Obesity-related eating behaviors are associated with higher food energy density and higher consumption of sugary and alcoholic beverages: a cross-sectional study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maritza Muñoz-Pareja

Full Text Available Obesity-related eating behaviors (OREB are associated with higher energy intake. Total energy intake can be decomposed into the following constituents: food portion size, food energy density, the number of eating occasions, and the energy intake from energy-rich beverages. To our knowledge this is the first study to examine the association between the OREB and these energy components.Data were taken from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2008-2010 among 11,546 individuals representative of the Spanish population aged ≥ 18 years. Information was obtained on the following 8 self-reported OREB: not planning how much to eat before sitting down, eating precooked/canned food or snacks bought at vending machines or at fast-food restaurants, not choosing low-energy foods, not removing visible fat from meat or skin from chicken, and eating while watching TV. Usual diet was assessed with a validated diet history. Analyses were performed with linear regression with adjustment for main confounders.Compared to individuals with ≤ 1 OREB, those with ≥ 5 OREB had a higher food energy density (β 0.10; 95% CI 0.08, 0.12 kcal/g/day; p-trend<0.001 and a higher consumption of sugary drinks (β 7; 95% CI -7, 20 ml/day; p-trend<0.05 and of alcoholic beverages (β 24; 95% CI 10, 38 ml/day; p-trend<0.001. Specifically, a higher number of OREB was associated with higher intake of dairy products and red meat, and with lower consumption of fresh fruit, oily fish and white meat. No association was found between the number of OREB and food portion size or the number of eating occasions.OREB were associated with higher food energy density and higher consumption of sugary and alcoholic beverages. Avoiding OREB may prove difficult because they are firmly socially rooted, but these results may nevertheless serve to palliate the undesirable effects of OREB by reducing the associated energy intake.

Obesity-related eating behaviors are associated with higher food energy density and higher consumption of sugary and alcoholic beverages: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz-Pareja, Maritza; Guallar-Castillón, Pilar; Mesas, Arthur E; López-García, Esther; Rodríguez-Artalejo, Fernando

2013-01-01

Obesity-related eating behaviors (OREB) are associated with higher energy intake. Total energy intake can be decomposed into the following constituents: food portion size, food energy density, the number of eating occasions, and the energy intake from energy-rich beverages. To our knowledge this is the first study to examine the association between the OREB and these energy components. Data were taken from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2008-2010 among 11,546 individuals representative of the Spanish population aged ≥ 18 years. Information was obtained on the following 8 self-reported OREB: not planning how much to eat before sitting down, eating precooked/canned food or snacks bought at vending machines or at fast-food restaurants, not choosing low-energy foods, not removing visible fat from meat or skin from chicken, and eating while watching TV. Usual diet was assessed with a validated diet history. Analyses were performed with linear regression with adjustment for main confounders. Compared to individuals with ≤ 1 OREB, those with ≥ 5 OREB had a higher food energy density (β 0.10; 95% CI 0.08, 0.12 kcal/g/day; p-trendassociated with higher intake of dairy products and red meat, and with lower consumption of fresh fruit, oily fish and white meat. No association was found between the number of OREB and food portion size or the number of eating occasions. OREB were associated with higher food energy density and higher consumption of sugary and alcoholic beverages. Avoiding OREB may prove difficult because they are firmly socially rooted, but these results may nevertheless serve to palliate the undesirable effects of OREB by reducing the associated energy intake.

Optical spectroscopy and imaging of the higher energy excitons and bandgap of monolayer MoS2

Science.gov (United States)

Borys, Nicholas; Bao, Wei; Barnard, Edward; Ko, Changhyun; Tongay, Sefaatin; Wu, Junqiao; Yang, Li; Schuck, P. James

Monolayer MoS2 (ML-MoS2) exhibits a rich manifold of excitons that dictate optoelectronic performance and functionality. Disentangling these states, which include the quasi-particle bandgap, is critical for developing 2D optoelectronic devices that operate beyond the optical bandgap. Whereas photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy only probes the lowest-energy radiative state and absorption spectroscopy fails to discriminate energetically degenerate states, photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy selectively probes only the excited states that thermalize to the emissive ground state exciton. Using PLE spectroscopy of ML-MoS2, we identify the Rydberg series of the exciton A and exciton B states as well as signatures of the quasi-particle bandgap and coupling between the indirect C exciton and the lowest-energy A exciton, which have eluded previous PLE studies. The assignment of these states is confirmed with density functional theory. Mapping the PLE spectrum reveals spatial variations of the higher-energy exciton manifold and quasi-particle bandgap which mirror the heterogeneity in the PL but also indicate variations in local exciton thermalization processes and chemical potentials.

Energy Efficiency of Higher Education Buildings: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, Nelson; Pereira, Luísa Dias; Ferreira, João; Conceição, Pedro; da Silva, Patrícia Pereira

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to propose an energy efficiency plan (with technical and behavioural improvement measures) for a Portuguese higher education building--the Teaching Building of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC). Design/methodology/approach: The study was developed in the context of both the "Green…

Higher-fidelity yet efficient modeling of radiation energy transport through three-dimensional clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, M.L.; Davis, A.B.

2005-01-01

Accurate modeling of radiative energy transport through cloudy atmospheres is necessary for both climate modeling with GCMs (Global Climate Models) and remote sensing. Previous modeling efforts have taken advantage of extreme aspect ratios (cells that are very wide horizontally) by assuming a 1-D treatment vertically - the Independent Column Approximation (ICA). Recent attempts to resolve radiation transport through the clouds have drastically changed the aspect ratios of the cells, moving them closer to unity, such that the ICA model is no longer valid. We aim to provide a higher-fidelity atmospheric radiation transport model which increases accuracy while maintaining efficiency. To that end, this paper describes the development of an efficient 3-D-capable radiation code that can be easily integrated into cloud resolving models as an alternative to the resident 1-D model. Applications to test cases from the Intercomparison of 3-D Radiation Codes (I3RC) protocol are shown

Distributional implications of higher energy prices in the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Common, M

1985-06-01

Results presented are consistent with the claim that higher energy prices are regressive in impact in the UK. However, the size of the impact on the worst affected is not found to be as great as might be expected. It is not at all obvious that the size of impact established is such as to justify the use of terms such as fuel poverty or arguments for the subsidization of fuels purchased by those on low incomes. This is not to say that low income households in the UK have not in the last decade had serious problems with fuel bills. The evidence of, for example, the Supplementary Benefits Commission (1979) makes it obvious that large numbers of households have experienced real problems. However, from the evidence considered here, it is reasonable to suggest that the origin of such problems lies more with the technical characteristics of the consumption act, and with institutional arrangements for payment, in respect of heating and lighting, than with impact of higher fuel prices as such. Gas and electricity consumption is not readily monitored as use occurs, and payment is often by billing well after consumption. Casual observation suggests that the difficulties with fuel bills as reported to welfare agencies are predominantly difficulties with gas and electricity bills. The results also show that of the total impact of higher energy prices on cost of living indices, only 50% arises via the consumption of fuels in the home.

Management Strategies for Sustainability Education, Planning, Design, Energy Conservation in California Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Petratos, Panagiotis; Damaskou, Evangelia

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the effects of campus sustainability planning to annual campus energy inflows and outflows in California higher education. The paper also offers a preliminary statistical analysis for the evaluation of impact factors on energy outflows and a link between energy outflows and building…

Higher dimensional time-energy entanglement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richart, Daniel Lampert

2014-01-01

freedom improves its applicability to long distance quantum communication schemes. By doing that, the intrinsic limitations of other schemes based on the encoding into the momentum and polarization degree of freedom are overcome. This work presents results on a scalable experimental implementation of time-energy encoded higher dimensional states, demonstrating the feasibility of the scheme. Further tools are defined and used to characterize the properties of the prepared quantum states, such as their entanglement, their dimension and their preparation fidelity. Finally, the method of quantum state tomography is used to fully determine the underlying quantum states at the cost of an increased measurement effort and thus operation time. It is at this point that results obtained from the research field of compressed sensing help to decrease the necessary number of measurements. This scheme is compared with an adaptive tomography scheme designed to offer an additional reconstruction speedup. These results display the scalability of the scheme to bipartite dimensions higher than 2 x 8, equivalent to the encoding of quantum information into more than 6 qubits.

Higher dimensional time-energy entanglement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richart, Daniel Lampert

2014-07-08

freedom improves its applicability to long distance quantum communication schemes. By doing that, the intrinsic limitations of other schemes based on the encoding into the momentum and polarization degree of freedom are overcome. This work presents results on a scalable experimental implementation of time-energy encoded higher dimensional states, demonstrating the feasibility of the scheme. Further tools are defined and used to characterize the properties of the prepared quantum states, such as their entanglement, their dimension and their preparation fidelity. Finally, the method of quantum state tomography is used to fully determine the underlying quantum states at the cost of an increased measurement effort and thus operation time. It is at this point that results obtained from the research field of compressed sensing help to decrease the necessary number of measurements. This scheme is compared with an adaptive tomography scheme designed to offer an additional reconstruction speedup. These results display the scalability of the scheme to bipartite dimensions higher than 2 x 8, equivalent to the encoding of quantum information into more than 6 qubits.

Estimating potential saving with energy consumption behaviour model in higher education institutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Hafizal Ishak

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Towards sustainable Higher Education Institutions (HEIs, energy consumption behaviour is one of several issues that require an attention by facilities manager. Information from the behavioural aspect would be useful for facilities manager on managing the energy and determining potential energy saving. A lack of information negatively affects this aim. Hence, this paper proposes a methodology for assessing the energy consumption behaviour with the objective determining potential energy saving. The method used energy culture framework as basis and joined with centrographic approach and multiple-regression analysis. A self-administrated survey carried out involving 1400 respondents in selected HEIs. There are four types of energy use among students in HEIs namely, 'high', 'low', ‘medium’ and 'conserve' determined from the centrographic analysis. The energy consumption behaviour model was developed and tested against the holdout sample. Through the model's application, there is a vast potential for energy savings with over 55 kWh daily among the students.

Energy Costs and Energy Conservation Programs in Colleges and Universities: 1972-73, 1974-75. Higher Education Panel Reports, Number 31.

Science.gov (United States)

Atelsek, Frank J.; Gomberg, Irene L.

A survey was initiated at the request of the U.S. Office of Education and the Energy Task Force to: (1) measure the increase in energy expenditures since the OPEC oil embargo of 1973-74; (2) assess changes in energy consumption over a two-year period; and (3) examine some of the specific conservation practices of higher education institutions.…

Casimir energy and the possibility of higher dimensional manipulation

OpenAIRE

Obousy, R. K.; Saharian, A. A.

2009-01-01

It is well known that the Casimir effect is an excellent candidate for the stabilization of the extra dimensions. It has also been suggested that the Casimir effect in higher dimensions may be the underlying phenomenon that is responsible for the dark energy which is currently driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. In this paper we suggest that, in principle, it may be possible to directly manipulate the size of an extra dimension locally using Standard Model fields in the next ge...

Improvements to the nuclear model code GNASH for cross section calculations at higher energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, P.G.; Chadwick, M.B.

1994-01-01

The nuclear model code GNASH, which in the past has been used predominantly for incident particle energies below 20 MeV, has been modified extensively for calculations at higher energies. The model extensions and improvements are described in this paper, and their significance is illustrated by comparing calculations with experimental data for incident energies up to 160 MeV

Risk of low-energy hip, wrist, and upper arm fractures among current and previous users of hormone replacement therapy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hundrup, Yrsa Andersen; Høidrup, Susanne; Ekholm, Ola

2004-01-01

To examine the effect of oestrogen alone and in combination with progestin on the risk of low-energy, hip, wrist, and upper arm fractures. Additionally, to examine to what extent previous use, duration of use as well as recency of discontinuation of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) influences...

Higher energy: is it necessary, is it worth the cost for radiation oncology?

Science.gov (United States)

Das, I J; Kase, K R

1992-01-01

The physical characteristics of the interactions of megavoltage photons and electrons with matter provide distinct advantages, relative to low-energy (orthovoltage) x rays, that lead to better radiation dose distributions in patients. Use of these high-energy radiations has resulted in better patient care, which has been reflected in improved radiation treatment outcome in recent years. But, as the desire for higher energy radiation beams increases, it becomes important to determine whether the physical characteristics that make megavoltage beams beneficial continue to provide a net advantage. It is demonstrated that, in fact, there is an energy range from 4 to 15 MV for photons and 4 to 20 MeV for electrons that is optimally suited for the treatment of cancer in humans. Radiation beams that exceed these maximum energies were found to add no advantage. This is because the costs (price of unit, installation, maintenance, shielding for neutron and photons) are not justified by either improved physical characteristics of the radiation (penetration, skin sparing, dose distribution) or treatment outcome. In fact, for photon beams some physical characteristics result in less desirable dose distributions, less accurate dosimetry, and increased safety problems as the energy increases for example, increasingly diffuse beam edges, loss of electron equilibrium, uncertainty in dose perturbations at interfaces, increased neutron contamination, and potential for higher personnel dose. The special features that make electron beams useful at lower energies, for example, skin sparing and small penetration, are lost at high energies. These physical factors are analyzed together with the economic factors related to radiation therapy patient care using megavoltage beams.

18 CFR 154.302 - Previously submitted material.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Previously submitted material. 154.302 Section 154.302 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY... concurrently with the rate change filing. There must be furnished to the Director, Office of Energy Market...

New 2-stage ion microprobes and a move to higher energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Legge, G.J.F.; Dymnikov, A.; Moloney, G.; Saint, A. [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics; Cohen, D. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia)

1996-12-31

Recent moves in Ion Beam Microanalysis towards the use of a rapidly growing number of very high resolution, low current and single ion techniques has led to the need for high demagnification and greatly improved beam quality. There is also a move to apply Microbeams at higher energies and with heavier ions. This also puts demands on the focusing system and beam control. This paper describes the recent development of 2-stage lens systems to be applied here and overseas, both at very high resolution and at high energies with heavy ions. It looks at new ion beam analysis applications of such ion microprobes. 8 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig.

New 2-stage ion microprobes and a move to higher energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Legge, G J.F.; Dymnikov, A; Moloney, G; Saint, A [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics; Cohen, D [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia)

1997-12-31

Recent moves in Ion Beam Microanalysis towards the use of a rapidly growing number of very high resolution, low current and single ion techniques has led to the need for high demagnification and greatly improved beam quality. There is also a move to apply Microbeams at higher energies and with heavier ions. This also puts demands on the focusing system and beam control. This paper describes the recent development of 2-stage lens systems to be applied here and overseas, both at very high resolution and at high energies with heavy ions. It looks at new ion beam analysis applications of such ion microprobes. 8 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig.

Used energy-related laboratory equipment grant program for institutions of higher learning. Eligible equipment catalog

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-07-01

This is a listing of energy related equipment available through the Energy-Related Laboratory Equipment Grant Program which grants used equipment to institutions of higher education for energy-related research. Information included is an overview of the program, how to apply for a grant of equipment, eligibility requirements, types of equipment available, and the costs for the institution.

A Review of Previous Research in Direct Energy Conversion Fission Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DUONG, HENRY; POLANSKY, GARY F.; SANDERS, THOMAS L.; SIEGEL, MALCOLM D.

1999-01-01

From the earliest days of power reactor development, direct energy conversion was an obvious choice to produce high efficiency electric power generation. Directly capturing the energy of the fission fragments produced during nuclear fission avoids the intermediate conversion to thermal energy and the efficiency limitations of classical thermodynamics. Efficiencies of more than 80% are possible, independent of operational temperature. Direct energy conversion fission reactors would possess a number of unique characteristics that would make them very attractive for commercial power generation. These reactors would be modular in design with integral power conversion and operate at low pressures and temperatures. They would operate at high efficiency and produce power well suited for long distance transmission. They would feature large safety margins and passively safe design. Ideally suited to production by advanced manufacturing techniques, direct energy conversion fission reactors could be produced more economically than conventional reactor designs. The history of direct energy conversion can be considered as dating back to 1913 when Moseleyl demonstrated that charged particle emission could be used to buildup a voltage. Soon after the successful operation of a nuclear reactor, E.P. Wigner suggested the use of fission fragments for direct energy conversion. Over a decade after Wigner's suggestion, the first theoretical treatment of the conversion of fission fragment kinetic energy into electrical potential appeared in the literature. Over the ten years that followed, a number of researchers investigated various aspects of fission fragment direct energy conversion. Experiments were performed that validated the basic physics of the concept, but a variety of technical challenges limited the efficiencies that were achieved. Most research in direct energy conversion ceased in the US by the late 1960s. Sporadic interest in the concept appears in the literature until this

Higher renewable energy integration into the existing energy system of Finland – Is there any maximum limit?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zakeri, Behnam; Syri, Sanna; Rinne, Samuli

2015-01-01

Finland is to increase the share of RES (renewable energy sources) up to 38% in final energy consumption by 2020. While benefiting from local biomass resources Finnish energy system is deemed to achieve this goal, increasing the share of other intermittent renewables is under development, namely wind power and solar energy. Yet the maximum flexibility of the existing energy system in integration of renewable energy is not investigated, which is an important step before undertaking new renewable energy obligations. This study aims at filling this gap by hourly analysis and comprehensive modeling of the energy system including electricity, heat, and transportation, by employing EnergyPLAN tool. Focusing on technical and economic implications, we assess the maximum potential of different RESs separately (including bioenergy, hydropower, wind power, solar heating and PV, and heat pumps), as well as an optimal mix of different technologies. Furthermore, we propose a new index for assessing the maximum flexibility of energy systems in absorbing variable renewable energy. The results demonstrate that wind energy can be harvested at maximum levels of 18–19% of annual power demand (approx. 16 TWh/a), without major enhancements in the flexibility of energy infrastructure. With today's energy demand, the maximum feasible renewable energy for Finland is around 44–50% by an optimal mix of different technologies, which promises 35% reduction in carbon emissions from 2012's level. Moreover, Finnish energy system is flexible to augment the share of renewables in gross electricity consumption up to 69–72%, at maximum. Higher shares of RES calls for lower energy consumption (energy efficiency) and more flexibility in balancing energy supply and consumption (e.g. by energy storage). - Highlights: • By hourly analysis, we model the whole energy system of Finland. • With existing energy infrastructure, RES (renewable energy sources) in primary energy cannot go beyond 50%. �

Higher energy intake at dinner decreases parasympathetic activity during nighttime sleep in menstruating women: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Tada, Yuki; Yoshizaki, Takahiro; Tanaka, Izumi; Kanehara, Rieko; Kato, Misao; Hatta, Naoko; Hida, Azumi; Kawano, Yukari

2018-06-09

Previous studies have found more frequent increases in dietary intake and nonrestorative nocturnal sleep during the luteal phase than in the follicular phase, but few studies have investigated how increased energy intake at dinner influences sleep by considering the correlation between female hormone and cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. This study examined the effects of energy intake at dinner on ANS activity during nighttime sleep in order to evaluate restorative sleep in healthy women. We also examined whether ANS activity is associated with female hormone dynamics. Twenty-four healthy collegiate women participated in this randomized crossover trial. Each was assigned to receive a High Energy Dinner (HED) or Low Energy Dinner (LED) treatment. Energy ratios of each test meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to total energy intake were 1:1:2 and 1:2:1 for HED and LED treatments, respectively. Each participant wore an ECG recorder before dinner and removed it upon waking the next morning. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability was used to calculate low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and total spectral power (TP). Cardiac sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous system activity were evaluated as LF/HF and HF/TP, respectively. Mean HF/TP for the entire sleeping period was lower with HED treatment compared to LED treatment (41.7 ± 11.4 vs. 45.0 ± 12.13, P = .034). Intergroup comparisons of the initial 3-h sleeping period revealed that LF/HF (0.87 ± 0.82 vs. 0.66 ± 0.82, P = .013) and HF/TP (45.6 ± 13.9 vs. 51.5 ± 11.8, P = .002) were higher and lower, respectively, with HED treatment compared to LED treatment. Progesterone levels were positively correlated with LF/HF with LED treatment, and negatively correlated with HF/TP with both HED and LED treatments. Higher energy intake at dinner increases and decreases SNS and PNS activities, respectively, resulting in nonrestorative nocturnal

Two-loop finiteness of self-energies in higher-derivative SQED3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.A. Gallegos

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In the N=1 superfield formalism, two higher-derivative kinetic operators (Lee–Wick operators are implemented into the standard three dimensional supersymmetric quantum electrodynamics (SQED3 for improving its ultraviolet behavior. It is shown in particular that the ghosts associated with these Lee–Wick operators allow to remove all ultraviolet divergences in the scalar and gauge self-energies at two-loop level.

Higher order energy transfer. Quantum electrodynamical calculations and graphical representation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, R.D.

2000-01-01

In Chapter 1, a novel method of calculating quantum electrodynamic amplitudes is formulated using combinatorial theory. This technique is used throughout instead of conventional time-ordered methods. A variety of hyperspaces are discussed to highlight isomorphism between a number of A generalisation of Pascal's triangle is shown to be beneficial in determining the form of hyperspace graphs. Chapter 2 describes laser assisted resonance energy transfer (LARET), a higher order perturbative contribution to the well-known process resonance energy transfer, accommodating an off resonance auxiliary laser field to stimulate the migration. Interest focuses on energy exchanges between two uncorrelated molecular species, as in a system where molecules are randomly oriented. Both phase-weighted and standard isotropic averaging are required for the calculations. Results are discussed in terms of a laser intensity-dependent mechanism. Identifying the applied field regime where LARET should prove experimentally significant, transfer rate increases of up to 30% are predicted. General results for three-center energy transfer are elucidated in chapter 3. Cooperative and accretive mechanistic pathways are identified with theory formulated to elicit their role in a variety of energy transfer phenomena and their relative dominance. In multichromophoric the interplay of such factors is analysed with regard to molecular architectures. The alignments and magnitudes of donor and acceptor transition moments and polarisabilities prove to have profound effects on achievable pooling efficiency for linear configurations. Also optimum configurations are offered. In ionic lattices, although both mechanisms play significant roles in pooling and cutting processes, only the accretive is responsible for sensitisation. The local, microscopic level results are used to gauge the lattice response, encompassing concentration and structural effects. (author)

Energy in Croatia 2004, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-11-01

Report represents a continuous information source for both national and international public on relations and trends in the Croatian energy system. This edition brings certain changes in the energy topics' outline and broader scope of information compared to the previous editions. However, the representative features of the Croatian energy sector, related to supply and demand of energy at all levels, kept the familiar outlook of presentation.Besides the detailed analysis of energy trends, this edition provides numerous information on capacity, reserves and prices of energy as well as individual energy sources' balances - crude oil and oil derivates, natural gas, electricity, heat, coal and renewable energy sources. In addition, Croatian basic and economic and financial indicators, emission of air pollutants plus basic energy efficiency indicators were presented in order to give better understanding of the Croatian energy sector environment. Finally, there is a special novelty of representing energy balances of the Republic of Croatia made in the compliance with EUROSTAT and IEA methodology for years 2003 and 2004. Total primary energy supply in the Republic of Croatia in 2004 was 4.1 percent higher compared to the previous year. The gross domestic product increased by 3.8 percent over the same period. This means that energy intensity, primary energy supply per unit of gross domestic product, increased by 0.3 percent. Compared to the European Union average Croatian energy intensity was approximately 24 percent higher. Total primary energy production, on the other hand, increased by 11.2 percent due to extremely favourable hydrological conditions. The raise i n hydropower by 48.5 percent improved Croatian primary energy self-supply to 49.6 percent. In the structure of total primary energy supply for 2004, the losses of transmission and distribution of energy were reduced only while the rest of the categories of energy consumption increased. The 3.3 percent increase

Supplementing an energy adequate, higher protein diet with protein does not enhance fat-free mass restoration after short-term severe negative energy balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Berryman, C E; Sepowitz, J J; McClung, H L; Lieberman, H R; Farina, E K; McClung, J P; Ferrando, A A; Pasiakos, S M

2017-06-01

Negative energy balance during military operations can be severe and result in significant reductions in fat-free mass (FFM). Consuming supplemental high-quality protein following such military operations may accelerate restoration of FFM. Body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and whole body protein turnover (single-pool [ 15 N]alanine method) were determined before (PRE) and after 7 days (POST) of severe negative energy balance during military training in 63 male US Marines (means ± SD, 25 ± 3 yr, 84 ± 9 kg). After POST measures were collected, volunteers were randomized to receive higher protein (HIGH: 1,103 kcal/day, 133 g protein/day), moderate protein (MOD: 974 kcal/day, 84 g protein/day), or carbohydrate-based low protein control (CON: 1,042 kcal/day, 7 g protein/day) supplements, in addition to a self-selected, ad libitum diet, for the 27-day intervention (REFED). Measurements were repeated POST-REFED. POST total body mass (TBM; -5.8 ± 1.0 kg, -7.0%), FFM (-3.1 ± 1.6 kg, -4.7%), and net protein balance (-1.7 ± 1.1 g protein·kg -1 ·day -1 ) were lower and proteolysis (1.1 ± 1.9 g protein·kg -1 ·day -1 ) was higher compared with PRE ( P energy (4,498 ± 725 kcal/day). All volunteers, independent of group assignment, achieved positive net protein balance (0.4 ± 1.0 g protein·kg -1 ·day -1 ) and gained TBM (5.9 ± 1.7 kg, 7.8%) and FFM (3.6 ± 1.8 kg, 5.7%) POST-REFED compared with POST ( P energy-adequate, higher protein diets with additional protein may not be necessary to restore FFM after short-term severe negative energy balance. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article demonstrates 1 ) the majority of physiological decrements incurred during military training (e.g., total and fat-free mass loss), with the exception of net protein balance, resolve and return to pretraining values after 27 days and 2 ) protein supplementation, in addition to an ad libitum, higher protein (~2.0 g·kg -1 ·day -1 ), energy adequate diet, is not necessary to

Developing Students' Energy Literacy in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Cotton, Debby R. E.; Miller, Wendy; Winter, Jennie; Bailey, Ian; Sterling, Stephen

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate students' energy literacy at a UK university, and recommends ways in which it can be enhanced using a behaviour change model. Developing students' energy literacy is a key part of the "greening" agenda, yet little is known about how students develop their ideas about energy use and energy saving at…

Energy conservation in industrial buildings. Higher energy efficiency with smart control systems; Energieeinsparung im Gewerbebau. Hoehere Energieeffizienz durch 'intelligente' Regeltechnik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mayer, Edgar [CentraLine c/o Honeywell GmbH, Schoenaich (Germany)

2009-07-01

With smart control systems, the energy conservation potential of industrial buildings could be fully utilized. This means, e.g., that classic control algorithms must be replaced by new solutions. New methods will ensure higher energy efficiency with maximum comfort; they will also prolong the service life and the inspection intervals of the technical facilities. (orig.)

Excitation of higher lying energy states in a rubidium DPAL

Science.gov (United States)

Wallerstein, A. J.; Perram, Glen; Rice, Christopher A.

2018-02-01

The spontaneous emission in a cw rubidium diode dumped alkali laser (DPAL) system was analyzed. The fluorescence from higher lying states decreases with additional buffer gas. The intermediate states (7S, 6P, 5D) decay more slowly with buffer gas and scale super-linearly with alkali density. A detailed kinetic model has been constructed, where the dominant mechanisms are energy pooling and single photon ionization. It also includes pumping into the non-Lorentzian wings of absorption profiles, fine structure mixing, collisional de-excitation, and Penning ionization. Effects of ionization in a high powered CW rubidium DPAL were assessed.

Energy in Croatia, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

The Ministry of Economic Affairs continues its task of observing and informing about the Croatian energy system. The review consists of the most recent and classified data on 1997 and the previous four years. Compared to previous year, in 1997 the total primary energy supply decreased by 1,3 percent. At the same time the gross domestic product increased by 6,5 percent, thus the energy intensity dropped, which is a positive trend. The energy intensity, the value showing the total energy consumed per unit of gross domestic product, exceeds the level realised by the Western European countries, but it is at the same time more favourable related to the transition economy countries. On the other hand, 1997 saw a decrease in the primary energy production by 8,9 percent, resulting from the decline in the production of natural gas, oil and coal, and naturally, unfavourable hydrological conditions. Thus, own supply dropped to 57 percent, the lowest recorded in the past five years. In 1997 the losses and operational consumption of energy decreased more than the non-energy consumption increased, but despite the decrease of the total primary energy supply there occurred an increase of final energy demand by total of 4,4 percent, 2,1 of which in general consumption, 5,5 in transport and 7,8 percent in industry. Apart from these data, the review considers all other relevant indicators showing a positive shift but leaving space for further improvements with the aim of achieving higher energy system efficiency

Teager-Kaiser Energy and Higher-Order Operators in White-Light Interference Microscopy for Surface Shape Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdel-Ouahab Boudraa

2005-10-01

Full Text Available In white-light interference microscopy, measurement of surface shape generally requires peak extraction of the fringe function envelope. In this paper the Teager-Kaiser energy and higher-order energy operators are proposed for efficient extraction of the fringe envelope. These energy operators are compared in terms of precision, robustness to noise, and subsampling. Flexible energy operators, depending on order and lag parameters, can be obtained. Results show that smoothing and interpolation of envelope approximation using spline model performs better than Gaussian-based approach.

Higher-order terms in the nuclear-energy-density functional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlsson, B. G.; Borucki, M.; Dobaczewski, J.

2009-01-01

One of the current projects at the Department of Physics in the University of Jyvaeskylae is to explore more general forms of the Skyrme energy-density functional (EDF). The aim is to find new phenomenological terms which are sensitive to experimental data. In this context we have extended the Skyrme functional by including terms which contain higher orders of derivatives allowing for a better description of finite range effects. This was done by employing an expansion in derivatives in a spherical-tensor formalism [1] motivated by ideas of the density-matrix expansion. The resulting functionals have different number of free parameters depending on the order in derivatives and assumed symmetries, see Fig. 1. The usual Skyrme EDF is obtained as a second order expansion while we keep terms up to sixth order.(author)

Previously hidden low-energy ions: a better map of near-Earth space and the terrestrial mass balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

André, Mats

2015-01-01

This is a review of the mass balance of planet Earth, intended also for scientists not usually working with space physics or geophysics. The discussion includes both outflow of ions and neutrals from the ionosphere and upper atmosphere, and the inflow of meteoroids and larger objects. The focus is on ions with energies less than tens of eV originating from the ionosphere. Positive low-energy ions are complicated to detect onboard sunlit spacecraft at higher altitudes, which often become positively charged to several tens of volts. We have invented a technique to observe low-energy ions based on the detection of the wake behind a charged spacecraft in a supersonic ion flow. We find that low-energy ions usually dominate the ion density and the outward flux in large volumes in the magnetosphere. The global outflow is of the order of 10 26 ions s –1 . This is a significant fraction of the total number outflow of particles from Earth, and changes plasma processes in near-Earth space. We compare order of magnitude estimates of the mass outflow and inflow for planet Earth and find that they are similar, at around 1 kg s −1 (30 000 ton yr −1 ). We briefly discuss atmospheric and ionospheric outflow from other planets and the connection to evolution of extraterrestrial life. (invited comment)

Low-calorie energy drink improves physiological response to exercise in previously sedentary men: a placebo-controlled efficacy and safety study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lockwood, Christopher M; Moon, Jordan R; Smith, Abbie E; Tobkin, Sarah E; Kendall, Kristina L; Graef, Jennifer L; Cramer, Joel T; Stout, Jeffrey R

2010-08-01

Energy drink use has grown despite limited research to support efficacy or safety and amid concerns when combined with exercise. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of 10 weeks of once-daily energy drink consumption or energy drink consumption with exercise on measures of body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, mood, and safety in previously sedentary males. Thirty-eight males were randomly assigned to energy drink + exercise (EX-A), energy drink (NEX-A), placebo + exercise (EX-B), or placebo (NEX-B). All participants consumed 1 drink per day for 10 weeks; EX-A and EX-B participated in 10 weeks of resistance and endurance exercise. Testing was performed before (PRE) and after (POST) the 10-week intervention. No significant (p > 0.05) changes were observed for body composition, fitness, or strength in NEX-A; however, significantly greater decreases in fat mass and percentage body fat and increases in VO2peak were observed in EX-A versus EX-B. Ventilatory threshold (VT), minute ventilation, VO2 at VT, and power output at VT improved significantly PRE to POST in EX-A but not in EX-B or nonexercising groups. Clinical markers for hepatic, renal, cardiovascular, and immune function, as determined by PRE and POST blood work revealed no adverse effects in response to the energy drink. Mood was not affected by energy drink use. Absent energy restriction or other dietary controls, chronic ingestion of a once-daily low-calorie energy drink appears ineffective at improving body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, or strength in sedentary males. However, when combined with exercise, preworkout energy drink consumption may significantly improve some physiological adaptations to combined aerobic and resistance training.

Towards higher transparency and efficiency in energy taxation. Energy taxation and environmental policy in a small open economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Normann, Goeran

2002-01-01

The accrual of energy taxation has led to a complex structure of taxes and charges that are characterized by instability and low efficiency. Other reasons for analyzing the system is the pressure from our contractual responsibilities within the European Union and the raised ambitions in the environmental policy. The report leads to the conclusion that it would be motivated to separate fiscal energy taxation from measures to internalize environmental costs that the market does not register. This separation would make it possible to create a more transparent and rational energy taxation. The fiscal energy taxation ought to be a broad, value-based tax, equal for all energy sources. Value-based means, besides the energy content in kWh, also properties such as conversion and distribution costs. Two alternatives are suggested for the fiscal energy taxation: A separate consumption tax on energy. Such a tax would amount to 48% to produce the same income as the fiscal elements of today's energy taxes. Another alternative would be to include the fiscal energy tax in the value added tax. This would raise the standard VAT level to 30%, if the lower VAT levels are kept unchanged. With this model, consumption of energy would be treated as any other consumption. The environmental policy measures against greenhouse gases should be delt with through a system with international trade with emission quotas for such gases. Measures against other external effects from energy use are not suggested in this report, except for the opinion that economic incentives are preferable to regulations. The initial allocation of quotas ought to be done through an auction, since this method would give lower national costs than the alternatives. The system should cover all greenhouse gases and (almost) all sources which indicates that an upstream solution would be best with low administrative costs. A safety vent should be considered, so that extreme costs for CO 2 -emissions are avoided, if e.g. the

Energy Drink Use Among Ohio Appalachian Smokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, Genevieve; Shoben, Abigail; Pasch, Keryn E; Klein, Elizabeth G

2016-10-01

Caffeine-containing energy drinks have emerged as a public health concern due to their association with caffeine toxicity and alcohol use. Despite the fact that previous research has linked caffeine use in the form of coffee drinking to smoking, there is little research examining the association between energy drinks and smoking. The present study examines demographic and behavioral factors associated with energy drink use among a sample of rural Ohio Appalachian smokers. It was hypothesized that male gender, young age (21-30 years.) and alcohol use would be associated with energy drink use. A sample of adult smokers (n = 298) from Ohio Appalachian counties were interviewed regarding demographic and behavioral factors. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between these factors and energy drink use. Seventy percent of Ohio Appalachian smokers studied had ever used an energy drink and 40 % had used an energy drink in the past month. Young age, male gender, and single marital status were associated with higher odds of ever having used an energy drink. Young age, and binge drinking were associated with higher odds of past 30-day use while abstinence from drinking was associated with lower odds of past 30-day use. Ohio Appalachian adult smokers had higher rates of energy drink use compared to previous estimates of ever or past month use found in other studies. The combined use of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol warrants attention due to potential for health risk.

Pyroelectric Energy Harvesting: With Thermodynamic-Based Cycles

OpenAIRE

Saber Mohammadi; Akram Khodayari

2012-01-01

This work deals with energy harvesting from temperature variations using ferroelectric materials as a microgenerator. The previous researches show that direct pyroelectric energy harvesting is not effective, whereas thermodynamic-based cycles give higher energy. Also, at different temperatures some thermodynamic cycles exhibit different behaviours. In this paper pyroelectric energy harvesting using Lenoir and Ericsson thermodynamic cycles has been studied numerically and the two cycles were c...

