freshwater resource are little understood, not only by people in the rest of the country but also by many in the region itself. To help address this lack of knowledge, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, developed literacy principles for the Great Lakes to serve as a guide for education of students and the public. These “Great Lakes Literacy Principles” represent an understanding of the Great Lakes' influences on society and society's influences on the Great Lakes.

  3. The strength of great apes and the speed of humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Alan

    2009-04-01

    Cliff Jolly developed a causal model of human origins in his paper "The Seed-Eaters," published in 1970. He was one of the first to attempt this, and the paper has since become a classic. I do not have such grand goals; instead, I seek to understand a major difference between the living great apes and humans. More than 50 years ago, Maynard Smith and Savage (1956) showed that the musculoskeletal systems of mammals can be adapted for strength at one extreme and speed at the other but not both. Great apes are adapted for strength--chimpanzees have been shown to be about four times as strong as fit young humans when normalized for body size. The corresponding speed that human limb systems gain at the expense of power is critical for effective human activities such as running, throwing, and manipulation, including tool making. The fossil record can shed light on when the change from power to speed occurred. I outline a hypothesis that suggests that the difference in muscular performance between the two species is caused by chimpanzees having many fewer small motor units than humans, which leads them, in turn, to contract more muscle fibers earlier in any particular task. I outline a histological test of this hypothesis.

  4. Leiomyosarcoma of the great saphenous vein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Campos Moraes Amato

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A 56-year-old male patient presented with a complaint of two painful, hard, palpable nodules in the right lower limb. A Doppler ultrasound scan revealed the presence of nodules, likely to be neoplastic. Computed angiography showed two solid hypervascular nodules in the right great saphenous vein, fed by branches of the posterior tibial artery. Embolization of the nodules using surgical cyanoacrylate was performed, followed by an excisional biopsy. Anatomical pathology and immunohistochemical analysis identified the nodule as a high-grade leiomyosarcoma, characterized by ten mitotic figures per ten high-power fields, necrosis and cell pleomorphism. Immunohistochemical analysis results were positive for caldesmon and desmin labeling. A second surgical procedure was performed to enlarge the free margins.

  5. Afghanistan’s significance for Russia in the 21st Century: Interests, Perceptions and Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sangar Kaneshko

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Since President Barack Obama set the end of 2014 as the deadline to complete the planned troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, numerous commentators have sought to assess Russia’s Afghan policy since September 11, 2001 and anticipate Moscow’s strategy in ‘post-2014’ Afghanistan. This paper maintains that an assessment/evaluation of Afghanistan’s significance for Russia in the current system of international relations is needed to understand Moscow’s current and future Afghan strategy. Hence, the aim of this study is to identify and analyse the major factors, which lead to a conceptualization of Russia’s interests in Afghanistan. When assessing Russia’s interests in Afghanistan, one must take into account a plethora of significant issues, including Putin’s ‘great-power’ rhetoric; geopolitical, geostrategic, and geo-economic rivalries in the wider region; security threats such as the illegal narcotics emanating from Afghanistan and global terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism; the rivalry and competition for energy resources; and control over pipeline routes and energy corridors. The analysis of these substantiating factors demonstrate why in the 21st century the Afghan problem remains a significant challenge to Russia’s ‘great power’ identity, to its international strategy abroad, to its strategically important ‘near abroad,’ and to the country’s domestic socio-economic policy

  6. Trend in China's Wind Power

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2009-01-01

    @@ Attractive prospects for wind power development Sha Yiqiang:In recent years,the development and utilization of wind energy has achieved remarkable results.To the end of 2007,the installed capacity of the wind power had reached 94 000 MW all over the world,which is distributed over 60 countries.Over the past 20 years,the wind power generation installation cost has been reduced by 50% and is closing to that of the conventional energy resources.Meanwhile,the single unit capacity,efficiency and reliability of wind power have been greatly improved.

  7. English Language Cultures in Bulgaria: A Linguistic Sibling Rivalry?

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Reilly, Laurie M.

    1998-01-01

    In Bulgaria, a complex matrix of power relations governs English language education, and a triangle of international and intercultural relations between Bulgaria, United States, and United Kingdom. In the context of the changing economic and political milieu of central and eastern Europe, a study examines how Bulgaria fits into the emerging…

  8. Preventive maintenance at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Danielsson, H.

    1985-01-01

    The maintenance system at the Forsmark Nuclear Power Plant began in 1975, and was drawn up in co-operation with other power stations within the control of the Swedish State Power Board. Preventive maintenance (PM) is part of the system and has been in operation since 1978. Great efforts have been made to build up the system and to gather input data. Since 1981, the system has been in continuous use; follow-ups and system and quality improvements in database contents have been carried out. Great effort has also been devoted to maintaining a high quality of database contents and to the interplay between the different PM measures. We believe that PM plays an important role in the safety and economic operation of the power station and that it is essential that interest in PM should exist at all levels of the power company. (author)

  9. Power flow modelling in electric networks with renewable energy sources in large areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buhawa, Z. M.; Dvorsky, E.

    2012-01-01

    In many worlds regions there is a great potential for utilizing home grid connected renewable power generating systems, with capacities of MW thousands. The optimal utilization of these sources is connected with power flow possibilities trough the power network in which they have to be connected. There is necessary to respect the long distances among the electric power sources with great outputs and power consumption and non even distribution of the power sources as well. The article gives the solution possibilities for Libya region under utilization of wind renewable sources in north in shore regions. (Authors)

  10. Advance Power Technology Demonstration on Starshine 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Phillip; Scheiman, David; Wilt, David; Raffaelle, Ryne; Button, Robert; Smith, Mark; Kerslake, Thomas; Miller, Thomas

    2002-01-01

    The Starshine 3 satellite will carry several power technology demonstrations. Since Starshine 3 is primarily a passive experiment and does not need electrical power to successfully complete its mission, the requirement for a highly reliable power system is greatly reduced. This creates an excellent opportunity to test new power technologies. Several government and commercial interests have teamed up to provide Starshine 3 with a small power system using state-of-the-art components. Starshine 3 will also fly novel integrated microelectronic power supplies (IMPS) for evaluation.

  11. Colour-grapheme synaesthesia affects binocular vision

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris L.E. Paffen

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available In colour-grapheme synaesthesia, non-coloured graphemes are perceived as being inherently coloured. In recent years, it has become evident that synaesthesia-inducing graphemes can affect visual processing in a manner comparable to real, physical colours. Here, we exploit the phenomenon of binocular rivalry in which incompatible images presented dichoptically compete for conscious expression. Importantly, the competition only arises if the two images are sufficiently different; if the difference between the images is small, the images will fuse into a single mixed percept. We show that achromatic graphemes that induce synaesthetic colour percepts evoke binocular rivalry, while without the synaesthetic percept, they do not. That is, compared to achromatically perceived graphemes, synaesthesia-inducing graphemes increase the predominance of binocular rivalry over binocular fusion. This finding shows that the synaesthetic colour experience can provide the conditions for evoking binocular rivalry, much like stimulus features that induce rivalry in normal vision.

  12. Hybrid combined cycle power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veszely, K.

    2002-01-01

    In case of re-powering the existing pressurised water nuclear power plants by the proposed HCCPP solution, we can increase the electricity output and efficiency significantly. If we convert a traditional nuclear power plant unit to a HCCPP solution, we can achieve a 3.2-5.5 times increase in electricity output and the achievable gross efficiency falls between 46.8-52% and above, depending on the applied solution. These figures emphasise that we should rethink our power plant technologies and we have to explore a great variety of HCCPP solutions. This may give a new direction in the development of nuclear reactors and power plants as well.(author)

  13. Power to the LHC

    CERN Multimedia

    2016-01-01

    It’s March already, and time for the LHC to wake up from its short winter break. The first of 7000 powering tests began on 4 March: the first step on the way to the first beams of 2016. It’s a tight schedule, with the powering tests scheduled for just 12 days before moving on to machine checkout and then commissioning with beam around Easter.   Last year marked a great start to Run 2. The objective for the year was to establish proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV with 25 ns bunch spacing, and in that we were successful, delivering four inverse femtobarns (4 fb-1) of data to the experiments. This was a great result but, to put it into context, the goal for the whole of Run 2 is to deliver 100 fb-1 by the end of 2018, so we still have a long way to go. 2015 was a learning year, and by the time we switched off for the end-of-year break, we had learned a great deal about how to operate this superb machine at the new higher energy, with shorter bunch spacing allowing us to get many ...

  14. Annual survey of radioactive discharges in Great Britain 1978

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-09-01

    Details are given of main discharges to the environment of radioactive waste in 1978 together with those in 1977 and 1976 for comparison with comment on the environmental effect of the discharges in 1977. The statutory control over the discharges of radioactive wastes in Great Britain is outlined in the Introduction. Details of the discharges are set out in tabular form, grouped under: UKAEA establishments; the Radiochemical Centre Limited; British Nuclear Fuels Limited; CEGB and SSEB nuclear power stations; Ministry of Defence. Part 7 deals with radioactivity in drinking waters and rivers. (U.K.)

  15. Social Capital Enhanced Disaster Preparedness and Health Consultations after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Power Station Accident.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Makoto; Murakami, Michio; Takebayashi, Yoshitake; Suzuki, Satoshi; Ohto, Hitoshi

    2018-03-14

    After the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2011, there was a strong demand to promote disaster preparedness approaches and health checkups for the prevention of lifestyle diseases. This study examined the yearly change in the percentage of those who prepared for disasters and who utilized health checkups in Fukushima Prefecture, and identified the factors governing disaster preparedness and utilization of health checkups. We used the public opinion survey from 2011 to 2015 ( n = 677-779 each year) on prefectural policies that is conducted every year by the Fukushima Prefecture government Public Consultation Unit. We found that the percentage of those who prepare for disasters decreased, while that for health checkups did not significantly change. With regard to disaster preparedness, experiences of disaster enhance disaster preparedness, while bonds with other local people help to maintain preparedness. For health checkups, familiarity with the welfare service was the most important factor governing such consultations. The findings suggest that social capital should be promoted in order to improve disaster preparedness. The findings also suggest that residents' accessibility to medical and welfare services is also important in promoting the utilization of health checkups.

  16. The Great Depression and the Great Recession: A Comparative Analysis of their Analogies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Peicuti

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The decades preceding the Great Depression and the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis have close similarities. Both decades were characterized by rapid growth without major contractions, by an increase in liquidity, a lack of inflation, and a generalized decrease in risk premiums. Additional similarities included significant changes in the financing of real estate by commercial banks along with a consolidation of the banking sector and high hopes that the efficiency of monetary policy would prevent financial crises. These decades were also characterized by the consolidation of the powers of young central banks (the Federal Reserve System in the 1920s and the European Central Bank in the 2000s, by unsuccessful attempts to control market speculation, by their international dimensions, and by the eruption of crises after the failure of a major American financial institution that could have been avoided. Understanding these analogies help us better identify the causes of the subprime mortgage crisis and prevent history from repeating itself to the extentof such large-scale devastating consequences.

  17. Wind power in political whirlwind

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morch, Stein

    2002-01-01

    In Norway, according to this article, shifting fair wind and head wind for wind power have changed to unpredictable political whirlwinds. That is, there is great uncertainty with respect to further development of wind power in Norway as well as in nearby markets such as Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. The government, represented by Enova, has announced reduced investment grants, and so the realization of a ''green'' market, at home or across the frontiers, becomes very important. The political goal of producing 3 TWh of wind power per year by 2010 apparently is still valid, but it is difficult to see any robust and convincing clarity when it comes to policy instruments and economical frames that will make it possible to reach that goal. In its directive on renewable energy sources in the energy generation, the EU has quoted a total increase in capacity from 14 percent in 1997 to 22 percent in 2010. This has been shared among the member countries as indicative targets and there is great freedom in the selection of policy instruments. At the end of 2002, the wind power production in Norway is 0.3 TWh/year

  18. Bidirectional dc-to-dc Power Converter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griesbach, C. R.

    1986-01-01

    Solid-state, series-resonant converter uses high-voltage thyristors. Converter used either to convert high-voltage, low-current dc power to lowvoltage, high current power or reverse. Taking advantage of newly-available high-voltage thyristors to provide better reliability and efficiency than traditional converters that use vacuum tubes as power switches. New converter essentially maintenance free and provides greatly increased mean time between failures. Attractive in industrial applications whether or not bidirectional capability is required.

  19. Strengthening of nuclear power plant construction safety management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Jun

    2012-01-01

    The article describes the warning of the Fukushima nuclear accident, and analyzes the major nuclear safety issues in nuclear power development in China, problems in nuclear power plants under construction, and how to strengthen supervision and management in nuclear power construction. It also points out that the development of nuclear power must attach great importance to the safety, and nuclear power plant construction should strictly implement the principle of 'safety first and quality first'. (author)

  20. High-Temperature, Wirebondless, Ultracompact Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Modules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmes, John

    2015-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) and other wide bandgap semiconductors offer great promise of high power rating, high operating temperature, simple thermal management, and ultrahigh power density for both space and commercial power electronic systems. However, this great potential is seriously limited by the lack of reliable high-temperature device packaging technology. This Phase II project developed an ultracompact hybrid power module packaging technology based on the use of double lead frames and direct lead frame-to-chip transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding that allows device operation up to 450 degC. The new power module will have a very small form factor with 3-5X reduction in size and weight from the prior art, and it will be capable of operating from 450 degC to -125 degC. This technology will have a profound impact on power electronics and energy conversion technologies and help to conserve energy and the environment as well as reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels.

  1. Development of nuclear power and its influence on the energy-supply strategy in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hryniszak, W.

    1977-01-01

    Great Britain was one of the first countries to use nuclear energy on a large scale. The good experience with the reactors already installed in the basis for the development programme which is not opposed. Preliminary work for the use of the fast breeder reactor and collaboration with other countries in nuclear energy techniques is described. (H.E.G.)

  2. Nuclear power generation and global heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, Horacio

    1999-01-01

    The Professionals Association and Nuclear Activity of National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) are following with great interest the worldwide discussions on global heating and the role that nuclear power is going to play. The Association has an active presence, as part of the WONUC (recognized by the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization) in the COP4, which was held in Buenos Aires in November 1998. The environmental problems are closely related to human development, the way of power production, the techniques for industrial production and exploitation fields. CO 2 is the most important gas with hothouse effects, responsible of progressive climatic changes, as floods, desertification, increase of average global temperature, thermal expansion in seas and even polar casks melting and ice falls. The consequences that global heating will have on the life and economy of human society cannot be sufficiently emphasized, great economical impact, destruction of ecosystems, loss of great coast areas and complete disappearance of islands owing to water level rise. The increase of power retained in the atmosphere generates more violent hurricanes and storms. In this work, the topics presented in the former AATN Meeting is analyzed in detail and different technological options and perspectives to mitigate CO 2 emission, as well as economical-financial aspects, are explored. (author)

  3. The reactor power control system based on digital control in nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Chong; Zhou Jianliang; Tan Ping

    2010-01-01

    The PLC (Programmable Logical Controller), digital communication and redundant techniques are applied in the rod control and position indication system(namely the reactor power control system) to perform the power control in the 300 MW reactor automatically and integrally in Qinshan Phase I project. This paper introduces the features, digital design methods of hardware of the instrumentation and control system (I and C) in the reactor power control. It is more convenient for the information exchange by human-machine interface (HMI), operation and maintenance, and the system reliability has been greatly improved after the project being reconstructed. (authors)

  4. The survival of the great financial journalism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elvira CALVO GUTIÉRREZ

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Traditionally, the economic international journalism has had in the Anglo-Saxon groups Dow Jones (USA and Pearson (Great Britain, publishers of The Wall Street and Financial Times respectively, his big world models. Nevertheless, the new century has brought enormous convulsions to the sector, to the newspapaers of elite and big agencies specialized in economic information as Reuters, Thomson or Bloomberg. To the battle in Internet, there add the expansion of the informative economic power and the changes of mentality of the companies and of the audiences. All this has derived in a fierce war led by the big leaders who, with more than one century of tradition someones, have been object of sales or mergers, financial indispensable operations to be able to adapt to the new times. The aim of this article is to analyze the path of the great economic journalism, with special dedication to two fronts: one, to know how these neswspapers of elite are positioned in the network; other one, the dilemma between continuing being a journalism of quality, rigorous, cosmopolitan and expensive of supporting, or to change towards an ideological, gruesome journalism or amarillista that, since in other specialities, also has spread between the financial journalism

  5. Reactive Power Compensating System.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, Timothy J.; El-Sharkawi, Mohamed A.; Venkata, Subrahmanyam S.

    1985-01-04

    The circuit was designed for the specific application of wind-driven induction generators. It has great potential for application in any situation where a varying reactive power load is present, such as with induction motors or generators, or for transmission network compensation.

  6. Optical fiber configurations for transmission of laser energy over great distances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rinzler, Charles C; Zediker, Mark S

    2013-10-29

    There are provided optical fiber configurations that provide for the delivery of laser energy, and in particular, the transmission and delivery of high power laser energy over great distances. These configurations further are hardened to protect the optical fibers from the stresses and conditions of an intended application. The configurations provide means for determining the additional fiber length (AFL) need to obtain the benefits of such additional fiber, while avoiding bending losses.

  7. High-Temperature, Wirebondless, Ultra-Compact Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Modules for Space Power Systems, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Silicon carbide (SiC) and other wide band-gap semiconductors offer great promise of high power rating, high operating temperature, simple thermal management, and...

  8. The German Navy: From World Power to Alliance Power

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-01

    national policy and naval strategy in the case of a non- Anglo - Saxon continental power with world standing. An analysis of such phenomena has great...conjunction, a naval strategy more fitting to the geo-strategic realities of this central-European non- Anglo - Saxon power—a course that proved hardly...38   2.   The Anglo -German Naval Agreement ............................................ 41   D

  9. Reliability of dc power supplies in nuclear power plant application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eisenhut, D.G.

    1978-01-01

    In June 1977 the reliability of dc power supplies at nuclear power facilities was questioned. It was postulated that a sudden gross failure of the redundant dc power supplies might occur during normal plant operation, and that this could lead to insufficient shutdown cooling of the reactor core. It was further suggested that this potential for insufficient cooling is great enough to warrant consideration of prompt remedies. The work described herein was part of the NRC staff's efforts aimed towards putting the performance of dc power supplies in proper perspective and was mainly directed towards the particular concern raised at that time. While the staff did not attempt to perform a systematic study of overall dc power supply reliability including all possible failure modes for such supplies, the work summarized herein describes how a probabilistic approach was used to supplement our more usual deterministic approach to reactor safety. Our evaluation concluded that the likelihood of dc power supply failures leading to insufficient shutdown cooling of the reactor core is sufficiently small as to not require any immediate action

  10. Great Lakes Science Center

    Data.gov (United States)

    Federal Laboratory Consortium — Since 1927, Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) research has provided critical information for the sound management of Great Lakes fish populations and other important...

  11. THE TREATY OF GULISTAN: 200 YEARS AFTER (THE RUSSO-PERSIAN WAR OF 1804-1813 AND THE TREATY OF GULISTAN IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS 200TH ANNIVERSARY)

    OpenAIRE

    Kuznetsov, Oleg

    2013-01-01

    The author looks at the causes and some of the aspects and repercussions of the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813 and the Treaty of Gulistan that ended it in the context of the rivalry between the Russian and the British Empire for geopolitical domination in Central Asia and the Caucasus, which went down to history as the Great Game or the Tournament of Shadows. This approach, which blends historical and political scientific slants, sheds new light on certain aspects of the history of Azeri stat...

  12. Alternative off-site power supply improves nuclear power plant safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gjorgiev, Blaže; Volkanovski, Andrija; Kančev, Duško; Čepin, Marko

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Additional power supply for mitigation of the station blackout event in NPP is used. • A hydro power plant is considered as an off-site alternative power supply. • An upgrade of the probabilistic safety assessment from its traditional use is made. • The obtained results show improvement of nuclear power plant safety. - Abstract: A reliable power system is important for safe operation of the nuclear power plants. The station blackout event is of great importance for nuclear power plant safety. This event is caused by the loss of all alternating current power supply to the safety and non-safety buses of the nuclear power plant. In this study an independent electrical connection between a pumped-storage hydro power plant and a nuclear power plant is assumed as a standpoint for safety and reliability analysis. The pumped-storage hydro power plant is considered as an alternative power supply. The connection with conventional accumulation type of hydro power plant is analysed in addition. The objective of this paper is to investigate the improvement of nuclear power plant safety resulting from the consideration of the alternative power supplies. The safety of the nuclear power plant is analysed through the core damage frequency, a risk measure assess by the probabilistic safety assessment. The presented method upgrades the probabilistic safety assessment from its common traditional use in sense that it considers non-plant sited systems. The obtained results show significant decrease of the core damage frequency, indicating improvement of nuclear safety if hydro power plant is introduced as an alternative off-site power source

  13. Vce-based methods for temperature estimation of high power IGBT modules during power cycling - A comparison

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amoiridis, Anastasios; Anurag, Anup; Ghimire, Pramod

    2015-01-01

    . This experimental work evaluates the validity and accuracy of two Vce based methods applied on high power IGBT modules during power cycling tests. The first method estimates the chip temperature when low sense current is applied and the second method when normal load current is present. Finally, a correction factor......Temperature estimation is of great importance for performance and reliability of IGBT power modules in converter operation as well as in active power cycling tests. It is common to be estimated through Thermo-Sensitive Electrical Parameters such as the forward voltage drop (Vce) of the chip...

  14. Tidal power development -- A realistic, justifiable and topical problem of today

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bernshtein, L.B.

    1995-01-01

    Modern tidal power plant designs have shown that with the use of large single-basin schemes, tidal power can be integrated with other forms of power generation. Tidal power is an environmentally benign means of producing electricity, particularly during off-peak demand. A number of tidal power schemes have been evaluated. These include Cumberland (1.4 Gigawatts (GW)), Cobequid (4.4 GW) in Canada; Sevrn (8.6 GW), Mersey (0.7 GW), Wyre (0.06 GW) and Conwy (0.03 GW) in Great Britain; Tugur (6.8 GW) in Russia and Garolim (0.5 GW) in South Korea. These schemes ar opening up future prospects for very large scale opportunities which could have global importance, for example, the transmission of 24 GW of electricity from tidal power plants in Great Britain to Europe. Another example is the potential transmission of 87 GW from Penzhinsh tidal power plant in Russia

  15. Feasibility study of a Great Lakes bioenergy system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hacatoglu, Kevork; McLellan, P James; Layzell, David B

    2011-01-01

    A bioenergy production and delivery system built around the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS) transportation corridor was assessed for its ability to mitigate energy security and climate change risks. The land area within 100 km of the GLSLS and associated railway lines was estimated to be capable of producing at least 30 Mt(dry) yr(-1) of lignocellulosic biomass with minimal adverse impacts on food and fibre production. This was estimated to be sufficient to displace all of the coal-fired electricity in Ontario plus more than 620 million L of green diesel (equivalent to 5.3% of diesel consumption in GLSLS provinces). Lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions were 88% and 76% lower than coal-fired power and conventional diesel, respectively. Production costs of $120 MWh(-1) for power and up to $30 GJ(-1) ($1.1 L(-1)) for green diesel were higher than current market prices, but a value for low-carbon energy would narrow the price differential. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Improved Power System of the Future

    OpenAIRE

    Rabinowitz, Mario

    2003-01-01

    This paper is intended to provide an insight into physics and engineering that can modernize electric power systems. Topics covered are Flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS), Custom Power, Greatly improved Capacitors, Electrical Insulation, Distribution Cables, Improved Polymeric Insulation, Underground Vault Explosions, Fault Location, Smart Cables, Neutral and Ground, Corrosion and Protection, Conventional Transformers, Compact Transformers, Ferroresonance, and Solid State Transformers.

  17. The economic role of the Emergency Department in the health care continuum: applying Michael Porter's five forces model to Emergency Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pines, Jesse M

    2006-05-01

    Emergency Medicine plays a vital role in the health care continuum in the United States. Michael Porters' five forces model of industry analysis provides an insight into the economics of emergency care by showing how the forces of supplier power, buyer power, threat of substitution, barriers to entry, and internal rivalry affect Emergency Medicine. Illustrating these relationships provides a view into the complexities of the emergency care industry and offers opportunities for Emergency Departments, groups of physicians, and the individual emergency physician to maximize the relationship with other market players.