Surface energy anisotropy of tungsten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, R; Grenga, H E [Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta (USA). School of Chemical Engineering

1976-10-01

Field-ion microscopy was used to study the faceting behavior and/or surface energy anisotropy of tungsten in vacuum and in hydrogen. In vacuum below 1700 K the activation energy for (110) facet growth agreed with values previously reported for surface diffusion on tungsten. The observed anisotropy values at 0.5 Tsub(m), where Tsub(m) is the absolute melting temperature of tungsten (approximately 3680 K), were different from those previously reported at higher temperatures and more nearly agreed with broken bond calculations based on Mie potential using m=5, n=8, and a 1.5% lattice expansion. Hydrogen appeared to have a negligible effect on surface energy anisotropy, but did preferentially increase surface diffusion rates on (310) regions.

Higher energy efficient homes are associated with increased risk of doctor diagnosed asthma in a UK subpopulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharpe, Richard A; Thornton, Christopher R; Nikolaou, Vasilis; Osborne, Nicholas J

2015-02-01

The United Kingdom (UK) has one of the highest prevalence of asthma in the world, which represents a significant economic and societal burden. Reduced ventilation resulting from increased energy efficiency measures acts as a modifier for mould contamination and risk of allergic diseases. To our knowledge no previous study has combined detailed asset management property and health data together to assess the impact of household energy efficiency (using the UK Government's Standard Assessment Procedure) on asthma outcomes in an adult population residing in social housing. Postal questionnaires were sent to 3867 social housing properties to collect demographic, health and environmental information on all occupants. Detailed property data, residency periods, indices of multiple deprivation (IMD) and household energy efficiency ratings were also investigated. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and confidence intervals while allowing for clustering of individuals coming from the same location. Eighteen percent of our target social housing population were recruited into our study. Adults had a mean age of 59 (SD±17.3) years and there was a higher percentage of female (59%) and single occupancy (58%) respondents. Housing demographic characteristics were representative of the target homes. A unit increase in household Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating was associated with a 2% increased risk of current asthma, with the greatest risk in homes with SAP >71. We assessed exposure to mould and found that the presence of a mouldy/musty odour was associated with a two-fold increased risk of asthma (OR 2.2 95%; CI 1.3-3.8). A unit increase in SAP led to a 4-5% reduction in the risk of visible mould growth and a mouldy/musty odour. In contrast to previous research, we report that residing in energy efficient homes may increase the risk of adult asthma. We report that mould contamination increased the risk of asthma, which is in agreement with existing

Higher Dietary Energy Density is Associated with Stunting but not Overweight and Obesity in a Sample of Urban Malaysian Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Shariff, Zalilah Mohd; Lin, Khor Geok; Sariman, Sarina; Siew, Chin Yit; Yusof, Barakatun Nisak Mohd; Mun, Chan Yoke; Lee, Huang Soo; Mohamad, Maznorila

2016-01-01

Although diets with high energy density are associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity, it is not known whether such diets are associated with undernutrition. This study assessed the relationship between dietary energy density (ED) and nutritional status of 745 urban 1- to 10-year-old children. Dietary intakes were obtained using food recall and record for two days. Dietary energy density was based on food and caloric beverages. Higher dietary ED was associated with lower intakes of carbohydrate, sugar, vitamins C and D, and calcium but higher fat, fiber, iron, and folate intakes. While intakes of fruits and milk/dairy products decreased, meat, fish, and legume intakes increased with higher dietary ED. Stunting, but not other growth problems, was associated with higher dietary ED. Future studies should confirm the cause-and-effect relationship between higher dietary ED and stunting.

Satellite telemetry reveals higher fishing mortality rates than previously estimated, suggesting overfishing of an apex marine predator.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Michael E; Cortés, Enric; Vaudo, Jeremy J; Harvey, Guy C McN; Sampson, Mark; Wetherbee, Bradley M; Shivji, Mahmood

2017-08-16

Overfishing is a primary cause of population declines for many shark species of conservation concern. However, means of obtaining information on fishery interactions and mortality, necessary for the development of successful conservation strategies, are often fisheries-dependent and of questionable quality for many species of commercially exploited pelagic sharks. We used satellite telemetry as a fisheries-independent tool to document fisheries interactions, and quantify fishing mortality of the highly migratory shortfin mako shark ( Isurus oxyrinchus ) in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Forty satellite-tagged shortfin mako sharks tracked over 3 years entered the Exclusive Economic Zones of 19 countries and were harvested in fisheries of five countries, with 30% of tagged sharks harvested. Our tagging-derived estimates of instantaneous fishing mortality rates ( F = 0.19-0.56) were 10-fold higher than previous estimates from fisheries-dependent data (approx. 0.015-0.024), suggesting data used in stock assessments may considerably underestimate fishing mortality. Additionally, our estimates of F were greater than those associated with maximum sustainable yield, suggesting a state of overfishing. This information has direct application to evaluations of stock status and for effective management of populations, and thus satellite tagging studies have potential to provide more accurate estimates of fishing mortality and survival than traditional fisheries-dependent methodology. © 2017 The Author(s).

Higher order QCD corrections in small x physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chachamis, G.

2006-11-01

We study higher order QCD corrections in small x Physics. The numerical implementation of the full NLO photon impact factor is the remaining necessary piece for the testing of the NLO BFKL resummation against data from physical processes, such as γ * γ * collisions. We perform the numerical integration over phase space for the virtual corrections to the NLO photon impact factor. This, along with the previously calculated real corrections, makes feasible in the near future first estimates for the γ*γ* total cross section, since the convolution of the full impact factor with the NLO BFKL gluon Green's function is now straightforward. The NLO corrections for the photon impact factor are sizeable and negative. In the second part of this thesis, we estimate higher order correction to the BK equation. We are mainly interested in whether partonic saturation delays or not in rapidity when going beyond the leading order. In our investigation, we use the so called 'rapidity veto' which forbid two emissions to be very close in rapidity, to 'switch on' higher order corrections to the BK equation. From analytic and numerical analysis, we conclude that indeed saturation does delay in rapidity when higher order corrections are taken into account. In the last part, we investigate higher order QCD corrections as additional corrections to the Electroweak (EW) sector. The question of whether BFKL corrections are of any importance in the Regge limit for the EW sector seems natural; although they arise in higher loop level, the accumulation of logarithms in energy s at high energies, cannot be dismissed without an investigation. We focus on the process γγ→ZZ. We calculate the pQCD corrections in the forward region at leading logarithmic (LL) BFKL accuracy, which are of the order of few percent at the TeV energy scale. (orig.)

Higher order QCD corrections in small x physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chachamis, G.

2006-11-15

We study higher order QCD corrections in small x Physics. The numerical implementation of the full NLO photon impact factor is the remaining necessary piece for the testing of the NLO BFKL resummation against data from physical processes, such as {gamma}{sup *}{gamma}{sup *} collisions. We perform the numerical integration over phase space for the virtual corrections to the NLO photon impact factor. This, along with the previously calculated real corrections, makes feasible in the near future first estimates for the {gamma}*{gamma}* total cross section, since the convolution of the full impact factor with the NLO BFKL gluon Green's function is now straightforward. The NLO corrections for the photon impact factor are sizeable and negative. In the second part of this thesis, we estimate higher order correction to the BK equation. We are mainly interested in whether partonic saturation delays or not in rapidity when going beyond the leading order. In our investigation, we use the so called 'rapidity veto' which forbid two emissions to be very close in rapidity, to 'switch on' higher order corrections to the BK equation. From analytic and numerical analysis, we conclude that indeed saturation does delay in rapidity when higher order corrections are taken into account. In the last part, we investigate higher order QCD corrections as additional corrections to the Electroweak (EW) sector. The question of whether BFKL corrections are of any importance in the Regge limit for the EW sector seems natural; although they arise in higher loop level, the accumulation of logarithms in energy s at high energies, cannot be dismissed without an investigation. We focus on the process {gamma}{gamma}{yields}ZZ. We calculate the pQCD corrections in the forward region at leading logarithmic (LL) BFKL accuracy, which are of the order of few percent at the TeV energy scale. (orig.)

Higher order corrections to energy levels of muonic atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rinker, G.A. Jr.; Steffen, R.M.

1975-08-01

In order to facilitate the analysis of muonic x-ray spectra, the results of numerical computations of all higher order quantum electrodynamical corrections to the energy levels of muonic atoms are presented in tabular and graphical form. These corrections include the vacuum polarization corrections caused by emission and reabsorption of virtual electron pairs to all orders, including ''double-bubble'' and ''cracked-egg'' diagrams. An estimate of the Delbruecke scattering-type correction is presented. The Lamb-shift (second- and fourth-order vertex) corrections have been calculated including the correction for the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. The relativistic nuclear motion (or recoil) correction as well as the correction caused by the screening of the atomic electrons is presented in graphs. For the sake of completeness a graph of the nuclear polarization as computed on the basis of Chen's approach has been included. All calculations were made with a two-parameter Fermi distribution of the nuclear charge density. 7 figures, 23 references

Energy-efficient building - Deficits in higher education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lang, T.; Messmer, R.; Kunz, M.

2005-01-01

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the results of a project that examined the courses of study offered by Swiss Universities of Applied Science and the Federal Institutes of Technology that are concerned with the use of energy in the building area. The results of the survey are presented and commented on. The authors are of the opinion that basic courses of study fulfil their task of knowledge-transfer in the areas concerning energy, ecology, environment and sustainability, although the educational structures used are complex. The importance of interdisciplinary work is stressed. The focus of knowledge-transfer on persons under 40 years of age is criticised as well as deficits in interdisciplinary teamwork. The authors recommend the setting-up of further education programmes for older architects and professionals in the building technical services area

What do physicists expect from higher energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hove, L. van

1977-01-01

The author summarises the impact new high energy machines such as the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings and the CERN and American 400 GeV proton synchrotrons have had on physics. The main developments in physics, such as the investigation of strong and weak interactions and the discovery of new particles, are described and their implications discussed. Finally the author discusses future accelerators and the importance of international collaboration in high energy physics. (B.D.)

MCNP HPGe detector benchmark with previously validated Cyltran model.

Science.gov (United States)

Hau, I D; Russ, W R; Bronson, F

2009-05-01

An exact copy of the detector model generated for Cyltran was reproduced as an MCNP input file and the detection efficiency was calculated similarly with the methodology used in previous experimental measurements and simulation of a 280 cm(3) HPGe detector. Below 1000 keV the MCNP data correlated to the Cyltran results within 0.5% while above this energy the difference between MCNP and Cyltran increased to about 6% at 4800 keV, depending on the electron cut-off energy.

Color transparency experiments at higher energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filippone, B.W. [Caifornia Inst. of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)

1994-04-01

The phenomena of Color Transparency has recently attracted a significant amount of theoretical (and experimental) interest. With an increase in the CEBAF beam energy to 8 - 10 GeV, important new data on the process could become available. The present status of the experiments and future prospects at CEBAF are discussed.

Higher Energy Intake Variability as Predisposition to Obesity: Novel Approach Using Interquartile Range.

Science.gov (United States)

Forejt, Martin; Brázdová, Zuzana Derflerová; Novák, Jan; Zlámal, Filip; Forbelská, Marie; Bienert, Petr; Mořkovská, Petra; Zavřelová, Miroslava; Pohořalá, Aneta; Jurášková, Miluše; Salah, Nabil; Bienertová-Vašků, Julie

2017-12-01

It is known that total energy intake and its distribution during the day influences human anthropometric characteristics. However, possible association between variability in total energy intake and obesity has thus far remained unexamined. This study was designed to establish the influence of energy intake variability of each daily meal on the anthropometric characteristics of obesity. A total of 521 individuals of Czech Caucasian origin aged 16–73 years (390 women and 131 men) were included in the study, 7-day food records were completed by all study subjects and selected anthropometric characteristics were measured. The interquartile range (IQR) of energy intake was assessed individually for each meal of the day (as a marker of energy intake variability) and subsequently correlated with body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (%BF), waist-hip ratio (WHR), and waist circumference (cW). Four distinct models were created using multiple logistic regression analysis and backward stepwise logistic regression. The most precise results, based on the area under the curve (AUC), were observed in case of the %BF model (AUC=0.895) and cW model (AUC=0.839). According to the %BF model, age (p<0.001) and IQR-lunch (p<0.05) seem to play an important prediction role for obesity. Likewise, according to the cW model, age (p<0.001), IQR-breakfast (p<0.05) and IQR-dinner (p <0.05) predispose patients to the development of obesity. The results of our study show that higher variability in the energy intake of key daily meals may increase the likelihood of obesity development. Based on the obtained results, it is necessary to emphasize the regularity in meals intake for maintaining proper body composition. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2017

Higher order effects of pseudoparticles in QCD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hietarinta, J.; Palmer, W.F.

1977-01-01

Gauge invariant Green's functions of quark-antiquark bilinear densities in massless, two-color QCD are studied. Nonzero-energy fermion modes, pseudoparticle solutions with topological charge absolute value ν > 1, and n-point functions with n > 2. Some general properties of the O(Dirac constant) approximation are developed, enabling one to isolate and define the terms which contribute to a general n-point function. The higher effects it is found preserve the symmetry breakdown found earlier in the 2-point function (U(2) x U(2) → SU(2) x SU(2) x U(1)). It is shown that a previous 2-point function analysis is exact to order Dirac constant

Energy intensity ratios as net energy measures of United States energy production and expenditures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, C W

2010-01-01

In this letter I compare two measures of energy quality, energy return on energy invested (EROI) and energy intensity ratio (EIR) for the fossil fuel consumption and production of the United States. All other characteristics being equal, a fuel or energy system with a higher EROI or EIR is of better quality because more energy is provided to society. I define and calculate the EIR for oil, natural gas, coal, and electricity as measures of the energy intensity (units of energy divided by money) of the energy resource relative to the energy intensity of the overall economy. EIR measures based upon various unit prices for energy (e.g. $/Btu of a barrel of oil) as well as total expenditures on energy supplies (e.g. total dollars spent on petroleum) indicate net energy at different points in the supply chain of the overall energy system. The results indicate that EIR is an easily calculated and effective proxy for EROI for US oil, gas, coal, and electricity. The EIR correlates well with previous EROI calculations, but adds additional information on energy resource quality within the supply chain. Furthermore, the EIR and EROI of oil and gas as well as coal were all in decline for two time periods within the last 40 years, and both time periods preceded economic recessions.

Higher Curvature Gravity from Entanglement in Conformal Field Theories

Science.gov (United States)

Haehl, Felix M.; Hijano, Eliot; Parrikar, Onkar; Rabideau, Charles

2018-05-01

By generalizing different recent works to the context of higher curvature gravity, we provide a unifying framework for three related results: (i) If an asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime computes the entanglement entropies of ball-shaped regions in a conformal field theory using a generalized Ryu-Takayanagi formula up to second order in state deformations around the vacuum, then the spacetime satisfies the correct gravitational equations of motion up to second order around the AdS background. (ii) The holographic dual of entanglement entropy in higher curvature theories of gravity is given by the Wald entropy plus a particular correction term involving extrinsic curvatures. (iii) Conformal field theory relative entropy is dual to gravitational canonical energy (also in higher curvature theories of gravity). Especially for the second point, our novel derivation of this previously known statement does not involve the Euclidean replica trick.

Wind Energy and Hydrogen, a previous Symbiosis announced; Energia eolica e hidrogeno. Una simbiosis anticipada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aso Aguarta, I.; Correas Uson, L.; Burkhalter, E.

2008-07-01

Nowadays, renewable energies are taken an important role into electricity generation, in order to mitigate the Co2 emissions, which are producing the Climate Change. Spain, is a special case where wind energy has been developed for several years, so the percentage wind energy producing is really high, but as a renewable energy, this energy is only available when primary resources exist, in this case the wind, and in cases in which it does not exit, production is reduced drastically, so, it is necessary to develop energy storage systems, in order to increase the amount wind energy introduce into the electrical system, in order to be able to control the production. One storage method proposed is produce hydrogen, in order to be use later when the resources are not available, to produce energy. (Author) 8 refs.

Gaussian-2 theory: Use of higher level correlation methods, quadratic configuration interaction geometries, and second-order Moller--Plesset zero-point energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtiss, L.A.; Raghavachari, K.; Pople, J.A.

1995-01-01

The performance of Gaussian-2 theory is investigated when higher level theoretical methods are included for correlation effects, geometries, and zero-point energies. A higher level of correlation treatment is examined using Brueckner doubles [BD(T)] and coupled cluster [CCSD(T)] methods rather than quadratic configuration interaction [QCISD(T)]. The use of geometries optimized at the QCISD level rather than the second-order Moller--Plesset level (MP2) and the use of scaled MP2 zero-point energies rather than scaled Hartree--Fock (HF) zero-point energies have also been examined. The set of 125 energies used for validation of G2 theory [J. Chem. Phys. 94, 7221 (1991)] is used to test out these variations of G2 theory. Inclusion of higher levels of correlation treatment has little effect except in the cases of multiply-bonded systems. In these cases better agreement is obtained in some cases and poorer agreement in others so that there is no improvement in overall performance. The use of QCISD geometries yields significantly better agreement with experiment for several cases including the ionization potentials of CS and O 2 , electron affinity of CN, and dissociation energies of N 2 , O 2 , CN, and SO 2 . This leads to a slightly better agreement with experiment overall. The MP2 zero-point energies gives no overall improvement. These methods may be useful for specific systems

Increased Eating Frequency Is Associated with Lower Obesity Risk, But Higher Energy Intake in Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yue-Qiao Wang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Body weight is regulated by energy intake which occurs several times a day in humans. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated whether eating frequency (EF is associated with obesity risk and energy intake in adults without any dietary restriction. Experimental and observational studies published before July 2015 were selected through English-language literature searches in several databases. These studies reported the association between EF and obesity risk (odd ratios, ORs in adults who were not in dietary restriction. R software was used to perform statistical analyses. Ten cross-sectional studies, consisting of 65,742 participants, were included in this analysis. ORs were considered as effect size for the analysis about the effect of EF on obesity risk. Results showed that the increase of EF was associated with 0.83 time lower odds of obesity (i.e., OR = 0.83, 95% confidence intervals (CI 0.70–0.99, p = 0.040. Analysis about the effect of EF on differences in participants’ energy intake revealed that increased EF was associated with higher energy intake (β = 125.36, 95% CI 21.76–228.97, p = 0.017. We conclude that increased EF may lead to lower obesity risk but higher energy intake. Clinical trials are warranted to confirm these results and to assess the clinical practice applicability.

Impulsivity moderates the relationship between previous quit failure and cue-induced craving.

Science.gov (United States)

Erblich, Joel; Michalowski, Alexandra

2015-12-01

Poor inhibitory control has been shown to be an important predictor of relapse to a number of drugs, including nicotine. Indeed, smokers who exhibit higher levels of impulsivity are thought to have impaired regulation of urges to smoke, and previous research has suggested that impulsivity may moderate cue-induced cigarette cravings. To that end, we conducted a study to evaluate the interplay between failed smoking cessation, cue-induced craving, and impulsivity. Current smokers (n=151) rated their cigarette cravings before and after laboratory to exposure to smoking cues, and completed questionnaires assessing impulsivity and previous failed quit attempts. Findings indicated that shorter duration of previous failed quit attempts was related to higher cue-induced cigarette craving, especially among smokers with higher levels of impulsivity. Results underscore the importance of considering trait impulsivity as a factor in better understanding the management of cue-induced cravings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Positive energy theorem in generalized Kaluza-Klein theories of higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreschi, O.M.

1983-01-01

The technique of using spinors in the proof of positive energy theorems in 4 dimensions is extended to the case of Kaluza-Klein theories in spaces of 4 + n dimensions. First a useful presentation of generalized Kaluza-Klein theories is introduced, in which just from the observation of conformal symmetries it is possible to detect a nice splitting of the Ricci tensor into a 4-dimensional Ricci part and a Yang-Mills part, among others. Consideration of linear dependence among the symmetries is not excluded in this treatment. Relevant to the introduction of spinors, a discussion of Clifford Algebras is presented. In particular a real representation of these algebras is introduced for spaces of higher dimensions and its structure is analyzed. The Lie derivative of spinors is presented probably more clearly than in former treatments. After the introduction of these preliminary themes, a brief review of the relevant aspects of positive energy theorems in 4 dimensions is presented, followed by the extension of these ideas to the case of 5 dimensions. Here an earlier result involving gravitational mass and electromagnetic charges is improved. Finally the results are generalized to spaces of 4 + n dimensions, and a more complicated condition to be satisfied by the usual matter tensor is discovered. This procedure leads to a natural definition of invariant Yang-Mills charges, which is compared with former studies

Our future energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-11-15

The Danish Government's plan ''Our Future Energy'' seeks to create green growth and help the country convert to 100 percent renewable energy use by 2050. The Danish Government in November 2011 presented its plan for how the country can secure its energy future. Titled ''Our Future Energy'', the strategy presents specific measures for fulfilling the Government's goal of stimulating green growth. The plan is based on the previous government's Energy Strategy 2050, but raises the bar higher. The long-term goal of the plan is to implement an energy and transport network that relies solely on renewable energy sources. By 2020, the initiatives will lead to extensive reductions in energy consumption, making it possible for half of the country's electricity consumption to be covered by wind power. Coal is to be phased out of Danish power plants by 2030. And by 2035, all electricity and heating will be generated using renewable sources. (Author)

Factor Analysis on Criteria Affecting Lean Retrofit for Energy Efficient Initiatives in Higher Learning Institution Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abidin Nur IzieAdiana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The expansion of Higher Learning Institution (HLI is a global concerns on energy demand due to campus act like a small city. Intensive mode of operation of a building is correlated to the energy utilization. Improvement in the current energy efficiency is crucial effort to minimize the environmental effect through minimisation of energy in operation by retrofitting and upgrade the existing building system or components to be more efficient. Basically, there are three recommended steps for the improvement known as lean initiatives, green technology and clean energy in response to becoming zero energy solutions for building. The deliberation of this paper is aimed to highlight the criteria affecting in retrofitting of existing building in HLI with lean initiatives in order to achieve energy efficiency and reduction of energy comsumption. Attention is devoted to reviewing the lean energy retrofitting initiatives criteria for daylighting (side lighting, daylighting (skylight and glazing. The questionnaire survey was employed and distributed to the architects who has an expertise in green building design. Factor analysis was adopted as a method of analysis by using Principal Component with Varimax Rotation. The result is presented through summarizing the sub-criteria according to its importance with a factor loading 0.50 and above. The result found that majority of the criteria developed achieved the significant factor loading value and in accordance with the protocal of analysis. In conclusion the results from analysis of this paper assists the stakeholders in assessing the significant criteria based on the desired lean energy retrofitting initiatives and also provides a huge contribution for future planning improvement in existing buildings to become an energy efficient building.

Young adolescents who combine alcohol and energy drinks have a higher risk of reporting negative behavioural outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Holubcikova, Jana; Kolarcik, Peter; Madarasova Geckova, Andrea; Joppova, Eva; van Dijk, Jitse P; Reijneveld, Sijmen A

2017-04-01

To explore whether young adolescents consuming alcohol and energy drinks combined were more likely to report negative behavioural outcomes than their peers who drink only one type of these beverages or are abstinent. We analysed data on a representative sample of Slovak adolescents 8502 adolescents (mean age 13.21, 49.4 % boys) from the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children cross-sectional study. We assessed the associations of alcohol and energy drinks consumption with negative outcomes and their potential synergy, as measured by the synergy index (SI). Adolescents consuming both alcohol and energy drinks were at higher risk of negative behavioural outcomes than their peers who drank only alcohol or energy drinks or were non-consumers. Consumers of alcohol and energy drinks were highly prone to be involved in fighting-the joint association of alcohol and energy drinks consumption was greater than sum of its associations separately in relation to fighting (SI 1.49; 95 % confidence interval 1.03-2.16). Preventive strategies should aim at increasing awareness of negative behavioural outcomes-especially aggressive behaviour associated with alcohol and energy drinks consumption among young adolescents.

Seasonal Thermal-Energy Storage: A Critical Review on BTES Systems, Modeling, and System Design for Higher System Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Lanahan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Buildings consume approximately ¾ of the total electricity generated in the United States, contributing significantly to fossil fuel emissions. Sustainable and renewable energy production can reduce fossil fuel use, but necessitates storage for energy reliability in order to compensate for the intermittency of renewable energy generation. Energy storage is critical for success in developing a sustainable energy grid because it facilitates higher renewable energy penetration by mitigating the gap between energy generation and demand. This review analyzes recent case studies—numerical and field experiments—seen by borehole thermal energy storage (BTES in space heating and domestic hot water capacities, coupled with solar thermal energy. System design, model development, and working principle(s are the primary focus of this analysis. A synopsis of the current efforts to effectively model BTES is presented as well. The literature review reveals that: (1 energy storage is most effective when diurnal and seasonal storage are used in conjunction; (2 no established link exists between BTES computational fluid dynamics (CFD models integrated with whole building energy analysis tools, rather than parameter-fit component models; (3 BTES has less geographical limitations than Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES and lower installation cost scale than hot water tanks and (4 BTES is more often used for heating than for cooling applications.

Energy in Croatia 2003. Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-11-01

Reports have kept domestic and international audience continuously informed about the latest relations and developments in the Croatian energy system. Annual report presents all characteristic indicators of the Croatian energy system in 2003, outlines their development over a longer past period, and suggests a future course of development of basic energy system indicators. Total primary energy supply in the Republic of Croatia in 2003 was 5.2 percent higher compared to the previous year. The gross domestic product increased by 4.3 percent over the same period. This means that energy intensity, primary energy supply per unit of gross domestic product, increased by 0.9 percent. Compared to the european Union average Croatian energy intensity was approximately 32 percent higher. Total primary energy production, on the other hand, decreased by 1.1 percent compared to 2002. This means that primary energy self-supply, which fell to 46.4 percent, reached its lowest level to-date in the observed period. The remaining energy needs were met by imports, which increased by 1.7 percent. In the structure of total primary energy supply, decrease has been observed only in energy conversion losses, while all other categories increased. Final energy demand increased by 6.7 percent in 2003, with the levels recorded in different sectors ranging from 2.5 percent in industry to 7.5 and 8 percent in transport and other sectors, respectively. In terms of final energy demand, an increase has been recorded in all energy forms except natural gas, whose consumption showed stagnation. This is due to lower consumption in the energy transformation sector and a significant 9.2 percent increase in its final energy demand. A continuous increase in electricity consumption - which reached 4.8 percent in the observed period - is worth nothing. Energy forms which recorded highest consumption increase levels in 2003 are coal (16 percent) and diesel fuel (15 percent). In contrast to the fast increase in

Higher-order gravity in higher dimensions: geometrical origins of four-dimensional cosmology?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Troisi, Antonio [Universita degli Studi di Salerno, Dipartimento di Fisica ' ' E.R. Caianiello' ' , Salerno (Italy)

2017-03-15

Determining the cosmological field equations is still very much debated and led to a wide discussion around different theoretical proposals. A suitable conceptual scheme could be represented by gravity models that naturally generalize Einstein theory like higher-order gravity theories and higher-dimensional ones. Both of these two different approaches allow one to define, at the effective level, Einstein field equations equipped with source-like energy-momentum tensors of geometrical origin. In this paper, the possibility is discussed to develop a five-dimensional fourth-order gravity model whose lower-dimensional reduction could provide an interpretation of cosmological four-dimensional matter-energy components. We describe the basic concepts of the model, the complete field equations formalism and the 5-D to 4-D reduction procedure. Five-dimensional f(R) field equations turn out to be equivalent, on the four-dimensional hypersurfaces orthogonal to the extra coordinate, to an Einstein-like cosmological model with three matter-energy tensors related with higher derivative and higher-dimensional counter-terms. By considering the gravity model with f(R) = f{sub 0}R{sup n} the possibility is investigated to obtain five-dimensional power law solutions. The effective four-dimensional picture and the behaviour of the geometrically induced sources are finally outlined in correspondence to simple cases of such higher-dimensional solutions. (orig.)

Positron scattering by atomic hydrogen at intermediate energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, K.; Burke, P.G.; Walters, H.R.J.

1990-01-01

Results of an accurate calculation based upon the intermediate energy R-matrix theory are reported for elastic scattering of positrons by atomic hydrogen. T-matrix elements for both low and intermediate energy scattering are evaluated for the S e , P o , D e and F o partial wave symmetries. The low-energy elastic phaseshifts are found to be in good agreement with previous accurate variational calculations. Using an optical potential approach to include the effect of the higher partial waves, elastic and total cross sections are presented for energies ranging from near threshold to 3.7 Rydbergs. (author)

The effect of higher order different meson exchange nucleon-nucleon interactions on the three-nucleon binding energy coupling problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osman, A.; Ramadan, S.

1989-01-01

Faddeev equations of bound three-nucleon system are presented as a set of integral equations. To solve them, a sutable form of the nucleon-nucleon interactions is used: with the exchange of a scalar meson, a pseudoscalar meson and a massless vector meson. Higher orders of these different meson exchanges in the nucleon-nucleon interactions have been taken into account. With these nuclear forces and nucleon-nucleon interactions, the three-nucleon binding energy is calculated by solving the Faddeev integral equations. The obtained value of the three-nucleon binding energy is 8.441 MeV. The inclusion of the higher order terms of the different meson exchange in the nuclear nucleon-nucleon interaction is found to affect the three-nucleon binding by about 3.92%. 3 figs., 16 refs

Higher-capacity lithium ion battery chemistries for improved residential energy storage with micro-cogeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darcovich, K.; Henquin, E.R.; Kenney, B.; Davidson, I.J.; Saldanha, N.; Beausoleil-Morrison, I.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Characterized two novel high capacity electrode materials for Li-ion batteries. • A numerical discharge model was run to characterize Li-ion cell behavior. • Engineering model of Li-ion battery pack developed from cell fundamentals. • ESP-r model integrated micro-cogeneration and high capacity Li-ion storage. • Higher capacity batteries shown to improve micro-cogeneration systems. - Abstract: Combined heat and power on a residential scale, also known as micro-cogeneration, is currently gaining traction as an energy savings practice. The configuration of micro-cogeneration systems is highly variable, as local climate, energy supply, energy market and the feasibility of including renewable type components such as wind turbines or photovoltaic panels are all factors. Large-scale lithium ion batteries for electrical storage in this context can provide cost savings, operational flexibility, and reduced stress on the distribution grid as well as a degree of contingency for installations relying upon unsteady renewables. Concurrently, significant advances in component materials used to make lithium ion cells offer performance improvements in terms of power output, energy capacity, robustness and longevity, thereby enhancing their prospective utility in residential micro-cogeneration installations. The present study evaluates annual residential energy use for a typical Canadian home connected to the electrical grid, equipped with a micro-cogeneration system consisting of a Stirling engine for supplying heat and power, coupled with a nominal 2 kW/6 kW h lithium ion battery. Two novel battery cathode chemistries, one a new Li–NCA material, the other a high voltage Ni-doped lithium manganate, are compared in the residential micro-cogeneration context with a system equipped with the presently conventional LiMn 2 O 4 spinel-type battery

Energy in Croatia 2009, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

With the eighteenth edition of the Review Energy in Croatia, Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship continues the practice of informing domestic and foreign public on relations and trends within the Croatian energy sector. This Review gives, in a recognizable and comprehensible way, data and characteristic values relevant to the Croatian energy sector, providing an overview on energy production and consumption at all levels. There is a detailed analysis of the trends present in the energy sector as well as a number of information on capacities, reserves, prices and energy balances for crude oil, all petroleum products, natural gas, electricity, heat energy, coal and renewable energy sources. The Review also brings the main economic and financial indicators, data on air pollutant emissions and main energy efficiancy indicators. It also gives the ODEX energy efficiancy index, which is determined according to the methodology used in the European Union. This indicator monitors the energy efficiancy trends over a period of time in the sectors of industry, transport, households and in total consumption. Finally, the Review brings the energy balances of the Republic of Croatia for the years 2008 and 2009, made following the EUROSTAT and IEA methodologies. In 2009 total energy demand in Croatia was 1.6 percent lower than the year before. At the same time, gross domestic product fell by 5.8 percent, which as a result gave a 4.4 percent higher level of energy intensity in total energy consumption. When compared to the average energy intensity level in the EU (EU27), the energy intensity in Croatia was 6.8 percent higher. The primary energy production in 2009 was 7.1 percent higher form the previous year. Also, due to favorable hydrological situation the hydropower utilization grew by 31 percent. The energy from renewable sources increased by 29.8 percent and the energy from fuel wood increased by 5.6 percent. The production of crude oil in 2009 decreased by 6

Cellular energy allocation in zebra mussels exposed along a pollution gradient: linking cellular effects to higher levels of biological organization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smolders, R.; Bervoets, L.; Coen, W. de; Blust, R.

2004-01-01

Organisms exposed to suboptimal environments incur a cost of dealing with stress in terms of metabolic resources. The total amount of energy available for maintenance, growth and reproduction, based on the biochemical analysis of the energy budget, may provide a sensitive measure of stress in an organism. While the concept is clear, linking cellular or biochemical responses to the individual and population or community level remains difficult. The aim of this study was to validate, under field conditions, using cellular energy budgets [i.e. changes in glycogen-, lipid- and protein-content and mitochondrial electron transport system (ETS)] as an ecologically relevant measurement of stress by comparing these responses to physiological and organismal endpoints. Therefore, a 28-day in situ bioassay with zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) was performed in an effluent-dominated stream. Five locations were selected along the pollution gradient and compared with a nearby (reference) site. Cellular Energy Allocation (CEA) served as a biomarker of cellular energetics, while Scope for Growth (SFG) indicated effects on a physiological level and Tissue Condition Index and wet tissue weight/dry tissue weight ratio were used as endpoints of organismal effects. Results indicated that energy budgets at a cellular level of biological organization provided the fastest and most sensitive response and energy budgets are a relevant currency to extrapolate cellular effects to higher levels of biological organization within the exposed mussels. - Exposure of zebra mussels along a pollution gradient has adverse effects on the cellular energy allocation, and results can be linked with higher levels of biological organization

Cellular energy allocation in zebra mussels exposed along a pollution gradient: linking cellular effects to higher levels of biological organization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smolders, R.; Bervoets, L.; Coen, W. de; Blust, R

2004-05-01

Organisms exposed to suboptimal environments incur a cost of dealing with stress in terms of metabolic resources. The total amount of energy available for maintenance, growth and reproduction, based on the biochemical analysis of the energy budget, may provide a sensitive measure of stress in an organism. While the concept is clear, linking cellular or biochemical responses to the individual and population or community level remains difficult. The aim of this study was to validate, under field conditions, using cellular energy budgets [i.e. changes in glycogen-, lipid- and protein-content and mitochondrial electron transport system (ETS)] as an ecologically relevant measurement of stress by comparing these responses to physiological and organismal endpoints. Therefore, a 28-day in situ bioassay with zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) was performed in an effluent-dominated stream. Five locations were selected along the pollution gradient and compared with a nearby (reference) site. Cellular Energy Allocation (CEA) served as a biomarker of cellular energetics, while Scope for Growth (SFG) indicated effects on a physiological level and Tissue Condition Index and wet tissue weight/dry tissue weight ratio were used as endpoints of organismal effects. Results indicated that energy budgets at a cellular level of biological organization provided the fastest and most sensitive response and energy budgets are a relevant currency to extrapolate cellular effects to higher levels of biological organization within the exposed mussels. - Exposure of zebra mussels along a pollution gradient has adverse effects on the cellular energy allocation, and results can be linked with higher levels of biological organization.

Higher Order Corrections in the CoLoRFulNNLO Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Somogyi, G.; Kardos, A.; Szőr, Z.; Trócsányi, Z.

We discuss the CoLoRFulNNLO method for computing higher order radiative corrections to jet cross sections in perturbative QCD. We apply our method to the calculation of event shapes and jet rates in three-jet production in electron-positron annihilation. We validate our code by comparing our predictions to previous results in the literature and present the jet cone energy fraction distribution at NNLO accuracy. We also present preliminary NNLO results for the three-jet rate using the Durham jet clustering algorithm matched to resummed predictions at NLL accuracy, and a comparison to LEP data.

Emphysema and bronchiectasis in COPD patients with previous pulmonary tuberculosis: computed tomography features and clinical implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin J

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Jianmin Jin,1 Shuling Li,2 Wenling Yu,2 Xiaofang Liu,1 Yongchang Sun1,3 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 2Department of Radiology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 3Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China Background: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB is a risk factor for COPD, but the clinical characteristics and the chest imaging features (emphysema and bronchiectasis of COPD with previous PTB have not been studied well.Methods: The presence, distribution, and severity of emphysema and bronchiectasis in COPD patients with and without previous PTB were evaluated by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT and compared. Demographic data, respiratory symptoms, lung function, and sputum culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also compared between patients with and without previous PTB.Results: A total of 231 COPD patients (82.2% ex- or current smokers, 67.5% male were consecutively enrolled. Patients with previous PTB (45.0% had more severe (p=0.045 and longer history (p=0.008 of dyspnea, more exacerbations in the previous year (p=0.011, and more positive culture of P. aeruginosa (p=0.001, compared with those without PTB. Patients with previous PTB showed a higher prevalence of bronchiectasis (p<0.001, which was more significant in lungs with tuberculosis (TB lesions, and a higher percentage of more severe bronchiectasis (Bhalla score ≥2, p=0.031, compared with those without previous PTB. The overall prevalence of emphysema was not different between patients with and without previous PTB, but in those with previous PTB, a higher number of subjects with middle (p=0.001 and lower (p=0.019 lobe emphysema, higher severity score (p=0.028, higher prevalence of panlobular emphysema (p=0.013, and more extensive centrilobular emphysema (p=0.039 were observed. Notably, in patients with

Fiscal 1999 report on basic research for promotion of joint implementation programs. Research on potential for higher energy efficiency through instrumentation, control, and energy saving equipment (Research report); 1999 nendo keisoku seigyo oyobi sho energy kiki ni yoru sho energy potential chosa hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

As part of the 'clean development mechanism (CDM)' activities to be conducted by advanced nations jointly with developing nations, a survey is conducted of potential for higher energy efficiency, the effect of greenhouse gas reduction, and the effect of related investments in Egypt's textile (dyeing) industry. As the result, it is found that the Egyptian textile (dyeing) industry is rich in potential for higher energy efficiency and that intensification of energy management with importance attached to instrumentation will be quite effective. Private plants, though small in scale, enjoy a high operating rate and are full of life. As for their energy management, however, though management oriented instrumentation is found to stay without being scattered or lost in case of newly introduced equipment, normal operation is impeded by damaged parts which are not duly repaired or replaced. As for state operated plants, they are large in scale and are provided with some leading-edge facilities. Many of them are obsolete, however, and a privatization plan is under consideration, these discouraging investors and reducing vitality. Operation control or quality control are not sufficiently practiced in the administration of plants, and they need improvement. (NEDO)

Energy education in the higher education systems of California

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandra, Y.T.

1991-01-01

At San Francisco State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara there is an energy course: Societal Problems of Energy that is designed for non-science majors. The course has as its central theme two of the most controversial uses of commercial energy in California: Offshore oil production; and commercial nuclear power as a source of electricity. This paper deals only with the nuclear portion of the course. Three sub-topics are presented: Radiation, plant safety, and the burial of the high level nuclear waste of commercial plants. The method of teaching this class is different because of the field trips and the large number of guest experts who speak to the class

Alternative Energy for Higher Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael Cherney, PhD

2012-02-22

This project provides educational opportunities creating both a teaching facility and center for public outreach. The facility is the largest solar array in Nebraska. It was designed to allow students to experience a variety of technologies and provide the public with opportunities for exposure to the implementation of an alternative energy installation designed for an urban setting. The project integrates products from 5 panel manufacturers (including monocrystalline, polycrystalline and thin film technologies) mounted on both fixed and tracking structures. The facility uses both micro and high power inverters. The majority of the system was constructed to serve as an outdoor classroom where panels can be monitored, tested, removed and replaced by students. As an educational facility it primarily serves students in the Creighton University and Metropolitan Community College, but it also provides broader educational opportunities. The project includes a real-time dashboard and a historical database of the output of individual inverters and the corresponding meteorological data for researcher and student use. This allows the evaluation of both panel types and the feasibility of installation types in a region of the country subject to significant temperature, wind and precipitation variation.

Excited baryon form-factors at high momentum transfer at CEBAF at higher energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stoler, P. [Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)

1994-04-01

The possibilities of measuring the properties of excited nucleons at high Q{sup 2} by means of exclusive single meson production at CEBAF with an electron energy of 8 GeV is considered. The motivation is to access short range phenomena in baryon structure, and to investigate the transition from the low Q{sup 2} non-perturbative QCD regime, where constituent quark models are valid, to higher Q{sup 2} where it is believed perturbative QCD plays an increasingly important role. It is found that high quality baryon decay angular distributions can be obtained for the most prominent states up to Q{sup 2} {approximately} 12 GeV{sup 2}/c{sup 2} using a set of moderate resolution, large solid angle magnetic spectrometers.

Higher Daily Energy Expenditure and Respiratory Quotient, Rather Than Fat-Free Mass, Independently Determine Greater ad Libitum Overeating.

Science.gov (United States)

Piaggi, Paolo; Thearle, Marie S; Krakoff, Jonathan; Votruba, Susanne B

2015-08-01

Body fat-free mass (FFM), energy expenditure (EE), and respiratory quotient (RQ) are known predictors of daily food intake. Because FFM largely determines EE, it is unclear whether body composition per se or the underlying metabolism drives dietary intake. The objective of the study was to test whether 24-hour measures of EE and RQ and their components influence ad libitum food intake independently of FFM. One hundred seven healthy individuals (62 males/45 females, 84 Native Americans/23 whites; age 33 ± 8 y; body mass index 33 ± 8 kg/m(2); body fat 31% ± 8%) had 24-hour measures of EE in a whole-room indirect calorimeter during energy balance, followed by 3 days of ad libitum food intake using computerized vending machine systems. Body composition was estimated by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. FFM, 24-hour EE, RQ, spontaneous physical activity, sleeping EE (sleeping metabolic rate), awake and fed thermogenesis, and ad libitum food intake (INTAKE) were measured. Higher 24-hour RQ (P FFM (P = .65), were independent predictors of INTAKE. Mediation analysis demonstrated that 24-hour EE is responsible for 80% of the FFM effect on INTAKE (44.5 ± 16.9 kcal ingested per kilogram of FFM, P= .01), whereas the unique effect due to solely FFM was negligible (10.6 ± 23.2, P = .65). Spontaneous physical activity (r = 0.33, P = .001), but not sleeping metabolic rate (P = .71), positively predicted INTAKE, whereas higher awake and fed thermogenesis determined greater INTAKE only in subjects with a body mass index of 29 kg/m(2) or less (r = 0.44, P = .01). EE and RQ, rather than FFM, independently determine INTAKE, suggesting that competitive energy-sensing mechanisms driven by the preferential macronutrient oxidation and total energy demands may regulate food intake.

Operational overhead of moving to higher energies

CERN Document Server

Lamont, M

2011-01-01

The operational overheads of moving above 3.5 TeV are examined. The costs of performing such a move at the start, or during, the 2011 run are evaluated. The impact of operation with beams above 3.5 TeV on machine protection systems is briefly reviewed, and any potential limitations are enumerated. Finally the possible benefits of increasing the beam energy on the luminosity are discussed.

A comparison of morbidity associated with placenta previa with and without previous caesarean sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baqai, S.; Siraj, A.; Noor, N.

2018-01-01

To compare the morbidity associated with placenta previa with and without previous caesarean sections. Study Design: Retrospective comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: From March 2014 till March 2016 in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at PNS Shifa hospital Karachi. Material and Methods: After the approval from hospital ethical committee, antenatal patients with singleton pregnancy of gestational age >32 weeks, in the age group of 20-40 years diagnosed to have placenta previa included in the study. All patients with twin pregnancy less than 20 years and more than 40 years of age were excluded. The records of all patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Data had been collected for demographic and maternal variables, placenta previa, history of previous lower segment caesarean section (LSCS), complications associated with placenta previa and techniques used to control blood loss were recorded. Results: During the study period, 6879 patients were delivered in PNS Shifa, out of these, 2060 (29.9%) had caesarean section out of these, 47.3% patients had previous history of LSCS. Thirty three (1.6%) patients were diagnosed to have placenta previa and frequency of placenta previa was significantly higher in patients with previous history of LSCS than previous normal delivery of LSCS i.e. 22 vs. 11 (p=0.023). It was observed that the frequency of morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) and Intensive care unit (ICU) stay were significantly higher in patients with previous history of LSCS than previous history of normal delivery. Conclusion: Frequency of placenta previa was significantly higher in patients with history of LSCS. Also placenta previa remains a major risk factor for various maternal complications. (author)

Overview of Commercial Building Partnerships in Higher Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schatz, Glenn [Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States)

2013-03-01

Higher education uses less energy per square foot than most commercial building sectors. However, higher education campuses house energy-intensive laboratories and data centers that may spend more than this average; laboratories, in particular, are disproportionately represented in the higher education sector. The Commercial Building Partnership (CBP), a public/private, cost-shared program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), paired selected commercial building owners and operators with representatives of DOE, its national laboratories, and private-sector technical experts. These teams explored energy-saving measures across building systems–including some considered too costly or technologically challenging–and used advanced energy modeling to achieve peak whole-building performance. Modeling results were then included in new construction or retrofit designs to achieve significant energy reductions.

Left ventricular asynergy score as an indicator of previous myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Backman, C.; Jacobsson, K.A.; Linderholm, H.; Osterman, G.

1986-01-01

Sixty-eight patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) i.e. a hisotry of angina of effort and/or previous 'possible infarction' were examined inter alia with ECG and cinecardioangiography. A system of scoring was designed which allowed a semiquantitative estimate of the left ventricular asynergy from cinecardioangiography - the left ventricular motion score (LVMS). The LVMS was associated with the presence of a previous myocardial infarction (MI), as indicated by the history and ECG findings. The ECG changes specific for a previous MI were associated with high LVMS values and unspecific or absent ECG changes with low LVMS values. Decision thresholds for ECG changes and asynergy in diagnosing a previous MI were evaluated by means of a ROC analysis. The accuracy of ECG in detecting a previous MI was slightly higher when asynergy indicated a 'true MI' than when autopsy result did so in a comparable group. Therefore the accuracy of asynergy (LVMS ≥ 1) in detecting a previous MI or myocardial fibrosis in patients with CHD should be at least comparable with that of autopsy (scar > 1 cm). (orig.)

Adolescent consumption of sports and energy drinks: linkages to higher physical activity, unhealthy beverage patterns, cigarette smoking, and screen media use.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Nicole; Dewolfe, Jessica; Story, Mary; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2014-01-01

To examine patterns of adolescent sports and energy drink (SED) consumption and identify behavioral correlates. Data were drawn from Eating and Activity in Teens, a population-based study. Adolescents from 20 middle and high schools in Minneapolis/St Paul, MN completed classroom-administered surveys. A total of 2,793 adolescents (53.2% girls) in grades 6-12. Beverage patterns; breakfast frequency; moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA); media use; sleep; and cigarette smoking. Linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between health behaviors and SED consumption, adjusting for demographics. Over a third of adolescents consumed sports drinks and 14.7% consumed energy drinks at least once a week. Among boys and girls, both sports and energy drink consumption were related to higher video game use; sugar-sweetened beverage and fruit juice intake; and smoking (P Sports drink consumption was also significantly related to higher MVPA and organized sport participation for both genders (P sports drink consumption was associated with higher MVPA, adolescents should be reminded of recommendations to consume these beverages only after vigorous, prolonged activity. There is also a need for future interventions designed to reduce SED consumption, to address the clustering of unhealthy behaviors. Copyright © 2014 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of Resting Energy Expenditure: Validation of Previous and New Predictive Equations in Obese Children and Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Acar-Tek, Nilüfer; Ağagündüz, Duygu; Çelik, Bülent; Bozbulut, Rukiye

2017-08-01

Accurate estimation of resting energy expenditure (REE) in childrenand adolescents is important to establish estimated energy requirements. The aim of the present study was to measure REE in obese children and adolescents by indirect calorimetry method, compare these values with REE values estimated by equations, and develop the most appropriate equation for this group. One hundred and three obese children and adolescents (57 males, 46 females) between 7 and 17 years (10.6 ± 2.19 years) were recruited for the study. REE measurements of subjects were made with indirect calorimetry (COSMED, FitMatePro, Rome, Italy) and body compositions were analyzed. In females, the percentage of accurate prediction varied from 32.6 (World Health Organization [WHO]) to 43.5 (Molnar and Lazzer). The bias for equations was -0.2% (Kim), 3.7% (Molnar), and 22.6% (Derumeaux-Burel). Kim's (266 kcal/d), Schmelzle's (267 kcal/d), and Henry's equations (268 kcal/d) had the lowest root mean square error (RMSE; respectively 266, 267, 268 kcal/d). The equation that has the highest RMSE values among female subjects was the Derumeaux-Burel equation (394 kcal/d). In males, when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) had the lowest accurate prediction value (12.3%), the highest values were found using Schmelzle's (42.1%), Henry's (43.9%), and Müller's equations (fat-free mass, FFM; 45.6%). When Kim and Müller had the smallest bias (-0.6%, 9.9%), Schmelzle's equation had the smallest RMSE (331 kcal/d). The new specific equation based on FFM was generated as follows: REE = 451.722 + (23.202 * FFM). According to Bland-Altman plots, it has been found out that the new equations are distributed randomly in both males and females. Previously developed predictive equations mostly provided unaccurate and biased estimates of REE. However, the new predictive equations allow clinicians to estimate REE in an obese children and adolescents with sufficient and acceptable accuracy.

Functional architecture of higher plant photosystem II supercomplexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Caffarri, Stefano; Kouril, Roman; Kereïche, Sami; Boekema, Egbert J; Croce, Roberta

2009-10-07

Photosystem II (PSII) is a large multiprotein complex, which catalyses water splitting and plastoquinone reduction necessary to transform sunlight into chemical energy. Detailed functional and structural studies of the complex from higher plants have been hampered by the impossibility to purify it to homogeneity. In this work, homogeneous preparations ranging from a newly identified particle composed by a monomeric core and antenna proteins to the largest C(2)S(2)M(2) supercomplex were isolated. Characterization by biochemical methods and single particle electron microscopy allowed to relate for the first time the supramolecular organization to the protein content. A projection map of C(2)S(2)M(2) at 12 A resolution was obtained, which allowed determining the location and the orientation of the antenna proteins. Comparison of the supercomplexes obtained from WT and Lhcb-deficient plants reveals the importance of the individual subunits for the supramolecular organization. The functional implications of these findings are discussed and allow redefining previous suggestions on PSII energy transfer, assembly, photoinhibition, state transition and non-photochemical quenching.

Fission-energy release for 16 fissioning nuclides. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sher, R.

1981-03-01

Results are presented of a least-squares evaluation of the components of energy release per fission in 232 Th, 233 U, 235 U, 238 U, 239 Pu, and 241 Pu. For completeness, older (1978) results based on systematics are presented for these and ten other isotopes of interest. There have been recent indications that the delayed energy components may be somewhat higher than those used previously, but the LSQ results do not seem to change significantly when modest (approx. 1 MeV) increases in the total delayed energy are included in the inputs. Additional measurements of most of the energy components are still needed to resolve remaining discrepancies

Faster eating rates are associated with higher energy intakes during an ad libitum meal, higher BMI and greater adiposity among 4·5-year-old children: results from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Anna; Goh, Ai Ting; Fries, Lisa R; Sadananthan, Suresh A; Velan, S Sendhil; Michael, Navin; Tint, Mya-Thway; Fortier, Marielle V; Chan, Mei Jun; Toh, Jia Ying; Chong, Yap-Seng; Tan, Kok Hian; Yap, Fabian; Shek, Lynette P; Meaney, Michael J; Broekman, Birit F P; Lee, Yung Seng; Godfrey, Keith M; Chong, Mary F F; Forde, Ciarán G

2017-04-01

Faster eating rates are associated with increased energy intake, but little is known about the relationship between children's eating rate, food intake and adiposity. We examined whether children who eat faster consume more energy and whether this is associated with higher weight status and adiposity. We hypothesised that eating rate mediates the relationship between child weight and ad libitum energy intake. Children (n 386) from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes cohort participated in a video-recorded ad libitum lunch at 4·5 years to measure acute energy intake. Videos were coded for three eating-behaviours (bites, chews and swallows) to derive a measure of eating rate (g/min). BMI and anthropometric indices of adiposity were measured. A subset of children underwent MRI scanning (n 153) to measure abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adiposity. Children above/below the median eating rate were categorised as slower and faster eaters, and compared across body composition measures. There was a strong positive relationship between eating rate and energy intake (r 0·61, P<0·001) and a positive linear relationship between eating rate and children's BMI status. Faster eaters consumed 75 % more energy content than slower eating children (Δ548 kJ (Δ131 kcal); 95 % CI 107·6, 154·4, P<0·001), and had higher whole-body (P<0·05) and subcutaneous abdominal adiposity (Δ118·3 cc; 95 % CI 24·0, 212·7, P=0·014). Mediation analysis showed that eating rate mediates the link between child weight and energy intake during a meal (b 13·59; 95 % CI 7·48, 21·83). Children who ate faster had higher energy intake, and this was associated with increased BMI z-score and adiposity.

Mapping of Ethiopian higher education institutions on clean energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-04-15

Norad commissioned Econ Poeyry to map teaching and research activities and capacity related to clean energy in selected Ethiopian universities. The mapping identified challenges and opportunities with the aim of facilitating future intervention by the Ethiopian Government and donors to help improve the energy sector development of the country. The report covered the government-owned universities of Bahir Dar, Mekelle, Jimma, Arba Minch and Addis Ababa. The mapping was based on a questionnaire and on interviews at each university. (Author)

Effects of substituting energy with capital on China's aggregated energy and environmental efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Mian; Yang Fuxia; Chen Xingpeng

2011-01-01

Substituting energy with capital (SEC) in economic productions has become a common practice both for business owners and policy-makers to improve their energy and environmental efficiency. However, seldom previous studies on energy efficiency and/or environmental performance evaluation took this role into account. This paper aims to shed some light on the effects of SEC on China's aggregated energy and environmental efficiency (AEEE) within a parametric stochastic frontier analysis framework. Moreover, influencing factors of regional efficiency score are also discussed using a pooled regression model. The results indicate that SEC poses significant effects on improving China's AEEE, and this impact appears obvious regional variation that regions with lower efficiency scores hold more extensive potential to improve their AEEE by means of SEC. Furthermore, upgrading industrial structure and decreasing the proportion of coal in energy consumption make great sense to improve China's AEEE. - Highlights: → We examine the effects of substituting energy with capital on China's energy and environmental efficiency. → The efficiency value considering this substitution is higher than that without considering it. → Hebei and Shanxi hold the largest potential of energy saving and SO 2 emissions reduction. → China's energy and environmental efficiency is affected by its energy mix and industrial structure.

Higher Desolvation Energy Reduces Molecular Recognition in Multi-Drug Resistant HIV-1 Protease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladislau C. Kovari

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Designing HIV-1 protease inhibitors that overcome drug-resistance is still a challenging task. In this study, four clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases that exhibit resistance to all the US FDA-approved HIV-1 protease inhibitors and also reduce the substrate recognition ability were examined. A multi-drug resistant HIV-1 protease isolate, MDR 769, was co-crystallized with the p2/NC substrate and the mutated CA/p2 substrate, CA/p2 P1’F. Both substrates display different levels of molecular recognition by the wild-type and multi-drug resistant HIV-1 protease. From the crystal structures, only limited differences can be identified between the wild-type and multi-drug resistant protease. Therefore, a wild-type HIV-1 protease and four multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases in complex with the two peptides were modeled based on the crystal structures and examined during a 10 ns-molecular dynamics simulation. The simulation results reveal that the multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases require higher desolvation energy to form complexes with the peptides. This result suggests that the desolvation of the HIV-1 protease active site is an important step of protease-ligand complex formation as well as drug resistance. Therefore, desolvation energy could be considered as a parameter in the evaluation of future HIV-1 protease inhibitor candidates.

Trade-facilitated technology spillovers in energy productivity convergence processes across EU countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Jun; Baylis, Kathy; Mulder, Peter

2015-01-01

This empirical paper tests for trade-facilitated spillovers in the convergence of energy productivity across 16 European Union (EU) countries from 1995 to 2005. One might anticipate that by inducing specialization, trade limits the potential for convergence in energy productivity. Conversely, by inducing competition and knowledge diffusion, trade may spur sectors to greater energy productivity. Unlike most previous work on convergence, we explain productivity dynamics from cross-country interactions at a detailed sector level and apply a spatial panel data approach to explicitly account for trade-flow related spatial effects in the convergence analysis. Our study confirms the existence of convergence in manufacturing energy productivity, caused by efficiency improvements in lagging countries, while undermined by increasing international differences in sector structure. Further, we find that trade flows explain 30 to 40% of the unobserved variation in energy productivity. Trade continues to explain the unobserved variation in energy productivity even after accounting for geographic proximity. Last, we find that those countries and sectors with higher dependence on trade both have higher energy productivity growth and a higher rate of convergence, further implying that trade can enhance energy productivity. Thus, unlike concerns that trade may spur a ‘race to the bottom’, we find that promoting trade may help stimulate energy efficiency improvements across countries. - Highlights: • We test for trade-facilitated spillovers in cross-country energy productivity convergence. • We use a spatial panel-data approach and data for 16 European Union countries. • Efficiency improvements in lagging countries cause energy productivity convergence. • Trade flows explain 30 to 40% of unobserved variation in energy productivity. • Higher dependence on trade means higher rates of energy productivity growth

Development of weightage for criteria affecting in retrofitting of existing building in Higher Learning Institution with clean energy initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Izie Adiana Abidin, Nur; Aminuddin, Eeydzah; Zakaria, Rozana; Mazzuana Shamsuddin, Siti; Sahamir, Shaza Rina; Shahzaib, Jam; Nafis Abas, Darul

2018-04-01

Campus university building is the Higher Learning Institution (HLI) involves complex activities and operations, conserving the energy has become paramount important. There are several efforts taken by universities to improve its current energy use such as policy development, education, and adaption of energy conservation solution through retrofitting. This paper aims to highlight the importance of the criteria affecting in retrofitting of existing buildings with clean energy in order to achieve zero energy balance in buildings. The focus is given to the development of criteria for solar photovoltaic (solar PV), wind turbines and small-scale hydropower. A questionnaire survey was employed and distributed to the green building expert practitioner. Factor Analysis, Factor Score, and Weightage Factor were adapted as a method of analysis in order to produce the final result with weightage output for prioritization and ranking of the relevant criteria. The result performed assists to provide the stakeholders an overview of the important criteria that should be considered especially during the decision making to retrofit the existing buildings with clean energy resources. The criteria developed are also to establish a structured decision-making process and to ensure the selection of the decision or alternatives achieve the desired outcome.

Energy in Croatia 2005, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-12-01

Report presents the latest information on relations and trends in the Croatian energy sector. The reports gives a familiar overview of comprehensive data about and representative features of the Croatian energy sector, related to the supply and demand of energy at all levels. It produces a detailed analysis of energy trends and provides extensive data on capacity, reserves and prices as well as balances of individual energy sources - crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, electricity, heat, coal and renewable source of energy. Basic economic and financial indicators, emissions of air pollutants and basic energy efficiency indicators for Croatia are also presented. In 2005, total primary energy supply in Croatia decreased slightly by 0.1 per cent with respect to the previous year. At the same time, GDP rose by 4.3 per cent, resulting in a drop in energy intensity of the total primary energy supply of 4.2 per cent. The energy intensity in Croatia was 20.1 per cent higher than the average energy intensity in the European Union, but a positive decreasing trend was noted during the past period. In 2005 the total primary energy production in Croatia fell by 3.5 per cent with respect to the previous year. The highest decrease was recorded in harnessing hydro power, and the production of crude oil and fuel wood also declined. Only the production of natural gas showed a growth of 3.5 per cent. Due to the decrease in the primary energy production, energy self-supply was also reduced to 47.9 per cent. A less value was achieved only in the year 2003. A continuing trend towards a gradual decline in energy self-supply was present throughout the past several years. Final energy demand increased by 3 per cent while demands in other sectors decreased. Energy transformation losses were reduced by 7 per cent, non-energy use declined by 5.6 per cent and energy transmission and distribution losses by 5.5 per cent, and there was a slight drop of 0.2 per cent in demand in energy

CERN: LEP to higher energy/LHC magnet string test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

At 19.45 on 31 October, CERN's LEP electron-positron collider, equipped with superconducting radiofrequency accelerating cavities, registered its first events at a record collision energy of 130 GeV. During November, LEP went on to operate in the 130-140 GeV collision energy range. Fabrication and installation of the superconducting radiofrequency accelerating cavities needed to boost the energy of LEP's electron and positron beams have speeded up as confidence and expertise have increased. 16 additional cavities were installed in a brief technical stop during October. For the substantially upgraded machine to supply 65 GeV beams immediately and at luminosities comparable to those routinely attained before shows that the complicated technology needed for the superconducting cavities and mastering the machine itself are well under control - yet another remarkable achievement in CERN's tradition of remarkable achievements. Before the end-1995 run, LEP had been operating around the Z resonance at 91 GeV ever since its commissioning in 1989. LEP precision data on the Z, the electrically neutral carrier of the weak nuclear force, is now complete, and attention shifts toward the next major objective, accumulating data on the W, the Z's electrically charged counterpart. Unlike the Z, produced singly in electron-positron annihilations, the electrically charged Ws have to be produced in pairs. During the coming long shutdown, more superconducting modules will be installed to prepare for recommencement of operations in June, this time at collision energies of 161 GeV, allowing a first step across a longawaited 2W threshold. Later in the year more cavities will be ready to boost collision energies to 176 GeV. However in the meantime the LEP experiments, no longer blinded by the Z resonance, will be keeping a sharp eye open for new physics, and in particular for signs of as yet unseen supersymmetric particles. Theorists have long been convinced that our

Energy cost of seed drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weerachet Jittanit

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this work, the energy costs of drying corn, rice and wheat seeds between 3 drying options were compared. They consisted of 1 two-stage drying by using fluidised bed dryer (FBD in the 1st stage and in-store dryer (ISD in the 2nd stage, 2 single-stage drying by fixed bed dryer (FXD and 3 two-stage drying by using FXD in the 1st  stage and ISD in the 2nd  stage. The drying conditions selected for comparison were proved to be safe for seed viability by the previous studies. The results showed that the drying options 2 and 3 consumed less energy than option 1. However, the benefits from lower energy cost must be weighed against some advantages of using FBD. Furthermore, it appeared that running the burners of FXD and ISD for warming up the ambient air during humid weather condition could shorten drying time significantly with a little higher energy cost.

Inflation from higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafi, Q.

1987-01-01

We argue that an inflationary phase in the very early universe is related to the transition from a higher dimensional to a four-dimensional universe. We present details of a previously considered model which gives sufficient inflation without fine tuning of parameters. (orig.)

Higher-order semiclassical energy expansions for potentials with ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

global behavior of eigenfunctions and energy spectra of quantum mechanical systems are very important. ... where p, q and r are positive integers and contourC encloses points +1 and -1 on the real axis. Also these ... Derivation of AEE which is a relationship between quantum number k and the power series expansion of ...

Does the Gold Standard label hold its promise in delivering higher Sustainable Development benefits? A multi-criteria comparison of CDM projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drupp, Moritz A.

2011-01-01

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has a twin objective: to help developed countries reduce GHG emissions, and to support developing countries in achieving Sustainable Development (SD). As a response to the widespread criticism of the CDM's unsatisfactory SD record, initiatives have developed premium labels like the Gold Standard, which applies two additional 'screens' to filter CDM projects for higher SD benefits. In order to determine whether Gold Standard projects can be associated with higher local SD benefits, this paper evaluates the potential benefits of 48 CDM projects using a multi-criteria method and building on existing work. The 18 evaluated Gold Standard projects are compared to a 'representative portfolio' of 30 unlabeled CDM projects in order to capture the 'full' effect of the additional Gold Standard requirements, which is further decomposed into the two 'screen' effects. The results suggest that Gold Standard Certified Emission Reductions can be associated with higher potential local SD benefits when compared to the 'representative portfolio' of unlabeled CDM projects, while the comparison of projects of the same type remains inconclusive. The results support previous findings showing that renewable energy projects may deliver comparatively high SD benefits. - Research highlights: → This study evaluates and compares the potential contribution of unlabeled- and Gold Standard labeled CDM projects to Sustainable Development (SD), extending the previously assessed projects as well as the methodological approach. → Gold Standard labeled Certified Emission Reductions (CER) can be associated with higher potential SD benefits compared to unlabeled projects. → A decomposition analysis shows that the Gold Standard s SD surplus must be primarily attributed to the favorable contribution of renewable energy projects to SD. → Policy makers might thus shift incentives towards renewable energy projects and buyers of CERs may shift their offset

Indirect Measurement of Energy Density of Soft PZT Ceramic Utilizing Mechanical Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Unruan, Muangjai; Unruan, Sujitra; Inkong, Yutthapong; Yimnirun, Rattikorn

2017-11-01

This paper reports on an indirect measurement of energy density of soft PZT ceramic utilizing mechanical stress. The method works analogous to the Olsen cycle and allows for a large amount of electro-mechanical energy conversion. A maximum energy density of 350 kJ/m3/cycle was found under 0-312 MPa and 1-20 kV/cm of applied mechanical stress and electric field, respectively. The obtained result is substantially higher than the results reported in previous studies of PZT materials utilizing a direct piezoelectric effect.

Algebraic aspects of the higher-spin problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vasiliev, M A [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland)

1991-03-21

A general algebraic construction is established, which underlies the previously proposed consistent equations of interacting gauge fields of all spins in 3+1 dimensions. This construction makes a verification of the consistency (gauge invariance) of the higher-spin equations trivial and indicates how these equations can be generalized to higher dimensions and/or conformal-type higher-spin theories. (orig.).

Dense downtown living more carbon intense due to higher consumption: a case study of Helsinki

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heinonen, Jukka; Kyroe, Riikka; Junnila, Seppo, E-mail: jukka.heinonen@aalto.fi, E-mail: riikka.kyro@aalto.fi, E-mail: seppo.junnila@aalto.fi [School of Engineering, Department of Surveying, Aalto University, PO Box 11200, 00076 Aalto (Finland)

2011-07-15

Hindering urban sprawl is one of the main goals for contemporary urban planning. Urban density is considered crucial in climate change mitigation since it reduces automobile dependence and decreases unit sizes, for example. This letter analyzes the effect of density in a city context. In the study the Finnish capital Helsinki is divided into two areas of different urban densities: the high density downtown area and the more scarcely populated suburbs. The study is a continuation of a recently published study on the implications of urban structure on carbon emissions, and analyzes further the main finding of the first study-that higher urban density might have negligible or even reverse effect on the per capita carbon emissions. Similarly to the previous study, a consumption based tiered hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) approach is employed in order to produce a comprehensive assessment, free of territorial boundaries and system cutoffs typical of traditional LCAs. Based on the findings of the previous study, it is hypothesized that when assessing city level carbon dioxide emissions from a wider, consumer oriented LCA perspective, increased urban density may not necessarily reduce carbon emissions. Surprisingly, the study finds that carbon dioxide equivalent (CO{sub 2}e) emissions are substantially higher in the dense downtown area than in the surrounding suburbs, which is suggested to imply that the increased consumption due to the higher standard of living increases emissions more than the higher density is able to reduce them. The results demonstrate that, while increasing urban density can be justified from a number of ecological, social and economic viewpoints, density is not necessarily a key parameter in the particular case of climate change. In cities like Helsinki, where wealth is concentrated in the downtown area, climate policies should give higher priority to the energy consumption of buildings, to alternative energy production and distribution modes

Dense downtown living more carbon intense due to higher consumption: a case study of Helsinki

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinonen, Jukka; Kyroe, Riikka; Junnila, Seppo

2011-01-01

Hindering urban sprawl is one of the main goals for contemporary urban planning. Urban density is considered crucial in climate change mitigation since it reduces automobile dependence and decreases unit sizes, for example. This letter analyzes the effect of density in a city context. In the study the Finnish capital Helsinki is divided into two areas of different urban densities: the high density downtown area and the more scarcely populated suburbs. The study is a continuation of a recently published study on the implications of urban structure on carbon emissions, and analyzes further the main finding of the first study-that higher urban density might have negligible or even reverse effect on the per capita carbon emissions. Similarly to the previous study, a consumption based tiered hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) approach is employed in order to produce a comprehensive assessment, free of territorial boundaries and system cutoffs typical of traditional LCAs. Based on the findings of the previous study, it is hypothesized that when assessing city level carbon dioxide emissions from a wider, consumer oriented LCA perspective, increased urban density may not necessarily reduce carbon emissions. Surprisingly, the study finds that carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions are substantially higher in the dense downtown area than in the surrounding suburbs, which is suggested to imply that the increased consumption due to the higher standard of living increases emissions more than the higher density is able to reduce them. The results demonstrate that, while increasing urban density can be justified from a number of ecological, social and economic viewpoints, density is not necessarily a key parameter in the particular case of climate change. In cities like Helsinki, where wealth is concentrated in the downtown area, climate policies should give higher priority to the energy consumption of buildings, to alternative energy production and distribution modes, as

Evaluation of the impact of higher-order energy enhancement characteristics of solitons in strongly dispersion-managed optical fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz-Otero, Francisco J.; Guillán-Lorenzo, Omar; Pedrosa-Rodríguez, Laura

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Empirical model describing the pulse energy enhancement required to obtain stable pulses to higher-order polynomial equations • An improvement in the accuracy is obtained through the addition of a new quartic addend dependent on the map strength. • This conclusion is validated through a comparison in a commercial DM soliton submarine network. • The error in the interaction distance for two adjacent pulses in the same channel is of the same order as the energy error - Abstract: We study the propagation properties of nonlinear pulses with periodic evolution in a dispersion-managed transmission link by means of a variational approach. We fit the energy enhancement required for stable propagation of a single soliton in a prototypical commercial link to a polynomial approximation that describes the dependence of the energy on the map strength of the normalized unit cell. We present an improvement of a relatively old and essential result, namely, the dependence of the energy-enhancement factor of dispersion-management solitons with the square of the map strength of the fiber link. We find that adding additional corrections to the conventional quadratic formula up to the fourth order results in an improvement in the accuracy of the description of the numerical results obtained with the variational approximation. Even a small error in the energy is found to introduce large deviations in the pulse parameters during its evolution. The error in the evaluation of the interaction distance between two adjacent time division multiplexed pulses propagating in the same channel in a prototypical submarine link is of the same order as the error in the energy.

Impact of higher energy efficiency standards on housing affordability in Alberta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-07-01

As a result of changes to provincial and national building and energy costs, the impact of increasing energy efficiency standards on housing affordability has been questioned. Determining housing affordability is a complicated process. This report presented the results of a costing analysis completed for upgrades of EnerGuide 80 levels of energy efficiency in homes in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta. The elements of residential construction were identified. In order to better understand the cost impact of energy efficiency upgrades on a home, pricing data was obtained. Costing elements that were examined included housing price indexes; construction material price indexes; unionized trade wages; and land value. Specifically, the report presented the new housing price index analysis using material and labour costs. An analysis of energy efficiency improvement was then presented in terms of lifecycle costs (capital costs and life cycle costing results). It was concluded that although the price of labour and materials is increasing, the value of land is the primary driver for rising house prices. The price of housing is strongly correlated to the price of land and not the price of labour or materials. In addition, moving to EnerGuide 80 levels of energy efficiency for housing in Alberta made homes more affordable for homebuyers by lowering their total monthly housing costs. 4 tabs., 3 figs., 3 appendices.

Holographic Dark Energy with Generalized Chaplygin Gas in Higher Dimensions

Science.gov (United States)

Ghose, S.; Saha, A.; Paul, B. C.

2014-11-01

We investigate holographic dark energy (HDE) correspondence of interacting Generalized Chaplygin Gas (GCG) in the framework of compact Kaluza-Klein (KK) cosmology. The evolution of the modified HDE with corresponding equation of state is obtained here. Considering the present value of the density parameter a stable configuration is found which accommodates Dark Energy (DE). We note a connection between DE and Phantom fields. It reveals that the DE might have evolved from a Phantom state in the past.