  18. Great Lakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edsall, Thomas A.; Mac, Michael J.; Opler, Paul A.; Puckett Haecker, Catherine E.; Doran, Peter D.

    1998-01-01

    The Great Lakes region, as defined here, includes the Great Lakes and their drainage basins in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The region also includes the portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the 21 northernmost counties of Illinois that lie in the Mississippi River drainage basin, outside the floodplain of the river. The region spans about 9º of latitude and 20º of longitude and lies roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole in a lowland corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean.The Great Lakes are the most prominent natural feature of the region (Fig. 1). They have a combined surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and are among the largest, deepest lakes in the world. They are the largest single aggregation of fresh water on the planet (excluding the polar ice caps) and are the only glacial feature on Earth visible from the surface of the moon (The Nature Conservancy 1994a).The Great Lakes moderate the region’s climate, which presently ranges from subarctic in the north to humid continental warm in the south (Fig. 2), reflecting the movement of major weather masses from the north and south (U.S. Department of the Interior 1970; Eichenlaub 1979). The lakes act as heat sinks in summer and heat sources in winter and are major reservoirs that help humidify much of the region. They also create local precipitation belts in areas where air masses are pushed across the lakes by prevailing winds, pick up moisture from the lake surface, and then drop that moisture over land on the other side of the lake. The mean annual frost-free period—a general measure of the growing-season length for plants and some cold-blooded animals—varies from 60 days at higher elevations in the north to 160 days in lakeshore areas in the south. The climate influences the general distribution of wild plants and animals in the region and also influences the activities and distribution of the human

  19. Malaysia’s Great Power Balance and the South China Sea Disputes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-01

    Mahathir Mohamed (1981-2003) first visited China in 1985. Much like his pragmatic economic approach to the U.S. (another powerful country with...Senior Officials Consultation in 1995, and the ASEAN Plus Three in 1997.18 Following the 22-year tenure of Prime Minister Mahathir , who evolved from...high-value agricultural products.27 11 Much as Mahathir had looked to China in the 1990s to help pull Malaysia out of recession by increasing

  20. Great war, ethics of Vidovdan, memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šijaković Bogoljub

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Beginning with a characterization of contemporaneity (dominance of the financial sector and high technology, politicization of economy, ideological use of culture and control of the capacity for thought and a brief analysis of expansionism (political, economic, cultural on the eve of the Great War, the author embarks on a more detailed description of the spiritual situation in the wake of the Great War: in philosophy, literature, art, as well as the national-political programmatic texts and war propaganda publications of German intellectuals of the time. The continuity of the Austro-Hungarian colonial policy towards the Balkans and Serbia culminates in instigating a preventive war against Serbia by the elites in Berlin and Vienna, which is of importance with regard to the question of responsibility for the war, guided by concrete aims of war in which causes for war are reflected. These war elites wanted to declare the assassination in Sarajevo as the cause of war, which in fact was a political assassination and tyrannicide. The freedom movement of democratic youth, Mlada Bosna (Young Bosnia, needs to be viewed in the European context as inspired by the Serbian tradition of the cult of Kosovo and the ethics of Vidovdan (St Vitus' Day which speaks both about the victim's sacrifice as sublimation of history and about just suffering as elements of identity. Historical memory suggests that historical responsibility is transgenerational. The epic proportions of Serbian suffering in the Great War have additionally encouraged the positing of the theme of St Vitus' Day Temple (Vidovdanski Hram as envisaged by Ivan Meštrović. The foundations of this idea were shaken by Miloš Crnjanski who, in his 'Lyrics of Ithaca', succeeds in returning to Vidovdan (St Vitus' Day the inexhaustible national power of validity. Because of enormous Serbian military and civilian casualties in recent history, the need to establish a Victim's Sacrifice Memorial, in our day

  1. The future of nuclear energy: A perspective on nuclear power development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sackett, J. I.

    2000-01-01

    The author begins by discussing the history of nuclear power development in the US. He discusses the challenges for nuclear power such as the proliferation of weapons material, waste management, economics, and safety. He then discusses the future for nuclear power, specifically advanced reactor development. People can all be thankful for nuclear power, for it may well be essential to the long term survival of civilization. Within the seeds of its potential for great good, are also the seeds for great harm. People must ensure that it is applied for great good. What is not in question is whether people can live without it, they cannot. United States leadership is crucial in determining how this technology is developed and applied. The size and capability of the United States technical community is decreasing, a trend that cannot be allowed to continue. It is the author's belief that in the future, the need, the vision and the confidence in nuclear power will be restored, but only if the US addresses the immediate challenges. It is a national challenge worthy of the best people this nation has to offer

  2. Uranium wars the scientific rivalry that created the nuclear age

    CERN Document Server

    Aczel, Amir D

    2009-01-01

    The author of Fermat's Last Theorem tackles the cause of the last century's most destructive event - the discovery of nuclear power. Aczel presents the fascinating story of the rival scientists who uncovered uranium's potential and reveals the ongoing tale of an element that is never far from today's headlines.

  3. Toward a more social social psychology of power

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lammers, J.

    2008-01-01

    In this dissertation I aim to take a step toward a more social social psychology of power. In my opinion the existing social psychology on power is insufficiently social, and too material and physical. I believe this material and physical view has greatly influenced how social psychology has studied

  4. DENINT power plant cost benefit analysis code: Analysis of methane fuelled power plant/district heating system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cincotti, V.; D'Andrea, A.

    1989-07-01

    The DENINT power plant cost benefit analysis code takes into consideration, not only power production costs at the generator terminals, but also, in the case of cogeneration, the costs of the fuel supply and heat and power distribution systems which depend greatly on the location of the plant. The code is able to allow comparisons of alternatives with varying annual operation hours, fuel cost increases, and different types of fossil fuels and production systems. For illustrative purposes, this paper examines two methane fired cogeneration plant/district heating alternatives

  5. Power supply strategy in Lithuania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galinis, A.

    2000-01-01

    Nuclear power plant produces about 80% of electricity in Lithuania. However, national energy strategy as a result of comprehensive assessment of technical, economic and political factors foresees closure of its first unit by 2005. Future fate of the second unit will be defined later in 2004 . Electricity demand requirements will be covered by other modernised power plants burning fossil fuel. This may create some environmental problems, especially if unit 2 would be closed. Earlier closure of the nuclear power plant is a great economical burden not only for the power sector but also to the whole national economy. This requires substantial technical and financial support from EU and other developed countries. (author)

  6. Advance Power Technology Experiment for the Starshine 3 Satellite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins, Phillip; Scheiman, David; Wilt, David; Raffaelle, Ryne; Button, Robert; Smith, Mark; Kerslake, Thomas; Miller, Thomas; Bailey, Sheila (Technical Monitor); Hepp, A. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The Starshine 3 satellite will carry several power technology demonstrations. Since Starshine 3 is primarily a passive experiment and does not need electrical power to successfully complete its mission, the requirement for a highly reliable power system is greatly reduced. This creates an excellent opportunity to test new power technologies. Several government and commercial interests have teamed up to provide Starshine 3 with a small power system using state-of-the-art components. Starshine 3 will also fly novel integrated microelectronic power supplies (IWS) for evaluation.

  7. Evaluating transfer capability of economic-driven power markets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xu, Zhao

    2007-01-01

    in the present economic-driven electricity markets. A mathematical model of a multi-objective optimization (MOOP) technique has been adopted and presented here for transfer capability studies; which can be helpful for power system planning and operation procedures. The newly-developed algorithm is being tested......The on-going restructuring of electric power utilities poses great challenges for power system engineers to plan and operate power systems as economical and reliable as possible. This paper discusses an important issue, which has been usually neglected, when quantifying active power transfer levels...

  8. LDC nuclear power: Brazil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, V.

    1982-01-01

    Brazil has been expanding its nuclear power since 1975, following the Bonn-Brasilia sales agreement and the 1974 denial of US enriched uranium, in an effort to develop an energy mix that will reduce dependence and vulnerability to a single energy source or supplier. An overview of the nuclear program goes on to describe domestic non-nuclear alternatives, none of which has an adequate base. The country's need for transfers of capital, technology, and raw materials raises questions about the advisability of an aggressive nuclear program in pursuit of great power status. 33 references

  9. Child Development & Behavior Topics

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Holiday Season School Bus Safety Second-Hand Smoke Self-Esteem Self-Esteem, Debunking the Myths, Podcast Sex Development, Disorders of, ... Sibling Rivalry Sibling Rivalry Podcast Siblings, Advice for Young, Podcast Siblings of Kids with Special Needs Siblings ...

  10. Sandwich-structured polymer nanocomposites with high energy density and great charge–discharge efficiency at elevated temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qi; Liu, Feihua; Yang, Tiannan; Gadinski, Matthew R.; Zhang, Guangzu; Chen, Long-Qing; Wang, Qing

    2016-01-01

    The demand for a new generation of high-temperature dielectric materials toward capacitive energy storage has been driven by the rise of high-power applications such as electric vehicles, aircraft, and pulsed power systems where the power electronics are exposed to elevated temperatures. Polymer dielectrics are characterized by being lightweight, and their scalability, mechanical flexibility, high dielectric strength, and great reliability, but they are limited to relatively low operating temperatures. The existing polymer nanocomposite-based dielectrics with a limited energy density at high temperatures also present a major barrier to achieving significant reductions in size and weight of energy devices. Here we report the sandwich structures as an efficient route to high-temperature dielectric polymer nanocomposites that simultaneously possess high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss. In contrast to the conventional single-layer configuration, the rationally designed sandwich-structured polymer nanocomposites are capable of integrating the complementary properties of spatially organized multicomponents in a synergistic fashion to raise dielectric constant, and subsequently greatly improve discharged energy densities while retaining low loss and high charge–discharge efficiency at elevated temperatures. At 150 °C and 200 MV m−1, an operating condition toward electric vehicle applications, the sandwich-structured polymer nanocomposites outperform the state-of-the-art polymer-based dielectrics in terms of energy density, power density, charge–discharge efficiency, and cyclability. The excellent dielectric and capacitive properties of the polymer nanocomposites may pave a way for widespread applications in modern electronics and power modules where harsh operating conditions are present. PMID:27551101

  11. ICC Experiment Performance Improvement through Advanced Feedback Controllers for High-Power Low-Cost Switching Power Amplifiers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, Brian A.

    2006-01-01

    Limited resources force most smaller fusion energy research experiments to have little or no feedback control of their operational parameters, preventing achievement of their full operational potential. Recent breakthroughs in high-power switching technologies have greatly reduced feedback-controlled power supply costs, primarily those classified as switching power amplifiers. However, inexpensive and flexible controllers for these power supplies have not been developed. A uClinux-based micro-controller (Analog Devices Blackfin BF537) was identified as having the capabilities to form the base of a digital control system for switching power amplifiers. A control algorithm was created, and a Linux character device driver was written to realize the algorithm. The software and algorithm were successfully tested on a switching power amplifier and magnetic field coil using University of Washington (subcontractor) resources

  12. Influence of wind power, plug-in electric vehicles, and heat storages on power system investments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiviluoma, Juha; Meibom, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Due to rising fuel costs, the substantial price for CO 2 emissions and decreasing wind power costs, wind power might become the least expensive source of power for an increasing number of power systems. This poses the questions of how wind power might change optimal investments in other forms of power production and what kind of means could be used to increase power system flexibility in order to incorporate the variable power production from wind power in a cost-effective manner. We have analysed possible effects using an investment model that combines heat and power production and simulates electric vehicles. The model runs in an hourly time scale in order to accommodate the impact of variable power production from wind power. Electric vehicles store electricity for later use and can thus serve to increase the flexibility of the power system. Flexibility can also be upgraded by using heat storages with heat from heat pumps, electric heat boilers and combined heat and power (CHP) plants. Results show that there is great potential for additional power system flexibility in the production and use of heat. (author)

  13. What Makes a Great Journal Great in Economics? The Singer Not the Song.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); M.J. McAleer (Michael); L. Oxley (Les)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractThe paper is concerned with analysing what makes a great journal great in economics, based on quantifiable measures. Alternative Research Assessment Measures (RAM) are discussed, with an emphasis on the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science database (hereafter ISI). The various ISI RAM that

  14. Accident prevention in power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steyrer, H.

    Large thermal power plants are insured to a great extent at the Industrial Injuries Insurance Institute of Instrument and Electric Engineering. Approximately 4800 employees are registered. The accident frequency according to an evaluation over 12 months lies around 79.8 per year and 1000 employees in fossil-fired power plants, around 34.1 per year and 1000 employees in nuclear power plants, as in nuclear power plants coal handling and ash removal are excluded. Injuries due to radiation were not registered. The crucial points of accidents are mechanical injuries received on solid, sharp-edged and pointed objects (fossil-fired power plants 28.6%, nuclear power plants 41.5%), stumbling, twisting or slipping (fossil-fired power plants 21.8%, nuclear power plants 19.5%) and injuries due to moving machine parts (only nuclear power plants 12.2%). However, accidents due to burns or scalds obtain with 4.2% and less a lower portion than expected. The accident statistics can explain this fact in a way that the typical power plant accident does not exist. (orig./GL) [de

  15. Great Basin Experimental Range: Annotated bibliography

    Science.gov (United States)

    E. Durant McArthur; Bryce A. Richardson; Stanley G. Kitchen

    2013-01-01

    This annotated bibliography documents the research that has been conducted on the Great Basin Experimental Range (GBER, also known as the Utah Experiment Station, Great Basin Station, the Great Basin Branch Experiment Station, Great Basin Experimental Center, and other similar name variants) over the 102 years of its existence. Entries were drawn from the original...

  16. Miniaturization, Packaging, and Thermal Analysis of Power Electronics Modules

    OpenAIRE

    Lostetter, Alexander B.

    1998-01-01

    High power circuits, those involving high levels of voltages and currents to produce several kilowatts of power, would possess an optimized efficiency when driven at high frequencies (on the order of MHz). Such an approach would greatly reduce the size of capacitive and magnetic components, and thus ultimately reduce the cost of the power electronic circuits. The problem with this strategy in conventional packaging, however, is that at high frequencies, interconnects between the power devic...

  17. The operation of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brosche, D.

    1992-01-01

    The duties to be performed in managing the operation of a nuclear power plant are highly diverse, as will be explained in this contribution by the examples of the Grafenrheinfeld Nuclear Power Station. The excellent safety record and the high availabilities of German nuclear power plants demonstrate that their operators have adopted the right approaches. Systematic evaluation of the operating experience accumulated inhouse and in other plants is of great significance in removing weak spots and improving operation. The manifold and complex activities in the structure of organization and of activities in a nuclear power plant require a high degree of division of labor. (orig.) [de

  18. Choosing Great Books for Babies: Helping Children Develop a Life-Long Love of Reading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honig, Alice Sterling

    2007-01-01

    This article describes how a great choice of books could help children develop a life-long love of reading. Every teacher wants to boost a baby's chances in later success. The single most powerful tool a teacher has for awakening a deep love of books and learning is to read to children daily. Reading should become a loved, intimate activity filled…

  19. The GREAT3 challenge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyatake, H; Mandelbaum, R; Rowe, B

    2014-01-01

    The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is an image analysis competition that aims to test algorithms to measure weak gravitational lensing from astronomical images. The challenge started in October 2013 and ends 30 April 2014. The challenge focuses on testing the impact on weak lensing measurements of realistically complex galaxy morphologies, realistic point spread function, and combination of multiple different exposures. It includes simulated ground- and space-based data. The details of the challenge are described in [1], and the challenge website and its leader board can be found at http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/, respectively

  20. Modeling, Testing, and Simulation of Heavy-Ion Basic Mechanisms in Silicon Carbide Power Devices

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Power management and distribution systems in future NASA flights would benefit greatly from high-voltage DC power, both to reduce power losses and to facilitate...

  1. 75 FR 6354 - NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes Restoration...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-09

    ...-04] RIN 0648-ZC10 NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes... Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of funding availability; Date... on January 19, 2010. That notice announced the NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project...

  2. The great unknown seven journeys to the frontiers of science

    CERN Document Server

    Du Sautoy, Marcus

    2016-01-01

    Ever since the dawn of civilization we have been driven by a desire to know—to understand the physical world and the laws of nature. The idea that there might be a limit to human knowledge has inspired and challenged scientists and functioned as a spur to innovation. Now, in this dazzling journey through seven great breakthroughs in our understanding of the world, Marcus du Sautoy invites us to consider the outer reaches of human understanding. Are some things beyond the predictive powers of science? Or are those thorny challenges our next breakthroughs? In 1900, Lord Kelvin—who gave the world telegraph cables and the Second Law of Thermodynamics—pronounced that there was “nothing new to be discovered in physics now.” Then came Einstein. Du Sautoy reminds us that again and again major breakthroughs were ridiculed and dismissed at the time of their discovery. He takes us into the minds of the greats and reveals the fraught circumstances of their discoveries. And he carries us on a whirlwind tour of ...

  3. Solid State Energy Conversion for Deep Space Power

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices employed in static radioisotope generators show great promise for highly efficient, reliable, and resilient power generation for...

  4. The Next Great Generation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brownstein, Andrew

    2000-01-01

    Discusses ideas from a new book, "Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation," (by Neil Howe and William Strauss) suggesting that youth culture is on the cusp of a radical shift with the generation beginning with this year's college freshmen who are typically team oriented, optimistic, and poised for greatness on a global scale. Includes a…

  5. Ultracapacitor-Based Uninterrupted Power Supply System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichenberg, Dennis J.

    2011-01-01

    The ultracapacitor-based uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system enhances system reliability; reduces life-of-system, maintenance, and downtime costs; and greatly reduces environmental impact when compared to conventional UPS energy storage systems. This design provides power when required and absorbs power when required to smooth the system load and also has excellent low-temperature performance. The UPS used during hardware tests at Glenn is an efficient, compact, maintenance-free, rack-mount, pure sine-wave inverter unit. The UPS provides a continuous output power up to 1,700 W with a surge rating of 1,870 W for up to one minute at a nominal output voltage of 115 VAC. The ultracapacitor energy storage system tested in conjunction with the UPS is rated at 5.8 F. This is a bank of ten symmetric ultracapacitor modules. Each module is actively balanced using a linear voltage balancing technique in which the cell-to-cell leakage is dependent upon the imbalance of the individual cells. The ultracapacitors are charged by a DC power supply, which can provide up to 300 VDC at 4 A. A constant-voltage, constant-current power supply was selected for this application. The long life of ultracapacitors greatly enhances system reliability, which is significant in critical applications such as medical power systems and space power systems. The energy storage system can usually last longer than the application, given its 20-year life span. This means that the ultracapacitors will probably never need to be replaced and disposed of, whereas batteries require frequent replacement and disposal. The charge-discharge efficiency of rechargeable batteries is approximately 50 percent, and after some hundreds of charges and discharges, they must be replaced. The charge-discharge efficiency of ultracapacitors exceeds 90 percent, and can accept more than a million charges and discharges. Thus, there is a significant energy savings through the efficiency improvement, and there is far less

  6. Microbial fuel cells as power supply of a low-power temperature sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khaled, Firas; Ondel, Olivier; Allard, Bruno

    2016-02-01

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) show great promise as a concomitant process for water treatment and as renewable energy sources for environmental sensors. The small energy produced by MFCs and the low output voltage limit the applications of MFCs. Specific converter topologies are required to step-up the output voltage of a MFC. A Power Management Unit (PMU) is proposed for operation at low input voltage and at very low power in a completely autonomous way to capture energy from MFCs with the highest possible efficiency. The application of sensors for monitoring systems in remote locations is an important approach. MFCs could be an alternative energy source in this case. Powering a sensor with MFCs may prove the fact that wastewater may be partly turned into renewable energy for realistic applications. The Power Management Unit is demonstrated for 3.6 V output voltage at 1 mW continuous power, based on a low-cost 0.7-L MFC. A temperature sensor may operate continuously on 2-MFCs in continuous flow mode. A flyback converter under discontinuous conduction mode is also tested to power the sensor. One continuously fed MFC was able to efficiently and continuously power the sensor.

  7. Islam: Ideology and Conflict

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-12-01

    brands ’ (‘ popular fronts’ and ‘liberation fronts’). The difference was that the ‘fronts’ often had real state backers while the current VEOs do not...assuming the al Qaeda brand name. This underscores the essential role of local conflicts and rivalries.5 To a significant degree, this paper argues...under poor leadership it was disas- trous. The Abbasids did not have that luxury . They were far more dependent on political power centers that

  8. Porter’s five forces reconsideration: Model of joint MBA programmes and schools’ fusion in the industry of Management Education as a counter point of competitive environment model : COMMUNICATION POUR LA BIENNALE 2015 « COOPERER » Identifiant : N° 448

    OpenAIRE

    NGUYEN , Thi Thu Tra

    2015-01-01

    International audience; In the scope of our doctoral research, business education is considered as an industry where business schools act as firms. Our thesis focuses on the strategic management field, with aims to explore how schools revisit their MBA curricula. Within this framework, joint and merged MBA programmes have been analysed as a counter point of Porter’s five forces (1980): rivalry among competitors, entry barriers, substitutions’ threats, buyers’ and suppliers’ bargaining power. ...

  9. Of Death Stars and Death Rays: A Glimpse At The Future of Space Warfare

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-01

    complexity of fusion reactor containment designs, making nuclear fusion practical for the first time. 67 If the full potential of energy were realized...space powers, and regional rivalries will help conceptualize the threats that the U.S. should consider defending against. When it comes to near-peer...Helium-3’s use in nuclear fusion are remarkable. Helium-3 has an energy potential ten times greater than fossil fuels without generating radioactive

  10. Best power mix under nuclear-decreasing society

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyama, Michihisa; Nakao, Kazuhide

    2012-01-01

    East Japan Great Earthquake and the subsequent failures of nuclear power plants compel Japanese to consider a new paradigm of national energy policy. In this study, we discuss the future power mix scenario considering a variety of power options; nuclear, coal fire, LNG fire, oil fire, LNG combined cycle, hydro, hydropump, battery, photovoltaic, wind, and geothermal. Future developments of installed capacity, properties such as efficiency, etc. are discussed for each type of power option. Seven sets of daily demand profile are used. Power generation mix model developed in preceding studies is used to estimate the installation and operation of each power option for representative years of 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050. Future power mix is discussed on the basis of results from power generation mix model. (author)

  11. Military Innovation in the Rise and Fall of Great Powers: Lessons for America

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-01

    endeavor. She never made me feel guilty about trying to balance (poorly sometimes) the time I spent working versus the time at home playing with...the farmer-hoplites consolidated this power, and threatened to form an aristocracy of their own based on land- ownership , another technological military...limited democracy of the hoplite franchise , the merchant fleet with its necessary complement of workshops, warehouses, and markets provided the

  12. Energy Storage for Power Systems Applications: A Regional Assessment for the Northwest Power Pool (NWPP)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kintner-Meyer, Michael CW; Balducci, Patrick J.; Jin, Chunlian; Nguyen, Tony B.; Elizondo, Marcelo A.; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.; Guo, Xinxin; Tuffner, Francis K.

    2010-04-01

    Wind production, which has expanded rapidly in recent years, could be an important element in the future efficient management of the electric power system; however, wind energy generation is uncontrollable and intermittent in nature. Thus, while wind power represents a significant opportunity to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), integrating high levels of wind resources into the power system will bring great challenges to generation scheduling and in the provision of ancillary services. This report addresses several key questions in the broader discussion on the integration of renewable energy resources in the Pacific Northwest power grid. More specifically, it addresses the following questions: a) how much total reserve or balancing requirements are necessary to accommodate the simulated expansion of intermittent renewable energy resources during the 2019 time horizon, and b) what are the most cost effective technological solutions for meeting load balancing requirements in the Northwest Power Pool (NWPP).

  13. The future of gas power in Europe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trong, Maj Dang

    2001-01-01

    The growth of gas power capacity in Western Europe in 2001 is estimated at 6.5 per cent. The extent of plants under construction in 2001 and ambitious plans for further development demonstrates the general belief that investing in gas power is soon becoming profitable. Expected slump in the world economy may curb the willingness to invest, at least in the short run. In Norway, the greatest barrier to the development of gas power production is political. Great Britain is the major gas power producing country in Western Europe, contributing 30 per cent of the total production

  14. Soft Power, Hard Aspirations: the Shifting Role of Power in Brazilian Foreign Policy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo M. Valença

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Journalists and policy analysts have highlighted the emergence of Brazil as a regional power. However, little attention has been paid to its foreign policy strategies. Brazil's rise to prominence in world politics represents the historical culmination of a foreign policy featuring two main strategies – persuasion and consensus building – both of which emphasise the use of soft power. We analyse four current foreign policy initiatives: the campaign for a permanent seat on the UNSC; the development of a nuclear submarine; Brazil's leadership of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti; and government support for Brazilian multinationals. We suggest a growing tension between these initiatives and the two strategies identified above. These initiatives reflect the view current among some policymakers that if Brazil is to rise as a global power it must play by the rules of great power politics.

  15. New flags, upward forces and sheltered harbours: The new ‘Great Game’ in the Pacific Islands region

    OpenAIRE

    Kowasch, Matthias; Lindenmann, Peter

    2014-01-01

    The centre of the global economy and the US-geostrategic focus seem to be shifting to the Asia-Pacific region. The present paper deals with the role of Pacific Island states in this new ‘Great Game’ between China and Western powers. Pacific Island states have a long tradition in building non-confrontational and open ties with rival powers. While only four countries in the Pacific have known mineral resources, others depend mainly on tourism, fisheries and remittances. China is interested in t...

  16. Parametric Simulations of the Great Dark Spots of Neptune

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xiaolong; Le Beau, R.

    2006-09-01

    Observations by Voyager II and the Hubble Space Telescope of the Great Dark Spots (GDS) of Neptune suggest that large vortices with lifespans of years are not uncommon occurrences in the atmosphere of Neptune. The variability of these features over time, in particular the complex motions of GDS-89, make them challenging candidates to simulate in atmospheric models. Previously, using the Explicit Planetary Isentropic-Coordinate (EPIC) General Circulation Model, LeBeau and Dowling (1998) simulated the GDS-like vortex features. Qualitatively, the drift, oscillation, and tail-like features of GDS-89 were recreated, although precise numerical matches were only achieved for the meridional drift rate. In 2001, Stratman et al. applied EPIC to simulate the formation of bright companion clouds to the Great Dark Spots. In 2006, Dowling et al. presented a new version of EPIC, which includes hybrid vertical coordinate, cloud physics, advanced chemistry, and new turbulence models. With the new version of EPIC, more observation results, and more powerful computers, it is the time to revisit CFD simulations of the Neptune's atmosphere and do more detailed work on GDS-like vortices. In this presentation, we apply the new version of EPIC to simulate GDS-89. We test the influences of different parameters in the EPIC model: potential vorticity gradient, wind profile, initial latitude, vortex shape, and vertical structure. The observed motions, especially the latitudinal drift and oscillations in orientation angle and aspect ratio, are used as diagnostics of these unobserved atmospheric conditions. Increased computing power allows for more refined and longer simulations and greater coverage of the parameter space than previous efforts. Improved quantitative results have been achieved, including voritices with near eight-day oscillations and comparable variations in shape to GDS-89. This research has been supported by Kentucky NASA EPSCoR.

  17. Investigating Wireless Power Transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    St. John, Stuart A.

    2017-01-01

    Understanding Physics is a great end in itself, but is also crucial to keep pace with developments in modern technology. Wireless power transfer, known to many only as a means to charge electric toothbrushes, will soon be commonplace in charging phones, electric cars and implanted medical devices. This article outlines how to produce and use a…

  18. Present status and perspectives for hydroelectric power in world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malquori, E.

    1991-01-01

    In the note a review of the present status and perspectives of hydroelectric power in the world is introduced. The present status regards, in chronological order, the last decade, as to say the works carried out in the 80ies whereas the perspectives regard the next twenty years as to say until 2010. The mentioned electric power potentiality refers to pure generation plants of great, middle and small size and to what could be achieved by already existing plants after changes and/or replacements and improvement of the machinery. Beside the figures regarding powers, great generation and pumping plants whose contribution has been and will be remarkable have been properly mentioned. The Italian contribution - civil works design, construction, and machinery supply - in the last hydroelectric development is briefly mentioned with particular reference to the developing countries

  19. Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA) houses environmental data on a wide variety of constituents in water, biota, sediment, and air in the Great Lakes area.

  20. What made Britannia great? Did the Industrial Revolution make Britain a world power?

    OpenAIRE

    Clark, Gregory

    2006-01-01

    How much of Britain's high living standards and military power compared to its competitors in 1850 should be attributed to Britain having first experienced the Industrial Revolution? Examining data on real wages in the north and south of England, the Netherlands and Ireland in the Industrial Revolution era, this paper contends that most of the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution benefited Britain's competitors as much as Britain itself. Britain attained higher outputs per pers...

  1. Non-intrusive Methods for Mode Estimation in Power Systems using Synchrophasors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peri?, V.

    2016-01-01

    The power system industry has been going through dynamic infrastructural and operational changes in recent years that have caused more prominent lightly damped electromechanical oscillations. Real-time monitoring of electromechanical oscillations is of great significance for power system operators;

  2. Pulsed power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1978-01-01

    Options for EBFA-I were narrowed as data became available from Proto II, MITE and power flow research. The solid dielectric capacitors proposed for intermediate stores have been eliminated for EBFA because of low reliability. Water capacitors based on data from Proto II and Hydra will be used on EBFA. Improved SF-6 switching data from Proto II shows that present parameters are adequate for EBFA. A switch jitter of 3 ns with reliability exceeding 0.986 was demonstrated. Proto II has achieved the design output and is now a user oriented accelerator. Several desirable features of the disc accelerator were proven. Initial magnetic insulation experiments on a 1.5 m-long-triplate show small energy and power losses. Theoretical understanding of magnetic insulation was greatly enhanced and agreement between projections and experiment were obtained

  3. Multi-Time Scale Coordinated Scheduling Strategy with Distributed Power Flow Controllers for Minimizing Wind Power Spillage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Tang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The inherent variability and randomness of large-scale wind power integration have brought great challenges to power flow control and dispatch. The distributed power flow controller (DPFC has the higher flexibility and capacity in power flow control in the system with wind generation. This paper proposes a multi-time scale coordinated scheduling model with DPFC to minimize wind power spillage. Configuration of DPFCs is initially determined by stochastic method. Afterward, two sequential procedures containing day-head and real-time scales are applied for determining maximum schedulable wind sources, optimal outputs of generating units and operation setting of DPFCs. The generating plan is obtained initially in day-ahead scheduling stage and modified in real-time scheduling model, while considering the uncertainty of wind power and fast operation of DPFC. Numerical simulation results in IEEE-RTS79 system illustrate that wind power is maximum scheduled with the optimal deployment and operation of DPFC, which confirms the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.

  4. Lessons in power: Lyndon Johnson revealed. A conversation with historian Robert A. Caro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caro, Robert A

    2006-04-01

    No one can lead who does not first acquire power, and no leader can be great who does not know how to use that power. The trouble is that the combination of the two skills is rare. Amassing power requires ambition, a focused pragmatism, and a certain ruthlessness that is often at odds with the daring, idealistic vision needed to achieve great things with that power. The tension is as real in business as it is in politics. This magazine is replete with examples of successful senior managers who could not make the switch from ambitious executive to corporate leader because they did not know what to do with the power they had so expertly accumulated. Robert Caro is a student of power. For the past 27 years, the two-time Pulitzer prize-winning biographer of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson has focused on the question of how Johnson amassed and wielded power. Caro's deep understanding of the inner workings of power offers senior executives a nuanced picture of leadership at the highest level. In this wide-ranging conversation, Caro shares his insights about the nature of power, the complexity of ambition, and the role that the greater good can play in the making of a leader. Power doesn't always corrupt, he insists. But what it invariably does is reveal a leader's true nature. "Today, when CEOs have acquired more and more power to change our lives," Caro says,"they have become like presidents in their own right, and they, too, need to align themselves with something greater than themselves if they hope to become truly great leaders."

  5. 33 CFR 100.124 - Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York. 100.124 Section 100.124 Navigation and Navigable... NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.124 Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York...

  6. Developing Virtual Power Plant for Optimized Distributed Energy Resources Operation and Integration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    You, Shi

    Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are small-scale power generation and storage technologies, (typically in the range of a few kWe to tens of kWe) located close to the customer side. They are right now under heavy development and have a great market potential in the near future. However, these so......Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are small-scale power generation and storage technologies, (typically in the range of a few kWe to tens of kWe) located close to the customer side. They are right now under heavy development and have a great market potential in the near future. However...... units in the electric power system  Efficient electricity market participation to benefit both power system operation and DER owners To address these issues, an innovative concept Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is investigated in this PhD study. Based on a comprehensive overview of the state of the art...

  7. Datafile: [nuclear power in] Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1989-01-01

    Japan is third after the USA and France in terms of the Western World's installed nuclear capacity, but it has by far the largest forward programme. Great effort is also being put into the fuel cycle and advanced reactors. There is close co-operation between the government, utilities and manufacturers, but Japan has not sought to export reactors. The government has responded to the growing public opposition to nuclear power with a massive increase in its budget for public relations. Details of the nuclear power programme are given. (author)

  8. Power Grid:Connecting the world

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Liu Liang; Zhu Li

    2012-01-01

    With the acceleration of global economic integration,the trend has been towards opening up markets.Large enterprises in countries around the world,the developed countries in particular,attach great importance to going abroad,with the aim to optimally allocate energy resources in a wider range.Actively responding to the "going out" strategy of the State,the two giant power grid enterprises in China,State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG),have made plans for grid development in line with the State's energy strategy and global resources allocation.

  9. Compressed Natural Gas Technology for Alternative Fuel Power Plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pujotomo, Isworo

    2018-02-01

    Gas has great potential to be converted into electrical energy. Indonesia has natural gas reserves up to 50 years in the future, but the optimization of the gas to be converted into electricity is low and unable to compete with coal. Gas is converted into electricity has low electrical efficiency (25%), and the raw materials are more expensive than coal. Steam from a lot of wasted gas turbine, thus the need for utilizing exhaust gas results from gas turbine units. Combined cycle technology (Gas and Steam Power Plant) be a solution to improve the efficiency of electricity. Among other Thermal Units, Steam Power Plant (Combined Cycle Power Plant) has a high electrical efficiency (45%). Weakness of the current Gas and Steam Power Plant peak burden still using fuel oil. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Technology may be used to accommodate the gas with little land use. CNG gas stored in the circumstances of great pressure up to 250 bar, in contrast to gas directly converted into electricity in a power plant only 27 bar pressure. Stored in CNG gas used as a fuel to replace load bearing peak. Lawyer System on CNG conversion as well as the power plant is generally only used compressed gas with greater pressure and a bit of land.

  10. Feasibility analysis of nuclear power development in Sichuan province

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Qi; Li Jie

    2003-01-01

    Sichuan province should take this opportunity to develop nuclear power actively since the application of nuclear power has been enhanced worldwide. It is accepted that nuclear power is one kind of safe and clean energy, and the economic has been improved greatly. Considering the electricity demands and structure conflict in near 20 years, nuclear power could solve the problem of electricity shortness in Sichuan, optimize the electricity structure and meliorate the environment, and thus maintain the sustainable development of the economy in Sichuan Province

  11. Great Expectations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dickens, Charles

    2005-01-01

    One of Dickens's most renowned and enjoyable novels, Great Expectations tells the story of Pip, an orphan boy who wishes to transcend his humble origins and finds himself unexpectedly given the opportunity to live a life of wealth and respectability. Over the course of the tale, in which Pip

  12. Electric power distribution: in the direction of a competitive market?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, J.R.A. de.

    1993-01-01

    This paper discusses the process of electric power sector deregulation, occurred in several countries, frequently followed of privatization, which the aim is activate the competition and, consequently, the efficiency between the companies of the electric power sector. The competition in the supply market of electric power, by the Great Britain, France, Spain and United States are shown as an example of this energy policy. (C.G.C.)

  13. Power system damping - Structural aspects of controlling active power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samuelsson, O.

    1997-04-01

    Environmental and economical aspects make it difficult to build new power lines and to reinforce existing ones. The continued growth in demand for electric power must therefore to a great extent be met by increased loading of available lines. A consequence is that power system damping is reduced, leading to a risk of poorly damped power oscillations between the generators. This thesis proposes the use of controlled active loads to increase damping of such electro-mechanical oscillations. The focus is on structural aspects of controller interaction and of sensor and actuator placement. On-off control based on machine frequency in a single machine infinite bus system is analysed using energy function analysis and phase plane plots. An on-off controller with estimated machine frequency as input has been implemented. At a field test it damped oscillations of a 0.9 MW hydro power generator by controlling a 20kW load. The linear analysis uses two power system models with three and twenty-three machines respectively. Each damper has active power as output and local bus frequency or machine frequency as input. The power system simulator EUROSTAG is used both for generation of the linearized models and for time simulations. Measures of active power mode controllability and phase angle mode observability are obtained from the eigenvectors of the differential-algebraic models. The geographical variation in the network of these quantities is illustrated using the resemblance to bending modes of flexible mechanical structures. Eigenvalue sensitivities are used to determine suitable damper locations. A spring-mass equivalent to an inter-area mode provides analytical expressions, that together with the concept of impedance matching explain the structural behaviour of the power systems. For large gains this is investigated using root locus plots. 64 refs, 99 figs, 20 tabs

  14. Measuring brand loyalty in the pharmaceutical industry of South Africa / Hilde du Plooy

    OpenAIRE

    Du Plooy, Hilde

    2012-01-01

    Brands are recognised as one of the most valuable assets that a company can possess and therefore brands are key role-players in the business strategies of organisations. The rivalry amongst competitors in the pharmaceutical industry is fierce and companies should design their strategies in such a way in order to achieve competitive advantage. Brand loyalty is regarded as a powerful tool in the development of pharmaceutical brands. The main aim of this study was to measure b...

  15. Réexaminer le modèle des «cinq forces de Porter»: La fusion des écoles et la formation de MBA jointe en tant que contrepartie du modèle d’avantage concurrentiel

    OpenAIRE

    Thi Thu Tra Nguyen

    2015-01-01

    In the scope of our doctoral research, business education is considered as an industry where business schools act as firms. Our thesis focuses on the strategic management field, with aims to explore how schools revisit their MBA curricula. Within this framework, joint and merged MBA programmes have been analysed as a counter point of Porter’s five forces (1980): rivalry among competitors, entry barriers, substitutions’ threats, buyers’ and suppliers’ bargaining power. The objective of this co...

  16. The Prussian Reform Movement: A Case Study in Defense Reform

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-09-01

    the power of Germany." Writing of the causes of war just before the French Revolution, Jeremy Bentham found five: colonial rivalry, the feudal system...has remained ever since.""’ Bentham chose the ’hucydides, The Comulete Writings of Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War, trans. J.H. Finley, Jr., p.15...Press, 1986. Bentham , J., A Plan for a Universal and Perpetual Peace, Grotius Society, 1927. Blainey, G., The Causes of War, Free Press, 1973. Bloom

  17. Living With Dementia: An Exploratory Study of Caregiving in a Chinese Family Context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Oi Ling; Kwong, Ping Sum; Ho, Candis Ka Yan; Chow, Susanna Miu Yee; Kwok, Timothy; Wong, Bel; Ho, Vennus; Lau, Andrew; Ho, Florence

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative study explored themes that described families taking care of elderly relatives with dementia in Chinese society. Ten families were invited for two in-depth family interviews involving spousal caregivers, child caregivers, and care recipients. Five themes resulted: positive affection as coping strategies, power and control in the caregiving relationship, adult children's involvement in caregiving, sibling rivalry, and intergenerational conflicts. The ways these themes functioned and helped in dementia care, the research implications, and limitations are discussed.

  18. The Arctic: between climatic change, economic development and security issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Degeorges, Damien

    2016-01-01

    The Arctic is a perfect illustration of how climate change is impacting international relations, in particular because it triggers new economic and safety issues. Since every major economic power has interests in the region, it has now become the stage of many rivalries, including between China and the United-States. Whether it is because its extreme climate conditions or the growing international pressure, the Arctic sets a new challenge for investors: securing a sustainable economic growth in the region

  19. Leakage current minimisation and power reduction techniques using sub-threshold design

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Tsague, HD

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Low power IC solutions are in great demand with the rapid advancement of handheld devices, wearables, smart cards and radio frequency identification bringing a massive amount of new products to market that all have the same primary need: Powering...

  20. Impact of transition to a low carbon power system on the GB gas network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qadrdan, Meysam; Chaudry, Modassar; Jenkins, Nick; Baruah, Pranab; Eyre, Nick

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Availability and cost of gas are crucial factors in power system planning. • CGEN+ was developed to analyse expansion of combined gas and electricity systems. • Performance of various low carbon strategies were assessed. • Electrification of heat and transport requires large investment in power sector. • Despite declining demand for gas, peak gas demand will almost remain unchanged. - Abstract: The reliance of Great Britain power generation on the gas network makes it critical to consider the future availability and cost of gas in planning the expansion of the power system. A combined gas and electricity network planning model was used to investigate impacts of various low carbon strategies on regional expansion of the Great Britain gas network out to the 2050s. A number of long term energy supply and demand strategies covering a range of plausible investment policies for Great Britain gas and electricity systems were explored. Reliance of Great Britain on gas imports was projected to vary from 84%, in an energy system with significant electrification of heat and transport sectors and large capacity of nuclear generation, to 94% in a business as usual case. Extensive investment in Liquefied Natural Gas import facilities at Milford Haven and the Isle of Grain was shown to compensate for reduction of indigenous gas supplies. Exploitation of shale gas in north England was shown to reduce the gas dependency of Great Britain in the business as usual case to 74%. Electrification of the heat and transport sectors combined with exploitation of shale gas in Great Britain could reduce import dependency to below 10% by 2050

  1. Nuclear power--the hope of green economy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tian Jiashu; Wang Chuang

    2010-01-01

    The thesis introduces the current situation of nuclear power development and developed countries' attitude towards nuclear power as the demand for energy consumption is continuously increasing with the global economic and social development and the green house gas emission leads to global warming. By comparison of the impact to the environment and the generating cost between thermal power and nuclear power, it is of great significance to strengthen nuclear power development to carry out international cooperation on low-carbon economy and to enhance self-innovation for developing the green economy and dealing with climate change. Based on the analysis of nuclear industry development in China, the Mid-Long Term Development Plan for Nuclear Power has been set up, and challenges and objectives of nuclear and radiation safety regulation have been brought forward. (authors)

  2. Effect of accuracy of wind power prediction on power system operator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlueter, R. A.; Sigari, G.; Costi, T.

    1985-01-01

    This research project proposed a modified unit commitment that schedules connection and disconnection of generating units in response to load. A modified generation control is also proposed that controls steam units under automatic generation control, fast responding diesels, gas turbines and hydro units under a feedforward control, and wind turbine array output under a closed loop array control. This modified generation control and unit commitment require prediction of trend wind power variation one hour ahead and the prediction of error in this trend wind power prediction one half hour ahead. An improved meter for predicting trend wind speed variation is developed. Methods for accurately simulating the wind array power from a limited number of wind speed prediction records was developed. Finally, two methods for predicting the error in the trend wind power prediction were developed. This research provides a foundation for testing and evaluating the modified unit commitment and generation control that was developed to maintain operating reliability at a greatly reduced overall production cost for utilities with wind generation capacity.

  3. Effort to grapple with improvement of security and reliability of nuclear power plant. Actions of the Japan Atomic Power Company

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishiguma, Kazuo

    2012-01-01

    Following the Great Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, Tokai No.2 reactor was shut down automatically. Three of emergency diesel generators worked automatically at loss-of-offsite-power and began to work the cooling system of reactor. The reactor could be kept stable and safe in cold state by management of power from the gas turbine electric generator and power source car. Actions of Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) for cold shutdown and Tsunami were stated. Inspection results after the earthquake and testimony of staff was described. Countermeasure of improvement of safety of nuclear power station is explained by ensuring of power source and water supply, crisis management system, countermeasure of accident, ensuring, and training of workers, and action for better understanding of reliance. (S.Y.)

  4. Training visual imagery: Improvements of metacognition, but not imagery strength

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosanne Lynn Rademaker

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Visual imagery has been closely linked to brain mechanisms involved in perception. Can visual imagery, like visual perception, improve by means of training? Previous research has demonstrated that people can reliably evaluate the vividness of single episodes of sensory imagination – might the metacognition of imagery also improve over the course of training? We had participants imagine colored Gabor patterns for an hour a day, over the course of five consecutive days, and again two weeks after training. Participants rated the subjective vividness and effort of their mental imagery on each trial. The influence of imagery on subsequent binocular rivalry dominance was taken as our measure of imagery strength. We found no overall effect of training on imagery strength. Training did, however, improve participant’s metacognition of imagery. Trial-by-trial ratings of vividness gained predictive power on subsequent rivalry dominance as a function of training. These data suggest that, while imagery strength might be immune to training in the current context, people’s metacognitive understanding of mental imagery can improve with practice.

  5. How to write a great business plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahlman, W A

    1997-01-01

    Every seasoned investor knows that detailed financial projections for a new company are an act of imagination. Nevertheless, most business plans pour far too much ink on the numbers - and far too little on the information that really matters. Why? William Sahlman suggests that a great business plan is one that focuses on a series of questions. These questions relate to the four factors critical to the success of every new venture: the people, the opportunity, the context, and the possibilities for both risk and reward. The questions about people revolve around three issues: What do they know? Whom do they know? and How well are they known? As for opportunity, the plan should focus on two questions: Is the market for the venture's product or service large or rapidly growing (or preferably both)? and Is the industry structurally attractive? Then, in addition to demonstrating an understanding of the context in which their venture will operate, entrepreneurs should make clear how they will respond when that context inevitably changes. Finally, the plan should look unflinchingly at the risks the new venture faces, giving would-be backers a realistic idea of what magnitude of reward they can expect and when they can expect it. A great business plan is not easy to compose, Sahlman acknowledges, largely because most entrepreneurs are wild-eyed optimists. But one that asks the right questions is a powerful tool. A better deal, not to mention a better shot at success, awaits entrepreneurs who use it.

  6. What Great Powers Make It: International Order and the Logic of Cooperation in Cyberspace

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    seems to be a bit of schizophrenia here. On the one hand, cyber—in the form of information and networks—is already changing the nature of war and...of a condominium or a concert of power, relying instead on alliance politics. Alliance politics were both a cause and a cure for the hegemonic wars

  7. IMMEDIATE MENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ACCIDENT ON MOTHERS EXPERIENCING MISCARRIAGE, ABORTION, AND STILLBIRTH: THE FUKUSHIMA HEALTH MANAGEMENT SURVEY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida-Komiya, Hiromi; Goto, Aya; Yasumura, Seiji; Fujimori, Keiya; Abe, Masafumi

    2015-01-01

    The Fukushima Pregnancy and Birth Survey was launched to monitor pregnant mothers' health after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident. Several lines of investigations have indicated that a disaster impacts maternal mental health with childbirth. However, there is no research regarding mental health of mothers with fetal loss after a disaster. In this report, we focus on those women immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima NPP accident and discuss their support needs. Data regarding 61 miscarriages, 5 abortions, and 22 stillbirths were analyzed among the women who were pregnant at the time of the accident in the present study. We used a two-item case-finding instrument for depression screening, and compared the childbirth group with the fetal loss groups. We also analyzed mothers' opinions written as free-form text. Among the three fetal loss groups, the proportion of positive depression screens was significantly higher in the miscarriage and stillbirth group than in the childbirth group. Mothers' opinions were grouped into six categories, with pregnancy-related items being most common, especially in the miscarriage and stillbirth groups. A higher proportion of Fukushima mothers with fetal loss, especially those with miscarriage and stillbirth, had depressive symptoms compared to those who experienced childbirth. Health care providers need to pay close attention to this vulnerable group and respond to their concerns regarding the effects on their fertility.

  8. Increased nuclear safety and reliability through power beaming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coomes, E.P.; Widrig, R.D.