Calculating systems-scale energy efficiency and net energy returns: A bottom-up matrix-based approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandt, Adam R.; Dale, Michael; Barnhart, Charles J.

2013-01-01

In this paper we expand the work of Brandt and Dale (2011) on ERRs (energy return ratios) such as EROI (energy return on investment). This paper describes a “bottom-up” mathematical formulation which uses matrix-based computations adapted from the LCA (life cycle assessment) literature. The framework allows multiple energy pathways and flexible inclusion of non-energy sectors. This framework is then used to define a variety of ERRs that measure the amount of energy supplied by an energy extraction and processing pathway compared to the amount of energy consumed in producing the energy. ERRs that were previously defined in the literature are cast in our framework for calculation and comparison. For illustration, our framework is applied to include oil production and processing and generation of electricity from PV (photovoltaic) systems. Results show that ERR values will decline as system boundaries expand to include more processes. NERs (net energy return ratios) tend to be lower than GERs (gross energy return ratios). External energy return ratios (such as net external energy return, or NEER (net external energy ratio)) tend to be higher than their equivalent total energy return ratios. - Highlights: • An improved bottom-up mathematical method for computing net energy return metrics is developed. • Our methodology allows arbitrary numbers of interacting processes acting as an energy system. • Our methodology allows much more specific and rigorous definition of energy return ratios such as EROI or NER

Differences in energy expenditures and growth dilution explain higher PCB concentrations in male summer flounder

Science.gov (United States)

Madenjian, Charles P.; Jensen, Olaf P.; Rediske, Richard R.; O'Keefe, James P.; Vastano, Anthony R.; Pothoven, Steven A.

2016-01-01

Comparison of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations between the sexes of mature fish may reveal important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish PCB concentrations in 23 female summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus and 27 male summer flounder from New Jersey coastal waters. To investigate the potential for differences in diet or habitat utilization between the sexes, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were also determined. In 5 of the 23 female summer flounder, PCB concentrations in the somatic tissue and ovaries were determined. In addition, we used bioenergetics modeling to assess the contribution of the growth dilution effect to the observed difference in PCB concentrations between the sexes. Whole-fish PCB concentrations for females and males averaged 87 and 124 ng/g, respectively; thus males were 43% higher in PCB concentration compared with females. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios did not significantly differ between the sexes, suggesting that diet composition and habitat utilization did not vary between the sexes. Based on PCB determinations in the somatic tissue and ovaries, we predicted that PCB concentration of females would increase by 0.6%, on average, immediately after spawning due to release of eggs. Thus, the change in PCB concentration due to release of eggs did not explain the higher PCB concentrations observed in males. Bioenergetics modeling results indicated that the growth dilution effect could account for males being 19% higher in PCB concentration compared with females. Thus, the bulk of the observed difference in PCB concentrations between the sexes was not explained by growth dilution. We concluded that a higher rate of energy expenditure in males, stemming from greater activity and a greater resting metabolic rate, was most likely the primary driver for the observed difference in PCB concentrations between the sexes.

Differences in Energy Expenditures and Growth Dilution Explain Higher PCB Concentrations in Male Summer Flounder.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles P Madenjian

Full Text Available Comparison of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB concentrations between the sexes of mature fish may reveal important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish PCB concentrations in 23 female summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus and 27 male summer flounder from New Jersey coastal waters. To investigate the potential for differences in diet or habitat utilization between the sexes, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were also determined. In 5 of the 23 female summer flounder, PCB concentrations in the somatic tissue and ovaries were determined. In addition, we used bioenergetics modeling to assess the contribution of the growth dilution effect to the observed difference in PCB concentrations between the sexes. Whole-fish PCB concentrations for females and males averaged 87 and 124 ng/g, respectively; thus males were 43% higher in PCB concentration compared with females. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios did not significantly differ between the sexes, suggesting that diet composition and habitat utilization did not vary between the sexes. Based on PCB determinations in the somatic tissue and ovaries, we predicted that PCB concentration of females would increase by 0.6%, on average, immediately after spawning due to release of eggs. Thus, the change in PCB concentration due to release of eggs did not explain the higher PCB concentrations observed in males. Bioenergetics modeling results indicated that the growth dilution effect could account for males being 19% higher in PCB concentration compared with females. Thus, the bulk of the observed difference in PCB concentrations between the sexes was not explained by growth dilution. We concluded that a higher rate of energy expenditure in males, stemming from greater activity and a greater resting metabolic rate, was most likely the primary driver for the observed difference in PCB concentrations between the sexes.

A Miniature Coupled Bistable Vibration Energy Harvester

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, D; Arthur, D C; Beeby, S P

2014-01-01

This paper reports the design and test of a miniature coupled bistable vibration energy harvester. Operation of a bistable structure largely depends on vibration amplitude rather than frequency, which makes it very promising for wideband vibration energy harvesting applications. A coupled bistable structure consists of a pair of mobile magnets that create two potential wells and thus the bistable phenomenon. It requires lower excitation to trigger bistable operation compared to conventional bistable structures. Based on previous research, this work focused on miniaturisation of the coupled bistable structure for energy harvesting application. The proposed bistable energy harvester is a combination of a Duffing's nonlinear structure and a linear assisting resonator. Experimental results show that the output spectrum of the miniature coupled bistable vibration energy harvester was the superposition of several spectra. It had a higher maximum output power and a much greater bandwidth compared to simply the Duffing's structure without the assisting resonator

Energy in Croatia, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-12-01

The publication creates a condensed review of the state of affairs within our energy system. It includes the latest data for 1996, which were at the same time compared to the situations from the previous four years in order to achieve a more accurate insight into all the related problems. The relation of the gross domestic product (GDP) and the electric energy consumption illustrates the fact that the economic conditions are closely connected to the development of the energy sector. In 1996 the gross domestic product was 4.2% higher than in the year before and the electric energy consumption increased by approximately the same figure. It rose from the consumed 12958.0 GWh in 1995 to 12877.9 GWh in 1996, i.e. 4.2%. The total energy consumption in 1996 increased by entire 10.8%, amounting to 352.56 PJ, this predominantly being a result of growing hydro power and natural gas consumption. The immediate energy consumption grew by 8.3%, from 185.96 PJ in 1995 to 201.35 PJ in 1996. Apart from the data included in the review, there are also other presentations referring to the energy generation and consumption in Croatia. A special chapter comprises an analysis of oil and gas system, i.e. hydrocarbon and coal reserves as well as the capacities required for oil and gas processing and transportation. The attention was directed to positive environmental incentives, as the energy sector is responsible for more than 90% of all polluting substances. Apart from the economic and financial indices, the publication includes the prices for electric energy, natural gas and oil derivations as well as maps showing the route of the gas and JANAF systems and the transmission electric energy network. The review puts forward some positive achievements in the development of our energy sector, which create the basis for continued efforts in order to bring about the desired objectives. This will be realized by defining the legislation system and the institutions ensuring high-quality market

Measurement of the pion form factor at higher energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mack, D.J. [CEBAF, Newport News, VA (United States)

1994-04-01

One of the strongest arguments for increasing the nominal CEBAF beam energy to equal or exceed 6 GeV is that one would be able to make quality high Q{sup 2} measurements of the charged pion form factor.

Modulational instability and nano-scale energy localization in ferromagnetic spin chain with higher order dispersive interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kavitha, L.; Mohamadou, A.; Parasuraman, E.; Gopi, D.; Akila, N.; Prabhu, A.

2016-01-01

The nonlinear localization phenomena in ferromagnetic spin lattices have attracted a steadily growing interest and their existence has been predicted in a wide range of physical settings. We investigate the onset of modulational instability of a plane wave in a discrete ferromagnetic spin chain with physically significant higher order dispersive octupole–dipole and dipole–dipole interactions. We derive the discrete nonlinear equation of motion with the aid of Holstein–Primakoff (H–P) transformation combined with Glauber's coherent state representation. We show that the discrete ferromagnetic spin dynamics is governed by an entirely new discrete NLS model with complex coefficients not reported so far. We report the study of modulational instability (MI) of the ferromagnetic chain with long range dispersive interactions both analytically in the frame work of linear stability analysis and numerically by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our numerical simulations explore that the analytical predictions correctly describe the onset of instability. It is found that the presence of the various exchange and dispersive higher order interactions systematically favors the local gathering of excitations and thus supports the growth of high amplitude, long-lived discrete breather (DB) excitations. We analytically compute the strongly localized odd and even modes. Further, we employ the Jacobi elliptic function method to solve the nonlinear evolution equation and an exact propagating bubble-soliton solution is explored. - Highlights: • Higher order dispersive interactions plays significant role in ferromagnetic spin chain. • The energy localization is studied both analytically and numerically. • The existence of DBs are studied under the effect of higher order dispersive interaction.

Search for new physics in final states with a high energy electron and large missing transverse energy

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00345099

The most successful and comprehensive theory describing the microcosm is the Standard Model of particle physics (SM). It comprises all known elementary particles and describes in high precision the basic processes of three of the four fundamental interactions. But still, not all experimental observations and theoretical challenges are covered. Many models exist that take the SM as a good approximation of natural phenomena in already discovered energy regions, but extend it in various ways. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provides the opportunity to look into these high energy regions using proton-proton collisions at significantly higher center-of-mass energies than previous experiments. This dissertation searches for physics beyond the SM especially in final states with one highly energetic electron (respectively positron) and large missing transverse energy. With the data set recorded in 2012 by the ATLAS detector, a large multi-purpose detector making use of the LHC, the spectrum of the related combined ...

Double-layer capacitors with a higher energy density; Doppelschichtkondensatoren mit hoeherem Energieinhalt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Presser, Volker [Leibniz-Institut fuer Neue Materialien (INM) gGmbH, Saarbruecken (Germany). Juniorforschungs-Gruppe Energie-Materialien; Universitaet des Saarlandes, Saarbruecken (Germany)

2013-05-15

Electrical double-layer capacitors, also known as supercapacitors (SC) are devices for electrical energy storage used for fast acceleration of hybrid cars or for the energy recovery during breaking operations. In contrast, lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are used as energy storage devices to provide an extended travel distance for plug-in hybrid cars and electric vehicles. Current research aims to overcome the major limitations of both technologies (SC: low energy density/LIB: slow recharge and limited service life) and hybrid cells are considered a promising solution. The goal is to improve the performance and energy density of storage devices which can be achieved, as shown by the Leibniz-Institute for New Materials (INM), with the use of nanotechnology. (orig.)

Cleanroom energy benchmarking in high-tech and biotech industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tschudi, William; Benschine, Kathleen; Fok, Stephen; Rumsey, Peter

2001-01-01

Cleanrooms, critical to a wide range of industries, universities, and government facilities, are extremely energy intensive. Consequently, energy represents a significant operating cost for these facilities. Improving energy efficiency in cleanrooms will yield dramatic productivity improvement. But more importantly to the industries which rely on cleanrooms, base load reduction will also improve reliability. The number of cleanrooms in the US is growing and the cleanroom environmental systems' energy use is increasing due to increases in total square footage and trends toward more energy intensive, higher cleanliness applications. In California, many industries important to the State's economy utilize cleanrooms. In California these industries utilize over 150 cleanrooms with a total of 4.2 million sq. ft. (McIlvaine). Energy intensive high tech buildings offer an attractive incentive for large base load energy reduction. Opportunities for energy efficiency improvement exist in virtually all operating cleanrooms as well as in new designs. To understand the opportunities and their potential impact, Pacific Gas and Electric Company sponsored a project to benchmark energy use in cleanrooms in the electronics (high-tech) and biotechnology industries. Both of these industries are heavily dependent intensive cleanroom environments for research and manufacturing. In California these two industries account for approximately 3.6 million sq. ft. of cleanroom (McIlvaine, 1996) and 4349 GWh/yr. (Sartor et al. 1999). Little comparative energy information on cleanroom environmental systems was previously available. Benchmarking energy use allows direct comparisons leading to identification of best practices, efficiency innovations, and highlighting previously masked design or operational problems

Radioiodine treatment of recurrent hyperthyroidism in patients previously treated for Graves' disease by subtotal thyroidectomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard, H; Laurberg, P

1992-01-01

showed a higher sensitivity to radioiodine, with more cases of early hypothyroidism, than non-operated patients. However, after 50 months of follow-up the outcome was identical. The results indicate that frequent assessment is necessary after radioiodine treatment of previously operated patients, since......Radioiodine therapy is often employed for treatment of patients with relapse of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease, after previous thyroid surgery. Little is known about the outcome of this treatment compared to patients with no previous surgery. A total of 20 patients who had received surgical...... treatment for Graves' hyperthyroidism 1-46 years previously and with relapse of the hyperthyroidism, and 25 patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease and no previous thyroid surgery were treated with radioiodine, following the same protocol. Early after treatment the previously operated patients...

Effect of elastic compliances and higher order Landau coefficients on the phase diagram of single domain epitaxial Pb(Zr,TiO3 (PZT thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Mtebwa

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We report the qualitative study of the influence of both elastic compliances and higher order terms of Landau free energy potential on the phase diagram of Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5O3 thin films by using a single domain Landau theory. Although the impact of elastic compliances and higher order terms of the Landau free energy potential on the phase diagram of ferroelectric thin films are known, the sensitivity of the phase diagram of PZT thin film on these parameters have not been reported. It is demonstrated that, while values of elastic compliances affect the positions of the phase boundaries including phase transition temperature of the cubic phase; higher order terms can potentially introduce an a1a2-phase previously predicted in PbTiO3 phase diagram.

Coulomb and Nuclear Breakup at Low Energies: Scaling Laws

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hussein M. S.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available We report on a recent work on the low-energy behavior of the breakup cross section in so far as it has important role in the fusion of weakly bound and halo nuclei at near-barrier energies. We assess the way the nuclear component of this cross section scales with the target mass. In complete accord with previous finding at higher energies we verify that the low energy behavior of the breakup cross section for a given projectile and relative center of mass energy with respect to the Coulomb barrier height scales as the cubic root of the mass number of the target. Surprisingly we find that the Coulomb component of the breakup cross section at these low energies also obeys scaling, but with a linear dependence on the target charge. Our findings are important when planning for experiments involving these exotic nuclei.

[Assessment of central hemodynamic properties of the arterial wall in women with previous preeclampsia].

Science.gov (United States)

Polónia, Jorge; Olival, Catarina; Ribeiro, Sílvia; Silva, José A; Barbosa, Loide

2014-06-01

We investigated viscoelastic properties of the arterial wall in women with previous preeclampsia (PE) compared to those with normal pregnancy (NP). In a cross-sectional study 45 women with previous PE and 55 with NP were included, matched for age (PE 38±6 vs. NP 38±5 years, NS) and body mass index: (PE 25±4 vs. NP 26±4 kg/m(2), NS) studied, respectively, 76±34 and 86±48 months after delivery. We assessed arterial distensibility - pulse wave velocity (PWV, Complior) and reflected waves (augmentation pressure [AP], mmHg) and augmentation index (AIx) - in the central pressure wave and blood pressure (BP) on 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). PE showed higher (p<0.01) peripheral systolic blood pressure (SBP): PE 131±18 vs. NP 121±19, and central SBP: PE 122±18 vs. NP 110±19 mmHg, with less amplification of central-peripheral pressure: PE 10±4 vs. NP 12±5, p=0.041, and higher (p<0.05) AP: PE 10±3 vs. NP 8±2, and AIx: PE 26±5 vs. NP 20±5 mmHg, but PE and NP did not differ in pulse wave velocity. On ABPM, PE (n=39) vs. NP (n=33) had higher nighttime SBP: PE 121±10 vs. NP 108±10 mmHg and lower percentage nocturnal SBP fall: PE 11±6 vs. NP 18±11%, both p<0.02. During follow-up, the need for antihypertensive medication was seven times higher in PE than in NP. Women with previous PE have a greater risk of hypertension, higher nighttime BP values, blunted nocturnal BP fall and changes in central pressure suggestive of increased reflected waves and peripheral vascular resistance. These factors may contribute to their higher cardiovascular risk after pregnancy. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

In vitro fertilization outcome in women with endometriosis & previous ovarian surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Pop-Trajkovic

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background & objectives: Women with endometriosis often need in vitro fertilization (IVF to concieve. There are conflicting data on the results of IVF in patients with endometriosis. This study was undertaken to elucidate the influence of endometriosis on IVF outcome to give the best counselling for infertile patient with this problem. Methods: The outcome measures in 78 patients with surgically confirmed endometriosis were compared with 157 patients with tubal factor infertility, all of whom have undergone IVF. The groups were matched for age and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH levels. Outcome measures included number of follicles, number of ocytes, peak oestradiol (E2 concentrations and mean number of ampoules of gonadotropins. Cumulative pregnancy, miscarriage and live birth rates were calculated in both the groups. Results: Higher cancelation rates, higher total gonadotropin requirements, lower peak E2 levels and lower oocyte yield were found in women with endometriosis and previous surgery compared with those with tubal factor infertility. However, no differences were found in fertilization, implantation, pregnancy, miscarriage, multiple births and delivery rates between the endometriosis and tubal factor infertility groups. Interpretation & conclusions: The present findings showed that women with endometriosis and previous surgery responded less well to gonadotropins during ovarian stimulation and hence the cost of treatment to achieve pregnancy was higher in this group compared with those with tubal factor infertility. However, the outcome of IVF treatment in patients with endometriosis was as good as in women with tubal factor infertility.

Nuclear-Recoil Energy Scale in CDMS II Silicon Dark-Matter Detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agnese, R.; et al.

2018-03-07

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) experiment aims to detect dark matter particles that elastically scatter from nuclei in semiconductor detectors. The resulting nuclear-recoil energy depositions are detected by ionization and phonon sensors. Neutrons produce a similar spectrum of low-energy nuclear recoils in such detectors, while most other backgrounds produce electron recoils. The absolute energy scale for nuclear recoils is necessary to interpret results correctly. The energy scale can be determined in CDMS II silicon detectors using neutrons incident from a broad-spectrum $^{252}$Cf source, taking advantage of a prominent resonance in the neutron elastic scattering cross section of silicon at a recoil (neutron) energy near 20 (182) keV. Results indicate that the phonon collection efficiency for nuclear recoils is $4.8^{+0.7}_{-0.9}$% lower than for electron recoils of the same energy. Comparisons of the ionization signals for nuclear recoils to those measured previously by other groups at higher electric fields indicate that the ionization collection efficiency for CDMS II silicon detectors operated at $\\sim$4 V/cm is consistent with 100% for nuclear recoils below 20 keV and gradually decreases for larger energies to $\\sim$75% at 100 keV. The impact of these measurements on previously published CDMS II silicon results is small.

Photodissociation of HCN and HNC isomers in the 7-10 eV energy range

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chenel, Aurelie; Roncero, Octavio, E-mail: octavio.roncero@csic.es [Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF-CSIC), C.S.I.C., Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Aguado, Alfredo [Departamento de Química Física Aplicada (UAM), Unidad Asociada a IFF-CSIC, Facultad de Ciencias Módulo 14, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Agúndez, Marcelino; Cernicharo, José [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, C/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco (Spain)

2016-04-14

The ultraviolet photoabsorption spectra of the HCN and HNC isomers have been simulated in the 7-10 eV photon energy range. For this purpose, the three-dimensional adiabatic potential energy surfaces of the 7 lowest electronic states, and the corresponding transition dipole moments, have been calculated, at multireference configuration interaction level. The spectra are calculated with a quantum wave packet method on these adiabatic potential energy surfaces. The spectra for the 3 lower excited states, the dissociative electronic states, correspond essentially to predissociation peaks, most of them through tunneling on the same adiabatic state. The 3 higher electronic states are bound, hereafter electronic bound states, and their spectra consist of delta lines, in the adiabatic approximation. The radiative lifetime towards the ground electronic states of these bound states has been calculated, being longer than 10 ns in all cases, much longer that the characteristic predissociation lifetimes. The spectra of HCN is compared with the available experimental and previous theoretical simulations, while in the case of HNC there are no previous studies to our knowledge. The spectrum for HNC is considerably more intense than that of HCN in the 7-10 eV photon energy range, which points to a higher photodissociation rate for HNC, compared to HCN, in astrophysical environments illuminated by ultraviolet radiation.

Greenhouse crop residues: Energy potential and models for the prediction of their higher heating value

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callejon-Ferre, A.J.; Lopez-Martinez, J.A.; Manzano-Agugliaro, F. [Departamento de Ingenieria Rural, Universidad de Almeria, Ctra. Sacramento s/n, La Canada de San Urbano, 04120 Almeria (Spain); Velazquez-Marti, B. [Departamento de Ingenieria Rural y Agroalimentaria, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia (Spain)

2011-02-15

Almeria, in southeastern Spain, generates some 1,086,261 t year{sup -1} (fresh weight) of greenhouse crop (Cucurbita pepo L., Cucumis sativus L., Solanum melongena L., Solanum lycopersicum L., Phaseoulus vulgaris L., Capsicum annuum L., Citrillus vulgaris Schrad. and Cucumis melo L.) residues. The energy potential of this biomass is unclear. The aim of the present work was to accurately quantify this variable, differentiating between crop species while taking into consideration the area they each occupy. This, however, required the direct analysis of the higher heating value (HHV) of these residues, involving very expensive and therefore not commonly available equipment. Thus, a further aim was to develop models for predicting the HHV of these residues, taking into account variables measured by elemental and/or proximate analysis, thus providing an economically attractive alternative to direct analysis. All the analyses in this work involved the use of worldwide-recognised standards and methods. The total energy potential for these plant residues, as determined by direct analysis, was 1,003,497.49 MW h year{sup -1}. Twenty univariate and multivariate equations were developed to predict the HHV. The R{sup 2} and adjusted R{sup 2} values obtained for the univariate and multivariate models were 0.909 and 0.946 or above respectively. In all cases, the mean absolute percentage error varied between 0.344 and 2.533. These results show that any of these 20 equations could be used to accurately predict the HHV of crop residues. The residues produced by the Almeria greenhouse industry would appear to be an interesting source of renewable energy. (author)

Higher-order-mode absorbers for energy recovery linac cryomodules at Brookhaven National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, H.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Calaga, R.; Hammons, L.; Johnson, E.C.; Kewisch, J.; Litvinenko, V.N.; Xu, W.

2010-01-01

Several future accelerator projects at Brookhaven for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are based on energy recovery linacs (ERLs) with high-charge high-current electron beams. Their stable operation mandates effective higher-order-mode (HOM) damping. The development of HOM dampers for these projects is pursued actively at this laboratory. Strong HOM damping was experimentally demonstrated both at room and at superconducting (SC) temperatures in a prototype research and development (R and D) five-cell niobium superconducting rf (SRF) cavity with ferrite dampers. Two room-temperature mock-up five-cell copper cavities were used to study various damper configurations with emphasis on capacitive antenna dampers. An innovative type of ferrite damper over a ceramic break for an R and D SRF electron gun also was developed. For future SRF linacs longer cryomodules comprised of multiple superconducting cavities with reasonably short intercavity transitions are planned. In such a configuration, the dampers, located closer to the cavities, will be at cryogenic temperatures; this will impose additional constraints and complications. This paper presents the results of simulations and measurements of several damper configurations.

Higher-order-mode absorbers for energy recovery linac cryomodules at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, H.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Calaga, R.; Hammons, L.; Johnson, E. C.; Kewisch, J.; Litvinenko, V. N.; Xu, Wencan

2010-12-01

Several future accelerator projects at Brookhaven for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are based on energy recovery linacs (ERLs) with high-charge high-current electron beams. Their stable operation mandates effective higher-order-mode (HOM) damping. The development of HOM dampers for these projects is pursued actively at this laboratory. Strong HOM damping was experimentally demonstrated both at room and at superconducting (SC) temperatures in a prototype research and development (R&D) five-cell niobium superconducting rf (SRF) cavity with ferrite dampers. Two room-temperature mock-up five-cell copper cavities were used to study various damper configurations with emphasis on capacitive antenna dampers. An innovative type of ferrite damper over a ceramic break for an R&D SRF electron gun also was developed. For future SRF linacs longer cryomodules comprised of multiple superconducting cavities with reasonably short intercavity transitions are planned. In such a configuration, the dampers, located closer to the cavities, will be at cryogenic temperatures; this will impose additional constraints and complications. This paper presents the results of simulations and measurements of several damper configurations.

Higher-order-mode absorbers for energy recovery linac cryomodules at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Hahn

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Several future accelerator projects at Brookhaven for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC are based on energy recovery linacs (ERLs with high-charge high-current electron beams. Their stable operation mandates effective higher-order-mode (HOM damping. The development of HOM dampers for these projects is pursued actively at this laboratory. Strong HOM damping was experimentally demonstrated both at room and at superconducting (SC temperatures in a prototype research and development (R&D five-cell niobium superconducting rf (SRF cavity with ferrite dampers. Two room-temperature mock-up five-cell copper cavities were used to study various damper configurations with emphasis on capacitive antenna dampers. An innovative type of ferrite damper over a ceramic break for an R&D SRF electron gun also was developed. For future SRF linacs longer cryomodules comprised of multiple superconducting cavities with reasonably short intercavity transitions are planned. In such a configuration, the dampers, located closer to the cavities, will be at cryogenic temperatures; this will impose additional constraints and complications. This paper presents the results of simulations and measurements of several damper configurations.

Gravitational interaction of massless higher-spin fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fradkin, E S; Vasiliev, M A

1987-04-30

We show that, despite a widespread belief, the gravitational interaction of massless higher-spin fields (s>2) does exist at least in the first nontrivial order. The principal novel feature of the gravitational higher-spin interaction is its non-analyticity in the cosmological constant. Our construction is based on an infinite-dimensional higher-spin superalgebra proposed previously that leads to an infinite system of all spins s>1.

Exercise induced ST elevation and residual myocardial ischemia in previous myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimonagata, Tsuyoshi; Nishimura, Tsunehiko; Uehara, Toshiisa; Hayashida, Kohei; Saito, Muneyasu; Sumiyoshi, Tetsuya

1987-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of stress induced ST elevation on infarcted area in 65 patients with previous myocardial infarction (single vessel disease) who had stress thallium scan. Stress induced ST changes on infarcted area were compared with quantitative assessment of myocardial ischemia (thallium ischemic score; TIS) and extent of myocardial infarction (defect score; DS) derived from circumferential profile analysis. In patients with previous myocardial infarction in less than 3 month from the onset (n = 36), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and extent of abnormal LV wall motion were not significantly different between patients with stress induced ST elevation ( ≥ 2 mm, n = 26) and those with stress induced ST elevation ( < 2 mm, n = 10), while, in patients with previous myocardial infarction in more than 3 month (n = 29), patients with stress induced ST elevation ( ≥ 2 mm, n = 15) showed left ventricular dyskinesis more frequently than those with ST elevation ( < 2 mm, n = 14). In addition, the former showed significantly higher DS and significantly lower TIS than the latter. In patients with previous myocardial infarction in less than 3 month, patients with ST elevation ( ≥ 2 mm, n = 15) with prominent upright T wave (n = 15) had transient thallium defect in infarcted area in 73 % and they had significantly higher LVEF and TIS than those with ST elevation ( < 2 mm, n = 11). These results indicated that ST elevation in infarcted area reflect different significance according to the recovery of injured myocardium and stress induced ST elevation with prominent upright T wave in infarcted area reflect residual myocardial ischemia in less than 3 month from the onset of myocardial infarction. (author)

Persistent human Borna disease virus infection modifies the acetylome of human oligodendroglia cells towards higher energy and transporter levels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xia [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai 200063 (China); Liu, Siwen [Institute of Neuroscience and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Bode, Liv [Institute of Neuroscience and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Liu, Chengyu [Institute of Neuroscience and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Zhang, Liang [Institute of Neuroscience and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Wang, Xiao [Institute of Neuroscience and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Li, Dan [Department of Pathology, Faculty of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Lei, Yang [Department of Internal Medicine, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Peng, Xiaojun [Jingjie PTM BioLab (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Hangzhou 310018 (China); Cheng, Zhongyi [Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); and others

2015-11-15

Background: Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic RNA virus persistently infecting mammalian hosts including humans. Lysine acetylation (Kac) is a key protein post-translational modification (PTM). The unexpectedly broad regulatory scope of Kac let us to profile the entire acetylome upon BDV infection. Methods: The acetylome was profiled through stable isotope labeling for cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics. The quantifiable proteome was annotated using bioinformatics. Results: We identified and quantified 791 Kac sites in 473 Kac proteins in human BDV Hu-H1-infected and non-infected oligodendroglial (OL) cells. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that BDV infection alters the acetylation of metabolic proteins, membrane-associated proteins and transmembrane transporter activity, and affects the acetylation of several lysine acetyltransferases (KAT). Conclusions: Upon BDV persistence the OL acetylome is manipulated towards higher energy and transporter levels necessary for shuttling BDV proteins to and from nuclear replication sites. - Highlights: • We used SILAC-based proteomics to analyze the acetylome of BDV infected OL cells. • We quantified 791Kac sites in 473 proteins. • Bioinformatic analysis revealed altered acetylation of metabolic proteins et al. • BDV manipulates the OL acetylome towards higher energy and transporter levels. • BDV infection is associated with enriched phosphate-associated metabolic processes.

Persistent human Borna disease virus infection modifies the acetylome of human oligodendroglia cells towards higher energy and transporter levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Xia; Liu, Siwen; Bode, Liv; Liu, Chengyu; Zhang, Liang; Wang, Xiao; Li, Dan; Lei, Yang; Peng, Xiaojun; Cheng, Zhongyi

2015-01-01

Background: Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic RNA virus persistently infecting mammalian hosts including humans. Lysine acetylation (Kac) is a key protein post-translational modification (PTM). The unexpectedly broad regulatory scope of Kac let us to profile the entire acetylome upon BDV infection. Methods: The acetylome was profiled through stable isotope labeling for cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics. The quantifiable proteome was annotated using bioinformatics. Results: We identified and quantified 791 Kac sites in 473 Kac proteins in human BDV Hu-H1-infected and non-infected oligodendroglial (OL) cells. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that BDV infection alters the acetylation of metabolic proteins, membrane-associated proteins and transmembrane transporter activity, and affects the acetylation of several lysine acetyltransferases (KAT). Conclusions: Upon BDV persistence the OL acetylome is manipulated towards higher energy and transporter levels necessary for shuttling BDV proteins to and from nuclear replication sites. - Highlights: • We used SILAC-based proteomics to analyze the acetylome of BDV infected OL cells. • We quantified 791Kac sites in 473 proteins. • Bioinformatic analysis revealed altered acetylation of metabolic proteins et al. • BDV manipulates the OL acetylome towards higher energy and transporter levels. • BDV infection is associated with enriched phosphate-associated metabolic processes.

Magnetic field effects on runaway electron energy deposition in plasma facing materials and components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemer, K.A.; Gilligan, J.G.

1992-01-01

This paper reports magnetic field effects on runaway electron energy deposition in plasma facing materials and components is investigated using the Integrated TIGER Series. The Integrated TIGER Series is a set of time-independent coupled electron/photon Monte Carlo transport codes which perform photon and electron transport, with or without macroscopic electric and magnetic fields. A three-dimensional computational model of 100 MeV electrons incident on a graphite block was used to simulate runawayelectrons striking a plasma facing component at the edge of a tokamak. Results show that more energy from runaway electrons will be deposited in a material that is in the presence of a magnetic field than in a material that is in the presence of no field. For low angle incident runaway electrons in a strong magnetic field, the majority of the increased energy deposition is near the material surface with a higher energy density. Electrons which would have been reflected with no field, orbit the magnetic field lines and are redeposited in the material surface, resulting in a substantial increase in surface energy deposition. Based on previous studies, the higher energy deposition and energy density will result in higher temperatures which are expected to cause more damage to a plasma facing component

Triglycerides as an early pathophysiological marker of endothelial dysfunction in nondiabetic women with a previous history of gestational diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokup, Alina; Góralczyk, Barbara; Góralczyk, Krzysztof; Rość, Danuta

2012-02-01

To investigate whether baseline triglyceride levels are associated with early glucose dysregulation and/or cardiovascular risk in women with a previous history of gestational diabetes. Prospective postpregnancy cohort study. Polish university hospitals. Participants included 125 women with previous gestational diabetes and 40 women with normal glucose regulation during pregnancy. All women were studied 2-24 months (mean 12 ± 10 months) after the index pregnancy. Women with previous gestational diabetes were divided into tertiles in accordance with baseline triglyceride levels. We assessed glucose regulation (oral glucose tolerance test), insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment), markers of endothelial dysfunction (soluble: intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, tissue plasminogen activator antigen, von Willebrand factor antigen), fibrinolysis (plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen), inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) and lipid levels. Women with previous gestational diabetes (78% normal glucose regulation, 22% impaired glucose tolerance) had a high cardiometabolic risk profile compared with control women (100% normal glucose regulation). Baseline triglycerides >0.83 mmol/l were associated with a higher prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance, higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio. Triglycerides >1.22 mmol/l were associated with higher body fat indexes, higher insulin resistance, higher levels of endothelial dysfunction biomarkers, higher plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen and dyslipidemia. Only E-selectin was independently associated with triglyceride levels. Baseline triglyceride levels are a cardiovascular risk marker as well as a pathophysiological parameter independently associated with endothelial dysfunction in nondiabetic women with previous gestational diabetes at 2-24 months after an index pregnancy. Normalization of

Cellular energy allocation in zebra mussels exposed along a pollution gradient: linking cellular effects to higher levels of biological organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Smolders, R; Bervoets, L; De Coen, W; Blust, R

2004-05-01

Organisms exposed to suboptimal environments incur a cost of dealing with stress in terms of metabolic resources. The total amount of energy available for maintenance, growth and reproduction, based on the biochemical analysis of the energy budget, may provide a sensitive measure of stress in an organism. While the concept is clear, linking cellular or biochemical responses to the individual and population or community level remains difficult. The aim of this study was to validate, under field conditions, using cellular energy budgets [i.e. changes in glycogen-, lipid- and protein-content and mitochondrial electron transport system (ETS)] as an ecologically relevant measurement of stress by comparing these responses to physiological and organismal endpoints. Therefore, a 28-day in situ bioassay with zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) was performed in an effluent-dominated stream. Five locations were selected along the pollution gradient and compared with a nearby (reference) site. Cellular Energy Allocation (CEA) served as a biomarker of cellular energetics, while Scope for Growth (SFG) indicated effects on a physiological level and Tissue Condition Index and wet tissue weight/dry tissue weight ratio were used as endpoints of organismal effects. Results indicated that energy budgets at a cellular level of biological organization provided the fastest and most sensitive response and energy budgets are a relevant currency to extrapolate cellular effects to higher levels of biological organization within the exposed mussels.

Effect of Low-Energy Linear Shockwave Therapy on Erectile Dysfunction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fojecki, Grzegorz L; Thiessen, Stefan; Osther, Palle Jørn Sloth

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown that focal low-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy (Li-ESWT) can have a positive effect in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Linear Li-ESWT (LLi-ESWT) for ED has not been previously assessed in a randomized trial. AIM: To evaluate the treatment...... MEASURES: The primary outcome measurement was an increase of at least five points on the IIEF-EF score. The secondary outcome measurement was an increased EHS score to at least 3 in men with a score no higher than 2 at baseline. Data were analyzed by linear and logistic regression. RESULTS: Mean IIEF...

How to prevent type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Anne Louise Winkler; Terkildsen Maindal, Helle; Juul, Lise

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Women with previous gestational diabetes (GDM) have a seven times higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM) than women without. We aimed to review the evidence of effective behavioural interventions seeking to prevent T2DM in this high-risk group. METHODS: A systematic review...... of RCTs in several databases in March 2016. RESULTS: No specific intervention or intervention components were found superior. The pooled effect on diabetes incidence (four trials) was estimated to: -5.02 per 100 (95% CI: -9.24; -0.80). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that intervention is superior...... to no intervention in prevention of T2DM among women with previous GDM....