    1989-01-01

    Space satellites and platforms currently include self-contained power systems to supply the energy necessary to accomplish mission objectives. With power beaming, the power system is separate from the satellite and the two are connected by an energy beam. This approach is analogous to earth-based central station power generation and distribution over transmission lines to various customers. In space, power is produced by power satellites (central power generating stations) and transmitted via energy beams to individual users. Power beaming has the ability to provide an order of magnitude increase in power availability over solar-based power systems with less mass on orbit. The technologies needed for power beaming are being developed today under existing programs directed by the Strategic Defense Initiative Office, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the US Department of Energy. A space power architecture based on power beaming would greatly increase the safety and reliability of employing nuclear power in space

  9. History of decontamination after the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Omura, Takashi; Onodera, Hideaki; Morishita, Satoru; Kato, Sei

    2015-01-01

    The magnitude 9.0 earthquake (the Great East Japan Earthquake) hit Japan on March 11, 2011 brought tsunami hazard as well as a nuclear accident in addition to the seismic hazard. A wide area of the eastern Japan was contaminated by radioactive materials released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant of the Tokyo Electric Power Company. In response to the unprecedented situation of the radioactive pollution after the accident, the Act on Special Measures Concerning the Handling of Radioactive Pollution was enacted in August 2011. The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has formulated a set of guidelines by the end of 2011 to provide information on how to store and manage contaminated waste. In addition, the MOE established 'The Policies for the Decontamination of Specific Areas (Decontamination Roadmap)' in January 2012. As a result, the radiation dose rate has decreased by approximately 46% in the residential area of Naraha town. The MOE will have been promoting decontamination and construction of interim storage facilities which are able to store and manage the removed soils and incineration ashes generated from decontamination works. (author)

  10. Wind power policy in Norway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    The Norwegian government's ambition of developing 3 TWh wind power by 2010 seems hard to fulfill. Recently Norway's first wind park was officially opened on the island of Smoela, just off Kristiansund. The 20 large windmills are Danish-made and described in some detail in this article. Fulfillment of the government's ambition requires that 20 similar power stations are put into operation the coming eight years, and so far it has not been decided to build the next one. Statkraft have great ambitions for wind power. However, environmental considerations present difficulties. For instance, for Smoela, Statkraft spent an extra 4 million NOK on ground cables the last 1.5 km to land in order to minimize the disturbance of bird populations. Considerations for the white-tailed eagle may be a decisive factor in the development of wind power plants in Norway

  11. High power laser exciter accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, T.H.

    1975-01-01

    Recent developments in untriggered oil and water switching now permit the construction of compact, high energy density pulsed power sources for laser excitation. These accelerators, developed principally for electron beam fusion studies, appear adaptable to laser excitation and will provide electron beams of 10 13 to 10 14 W in the next several years. The accelerators proposed for e-beam fusion essentially concentrate the available power from the outside edge of a disk into the central region where the electron beam is formed. One of the main problem areas, that of power flow at the vacuum diode insulator, is greatly alleviated by the multiplicity of electron beams that are allowable for laser excitation. A proposal is made whereby the disk-shaped pulsed power sections are stacked vertically to form a series of radially flowing electron beams to excite the laser gas volume. (auth)

  12. Power source device for thermonuclear device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozaki, Akira.

    1992-01-01

    The present invention provides a small sized and economical power source device for a thermonuclear device. That is, the device comprises a conversion device having a rated power determined by a power required during a plasma current excitation period and a conversion device having a rated power determined by a power required during a plasma current maintaining period, connected in series to each other. Then, for the former conversion device, power is supplied from an electric power generator and, for the latter, power is supplied from a power system. With such a constitution, during the plasma electric current maintaining period for substantially continuous operation, it is possible to conduct bypassing paired operation for the former conversion device while the electric power generator is put under no load. Further, since a short period rated power may be suffice for the former conversion device and the electric power generator having the great rated power required for the plasma electric current excitation period, they can be reduced in the size and made economical. On the other hand, since the power required for the plasma current maintaining period is relatively small, the capacity of the continuous rated conversion device may be small, and the power can be received from the power system. (I.S.)

  13. Applications of power beaming from space-based nuclear power stations. [Laser beaming to airplanes; microwave beaming to ground

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Powell, J.R.; Botts, T.E.; Hertzberg, A.

    1981-01-01

    Power beaming from space-based reactor systems is examined using an advanced compact, lightweight Rotating Bed Reactor (RBR). Closed Brayton power conversion efficiencies in the range of 30 to 40% can be achieved with turbines, with reactor exit temperatures on the order of 2000/sup 0/K and a liquid drop radiator to reject heat at temperatures of approx. 500/sup 0/K. Higher RBR coolant temperatures (up to approx. 3000/sup 0/K) are possible, but gains in power conversion efficiency are minimal, due to lower expander efficiency (e.g., a MHD generator). Two power beaming applications are examined - laser beaming to airplanes and microwave beaming to fixed ground receivers. Use of the RBR greatly reduces system weight and cost, as compared to solar power sources. Payback times are a few years at present prices for power and airplane fuel.

  14. The economics of transition in the power sector

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2010-07-01

    The power sector carries a considerably great burden of the CO2 emission reductions required to address climate change, a feature common to many scenarios of emissions abatement. These reductions will only be possible if existing plants are replaced with more efficient and less-emitting types of plants over the coming decades. This report identifies the investments needed in the power sector, and their related risk factors.

  15. Improved Power Quality Monitoring through Phasor Measurement Unit Data Interpretation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pertl, Michael; Marinelli, Mattia; Bindner, Henrik W.

    2015-01-01

    and wind power production on the voltage unbalance was analyzed. PMU data and NTP-synchronized data from two different MV networks were used. It has been found that PV production has only a minor negative impact on the voltage unbalance whereas the wind power production has a great positive impact...

  16. Personal power systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dunn-Rankin, Derek; Leal, Elisangela Martins; Walther, David C. [Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)

    2005-07-01

    The lack of compact, efficient, human compatible, lightweight power sources impedes the realization of machine-enhanced human endeavor. Electronic and communication devices, as well as mobile robotic devices, need new power sources that will allow them to operate autonomously for periods of hours. In this work, a personal power system implies an application of interest to an individual person. The human-compatible gravimetric energy density spans the range from 500 to 5000Wh/kg, with gravimetric power density requirements from 10 to 1000W/kg. These requirements are the primary goals for the systems presented here. The review examines the interesting and promising concepts in electrochemical, thermochemical, and biochemical approaches to small-scale power, as well as their technological and physical challenges and limitations. Often it is the limitations that dominate, so that while the technology to create personal autonomy for communications, information processing and mobility has accelerated, similar breakthroughs for the systems powering these devices have not yet occurred. Fuel cells, model airplane engines, and hummingbird metabolism, are three promising examples, respectively, of electrochemical, thermochemical, and biochemical power production strategies that are close to achieving personal power systems' power demands. Fuel cells show great promise as an energy source when relatively low power density is demanded, but they cannot yet deliver high peak powers nor respond quickly to variable loads. Current small-scale engines, while achieving extraordinary power densities, are too inefficient to achieve the energy density needed for long-duration autonomous operation. Metabolic processes of flying insects and hummingbirds are remarkable biological energy converters, but duplicating, accelerating, and harnessing such power for mobility applications is virtually unexplored. These challenges are significant, and they provide a fertile environment for

  17. What great managers do.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buckingham, Marcus

    2005-03-01

    Much has been written about the qualities that make a great manager, but most of the literature overlooks a fundamental question: What does a great manager actually do? While there are countless management styles, one thing underpins the behavior of all great managers. Above all, an exceptional manager comes to know and value the particular quirks and abilities of her employees. She figures out how to capitalize on her staffers' strengths and tweaks her environment to meet her larger goals. Such a specialized approach may seem like a lot of work. But in fact, capitalizing on each person's uniqueness can save time. Rather than encourage employees to conform to strict job descriptions that may include tasks they don't enjoy and aren't good at, a manager who develops positions for his staff members based on their unique abilities will be rewarded with behaviors that are far more efficient and effective than they would be otherwise. This focus on individuals also makes employees more accountable. Because staffers are evaluated on their particular strengths and weaknesses, they are challenged to take responsibility for their abilities and to hone them. Capitalizing on a person's uniqueness also builds a stronger sense of team. By taking the time to understand what makes each employee tick, a great manager shows that he sees his people for who they are. This personal investment not only motivates individuals but also galvanizes the entire team. Finally, this approach shakes up existing hierarchies, which leads to more creative thinking. To take great managing from theory to practice, the author says, you must know three things about a person: her strengths, the triggers that activate those strengths, and how she learns. By asking the right questions, squeezing the right triggers, and becoming aware of your employees' learning styles, you will discover what motivates each person to excel.

  18. Power supplyer for reactor coolant recycling pump

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nara, Hiroshi; Okinaka, Yo.

    1991-01-01

    The present invention concerns a variable voltage/variable frequency static power source (static power source) used as a power source for a coolants recycling pump motor of a nuclear power plant. That is, during lower power operation such as start up or shutdown in which stoppage of the power source gives less effect to a reactor core, power is supplied from a power system, a main power generator connected thereto or a high voltage bus in the plant or a common high voltage bus to the static power source. However, during rated power operation, power is supplied from the output of an axially power generator connected with a main power generator having an extremely great inertia moment to the static power device. With such a constitution, the static power device is not stopped by the lowering of the voltage due to a thunderbolt falling accident or the like to a power-distribution line suddenly occurred in the power system. Accordingly, reactor core flowrate is free from rapid decrease caused by the reduction of rotation speed of the recycling pump. Accordingly, disadvantgages upon operation control in the reactor core is not caused. (I.S.)

  19. Effect of nuclear power on CO₂ emission from power plant sector in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kargari, Nargess; Mastouri, Reza

    2011-01-01

    It is predicted that demand for electricity in Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to increase dramatically in the future due to the rapid pace of economic development leading to construction of new power plants. At the present time, most of electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels which result in emission of great deal of pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHG) such as SO₂, NOx, and CO₂. The power industry is the largest contributor to these emissions. Due to minimal emission of GHG by renewable and nuclear power plants, they are most suitable replacements for the fossil-fueled power plants. However, the nuclear power plants are more suitable than renewable power plants in providing baseload electricity. The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the only nuclear power plant of Iran, is expected to start operation in 2010. This paper attempts to interpret the role of Bushehr nuclear power plant (BNPP) in CO₂ emission trend of power plant sector in Iran. In order to calculate CO₂ emissions from power plants, National CO₂ coefficients have been used. The National CO₂ emission coefficients are according to different fuels (natural gas, fuels gas, fuel oil). By operating Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in 2010, nominal capacity of electricity generation in Iran will increase by about 1,000 MW, which increases the electricity generation by almost 7,000 MWh/year (it is calculated according to availability factor and nominal capacity of BNPP). Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant will decrease the CO₂ emission in Iran power sector, by about 3% in 2010.

  20. Las rivalidades futbolísticas y la construcción de la nación. Una comparación entre México y Ecuador

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roger Magazine

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available En este artículo empleamos una comparación entre Ecuador y México para explorar la relación entre la configuración de las rivalidades de los equipos de fútbol a nivel nacional y la distribución espacial de poder entre las regiones y ciudades. En el caso de México, el patrón de rivalidades es inseparable de un fuerte centralismo de poder político y económico, mientras que en el caso de Ecuador, el patrón tiene que ver principalmente con una vieja lucha por la predominancia económica y política entre las ciudades de Quito y Guayaquil. Proponemos que la atención a las rivalidades futbolísticas revela cómo un segmento de la población ve, critica o replantea la posición de su ciudad o región con relación a otras y con relación a la nación. Esta atención revela un comentario “desde abajo” sobre el proceso continuo de construcción de la nación. In this article, we will use a comparison of Ecuador and Mexico to explore the relation between the configuration of rivalries among soccer teams at the national level and the spatial distribution of power among regions and cities. In the Mexican case, the pattern of rivalries is inseparable from the strong centralism of political and economic power, whereas in the Ecuadorian case, the pattern has to be do, primarily, with an old struggle for economic and political predominance between the cities of Quito and Guayaquil. We propose that attention to soccer rivalries reveals how a segment of the population sees, criticizes or restates the position of a city or region in relation to others and in relation to the nation. This attention reveals a commentary “from below” on the continuous process of nation building.

  1. Soft power geopolitics: how does the diminishing utility of military power affect the Russia – West confrontation over the “Common Neighbourhood”

    OpenAIRE

    Vasif HUSEYNOV

    2016-01-01

    This paper is based on the fact that a number of factors, but particularly the restricting utility of military force between great powers, increase the significance of soft power as a tool both for legitimization and expansion in international relations in general, and in the West – Russia confrontation over the “common (or shared) neighbourhood” in particular. It explores how this fact affects the policies of the Western powers and Russia within the frame of the confrontation they are in. Th...

  2. Distributed systems for protecting nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jover, P.

    1980-05-01

    The advantages of distributed control systems for the control of nuclear power stations are obviously of great interest. Some years ago, EPRI, (Electric Power Research Institute) showed that multiplexing the signals is technically feasible, that it enables the availability specifications to be met and costs to be reduced. Since then, many distributed control systems have been proposed by the manufacturers. This note offers some comments on the application of the distribution concept to protection systems -what should be distributed- and ends with a brief description of a protection system based on microprocessors for the pressurized power stations now being built in France [fr

  3. Out of Bounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCollum, Sean

    2012-01-01

    Sports rivalries can energize school spirit. But keeping events respectful takes a dynamic blend of foresight, leadership and buy-in from the community. Sports rivalries are dynamic relationships with many moving parts--athletes, coaches, students, pep squads, parents and others. When it's healthy, fierce competition can engender respect as well…

  4. Reactor Power for Large Displacement Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McClure, Patrick Ray; Reid, Robert Stowers; Poston, David Irvin; Dasari, Venkateswara Rao

    2016-01-01

    This is a PentaChart on reactor power for large displacement autonomous underwater vehicles. Currently AUVs use batteries or combinations of batteries and fuel cells for power. Battery/fuel cell technology is limited by duration. Batteries and cell fuels are a good match for some missions, but other missions could benefit greatly by a longer duration. The goal is the following: to design nuclear systems to power an AUV and meet design constraints including non-proliferation issues, power level, size constraints, and power conversion limitations. The action plan is to continue development of a range of systems for terrestrial systems and focus on a system for Titan Moon as alternative to Pu-238 for NASA.

  5. Great Ellipse Route Planning Based on Space Vector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIU Wenchao

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Aiming at the problem of navigation error caused by unified earth model in great circle route planning using sphere model and modern navigation equipment using ellipsoid mode, a method of great ellipse route planning based on space vector is studied. By using space vector algebra method, the vertex of great ellipse is solved directly, and description of great ellipse based on major-axis vector and minor-axis vector is presented. Then calculation formulas of great ellipse azimuth and distance are deduced using two basic vectors. Finally, algorithms of great ellipse route planning are studied, especially equal distance route planning algorithm based on Newton-Raphson(N-R method. Comparative examples show that the difference of route planning between great circle and great ellipse is significant, using algorithms of great ellipse route planning can eliminate the navigation error caused by the great circle route planning, and effectively improve the accuracy of navigation calculation.

  6. Ukraine is nuclear Great Power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svolik, S.

    2005-01-01

    In this paper the interview with Mr. Jaroslav Holubec - the Director of the Mochovce NPP is published. MR. Jaroslav Holubec with Mr. Stefan Niznan - the Director of the 3 r d and 4 th blocks of the Mochovce NPP - took part in opening commissioning of blocks on the Rovno NPP and Khmelnitskaya NPP, both with installed reactors 1,000 MW. Development of nuclear energetics in the Ukraine is discussed. The share of nuclear energy on the production of the Ukraine constitutes 42 %

  7. THE ARCHITECTURAL PATRONAGE AND POLITICAL PROWESS OF HEROD THE GREAT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivian A. Laughlin

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available After supporting Marc Antony in the Battle of Actium (31 B.C., King Herod, fearful of losing his power, went to Rome, apologized to Augustus and assured him that he was his biggest supporter. Augustus, giving Herod an opportunity to redeem himself, allowed him to return to Judea as King of the Jews. In an effort for Herod to express his continued commitment to Rome, he reconfigured his building styles by making cities that  would depict Rome in the Levant. Herod created architecture that implemented Roman technology, designs, and styles, while co-mingling them with his existing Hellenistic style of architecture that made him forever remembered as Herod the Great.

  8. A computerized total-radiation management system for Shikoku Electric Power's Ikata nuclear-power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirao, Toshiyuki; Sakakihara, Tetsuro; Tanabe, Shozo; Kano, Mamoru; Hoshi, Jun-ichi.

    1985-01-01

    This system allows on-line, real-time radiation management at nuclear-power plants. It increases management precision, decreases management workloads, and saves labor in operations that previously required specialized technicians to expend great amounts of time and effort on radiation management at facilities and their environments, environmental radiation evaluation, and control of radioactive waste. The article outlines the already installed system. (author)

  9. The nuclear power implications of OPEC prices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brookes, L.G.

    1975-01-01

    It is generally assumed - not unreasonably - that quadrupling oil prices offers a great opportunity to nuclear power and that installation rates should now be much than if prices had stayed down. It is argued that this view is too facile: the effect of raised oil prices on Western economies is complex and longlasting; nuclear power prospects are at least as likely to be depressed as enhanced - unless more weight is given to long-term strategic factors. (author)

  10. Research on the impacts of large-scale electric vehicles integration into power grid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Chuankun; Zhang, Jian

    2018-06-01

    Because of its special energy driving mode, electric vehicles can improve the efficiency of energy utilization and reduce the pollution to the environment, which is being paid more and more attention. But the charging behavior of electric vehicles is random and intermittent. If the electric vehicle is disordered charging in a large scale, it causes great pressure on the structure and operation of the power grid and affects the safety and economic operation of the power grid. With the development of V2G technology in electric vehicle, the study of the charging and discharging characteristics of electric vehicles is of great significance for improving the safe operation of the power grid and the efficiency of energy utilization.

  11. Nothing Great Is Easy

    OpenAIRE

    Stansbie, Lisa

    2014-01-01

    A solo exhibition of 13 pieces of art work.\\ud \\ud Nothing Great is Easy is an exhibition of sculpture, film, drawing and photography that proposes reconstructed narratives using the sport of swimming and in particular the collective interaction and identity of the channel swimmer. The work utilises the processes, rituals/rules, language and the apparatus of sport.\\ud \\ud “Nothing great is easy” are the words on the memorial to Captain Matthew Webb who was the first man to swim the English ch...

  12. Nuclear power plant in whose backyard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, W.

    1981-01-01

    The authority to regulate the nuclear power industry resides largely with the federal government. But states have the responsibility to protect the health and safety of their citizens and to regulate land use within their borders. The siting of nuclear power plants can engender conflicts between these jurisdictions that are usually resolved in the courts. Most state challenges to federal control of nuclear power have been struck down or severely weakened by the preemption doctrine contained in the supremacy clause of Article VI of the Constitution, which provides for the preemption of federal law over state law in the event of direct conflict. The existing avenues for state control over siting and operation of nuclear power plants can be greatly strengthened while avoiding direct conflict with federal jurisdiction

  13. Partial Discharge Monitoring in Power Transformers Using Low-Cost Piezoelectric Sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, Bruno; Clerice, Guilherme; Ramos, Caio; Andreoli, André; Baptista, Fabricio; Campos, Fernando; Ulson, José

    2016-08-10

    Power transformers are crucial in an electric power system. Failures in transformers can affect the quality and cause interruptions in the power supply. Partial discharges are a phenomenon that can cause failures in the transformers if not properly monitored. Typically, the monitoring requires high-cost corrective maintenance or even interruptions of the power system. Therefore, the development of online non-invasive monitoring systems to detect partial discharges in power transformers has great relevance since it can reduce significant maintenance costs. Although commercial acoustic emission sensors have been used to monitor partial discharges in power transformers, they still represent a significant cost. In order to overcome this drawback, this paper presents a study of the feasibility of low-cost piezoelectric sensors to identify partial discharges in mineral insulating oil of power transformers. The analysis of the feasibility of the proposed low-cost sensor is performed by its comparison with a commercial acoustic emission sensor commonly used to detect partial discharges. The comparison between the responses in the time and frequency domain of both sensors was carried out and the experimental results indicate that the proposed piezoelectric sensors have great potential in the detection of acoustic waves generated by partial discharges in insulation oil, contributing for the popularization of this noninvasive technique.

  14. Partial Discharge Monitoring in Power Transformers Using Low-Cost Piezoelectric Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Castro

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Power transformers are crucial in an electric power system. Failures in transformers can affect the quality and cause interruptions in the power supply. Partial discharges are a phenomenon that can cause failures in the transformers if not properly monitored. Typically, the monitoring requires high-cost corrective maintenance or even interruptions of the power system. Therefore, the development of online non-invasive monitoring systems to detect partial discharges in power transformers has great relevance since it can reduce significant maintenance costs. Although commercial acoustic emission sensors have been used to monitor partial discharges in power transformers, they still represent a significant cost. In order to overcome this drawback, this paper presents a study of the feasibility of low-cost piezoelectric sensors to identify partial discharges in mineral insulating oil of power transformers. The analysis of the feasibility of the proposed low-cost sensor is performed by its comparison with a commercial acoustic emission sensor commonly used to detect partial discharges. The comparison between the responses in the time and frequency domain of both sensors was carried out and the experimental results indicate that the proposed piezoelectric sensors have great potential in the detection of acoustic waves generated by partial discharges in insulation oil, contributing for the popularization of this noninvasive technique.

  15. Climate variability and Great Plains agriculture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenberg, N.J.; Katz, L.A.

    1991-01-01

    The ways in which inhabitants of the Great Plains, including Indians, early settlers, and 20th century farmers, have adapted to climate changes on the Great Plains are explored. The climate of the Great Plains, because of its variability and extremes, can be very stressful to plants, animals and people. It is suggested that agriculture and society on the Great Plains have, during the last century, become less vulnerable to the stresses imposed by climate. Opinions as to the sustainability of agriculture on the Great Plains vary substantially. Lockeretz (1981) suggests that large scale, high cost technologies have stressed farmers by creating surpluses and by requiring large investments. Opie (1989) sees irrigation as a climate substitute, however he stresses that the Ogallala aquifer must inevitably become depleted. Deborah and Frank Popper (1987) believe that farming on the Plains is unsustainable, and destruction of shelterbelts, out-migration of the rural population and environmental problems will lead to total collapse. With global warming, water in the Great Plains is expected to become scarcer, and although improvements in irrigation efficiency may slow depletion of the Ogallala aquifer, ultimately the acreage under irrigation must decrease to levels that can be sustained by natural recharge and reliable surface flows. 23 refs., 2 figs

  16. Turkey’s Relations with Iran and the United States: A Shift in Alignment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-03-01

    experienced a golden era during the Ataturk and Riza Shah Pahlavi period. Both states’ fates were similar against the imperial powers. The Soviet...February 21, 2009). 107 Arif Keskin, “Bütün Boyutları ile İran ve Türkiye İlişkileri”, http://www.oyrenci.com/SpecialPart/b5775632-5417-4cf3-a4fa...cetinsaya.pdf (accessed February 21, 2009). 109 Arif Keskin, “Iran-Turkey Relations: Balance, Rivalry and Mutual Dependence”, Avrasya Stratejik

  17. Rapid ascent: Rocky Mountain National Park in the Great Acceleration, 1945-present

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boxell, Mark

    After the Second World War's conclusion, Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) experienced a massive rise in visitation. Mobilized by an affluent economy and a growing, auto-centric infrastructure, Americans rushed to RMNP in droves, setting off new concerns over the need for infrastructure improvements in the park. National parks across the country experienced similar explosions in visitation, inspiring utilities- and road-building campaigns throughout the park units administered by the National Park Service. The quasi-urbanization of parks like RMNP implicated the United States' public lands in a process of global change, whereby wartime technologies, cheap fossil fuels, and a culture of techno-optimism--epitomized by the Mission 66 development program--helped foster a "Great Acceleration" of human alterations of Earth's natural systems. This transformation culminated in worldwide turns toward mass-urbanization, industrial agriculture, and globalized markets. The Great Acceleration, part of the Anthropocene--a new geologic epoch we have likely entered, which proposes that humans have become a force of geologic change--is used as a conceptual tool for understanding the connections between local and global changes which shaped the park after World War II. The Great Acceleration and its array of novel technologies and hydrocarbon-powered infrastructures produced specific cultures of tourism and management techniques within RMNP. After World War II, the park increasingly became the product and distillation of a fossil fuel-dependent society.

  18. Nuclear disarmament at a standstill; Le desarmement nucleaire dans l`impasse

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chellaney, B

    1998-10-01

    Considering the pace of major global developments since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the next decade should be equally, if not more dramatic. However, the key principles governing international relations will still be structured on power and force. National interests will continue to override international interests. Political, economic and military rivalries will sharpen. Weapons of mass destruction capabilities will remain the essence of military power. A world based on collective security will remain a fairy tale. Disarmament is expected to remain a complex and endless process that the major powered will continue to employ to their advantage to safeguard their status quo interests. This does not mean that the rest of the world should give up on disarmament or allow the major powers to have their way

  19. Osmotic power. A great energy source for renewable energy; Una gran fuente de energia renovable para electricidad. Potencia osmotica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso Alvarez, J.

    2009-07-01

    When freshwater meets saltwater, for example, where a river flows out into the sea, enormous quantities of energy can be utilised to generate power, through the natural phenomenon of osmosis. Osmotic power is based on the natural phenomenon of osmosis, defined as the transport of water through a semi-permeable membranes, enclosing their cells, and tho produce osmotic power one has to design similar, artificial membranes. In an osmotic power plant we feed freshwater into separate chambers, separated by an artificial membranes. The salt molecules in the seawater then draw the freshwater through the membranes, causing the pressure on the seawater side to increase. This pressure corresponds to a water column of 120 meters or a large waterfall, and can be utilised in a turbine which generated electricity. The idea to generate power through osmosis is originates from the 1970s. At the time, however, the membranes had low efficiency and power price were too low to enable anyone to profitable invest in such a project. many years later, research scientists al SINTEF brought the idea to STAT kraft. The collaboration was initiated in 1997, and the development of a new, renewable energy source was initiated. (Author)

  20. Optimization of power rationing order based on fuzzy evaluation model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Siyuan; Liu, Li; Xie, Peiyuan; Tang, Jihong; Wang, Canlin

    2018-04-01

    With the development of production and economic growth, China's electricity load has experienced a significant increase. Over the years, in order to alleviate the contradiction of power shortage, a series of policies and measures to speed up electric power construction have been made in china, which promotes the rapid development of the power industry and the power construction has made great achievements. For China, after large-scale power facilities, power grid long-term power shortage situation has been improved to some extent, but in a certain period of time, the power development still exists uneven development. On the whole, it is still in the state of insufficient power, and the situation of power restriction is still severe in some areas, so it is necessary to study on the power rationing.

  1. Implementation of nuclear power plant simulation in start-up commissioning of reactor control system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Zongwei; Huang Tieming; Feng Guangyu; Luan Zhenhua; Lin Meng; Zhu Lizhi

    2009-01-01

    Based on the nuclear power thermal-hydraulic model, Labview graphical programming language and virtual instrument data acquisition technology, this paper describes a dedicate test platform to solve the problem that the reactor control system (RRC) can not be evaluated and analyzed far before the actual startup of the unit. By connecting the test platform to the nuclear Digital Control System (DCS), the step-by-step closed-looped test and global function test of RRC system were performed, the dynamic validation and logical function demonstration for RRC were realized, and a lot of configuration mistakes of RRC and nonconformity were solved. The test for unit 3 of Ling'ao phase II has proved that the implementation of nuclear power plant simulation in the start-up commissioning of RRC can greatly reduce the risk of normal power operation and great transient tests, with which the term of startup for overall unit test can be greatly shortened. (authors)

  2. Der Einfluss von personeller Einkommensverteilung auf die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Trappl

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Der Einfluss gestiegener Einkommensungleichheit auf die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“ wurde mehrfach postuliert (Galbraith 1954/2009; Eccles 1951; Rajan 2010; Stiglitz 2012; Piketty 2014. Konkrete empirische Arbeiten zum Zusammenhang zwischen Einkommensverteilung und dem Entstehen von Wirtschaftskrisen gibt es aber bislang wenige. Kumhof/Ranciere (2010 überprüften die von Rajan (2010 aufgestellte Hypothese, die einen entsprechenden Zusammenhang postuliert, mittels Modellrechnung. Bordo/Meissner (2012 und darauf aufbauend Gu/Huang (2014 verwendeten unterschiedliche Regressionsmodelle in Bezug auf einen entsprechenden Zusammenhang, ohne jedoch eindeutige Ergebnisse zu liefern. Die vorliegende Arbeit schließt an diese Arbeiten an, beschränkt die Untersuchung allerdings auf Staaten, für die Daten für die letzten hundert Jahre verfügbar sind, und untersucht zudem explizit die Zeiträume um die beiden größten Krisen der letzten hundert Jahre, die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“. Die Auswertungen zeigen, dass die personelle Einkommensverteilung ein guter Prädiktor für die Kriseneintrittswahrscheinlichkeit ist.

  3. Great Lakes Bathymetry

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Bathymetry of Lakes Michigan, Erie, Saint Clair, Ontario and Huron has been compiled as a component of a NOAA project to rescue Great Lakes lake floor geological and...

  4. Infrastructure becomes a energy source. Tunnel projects for power generation; Infrastruktur wird zur Energiequelle. Tunnelprojekte zur Energiegewinnung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Winterling, Ralf [Rehau AG + Co, Erlangen (Germany). Abt. Traffic Route Engineering

    2012-07-15

    Tunnel structures offer a great potential for power generation from the surrounding soil as well as from the tunnel itself due to the tunnel operation. Some tunnel projects already are being used for the purpose of power generation for above-ground applications. Therefore, in recent years various technologies have been developed. Firstly, energy can be produced from underground water. On the other hand, primarily absorber systems offer great potential for power generation with tubbing. This is just given to city tunnels where underground water can be utilized restrictedly.

  5. What Caused the Great Depression?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldwell, Jean; O'Driscoll, Timothy G.

    2007-01-01

    Economists and historians have struggled for almost 80 years to account for the American Great Depression, which began in 1929 and lasted until the early years of World War II. In this article, the authors discuss three major schools of thought on the causes of the Great Depression and the long failure of the American economy to return to full…

  6. The Sixth Great Mass Extinction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagler, Ron

    2012-01-01

    Five past great mass extinctions have occurred during Earth's history. Humanity is currently in the midst of a sixth, human-induced great mass extinction of plant and animal life (e.g., Alroy 2008; Jackson 2008; Lewis 2006; McDaniel and Borton 2002; Rockstrom et al. 2009; Rohr et al. 2008; Steffen, Crutzen, and McNeill 2007; Thomas et al. 2004;…

  7. Laser-powered Martian rover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harries, W. L.; Meador, W. E.; Miner, G. A.; Schuster, Gregory L.; Walker, G. H.; Williams, M. D.

    1989-01-01

    Two rover concepts were considered: an unpressurized skeleton vehicle having available 4.5 kW of electrical power and limited to a range of about 10 km from a temporary Martian base and a much larger surface exploration vehicle (SEV) operating on a maximum 75-kW power level and essentially unrestricted in range or mission. The only baseline reference system was a battery-operated skeleton vehicle with very limited mission capability and range and which would repeatedly return to its temporary base for battery recharging. It was quickly concluded that laser powering would be an uneconomical overkill for this concept. The SEV, on the other hand, is a new rover concept that is especially suited for powering by orbiting solar or electrically pumped lasers. Such vehicles are visualized as mobile habitats with full life-support systems onboard, having unlimited range over the Martian surface, and having extensive mission capability (e.g., core drilling and sampling, construction of shelters for protection from solar flares and dust storms, etc.). Laser power beaming to SEV's was shown to have the following advantages: (1) continuous energy supply by three orbiting lasers at 2000 km (no storage requirements as during Martian night with direct solar powering); (2) long-term supply without replacement; (3) very high power available (MW level possible); and (4) greatly enhanced mission enabling capability beyond anything currently conceived.

  8. Great magnetic storms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsurutani, B.T.; Yen Te Lee; Tang, F.; Gonzalez, W.D.

    1992-01-01

    The five largest magnetic storms that occurred between 1971 and 1986 are studied to determine their solar and interplanetary causes. All of the events are found to be associated with high speed solar wind streams led by collisionless shocks. The high speed streams are clearly related to identifiable solar flares. It is found that (1) it is the extreme values of the southward interplanetary magnetic fields rather than solar wind speeds that are the primary causes of great magnetic storms, (2) shocked and draped sheath fields preceding the driver gas (magnetic cloud) are at least as effective in causing the onset of great magnetic storms (3 of 5 events ) as the strong fields within the driver gas itself, and (3) precursor southward fields ahead of the high speed streams allow the shock compression mechanism (item 2) to be particularly geoeffective

  9. Climate and climate variability of the wind power resources in the Great Lakes region of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    X. Li; S. Zhong; X. Bian; W.E. Heilman

    2010-01-01

    The climate and climate variability of low-level winds over the Great Lakes region of the United States is examined using 30 year (1979-2008) wind records from the recently released North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR), a three-dimensional, high-spatial and temporal resolution, and dynamically consistent climate data set. The analyses focus on spatial distribution...

  10. Observation of thermal plumes from submerged discharges in the Great Lakes and their implications for modeling and monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ditmars, J.D.; Paddock, R.A.; Frigo, A.A.

    1977-01-01

    Measurements of thermal plumes from submerged discharges of power plant cooling waters into the Great Lakes provide the opportunity to view the mixing processes at prototype scales and to observe the effects of the ambient environment on those processes. Examples of thermal plume behavior in Great Lakes' ambient environments are presented to demonstrate the importance of measurements of the detailed structure of the ambient environment, as well as of the plumes, for interpretation of prototype data for modeling and monitoring purposes. The examples are drawn from studies by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) at the Zion Nuclear PowerStation and the D. C. Cook Nuclear Plant on Lake Michigan and at the J. A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant on Lake Ontario. These studies included measurements of water temperatures from a moving boat which provide a quasi-synoptic view of the three-dimensional temperature structure of the thermal plume and ambient water environment. Additional measurements of water velocities, which are made with continuously recording, moored, and profiling current meters, and of wind provide data on the detailed structure of the ambient environment. The detailed structure of the ambient environment, in terms of current, current shear, variable winds, and temperature stratification, often influence greatly thermal plume behavior. Although predictive model techniques and monitoring objectives often ignore the detailed aspects of the ambient environment, useful interpretation of prototype data for model evaluation or calibration and monitoring purposes requires detailed measurement of the ambient environment. Examination of prototype thermal plume data indicates that, in several instances, attention to only the gross characteristics of the ambient environment can be misleading and could result in significant errors in model calibration and extrapolation of data bases gathered in monitoring observations

  11. Economic feasibility of sail power devices on Great Lakes bulk carriers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1982-09-22

    Three ships were examined, the ED RYERSON, the ST. CLAIR, and the STEWART CORT to determine if retro-fitting these ships with a 3000 sq ft soft sail cat rig is economically feasible. By using existing weather data taken from recorded observations on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior and known performance characteristics of both the sailplan and hull, a computer program was written to model the problem. Three cases for each ship were estimated. The first was the average fuel savings, second was an optimistic estimate of fuel savings, and the third was a pessimistic estimate of fuel savings. Several considerations had to be taken into account that had serious consequences for the economic viability of the idea. One was the fact that all of the aforementioned ships have self unloading equipment that require about 80% of the deck space to be clear. This limited the choice of sailplans to one per ship. Another consideration is that due to bridge clearance problems an air draft of less than 125' was required. These two factors limited the size and efficiency of the sail plan. The third consideration is that due to the very tight shipping channels on the Great Lakes, there is no provision for altering course to take advantage of prevailing winds in order to maximize the usefulness of the sail device. The sail device on the ED RYERSON does not seem to be economically feasible. Even at the lowest interest rate investigated in this study (8%) the average annual cost improves only in the optimistic estimates. At 12% interest even this slight advantage disappears. The sail devices on the STEWART CORT and ST. CLAIR seem to be marginally feasible at low interest rates and the present cost of fuel. The STEWART CORT seems to benefit most from the fitting of a sail device. A modest increase in fuel prices, perhaps possible, will make both of these ships look substantially better.

  12. Wind power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-01-01

    This publication describes some of the technical, economic, safety and institutional considerations involved in the selection, installation and evaluation of a wind generation system. This information is presented, where possible, in practical, non-technical terms. The first four sections provide background information, theory, and general knowledge, while the remaining six sections are of a more specific nature to assist the prospective owner of a wind generator in his calculations and selections. Meteorological information is provided relating to the wind regime in Nova Scotia. The section on cost analysis discusses some of the factors and considerations which must be examined in order to provide a logical comparison between the alternatives of electricity produced from other sources. The final two sections are brief summaries of the regulations and hazards pertaining to the use of wind generators. The cost of wind-generated electricity is high compared to present Nova Scotia Power Corporation rates, even on Sable Island, Nova Scotia's highest wind area. However, it may be observed that Sable Island is one of the areas of Nova Scotia which is not presently supplied through the power grid and, particularly if there was a significant increase in the price of diesel oil, wind-generated electricity may well be the most economical alternative in that area. Generally speaking, however, where a consumer can purchase electricity at the normal domestic rate, wind generators are not economical, and they will not become economical unless there is a great reduction in their cost, an great increase in electricity rates, or both. Includes glossary. 23 figs., 11 tabs.

  13. Children with Autism & Their Siblings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cancro, Ralph

    2008-01-01

    The parent of the child with autism is faced with many home management challenges, not the least of which is the achievement of intra-family harmony among siblings. Sibling rivalry occurs in all families. However, the presence of a child with autism may, in some instances, intensify this rivalry. In this article, the author provides tips for…

  14. Power quality in electric distribution systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamed, A.A.S.

    2005-01-01

    the power quality of the electric system is defined by the constant values of the voltage and frequency, the good value of the power factor close to unity, and balanced three phase voltages and currents. capacitors are widely installed in distribution systems for reactive power compensation to achieve power and energy loss reduction, voltage regulation and system capacity release. the extent of these benefits depends greatly on low the capacitors are placed on the system . the problem of how to place capacitors on the system such that these benefits are achieved and / or maximized against the cost associated with the capacitor placement is termed the general capacitor placement problem.the presented mathematical model has been developed to determine the size, number, and location of fixed capacitor banks that will maximize the saving derived from reduction in peak power and energy loss, and that will minimize the capital and installation costs of capacitors

  15. Enduring Strategic Rivalries

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-08-01

    Humanist slogan that first became popular in the fifteenth century, Bella gerant alii; tu, felix Austria, nube—Others make war; you, happy Habsburgs, marry...and perceptions of Winston Churchill for the British to hang on in the face of the existential threat that the Third Reich represented. This essay...to Western actions instead of the existential problem caused by a wave of internal rebellions, whose causes were internal, overlaid by Chinese

  16. Fuel cells show promise as vehicle power source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1980-01-01

    Fuel-cell-powered vehicles appear to offer great promise for energy-saving, high-efficiency transportation. Fuel cells are both highly efficient (50% thermal efficiency has been demonstrated by some) and non-polluting (water being the main by-product). Dramatic improvements in performance have occurred recently due to aerospace and utility RandD efforts. The primary vehicle considered at workshops of laboratory and industrial investigators was a fuel cell/battery hybrid, in which fuel cells are paralleled by batteries. Fuel cells are used for cruising power and battery recharge, while batteries supply transient power for acceleration and starting

  17. Biomass Power Generation Industry Efficiency Evaluation in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingyou Yan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we compare the properties of the traditional additive-based data envelopment analysis (hereafter, referred to as DEA models and propose two generalized DEA models, i.e., the big M additive-based DEA (hereafter, referred to as BMA model and the big M additive-based super-efficiency DEA (hereafter, referred to as BMAS model, to evaluate the performance of the biomass power plants in China in 2012. The virtues of the new models are two-fold: one is that they inherited the properties of the traditional additive-based DEA models and derived more new additive-based DEA forms; the other is that they can rank the efficient decision making units (hereafter, referred to as DMUs. Therefore, the new models have great potential to be applied in sustainable energy project evaluation. Then, we applied the two new DEA models to evaluate the performance of the biomass power plants in China and find that the efficiency of biomass power plants in the northern part of China is higher than that in the southern part of China. The only three efficient biomass power plants are all in the northern part of China. Furthermore, based on the results of the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney rank-sum test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, there is a great technology gap between the biomass power plants in the northern part of China and those in the southern part of China.

  18. Gas, benefits and question marks. The Oklo reactors: 100 % natural. The Kyoto protocol: use it or lose it?. Small hydro power: a great leap forward. The energy mix of South Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2005-01-01

    This issue of Alternatives newsletter contains a main press-kit about natural gas economics worldwide and 4 articles dealing with the Oklo natural reactor, the Kyoto protocol, the small hydro-power in China, and the energy mix of South Korea: 1 - 'Gas benefits and question marks': The world's most widely distributed fossil fuel, natural gas is also the fastest-growing energy source of the past thirty years. Its position as the fuel of choice in the global energy mix is due in large part to its many domestic and industrial applications. 2 - 'The Oklo reactors: 100% natural': Another look at this extraordinary 2 billion year-old phenomenon in words and pictures: the nuclear fission reaction that created the natural reactors of Gabon. 3 - 'The Kyoto Protocol: use it or lose it?': Nearly eight years after its signature, the Kyoto Protocol is still hotly debated. Two experts give us their views: Spencer Abraham, former U.S. Secretary for Energy, and Jean-Charles Hourcade of CIRED, the international center for research on the environment and development. 4 - 'Small hydro power: a great leap forward': The Chinese government has responded to the need for rural electrification with an aid program for the country's poorest cantons. Enter the small hydro plant in northern Guangxi province. 5 - 'The energy mix of South Korea': Faced with continuing strong economic growth and energy demand, South Korea has multiplied its projects, from hydropower to tidal power to nuclear and even hydrogen in the longer term

  19. Pollution control technologies applied to coal-fired power plant operation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maciej Rozpondek

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Burning of fossil fuels is the major source of energy in today's global economy with over one-third of the world's powergeneration derived from coal combustion. Although coal has been a reliable, abundant, and relatively inexpensive fuel source for mostof the 20th century, its future in electric power generation is under increasing pressure as environmental regulations become morestringent worldwide. Current pollution control technologies for combustion exhaust gas generally treat the release of regulatedpollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter as three separate problems instead of as parts of one problem. Newand improved technologies have greatly reduced the emissions produced per ton of burning coal. The term “Clean Coal CombustionTechnology” applies generically to a range of technologies designed to greatly reduce the emissions from coal-fired power plants.The wet methods of desulfurization at present are the widest applied technology in professional energetics. This method is economicand gives good final results but a future for clean technologies is the biomass. Power from biomass is a proven commercial optionof the electricity generation in the World. An increasing number of power marketers are starting to offer environmentally friendlyelectricity, including biomass power, in response to the consumer demand and regulatory requirements.

  20. Dynamics of clean coal-fired power generation development in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yue, Li

    2012-01-01

    Coal-fired power technology will play an important role over a long period in China. Clean coal-fired power technology is essential for the global GHG emission reduction. Recently, advanced supercritical (SC)/ultra-supercritical (USC) technology has made remarkable progress in China and greatly contributed to energy saving and emission reduction. This study analyzes the dynamics of SC/USC development in China from an integrated perspective. The result indicates that, besides the internal demand, the effective implementation of domestic public policy and technology transfer contributed greatly to the development of SC/USC technology in China. In future low carbon scenario, SC/USC coal-fired power technology might still be the most important power generation technology in China until 2040, and will have a significant application prospect in other developing countries. The analysis makes a very useful introduction for other advanced energy technology development, including a renewable energy technology, in China and other developing countries. - Highlights: ► The US/USC technology is the key clean coal-fired power technology in current China. ► The domestic policy and technology transfer largely contributed to their development. ► This makes a useful introduction for the development of renewable energy in China.

  1. Design of embedded control system for high-power tetrode modulator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tu Rui; Yao Lieying; Xuan Weimin

    2010-01-01

    The design of embedded control system for the high-power tetrode modulator and its test results are given. This control system is a closed-loop feedback system based on the DSP and embedded into the high-voltage modulator. A new modified method of VF fiber transmission is used in the embedded control system. The new method improves the speed of the transmission of feedback system. The results of the experiment demonstrate that the embedded feedback control system greatly increases the response speed of the whole system and improves the performance of the high-power tetrode on the HL-2A tokamak. This embedded feedback control system greatly simplifies the complexity of the original centralized control system. The operation of the control system is reliable. (authors)

  2. HARMONICS ANALYSIS OF SYSTEM USING SHUNT ACTIVE POWER FILTER BY MATLAB SIMULATION

    OpenAIRE

    VAISHALI PARDHI; Dr.A K KORI

    2017-01-01

    The widely use of nonlinear loads, such as diode and thyristor, rectifiers, computers, consumer electronics, uninterruptible power supplies and adjustable speed drives results in the distorted current waveforms in the electrical distribution systems. Harmonics is a major problem in power systems that have become serious recently owing to the wide use of power electronics-related equipment. The input power factor of most of these equipments is poor. There is a great need to reduce these harmon...

  3. Civil engineering in power plant technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krolewski, H.

    1982-01-01

    Guaranteeing our power supplies requires increasingly large, bold or novel construction works (for example, 200 m chimney with installation of stays over a wide area for a wind power plant in Spain; up to 400 m structure height on floating drill rigs). The layman admires the impressiveness with which these demand great ability and responsibility on the part of the civil engineer. The inland power station builder has to concentrate on few spectacular methods of construction or dimensions. The success of the total undertaking is however no less attributable to structural prerequisites. Civil engineering problems have to be displaced by means of static and dynamic problems in order to meet licensing requirements (planning of construction supervision, fire prevention, structure of supply and disposal). (orig.) [de

  4. Brain networks underlying bistable perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Daniel H; Karapanagiotidis, Theodoros; Coggan, David D; Wailes-Newson, Kirstie; Smallwood, Jonathan

    2015-10-01

    Bistable stimuli, such as the Necker Cube, demonstrate that experience can change in the absence of changes in the environment. Such phenomena can be used to assess stimulus-independent aspects of conscious experience. The current study used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to index stimulus-independent changes in neural activity to understand the neural architecture that determines dominance durations during bistable perception (using binocular rivalry and Necker cube stimuli). Anterior regions of the Superior Parietal Lobule (SPL) exhibited robust connectivity with regions of primary sensorimotor cortex. The strength of this region's connectivity with the striatum predicted shorter dominance durations during binocular rivalry, whereas its connectivity to pre-motor cortex predicted longer dominance durations for the Necker Cube. Posterior regions of the SPL, on the other hand, were coupled to associative cortex in the temporal and frontal lobes. The posterior SPL's connectivity to the temporal lobe predicted longer dominance during binocular rivalry. In conjunction with prior work, these data suggest that the anterior SPL contributes to perceptual rivalry through the inhibition of incongruent bottom up information, whereas the posterior SPL influences rivalry by supporting the current interpretation of a bistable stimulus. Our data suggests that the functional connectivity of the SPL with regions of sensory, motor, and associative cortex allows it to regulate the interpretation of the environment that forms the focus of conscious attention at a specific moment in time. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. When Power Seduces Women: Shakespeare’S Tragic (Mother Queens in Manga

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Şerban Andreea

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Power is seductive, and fantasies of power affect both men and women, who are sometimes willing to do anything in order to achieve or retain it. The paper looks at how such a modern transmediation as manga renders powerful femininity in two of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, namely Hamlet and Macbeth. The paper aims to discuss the ways in which the emotive behaviour of both female protagonists eventually makes them inappropriate for the power roles they assume as wives, queens and mothers.