Clinical presentation of acute coronary syndrome in patients previously treated with nitrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Latour-Pérez, Jaime; Gómez-Tello, Vicente; Fuset-Cabanes, María Paz; Balsa, Eva de Miguel; Sáez, Frutos Del Nogal; Orts, Francisco Javier Coves; Rodríguez, Carmen Martín; Pino-Izquierdo, Karel; Pesquera, María de la Concepción Pavía; Rodríguez, Antonio José Montón

2013-11-01

Several reports have suggested that nitrates limit acute ischaemic damage by a mechanism similar to preconditioning. This study aims to evaluate the effect of chronic oral nitrates on the clinical presentation and short-term outcomes of patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients with ACS admitted to 62 acute care units from 2010 to 2011. A propensity score-matched samples analysis was performed. We analysed 3171 consecutive patients, of whom 298 (9.4%) were chronically treated with nitrates. Patients previously treated with nitrates had higher comorbidity and disease severity at admission, lower prevalence of ACS with ST elevation, lower troponin elevation, higher prevalence of initial Killip class 2-4 and higher hospital mortality. The propensity score-matched analysis confirmed that previous use of nitrates is independently associated with a lower prevalence of ST-elevation ACS [odds ratio (OR) 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36-0.78; P = 0.0014] and a lower troponin elevation (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.41-0.92) but not with Killip class on admission (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.83-1.67, P = 0.3697) or mortality (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.37-1.38, P = 0.3196). The results support the hypothesis that nitrates have a protective effect on acute ischaemic injury.

Energy dependence of double photoionization in He

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berrah, N.; Wehlitz, R.; Levin, J.; Whitfield, S.B.; Viefhaus, J.; Sellin, I.A.; Becker, U.

1993-01-01

The ratio of double-to-single ionization of He has been measured between 280 eV and 1210 eV to investigate its energy dependence in the intermediate region. The new intermediate energy measurement, compared with the most recent theories of Pan and Kelly and of Hino and Hino et al., show the importance of including not only ground state but also final state correlations. They also appear to indicate the importance of including higher-order effects in the theory. The previously reported high energy measurements between 2-12 keV give a ratio of 1.5 (2)% in good agreement with older shake calculations of Byron and Joachain and of Aberg, as well as with recent many-body perturbation theory of Ishihara et al., calculations of Dalgarno and Sadeghpour, and of Andersson and Burgdoerfer. In contrast to the intermediate energy behavior, consideration of final state correlations proves inessential as discussed by Dalgarno and Sadeghpour. (orig.)

A calculation of Zsub(eff) for low-energy positron-hydrogen-molecule scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armour, E.A.G.; Baker, D.J.

1985-01-01

The value of Zsub(eff), the effective number of electrons per molecule available to the positron for annihilation, is calculated for low-energy positron-hydrogen-molecule scattering using the scattering wavefunctions obtained in recent detailed ab initio calculations. The results are higher than those obtained in previous calculations but much lower than the experimental value. (author)

Algebraic Rainich theory and antisymmetrization in higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergqvist, G; Hoeglund, A

2002-01-01

The classical Rainich(-Misner-Wheeler) theory gives necessary and sufficient conditions on an energy-momentum tensor T to be that of a Maxwell field (a 2-form) in four dimensions. Via Einstein's equations, these conditions can be expressed in terms of the Ricci tensor, thus providing conditions for a spacetime geometry to be an Einstein-Maxwell spacetime. One of the conditions is that T 2 is proportional to the metric, and it has previously been shown in arbitrary dimension that any tensor satisfying this condition is a superenergy tensor of a simple p-form. Here we examine algebraic Rainich conditions for general p-forms in higher dimensions and their relations to identities by antisymmetrization. Using antisymmetrization techniques we find new identities for superenergy tensors of these general (non-simple) forms, and we also prove in some cases the converse: that the identities are sufficient to determine the form. As an example we obtain the complete generalization of the classical Rainich theory to five dimensions

Microelectromechanical high-density energy storage/rapid release system

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, M. Steven; Allen, James J.; Meeks, Kent D.; Jensen, Brian D.; Miller, Samuel L.

1999-08-01

One highly desirable characteristic of electrostatically driven microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) is that they consume very little power. The corresponding drawback is that the force they produce may be inadequate for many applications. It has previously been demonstrated that gear reduction units or microtransmissions can substantially increase the torque generated by microengines. Operating speed, however, is also reduced by the transmission gear ratio. Some applications require both high speed and high force. If this output is only required for a limited period of time, then energy could be stored in a mechanical system and rapidly released upon demand. We have designed, fabricated, and demonstrated a high-density energy storage/rapid release system that accomplishes this task. Built using a 5-level surface micromachining technology, the assembly closely resembles a medieval crossbow. Energy releases on the order of tens of nanojoules have already been demonstrated, and significantly higher energy systems are under development.

Higher insulin sensitivity in vegans is not associated with higher mitochondrial density.

Science.gov (United States)

Gojda, J; Patková, J; Jaček, M; Potočková, J; Trnka, J; Kraml, P; Anděl, M

2013-12-01

Vegans have a lower incidence of insulin resistance (IR)-associated diseases and a higher insulin sensitivity (IS) compared with omnivores. The aim of this study was to examine whether the higher IS in vegans relates to markers of mitochondrial biogenesis and to intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content. Eleven vegans and 10 matched (race, age, sex, body mass index, physical activity and energy intake) omnivorous controls were enrolled in a case-control study. Anthropometry, bioimpedance (BIA), ultrasound measurement of visceral and subcutaneous fat layer, parameters of glucose and lipid homeostasis, hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp and muscle biopsies were performed. Citrate synthase (CS) activity, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and IMCL content were assessed in skeletal muscle samples. Both groups were comparable in anthropometric and BIA parameters, physical activity and protein-energy intake. Vegans had significantly higher glucose disposal (M-value, vegans 8.11±1.51 vs controls 6.31±1.57 mg/kg/min, 95% confidence interval: 0.402 to 3.212, P=0.014), slightly lower IMCL content (vegans 13.91 (7.8 to 44.0) vs controls 17.36 (12.4 to 78.5) mg/g of muscle, 95% confidence interval: -7.594 to 24.550, P=0.193) and slightly higher relative muscle mtDNA amount (vegans 1.36±0.31 vs controls 1.13±0.36, 95% confidence interval:-0.078 to 0.537, P=0.135). No significant differences were found in CS activity (vegans 18.43±5.05 vs controls 18.16±5.41 μmol/g/min, 95% confidence interval: -4.503 to 5.050, P=0.906). Vegans have a higher IS, but comparable mitochondrial density and IMCL content with omnivores. This suggests that a decrease in whole-body glucose disposal may precede muscle lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction in IR development.

Forward elastic scattering and total cross-section at very high energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castaldi, R.

1985-01-01

The successful cooling technique of antiproton beams at CERN has recently allowed the acceleration of proton and antiproton bunches simultaneously circulating in opposite directions in the SPS. Hadron-hadron collisions could so be produced at a centre-of-mass energy one order of magnitude higher than previously available, thus opening a new wide range of energies to experimentation. This technique also made it possible to replace one of the two proton beams in the ISR by a beam of antiprotons, allowing a direct precise comparison, by the same detectors, of pp and anti pp processes at the same energies. The recent results are summarized of the forward elastic scattering and total cross-section in this new energy domain. (Mori, K.)

Linear energy transfer (LET) effects in the radiation-induced inactivation of papain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bisby, R.H.; Cundall, R.B.; Sims, H.E.; Burns, W.G.

1977-01-01

The inactivation of dilute aqueous solutions of papain by radiations of varying linear energy transfer has been studied in N 2 , N 2 0 and O 2 -saturated solutions. The results obtained with low LET radiation are very similar to those previously reported by Lin et al (Radiation Res.;62:438(1975)). The additional data obtained at higher LET, when radical product yields are reduced and the yield of hydrogen peroxide is increased, show that the hydrogen atom is more important in the inactivation of papain than previously considered. (author)

Impedance Eduction in Large Ducts Containing Higher-Order Modes and Grazing Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Willie R.; Jones, Michael G.

2017-01-01

Impedance eduction test data are acquired in ducts with small and large cross-sectional areas at the NASA Langley Research Center. An improved data acquisition system in the large duct has resulted in increased control of the acoustic energy in source modes and more accurate resolution of higher-order duct modes compared to previous tests. Two impedance eduction methods that take advantage of the improved data acquisition to educe the liner impedance in grazing flow are presented. One method measures the axial propagation constant of a dominant mode in the liner test section (by implementing the Kumarsean and Tufts algorithm) and educes the impedance from an exact analytical expression. The second method solves numerically the convected Helmholtz equation and minimizes an objective function to obtain the liner impedance. The two methods are tested first on data synthesized from an exact mode solution and then on measured data. Results show that when the methods are applied to data acquired in the larger duct with a dominant higher-order mode, the same impedance spectra are educed as that obtained in the small duct where only the plane wave mode propagates. This result holds for each higher-order mode in the large duct provided that the higher-order mode is sufficiently attenuated by the liner.

Measurements of sputtering yields for low-energy plasma ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishi, M.; Yamada, M.; Suckewer, S.; Rosengaus, E.

1979-04-01

Sputtering yields of various wall/limiter materials of fusion devices have been extensively measured in the relevant plasma environment for low-energy light ions (E 14 cm -3 and electron temperature up to 10eV. Target materials used were C (graphite), Ti, Mo, Ta, W, and Fe (stainless steel). In order to study the dependence of the sputtering yields on the incident energy of ions, the target samples were held at negative bias voltage up to 300V. The sputtering yields were determined by a weight-loss method and by spectral line intensity measurements. The data obtained in the present experiment agree well with those previously obtained at the higher energies (E greater than or equal to 200eV) by other authors using different schemes; the present data also extend to substantially lower energies (E approx. > 30eV) than hitherto

Limits to the Fraction of High-energy Photon Emitting Gamma-Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Zheng, WeiKang

2013-02-01

After almost four years of operation, the two instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have shown that the number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with high-energy photon emission above 100 MeV cannot exceed roughly 9% of the total number of all such events, at least at the present detection limits. In a recent paper, we found that GRBs with photons detected in the Large Area Telescope have a surprisingly broad distribution with respect to the observed event photon number. Extrapolation of our empirical fit to numbers of photons below our previous detection limit suggests that the overall rate of such low flux events could be estimated by standard image co-adding techniques. In this case, we have taken advantage of the excellent angular resolution of the Swift mission to provide accurate reference points for 79 GRB events which have eluded any previous correlations with high-energy photons. We find a small but significant signal in the co-added field. Guided by the extrapolated power-law fit previously obtained for the number distribution of GRBs with higher fluxes, the data suggest that only a small fraction of GRBs are sources of high-energy photons.

LIMITS TO THE FRACTION OF HIGH-ENERGY PHOTON EMITTING GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Zheng, WeiKang

2013-01-01

After almost four years of operation, the two instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have shown that the number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with high-energy photon emission above 100 MeV cannot exceed roughly 9% of the total number of all such events, at least at the present detection limits. In a recent paper, we found that GRBs with photons detected in the Large Area Telescope have a surprisingly broad distribution with respect to the observed event photon number. Extrapolation of our empirical fit to numbers of photons below our previous detection limit suggests that the overall rate of such low flux events could be estimated by standard image co-adding techniques. In this case, we have taken advantage of the excellent angular resolution of the Swift mission to provide accurate reference points for 79 GRB events which have eluded any previous correlations with high-energy photons. We find a small but significant signal in the co-added field. Guided by the extrapolated power-law fit previously obtained for the number distribution of GRBs with higher fluxes, the data suggest that only a small fraction of GRBs are sources of high-energy photons.

Reproductive outcomes in adolescents who had a previous birth or an induced abortion compared to adolescents' first pregnancies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenzlaff Paul

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently, attention has been focused on subsequent pregnancies among teenage mothers. Previous studies that compared the reproductive outcomes of teenage nulliparae and multiparae often did not consider the adolescents' reproductive histories. Thus, the authors compared the risks for adverse reproductive outcomes of adolescent nulliparae to teenagers who either have had an induced abortion or a previous birth. Methods In this retrospective cohort study we used perinatal data prospectively collected by obstetricians and midwives from 1990–1999 (participation rate 87–98% of all hospitals in Lower Saxony, Germany. From the 9742 eligible births among adolescents, women with multiple births, >1 previous pregnancies, or a previous spontaneous miscarriage were deleted and 8857 women Results In bivariate logistic regression analyses, compared to nulliparous teenagers, adolescents with a previous birth had higher risks for perinatal [OR = 2.08, CI = 1.11,3.89] and neonatal [OR = 4.31, CI = 1.77,10.52] mortality and adolescents with a previous abortion had higher risks for stillbirths [OR = 3.31, CI = 1.01,10.88] and preterm births [OR = 2.21, CI = 1.07,4.58]. After adjusting for maternal nationality, partner status, smoking, prenatal care and pre-pregnancy BMI, adolescents with a previous birth were at higher risk for perinatal [OR = 2.35, CI = 1.14,4.86] and neonatal mortality [OR = 4.70, CI = 1.60,13.81] and adolescents with a previous abortion had a higher risk for very low birthweight infants [OR = 2.74, CI = 1.06,7.09] than nulliparous teenagers. Conclusion The results suggest that teenagers who give birth twice as adolescents have worse outcomes in their second pregnancy compared to those teenagers who are giving birth for the first time. The prevention of the second pregnancy during adolescence is an important public health objective and should be addressed by health care providers who attend the first birth or the abortion

Energy and climate protection management, the key to higher energy efficiency in communities; Energie- und Klimaschutzmanagement. Der Schluessel zu mehr Energieeffizienz in Kommunen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-15

The brochure explains the dena energy and climate protection management concepts and presents tools for long-term reduction of energy consumption in communities. It presents valuable information for better organization of internal processes in community administrations and for the management of energy efficiency measures. The dena energy and climate protection management concept is developed in cooperation with model communities of different sizes since 2010. All interested communities can use this brochure as a guide for initiating effective climate protection measures.

Energy transition: how is Germany doing?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulanger, Vincent

2017-04-01

This book is an updated edition of the previous version from 2015. In this book the author comments and discusses the content, successes and failures, uncertainties and consequences of the new German energy policy, Energiewende. The objective is to reach 80 to 95 per cent of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 while phasing out nuclear. The author denies some statements about this policy. Some say that coal will replace nuclear as in fact renewable electricity production more than compensates the reduction of nuclear electricity production. Others say that Germany will have to import French nuclear electricity as in fact France must import German electricity in case of peak consumptions. Others say that German electricity became more expensive: it's true but it is in fact compensated by much higher energy savings. Remaining issues are the financing of nuclear plant dismantling and of nuclear waste management, the organisation of a decentralised production network, and the passage to renewable energies in the heating and transport sectors

Does previous failed ESWL have a negative impact of on the outcome of ureterorenoscopy? A matched pair analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Philippou, Prodromos; Payne, David; Davenport, Kim; Timoney, Anthony G; Keeley, Francis X

2013-11-01

This study aims to evaluate the outcome of ureteroscopy/ureterorenoscopy (URS) as a salvage procedure for stones resistant to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Between January 2009 and January 2012, 313 patients with upper tract lithiasis were treated by URS. Among them, 87 (27.8 %) had undergone URS after prior ESWL failed to achieve stone clearance (Salvage group). These patients were matched with a group of patients who underwent URS as first-line modality (Primary group). Stone-free rates and adjuvant procedures represented the primary points for comparison. Secondary points for comparison included complications, procedure duration, total laser energy used and length of hospitalization. Matching was possible in all cases. Stone clearance rates were 73.6 and 82.8 % for the Salvage and Primary group, respectively. The difference in stone clearance rates between the two groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.186). A total of 11 patients (12.6 %) in the Primary group and 18 patients (20.7 %) in the Salvage group underwent an adjuvant procedure (p = 0.154). No statistically significant differences were noted in terms of complications, procedure duration and length of hospitalization. In the Primary group, the laser energy used for stone fragmentation was higher (p = 0.043). The rate of ureteric stenting at the end of the procedure was higher for the Salvage group (p = 0.030). Previous failed ESWL is not a predictor for unfavorable outcome of URS. Salvage URS is associated, however, with an increased need for ureteric stenting at the end of the procedure.

The Roles of Public Higher Education Expenditure and the Privatization of the Higher Education on U.S. States Economic Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Curs, Bradley R.; Bhandari, Bornali; Steiger, Christina

2011-01-01

Previous empirical literature finds that government expenditure on higher education has a negative, or null, effect on U.S. economic growth rates. This empirical result may be driven by omission of an important variable--the privatization of higher education. Using state-level panel data from 1970 to 2005, this analysis investigates whether the…

Higher-order threshold resummation for semi-inclusive e+e- annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moch, S.; Vogt, A.

2009-08-01

The complete soft-enhanced and virtual-gluon contributions are derived for the quark coefficient functions in semi-inclusive e + e - annihilation to the third order in massless perturbative QCD. These terms enable us to extend the soft-gluon resummation for the fragmentation functions by two orders to the next-to-next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic (N 3 LL) accuracy. The resummation exponent is found to be the same as for the structure functions in inclusive deep-inelastic scattering. This finding, together with known results on the higher-order quark form factor, facilitates the determination of all soft and virtual contributions of the fourth-order difference of the coefficient functions for these two processes. Unlike the previous (N 2 LL) order in the exponentiation, the numerical effect of the N 3 LL contributions turns out to be negligible at LEP energies. (orig.)

Dynamics in Higher Education Politics: A Theoretical Model

Science.gov (United States)

Kauko, Jaakko

2013-01-01

This article presents a model for analysing dynamics in higher education politics (DHEP). Theoretically the model draws on the conceptual history of political contingency, agenda-setting theories and previous research on higher education dynamics. According to the model, socio-historical complexity can best be analysed along two dimensions: the…

Performance Evaluation of Lower-Energy Energy Storage Alternatives for Full-Hybrid Vehicles; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonder, J.; Cosgrove, J.; Pesaran, A.

2014-02-11

Automakers have been mass producing hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) for well over a decade, and the technology has proven to be very effective at reducing per-vehicle fuel use. However, the incremental cost of HEVs such as the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion Hybrid remains several thousand dollars higher than the cost of comparable conventional vehicles, which has limited HEV market penetration. The b b b b battery energy storage device is typically the component with the greatest contribution toward this cost increment, so significant cost reductions/performance improvements to the energy storage system (ESS) can correspondingly improve the vehicle-level cost/benefit relationship. Such an improvement would in turn lead to larger HEV market penetration and greater aggregate fuel savings. The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Storage Program managers asked the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to collaborate with a USABC Workgroup and analyze the trade-offs between vehicle fuel economy and reducing the decade-old minimum energy requirement for power-assist HEVs. NREL’s analysis showed that significant fuel savings could still be delivered from an ESS with much lower energy storage than the previous targets, which prompted USABC to issue a new set of lower-energy ESS (LEESS) targets that could be satisfied by a variety of technologies. With support from DOE, NREL has developed an HEV test platform for in-vehicle performance and fuel economy validation testing of the hybrid system using such LEESS devices. This presentation describes development of the vehicle test platform, and laboratory as well as in-vehicle evaluation results with alternate energy storage configurations as compared to the production battery system. The alternate energy storage technologies considered include lithium-ion capacitors -- i.e., asymmetric electrochemical energy storage devices possessing one electrode with battery

Qualitative assessment of the CEE arrangement - Second period 2011-2013. The Certificates of Energy Savings: an arrangement which catalyses decision by households for energy saving works. Synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-04-01

After previous assessments on energy savings, costs, and potentials, this publication reports a qualitative assessment of the CEE arrangement (certificate of energy savings). The objective is to get a better insight into decision making by the final consumer. After a brief presentation of the survey methodology, the report describes the CEEs as a catalyst for higher performance works. The survey highlighted the incentive effect of the CEE premium, and the lever effect of advice and information. The report also outlines that the CEE is an additional tool to other public aids. It indicates that works are highly motivated by a search for energy savings, and are actually efficient to meet this objective

The Role of Higher Harmonics In Musical Interval Perception

Science.gov (United States)

Krantz, Richard; Douthett, Jack

2011-10-01

Using an alternative parameterization of the roughness curve we make direct use of critical band results to investigate the role of higher harmonics on the perception of tonal consonance. We scale the spectral amplitudes in the complex home tone and complex interval tone to simulate acoustic signals of constant energy. Our analysis reveals that even with a relatively small addition of higher harmonics the perfect fifth emerges as a consonant interval with more, musically important, just intervals emerging as consonant as more and more energy is shifted into higher frequencies.

U. S. Energy and Economic Growth, 1975--2010

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, E. L.; Cooper, C. L.; Edmonds, F. C.; Edmonds, J. A.; Reister, D. B.; Weinberg, A. M.; Whittle, C. E.; Zelby, L. W.

1976-09-01

This study projects economic growth (GNP) and energy demand for the U.S. to the year 2010. The main finding is that both GNP and total energy demand are likely to grow significantly more slowly than has been assumed in most analyses of energy policy. Projections of energy, GNP, and electricity (total and per capita) are summarized, with electricity demand expected to grow more rapidly than total energy demand. Two scenarios designated ''high'' and ''low'' were developed in this study. However, even the ''high'' scenario, 126 quads (q; 1 q equals 10/sup 15/ Btu) in 2000, is much lower than most previous estimates. It is felt that this raises serious questions about fundamental energy and energy R and D policies which, generally, have been based on perceptions of more lavish energy futures. Although the aggregate demands and GNP are projected to increase rather modestly, the energy demands per capita and GNP per capita increase at rates comparable to or even higher than historic rates. The authors believe that the projections developed in this study represent a logical culmination of many trends toward lower growth. These trends have not yet been factored into the older energy projections upon which so much energy policy is based.

Electron energy loss spectroscopy of gold nanoparticles on graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeJarnette, Drew; Roper, D. Keith

2014-01-01

Plasmon excitation decay by absorption, scattering, and hot electron transfer has been distinguished from effects induced by incident photons for gold nanoparticles on graphene monolayer using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Gold nano-ellipses were evaporated onto lithographed graphene, which was transferred onto a silicon nitride transmission electron microscopy grid. Plasmon decay from lithographed nanoparticles measured with EELS was compared in the absence and presence of the graphene monolayer. Measured decay values compared favorably with estimated radiative and non-radiative contributions to decay in the absence of graphene. Graphene significantly enhanced low-energy plasmon decay, increasing mode width 38%, but did not affect higher energy plasmon or dark mode decay. This decay beyond expected radiative and non-radiative mechanisms was attributed to hot electron transfer, and had quantum efficiency of 20%, consistent with previous reports

Energy deposition and GDR emission in inelastic alpha particle scattering

CERN Document Server

Viesti, G; Fabris, D; Nebbia, G; Cinausero, M; Fioretto, E; Napoli, D R; Prete, G; Hagel, K; Natowitz, J B; Wada, R; Gonthier, P; Majka, Z; Alfarro, R; Zhao, Y; Mdeiwayeh, N; Ho, T

1999-01-01

Neutron fold distributions measured for the reaction sup 2 sup 0 sup 9 Bi(alpha,alpha') at 240 MeV have been analyzed with the help of Statistical Model calculations to determine the distribution of excitation energy in the primary target fragments as a function of the projectile energy loss, EL. Results show that the distributions in excitation energy feature a plateau which extends from the kinematical limit E sub x =EL to very small excitations, suggesting a variety of interactions of the beam particles with the target nucleus. Requiring an additional coincidence with a light charged particle leads to selection of a significant higher average excitation energy. This effect is extrapolated to explore results of previous GDR decay measurements in the case of a sup 2 sup 0 sup 8 Pb target. Corrections of derived GDR parameters due to the partial transfer of excitation energy are suggested.

The relationship between emotional intelligence, previous caring experience and mindfulness in student nurses and midwives: a cross sectional analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Snowden, Austyn; Stenhouse, Rosie; Young, Jenny; Carver, Hannah; Carver, Fiona; Brown, Norrie

2015-01-01

Emotional Intelligence (EI), previous caring experience and mindfulness training may have a positive impact on nurse education. More evidence is needed to support the use of these variables in nurse recruitment and retention. To explore the relationship between EI, gender, age, programme of study, previous caring experience and mindfulness training. Cross sectional element of longitudinal study. 938year one nursing, midwifery and computing students at two Scottish Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) who entered their programme in September 2013. Participants completed a measure of 'trait' EI: Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire Short Form (TEIQue-SF); and 'ability' EI: Schutte's et al. (1998) Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS). Demographics, previous caring experience and previous training in mindfulness were recorded. Relationships between variables were tested using non-parametric tests. Emotional intelligence increased with age on both measures of EI [TEIQ-SF H(5)=15.157 p=0.001; SEIS H(5)=11.388, p=0.044]. Females (n=786) scored higher than males (n=149) on both measures [TEIQ-SF, U=44,931, z=-4.509, pemotional intelligence. Mindfulness training was associated with higher 'ability' emotional intelligence. Implications for recruitment, retention and further research are explored. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Theoretical and computational study of the energy dependence of the muon transfer rate from hydrogen to higher-Z gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakalov, Dimitar, E-mail: dbakalov@inrne.bas.bg [Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tsarigradsko chaussée 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Adamczak, Andrzej [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Krakow (Poland); Stoilov, Mihail [Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Tsarigradsko chaussée 72, Sofia 1784 (Bulgaria); Vacchi, Andrea [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, Via A. Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste (Italy)

2015-01-23

The recent PSI Lamb shift experiment and the controversy about proton size revived the interest in measuring the hyperfine splitting in muonic hydrogen as an alternative possibility for comparing ordinary and muonic hydrogen spectroscopy data on proton electromagnetic structure. This measurement critically depends on the energy dependence of the muon transfer rate to heavier gases in the epithermal range. The available data provide only qualitative information, and the theoretical predictions have not been verified. We propose a new method by measurements of the transfer rate in thermalized target at different temperatures, estimate its accuracy and investigate the optimal experimental conditions. - Highlights: • Method for measuring the energy dependence of muon transfer rate to higher-Z gases. • Thermalization and depolarization of muonic hydrogen studied by Monte Carlo method. • Optimal experimental conditions determined by Monte Carlo simulations. • Mathematical model and for estimating the uncertainty of the experimental results.

Improvement of the sensitivity of CdTe detectors in the high energy regions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishizawa, Hiroshi; Ikegami, Kazunori; Takashima, Kazuo; Usami, Teruo [Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Tokyo (Japan); Yamamoto, Takayoshi

1996-07-01

In order to improve the efficiency of the full energy peak in the high energy regions, we had previously suggested a multi-layered structure of CdTe elements and have since confirmed the sensitivity improvement of the full energy peak. And furthermore, we have suggested a new type structure of multi-layered elements in this paper and we confirmed that the efficiency of the full energy peak became higher and that more proper energy spectra were obtained by our current experiment than by the detector with the conventional structure. This paper describes a simulation and experiment to improve the efficiency of the full energy peak and to obtain the more proper energy spectra of {sup 137}Cs (662keV) and {sup 60}Co (1.17 and 1.33MeV) using the new structure of CdTe detector. (J.P.N.)

Effect of media composition, including gelling agents, on isolation of previously uncultured rumen bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyonyo, T; Shinkai, T; Tajima, A; Mitsumori, M

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop novel anaerobic media using gellan gum for the isolation of previously uncultured rumen bacteria. Four anaerobic media, a basal liquid medium (BM) with agar (A-BM), a modified BM (MBM) with agar (A-MBM), an MBM with phytagel (P-MBM) and an MBM with gelrite (G-MBM) were used for the isolation of rumen bacteria and evaluated for the growth of previously uncultured rumen bacteria. Of the 214 isolates composed of 144 OTUs, 103 isolates (83 OTUs) were previously uncultured rumen bacteria. Most of the previously uncultured strains were obtained from A-MBM, G-MBM and P-MBM, but the predominant cultural members, isolated from each medium, differed. A-MBM and G-MBM showed significantly higher numbers of different OTUs derived from isolates than A-BM (P rumen bacteria were isolated from all media used, the ratio of previously uncultured bacteria to total isolates was increased in A-MBM, P-MBM and G-MBM. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Laparoscopy After Previous Laparotomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zulfo Godinjak

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Following the abdominal surgery, extensive adhesions often occur and they can cause difficulties during laparoscopic operations. However, previous laparotomy is not considered to be a contraindication for laparoscopy. The aim of this study is to present that an insertion of Veres needle in the region of umbilicus is a safe method for creating a pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic operations after previous laparotomy. In the last three years, we have performed 144 laparoscopic operations in patients that previously underwent one or two laparotomies. Pathology of digestive system, genital organs, Cesarean Section or abdominal war injuries were the most common causes of previouslaparotomy. During those operations or during entering into abdominal cavity we have not experienced any complications, while in 7 patients we performed conversion to laparotomy following the diagnostic laparoscopy. In all patients an insertion of Veres needle and trocar insertion in the umbilical region was performed, namely a technique of closed laparoscopy. Not even in one patient adhesions in the region of umbilicus were found, and no abdominal organs were injured.

Kilovoltage energy imaging with a radiotherapy linac with a continuously variable energy range.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, D A; Hansen, V N; Thompson, M G; Poludniowski, G; Niven, A; Seco, J; Evans, P M

2012-03-01

In this paper, the effect on image quality of significantly reducing the primary electron energy of a radiotherapy accelerator is investigated using a novel waveguide test piece. The waveguide contains a novel variable coupling device (rotovane), allowing for a wide continuously variable energy range of between 1.4 and 9 MeV suitable for both imaging and therapy. Imaging at linac accelerating potentials close to 1 MV was investigated experimentally and via Monte Carlo simulations. An imaging beam line was designed, and planar and cone beam computed tomography images were obtained to enable qualitative and quantitative comparisons with kilovoltage and megavoltage imaging systems. The imaging beam had an electron energy of 1.4 MeV, which was incident on a water cooled electron window consisting of stainless steel, a 5 mm carbon electron absorber and 2.5 mm aluminium filtration. Images were acquired with an amorphous silicon detector sensitive to diagnostic x-ray energies. The x-ray beam had an average energy of 220 keV and half value layer of 5.9 mm of copper. Cone beam CT images with the same contrast to noise ratio as a gantry mounted kilovoltage imaging system were obtained with doses as low as 2 cGy. This dose is equivalent to a single 6 MV portal image. While 12 times higher than a 100 kVp CBCT system (Elekta XVI), this dose is 140 times lower than a 6 MV cone beam imaging system and 6 times lower than previously published LowZ imaging beams operating at higher (4-5 MeV) energies. The novel coupling device provides for a wide range of electron energies that are suitable for kilovoltage quality imaging and therapy. The imaging system provides high contrast images from the therapy portal at low dose, approaching that of gantry mounted kilovoltage x-ray systems. Additionally, the system provides low dose imaging directly from the therapy portal, potentially allowing for target tracking during radiotherapy treatment. There is the scope with such a tuneable system

Energy scavenging based on a single-crystal PMN-PT nanobelt

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Fan; Cai, Wei; Yeh, Yao-Wen; Xu, Shiyou; Yao, Nan

2016-03-01

Self-powered nanodevices scavenging mechanical energy require piezoelectric nanostructures with high piezoelectric coefficients. Here we report the fabrication of a single-crystal (1 - x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 - xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) nanobelt with a superior piezoelectric constant (d33 = ~550 pm/V), which is approximately ~150%, 430%, and 2100% of the largest reported values for previous PMN-PT, PZT and ZnO nanostructures, respectively. The high d33 of the single-crystalline PMN-PT nanobelt results from the precise orientation control during its fabrication. As a demonstration of its application in energy scavenging, a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) is built on the single PMN-PT nanobelt, generating a maximum output voltage of ~1.2 V. This value is ~4 times higher than that of a single-CdTe PNG, ~13 times higher than that of a single-ZnSnO3 PNG, and ~26 times higher than that of a single-ZnO PNG. The profoundly increased output voltage of a lateral PNG built on a single PMN-PT nanobelt demonstrates the potential application of PMN-PT nanostructures in energy harvesting, thus enriching the material choices for PNGs.

Dose calculation for photon-emitting brachytherapy sources with average energy higher than 50 keV: report of the AAPM and ESTRO.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Calatayud, Jose; Ballester, Facundo; Das, Rupak K; Dewerd, Larry A; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Meigooni, Ali S; Ouhib, Zoubir; Rivard, Mark J; Sloboda, Ron S; Williamson, Jeffrey F

2012-05-01

Recommendations of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) on dose calculations for high-energy (average energy higher than 50 keV) photon-emitting brachytherapy sources are presented, including the physical characteristics of specific (192)Ir, (137)Cs, and (60)Co source models. This report has been prepared by the High Energy Brachytherapy Source Dosimetry (HEBD) Working Group. This report includes considerations in the application of the TG-43U1 formalism to high-energy photon-emitting sources with particular attention to phantom size effects, interpolation accuracy dependence on dose calculation grid size, and dosimetry parameter dependence on source active length. Consensus datasets for commercially available high-energy photon sources are provided, along with recommended methods for evaluating these datasets. Recommendations on dosimetry characterization methods, mainly using experimental procedures and Monte Carlo, are established and discussed. Also included are methodological recommendations on detector choice, detector energy response characterization and phantom materials, and measurement specification methodology. Uncertainty analyses are discussed and recommendations for high-energy sources without consensus datasets are given. Recommended consensus datasets for high-energy sources have been derived for sources that were commercially available as of January 2010. Data are presented according to the AAPM TG-43U1 formalism, with modified interpolation and extrapolation techniques of the AAPM TG-43U1S1 report for the 2D anisotropy function and radial dose function.

10 CFR 603.1280 - Institution of higher education.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Institution of higher education. 603.1280 Section 603.1280... Definitions of Terms Used in this Part § 603.1280 Institution of higher education. An educational institution that: (a) Meets the criteria in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); and...

Preoperative screening: value of previous tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Macpherson, D S; Snow, R; Lofgren, R P

1990-12-15

To determine the frequency of tests done in the year before elective surgery that might substitute for preoperative screening tests and to determine the frequency of test results that change from a normal value to a value likely to alter perioperative management. Retrospective cohort analysis of computerized laboratory data (complete blood count, sodium, potassium, and creatinine levels, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time). Urban tertiary care Veterans Affairs Hospital. Consecutive sample of 1109 patients who had elective surgery in 1988. At admission, 7549 preoperative tests were done, 47% of which duplicated tests performed in the previous year. Of 3096 previous results that were normal as defined by hospital reference range and done closest to the time of but before admission (median interval, 2 months), 13 (0.4%; 95% CI, 0.2% to 0.7%), repeat values were outside a range considered acceptable for surgery. Most of the abnormalities were predictable from the patient's history, and most were not noted in the medical record. Of 461 previous tests that were abnormal, 78 (17%; CI, 13% to 20%) repeat values at admission were outside a range considered acceptable for surgery (P less than 0.001, frequency of clinically important abnormalities of patients with normal previous results with those with abnormal previous results). Physicians evaluating patients preoperatively could safely substitute the previous test results analyzed in this study for preoperative screening tests if the previous tests are normal and no obvious indication for retesting is present.

The relationship among energy prices and energy consumption in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Chaoqing; Liu, Sifeng; Wu, Junlong

2010-01-01

The pricing mechanism for energy is not in line with the international standards, because the energy prices are controlled by the government partly or completely in China. Chinese government made a lot of efforts to improve the pricing mechanism for energy. The relations between Chinese energy prices and energy consumption are the foundations to reform the mechanism. In this paper, the relations between Chinese energy consumption and energy prices are researched by cointegration equations, impulse response functions, granger causality and variance decomposition. The cointegration relations among energy prices, energy consumption and economic outputs show that higher energy price will decrease energy consumption in Chinese industrial sectors but will not reduce the economic output in the long run. The cointegration relation between energy price and household energy consumption shows that higher energy price will decrease household energy consumption in the long run and increase it in the short run. So Chinese government should deepen the reform of pricing mechanism for energy, and increase the energy prices reasonably to save energy. (author)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES FOR SANITATION FACILITIES IN SELAWIK, AK FINAL REPORT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

POLLIS, REBECCA

2014-10-17

The Native Village of Selawik is a federally recognized Alaskan tribe, located at the mouth of the Selawik River, about 90 miles east of Kotzebue in northwest Alaska. Due to the community’s rural location and cold climate, it is common for electric rates to be four times higher than the cost urban residents pay. These high energy costs were the driving factor for Selawik pursuing funding from the Department of Energy in order to achieve significant energy cost savings. The main objective of the project was to improve the overall energy efficiency of the water treatment/distribution and sewer collection systems in Selawik by implementing the retrofit measures identified in a previously conducted utility energy audit. One purpose for the proposed improvements was to enable the community to realize significant savings associated with the cost of energy. Another purpose of the upgrades was to repair the vacuum sewer system on the west side of Selawik to prevent future freeze-up problems during winter months.