  6. Communication dated 19 May 2011 received from the Resident Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Agency regarding Assurance of Supply of Enrichment Services and Low Enriched Uranium for Use in Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    The Secretariat has received a letter dated 19 May 2011 from the Resident Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Agency, attaching the Proposal for the Assurance of Supply of Enrichment Services and Low Enriched Uranium for Use in Nuclear Power Plants, as described in document GOV/2011/10. As requested by the Resident Representative, the letter and its attachment are circulated herewith for information of all Member States

  7. Architecture-independent power bound for vibration energy harvesters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Halvorsen, E; Le, C P; Mitcheson, P D; Yeatman, E M

    2013-01-01

    The maximum output power of energy harvesters driven by harmonic vibrations is well known for a range of specific harvester architectures. An architecture-independent bound based on the mechanical input-power also exists and gives a strict limit on achievable power with one mechanical degree of freedom, but is a least upper bound only for lossless devices. We report a new theoretical bound on the output power of vibration energy harvesters that includes parasitic, linear mechanical damping while still being architecture independent. This bound greatly improves the previous bound at moderate force amplitudes and is compared to the performance of established harvester architectures which are shown to agree with it in limiting cases. The bound is a hard limit on achievable power with one mechanical degree of freedom and can not be circumvented by transducer or power-electronic-interface design

  8. Alternative Shutdown Panel. Amaraz Nuclear Power Plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saenz de Santa Maria Valin, J.

    2016-07-01

    Between 2010 and 2014 the Nuclear Power Plant of Almaraz conducted one of the most complex projects in its history: The installation of an Alternative Shutdown Panel with the capability to stop the plant in case of fire in the Control room or in the Cable room. This project represented a great economic and organizational effort for the plant, but at the same time has been a great improvement in the safety of the installation, which was demonstrated by the achievement of a major milestone in the history of Almaraz: The actual shutdown from outside of the Control room. (Author)

  9. Task 5. Grid interconnection of building integrated and other dispersed photovoltaic power systems. Grid-connected photovoltaic power systems: power value and capacity value of PV systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Groppi, F.

    2002-02-15

    This report for the International Energy Agency (IEA) made by Task 5 of the Photovoltaic Power Systems (PVPS) programme takes a look at the power value and capacity value of photovoltaic power systems. The mission of the Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme is to enhance the international collaboration efforts which accelerate the development and deployment of photovoltaic solar energy. Task 5 deals with issues concerning grid-interconnection and dispersed PV power systems. This report summarises the results of a study aimed to assess the benefits that may be obtained when distributed PV production systems are present in a low-voltage grid. The basic aspects concerning the power-value and those related to the capacity-value are discussed. Data obtained from simulations are presented and discussed. A simple concept shows that great variation occurs if varying load patterns are taken into account. The power-value of PV generation in the grid varies instant by instant depending on the current level of power production and on the surrounding load conditions. Although the three case-studies considered do not cover all the possibilities of coupling between PV and loads, the results obtained show a good differentiation among users with PV production which leads to interesting conclusions.

  10. High power rf component testing for the NLC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vlieks, A.E.; Fowkes, W.R.; Loewen, R.J.; Tantawi, S.G.

    1998-09-01

    In the Next Linear Collider (NLC), the high power rf components must be capable of handling peak rf power levels in excess of 600 MW. In the current view of the NLC, even the rectangular waveguide components must transmit at least 300 MW rf power. At this power level, peak rf fields can greatly exceed 100 MV/m. The authors present recent results of high power tests performed at the Accelerator Structure Test Area (ASTA) at SLAC. These tests are designed to investigate the rf breakdown limits of several new components potentially useful for the NLC. In particular, the authors tested a new TE 01 --TE 10 circular to rectangular wrap-around mode converter, a modified (internal fin) Magic Tee hybrid, and an upgraded flower petal mode converter

  11. Návrh marketingové strategie obchodníka

    OpenAIRE

    Zich, Štěpán

    2010-01-01

    The main goal of this thesis is to analyse possibilities for market share grow for new model of Mercedes-Benz A class in the Czech republic, the car comes to market by 2012 and belongs to lower middle class category. The method for reaching the goal is analysis of competition forces by Porter, it means threat of new entrants and substitute products, bargaining power of buyers and suppliers and rivalry among existing firms. The sources for information are statistics from SDA and intern data fr...

  12. The Poetry of Robert Burns: “A Melancholy not unallied to Mirth.”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karyn COSTA

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available When Allan Cunningham concluded his 1834 Life of Burns with this critical judgement of Robert Burns’s poetry he was in fact summing up the schizophrenic nature of the Scottish character and identity. Scottish duality is still prevalent in the Highland-Lowland divide, the Catholic-Protestant rivalry, the linguistic differences Scots versus Gaelic, the English and Scottish competition for power, the past battling with the present in the search for a national identity free from myth and a sense ...

  13. Current status and future planning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station after Great East Japan earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inouer, Y.

    2012-01-01

    Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS) clean-up and decommissioning activities require a lot of R and D and careful project management due to its severity of damage. Inability of access inside the reactor and turbine buildings due to harsh environment results in large uncertainties which make the project planning difficult R and R activities will be conducted in parallel with on-site clean-up and maintenance activities. In order to cope with this unprecedented challenge, the government, laboratories, academicians, vendors, manufacturers, and other partners have joined together to support tokyo electric Power Company, Inc (TEPCO). This paper will summarize the current status and mid-and long-term plan for the clean-up and decommissioning of Units 1 to 4 of Fukushima Daiichi NPS as of March, 2012. (Author) 15 refs.

  14. Towards Modeling the Effects of Lightning Injection on Power MOSFETs

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Power electronics are widely used in critical roles in modern day aircrafts and hence their health management is of great interest. An important part of prognostics...

  15. Nuclear power perspective in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xinrong; Xu Changhua

    2003-01-01

    China started developing nuclear technology for power generation in the 1970s. A substantial step toward building nuclear power plants was taken as the beginning of 1980 s. The successful constructions and operations of Qinshan - 1 NPP, which was an indigenous PWR design with the capacity of 300 MWe, and Daya Bay NPP, which was an imported twin-unit PWR plant from France with the capacity of 900 MWe each, give impetus to further Chinese nuclear power development. Now there are 8 units with the total capacity of 6100 MWe in operation and 3 units with the total capacity of 2600 MWe under construction. For the sake of meeting the increasing demand for electricity for the sustainable economic development, changing the energy mix and mitigating the environment pollution impact caused by fossil fuel power plant, a near and middle term electrical power development program will be established soon. It is preliminarily predicted that the total power installation capacity will be 750-800GWe by the year 2020. The nuclear share will account for at least 4.0-4.5 percent of the total. This situation leaves the Chinese nuclear power industry with a good opportunity but also a great challenge. A practical nuclear power program and a consistent policy and strategy for future nuclear power development will be carefully prepared and implemented so as to maintain the nuclear power industry to be healthfully developed. (author)

  16. [Design and optimization of wireless power and data transmission for visual prosthesis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Xuping; Wu, Kaijie; Zhao, Lei; Chai, Xinyu

    2013-11-01

    Boosting spatial resolution of visual prostheses is an effective method to improve implant subjects' visual perception. However, power consumption of visual implants greatly rises with the increasing number of implanted electrodes. In respond to this trend, visual prostheses need to develop high-efficiency wireless power transmission and high-speed data transmission. This paper presents a review of current research progress on wireless power and data transmission for visual prostheses, analyzes relative principles and requirement, and introduces design methods of power and data transmission.

  17. Closed power cycles thermodynamic fundamentals and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Invernizzi, Costante Mario

    2013-01-01

    With the growing attention to the exploitation of renewable energies and heat recovery from industrial processes, the traditional steam and gas cycles are showing themselves often inadequate. The inadequacy is due to the great assortment of the required sizes power and of the large kind of heat sources. Closed Power Cycles: Thermodynamic Fundamentals and Applications offers an organized discussion about the strong interaction between working fluids, the thermodynamic behavior of the cycle using them and the technological design aspects of the machines. A precise treatment of thermal engines op

  18. Comparing of the Financial Ratios: A case study on United States, Great Britain, Greece Due Financial Crisis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Stamatis Kontsas

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to present a comparative study of the countries through the financial ratios that were analysed. This study was carried out in order to find the characteristics of each economy in comparison to the others. It would be worthy to mention that the three economies that were put under comparative study, are not of the same dynamic. The United States of America and Great Britain show some common characteristics due to the positions of power that they possess in the allocation of the global economy. However, in the case of Greece the same dynamic with the other two countries doesn’t exist, a fact that is greatly imprinted in their in-between comparison.

  19. Ultra-low power photoplethysmograhy SpO2 measuring techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barriuso Medrano, C.; Calpe Maravilla, J.; Millan Navarro, C.

    2016-07-01

    Photoplethysmograph(y (PPG) is widely used to obtain vital signs such as the peripheral capillary oxygen saturation or the heart rate (HR) non-invasively in real time. These techniques require a great amount of power in order to obtain reliable data, and its use is limited to mains powered devices. For this reason it is of great importance to find methods and algorithms that reduce its current consumption. Three techniques to optimize current consumption when obtaining PPG signals are proposed in this study. Each of them takes advantage of the fact that to obtain these vital signs we only need the peaks of the PPG signal, which means that we may change the accuracy of the acquisition depending on the position within the pulse. The current consumption can be reduced by 55% in the sensor and 62% in the microcontroller. (Author)

  20. The Paradox of Power: Sino-American Strategic Restraint in an Age of Vulnerability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Investment in WiFi is shifting from telecom and end-users to institutions. See Analysys In- ternational, The Market for Wi-Fi® in China: Opportunities...vision is that with exceptional destructive power comes excep- tional responsibility. This idea, more often trashed than honored by great powers

  1. Recensie "The Great Reset" : Richard Florida

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roy van Dalm

    2010-01-01

    Like the Great Depression and the Long Depression before it, experts have viewed prolonged economic downturns as crises. In The Great Reset , bestselling author Richard Florida argues that we should instead see the recent recession as an opportunity to create entirely new ways of working and living

  2. Nuclear power, the great illusion. Promises, setbacks and threats; Nucleaire: la grande illusion. Promesses, deboires et menaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marignac, Y.

    2008-07-01

    In the context of high oil, gas and coal prices, and of ever deepening and more specific anxieties about global warming, France seems to have decided to use its EU presidency from July to December 2008 to do everything to persuade its European partners that a massive resurgence in nuclear energy is absolutely necessary. This will, of course, be to the great benefit of France's industry. Nicolas Sarkozy has made it a key point of the 'energy/climate package' whose negotiation he hopes to have completed by the end of his European mandate. He has received significant support from the current President of the European Commission for this initiative, which has been widely debated across Europe. More widely, the French President has undertaken nothing short of an international crusade on the subject, focusing in particular on Mediterranean countries such as Morocco and Algeria, to whom he has proposed active collaboration with French industry and the French Government, stressing the advantages of such cooperation in the 'war on terror'. In so doing, he is relying on the global reputation which France and its industry has acquired in this field by tirelessly extolling the virtues of energy independence and the economic boost that large-scale nuclear electricity production can bring to a country's energy system, while being environmentally harmless and perfectly safe, secure and long-lasting. This line of argument, developed over decades by French governments both right and left, and the nuclear lobby which is closely linked to them, has managed to take hold in a France weak in independent expertise. This weakness has been deliberately maintained by the authorities and the elites, who prefer the comfort of an almost religious consensus to the debate which would inevitably be triggered by an independent and unrestricted evaluation. The French President is counting on the self-declared virtues of nuclear energy and the exemplary nature of the

  3. Modeling market power in Korea's emerging power market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahn, Nam-sung; Niemeyer, Victor

    2007-01-01

    The Korean power market is being formed from the unbundled generation, transmission and distribution assets of Korea Electric Power Corporation. The KEPCO generation has been allocated to six independent gencos with a combined generating capacity of 46,629 MW in 2002. This gave an 11% margin over the peak load that year (41,921 MW). One of the concerns for any power market is whether individual participants can increase profits (and prices) by withholding generation from the market. To address this concern, a Cournot-based model of Korean power system was created and applied to a set of loads representing the load duration curve for Korea's system loads in 2002. Our simulation results show a strong possibility for exercise of market power to increase market price in Korean market. Under tight market conditions, even 1 GW of withholding can cause a large increase in market price. If loads unexpectedly grow faster than the 5% recent experience, the gencos will have the collective ability and incentive to spike prices further. Vesting contracts can reduce the incentive to act strategically. Requiring that the gencos offer 50% of their capacity in long-term forward contracts greatly reduces the payoff to act strategically, and requiring vesting for 75% of their capacity results in prices that are essentially the same as the competitive equilibrium. Depending on the price for the vesting contracts, this policy can reduce the incentives to add new generation by gencos or the competitive fringe. Another approach to reducing the effects of market power is establishing demand-response programs, simulated here by increasing the elasticity of overall demand. These programs can reduce the incentives to withhold capacity, but to a lesser degree than vesting contracts. The genco with the greatest ability to influence prices through withholding is the largest, KNHP. However, acting on its own, without the support of the other gencos, its ability to raise prices is limited. This

  4. Thirty years of great ape gestures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomasello, Michael; Call, Josep

    2018-02-21

    We and our colleagues have been doing studies of great ape gestural communication for more than 30 years. Here we attempt to spell out what we have learned. Some aspects of the process have been reliably established by multiple researchers, for example, its intentional structure and its sensitivity to the attentional state of the recipient. Other aspects are more controversial. We argue here that it is a mistake to assimilate great ape gestures to the species-typical displays of other mammals by claiming that they are fixed action patterns, as there are many differences, including the use of attention-getters. It is also a mistake, we argue, to assimilate great ape gestures to human gestures by claiming that they are used referentially and declaratively in a human-like manner, as apes' "pointing" gesture has many limitations and they do not gesture iconically. Great ape gestures constitute a unique form of primate communication with their own unique qualities.

  5. Effect of CMOS Technology Scaling on Fully-Integrated Power Supply Efficiency

    OpenAIRE

    Pillonnet , Gaël; Jeanniot , Nicolas

    2016-01-01

    International audience; Integrating a power supply in the same die as the powered circuits is an appropriate solution for granular, fine and fast power management. To allow same-die co-integration, fully integrated DC-DC converters designed in the latest CMOS technologies have been greatly studied by academics and industrialists in the last decade. However, there is little study concerning the effects of the CMOS scaling on these particular circuits. To show the trends, this paper compares th...

  6. Innovative models of power generation: the captive-collective experience of consumer participation in power development in India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sankar, T.L.

    1998-01-01

    While the need for power increases, and costs of generation are on the rise, developing nations face the particular challenge of developing power systems despite a lack of national and local government funds. In this paper, it is suggested that consumer participation, technical innovation, and managerial flexibility may provide the answers, and the Andhra Pradesh Gas Power Corporation Limited in India is offered as a model venture which successfully responds to the region's power and resource specifications. Through the formation of a 'captive-collective' and 'capital-cooperative' plant, a joint venture of the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board and some bulk industrial consumers, the respective needs of all parties were met with great success. Such large-scale power projects, set up and managed by consumers with the technical assistance of State Electricity Boards, can substantially reduce costs for consumers while engaging in technologies that reduce environmental pollution and resource degradation. Consumer participation is highlighted as the key element for positive power development, and it is argued that the success of projects such as the one undertaken in Andhra Pradesh illustrate the possibility and necessity for consumer-initiated and consumer-managed power ventures. (author)

  7. Assessment of a new seasonal to inter-annual operational Great Lakes water supply, water levels, and connecting channel flow forecasting system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gronewold, A.; Fry, L. M.; Hunter, T.; Pei, L.; Smith, J.; Lucier, H.; Mueller, R.

    2017-12-01

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has recently operationalized a suite of ensemble forecasts of Net Basin Supply (NBS), water levels, and connecting channel flows that was developed through a collaboration among USACE, NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), New York Power Authority (NYPA), and the Niagara River Control Center (NRCC). These forecasts are meant to provide reliable projections of potential extremes in daily discharge in the Niagara and St. Lawrence Rivers over a long time horizon (5 years). The suite of forecasts includes eight configurations that vary by (a) NBS model configuration, (b) meteorological forcings, and (c) incorporation of seasonal climate projections through the use of weighting. Forecasts are updated on a weekly basis, and represent the first operational forecasts of Great Lakes water levels and flows that span daily to inter-annual horizons and employ realistic regulation logic and lake-to-lake routing. We will present results from a hindcast assessment conducted during the transition from research to operation, as well as early indications of success rates determined through operational verification of forecasts. Assessment will include an exploration of the relative skill of various forecast configurations at different time horizons and the potential for application to hydropower decision making and Great Lakes water management.

  8. Communication dated 19 May 2011 received from the Resident Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Agency regarding Assurance of Supply of Enrichment Services and Low Enriched Uranium for Use in Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    The Secretariat has received a letter dated 19 May 2011 from the Resident Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Agency, attaching the Proposal for the Assurance of Supply of Enrichment Services and Low Enriched Uranium for Use in Nuclear Power Plants, as described in document GOV/2011/10. As requested by the Resident Representative, the letter and its attachment are circulated herewith for information of all Member States [es

  9. ["Great jobs"-also in psychiatry?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiessl, H; Hübner-Liebermann, B

    2003-09-01

    Against the background of a beginning shortage of psychiatrists, results from interviews with 112 employees of an automotive company with the topic "Great Job" are presented to discuss their relevance to psychiatry. The interviews were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis. Most employees assigned importance to great pay, constructive collaboration with colleagues, and work appealing to personal interests. Further statements particularly relevant to psychiatry were: successful career, flexible working hours, manageable job, work-life balance, well-founded training, no bureaucracy within the company, and personal status in society. The well-known economic restrictions in health care and the still negative attitude towards psychiatry currently reduce the attraction of psychiatry as a profession. From the viewpoint of personnel management, the attractors of a great job revealed in this study are proposed as important clues for the recruitment of medical students for psychiatry and the development of psychiatric staff.

  10. Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claramunt, Randall M.; Madenjian, Charles P.; Clapp, David; Taylor, William W.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Léonard, Nancy J.

    2012-01-01

    Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) are a valuable resource, both within their native range in the North Pacific rim and in the Great Lakes basin. Understanding their value from a biological and economic perspective in the Great Lakes, however, requires an understanding of changes in the ecosystem and of management actions that have been taken to promote system stability, integrity, and sustainable fisheries. Pacific salmonine introductions to the Great Lakes are comprised mainly of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead and have accounted for 421, 177, and 247 million fish, respectively, stocked during 1966-2007. Stocking of Pacific salmonines has been effective in substantially reducing exotic prey fish abundances in several of the Great Lakes (e.g., lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario). The goal of our evaluation was to highlight differences in management strategies and perspectives across the basin, and to evaluate policies for Pacific salmonine management in the Great Lakes. Currently, a potential conflict exists between Pacific salmonine management and native fish rehabilitation goals because of the desire to sustain recreational fisheries and to develop self-sustaining populations of stocked Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes. We provide evidence that suggests Pacific salmonines have not only become naturalized to the food webs of the Great Lakes, but that their populations (specifically Chinook salmon) may be fluctuating in concert with specific prey (i.e., alewives) whose populations are changing relative to environmental conditions and ecosystem disturbances. Remaining questions, however, are whether or not “natural” fluctuations in predator and prey provide enough “stability” in the Great Lakes food webs, and even more importantly, would a choice by managers to attempt to reduce the severity of predator-prey oscillations be antagonistic to native fish restoration efforts. We argue that, on each of the Great Lakes, managers are pursuing

  11. Improved nuclear emergency management system reflecting lessons learned from the emergency response at Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station after the Great East Japan Earthquake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, Shinichi; Narabayashi, Tadashi

    2016-01-01

    Three nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station lost all their ultimate heat sinks owing to damage from the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. Water was injected into the reactors by alternate measures, damaged cooling systems were restored with promptly supplied substitute materials, and all the reactors were brought to a cold shutdown state within four days. Lessons learned from this experience were identified to improve emergency management, especially in the areas of strategic response planning, logistics, and functions supporting response activities continuing over a long period. It was found that continuous planning activities reflecting information from plant parameters and response action results were important, and that relevant functions in emergency response organizations should be integrated. Logistics were handled successfully but many difficulties were experienced. Therefore, their functions should be clearly established and improved by emergency response organizations. Supporting emergency responders in the aspects of their physical and mental conditions was important for sustaining continuous response. As a platform for improvement, the concept of the Incident Command System was applied for the first time to a nuclear emergency management system, with specific improvement ideas such as a phased approach in response planning and common operation pictures. (author)

  12. The Great Firewall of China: A Critical Analysis

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Whiting, Michael D

    2008-01-01

    Censorship has a great impact on society as we enter the cyber environment. The Chinese "Great Firewall", as it is commonly called, brings great attention to China as they enter into the global economy...

  13. An Advanced Light Weight Recuperator for Space Power Systems, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) technology holds great promise for power and propulsion demands of NASA current and future deep space explorations. Closed Brayton...

  14. German risk study 'nuclear power plants, phase B'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heuser, F.W.

    1989-01-01

    The results of the German risk study 'Nuclear power plants, phase B' indicate that an accident in a nuclear power plant which cannot be managed by the safety systems according to design, is extremely improbable: Its probability is at about 3 to 100,000 per year and plant. Even if the safety systems fail, emergency measures can be effected in a nuclear power plant to prevent an accident. These in-plant emergency measures diminish the probability of a core meltdown to about 4 to 1,000,000 per year and plant. Hence, the accident risk is greatly reduced. The information given by the author are to smooth the emotional edge in the discussion about the safety of nuclear power plants. (orig.) [de

  15. Parallel and distributed processing in power system simulation and control

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Falcao, Djalma M [Universidade Federal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia

    1994-12-31

    Recent advances in computer technology will certainly have a great impact in the methodologies used in power system expansion and operational planning as well as in real-time control. Parallel and distributed processing are among the new technologies that present great potential for application in these areas. Parallel computers use multiple functional or processing units to speed up computation while distributed processing computer systems are collection of computers joined together by high speed communication networks having many objectives and advantages. The paper presents some ideas for the use of parallel and distributed processing in power system simulation and control. It also comments on some of the current research work in these topics and presents a summary of the work presently being developed at COPPE. (author) 53 refs., 2 figs.

  16. Impact of natural disaster combined with nuclear power plant accidents on local medical services: a case study of Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Yuko; Oikawa, Tomoyoshi; Hayashi, Kaoru; Takano, Michiko; Nagano, Mayumi; Onoda, Katsuko; Yoshida, Toshiharu; Takada, Akemi; Hanai, Tatsuo; Shimada, Shunji; Shimada, Satoko; Nishiuchi, Yasuyuki; Onoda, Syuichi; Monma, Kazuo; Tsubokura, Masaharu; Matsumura, Tomoko; Kami, Masahiro; Kanazawa, Yukio

    2014-12-01

    To elucidate the impacts of nuclear plant accidents on neighboring medical centers, we investigated the operations of our hospital within the first 10 days of the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Data were extracted from medical records and hospital administrative records covering 11 to 20 March 2011. Factual information on the disaster was obtained from public access media. A total of 622 outpatients and 241 inpatients were treated. Outpatients included 43 injured, 6 with cardiopulmonary arrest, and 573 with chronic diseases. Among the 241 inpatients, 5 died, 137 were discharged, and the other 99 were transferred to other hospitals. No communication methods or medical or food supplies were available for 4 days after the earthquake. Hospital directors allowed employees to leave the hospital on day 4. All 39 temporary workers were evacuated immediately, and 71 of 239 full-time employees remained. These employees handled extra tasks besides patient care and patient transfer to other hospitals. Committed effective doses indicating the magnitude of health risks due to an intake of radioactive cesium into the human body were found to be minimal according to internal radiation exposure screening carried out from July to August 2011. After the disaster, hospitals located within the evacuation zone of a 30-km radius of the nuclear power plant were isolated. Maintenance of the health care system in such an event becomes difficult.

  17. China's Wind Power Development in 2008

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jiang Liping; LiJialu

    2009-01-01

    @@ Introduction Over the past decade,considering the energy supply security and the sustainable energy development,as well as the atmospheric-environmental protection especially the climate change,countries all over the world have generated more and more enthusiasm for renewable energy development.Driven by this trend,wind power development has been keeping up great momentum worldwide,and new records have been set.

  18. Great Lakes rivermouths: a primer for managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pebbles, Victoria; Larson, James; Seelbach, Paul; Pebbles, Victoria; Larson, James; Seelbach, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Between the North American Great Lakes and their tributaries are the places where the confluence of river and lake waters creates a distinct ecosystem: the rivermouth ecosystem. Human development has often centered around these rivermouths, in part, because they provide a rich array of ecosystem services. Not surprisingly, centuries of intense human activity have led to substantial pressures on, and alterations to, these ecosystems, often diminishing or degrading their ecological functions and associated ecological services. Many Great Lakes rivermouths are the focus of intense restoration efforts. For example, 36 of the active Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) are rivermouths or areas that include one or more rivermouths. Historically, research of rivermouth ecosystems has been piecemeal, focused on the Great Lakes proper or on the upper reaches of tributaries, with little direct study of the rivermouth itself. Researchers have been divided among disciplines, agencies and institutions; and they often work independently and use disparate venues to communicate their work. Management has also been fragmented with a focus on smaller, localized, sub-habitat units and socio-political or economic elements, rather than system-level consideration. This Primer presents the case for a more holistic approach to rivermouth science and management that can enable restoration of ecosystem services with multiple benefits to humans and the Great Lakes ecosystem. A conceptual model is presented with supporting text that describes the structures and processes common to all rivermouths, substantiating the case for treating these ecosystems as an identifiable class.1 Ecological services provided by rivermouths and changes in how humans value those services over time are illustrated through case studies of two Great Lakes rivermouths—the St. Louis River and the Maumee River. Specific ecosystem services are identified in italics throughout this Primer and follow definitions described

  19. New method for electric equivalents synthesis expressed in digital filters form for transitory simulations in real time for great power nets; Novo metodo para sintese de equivalentes eletricos a filtros digitais para simulacao de transitorios em tempo real em redes eletricas de grande porte

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pereira, Clever [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Nucleo de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico em Descargas Atmosfericas]. E-mail: clever@cpdee.ufmg.br; Carneiro Junior, Sandoval [Universidade Federal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia; Szczupak, Jacques [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2001-07-01

    This article presents a new method to obtain subtransmission nets equivalents, expressed in form of digital filters of finite answer to the impulse, for transitory simulations in great power nets. Initially, it has been made considerations in the way of obtaining these filters, showing that they basically have been synthesized from the impedance and admittance functions of the secondary electric net to be processed in terms of equivalents in the domain of the w analogical frequency. It also is shown the transference technique to the time domain, in which it is used the z plane of the digital frequencies as an intermediate plane, being obtained from this way a set of equations susceptible of being implemented in program of transitory simulation in the time domain. The evaluation of this new method and evaluation of the reduction effect in the order of representative filters of the equivalents, are executed through the comparison of simulations which use the new technique together with other ones coming from EMTP. The obtained replies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method, opening new possibilities for transitory simulations in great power nets.

  20. Economic Impacts of Power Shortage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Ou

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The electricity industry is a basic industry of the national economy. It has experienced several large-scale power shortages, hard power shortage and soft power shortage, which have brought a great threat to China’s sustainable economic development. To solve this problem better, it is necessary to make a quantitative assessment of the economic impacts of power shortage. The CGE model is commonly used for simulating economic shocks and policy effects. It describes supply, demand and equilibrium in different markets by simulating the economic mechanism through a set of equations. Once changed, the exogenous variables will affect a certain part of the system and then the whole system, leading to changes in quantities and prices. The equilibrium state will also change from one to another. A static CGE model is built in this paper, and the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM of eight sectors of China in 2007 is compiled, in order to simulate the economic impacts of hard power shortage and soft power shortage. Simulation results show that the negative effects of power shortage on economic development are very significant, and the effects vary in different sectors. Especially, under the background of hard power shortage, the industrial sector suffers most. The economic cost of power shortage is considerable, and the main reason for it is the specific administrative pricing system in China. The low electricity price in the long term will lead to insufficient construction and hard power shortage; moreover, that in the short run would result in soft power shortage. In order to solve the problem of power shortage completely, power system reform is inevitable.

  1. Radiation safety for the emergency situation of the power plant accident. Radiation safety in society and its education

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosako, Toshiso

    2012-01-01

    Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunamis, and following Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Accident brought about great impact on society in Japan. Accident analysis of inside reactor was studied by reactor physics or reactor engineering knowledge, while dissipation of a large amount of radioactive materials outside reactor facilities, and radiation and radioactivity effects on people by way of atmosphere, water and soil were dealt with radiation safety or radiation protection. Due to extremely low frequency and experience of an emergency, there occurred a great confusion in the response of electric power company concerned, relevant regulating competent authorities, local government and media, and related scholars and researchers, which caused great anxieties amount affected residents and people. This article described radiation safety in the society and its education. Referring to actual examples, how radiation safety or radiation protection knowledge should be dealt with emergency risk management in the society was discussed as well as problem of education related with nuclear power, radiation and prevention of disaster and fostering of personnel for relevant people. (T. Tanaka)

  2. Public attitudes to nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Margerison, T.A.

    1988-01-01

    The British public is very poorly informed about nuclear power. 55 % express concern about it, but few can explain why. Some of the reasons given are extraordinary: 37 % of the public think nuclear power causes acid rain which pollutes lakes and kills trees; 47 % think coal is a safer fuel for making electricity than nuclear; a quarter think natural radiation is less harmful than that from nuclear stations. And a very large number of people have greatly exaggerated views of the amount of radiation released from power stations and the harm that it is doing people. Also, a quarter of everyone asked thought that nuclear power stations make bombs as well as electricity. Most of these concerns come from the media, and in particular from television which has broadcast many programmes which are strongly anti-nuclear, often inaccurate, and usually sensational. Fortunately, the effect of these stories is less damaging than one might think. At present about 42 % of the adult British population are not in favour of nuclear power, so there is still a majority who are not against. About 44 % are positively in favour, and the remainder are not sure or have no view

  3. The wind power of Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernandez-Escobedo, Q.; Manzano-Agugliaro, F.; Zapata-Sierra, A.

    2010-01-01

    The high price of fossil fuels and the environmental damage they cause have encouraged the development of renewable energy resources, especially wind power. This work discusses the potential of wind power in Mexico, using data collected every 10 min between 2000 and 2008 at 133 automatic weather stations around the country. The wind speed, the number of hours of wind useful for generating electricity and the potential electrical power that could be generated were estimated for each year via the modelling of a wind turbine employing a logistic curve. A linear correlation of 90.3% was seen between the mean annual wind speed and the mean annual number of hours of useful wind. Maps were constructed of the country showing mean annual wind speeds, useful hours of wind, and the electrical power that could be generated. The results show that Mexico has great wind power potential with practically the entire country enjoying more than 1700 h of useful wind per year and the potential to generate over 2000 kW of electrical power per year per wind turbine installed (except for the Chiapas's State). Indeed, with the exception of six states, over 5000 kW per year could be generated by each turbine. (author)

  4. Dynamically coated capillaries improve the identification power of capillary zone electrophoresis for basic drugs in toxicological analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boone, C.M; Jonkers, E.Z; Franke, J.P.; de Zeeuw, R.A; Ensing, K

    2001-01-01

    In systematic toxicological analysis (STA), analytical methods should have a high identification power. This can be suitably expressed by parameters such as mean list length (MLL) or discriminating power (DP). The reproducibility of a method has a great impact on its identification power, and should

  5. Research Update: Nanogenerators for self-powered autonomous wireless sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Usman; Hinchet, Ronan; Ryu, Hanjun; Kim, Sang-Woo

    2017-07-01

    Largely distributed networks of sensors based on the small electronics have great potential for health care, safety, and environmental monitoring. However, in order to have a maintenance free and sustainable operation, such wireless sensors have to be self-powered. Among various energies present in our environment, mechanical energy is widespread and can be harvested for powering the sensors. Piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators (NGs) have been recently introduced for mechanical energy harvesting. Here we introduce the architecture and operational modes of self-powered autonomous wireless sensors. Thereafter, we review the piezoelectric and triboelectric NGs focusing on their working mechanism, structures, strategies, and materials.

  6. Powered paragliders in biodiversity exploration Uso de paramotores para explorar la biodiversidad

    OpenAIRE

    Mark E. Olson

    2006-01-01

    Transportation technology is key to biodiversity exploration, and innovations often provide new access to biological questions. Powered paragliders are very small powered aircraft developed for recreational use that have great potential for use by scientists. I provide an introduction to these aircraft based on my experience studying tree crowns in tropical Mexico, with the aim of giving sufficient information that the suitability of powered paragliders for a given research project can be eva...

  7. Power quality research techniques: advantages and disadvantages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gil Montoya, Francisco; Manzano Agugliaro, Francisco; Gomez Lopez, Julio; Sanchez Alguacil, Pedro

    2012-01-01

    Nowadays, power quality (PQ) plays a very important role in power systems. So that is why it is very important to use suitable tools allowing a precise detection of anomalies and perturbations in power systems. Given traditional analysis techniques, such as Fourier Transform, today new tools are being developed based on domain transformation, such as Wavelet Transform (WT) or S-Transform (ST), along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques such as Fuzzy Logic (FL) or Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). In this paper, new algorithm and mathematic techniques are reviewed and discussed, and also compared with traditional techniques, revealing the precision and superiority achieved with these new techniques. ST and WT is detailed, basically, as a tool with great scope and future in power quality analysis because of its precision, noise immunity and its contribution with quality information about PQ.

  8. Facts about the Eastern Japan Great Earthquake of March 2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moriyama, T.

    2011-12-01

    The 2011 great earthquake was a magnitude 9.0 Mw undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred early morning UTC on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately 70 kilometres east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tohoku and the hypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 32 km. It was the most powerful known earthquake to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world overall since modern record keeping began in 1900. The earthquake triggered extremely destructive tsunami waves of up to 38.9 metres that struck Tohoku Japan, in some cases traveling up to 10 km inland. In addition to loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, the tsunami caused a number of nuclear accidents, primarily the ongoing level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. The Japanese National Police Agency has confirmed 1,5457 deaths, 5,389 injured, and 7,676 people missing across eighteen prefectures, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. JAXA carried out ALOS emergency observation just after the earthquake occured, and acquired more than 400 scenes over the disaster area. The coseismic interferogram by InSAR analysis cleary showing the epicenter of the earthquake and land surface deformation over Tohoku area. By comparison of before and after satellite images, the large scale damaged area by tunami are extracted. These images and data can access via JAXA website and also GEO Tohoku oki event supersite website.

  9. Is holography ready for yet another life? or make holography great again

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trolinger, James D.

    2016-08-01

    Holographic metrology, unlike most other applications of holography, has always thrived and continues to thrive by continuously incorporating new supporting technologies that make it more powerful and useful. Successes, failures, lives, and deaths are examined and recognized as evolutionary steps that position the field where opportunities are as great and as many as ever. This is a story of that evolution. Comparisons and analogies with other applications of holography such as data storage, archiving, the arts, entertainment, advertising, and security and their evolution are interesting. Critical events, successes, mistakes, and coincidences represent milestones of abandonment or failure to deliver in many holography communities that followed a different evolutionary path. Events and new technical developments continue to emerge in supporting fields that can revive and expand all holography applications. New opportunities are described with encouragement to act on them and take some risks. Don't wait until all of the required technology and hardware are available, because good scientists always act before then. The paper is about "making holography great again" and your opportunity to be a part of the upcoming revolution. Although the discussion focuses on holographic metrology, the same principles should apply to other holography communities.

  10. The constraints on the soft power efforts of authoritarian states. The case of the 2015 military parade in Beijing – strengthening patriotic pride, soft power and strategic deterrence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Camilla T. N.

    2017-01-01

    Is it possible for authoritarian states such as China, Russia and Iran to combine the soft power narratives directed primarily towards an international audience with the narratives directed primarily towards a domestic audience and aimed at maintaining regime security? To investigate this question...... further, this article analyses the 2015 military parade in Beijing and uses this case to highlight and discuss the constraints on the Chinese leaders’ efforts to project soft power. The key finding is that soft power will continue to be the weak link in China’s pursuit for a great power position...

  11. Advances in power station construction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    This book is about power stations - specifically about the construction of modern power stations by the Central Electricity Generating Board in England and Wales over the past decade. It describes the work of the CEGB's Generation Development and Construction Division, perhaps better known throughout the world as simply 'Barnwood' where it has its Headquarters in Gloucester, UK. Barnwood was formed in the early 1970s to concentrate the CEGB's then dispersed engineering construction resources to cope with the smaller number but greatly increased size and complexity of modern power station projects. Perhaps uniquely over the ten years since its formation Barnwood has managed the construction of all types of station; coal-fired, oil-fired, nuclear, pumped storage and hydro. This book tells the story of these various projects and gives detailed descriptions of the respective stations. However, it is not intended as a comprehensive description of power station technology. Rather it is intended to convey the scale of such projects and the many decisions and compromises which have to be made in the course of managing their construction

  12. World warms to nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mortimer, N.

    1989-01-01

    The greenhouse effect and global warming is a major environmental issue. The nuclear industry has taken this opportunity to promote itself as providing clean energy without implication in either the greenhouse effect or acid rain. However, it is acknowledged that nuclear power does have its own environment concerns. Two questions are posed -does nuclear power contribute to carbon dioxide emissions and can nuclear power provide a realistic long-term solution to global warming? Although nuclear power stations do not emit carbon dioxide, emissions occur during the manufacture of reactor components, the operation of the nuclear fuel cycle and especially, during the mining and processing of the uranium ore. It is estimated that the supply of high grade ores will last only 23 years, beyond that the carbon dioxide emitted during the processing is estimated to be as great as the carbon dioxide emitted from an coal-fired reactor. Fast breeder reactors are dismissed as unable to provide an answer, so it is concluded that nuclear technology has only a very limited role to play in countering global warming.(UK)

  13. Is nuclear energy power generation more dangerous than power generation by wind and solar energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding, Y

    1979-03-01

    Since the occurrence of the petroleum crisis, many countries have devoted a great deal of effort to search for substitute energy sources. Aside from nuclear energy, forms of power generation with wind, solar energy, and geothermal energy have all been actually adopted in one place or another. Most recently, a research report was published by the Canadian Bureau of Nuclear Energy Management stating that the use of wind and solar energy to generate electricity is much more dangerous than power generation with nuclear energy. When mining, transportation, machine manufacturing, etc. are included in the process of producing unit power, i.e. kilowatt/year, the data of various risks of death, injury, and diseases are computed in terms of man/day losses by the bureau. They indicate that of the ten forms of power generation, the danger is the least with natural gas, only about a 6 man/day, and nuclear energy is the next least dangerous, about 10 man/day. The danger of using temperature differential of sea water to generate electricity is about 25 man/day, and the most dangerous form of power generation is coal, amounting to three thousand man/day.

  14. Fuel optimization of Qinshan nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liao Zejun; Li Zhuoqun; Kong Deping; Xue Xincai; Wang Shiwei

    2010-01-01

    Based on the design practice of the fuel replacement of Qin Shan nuclear power plant, this document effectively analyzes the shortcomings of current replacement design of Qin Shan. To address these shortcomings, this document successfully implements the 300 MW fuel optimization program from fuel replacement. fuel improvement and experimentation ,and achieves great economic results. (authors)

  15. Perspectives on the development of fusion power by magnetic confinement, 1977

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    The Committee concludes: that recent progress of the magnetic fusion energy program provides a tangible basis for the belief that the development of fusion power will prove feasible; that the primary near-term objective of the program should now be to demonstrate actual reactor-level conditions; and that the potential long-term benefits of fusion power are sufficiently great to warrant a sustained national effort to advance the fusion power option to the stage of commercial availability at an early time

  16. Avoidance of Pressure Oscillations in Discrete Fluid Power Systems with Transmission Lines - An Analytical Approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Anders Hedegaard; Pedersen, Henrik C.

    2014-01-01

    Discrete fluid power technology attracts great attention because it enables energy efficiency and robust system architectures. However, the discrete nature of this technology naturally brings shifting phenomenons into the picture. For fluid power system the relative high inductance of fluid...

  17. Enzymatic Fuel Cells: Towards Self-Powered Implantable and Wearable Diagnostics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez-Solino, Carla; Lorenzo, Mirella Di

    2018-01-29

    With the rapid progress in nanotechnology and microengineering, point-of-care and personalised healthcare, based on wearable and implantable diagnostics, is becoming a reality. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) hold great potential as a sustainable means to power such devices by using physiological fluids as the fuel. This review summarises the fundamental operation of EFCs and discusses the most recent advances for their use as implantable and wearable self-powered sensors.

  18. Enzymatic Fuel Cells: Towards Self-Powered Implantable and Wearable Diagnostics

    OpenAIRE

    Carla Gonzalez-Solino; Mirella Di Lorenzo

    2018-01-01

    With the rapid progress in nanotechnology and microengineering, point-of-care and personalised healthcare, based on wearable and implantable diagnostics, is becoming a reality. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) hold great potential as a sustainable means to power such devices by using physiological fluids as the fuel. This review summarises the fundamental operation of EFCs and discusses the most recent advances for their use as implantable and wearable self-powered sensors.

  19. Famous puzzles of great mathematicians

    CERN Document Server

    Petković, Miodrag S

    2009-01-01

    This entertaining book presents a collection of 180 famous mathematical puzzles and intriguing elementary problems that great mathematicians have posed, discussed, and/or solved. The selected problems do not require advanced mathematics, making this book accessible to a variety of readers. Mathematical recreations offer a rich playground for both amateur and professional mathematicians. Believing that creative stimuli and aesthetic considerations are closely related, great mathematicians from ancient times to the present have always taken an interest in puzzles and diversions. The goal of this

  20. Life cycle assessment of the transmission network in Great Britain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harrison, Gareth P.; Maclean, Edward J.; Karamanlis, Serafeim; Ochoa, Luis F.

    2010-01-01

    Analysis of lower carbon power systems has tended to focus on the operational carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from power stations. However, to achieve the large cuts required it is necessary to understand the whole-life contribution of all sectors of the electricity industry. Here, a preliminary assessment of the life cycle carbon emissions of the transmission network in Great Britain is presented. Using a 40-year period and assuming a static generation mix it shows that the carbon equivalent emissions (or global warming potential) of the transmission network are around 11 gCO 2-eq /kWh of electricity transmitted and that almost 19 times more energy is transmitted by the network than is used in its construction and operation. Operational emissions account for 96% of this with transmission losses alone totalling 85% and sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) emissions featuring significantly. However, the CO 2 embodied within the raw materials of the network infrastructure itself represents a modest 3%. Transmission investment decisions informed by whole-life cycle carbon assessments of network design could balance higher financial and carbon 'capital' costs of larger conductors with lower transmission losses and CO 2 emissions over the network lifetime. This will, however, necessitate new regulatory approaches to properly incentivise transmission companies.

  1. Adaptive control of a PWR core power using neural networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arab-Alibeik, H.; Setayeshi, S.

    2005-01-01

    Reactor power control is important because of safety concerns and the call for regular and appropriate operation of nuclear power plants. It seems that the load-follow operation of these plants will be unavoidable in the future. Discrepancies between the real plant and the model used in controller design for load-follow operation encourage one to use auto-tuning and (or) adaptive techniques. Neural network technology shows great promise for addressing many problems in non-model-based adaptive control methods. Also, there has been a great attention to inverse control especially in the neural and fuzzy control context. Fortunately, online adaptation eliminates some limitations of inverse control and its shortcomings for real world applications. We use a neural adaptive inverse controller to control the power of a PWR reactor. The stability of the system and convergence of the controller parameters are guaranteed during online adaptation phase provided the controller is near the plant's real inverse after offline training period. The performance of the controller is verified using nonlinear simulations in diverse operating conditions

  2. The Great London Smog of 1952.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polivka, Barbara J

    2018-04-01

    : The Great London Smog of December 1952 lasted five days and killed up to 12,000 people. The smog developed primarily because of extensive burning of high-sulfur coal. The health effects were both immediate and long lasting, with a recent study revealing an increased likelihood of childhood asthma development in those exposed to the Great Smog while in utero or during their first year of life. Subsequent pollution legislation-including the U.S. Clean Air Act and its amendments-have demonstrably reduced air pollution and positively impacted health outcomes. With poor air quality events like the Great Smog continuing to occur today, nurses need to be aware of the impact such environmental disasters can have on human health.

  3. Losses in German nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abinger, R.

    1982-01-01

    The author illustrates the special features of engineering insurance for nuclear power plants. The shares of the Allianz Versicherungs-AG in the insurance of construction and erection work and in machinery insurance are dealt with. Risk estimation is usually based on statistical analysis of losses. Loss analysis in the conventional sector of nuclear power plants shows typical characteristics of traditional erection and machinery losses. In the nuclear field, however, costs are greatly increased by added safety measures. For this reason, additional cover is allocated and incorporated in premium assessment. Examples from erection and machinery reveal the greater costs involved in handling losses. (orig.) [de

  4. The control system of the RFX toroidal power supply

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toigo, V.; Piovan, R.; Zanotto, L.; Perna, M.; Coffetti, A.; Freghieri, M.; Povolero, M.

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes the control system of the toroidal power supply of the RFX experiment and outlines its specific hardware and software structure, which allowed to cope with the numerous requirements of the application with a compact hardware arrangement. The active fault protection strategies, implemented in the control system, are also discussed; finally, a special part of the control, which greatly simplified the long and complex commissioning of the power section of the system, is described

  5. Great Expectations for Middle School Counselors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Robert J.

    2012-01-01

    During the Great Recession, 2008 to 2010, school systems scrambled to balance budgets, and the ratio of counselors to students became even larger. To make matters worse, the Great Recession had a major impact on cuts in educational funding. Budget cutbacks tend to occur where the public will be least likely to notice. The loss of teachers and the…

  6. Literature of a Crisis: The Great War in Anglo-American Modernism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shadi Neimneh

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper looks at the representation of war in fiction as a catastrophic social event. In studying or teaching the Great War as represented in modernist literature, we have to acknowledge that fiction, and despite its overlap with history or historical value, is not mere history. War literature retains a powerful sociological orientation. The novels discussed in this paper push real war action to the background and highlight, instead, the impact of war on the subjective lives of individuals and their social interaction. Modernism is not primarily concerned with accurately reproducing the war, but rather with impressionistic details, i.e. the impact of war on introverted lives. Therefore, the real value of such novels is not documentary or historical but social and psychological.

  7. Aggregated Modelling for Wind Farms for Power System Transient Stability Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Hongzhi; Chen, Zhe

    2012-01-01

    Wind energy is consistently attracting great research effort and actively developed in many countries. As a result, the penetration level of wind power in the power grid is increasing as well as the size of wind farms. A large-scale wind farm may consist of hundreds of wind turbines and its total...... on a wind farm with permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind turbines. Simulation results of the aggregated models and the detailed model are compared and analyzed respectively to prove the effectiveness of the aggregating techniques.......Wind energy is consistently attracting great research effort and actively developed in many countries. As a result, the penetration level of wind power in the power grid is increasing as well as the size of wind farms. A large-scale wind farm may consist of hundreds of wind turbines and its total...... installed capacity could be at a level of 1000MW or even more. Consequently, the large-scale wind farm could seriously impact the operation and control of the grid. To represent a large-scale wind farm, aggregated modelling takes advantage of fast computation and simplified implementation compared...

  8. Power Distribution Analysis For Electrical Usage In Province Area Using Olap (Online Analytical Processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samsinar Riza

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The distribution network is the closest power grid to the customer Electric service providers such as PT. PLN. The dispatching center of power grid companies is also the data center of the power grid where gathers great amount of operating information. The valuable information contained in these data means a lot for power grid operating management. The technique of data warehousing online analytical processing has been used to manage and analysis the great capacity of data. Specific methods for online analytics information systems resulting from data warehouse processing with OLAP are chart and query reporting. The information in the form of chart reporting consists of the load distribution chart based on the repetition of time, distribution chart on the area, the substation region chart and the electric load usage chart. The results of the OLAP process show the development of electric load distribution, as well as the analysis of information on the load of electric power consumption and become an alternative in presenting information related to peak load.