Higher moments of net kaon multiplicity distributions at RHIC energies for the search of QCD Critical Point at STAR

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Sarkar Amal

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we report the measurements of the various moments mean (M, standard deviation (σ skewness (S and kurtosis (κ of the net-Kaon multiplicity distribution at midrapidity from Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 7.7 to 200 GeV in the STAR experiment at RHIC in an effort to locate the critical point in the QCD phase diagram. These moments and their products are related to the thermodynamic susceptibilities of conserved quantities such as net baryon number, net charge, and net strangeness as also to the correlation length of the system. A non-monotonic behavior of these variable indicate the presence of the critical point. In this work we also present the moments products Sσ, κσ2 of net-Kaon multiplicity distribution as a function of collision centrality and energies. The energy and the centrality dependence of higher moments of net-Kaons and their products have been compared with it0s Poisson expectation and with simulations from AMPT which does not include the critical point. From the measurement at all seven available beam energies, we find no evidence for a critical point in the QCD phase diagram for √sNN below 200 GeV.

Energy in Croatia, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-12-01

The review consists of the most recent and settled data for the year 2000 as well as data for the five-years period. In 2000 total energy consumption decreased by 2.8 percent compared to the previous year. As at the same time the gross domestic product increased by 3.7 percent, energy intensity grew, thus presenting a positive change of trend . The energy intensity, the measurement showing the total energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product, exceeded the level realised by the Western European countries, but was still more favourable than in most transition countries. At the same time 2000 saw an decrease of primary energy generation by 1.7 percent but, as a consequence of extremely favourable hydrological conditions, with a decreased production of natural gas and oil. The supply from own sources remained 51 percent but the trend is expected to be negative in the following few years bearing in mind the condition of the gas and oil reserves, i.e. cessation of coal production in Istria. Only partly will the process be slowed down by the production of natural gas from the Northern Adriatic. Natural gas production grew by 6.8 percent compared to the previous year, causing the share of natural gas in energy production to exceed 32 percent. In 2000 the transformation losses fell by 11 percent, transportation and distribution losses fell by 6.7 percent and non-energy consumption by 2.4 percent, while energy sector own use rose by 1.4 percent.. The result of this was that, despite the increase of total energy production by 2.8 percent, final energy demand fell by only 0.2 percent, i.e. 1.5 percent in other sectors and transport, and 2.9 percent increase in industry. Apart from these data, the publication includes all other relevant indicators about our energy system, i.e. system capacities, energy source prices, environmental influence, etc

Quasar energy distributions. I. Soft X-ray spectra of quasars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkes, B.J.; Elvis, M.

1987-01-01

As the initial stage of a study of quasar energy distributions (QEDs), Einstein IPC spectra of 24 quasars are presented. These are combined with previously reported IPC spectra to form a sample of 33 quasars with well-determined soft X-ray slopes. A correlation analysis shows that radio loudness, rather than redshift or luminosity, is fundamentally related to the X-ray slope. This correlation is not followed by higher energy spectra of active galaxies. Two components are required to explain both sets of results. The best-fit column densities are systematically smaller than the Galactic values. The same effect is not present in a sample of BL Lac objects, implying that the effect is intrinsic to the quasars and is caused by a low-energy turnup in the quasar spectra. 74 references

Higher photosynthesis, nutrient- and energy-use efficiencies contribute to invasiveness of exotic plants in a nutrient poor habitat in northeast China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ming-Chao; Kong, De-Liang; Lu, Xiu-Rong; Huang, Kai; Wang, Shuo; Wang, Wei-Bin; Qu, Bo; Feng, Yu-Long

2017-08-01

The roles of photosynthesis-related traits in invasiveness of introduced plant species are still not well elucidated, especially in nutrient-poor habitats. In addition, little effort has been made to determine the physiological causes and consequences of the difference in these traits between invasive and native plants. To address these problems, we compared the differences in 16 leaf functional traits related to light-saturated photosynthetic rate (P max ) between 22 invasive and native plants in a nutrient-poor habitat in northeast China. The invasive plants had significantly higher P max , photosynthetic nitrogen- (PNUE), phosphorus- (PPUE), potassium- (PKUE) and energy-use efficiencies (PEUE) than the co-occurring natives, while leaf nutrient concentrations, construction cost (CC) and specific leaf area were not significantly different between the invasive and native plants. The higher PNUE contributed to higher P max for the invasive plants, which in turn contributed to higher PPUE, PKUE and PEUE. CC changed independently with other traits such as P max , PNUE, PPUE, PKUE and PEUE, showing two trait dimensions, which may facilitate acclimation to multifarious niche dimensions. Our results indicate that the invasive plants have a superior resource-use strategy, i.e. higher photosynthesis under similar resource investments, contributing to invasion success in the barren habitat. © 2017 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

LMDI Decomposition of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions Based on Energy and CO2 Allocation Sankey Diagrams: The Method and an Application to China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linwei Ma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This manuscript develops a logarithmic mean Divisia index I (LMDI decomposition method based on energy and CO2 allocation Sankey diagrams to analyze the contributions of various influencing factors to the growth of energy-related CO2 emissions on a national level. Compared with previous methods, we can further consider the influences of energy supply efficiency. Two key parameters, the primary energy quantity converted factor (KPEQ and the primary carbon dioxide emission factor (KC, were introduced to calculate the equilibrium data for the whole process of energy unitization and related CO2 emissions. The data were used to map energy and CO2 allocation Sankey diagrams. Based on these parameters, we built an LMDI method with a higher technical resolution and applied it to decompose the growth of energy-related CO2 emissions in China from 2004 to 2014. The results indicate that GDP growth per capita is the main factor driving the growth of CO2 emissions while the reduction of energy intensity, the improvement of energy supply efficiency, and the introduction of non-fossil fuels in heat and electricity generation slowed the growth of CO2 emissions.

Prospects for measuring GMN in CLAS with higher CEBAF beam energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooks, W.

1994-01-01

The possibility exists for extending a planned measurement of the neutron magnetic form factor to higher values of momentum transfer. The theoretical interest and the experimental method are described. Problems associated with higher Q 2 measurements are discussed. It is concluded that measurements of moderate precision may be possible up to a Q 2 of 8-9.5 GeV 2 , more than doubling the range of the data currently available

Possibility of a higher PSB to PS transfer energy

CERN Document Server

Hanke, K; Blas, A; Borburgh, J; Bozzini, D; Buzio, M; Capatina, O; Carli, C; Dobers, T; Fernandez, L; Findlay, A; Folch, R; Gilardoni, S; Gilbert, N; Hermanns, T; Mahner, E; Mikulec, B; Newborough, A; Nonis, M; Olek, S; Paoluzzi, M; Pittet, S; Ruehl, I; Rumolo, G; Steerenberg, R; Tan, J; Tommasini, D; Weterings, W; Widorski, M; Shaposhnikova, E

2011-01-01

Following the Chamonix 2010 workshop a task force has been set up to study the feasibility and the impact of an energy upgrade of the PS Booster from the present 1.4 GeV to about 2 GeV. The working group has confirmed the feasibility of such an upgrade, and analysed in detail the impact on the accelerator hardware along with a cost estimate and a tentative planning. The outcome of the task force will be summarized, with particular emphasis on the remaining limitations, risks and uncertainties.

Siebel eEnergy ensures higher efficiency at HEW; Siebel eEnergy sorgt bei HEW fuer mehr Effizienz. Vertriebsvertraege und Service managen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritter, U. [EMEA, Siebel Systems, Ismaning (Germany)

2003-01-27

HEW, a leading German energy provider, uses Siebel eEnergy to create a single, comprehensive view of customer information across multiple channels and integrating with the company's back office applications. Siebel eEnergy provides improved management of energy contracts and enables HEW to increase sales efficiency, accelerate the service delivery process, and enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. (orig.) [German] HEW, eines der fuehrenden deutschen Energieversorgungsunternehmen, nutzt Siebel eEnergy, um ueber verschiedene Kanaele hinweg umfassende Kundenprofile zu erstellen und sie mit den Back-Office-Anwendungen zu integrieren. Siebel eEnergy bietet verbessertes Management der Energieversorgungs-Vertraege und ermoeglicht HEW dadurch, die Effizienz im Vertrieb zu steigern, die Bereitstellung und Lieferung von Energie zu beschleunigen und so Kundenzufriedenheit und Kundentreue zu erhoehen. (orig.)

Techniques for combining isotopic images obtained at different energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soussaline, F.; Di Paola, R.; Bazin, J.P.

1976-01-01

The technique described should be considered as a first step towards the classification of scintigraphic data where the energy is included. As in all such studies the interpretation of the resulting images is not necessarily at first evident, and certain experience needs to be established. This applies in particular to the images obtained with the higher factors. It is possible that the use of this technique may resolve, without requiring a priori information, the problem previously encountered using the other 'subtraction' type techniques [fr

Energy Efficiency Center - Overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obryk, E.

2000-01-01

Full text: The Energy Efficiency Center (EEC) activities have been concentrated on Energy Efficiency Network (SEGE), education and training of energy auditors. EEC has started studies related to renewable fuels (bio fuel, wastes) and other topics related to environment protection. EEC has continued close collaboration with Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller, Norway. It has been organized and conducted Seminar and Workshop on ''How to Reduce Energy and Water Cost in Higher Education Buildings'' for general and technical managers of the higher education institutions. This Seminar was proceeded by the working meeting on energy efficiency strategy in higher education at the Ministry of National Education. EEC has worked out proposal for activities of Cracow Regional Agency for Energy Efficiency and Environment and has made offer to provide services for this Agency in the field of training, education and consulting. The vast knowledge and experiences in the field of energy audits have been used by the members of EEC in lecturing at energy auditors courses authorized by the National Energy Efficiency Agency (KAPE). Altogether 20 lectures have been delivered. (author)

Energy Optimization of Road Tunnel Lighting Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferdinando Salata

2015-07-01

Full Text Available A road tunnel is an enclosed and covered infrastructure for the vehicular traffic. Its lighting system provides 24 h of artificial sources only, with a higher amount of electric power used during the day. Due to safety reasons, when there is natural lighting outside the tunnel, the lighting levels in the stretches right after the entrance and before the exit must be high, in order to guide the driver’s eye towards the middle of the tunnel where the luminance must guarantee safe driving, avoid any over-dimensioning of the lighting systems, and produce energy savings. Such effects can be reached not only through the technological advances in the field of artificial lighting sources with high luminous efficiency, but also through new materials for road paving characterized by a higher reflection coefficient than other ordinary asphalts. This case study examines different technical scenarios, analyzing and comparing possible energy and economic savings. Traditional solutions are thus compared with scenarios suggesting the solutions previously mentioned. Special asphalts are interesting from an economic point of view, whereas the high costs of LED sources nowadays represent an obstacle for their implementation.

Measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays from the Pierre Auger Observatory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, M.

2009-01-01

The large sample of data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory has led to a significant improvement over previous measurements on the energy spectrum of cosmic rays. We observe a suppression of the flux at the highest energy with a significance of more than 6 standard deviations. The spectral index γ of the flux, J∝E -γ , at energies between 4x10 18 eV and 4x10 19 eV is 2.69±0.02 (stat) ±0.06 (syst), steepening to 4.2±0.4 (stat) ±0.06 (syst) at higher energies, consistent with the prediction by Greisen and by Zatsepin and Kuz'min. Observations of cosmic rays by the fluorescence detector allowed the extension of the energy spectrum to lower energies, where the efficiency of the surface detector is less then 100% and a change in the spectral index is expected.

Energy survey in the New Zealand dairy industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vickers, V T; Shannon, D V

1977-12-25

An in-depth report on energy consumption in the New Zealand dairy industry for 1974--75 shows that a reduction in fuel consumption per unit of production has occurred when compared with two previous surveys (1954--55 and 1964--65). The increase in thermal efficiency of dairy processing was due mainly to the use of hot water heating systems in milk-treatment stations, the increased capacity of butter and cheese factories, increased thermal efficiency in skim milk drying and casein manufacture, increased efficiency in boiler plants, and higher drying air temperature achieved with the use of indirect oil- and gas-fired air heaters and liquid-phase air heating systems. Total energy consumed by the industry by type is tabulated. Recommendations to the industry following the survey are listed. (MCW)

Career Self-Management and Career Capital of Mid-Level Administrators in Higher Education Who Previously Served as Professional Academic Advisors

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Elecia Cole

2014-01-01

Understanding the prerequisites for career advancement helps to keep employees motivated and engaged. However, in the higher education (H.E.) workplace, where formalized career ladders are sparse and ambiguous for staff personnel--especially those in professional academic advising--employees who are interested in career advancement into mid-level…

NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource High Resolution Meteorology Data For Sustainable Building Design

Science.gov (United States)

Chandler, William S.; Hoell, James M.; Westberg, David; Zhang, Taiping; Stackhouse, Paul W., Jr.

2013-01-01

A primary objective of NASA's Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource (POWER) project is to adapt and infuse NASA's solar and meteorological data into the energy, agricultural, and architectural industries. Improvements are continuously incorporated when higher resolution and longer-term data inputs become available. Climatological data previously provided via POWER web applications were three-hourly and 1x1 degree latitude/longitude. The NASA Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) data set provides higher resolution data products (hourly and 1/2x1/2 degree) covering the entire globe. Currently POWER solar and meteorological data are available for more than 30 years on hourly (meteorological only), daily, monthly and annual time scales. These data may be useful to several renewable energy sectors: solar and wind power generation, agricultural crop modeling, and sustainable buildings. A recent focus has been working with ASHRAE to assess complementing weather station data with MERRA data. ASHRAE building design parameters being investigated include heating/cooling degree days and climate zones.

Effects of easy-to-use protein-rich energy bar on energy balance, physical activity and performance during 8 days of sustained physical exertion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minna M Tanskanen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Previous military studies have shown an energy deficit during a strenuous field training course (TC. This study aimed to determine the effects of energy bar supplementation on energy balance, physical activity (PA, physical performance and well-being and to evaluate ad libitum fluid intake during wintertime 8-day strenuous TC. METHODS: Twenty-six men (age 20±1 yr. were randomly divided into two groups: The control group (n = 12 had traditional field rations and the experimental (Ebar group (n = 14 field rations plus energy bars of 4.1 MJ•day(-1. Energy (EI and water intake was recorded. Fat-free mass and water loss were measured with deuterium dilution and elimination, respectively. The energy expenditure was calculated using the intake/balance method and energy availability as (EI/estimated basal metabolic rate. PA was monitored using an accelerometer. Physical performance was measured and questionnaires of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI, hunger and mood state were recorded before, during and after TC. RESULTS: Ebar had a higher EI and energy availability than the controls. However, decreases in body mass and fat mass were similar in both groups representing an energy deficit. No differences were observed between the groups in PA, water balance, URTI symptoms and changes in physical performance and fat-free mass. Ebar felt less hunger after TC than the controls and they had improved positive mood state during the latter part of TC while controls did not. Water deficit associated to higher PA. Furthermore, URTI symptoms and negative mood state associated negatively with energy availability and PA. CONCLUSION: An easy-to-use protein-rich energy bars did not prevent energy deficit nor influence PA during an 8-day TC. The high content of protein in the bars might have induced satiation decreasing energy intake from field rations. PA and energy intake seems to be primarily affected by other factors than energy

Study of high-energy neutrino neutral-current interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aderholz, M.; Aggarwal, M.M.; Akbari, H.; Allport, P.P.; Badyal, S.K.; Ballagh, H.C.; Barth, M.; Baton, J.P.; Bingham, H.H.; Brucker, E.B.; Burnstein, R.A.; Campbell, J.R.; Cence, R.J.; Chatterjee, T.K.; Clayton, E.F.; Corrigan, G.; Coutures, C.; DeProspo, D.; Devanand; De Wolf, E.A.; Faulkner, P.J.W.; Foeth, H.; Fretter, W.B.; Gupta, V.K.; Hanlon, J.; Harigel, G.; Harris, F.A.; Jabiol, M.A.; Jacques, P.; Jain, V.; Jones, G.T.; Jones, M.D.; Kafka, T.; Kalelkar, M.; Kasper, P.; Kohli, J.M.; Koller, E.L.; Krawiec, R.J.; Lauko, M.; Lys, J.E.; Marage, P.; Milburn, R.H.; Miller, D.B.; Mittra, I.S.; Mobayyen, M.M.; Moreels, J.; Morrison, D.R.O.; Myatt, G.; Nailor, P.; Naon, R.; Napier, A.; Neveu, M.; Passmore, D.; Peters, M.W.; Peterson, V.Z.; Plano, R.; Rao, N.K.; Rubin, H.A.; Sacton, J.; Sambyal, S.S.; Schmitz, N.; Schneps, J.; Singh, J.B.; Smart, W.; Stamer, P.; Varvell, K.E.; Verluyten, L.; Wachsmuth, H.; Wainstein, S.; Willocq, S.; Yost, G.P.

1992-01-01

From an exposure of the Fermilab 15-foot bubble chamber to the Tevatron quadrupole triplet neutrino beam, we have determined the ratio of neutral-current (NC) to charged-current (CC) interactions to be 0.288±0.032 for events with visible hadron momentum above 10 GeV/c. The mean ν(bar ν) event energy is 150 (110) GeV, which is higher than that for any previous beam. This result agrees with those from previous experiments at lower energies. The NC/CC ratio is derived for a combined sample of ν and bar ν events. A value of 0.274±0.038 is obtained for the dominant ν component assuming bar ν NC/CC=0.39±0.08. For events with visible hadron momentum above 25 GeV/c, where the neutral hadron contamination remaining in the NC sample is assumed to be negligible, the combined NC/CC is 0.323±0.025 and the K 0 production rates are 0.375±0.064 per CC and 0.322±0.073 per NC event. The corresponding Λ rates are 0.161±0.030 per CC and 0.113±0.030 per NC event. The K 0 and Λ distributions of the fractional hadron energy variable z in NC events are consistent with those in CC events

Study of high-energy neutrino neutral-current interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Aderholz, M.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Akbari, H.; Allport, P. P.; Badyal, S. K.; Ballagh, H. C.; Barth, M.; Baton, J. P.; Bingham, H. H.; Brucker, E. B.; Burnstein, R. A.; Campbell, J. R.; Cence, R. J.; Chatterjee, T. K.; Clayton, E. F.; Corrigan, G.; Coutures, C.; Deprospo, D.; Devanand; de Wolf, E. A.; Faulkner, P. J.; Foeth, H.; Fretter, W. B.; Gupta, V. K.; Hanlon, J.; Harigel, G.; Harris, F. A.; Jabiol, M. A.; Jacques, P.; Jain, V.; Jones, G. T.; Jones, M. D.; Kafka, T.; Kalelkar, M.; Kasper, P.; Kohli, J. M.; Koller, E. L.; Krawiec, R. J.; Lauko, M.; Lys, J. E.; Marage, P.; Milburn, R. H.; Miller, D. B.; Mittra, I. S.; Mobayyen, M. M.; Moreels, J.; Morrison, D. R.; Myatt, G.; Nailor, P.; Naon, R.; Napier, A.; Neveu, M.; Passmore, D.; Peters, M. W.; Peterson, V. Z.; Plano, R.; Rao, N. K.; Rubin, H. A.; Sacton, J.; Sambyal, S. S.; Schmitz, N.; Schneps, J.; Singh, J. B.; Smart, W.; Stamer, P.; Varvell, K. E.; Verluyten, L.; Wachsmuth, H.; Wainstein, S.; Willocq, S.; Yost, G. P.

1992-04-01

From an exposure of the Fermilab 15-foot bubble chamber to the Tevatron quadrupole triplet neutrino beam, we have determined the ratio of neutral-current (NC) to charged-current (CC) interactions to be 0.288+/-0.032 for events with visible hadron momentum above 10 GeV/c. The mean ν(ν¯) event energy is 150 (110) GeV, which is higher than that for any previous beam. This result agrees with those from previous experiments at lower energies. The NC/CC ratio is derived for a combined sample of ν and ν¯ events. A value of 0.274+/-0.038 is obtained for the dominant ν component assuming ν¯ NC/CC=0.39+/-0.08. For events with visible hadron momentum above 25 GeV/c, where the neutral hadron contamination remaining in the NC sample is assumed to be negligible, the combined NC/CC is 0.323+/-0.025 and the K0 production rates are 0.375+/-0.064 per CC and 0.322+/-0.073 per NC event. The corresponding Λ rates are 0.161+/-0.030 per CC and 0.113+/-0.030 per NC event. The K0 and Λ distributions of the fractional hadron energy variable z in NC events are consistent with those in CC events.

Energy in Croatia 2011, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

With the twentieth edition of the Review Energy in Croatia, Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship continues the practice of informing domestic and foreign public on relations and trends within the Croatian energy sector. This Review gives, in a recognizable and comprehensible way, data and characteristic values relevant to the Croatian energy sector, providing an overview on energy production and consumption at all levels. There is a detailed analysis of the trends present in the energy sector as well as a number of information on capacities, reserves, prices and energy balances for crude oil, all petroleum products, natural gas, electricity, heat energy, coal and renewable energy sources. The Review also brings the main economic and financial indicators, data on air pollutant emissions and main energy efficiancy indicators. It also gives the ODEX energy efficiency index, which is determined according to the methodology used in the European Union. This indicator monitors the energy efficiancy trends over a period of time in the sectors of industry, transport, households and in total consumption. Finally, the Review brings the energy balances of the Republic of Croatia for the years 2010 and 2011, made following the EUROSTAT and IEA methodologies. In 2011 total primary energy supply in Croatia was 6.8 percent lower than the year before. At the same time, gross domestic product slightly decreased by 0.01 percent, which resulted in lowering energy intensity of total energy consumption by a 6.8 percent. When compared to the average energy intensity level in the EU (EU27), the energy intensity in Croatia was only 1.2 percent higher. The primary energy production in 2011 decreased by 18 percent from the previous year. Also, due to unfavorable hydrological situation the hydropower utilization was as much as 46.6 percent lower than in 2010. The energy from renewable sources increased by 13.3 percent and the energy from fuel wood, ondustrial waste wood, energy

Second primary cancers in subsites of colon and rectum in patients with previous colorectal cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, L.; Lemmens, V.E.; de Hingh, I.H.J.T.; de Vries, E.; Roukema, J.A.; van Leerdam, M.E.; Coebergh, J.W.; Soerjomataram, I.

Background: Compared with the general population, patients with a previous colorectal cancer are at higher risk for a second colorectal cancer, but detailed risk analysis by subsite is scarce. Objective: Our goal was to investigate the risk of a second cancer in relation to subsite as a basis for

Energy economy of the Czech Republic during the first half of the nineties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilda, V.; Valtr, J.

1992-01-01

The energy intensiveness relative to the gross domestic product was by 8.1% poorer in 1991, whereas the years 1992 and 1993 saw a gradual improvement towards the previous level. The dramatic efficiency drop of the Czech economy combined with the higher energy intensiveness brought about an extraordinary decrease in domestic uses of primary energy sources. An overview is given of the domestic energy consumption in the early 1990s. Fuel and power imports were roughly twice as high as exports. The decrease in the use of natural sources was associated with a lower extent of coal mining. On the other hand, environmental pollution decreased as well, which is a favorable side effect. The privatization of power sector entities is also discussed. (J.B.). 7 tabs., 4 figs

Study of the Energy Dependence of the Anomalous Mean Free Path Effect by Means of High-energy ($\\geq$12 GeV/nucleon) Helium Nuclei

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

The proposal concerns an extension to higher energies of previous experiments which have provided evidence for anomalously short reaction mean free paths among projectile fragments from heavy ion interactions.\\\\ \\\\ It is intended to provide information on the interaction properties of projectile fragments, mainly 3He, P, D, T as well as of scattered 4He nuclei in passive detectors exposed to beams of energies exceeding those available in previous experim factor of about 7. \\\\ \\\\ Interaction mean free paths and event topologies will be measured in a nuclear emulsion stack (LBL) of 7.5~cm~x~5~cm~x~25~cm dimensions. Decay effects will be recorded by comparing the activity of spallation residues in dense and diluted copper target assemblies (Marburg). Target fragmentation will be studied in a stack of silverchloride crystal foils (Frankfurt) of about 7~cm~x~6~cm~x~1~cm dimensions. The \\alpha beam ejected at EJ~62 will be used to provide both exposures at high intensity of 10|1|2 alphas on th and at low intensity ...

Lower-Energy Energy Storage System (LEESS) Evaluation in a Full-Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) (Presentation)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cosgrove, J.; Gonder, J.; Pesaran, A.

2013-11-01

The cost of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) (e.g., Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion Hybrid) remains several thousand dollars higher than the cost of comparable conventional vehicles, which has limited HEV market penetration. The battery energy storage device is typically the component with the greatest contribution toward this cost increment, so significant cost reductions/performance improvements to the energy storage system (ESS) can improve the vehicle-level cost-benefit relationship, which would in turn lead to larger HEV market penetration and greater aggregate fuel savings. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) collaborated with a United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) Workgroup to analyze trade-offs between vehicle fuel economy and reducing the minimum energy requirement for power-assist HEVs. NREL's analysis showed that significant fuel savings could still be delivered from an ESS with much lower energy storage than previous targets, which prompted the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) to issue a new set of lower-energy ESS (LEESS) targets that could be satisfied by a variety of technologies, including high-power batteries or ultracapacitors. NREL has developed an HEV test platform for in-vehicle performance and fuel economy validation testing of the hybrid system using such LEESS devices. This presentation describes development of the vehicle test platform and in-vehicle evaluation results using a lithium-ion capacitor ESS-an asymmetric electrochemical energy storage device possessing one electrode with battery-type characteristics (lithiated graphite) and one with ultracapacitor-type characteristics (carbon). Further efforts include testing other ultracapacitor technologies in the HEV test platform.

Energy in Croatia 2012, Annual Energy Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

With the twenty-first edition of the Review Energy in Croatia, Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship continues the practice of informing domestic and foreign public on relations and trends within the Croatian energy sector. This Review gives, in a recognizable and comprehensible way, data and characteristic values relevant to the Croatian energy sector, providing an overview on energy production and consumption at all levels. There is a detailed analysis of the trends present in the energy sector as well as a number of information on capacities, reserves, prices and energy balances for crude oil, all petroleum products, natural gas, electricity, heat energy, coal and renewable energy sources. The Review also brings the main economic and financial indicators, data on air pollutant emissions and main energy efficiancy indicators. It also gives the ODEX energy efficiency index, which is determined according to the methodology used in the European Union. This indicator monitors the energy efficiancy trends over a period of time in the sectors of industry, transport, households and in total consumption. Finally, the Review brings the energy balances of the Republic of Croatia for the years 2011 and 2012, made following the EUROSTAT and IEA methodologies. In 2012 total energy demand in Croatia was 4.7 percent lower than the year before. At the same time, gross domestic product fell by 2 percent, which resulted in a decrease in a total primary energy supply intensity by 2.8 percent. When compared to the average energy intensity level in the EU (EU27), the energy intensity in Croatia was 6.9 percent higher. The primary energy production in 2012 decreased by 5.6 compared to the previous year. Also, due to hydrological situation the hydropower utilization grew by 6.7 percent. The energy from renewable sources increased by 29.8 percent and the energy from fuel wood increased by 5.6 percent. The production of crude oil in 2012 decreased by 9.7 percent and of natural

Energy price disparity and public welfare

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Templet, P.H.

2001-01-01

The differences in the price of energy to economic sectors are linked to a number of system parameters and to public welfare. There are large disparities in energy prices within states when comparing residential and industrial prices although neoclassical economics predicts one price in markets. The large disparities between the two sectors across states negatively affects the efficiency of resource allocation, creates subsidies for those getting the cheap energy and results in unequal access to energy. These in turn lead to inefficient partitioning of energy between products and waste, higher pollution, leakage of wealth and poorer energy use efficiency, i.e. high energy intensity. States with large energy price disparities between sectors have statistically higher poverty, lower incomes, more pollution and use more energy but with less efficiency. Higher energy price disparities also result in higher throughput per unit of output thus reducing the chances for sustainability and lower public welfare. 31 refs

Low-dose computed tomography image restoration using previous normal-dose scan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Jianhua; Huang, Jing; Feng, Qianjin; Zhang, Hua; Lu, Hongbing; Liang, Zhengrong; Chen, Wufan

2011-01-01

Purpose: In current computed tomography (CT) examinations, the associated x-ray radiation dose is of a significant concern to patients and operators. A simple and cost-effective means to perform the examinations is to lower the milliampere-seconds (mAs) or kVp parameter (or delivering less x-ray energy to the body) as low as reasonably achievable in data acquisition. However, lowering the mAs parameter will unavoidably increase data noise and the noise would propagate into the CT image if no adequate noise control is applied during image reconstruction. Since a normal-dose high diagnostic CT image scanned previously may be available in some clinical applications, such as CT perfusion imaging and CT angiography (CTA), this paper presents an innovative way to utilize the normal-dose scan as a priori information to induce signal restoration of the current low-dose CT image series. Methods: Unlike conventional local operations on neighboring image voxels, nonlocal means (NLM) algorithm utilizes the redundancy of information across the whole image. This paper adapts the NLM to utilize the redundancy of information in the previous normal-dose scan and further exploits ways to optimize the nonlocal weights for low-dose image restoration in the NLM framework. The resulting algorithm is called the previous normal-dose scan induced nonlocal means (ndiNLM). Because of the optimized nature of nonlocal weights calculation, the ndiNLM algorithm does not depend heavily on image registration between the current low-dose and the previous normal-dose CT scans. Furthermore, the smoothing parameter involved in the ndiNLM algorithm can be adaptively estimated based on the image noise relationship between the current low-dose and the previous normal-dose scanning protocols. Results: Qualitative and quantitative evaluations were carried out on a physical phantom as well as clinical abdominal and brain perfusion CT scans in terms of accuracy and resolution properties. The gain by the use

A high-energy Compton polarimeter for the POET SMEX mission

Science.gov (United States)

Bloser, Peter F.; McConnell, Mark L.; Legere, Jason S.; Ertley, Camden D.; Hill, Joanne E.; Kippen, Marc; Ryan, James M.

2014-07-01

The primary science goal of the Polarimeters for Energetic Transients (POET) mission is to measure the polarization of gamma-ray bursts over a wide energy range, from X rays to soft gamma rays. The higher-energy portion of this band (50 - 500 keV) will be covered by the High Energy Polarimeter (HEP) instrument, a non-imaging, wide field of view Compton polarimeter. Incident high-energy photons will Compton scatter in low-Z, plastic scintillator detector elements and be subsequently absorbed in high-Z, CsI(Tl) scintillator elements; polarization is detected by measuring an asymmetry in the azimuthal scatter angle distribution. The HEP design is based on our considerable experience with the development and flight of the Gamma-Ray Polarimeter Experiment (GRAPE) balloon payload. We present the design of the POET HEP instrument, which incorporates lessons learned from the GRAPE balloon design and previous work on Explorer proposal efforts, and its expected performance on a two-year SMEX mission.

Physical uniqueness of higher-order Korteweg-de Vries theory for continuously stratified fluids without background shear

Science.gov (United States)

Shimizu, Kenji

2017-10-01

The 2nd-order Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation and the Gardner (or extended KdV) equation are often used to investigate internal solitary waves, commonly observed in oceans and lakes. However, application of these KdV-type equations for continuously stratified fluids to geophysical problems is hindered by nonuniqueness of the higher-order coefficients and the associated correction functions to the wave fields. This study proposes to reduce arbitrariness of the higher-order KdV theory by considering its uniqueness in the following three physical senses: (i) consistency of the nonlinear higher-order coefficients and correction functions with the corresponding phase speeds, (ii) wavenumber-independence of the vertically integrated available potential energy, and (iii) its positive definiteness. The spectral (or generalized Fourier) approach based on vertical modes in the isopycnal coordinate is shown to enable an alternative derivation of the 2nd-order KdV equation, without encountering nonuniqueness. Comparison with previous theories shows that Parseval's theorem naturally yields a unique set of special conditions for (ii) and (iii). Hydrostatic fully nonlinear solutions, derived by combining the spectral approach and simple-wave analysis, reveal that both proposed and previous 2nd-order theories satisfy (i), provided that consistent definitions are used for the wave amplitude and the nonlinear correction. This condition reduces the arbitrariness when higher-order KdV-type theories are compared with observations or numerical simulations. The coefficients and correction functions that satisfy (i)-(iii) are given by explicit formulae to 2nd order and by algebraic recurrence relationships to arbitrary order for hydrostatic fully nonlinear and linear fully nonhydrostatic effects.

Evaluation of the relative thermoluminescence efficiency of LiF:Mg,Ti and LiF:Mg,Cu,P TL detectors to low-energy heavy ions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gieszczyk, W.; Bilski, P.; Olko, P.

2013-01-01

and xenon ion beams, at energies ranging from 5.0 to 9.3 MeV/n. Supra- and sublinear response was found, for the MTS-N and MCP-N, respectively, similarly as observed for γ-rays. However, the level of nonlinearity of response of studied detectors is strongly reduced by increasing values of the ion ionization...... density (no supralinearity for Xe ions, for MTS-N, within calculated uncertainties). The growth of high-temperature TL peaks, with increasing ionization density, was observed for MCP-N, what was not previously reported. At the whole range of applied energies higher efficiencies were noted for MTS......-N, for all ion species. A decrease of the efficiency with decrease of the ion energy was confirmed, for both types of studied detectors. At a given energy, higher efficiency was observed for lighter ions, because of the lower ionization density. Significantly higher decrease of the efficiency was measured...

Energy Drink Consumption Practices of Young People in Bahrain.

Science.gov (United States)

Nassaif, Maryam M; Alobed, Ghufran J J; Alaam, Noor A A; Alderrazi, Abdulla N; Awdhalla, Muyssar S; Vaithinathan, Asokan G

2015-01-01

Energy drink (ED) consumption is becoming increasingly popular among young Bahrainis, who may be unaware of the health risks associated with ED consumption. To date, there have been few publications on the consumption of ED in Bahrain, particularly among adolescents. This study seeks to fill a gap in the literature on energy drink consumption practices of Bahraini adolescents. Data were collected using a previously established European Food Safety Authority questionnaire. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on a convenience sample of 262 Bahraini students aged 10 to 18 years. Most participants consumed energy drinks 2 to 3 times per week and consumed two or more cans at a time. Eighty percent of partcipants preferred energy drinks with sugar. Participants in the older age group and higher educational level consumed more ED. The majority (57%) consumed ED at home with friends as part of socialization. Notably, 60% of the parents of the respondents have not consumed energy drinks. Prominent reasons for consumption of energy drinks included: taste (40%), energy (30%), stay awake (13%), augment concentration (4%), and enhance sports performance (6%). Energy drink consumption is a popular socialization activity among adolescents of Bahrain. The potential health risks necessitates the need for novel health promotion strategies and advocacy efforts for healthy hydration practices.

Bivariate Cointegration Analysis of Energy-Economy Interactions in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Oladimeji Soile

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Fixing the prices of energy products below their opportunity cost for welfare and redistribution purposes is common with governments of many oil producing developing countries. This has often resulted in huge energy consumption in developing countries and the question that emerge is whether this increased energy consumption results in higher economic activities. Available statistics show that Iran’s economy growth shrunk for the first time in two decades from 2011 amidst the introduction of pricing reform in 2010 and 2014 suggesting a relationship between energy use and economic growth. Accordingly, the study examined the causality and the likelihood of a long term relationship between energy and economic growth in Iran. Unlike previous studies which have focused on the effects and effectiveness of the reform, the paper investigates the rationale for the reform. The study applied a bivariate cointegration time series econometric approach. The results reveals a one-way causality running from economic growth to energy with no feedback with evidence of long run connection. The implication of this is that energy conservation policy is not inimical to economic growth. This evidence lend further support for the ongoing subsidy reforms in Iran as a measure to check excessive and inefficient use of energy.