  9. Power Distribution Analysis For Electrical Usage In Province Area Using Olap (Online Analytical Processing)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samsinar, Riza; Suseno, Jatmiko Endro; Widodo, Catur Edi

    2018-02-01

    The distribution network is the closest power grid to the customer Electric service providers such as PT. PLN. The dispatching center of power grid companies is also the data center of the power grid where gathers great amount of operating information. The valuable information contained in these data means a lot for power grid operating management. The technique of data warehousing online analytical processing has been used to manage and analysis the great capacity of data. Specific methods for online analytics information systems resulting from data warehouse processing with OLAP are chart and query reporting. The information in the form of chart reporting consists of the load distribution chart based on the repetition of time, distribution chart on the area, the substation region chart and the electric load usage chart. The results of the OLAP process show the development of electric load distribution, as well as the analysis of information on the load of electric power consumption and become an alternative in presenting information related to peak load.

  10. O Electromagnetic Power Waves and Power Density Components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petzold, Donald Wayne

    1980-12-01

    On January 10, 1884 Lord Rayleigh presented a paper entitled "On the Transfer of Energy in the Electromagnetic Field" to the Royal Society of London. This paper had been authored by the late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, Professor J. H. Poynting and in it he claimed that there was a general law for the transfer of electromagnetic energy. He argued that associated with each point in space is a quantity, that has since been called the Poynting vector, that is a measure of the rate of energy flow per unit area. His analysis was concerned with the integration of this power density vector at all points over an enclosing surface of a specific volume. The interpretation of this Poynting vector as a true measure of the local power density was viewed with great skepticism unless the vector was integrated over a closed surface, as the development of the concept required. However, within the last decade or so Shadowitz indicates that a number of prominent authors have argued that the criticism of the interpretation of Poynting's vector as a local power density vector is unjustified. The present paper is not concerned with these arguments but instead is concerned with a decomposition of Poynting's power density vector into two and only two components: one vector which has the same direction as Poynting's vector and which is called the forward power density vector, and another vector, directed opposite to the Poynting vector and called the reverse power density vector. These new local forward and reverse power density vectors will be shown to be dependent upon forward and reverse power wave vectors and these vectors in turn will be related to newly defined forward and reverse components of the electric and magnetic fields. The sum of these forward and reverse power density vectors, which is simply the original Poynting vector, is associated with the total electromagnetic energy traveling past the local point. Another vector which is the difference between the forward

  11. Variation of stream power with seepage in sand-bed channels

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2009-12-27

    Dec 27, 2009 ... Keywords: friction slope, seepage, sediment transport, stream power, suction ... particles from the bed and on further movement of the bed load is of great ..... KNIGHTON AD (1987) River channel adjustment – the down stream.

  12. Social contention about safety of nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemoto, Kazuyasu

    1978-01-01

    In Japan, the contentions and arguments on the safety of nuclear power generation have been active since its first introduction, and these are greatly influenced by the nation's experiences of atomic bombs in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Bikini. As the result, the attitude of peoples toward the acceptance of nuclear power plants is significantly different from that in other countries. The situation in Japan of social contentions about nuclear power safety is explained in two aspects: acceptance of the safety, by peoples and Japanese pattern of safety contentions. In both upstream and downstream of nuclear power generation, not only the safety but also the right or wrong for nuclear power generation itself is discussed. The problem of nuclear power safety has gone into the region beyond the technological viewpoint. The pattern of safety contentions in Japan is the entanglement of three sectors; i.e. local people, labor unions and political parties, enterprises and administration, and intellectuals. (Mori, K.)

  13. An Advanced Bayesian Method for Short-Term Probabilistic Forecasting of the Generation of Wind Power

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Bracale

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Currently, among renewable distributed generation systems, wind generators are receiving a great deal of interest due to the great economic, technological, and environmental incentives they involve. However, the uncertainties due to the intermittent nature of wind energy make it difficult to operate electrical power systems optimally and make decisions that satisfy the needs of all the stakeholders of the electricity energy market. Thus, there is increasing interest determining how to forecast wind power production accurately. Most the methods that have been published in the relevant literature provided deterministic forecasts even though great interest has been focused recently on probabilistic forecast methods. In this paper, an advanced probabilistic method is proposed for short-term forecasting of wind power production. A mixture of two Weibull distributions was used as a probability function to model the uncertainties associated with wind speed. Then, a Bayesian inference approach with a particularly-effective, autoregressive, integrated, moving-average model was used to determine the parameters of the mixture Weibull distribution. Numerical applications also are presented to provide evidence of the forecasting performance of the Bayesian-based approach.

  14. Frequency dependent loss analysis and minimization of system losses in switchmode audio power amplifiers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yamauchi, Akira; Knott, Arnold; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, frequency dependent losses in switch-mode audio power amplifiers are analyzed and a loss model is improved by taking the voltage dependence of the parasitic capacitance of MOSFETs into account. The estimated power losses are compared to the measurement and great accuracy is achieved...

  15. Status of helium-cooled nuclear power systems. [Development potential

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melese-d' Hospital, G.; Simnad, M

    1977-09-01

    Helium-cooled nuclear power systems offer a great potential for electricity generation when their long-term economic, environmental, conservation and energy self-sufficiency features are examined. The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) has the unique capability of providing high-temperature steam for electric power and process heat uses and/or high-temperature heat for endothermic chemical reactions. A variation of the standard steam cycle HTGR is one in which the helium coolant flows directly from the core to one or more closed cycle gas turbines. The effective use of nuclear fuel resources for electric power and nuclear process heat will be greatly enhanced by the gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (GCFR) currently being developed. A GCFR using thorium in the radial blanket could generate sufficient U-233 to supply the fuel for three HTGRs, or enough plutonium from a depleted uranium blanket to fuel a breeder economy expanding at about 10% per year. The feasibility of utilizing helium to cool a fusion reactor is also discussed. The status of helium-cooled nuclear energy systems is summarized as a basis for assessing their prospects. 50 references.

  16. Great Indoors Awards 2007

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    2007-01-01

    Hollandis Maastrichtis jagati 17. XI esimest korda rahvusvahelist auhinda The Great Indoors Award. Aasta sisekujundusfirmaks valiti Masamichi Katayama asutatud Wonderwall. Auhinna said veel Zaha Hadid, Heatherwick Studio, Ryui Nakamura Architects ja Item Idem

  17. Process computers automate CERN power supply installations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ullrich, H.; Martin, A.

    1974-01-01

    Higher standards of performance and reliability in the power plants of large particle accelerators necessitate increasing use of automation. The CERN (European Nuclear Research Centre) in Geneva started to employ process computers for plant automation at an early stage in its history. The great complexity and extent of the plants for high-energy physics first led to the setting-up of decentralized automatic systems which are now being increasingly combined into one interconnected automation system. One of these automatic systems controls and monitors the extensive power supply installations for the main ring magnets in the experimental zones. (orig.) [de

  18. Aseismic foundation system for nuclear power stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jolivet, F.; Richli, M.

    1977-01-01

    The aseismic foundation system, as described in this paper, is a new development, which makes it possible to build standard nuclear power stations in areas exposed to strong earthquakes. By adopting proven engineering concepts in design and construction of components, great advantages are achieved in the following areas: safety and reliability; efficiency; design schedule; cost. The need for an aseismic foundation system will arise more and more, as a large part of nuclear power station sites are located in highly seismic zones or must meet high intensity earthquake criteria due to the lack of historic data. (Auth.)

  19. Strength and power of knee extensor muscles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Knežević Olivera

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In the studies of human neuromuscular function, the function of leg muscles has been most often measured, particularly the function of the knee extensors. Therefore, this review will be focused on knee extensors, methods for assessment of its function, the interdependence of strength and power, relations that describe these two abilities and the influence of various factors on their production (resistance training, stretching, movement tasks, age, etc.. Given that it consists of four separate muscles, the variability of their anatomical characteristics affects their participation in strength and power production, depending on the type of movement and motion that is performed. Since KE is active in a variety of activities it must be able to generate great strength in a large and diverse range of muscle lengths and high shortening velocities, in respect to different patterns of strength production, and thus different generation capacities within the muscle (Blazevich et al., 2006. It has been speculated that KE exerts its Pmax at workloads close to subject's own body weight or lower (Rahmani et al., 2001, which is very close to the maximum dynamic output hypothesis (MDI of Jaric and Markovic (2009. Changes under the influence of resistance training or biological age are variously manifested in muscle's morphological, physiological and neural characteristics, and thus in strength and power. Understanding the issues related to strength and power as abilities of great importance for daily activities, is also important for sports and rehabilitation. Performances improvement in sports in which leg muscles strength and power are crucial, as well as recovery after the injuries, are largely dependent on the research results regarding KE function. Also, the appropriate strength balance between knee flexors and extensors is important for the knee joint stability, so that the presence of imbalance between these two muscle groups might be a risk factor for

  20. A Hybrid Multilevel Storage Architecture for Electric Power Dispatching Big Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Hu; Huang, Bibin; Hong, Bowen; Hu, Jing

    2017-10-01

    Electric power dispatching is the center of the whole power system. In the long run time, the power dispatching center has accumulated a large amount of data. These data are now stored in different power professional systems and form lots of information isolated islands. Integrating these data and do comprehensive analysis can greatly improve the intelligent level of power dispatching. In this paper, a hybrid multilevel storage architecture for electrical power dispatching big data is proposed. It introduces relational database and NoSQL database to establish a power grid panoramic data center, effectively meet power dispatching big data storage needs, including the unified storage of structured and unstructured data fast access of massive real-time data, data version management and so on. It can be solid foundation for follow-up depth analysis of power dispatching big data.

  1. A guide: sale of power opportunities for distributed generators. Part B. The guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    This report is Part B of a series of three produced to help prospective distributed generators familiarise themselves with the electricity market in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and to assist potential generators to identify options for the sale of their electrical output. Part A is an introductory guide and Part C lists sources of further information, useful contact details and a glossary. Part B covers the key issues in some depth and is designed for those with some background knowledge. It examines: the electricity supply industry in Great Britain including the physical and commercial electricity supply chains and the commercial arrangements for trading; the legislative framework including networks, price controls, licensing and exemptions; the value of power produced by small generators including factors affecting the value of power, wholesale market value, Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs), Climate Change Levy exemption certificates and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; options for the sale of power including market trading, supplier and consolidator contracts, exempt and licensed supply, and finance; and the costs and benefits of power sales options including the initial and ongoing costs of selling power.

  2. Parallel dispatch: a new paradigm of electrical power system dispatch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Jun Jason; Wang, Fei-Yue; Wang, Qiang; Hao, Dazhi; Yang, Xiaojing; Gao, David Wenzhong; Zhao, Xiangyang; Zhang, Yingchen

    2018-01-01

    Modern power systems are evolving into sociotechnical systems with massive complexity, whose real-time operation and dispatch go beyond human capability. Thus, the need for developing and applying new intelligent power system dispatch tools are of great practical significance. In this paper, we introduce the overall business model of power system dispatch, the top level design approach of an intelligent dispatch system, and the parallel intelligent technology with its dispatch applications. We expect that a new dispatch paradigm, namely the parallel dispatch, can be established by incorporating various intelligent technologies, especially the parallel intelligent technology, to enable secure operation of complex power grids, extend system operators U+02BC capabilities, suggest optimal dispatch strategies, and to provide decision-making recommendations according to power system operational goals.

  3. Enzymatic Fuel Cells: Towards Self-Powered Implantable and Wearable Diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez-Solino, Carla; Lorenzo, Mirella Di

    2018-01-01

    With the rapid progress in nanotechnology and microengineering, point-of-care and personalised healthcare, based on wearable and implantable diagnostics, is becoming a reality. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) hold great potential as a sustainable means to power such devices by using physiological fluids as the fuel. This review summarises the fundamental operation of EFCs and discusses the most recent advances for their use as implantable and wearable self-powered sensors. PMID:29382147

  4. Enzymatic Fuel Cells: Towards Self-Powered Implantable and Wearable Diagnostics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla Gonzalez-Solino

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available With the rapid progress in nanotechnology and microengineering, point-of-care and personalised healthcare, based on wearable and implantable diagnostics, is becoming a reality. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs hold great potential as a sustainable means to power such devices by using physiological fluids as the fuel. This review summarises the fundamental operation of EFCs and discusses the most recent advances for their use as implantable and wearable self-powered sensors.

  5. On nuclear power problem in science education in Japan. Supplementary reader, authorization and scientific literacy for citizen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryu, Jumpei

    2012-01-01

    Distribution of 'supplementary reader on nuclear power: Challenge! Nuclear power world' issued in 2010 and 'supplementary reader on radiation' issued in October 2011 was shelved in June 2012 by the administrative project review with revised policy of nuclear education for nuclear power promotion reflected. Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Accident brought about great effects and change on fundamental conditions of citizen's life as well as national consciousness of future society in Japan. Reconsideration of scientific education should be needed taking account how to recognize 'scientific literacy' and 'scientific communication'. This article discussed nuclear power problem related with supplementary reader and nuclear power education so as to establish science education framework for 'scientific literacy' for citizen. Preparation of nuclear power education at junior high school according to guideline of new course of study was reviewed and then 'scientific literacy' based on British science higher level student textbook for public understanding of science in society was described for reference, which suggested some problem in science education in Japan although social background was different. (T. Tanaka)

  6. Study of LANs access technologies in wind power system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wei, Mu; Chen, Zhe

    2010-01-01

    Due to the energy challenges in the world, new types of generation technologies, such as renewable energy based generators, attract great attention and are being quickly developed, which results in the dramatic developments and changes in modern power systems, the communication technologies play...... a increasingly important role in guaranteeing the power system’s stability, reliability, and security. In this paper the necessity of communication technologies employed in wind power system are introduced. According the International Standards Organization (ISO) reference 7-layered model, the communication...... power environment are explained and discussed. Furthermore the simulation of application of Ethernet in an offshore wind farm communication network by a software, OPNET, is elaborated. With the investigation of the communication technologies in this paper, the offshore wind farm SCADA system can...

  7. Continuing studies of plasma erosion switches for power conditioning on multiterawatt pulsed power accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stringfield, R.; Gilman, C.; James, G.; Peters, T.; Sincerny, P.; Wong, S.

    1983-01-01

    Recent PITHON experiments with plasma erosion switches (PES) have extended the range of operation of the switches by about 50 percent, in terms of closed time and charge passing through the switch. The quantity of charge passed through the switch has been increased to as much as 35 mC. Currents as large as 1 MA and voltages as great as 1.8 MV have been switched off to be diverted to a downstream load. The impedance of the erosion switch can be described as having three stages: 1) essentially zero impedance, 2) a transitional opening phase, and 3) an impedance which is very large (greater than 5 Ω) in comparison with the subohm downstream load. Current diagnostics, consisting of Rogowski coils and segmented shunts, have been successfully developed to monitor the current which propagates to the load region. These monitors have measured rise times as short as 38 ns and slew rates as great as 10 14 A/s at the load. With wire array loads, the pulse conditioning of the switch has been observed to reduce the magnitude of the current losses in the feed which are present when no switch is used. Correlations have been made between the switch closed time, voltage, current, and power with the feed inductance and the generator power injected into the magnetic insulated transmission line (MITL)

  8. An Overview of the Smart Grid in Great Britain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nick Jenkins

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an overview of the current status of the development of the smart grid in Great Britain (GB. The definition, policy and technical drivers, incentive mechanisms, technological focus, and the industry's progress in developing the smart grid are described. In particular, the Low Carbon Networks Fund and Electricity Network Innovation Competition projects, together with the rollout of smart metering, are detailed. A more observable, controllable, automated, and integrated electricity network will be supported by these investments in conjunction with smart meter installation. It is found that the focus has mainly been on distribution networks as well as on real-time flows of information and interaction between suppliers and consumers facilitated by improved information and communications technology, active power flow management, demand management, and energy storage. The learning from the GB smart grid initiatives will provide valuable guidelines for future smart grid development in GB and other countries.

  9. The Great War and German Memory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leese, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Review essay on Jason Crouthamel, The Great War and German Memory. Society, Politics and Psychological Trauma, 1914-18 (2009) and Anton Kaes, Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Wounds of War (2009)......Review essay on Jason Crouthamel, The Great War and German Memory. Society, Politics and Psychological Trauma, 1914-18 (2009) and Anton Kaes, Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Wounds of War (2009)...

  10. Agency rivalry in a shared regulatory space and its impact on social welfare

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gedefaw Abate, Tenaw; Nielsen, Rasmus; Nielsen, Max

    2018-01-01

    for the best interest of the people, they can have their own rational agendas; such as career advancement, self-aggrandizement and loyalty for a particular political ideology. We show that when officials are non-benevolent and agencies have unequal relative decision-making power, it is likely that a more...

  11. Strateginis valdymas privataus ir viešojo sektoriaus organizacijose : panašumai ir skirtumai

    OpenAIRE

    Staponkienė, Jurga

    2004-01-01

    Ongoing globalisation, intensifying rivalry, emerging information society and knowledge economics, advancing technologies provoke new demands on organization management. Ability to adapt to and to act in rapidly changing settings becomes virtually the core factor of survival and rivalry for organizations. The processes of integration into the international space and adaptation to globalisation and information society can't do without strategic actions. Thus, strategic management in the last d...

  12. Recent achievements in regulating nuclear power activities in taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ouyang, M.S.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: The energy resources in Taiwan are very scarce with more than 98% of the fuel sources imported from foreign countries. The nuclear power became essential because of its stability and economy in price. There are six operating nuclear power units in Taiwan, and two more advanced boiling water reactor units under construction. As the country's nuclear power still plays an important role, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) devotes its great efforts working on reactor safety regulation, radiation protection, nuclear security, nuclear emergency preparedness, nuclear waste management and environmental monitoring. Recent achievements of AEC on the above mentioned topics will be covered in this presentation

  13. A novel power amplifier structure for RFID tag applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Jianbao; Zhang Shilin; Li De; Zhang Yanzheng; Mao Luhong; Xie Sheng

    2011-01-01

    A novel matching method between the power amplifier (PA) and antenna of an active or semi-active RFID tag is presented. A PCB dipole antenna is used as the resonance inductor of a differential power amplifier. The total PA chip area is reduced greatly to only 240 × 70 μm 2 in a 0.18 μm CMOS process due to saving two on-chip integrated inductors. Operating in class AB with a 1.8 V supply voltage and 2.45 GHz input signal, the PA shows a measured output power of 8 dBm at the 1 dB compression point. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

  14. Possibilities and future of wind power production in Finland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holttinen, E.; Tammelin, B.

    1997-01-01

    The article was prepared for two presentations for Finnish MPs late autumn 1996 in connection of the handling of new energy taxation in Finland. The governmental proposal was going to favour the use of coal and unfavour the use of renewable energy sources. The total amount of installed wind power in Finland (7 MW) was compared to some other European countries. Anyhow it is well known that the wind potential in Finland due to its long coast line, large archipelago and great number of arctic mountains, all with very good wind climate, offers a great opportunity for effective exploitation of wind energy. The price of wind energy in Finland is 30 p/kWh (about 0,05 ECU) and it is estimated that with bigger power plan units it could be 20 p/kWh. Different ways to support wind energy production was presented with examples from Germany, Denmark and Sweden. (orig.) (8 refs.)

  15. Advanced Technology for Ultra-Low Power System-on-Chip (SoC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    was proposed for lower power applications with Ioff=10pA/μm and VDD=0.5V. In this project, the optimized structure shows great potential in both Lg...AFRL-RY-WP-TR-2017-0115 ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR ULTRA-LOW POWER SYSTEM-ON-CHIP (SoC) Jason Woo, Weicong Li, and Peng Lu University of California...September 2015 – 31 March 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR ULTRA-LOW POWER SYSTEM-ON- CHIP (SoC) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA8650-15-1-7574 5b

  16. Great ape genetic diversity and population history

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prado-Martinez, Javier; Sudmant, Peter H; Kidd, Jeffrey M

    2013-01-01

    Most great ape genetic variation remains uncharacterized; however, its study is critical for understanding population history, recombination, selection and susceptibility to disease. Here we sequence to high coverage a total of 79 wild- and captive-born individuals representing all six great ape...

  17. GREAT: a web portal for Genome Regulatory Architecture Tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouyioukos, Costas; Bucchini, François; Elati, Mohamed; Képès, François

    2016-07-08

    GREAT (Genome REgulatory Architecture Tools) is a novel web portal for tools designed to generate user-friendly and biologically useful analysis of genome architecture and regulation. The online tools of GREAT are freely accessible and compatible with essentially any operating system which runs a modern browser. GREAT is based on the analysis of genome layout -defined as the respective positioning of co-functional genes- and its relation with chromosome architecture and gene expression. GREAT tools allow users to systematically detect regular patterns along co-functional genomic features in an automatic way consisting of three individual steps and respective interactive visualizations. In addition to the complete analysis of regularities, GREAT tools enable the use of periodicity and position information for improving the prediction of transcription factor binding sites using a multi-view machine learning approach. The outcome of this integrative approach features a multivariate analysis of the interplay between the location of a gene and its regulatory sequence. GREAT results are plotted in web interactive graphs and are available for download either as individual plots, self-contained interactive pages or as machine readable tables for downstream analysis. The GREAT portal can be reached at the following URL https://absynth.issb.genopole.fr/GREAT and each individual GREAT tool is available for downloading. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Puffed-up but shaky selves: State self-esteem level and variability in narcissists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geukes, Katharina; Nestler, Steffen; Hutteman, Roos; Dufner, Michael; Küfner, Albrecht C P; Egloff, Boris; Denissen, Jaap J A; Back, Mitja D

    2017-05-01

    Different theoretical conceptualizations characterize grandiose narcissists by high, yet fragile self-esteem. Empirical evidence, however, has been inconsistent, particularly regarding the relationship between narcissism and self-esteem fragility (i.e., self-esteem variability). Here, we aim at unraveling this inconsistency by disentangling the effects of two theoretically distinct facets of narcissism (i.e., admiration and rivalry) on the two aspects of state self-esteem (i.e., level and variability). We report on data from a laboratory-based and two field-based studies (total N = 596) in realistic social contexts, capturing momentary, daily, and weekly fluctuations of state self-esteem. To estimate unbiased effects of narcissism on the level and variability of self-esteem within one model, we applied mixed-effects location scale models. Results of the three studies and their meta-analytical integration indicated that narcissism is positively linked to self-esteem level and variability. When distinguishing between admiration and rivalry, however, an important dissociation was identified: Admiration was related to high (and rather stable) levels of state self-esteem, whereas rivalry was related to (rather low and) fragile self-esteem. Analyses on underlying processes suggest that effects of rivalry on self-esteem variability are based on stronger decreases in self-esteem from one assessment to the next, particularly after a perceived lack of social inclusion. The revealed differentiated effects of admiration and rivalry explain why the analysis of narcissism as a unitary concept has led to the inconsistent past findings and provide deeper insights into the intrapersonal dynamics of grandiose narcissism governing state self-esteem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  19. PERFORMANCE OF LEAKAGE POWER MINIMIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR CMOS VLSI TECHNOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Tharaneeswaran

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Leakage power of CMOS VLSI Technology is a great concern. To reduce leakage power in CMOS circuits, a Leakage Power Minimiza-tion Technique (LPMT is implemented in this paper. Leakage cur-rents are monitored and compared. The Comparator kicks the charge pump to give body voltage (Vbody. Simulations of these circuits are done using TSMC 0.35µm technology with various operating temper-atures. Current steering Digital-to-Analog Converter (CSDAC is used as test core to validate the idea. The Test core (eg.8-bit CSDAC had power consumption of 347.63 mW. LPMT circuit alone consumes power of 6.3405 mW. This technique results in reduction of leakage power of 8-bit CSDAC by 5.51mW and increases the reliability of test core. Mentor Graphics ELDO and EZ-wave are used for simulations.

  20. Green Power Marketing - from Niches to Mass Markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wuestenhagen, Rolf

    2000-01-01

    In the process of liberalization of the electricity market the customers are now in a position to participate in the decision on how their electricity is produced. In particular, many consumers have a preference for renewable energies. For the producers, marketing of 'eco-power' is an opportunity to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. However, the market share of these products is still quite small today, and 'eco-power' is usually marketed as an expensive niche product. From the perspective of sustainable development these niches are a necessary but not sufficient step. In this book, ways are discussed which could lead to a mass-market penetration of eco-power products. A theoretical analysis is combined with empirical evidence derived from the eco-power market in Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain and the U.S. as well as with a comparison with other market segments [de