Effect of Previous Abdominal Surgery on Laparoscopic Liver Resection: Analysis of Feasibility and Risk Factors for Conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Cipriani, Federica; Ratti, Francesca; Fiorentini, Guido; Catena, Marco; Paganelli, Michele; Aldrighetti, Luca

2018-03-28

Previous abdominal surgery has traditionally been considered an additional element of difficulty to later laparoscopic procedures. The aim of the study is to analyze the effect of previous surgery on the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR), and its role as a risk factor for conversion. After matching, 349 LLR in patients known for previous abdominal surgery (PS group) were compared with 349 LLR on patients with a virgin abdomen (NPS group). Subgroup analysis included 161 patients with previous upper abdominal surgery (UPS subgroup). Feasibility and safety were evaluated in terms of conversion rate, reasons for conversion and outcomes, and risk factors for conversion assessed via uni/multivariable analysis. Conversion rate was 9.4%, and higher for PS patients compared with NPS patients (13.7% versus 5.1%, P = .021). Difficult adhesiolysis resulted the commonest reason for conversion in PS group (5.7%). However, operative time (P = .840), blood loss (P = .270), transfusion (P = .650), morbidity rate (P = .578), hospital stay (P = .780), and R1 rate (P = .130) were comparable between PS and NPS group. Subgroup analysis confirmed higher conversion rates for UPS patients (23%) compared with both NPS (P = .015) and PS patients (P = .041). Previous surgery emerged as independent risk factor for conversion (P = .033), alongside the postero-superior location and major hepatectomy. LLR are feasible in case of previous surgery and proved to be safe and maintain the benefits of LLR carried out in standard settings. However, a history of surgery should be considered a risk factor for conversion.

World Energy Scenarios 2050: Impact of the Energy Governance Models to the Future of the European Energy Sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kisel, E.

2014-01-01

World Energy Council has explored the impact of two extreme governance models of energy sector to the global economic and climate developments. Scenario 'Jazz' describes the world, where investments in the energy markets are made by the companies on the purely economic basis. Scenario 'Symphony' describes the world, where decisions about the energy investments are made by the governments. It appears that in case of Scenario 'Jazz' we would reach lower energy prices, but it would also bring along higher and wider consumption of energy, and much higher environmental impact. In case of Scenario 'Symphony' energy prices would be somewhat higher, but environmental and energy efficiency would deliver better results, and there will be more energy-poor people around the world. It can also be observed, that resulting energy mixes of these two scenarios are very different. When Scenario 'Jazz' would leave the share of fossil fuels nearly to the current levels, then Scenario 'Symphony' supports strongly development of Solar and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Sequestration Technologies. The modelling was also made separately for different regions of the world, the results for Europe can be observed from the report as well. This provides a fruit for thought about the role of the governments in the implementation of the EU 2030 Energy and Climate Strategy. The presentation would describe shortly the methodology of the study, clarifies the assumptions of the scenarios and highlights the main outcomes of the study in for the world and for European energy sector. (author).

From constraint to sufficiency. The decoupling of energy and carbon from human needs, 1975-2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinberger, Julia K. [Institute of Social Ecology, University of Klagenfurt, Vienna (Austria); Roberts, J. Timmons [Center for Environmental Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI (United States)

2010-12-15

We investigate the relationship between human needs, energy consumption and carbon emissions for several indicators of human development: life expectancy, literacy, income and the Human Development Index. We find that high human development can be achieved at moderate energy and carbon levels; increasing energy and carbon past this level does not necessarily contribute to higher living standards. By conducting a novel longitudinal analysis from 1975 to 2005, we observe a previously undetected decoupling of the per capita energy and carbon required for human needs. If resources were equally distributed, current energy and carbon levels would be more than sufficient to satisfy global human needs at high levels of human development. By projecting current trends to 2030, we demonstrate that the global energy consumption and carbon emissions required to satisfy human needs will decrease with time, despite growth in population. (author)

Massless representations and admissibility condition for higher spin superalgebras

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Konstein, S E; Vasiliev, M A

1989-01-16

Massless particle representations of various infinite-dimensional higher spin superalgebras proposed previously are constructed. We analyse which of higher spin superalgebras obey the requirement (the admissibility condition) of possessing massless unitary representations with the same spectra of spins as predicted by the structure of gauge fields originating from these superalgebras. It is argued that those higher spin superalgebras, which obey the admissibility condition, can serve as rigid supersymmetries in nontrivial consistent gauge theories of massless fields of all spins.

Identifying students with dyslexia in higher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tops, Wim; Callens, Maaike; Lammertyn, Jan; Van Hees, Valerie; Brysbaert, Marc

2012-01-01

An increasing number of students with dyslexia enter higher education. As a result, there is a growing need for standardized diagnosis. Previous research has suggested that a small number of tests may suffice to reliably assess students with dyslexia, but these studies were based on post hoc

Visual prosthesis wireless energy transfer system optimal modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xueping; Yang, Yuan; Gao, Yong

2014-01-16

Wireless energy transfer system is an effective way to solve the visual prosthesis energy supply problems, theoretical modeling of the system is the prerequisite to do optimal energy transfer system design. On the basis of the ideal model of the wireless energy transfer system, according to visual prosthesis application condition, the system modeling is optimized. During the optimal modeling, taking planar spiral coils as the coupling devices between energy transmitter and receiver, the effect of the parasitic capacitance of the transfer coil is considered, and especially the concept of biological capacitance is proposed to consider the influence of biological tissue on the energy transfer efficiency, resulting in the optimal modeling's more accuracy for the actual application. The simulation data of the optimal model in this paper is compared with that of the previous ideal model, the results show that under high frequency condition, the parasitic capacitance of inductance and biological capacitance considered in the optimal model could have great impact on the wireless energy transfer system. The further comparison with the experimental data verifies the validity and accuracy of the optimal model proposed in this paper. The optimal model proposed in this paper has a higher theoretical guiding significance for the wireless energy transfer system's further research, and provide a more precise model reference for solving the power supply problem in visual prosthesis clinical application.

Adolescents' physical activity is associated with previous and current physical activity practice by their parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Christofaro, Diego Giulliano Destro; Andersen, Lars Bo; Andrade, Selma Maffei de; Barros, Mauro Virgílio Gomes de; Saraiva, Bruna Thamyres Ciccotti; Fernandes, Rômulo Araújo; Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes

The purpose of this study was to determine whether parents' current and previous physical activity practice is associated with adolescents' physical activity. The sample was composed of 1231 adolescents (14-17 years), and 1202 mothers and 871 fathers were interviewed. Weight and height of the adolescents were measured. Self-reported parents' weight and height were obtained. The current and previous physical activity levels (Baecke's questionnaire) of parents (during childhood and adolescence) and adolescents' physical activity levels were obtained using a questionnaire. The magnitude of the associations between parent and adolescent physical activity levels was determined by binary logistic regression (adjusted by sex, age, and socioeconomic level of adolescents and education level of parents). The current physical activity practice by parents was associated with adolescents' physical activity (p<0.001). The physical activities reported by parents in their childhood and adolescence were also associated with higher physical activity levels among adolescents. Adolescents whose parents were both physically active in the past and present were six times (OR=6.67 [CI=1.94-22.79]) more likely to be physically active compared to adolescents with no parents who were physically active in the past. The current and previous physical activities of parents were associated with higher levels of physical activity in adolescents, even after controlling for confounding factors. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Adolescents' physical activity is associated with previous and current physical activity practice by their parents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Giulliano Destro Christofaro

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether parents' current and previous physical activity practice is associated with adolescents' physical activity. Methods: The sample was composed of 1231 adolescents (14-17 years, and 1202 mothers and 871 fathers were interviewed. Weight and height of the adolescents were measured. Self-reported parents' weight and height were obtained. The current and previous physical activity levels (Baecke's questionnaire of parents (during childhood and adolescence and adolescents' physical activity levels were obtained using a questionnaire. The magnitude of the associations between parent and adolescent physical activity levels was determined by binary logistic regression (adjusted by sex, age, and socioeconomic level of adolescents and education level of parents. Results: The current physical activity practice by parents was associated with adolescents' physical activity (p < 0.001. The physical activities reported by parents in their childhood and adolescence were also associated with higher physical activity levels among adolescents. Adolescents whose parents were both physically active in the past and present were six times (OR = 6.67 [CI = 1.94-22.79] more likely to be physically active compared to adolescents with no parents who were physically active in the past. Conclusions: The current and previous physical activities of parents were associated with higher levels of physical activity in adolescents, even after controlling for confounding factors.

Commercial Buildings Partnerships - Overview of Higher education projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parrish, Kristen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Robinson, Alastair [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Regnier, Cindy [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-02-01

The Commercial Building Partnership (CBP), a public/private, cost-shared program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), paired selected commercial building owners and operators with representatives of DOE, its national laboratories, and private-sector technical experts. These teams explored energy-saving measures across building systems – including some considered too costly or technologically challenging – and used advanced energy modeling to achieve peak whole-building performance. Modeling results were then included in new construction or retrofit designs to achieve significant energy reductions. CBP design goals aimed to achieve 50 percent energy savings compared to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2004 for new construction, while retrofits are designed to consume at least 30 percent less energy than either Standard 90.1-2004 or current consumption. After construction and commissioning of the project, laboratory staff continued to work with partners to collect and analyze data for verification of the actual energy reduction. CBP projects represent diverse building types in commercial real estate, including lodging, grocery, retail, higher education, office, and warehouse/storage facilities. Partners also commit to replicating low-energy technologies and strategies from their CBP projects throughout their building portfolios. As a result of CBP projects, five sector overviews (Lodging, Food Sales, General Merchandise, Higher Education, Offices) were created to capture successful strategies and recommended energy efficiency measures that could broadly be applied across these sectors. These overviews are supplemented with individual case studies providing specific details on the decision criteria, modeling results, and lessons learned on specific projects. Sector overviews and CBP case studies will also be updated to reflect verified data and replication strategies as they become available.

GRI baseline projection of U.S. Energy supply and demand to 2010. 1991 edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holtberg, P.D.; Woods, T.J.; Lihn, M.L.; McCabe, N.C.

1991-04-01

The report summarizes the 1991 Edition of the GRI Baseline Projection of U.S. Energy Supply and Demand and presents a series of summary tables, sectoral breakdowns of energy demand, and the natural gas supply and price trends. Appendixes include a discussion of the methodology and assumptions used to prepare the 1991 projection, a brief discussion of the potential for higher levels of gas demand, a description of industrial and commercial cogeneration, a description of the independent power producer (IPP) methodology and projection, a comparison of the 1991 edition with previous projections, and a discussion of additional data used in developing the projection

Effects of live weight adjusted feeding strategy on plasma indicators of energy balance in Holstein cows managed for extended lactation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaillard, Charlotte; Vestergaard, Mogens; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis

2016-01-01

In early lactation, most of the dairy cows are in negative energy balance; the extent and duration depend in part on the feeding strategy. Previous studies showed an increased lactation milk yield by use of a live weight (LW) adjusted feeding strategy with a high energy diet before and a reduced......, the HD-LD cows had higher glucose and lower beta-hydroxybutyrate and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations than the LD-LD cows. After the shift until 36 weeks after calving, plasma NEFA was higher in HD-LD than LD-LD cows. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 were not affected...... of the negative energy balance, and that the reduction in diet energy concentration from LW nadir will extend the negative energy balance period further. Sixty-two Holstein cows (30% first parity) were managed for 16 months extended lactation and randomly allocated to one of two feeding strategies at calving. Two...

Optoelectronic properties of higher acenes, their BN analogue and substituted derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armaković, Stevan; Armaković, Sanja J.; Holodkov, Vladimir; Pelemiš, Svetlana

2016-01-01

We have investigated optoelectronic properties of higher acenes: pentacene, hexacene, heptacene, octacene, nonacene, decacene and their boron-nitride (BN) analogues, within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). We have also investigated the optoelectronic properties of acenes modified by BN substitution. Calculated optoelectronic properties encompasses: oxidation and reduction potentials, electron and hole reorganization energies and energy difference between excited first singlet and triplet states ΔE(S_1−T_1). Oxidation and reduction potentials indicate significantly better stability of BN analogues, comparing with their all-carbon relatives. Although higher acenes possess lower electron and hole reorganization energies, with both best values much lower than 0.1 eV, their BN analogues also have competitive values of reorganization energies, especially for holes for which reorganization energy is also lower than 0.1 eV. On the other hand ΔE(S_1−T_1) is much better for BN analogues, having values that indicate that BN analogues are possible applicable for thermally activated delayed fluorescence. - Highlights: • Optoelectronic properties of structures based on higher acenes have been investigated. • Oxidation and reduction potentials together with reorganization energies are calculated. • TADF is analyzed through calculation of ΔE(S_1−T_1), which is much better for BN analogues. • Reorganization energies of acenes improve with the increase of number of benzene rings.

Energy intensities: Prospects and potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

In the previous chapter, the author described how rising activity levels and structural change are pushing toward higher energy use in many sectors and regions, especially in the developing countries. The extent to which more activity leads to greater energy use will depend on the energy intensity of end-use activities. In this chapter, the author presents an overview of the potential for intensity reductions in each sector over the next 10-20 years. It is not the author's intent to describe in detail the various technologies that could be employed to improve energy efficiency, which has been done by others (see, for example, Lovins ampersand Lovins, 1991; Goldembert et al., 1987). Rather, he discusses the key factors that will shape future energy intensities in different parts of the world, and gives a sense for the changes that could be attained if greater attention were given to accelerate efficiency improvement. The prospects for energy intensities, and the potential for reduction, vary among sectors and parts of the world. In the majority of cases, intensities are tending to decline as new equipment and facilities come into use and improvements are made on existing stocks. The effect of stock turnover will be especially strong in the developing countries, where stocks are growing at a rapid pace, and the Former East Bloc, where much of the existing industrial plant will eventually be retired and replaced with more modern facilities. While reductions in energy intensity are likely in most areas, there is a large divergence between the technical and economic potential for reducing energy intensities and the direction in which present trends are moving. In the next chapter, the author presents scenarios that illustrate where trends are pointing, and what could be achieved if improving energy efficiency were a focus of public policies. 53 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Cubic interaction in extended theories of massless higher-spin fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fradkin, E S; Vasiliev, M A

1987-08-17

A cubic interaction of all massless higher-spin fields with s greater than or equal to 1 is constructed, based on the extended higher-spin superalgebras suggested previously by one of us (M.V.). This interaction incorporates gravitational and Yang-Mills interactions of massless higher-spin fields, which turn out to be consistent in the cubic order. An essential novel feature of the gravitational higher-spin interaction is its non-analyticity in the cosmological constant. An explicit form is found for deformed higher-spin gauge transformations leaving the action invariant.

Towards higher transparency and efficiency in energy taxation. Energy taxation and environmental policy in a small open economy; Foer oekad transparens och effektivitet i energibeskattningen. Energibeskattning och miljoepolitik i en liten oeppen ekonomi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Normann, Goeran (and others)

2002-11-01

The accrual of energy taxation has led to a complex structure of taxes and charges that are characterized by instability and low efficiency. Other reasons for analyzing the system is the pressure from our contractual responsibilities within the European Union and the raised ambitions in the environmental policy. The report leads to the conclusion that it would be motivated to separate fiscal energy taxation from measures to internalize environmental costs that the market does not register. This separation would make it possible to create a more transparent and rational energy taxation. The fiscal energy taxation ought to be a broad, value-based tax, equal for all energy sources. Value-based means, besides the energy content in kWh, also properties such as conversion and distribution costs. Two alternatives are suggested for the fiscal energy taxation: A separate consumption tax on energy. Such a tax would amount to 48% to produce the same income as the fiscal elements of today's energy taxes. Another alternative would be to include the fiscal energy tax in the value added tax. This would raise the standard VAT level to 30%, if the lower VAT levels are kept unchanged. With this model, consumption of energy would be treated as any other consumption. The environmental policy measures against greenhouse gases should be delt with through a system with international trade with emission quotas for such gases. Measures against other external effects from energy use are not suggested in this report, except for the opinion that economic incentives are preferable to regulations. The initial allocation of quotas ought to be done through an auction, since this method would give lower national costs than the alternatives. The system should cover all greenhouse gases and (almost) all sources which indicates that an upstream solution would be best with low administrative costs. A safety vent should be considered, so that extreme costs for CO{sub 2}-emissions are avoided, if e

The Fiscal Stimuli for the Implementing Ukraine’s Energy Policy and Reforming Higher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Synyutka Nataliya G.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article attempts to revise the issue of the State regulation of the macroeconomic processes associated with the economic, energy, fiscal, and educational reforms that are being carried out in Ukraine. In order to implement the State energy policy, fiscal approaches have been emphasized. The use of the fiscal stimulus of «carbon tax» can be seen as an effective measure for implementation of the existing State energy strategy. A review of introduction of such a tax in the developed countries confirms the expediency of applying fiscal mechanism in order to encourage investment in energy-efficient technologies. Prospects for introduction of this tax in Ukraine were considered. To this end, actual CO2 emissions have been generalized and prediction calculations for the energy sector have been accomplished. The calculated estimates of possible tax revenues have been provided. For further studies on the outlined topic, there is an impelling need to detalize the financial statistics of the ecologic tax revenues in terms of sources.

Enhanced the energy outcomes from microalgal biomass by the novel biopretreatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Shuai; Fan, Xiaolei; Luo, Shengjun; Katukuri, Naveen Reddy; Guo, Rongbo

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The micro-aerobic pretreatment was used to improve energy yield of Chlorella sp. • The Bacillus licheniformis was confirmed to damage the cell wall of microalgae. • Obtained energy from Chlorella sp. was improved by 12.3%. • Pretreatment time was decreased from 60 h to 24 h. • The VS degradation efficiency was increased from 75.7% to 82.1%. - Abstract: Microalgae have been considered as one of the most promising biomass for the generation of biofuels. The anaerobic digestion (AD) has been proved to be a promising technique to transfer the microalgal biomass into biofuels. Previous study demonstrated that anaerobic pretreatment of microalgae biomass by Bacillus licheniformis could improve methane production. In this study micro-aerobic bio-pretreatment of microalgal biomass by the facultative anaerobic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis was invested with different loads of oxygen supplied. The bio-hydrogen and biomethane productions were tested to calculate total energy outcomes. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) photographs suggested that the novel micro-aerobic bio-pretreatment (MBP) could effectively damage the firm cell wall of algal cells. The processing time of the novel method (24 h) was less than the previous anaerobic pretreatment (60 h). Results showed that the group with 5 mL oxygen/g VS fed had the highest total energy outcomes, which was 17.6% higher than that of the anaerobic pretreatment.

Electro-autotrophic synthesis of higher alcohols

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, James C.; Cho, Kwang Myung

2016-11-01

The disclosure provides a process that converts CO.sub.2 to higher alcohols (e.g. isobutanol) using electricity as the energy source. This process stores electricity (e.g. from solar energy, nuclear energy, and the like) in liquid fuels that can be used as high octane number gasoline substitutes. Instead of deriving reducing power from photosynthesis, this process derives reducing power from electrically generated mediators, either H.sub.2 or formate. H.sub.2 can be derived from electrolysis of water. Formate can be generated by electrochemical reduction of CO.sub.2. After delivering the reducing power in the cell, formate becomes CO.sub.2 and recycles back. Therefore, the biological CO.sub.2 fixation process can occur in the dark.

Relativistic Spacecraft Propelled by Directed Energy

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Neeraj; Lubin, Philip; Zhang, Qicheng

2018-04-01

Achieving relativistic flight to enable extrasolar exploration is one of the dreams of humanity and the long-term goal of our NASA Starlight program. We derive a relativistic solution for the motion of a spacecraft propelled by radiation pressure from a directed energy (DE) system. Depending on the system parameters, low-mass spacecraft can achieve relativistic speeds, thus enabling interstellar exploration. The diffraction of the DE system plays an important role and limits the maximum speed of the spacecraft. We consider “photon recycling” as a possible method to achieving higher speeds. We also discuss recent claims that our previous work on this topic is incorrect and show that these claims arise from an improper treatment of causality.

Digital academia: How higher education is affected by digital technology

OpenAIRE

Eriksmo, Anton; Sundberg, Johan

2016-01-01

Digital technology in higher education is constantly evolving. Understanding the effects of digital technology is important for higher education institutions in order to make good investments of digital technology. Previous research has focused on learning, teaching or the organization and the relation between one of these aspects and digital technology, thereby missing a broader understanding of how materiality in digital technology affects higher education. In this study themed interviews w...

Higher Order Differential Attack on 6-Round MISTY1

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunoo, Yukiyasu; Saito, Teruo; Nakashima, Hiroki; Shigeri, Maki

MISTY1 is a 64-bit block cipher that has provable security against differential and linear cryptanalysis. MISTY1 is one of the algorithms selected in the European NESSIE project, and it has been recommended for Japanese e-Government ciphers by the CRYPTREC project. This paper reports a previously unknown higher order differential characteristic of 4-round MISTY1 with the FL functions. It also shows that a higher order differential attack that utilizes this newly discovered characteristic is successful against 6-round MISTY1 with the FL functions. This attack can recover a partial subkey with a data complexity of 253.7 and a computational complexity of 264.4, which is better than any previous cryptanalysis of MISTY1.

Prediction of strain energy-based liquefaction resistance of sand-silt mixtures: An evolutionary approach

Science.gov (United States)

Baziar, Mohammad H.; Jafarian, Yaser; Shahnazari, Habib; Movahed, Vahid; Amin Tutunchian, Mohammad

2011-11-01

Liquefaction is a catastrophic type of ground failure, which usually occurs in loose saturated soil deposits under earthquake excitations. A new predictive model is presented in this study to estimate the amount of strain energy density, which is required for the liquefaction triggering of sand-silt mixtures. A wide-ranging database containing the results of cyclic tests on sand-silt mixtures was first gathered from previously published studies. Input variables of the model were chosen from the available understandings evolved from the previous studies on the strain energy-based liquefaction potential assessment. In order to avoid overtraining, two sets of validation data were employed and a particular monitoring was made on the behavior of the evolved models. Results of a comprehensive parametric study on the proposed model are in accord with the previously published experimental observations. Accordingly, the amount of strain energy required for liquefaction onset increases with increase in initial effective overburden pressure, relative density, and mean grain size. The effect of nonplastic fines on strain energy-based liquefaction resistance shows a more complicated behavior. Accordingly, liquefaction resistance increases with increase in fines up to about 10-15% and then starts to decline for a higher increase in fines content. Further verifications of the model were carried out using the valuable results of some downhole array data as well as centrifuge model tests. These verifications confirm that the proposed model, which was derived from laboratory data, can be successfully utilized under field conditions.

Higher-twist correlations in polarized hadrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tangerman, R.D.

1996-01-01

In this thesis we studied the response of polarized hadrons to several high-energy probes, working in the framework of the field theoretic model. Emphasis is laid upon higher-twist effects such as quark transverse momentum. The inclusive DIS process is very well suited to study QCD. From general principles we were able to derive four positivity constraints on the structure functions without invoking the helicity formalism. The on-shell quark model is used to illustrate these constraints. Subseqeuently, we concentrated on the higher-twist structure function g 2 (x,Q 2 ). (orig./HSI)

Nuclear energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers additional textual and graphical information as compared with previous editions. It provides the reader with a comprehensive but easy-to-access overview on the status of and trends in the nuclear power and fuel cycle sector. This publication is an authoritative information source of interest to policy makers, experts and academics involved in the nuclear energy field. (authors)

Nuclear energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers additional textual and graphical information as compared with previous editions. It provides the reader with a comprehensive but easy-to-access overview on the status of and trends in the nuclear power and fuel cycle sector. This publication is an authoritative information source of interest to policy makers, experts and academics involved in the nuclear energy field. (author)

Study of Material Densification of In718 in the Higher Throughput Parameter Regime

Science.gov (United States)

Cordner, Samuel

2016-01-01

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process used increasingly in the aerospace industry to reduce the cost, weight, and fabrication time for complex propulsion components. Previous optimization studies for SLM using the Concept Laser M1 and M2 machines at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center have centered on machine default parameters. The objective of this project is to characterize how heat treatment affects density and porosity from a microscopic point of view. This is performs using higher throughput parameters (a previously unexplored region of the manufacturing operating envelope for this application) on material consolidation. Density blocks were analyzed to explore the relationship between build parameters (laser power, scan speed, and hatch spacing) and material consolidation (assessed in terms of density and porosity). The study also considers the impact of post-processing, specifically hot isostatic pressing and heat treatment, as well as deposition pattern on material consolidation in the higher energy parameter regime. Metallurgical evaluation of specimens will also be presented. This work will contribute to creating a knowledge base (understanding material behavior in all ranges of the AM equipment operating envelope) that is critical to transitioning AM from the custom low rate production sphere it currently occupies to the world of mass high rate production, where parts are fabricated at a rapid rate with confidence that they will meet or exceed all stringent functional requirements for spaceflight hardware. These studies will also provide important data on the sensitivity of material consolidation to process parameters that will inform the design and development of future flight articles using SLM.

Adventures in Meaning Making: "Teaching in Higher Education" 2005-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Clegg, Sue

2015-01-01

The paper presents an analysis of the forms of meaning making in "Teaching in Higher Education" between 2005 and 2013. Unlike other papers which have reviewed higher education journals the analysis was based on reading full papers. Previous analyses of journals have commented on the a-theoretical nature of much research into higher…

Interactive video game cycling leads to higher energy expenditure and is more enjoyable than conventional exercise in adults.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Monedero

Full Text Available Despite the widely accepted health benefits of regular physical activity, only a small percentage of the population meets the current recommendations. The reasons include a wide use of technology and a lack of enjoyment while exercising. The purpose of this study was to compare the physiological, perceptual and enjoyment responses between a single bout of (I conventional cycling and (II interactive cycling video game at a matched workload.A cross-sectional study in 34 healthy participants was performed. Initially, participants completed an incremental maximal cycling test to measure peak oxygen uptake and to determine ventilatory threshold. In random order, participants carried out a 30 min interactive cycling trial and a 30 min conventional cycling trial at 55% of peak power output. During the trials, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure were measured by open-circuit spirometry and heart rate was measured by radiotelemetry. RPE and enjoyment were measured every 10 minutes with Borg scale and a modified PACES scale.Interactive cycling resulted in a significantly greater %V̇O2Reserve (68.2% ± 9.2% vs 64.7% ± 8.1%, rate of energy expenditure (505.8±75.2 vs 487.4±81.2 j·kg-1·min-1, and enjoyment (63.4% ± 17 vs 42% ± 13.6, P<0.05. Participants were working at a higher intensity in relation to the individual's ventilatory threshold during the interactive cycling video game trial (M = 11.86, SE = 3.08 than during the Conventional cycling trial (M = 7.55, SE = 3.16, t(33 = -2.69, P<0.05, r = .42. No significant differences were found for heart rate reserve (72.5 ± 10.4 vs 71.4±10.1% and RPE (13.1 ± 1.8 vs 13.2 ± 1.7.Interactive cycling games can be a valid alternative to conventional exercise as they result in a higher exercise intensity than conventional cycling and a distraction from aversive cognitive and physiological states at and above the ventilatory threshold.

Is quality of higher educational institutions in Western Balkan real?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Živaljević Aleksandra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a survey conducted in November of 2013 in 120 higher education institutions in the Western Balkans Countries, with purpose to determine which models are used for quality improvement in Western Balkans higher educational institutions, and whether critical conditions for continuous quality improvement have been met by applying those models. Data were obtained by using questionnaire which consisted of 24 questions related to 2 previously defined hypotheses. Gathered data were tested with Student's t test to determine if there is a significant difference between the groups of higher educational institutions which use different quality models, as well as between private and public higher educational institutions. Authors argue that the rules imposed by Governments do not provide sufficient incentive for meeting the critical conditions for the continuous quality improvement. Legal framework and mandatory accreditation conducted by government bodies lead higher educational institutions to fulfil the formal requirements, distancing them from the essence of quality management, i.e. from self-criticism and motivation to consistently deliver better results than the previous ones and giving them the illusion of achieving quality through compliance with formal criteria.

Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage with packed bed thermal energy storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbour, Edward; Mignard, Dimitri; Ding, Yulong; Li, Yongliang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of A-CAES using packed bed regenerators. • The packed beds are used to store the compression heat. • A numerical model is developed, validated and used to simulate system operation. • The simulated efficiencies are between 70.5% and 71.1% for continuous operation. • Heat build-up in the beds reduces continuous cycle efficiency slightly. - Abstract: The majority of articles on Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) so far have focussed on the use of indirect-contact heat exchangers and a thermal fluid in which to store the compression heat. While packed beds have been suggested, a detailed analysis of A-CAES with packed beds is lacking in the available literature. This paper presents such an analysis. We develop a numerical model of an A-CAES system with packed beds and validate it against analytical solutions. Our results suggest that an efficiency in excess of 70% should be achievable, which is higher than many of the previous estimates for A-CAES systems using indirect-contact heat exchangers. We carry out an exergy analysis for a single charge–storage–discharge cycle to see where the main losses are likely to transpire and we find that the main losses occur in the compressors and expanders (accounting for nearly 20% of the work input) rather than in the packed beds. The system is then simulated for continuous cycling and it is found that the build-up of leftover heat from previous cycles in the packed beds results in higher steady state temperature profiles of the packed beds. This leads to a small reduction (<0.5%) in efficiency for continuous operation

Modified A{sup ++}-standard refrigerator with 30% reduction of energy consumption. Higher efficiency by compressor modification - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siegrist, M.; Stahl, S.; Ganz, J.

2010-06-15

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at how a modified refrigerator can be given a higher efficiency by modifying the compressor. The modified refrigerator was fitted with a variable-speed compressor. This compressor could be run at much lower speeds so that it was in operation for up to 90% of the time. It was shown that less electricity was consumed the more the compressor ran. The report discusses the aims of the work and presents details on the standard refrigerator used for the tests. The compressor normally used and the variable-speed compressor used in the test are described. Systems for temperature control and data acquisition during the tests are described. The results obtained are examined and the influence of various factors is discussed.

Funding and the Attainment of Transformation Goals in South Africa's Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wangenge-Ouma, Gerald

2010-01-01

The link between the funding of higher education and the attainment of higher education transformation goals in South Africa, especially access by students from previously under-represented communities, is the main focus of this paper. Specifically, the paper examines three questions: (a) How does public funding of higher education encourage (or…

Optoelectronic properties of higher acenes, their BN analogue and substituted derivatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armaković, Stevan, E-mail: stevan.armakovic@df.uns.ac.rs [University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Physics, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 4, 21000, Novi Sad (Serbia); Armaković, Sanja J. [University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000, Novi Sad (Serbia); Holodkov, Vladimir [Educons University, Faculty of Sport and Tourism - TIMS, Radnička 30a, 21000, Novi Sad (Serbia); Pelemiš, Svetlana [University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of Technology, Karakaj bb, 75400, Zvornik, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

2016-02-15

We have investigated optoelectronic properties of higher acenes: pentacene, hexacene, heptacene, octacene, nonacene, decacene and their boron-nitride (BN) analogues, within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). We have also investigated the optoelectronic properties of acenes modified by BN substitution. Calculated optoelectronic properties encompasses: oxidation and reduction potentials, electron and hole reorganization energies and energy difference between excited first singlet and triplet states ΔE(S{sub 1}−T{sub 1}). Oxidation and reduction potentials indicate significantly better stability of BN analogues, comparing with their all-carbon relatives. Although higher acenes possess lower electron and hole reorganization energies, with both best values much lower than 0.1 eV, their BN analogues also have competitive values of reorganization energies, especially for holes for which reorganization energy is also lower than 0.1 eV. On the other hand ΔE(S{sub 1}−T{sub 1}) is much better for BN analogues, having values that indicate that BN analogues are possible applicable for thermally activated delayed fluorescence. - Highlights: • Optoelectronic properties of structures based on higher acenes have been investigated. • Oxidation and reduction potentials together with reorganization energies are calculated. • TADF is analyzed through calculation of ΔE(S{sub 1}−T{sub 1}), which is much better for BN analogues. • Reorganization energies of acenes improve with the increase of number of benzene rings.

Body size, body composition, and metabolic profile explain higher energy expenditure in overweight children

Science.gov (United States)

Lower relative rates of energy expenditure (EE), increased energetic efficiency, and altered fuel utilization purportedly associated with obesity have not been demonstrated indisputably in overweight children. We hypothesized that differences in energy metabolism between nonoverweight and overweight...

Energy policy, the energy price fallacy and the role of nuclear energy in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brookes, L.G.

1978-01-01

The widely held belief that the world energy problem will be solved by rising prices - closing the energy gap by reducing demand and bringing in new, large, previously overcostly energy sources is rejected by the author who feels that high prices are the problem and not the solution. It is argued that supply and demand will be brought into balance at some price, and the objective of energy policy should be to make it as low as possible, by concentrating on the exploitation of large, low-cost energy sources. The role of nuclear energy in this discussion is considered with respect to three specific points: the currently identified reserves of low-cost uranium, if used in fast reactors, represent an energy source greater than all other energy sources put together; nuclear power is the cheapest, safest and cleanest way of producing electricity; and electricity production accounts for a very large part of total primary energy consumption. (U.K.)

Welfare Effects of Higher Energy and Food Prices in Botswana: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using a social accounting matrix (SAM) multiplier framework, the paper examines the welfare effects of higher ... Key Words: Social Accounting Matrix; Multiplier analysis; Welfare; Botswana ..... After all, the principal ... Financial Services. 0.90.

Energy Choices. Efficient Energy Use - possibilities and barriers; Vaegval Energi. Energieffektivisering - moejligheter och hinder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jagemar, Lennart (CIT Energy Management AB, Goeteborg (Sweden)); Pettersson, Bertil (Chalmers EnergiCentrum, CEC, Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden))

2009-02-15

Sweden's total energy supply in 2006 amounted to a total of 624 TWh and was dominated by crude oil, nuclear fuels, biofuels and hydropower. Different types of losses in the system accounts for one third of the energy. The final energy consumption, i.e. delivery minus losses, was divided in the following way: industry 157 TWh, the habitat of 145 TWh (of which 19 TWh relates to Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery and other service and secondary homes) and transport of 101 TWh. For the transport sector, studies show that combinations of various efficiency measures ideally can achieve an reduction in energy use by between 60 and 75 percent. The Governmental Energy Efficiency Inquiry (EnEff - 2008) estimated that the domestic transport techno-economic efficiency potential up to 2016 is 13 TWh (mainly fuel) of the total delivered energy is 87 TWh under EnEff. The potential about 5 TWh is expected to be completed by current instruments. The study assesses that despite the increased need for transport in 2016 the sector's energy use can remain at the same level or even be reduced. Buildings have a large technical and economic energy efficiency potential. According to EnEff's assessment, the streamlining potential is 33 TWh of which 8 TWh can implemented in 2016 with today's instruments. This compares with the total delivered energy is 151 TWh under EnEff. The total energy efficiency potential for buildings by 2020 is considered to be substantially higher, about 41 TWh, and affect the use of district heating, fuel and electricity. New powerful tools must be implemented for the building sector in order to realize the potential energy efficiency measures. Industry's total energy potential is assessed to be around 13 TWh by 2016. Industry's total energy use is 155 TWh according to EnEff. Only 2 TWh can realistically be saved up to 2016 taking into account a reasonable acceptance factor. The beneficiaries of the carbon emissions trade account for about

Are energy Drinks Scapegoats? Decomposing Teenagers' Caffeine intake from Energy Drinks and Soda Beverages.

Science.gov (United States)

Turel, Ofir

2018-02-22

Energy drinks have been repeatedly blamed for contributing to caffeine intake among teenagers. This study aimed to estimate and compare the caffeine intake of US teenagers from soda drinks versus energy drinks and shots. Data were taken from a 2015 nationally representative survey (Monitoring the Future) of 8th and 10th graders in the US (47.2% 8th grade; 51.1% female). Participants reported their numbers of consumed sodas, diet sodas, energy drinks, and energy shots per day. These were converted into mg caffeine/day and were contrasted with common guidelines for healthy caffeine intake, stratified by age group and sex. Error-bar charts, ANOVA and ROC curves were used for contrasting caffeine intake from soda drinks and energy drinks, as well as their contribution to exceeding recommended caffeine intake cutoffs. First, in both sexes and grades the intake from soda drinks was significantly higher than the intake from energy drinks. The soda and energy drink intake for males was higher than the intake for females; intake for 8th graders was higher than this of 10th graders. Second, caffeine intake from soda drinks was significantly higher even in those who exceeded the recommended maximum caffeine intake. Third, caffeine intakes from soda and energy drinks were efficacious in explaining the exceeding of the recommended threshold for daily caffeine intake, but the explanatory power of soda drinks was larger. From a caffeine consumption standpoint, health professionals should emphasize reduction in both soda and energy drinks.

Linear waves on higher dimensional Schwarzschild black holes and Schwarzschild de Sitter spacetimes

OpenAIRE

Schlue, Volker

2012-01-01

I study linear waves on higher dimensional Schwarzschild black holes and Schwarzschild de Sitter spacetimes. In the first part of this thesis two decay results are proven for general finite energy solutions to the linear wave equation on higher dimensional Schwarzschild black holes. I establish uniform energy decay and improved interior first order energy decay in all dimensions with rates in accordance with the 3 + 1-dimensional case. The method of proof departs from earlier work on th...

The French market of energy services and its outlook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2011-11-01

The trend of rise of energy prices, the will of CO 2 emissions abatement, the increasing dependence of Europe with respect to energy supplies are as many factors in favor of the development of energy services and in particular of the energy efficiency ones. The European directive under preparation in 2011 fixes an energy saving goal of 1.5% per year to the energy suppliers. It aims at promoting the energy audits, at renovating the public buildings and at developing the communicating meters. France is already committed in all these topics with ambitious programmes. The mechanism of energy saving certificates has already entered its second phase with a 345 TWh goal by the end of 2013, i.e. 6 times higher than in the previous programme. Energy saving is the new eldorado of energy service suppliers. Energy suppliers (EdF, GDF-Suez..) are broadening their offers with energy diagnostic and energy consumption control tools. Exploitation and installation service companies (Cofely, Dalkia, ETDE, Vinci) and equipment manufacturers (Schneider Electric) count on energy efficiency contracts and public-private partnerships. However, such tools are not fully satisfactory yet and the die is far to be cast. Energy suppliers, operators, fitters and manufacturers are in a head-on competition on energy services. This study analyses the impact of the European directive on energy services. It draws up an appraisal of the mechanism of energy saving certificates and shows the stakes of the second phase. It evaluates the size of the 3 main service market segments (energy supply, exploitation, installation). It analyses the strategy and positioning of the different categories of energy service suppliers, and anticipates the evolutions of the competition game. (J.S.)

Motor-gearbox selection for energy efficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dresscher, Douwe; de Vries, Theodorus J.A.; Stramigioli, Stefano

Energy consumption of robotic systems is getting more and more attention. Previous work suggests that energy losses in the actuators of robots are a significant source of high energy consumption. A possible reason is that, so far, motor-gearbox selection methods have not focussed on energy

Fundamentals of low-energy neutral atom imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McComas, D.J.; Funsten, H.O.; Gosling, J.T.; Moore, K.R.; Scime, E.E.; Thomsen, M.F.

1994-01-01

Imaging of the space plasma environment via low-energy neutral atoms (LENAs) promises to revolutionize the way in which large-scale space plasma phenomena are viewed and understood. LENAs are produced by charge exchange between plasma ions (less than tens of kilo-electron-volts) and cold geocoronal neutrals; these LENAs radiate outward in all directions from their points of origin. Previously developed methods for imaging higher energy neutrals are not suitable for observing the majority of the terrestrial magnetosphere, which is comprised primarily of lower energy plasma populations. This paper briefly describes both the direct and indirect techniques that have been suggested for imaging LENAs to date. The authors then examine in more detail the most advanced of these techniques appropriate for magnetospheric imaging, indirect detection based on ionization of LENAs as they transit ultra thin foils. Such a LENA imager consists of four basic components: (1) a biased collimator to remove the ambient charged particles and set the azimuthal field of view; (2) an ultra thin foil, which ionizes a portion of the incident LENAs; (3) an electrostatic analyzer to reject UV light and set the energy passband; and (4) a coincidence position detector to measure converted LENAs while rejecting noise and penetrating radiation

Revised energy levels of singly ionized lanthanum

Science.gov (United States)

Güzelçimen, Feyza; Tonka, Mehdi; Uddin, Zaheer; Bhatti, Naveed Anjum; Windholz, Laurentius; Kröger, Sophie; Başar, Gönül

2018-05-01

Based on the experimental wavenumbers of 344 spectral lines from calibrated Fourier transform (FT) spectra as well as wavenumbers of 81 lines from the wavelength tables from literature, the energy of 115 fine structure levels of singly ionized lanthanum has been revised by weighted global fits. The classifications of the lines are provided by numerous previous investigations of lanthanum by different spectroscopic methods and authors. For the high accurate determination of the center of gravity wavenumbers from the experimental spectrum, the hyperfine constants of the involved levels have been taken into account, if possible. For the 94 levels with known hyperfine constants the accuracy of energy values is better than 0.01 cm-1. For 34 levels the magnetic dipole hyperfine constants A have been determined from FT spectra as part of this work. For four of these 34 levels even electric quadrupole hyperfine constants B could be estimated. For levels, which have experimentally unknown hyperfine constants and which are connected only by lines not found in the FT spectra but taken from literature, the uncertainties of energy values are about a factor of 10 higher. A list of all revised level energies together with a compilation of hyperfine structure data is given as well as a list of all lines used.

A meta-analysis of drug resistant tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa: how strongly associated with previous treatment and HIV co-infection?

Science.gov (United States)

Berhan, Asres; Berhan, Yifru; Yizengaw, Desalegn

2013-11-01

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the fight against tuberculosis (TB) has encountered a great challenge because of the emergence of drug resistant TB strains and the high prevalence of HIV infection. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the association of drug-resistant TB with anti-TB drug treatment history and HIV co-infection. After electronic based literature search in the databases of Medline, HINARI, EMBASE and the Cochrane library, article selection and data extraction were carried out. HIV co-infection and previous history of TB treatment were used as predictors for the occurrence of any anti-TB drug resistant or multiple drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). The risk ratios for each included study and for the pooled sample were computed using the random-effects model. Heterogeneity test, sensitivity analyses and funnel plots were also done. The pooled analysis showed that the risk of developing drug-resistant TB to at least one anti-TB drug was about 3 times higher in individuals who had a previous history of anti-TB treatment than new TB cases. The risk of having MDR-TB in previously anti-TB treated TB cases was more than 5-fold higher than that of new TB cases. Resistance to Ethambutol and Rifampicin was more than fivefold higher among the previously treated with anti-TB drugs. However, HIV infection was not associated with drug-resistant TB. There was a strong association of previous anti-TB treatment with MDR-TB. Primary treatment warrants special emphasis, and screening for anti-TB drugs sensitivity has to be strengthened.

Comparison of energy balance between two different-sized groups of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui).

Science.gov (United States)

Kurihara, Yosuke; Hanya, Goro

2017-07-01

Quantifying the energy balance is essential for testing socio-ecological models. To reveal costs and benefits of group living in Japanese macaques from the perspective of feeding competition, Kurihara and Hanya (Am J Primatol 77:986-1000, 2015) previously compared feeding behavior between two different-sized groups of macaques (larger group 30-35 individuals; smaller group 13-15 individuals) in the coastal forest of Yakushima, Japan. The results suggested that the larger group exhibited greater feeding effort because of intragroup scramble competition and that the smaller group suffered from higher travel costs, possibly owing to intergroup contest competition. However, it remained unclear whether the behavioral differences affected their energy budgets. The present study examined energetic consequences of the different feeding behaviors in the two groups. Using behavioral data from 10 to 13 adult females and nutritional composition of food items, we compared ingestion rates, energetic/nutritional content of diet, and energy budgets between the two groups. Ingestion rates and energetic/nutritional content of diet did not differ between the two groups. Despite the higher feeding effort of the larger group, energy intake did not differ between the two groups. Energy expenditure did not differ between the two groups because higher travel costs were negated by lower feeding effort in the smaller group. Consequently, the energy balance did not differ between the two groups. We demonstrated that the behavioral measures of feeding competition were not translated into their energetic condition; moreover, our findings re-emphasize the importance of quantifying behavioral and fitness measures for interpreting variation in feeding behavior properly.

Status of higher education in nuclear technology in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, N.

2007-01-01

To harness the benefits of nuclear energy and the applications of radiation and radionuclides in various disciplines, a broad and deeply rooted nuclear education is essential. To cater to its needs, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has established training institutes/centres of higher education. This paper briefly describes the programmes offered by these institutes/centres. (author)

Projection of future transport energy demand of Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limanond, Thirayoot; Jomnonkwao, Sajjakaj; Srikaew, Artit

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to project transport energy consumption in Thailand for the next 20 years. The study develops log-linear regression models and feed-forward neural network models, using the as independent variables national gross domestic product, population and the numbers of registered vehicles. The models are based on 20-year historical data between years 1989 and 2008, and are used to project the trends in future transport energy consumption for years 2010-2030. The final log-linear models include only gross domestic product, since all independent variables are highly correlated. It was found that the projection results of this study were in the range of 54.84-59.05 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 2.5 times the 2008 consumption. The projected demand is only 61-65% of that predicted in a previous study, which used the LEAP model. This major discrepancy in transport energy demand projections suggests that projects related to this key indicator should take into account alternative projections, because these numbers greatly affect plans, policies and budget allocation for national energy management. - Research highlights: → Thailand transport energy consumption would increase to 54.4-59.1 MTOE in Year 2030. → The log-linear models yield a slightly higher projection than the ANN models. → The elasticity of transport energy demand with respect to GDP is 0.995.

Projection of future transport energy demand of Thailand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Limanond, Thirayoot, E-mail: tlimanond@yahoo.co [School of Transportation Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Jomnonkwao, Sajjakaj [School of Transportation Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand); Srikaew, Artit [School of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000 (Thailand)

2011-05-15

The objective of this study is to project transport energy consumption in Thailand for the next 20 years. The study develops log-linear regression models and feed-forward neural network models, using the as independent variables national gross domestic product, population and the numbers of registered vehicles. The models are based on 20-year historical data between years 1989 and 2008, and are used to project the trends in future transport energy consumption for years 2010-2030. The final log-linear models include only gross domestic product, since all independent variables are highly correlated. It was found that the projection results of this study were in the range of 54.84-59.05 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 2.5 times the 2008 consumption. The projected demand is only 61-65% of that predicted in a previous study, which used the LEAP model. This major discrepancy in transport energy demand projections suggests that projects related to this key indicator should take into account alternative projections, because these numbers greatly affect plans, policies and budget allocation for national energy management. - Research highlights: {yields} Thailand transport energy consumption would increase to 54.4-59.1 MTOE in Year 2030. {yields} The log-linear models yield a slightly higher projection than the ANN models. {yields} The elasticity of transport energy demand with respect to GDP is 0.995.

Integration of Building energy and energy supply simulations for low-energy district heating supply to energy-efficient buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalla Rosa, Alessandro

2012-01-01

The future will demand implementation of C02 neutral communities, the consequences being a far more complex design of the whole energy system, since the future energy infrastructures will be dynamic and climate responsive systems. Software able to work with such level of complexity is at present...... a missing link in the development. In this paper is demonstrated how a link between a dynamic Building Simulation Programme (BSP) and a simulation program for District Heating (DH) networks can give important information during the design phase. By using a BSP it is possible to analyze the influence...... of the human behaviour regarding the building and link the results to the simulation program for DH networks. The results show that human behaviour can lead to 50% higher heating demand and 60% higher peak loads than expected according to reference values in standardized calculation of energy demand...

Knee Osteoarthritis Is Associated With Previous Meniscus and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery Among Elite College American Football Athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Matthew V; Nepple, Jeffrey J; Wright, Rick W; Matava, Matthew J; Brophy, Robert H

Football puts athletes at risk for knee injuries such meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, which are associated with the development of osteoarthritis (OA). Previous knee surgery, player position, and body mass index (BMI) may be associated with knee OA. In elite football players undergoing knee magnetic resonance imaging at the National Football League's Invitational Combine, the prevalence of knee OA is associated with previous knee surgery and BMI. Retrospective cohort. Level 4. A retrospective review was performed of all participants of the National Football League Combine from 2005 to 2009 who underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the knee because of prior knee injury, surgery, or knee-related symptoms or concerning examination findings. Imaging studies were reviewed for evidence of OA. History of previous knee surgery-including ACL reconstruction, meniscal procedures, and articular cartilage surgery-and position were recorded for each athlete. BMI was calculated based on height and weight. There was a higher prevalence of OA in knees with a history of previous knee surgery (23% vs 4.0%, P 30 kg/m 2 was also associated with a higher risk of OA ( P = 0.007) but player position was not associated with knee OA. Previous knee surgery, particularly ACL reconstruction and partial meniscectomy, and elevated BMI are associated with knee OA in elite football players. Future research should investigate ways to minimize the risk of OA after knee surgery in these athletes. Treatment of knee injuries in football athletes should consider chondroprotection, including meniscal preservation and cartilage repair, when possible.

The perspectives of fusion energy: The roadmap towards energy production and fusion energy in a distributed energy system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naulin, Volker; Juul Rasmussen, Jens; Korsholm, Søren Bang

2014-01-01

at very high temperature where all matter is in the plasma state as the involved energies are orders of magnitude higher than typical chemical binding energies. It is one of the great science and engineering challenges to construct a viable power plant based on fusion energy. Fusion research is a world...... The presentation will discuss the present status of the fusion energy research and review the EU Roadmap towards a fusion power plant. Further the cost of fusion energy is assessed as well as how it can be integrated in the distributed energy system......Controlled thermonuclear fusion has the potential of providing an environmentally friendly and inexhaustible energy source for mankind. Fusion energy, which powers our sun and the stars, is released when light elements, such as the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium, fuse together. This occurs...

Underestimation of Severity of Previous Whiplash Injuries

Science.gov (United States)

Naqui, SZH; Lovell, SJ; Lovell, ME

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION We noted a report that more significant symptoms may be expressed after second whiplash injuries by a suggested cumulative effect, including degeneration. We wondered if patients were underestimating the severity of their earlier injury. PATIENTS AND METHODS We studied recent medicolegal reports, to assess subjects with a second whiplash injury. They had been asked whether their earlier injury was worse, the same or lesser in severity. RESULTS From the study cohort, 101 patients (87%) felt that they had fully recovered from their first injury and 15 (13%) had not. Seventy-six subjects considered their first injury of lesser severity, 24 worse and 16 the same. Of the 24 that felt the violence of their first accident was worse, only 8 had worse symptoms, and 16 felt their symptoms were mainly the same or less than their symptoms from their second injury. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that the proportion of those claiming a difference who said the previous injury was lesser was 76% (95% CI 66–84%). The observed proportion with a lesser injury was considerably higher than the 50% anticipated. CONCLUSIONS We feel that subjects may underestimate the severity of an earlier injury and associated symptoms. Reasons for this may include secondary gain rather than any proposed cumulative effect. PMID:18201501

Energy Landscape of Pentapeptides in a Higher-Order (ϕ,ψ Conformational Subspace

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karim M. ElSawy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The potential energy landscape of pentapeptides was mapped in a collective coordinate principal conformational subspace derived from principal component analysis of a nonredundant representative set of protein structures from the PDB. Three pentapeptide sequences that are known to be distinct in terms of their secondary structure characteristics, (Ala5, (Gly5, and Val.Asn.Thr.Phe.Val, were considered. Partitioning the landscapes into different energy valleys allowed for calculation of the relative propensities of the peptide secondary structures in a statistical mechanical framework. The distribution of the observed conformations of pentapeptide data showed good correspondence to the topology of the energy landscape of the (Ala5 sequence where, in accord with reported trends, the α-helix showed a predominant propensity at 298 K. The topography of the landscapes indicates that the stabilization of the α-helix in the (Ala5 sequence is enthalpic in nature while entropic factors are important for stabilization of the β-sheet in the Val.Asn.Thr.Phe.Val sequence. The results indicate that local interactions within small pentapeptide segments can lead to conformational preference of one secondary structure over the other where account of conformational entropy is important in order to reveal such preference. The method, therefore, can provide critical structural information for ab initio protein folding methods.

Energy efficiency trends and policy in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Mansour, Fouad

2011-01-01

The energy dependency of Slovenia is high (52.1%), but it is a little lower than the average energy dependency in the EU 27 (53.8%). Slovenia imports all its petroleum products and natural gas and partly coal and electricity. The energy intensity of Slovenia is higher by about 50% than the average in the EU 27. The target of the EU Directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services adopted in 2006 is to achieve a 9% improvement of EE (energy efficiency) within the period 2008-2016. The new target of the EU climate and energy package '20-20-20 plan' is a 20% increase in EE by 2020. Since 1991 the Slovenian government has been supporting energy efficiency activities. The improvement of EE was one of the targets of strategic energy documents ReSROE (Resolution on the Strategy of Use and Supply of Energy in Slovenia from 1996 and ReNEP (Resolution on the National Energy Programme) from 2004 adopted by the Slovenian National Assembly (Parliament) in previous years. The Energy Act adopted in 1999 defines the objective of energy policy as giving priority to EE and utilization of renewable energy sources. The goals of the 'National Energy Action Plan 2008-2016 (NEEAP)' adopted by the Slovenian government in 2008 include a set of energy efficiency improvement instruments in the residential, industrial, transport and tertiary sectors. The target of the NEEAP is to save final energy in the 2008-2016 period, amounting to at least 4261 GWh or 9% of baseline consumption. The indicators of energy efficiency trends show considerable improvement in the period from 1998 to 2007. The improvement of EE was reached in all sectors: manufacturing, transport and households. The paper analyses the structure, trends of energy consumption and energy efficiency indicators by sectors of economic activity. A review of energy efficiency policy and measures is described in the paper.

Validation of the Online version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire for schoolchildren

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel ENGEL

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the validity of the web-based version of the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online for schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of elementary school. Methods Participants were 312 schoolchildren aged 7 to 12 years of a public school from the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Validity was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, as well as by agreement rates (match, omission, and intrusion rates of food items reported by children on the Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online, using direct observation of foods/beverages eaten during school meals (mid-morning snack or afternoon snack on the previous day as the reference. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the influence of participants’ characteristics on omission and intrusion rates. Results The results showed adequate sensitivity (67.7% and specificity (95.2%. There were low omission and intrusion rates of 22.8% and 29.5%, respectively when all food items were analyzed. Pizza/hamburger showed the highest omission rate, whereas milk and milk products showed the highest intrusion rate. The participants who attended school in the afternoon shift presented a higher probability of intrusion compared to their peers who attended school in the morning. Conclusion The Previous Day Food Questionnaire Online possessed satisfactory validity for the assessment of food intake at the group level in schoolchildren from the 2nd to 5th grades of public school.

Energy conservation and energy prices: the Hungarian experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molnar, L.

1997-01-01

The main sources of emissions into the outdoor air are from the energy sector (e.g. power plants), industry, the transport sector and the residential sector (buildings). The danger from most of these emissions is the fact that heat plants and boilers of residential buildings in particular, are usually in the areas where people live and work and therefore their emissions may have a direct effect on health. The best way to improve this situation - to diminish emissions and to improve air quality - is to increase the efficiency of both energy production and use. This also has important consequences for the economic use of the national energy carrier stock and diminishes the need to import energy which increases the competitiveness of goods produced. The Hungarian government has set out an Energy Saving Programme to address, among other things the fact that the Hungarian average energy consumption per capita is less than the EU average but the energy intensity (the necessary energy to produce 1 USD GDP) is 3.5-4.0 times higher than the EU average. It has been shown that the best way to save energy is to invest in energy-conscious behaviour and training. Recent studies in public and residential buildings have shown that there is a potential for high energy saving in Hungarian buildings which is independent from the building technology used. Also, the pay-back times of investment in the building envelope are significantly higher than the pay-back times of investment in heating-ventilating or control systems, while the energy saved was of the same magnitude. (author) 5 figs., 5 tabs., 6 refs

The Water Demand of Energy: Implications for Sustainable Energy Policy Development

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Kaveh Madani

2013-11-01

Full Text Available With energy security, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development as three main motives, global energy policies have evolved, now asking for higher shares of renewable energies, shale oil and gas resources in the global energy supply portfolios. Yet, concerns have recently been raised about the environmental impacts of the renewable energy development, supported by many governments around the world. For example, governmental ethanol subsidies and mandates in the U.S. are aimed to increase the biofuel supply while the water footprint of this type of energy might be 70–400 times higher than the water footprint of conventional fossil energy sources. Hydrofracking, as another example, has been recognized as a high water-intensive procedure that impacts the surface and ground water in both quality and quantity. Hence, monitoring the water footprint of the energy mix is significantly important and could have implications for energy policy development. This paper estimates the water footprint of current and projected global energy policies, based on the energy production and consumption scenarios, developed by the International Energy Outlook of the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The outcomes reveal the amount of water required for total energy production in the world will increase by 37%–66% during the next two decades, requiring extensive improvements in water use efficiency of the existing energy production technologies, especially renewables.

Stable SU(5) monopoles with higher magnetic charge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyamoto, S.; Sato, H.; Tomohiro, S.

1985-01-01

Taking into account the electroweak breaking effects, some multiply charged monopoles were shown to be stable by Gardner and Harvey. We give the explicit Ansa$uml: tze for finite-energy, nonsingular solutions of these stable higher-strength monopoles with eg = 1,(3/2),3. We also give the general stability conditions and the detailed behavior of the interaction potentials between two monopoles which produce the stable higher-strength monopoles

Survival of dental implants placed in sites of previously failed implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Chrcanovic, Bruno R; Kisch, Jenö; Albrektsson, Tomas; Wennerberg, Ann

2017-11-01

To assess the survival of dental implants placed in sites of previously failed implants and to explore the possible factors that might affect the outcome of this reimplantation procedure. Patients that had failed dental implants, which were replaced with the same implant type at the same site, were included. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the patients and implants; survival analysis was also performed. The effect of systemic, environmental, and local factors on the survival of the reoperated implants was evaluated. 175 of 10,096 implants in 98 patients were replaced by another implant at the same location (159, 14, and 2 implants at second, third, and fourth surgeries, respectively). Newly replaced implants were generally of similar diameter but of shorter length compared to the previously placed fixtures. A statistically significant greater percentage of lost implants were placed in sites with low bone quantity. There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.032) in the survival rates between implants that were inserted for the first time (94%) and implants that replaced the ones lost (73%). There was a statistically higher failure rate of the reoperated implants for patients taking antidepressants and antithrombotic agents. Dental implants replacing failed implants had lower survival rates than the rates reported for the previous attempts of implant placement. It is suggested that a site-specific negative effect may possibly be associated with this phenomenon, as well as the intake of antidepressants and antithrombotic agents. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A review on phase change energy storage: materials and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farid, Mohammed M.; Khudhair, Amar M.; Razack, Siddique Ali K.; Al-Hallaj, Said

2004-01-01

Latent heat storage is one of the most efficient ways of storing thermal energy. Unlike the sensible heat storage method, the latent heat storage method provides much higher storage density, with a smaller temperature difference between storing and releasing heat. This paper reviews previous work on latent heat storage and provides an insight to recent efforts to develop new classes of phase change materials (PCMs) for use in energy storage. Three aspects have been the focus of this review: PCM materials, encapsulation and applications. There are large numbers of phase change materials that melt and solidify at a wide range of temperatures, making them attractive in a number of applications. Paraffin waxes are cheap and have moderate thermal energy storage density but low thermal conductivity and, hence, require large surface area. Hydrated salts have larger energy storage density and higher thermal conductivity but experience supercooling and phase segregation, and hence, their application requires the use of some nucleating and thickening agents. The main advantages of PCM encapsulation are providing large heat transfer area, reduction of the PCMs reactivity towards the outside environment and controlling the changes in volume of the storage materials as phase change occurs. The different applications in which the phase change method of heat storage can be applied are also reviewed in this paper. The problems associated with the application of PCMs with regards to the material and the methods used to contain them are also discussed

Open-Source Learning Management Systems: A Predictive Model for Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

van Rooij, S. Williams

2012-01-01

The present study investigated the role of pedagogical, technical, and institutional profile factors in an institution of higher education's decision to select an open-source learning management system (LMS). Drawing on the results of previous research that measured patterns of deployment of open-source software (OSS) in US higher education and…

New renewable energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

This publication presents a review of the technological, economical and market status in the field of new renewable energy sources. It also deals briefly with the present use of energy, external conditions for new renewable energy sources and prospects for these energy sources in a future energy system. The renewable energy sources treated here are ''new'' in the sense that hydroelectric energy technology is excluded, being fully developed commercially. This publication updates a previous version, which was published in 1996. The main sections are: (1) Introduction, (2) Solar energy, (3) Bio energy, (4) Wind power, (5) Energy from the sea, (6) Hydrogen, (7) Other new renewable energy technologies and (8) New renewable s in the energy system of the future

Gamma-ray astronomy in the medium energy (10-50 MeV) range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kniffen, D.A.; Bertsch, D.L.; Palmeira, R.A.R.; Rao, K.R.

1977-01-01

Gamma-ray astronomy in the medium energy (10-50 MeV) range can provide unique information with which to study many astrophysical problems. Observations in the 10-50 MeV range provide the cleanest window with which to view the isotropic diffuse component of the radiation and to study the possible cosmological implications of the spectrum. For the study of compact sources, this is the important region between the X-ray sky and the vastly different γ-ray sky seen by SAS-2 and COS-B. To understand the implications of medium energy γ-ray astronomy to the study of the galactic diffuse γ-radiation, the model developed to explain the high energy γ-ray observations of SAS-2 is extended to the medium energy range. This work illustrates the importance of medium energy γ-ray astronomy for studying the electromagnetic component of the galactic cosmic rays. To observe the medium energy component of the intense galactic center γ-ray emission, two balloon flights of a medium energy γ-ray spark chamber telescope were flown in Brazil in 1975. These results indicate the emission is higher than previously thought and above the predictions of the theoretical model

Radiation processing with high-energy X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleland, Marshall R.; Stichelbaut, Frederic

2009-01-01

The physical, chemical or biological characteristics of selected commercial products and materials can be improved by radiation processing. The ionizing energy can be provided by accelerated electrons with energies between 75 keV and 10 MeV, gamma rays from cobalt-60 with average energies of 1.25 MeV or X-rays with maximum energies up to 7.5 MeV. Electron beams are preferred for thin products, which are processed at high speeds. Gamma rays are used for products that are too thick for treatment with electron beams. High-energy X-rays can also be used for these purposes because their penetration in solid materials is similar to or even slightly greater than that of gamma rays. Previously, the use of X-rays had been inhibited by their slower processing rates and higher costs when compared with gamma rays. Since then, the price of cobalt-60 sources has been increased and the radiation intensity from high-energy, high-power X-ray generators has also increased. For facilities requiring at least 2 MCi of cobalt-60, the capital and operating costs of X-ray facilities with equivalent processing rates can be less than that of gamma-ray irradiators. Several high-energy electron beam facilities have been equipped with removable X-ray targets so that irradiation processes can be done with either type of ionizing energy. A new facility is now being built which will be used exclusively in the X-ray mode to sterilize medical products. Operation of this facility will show that high-energy, high-power X-ray generators are practical alternatives to large gamma-ray sources. (author)

Electrochemically Powered, Energy-Conserving Carbon Nanotube Artificial Muscles.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae Ah; Li, Na; Haines, Carter S; Kim, Keon Jung; Lepró, Xavier; Ovalle-Robles, Raquel; Kim, Seon Jeong; Baughman, Ray H

2017-08-01

While artificial muscle yarns and fibers are potentially important for many applications, the combination of large strokes, high gravimetric work capacities, short cycle times, and high efficiencies are not realized for these fibers. This paper demonstrates here electrochemically powered carbon nanotube yarn muscles that provide tensile contraction as high as 16.5%, which is 12.7 times higher than previously obtained. These electrochemical muscles can deliver a contractile energy conversion efficiency of 5.4%, which is 4.1 times higher than reported for any organic-material-based artificial muscle. All-solid-state parallel muscles and braided muscles, which do not require a liquid electrolyte, provide tensile contractions of 11.6% and 5%, respectively. These artificial muscles might eventually be deployed for a host of applications, from robotics to perhaps even implantable medical devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Energy levels of 56Mn

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Van Assche, P. H. M.; Baader, H. A.; Koch, H. R.

1971-01-01

The low-energy spectrum of the 55Mn(n,γ)56 Mn reaction has been studied with a γ-diffraction spectrometer. These data allowed the construction of a level scheme for 56Mn with two previously unobserved doublets. High-energy γ-transitions to the low-energy states have been measured for different...

Can renewable energy be financed with higher electricity prices? Evidence from a Spanish region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gracia, Azucena; Barreiro-Hurlé, Jesús; Pérez y Pérez, Luis

2012-01-01

In this paper we estimate the willingness to pay for mix of renewable sources of electric power by means of a discrete choice experiment survey conducted in Spain in 2010. Two main categories of power supply attributes are explored: source of renewable power (wind, solar and biomass) and the origin of such power. The findings suggest that most consumers are not willing to pay a premium for increases in the shares of renewable in their electricity mix. For two of the three renewable sources considered (wind and biomass) an increase of the renewable mix would require a discount. Instead, we record positive willing to pay for increases in the share of both solar power and locally generated power. However, preferences for types of renewable (solar and wind) are found to be heterogeneous. By classifying respondents in two groups according to the implied importance of the share of renewable sources in their power mix we identify a market segment consisting of 20% of respondents that could promote renewable energy in the absence of subsidies. This is because such a segment shows willingness to pay higher than the current feed-in tariffs. - Highlights: ► We evaluate the WTP for different renewable electricity sources in a Aragon. ► Average positive WTP is found for only some renewable sources. ► Specific market segments are willing to pay for specific renewable sources. ► Geographical origin is more important than renewable source.

49 CFR 173.23 - Previously authorized packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Previously authorized packaging. 173.23 Section... REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Preparation of Hazardous Materials for Transportation § 173.23 Previously authorized packaging. (a) When the regulations specify a packaging with a specification marking...

A Review of Accessibility in Online Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, Mikki; Berge, Zane L.

2018-01-01

The proliferation of the Internet, computers, and mobile devices means that students of all ages, socioeconomic statuses, geographical locations, and abilities have access to higher education institutions that were previously unavailable. As the population of the United States ages and the number of students with diagnosed disabilities grows,…

METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE SEGMENTATION OF HOUSEHOLD ENERGY CONSUMERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maxim Alexandru

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade, the World has shown increased concern for climate change and energy security. The emergence of these issues has pushed many nations to pursue the development of clean domestic electricity production via renewable energy (RE technologies. However, RE also comes with a higher production and investment cost, compared to most conventional fossil fuel based technologies. In order to analyse exactly how Romanian electricity consumers feel about the advantages and the disadvantages of RE, we have decided to perform a comprehensive study, which will constitute the core of a doctoral thesis regarding the Romanian energy sector and household consumers’ willingness to pay for the positive attributes of RE. The current paper represents one step toward achieving the objectives of the above mentioned research, specifically dealing with the issue of segmenting household energy consumers given the context of the Romanian energy sector. It is an argumentative literature review, which seeks to critically assess the methodology used for customer segmentation in general and for household energy users in particular. Building on the experience of previous studies, the paper aims to determine the most adequate segmentation procedure given the context and the objectives of the overall doctoral research. After assessing the advantages and disadvantages of various methodologies, a psychographic segmentation of household consumers based on general life practices is chosen, mainly because it provides more insights into consumers compared to traditional socio-demographic segmentation by focusing on lifestyles and not external characteristics, but it is also realistically implementable compared to more complex procedures such as the standard AIO. However, the life practice scale developed by Axsen et al. (2012 will need to be properly adapted to the specific objectives of the study and to the context of the Romanian energy sector. All modifications

Higher bottomonia in the unquenched quark model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ferretti J.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available We show our results for the bottomonium spectrum with self energy corrections, due to the coupling to the meson-meson continuum. We also discuss our results for the open bottom strong decays of higher bottomonia in the 3P0 pair-creation model.

22 CFR 40.91 - Certain aliens previously removed.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Certain aliens previously removed. 40.91... IMMIGRANTS UNDER THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT, AS AMENDED Aliens Previously Removed § 40.91 Certain aliens previously removed. (a) 5-year bar. An alien who has been found inadmissible, whether as a result...

[Relationship between previous severity of illness and outcome of in-hospital cardiac arrest].

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano, M; Rodríguez, J; Espejo, A; del Olmo, R; Llanos, S; Del Castillo, J; López-Herce, J

2014-07-01

To analyze the relationship between previous severity of illness, lactic acid, creatinine and inotropic index with mortality of in-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) in children, and the value of a prognostic index designed for adults. The study included total of 44 children aged from 1 month to 18 years old who suffered a cardiac arrest while in hospital. The relationship between previous severity of illness scores (PRIMS and PELOD), lactic acid, creatinine, treatment with vasoactive drugs, inotropic index with return of spontaneous circulation and survival at hospital discharge was analyzed. The large majority (90.3%) of patients had a return of spontaneous circulation, and 59% survived at hospital discharge. More than two-thirds (68.2%) were treated with inotropic drugs at the time of the CA. The patients who died had a higher lactic acid before the CA (3.4 mmol/L) than survivors (1.4 mmol/L), P=.04. There were no significant differences in PRIMS, PELOD, creatinine, inotropic drugs, and inotropic index before CA between patients who died and survivors. A high lactic acid previous to cardiac arrest could be a prognostic factor of in-hospital cardiac arrest in children. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Researcher Creations? The Positioning of Policy Texts in Higher Education Research

Science.gov (United States)

Ashwin, Paul; Smith, Karen

2015-01-01

In this article we explore the way in which policy texts are positioned in a selection of higher education journal articles. Previous research has suggested that policy implementation studies have taken an uncritical approach to researching policies. Based on an analysis of articles published in higher education and policy journals in 2011, we…

Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Joon Ho; Kwak, Soo Heon; Jang, Hak C

2017-01-01

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy, is characterized by underlying maternal defects in the β-cell response to insulin during pregnancy. Women with a previous history of GDM have a greater than 7-fold higher risk of developing postpartum diabetes compared with women without GDM. Various risk factors for postpartum diabetes have been identified, including maternal age, glucose levels in pregnancy, family history of diabetes, pre-pregnancy and postpartum body mass index, dietary patterns, physical activity, and breastfeeding. Genetic studies revealed that GDM shares common genetic variants with type 2 diabetes. A number of lifestyle interventional trials that aimed to ameliorate modifiable risk factors, including diet, exercise, and breastfeeding, succeeded in reducing the incidence of postpartum diabetes, weight retention, and other obesity-related morbidities. The present review summarizes the findings of previous studies on the incidence and risk factors of postpartum diabetes and discusses recent lifestyle interventional trials that attempted to prevent postpartum diabetes.

Irreversibility and higher-spin conformal field theory

CERN Document Server

Anselmi, D

2000-01-01

I discuss the idea that quantum irreversibility is a general principle of nature and a related "conformal hypothesis", stating that all fundamental quantum field theories should be renormalization-group (RG) interpolations between ultraviolet and infrared conformal fixed points. In particular, the Newton constant should be viewed as a low-energy effect of the RG scale. This approach leads naturally to consider higher-spin conformal field theories, which are here classified, as candidate high-energy theories. Bosonic conformal tensors have a positive-definite action, equal to the square of a field strength, and a higher-derivative gauge invariance. The central charges c and a are well defined and positive. I calculate their values and study the operator-product structure. Fermionic theories have no gauge invariance and can be coupled to Abelian and non-Abelian gauge fields in a renormalizable way. At the quantum level, they contribute to the one-loop beta function with the same sign as ordinary matter, admit a...

Energy markets and climate change

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krozer, Yoram

2017-01-01

Innovations mechanisms on energy markets are discussed, in particular valorization of energy products which invokes decarbonization of energy recourses. The valorization, meaning higher value of energy products, is expressed as electrification and entry of modern renewable energy based on

Hawai‘i Distributed Energy Resource Technologies for Energy Security

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2012-09-30

HNEI has conducted research to address a number of issues important to move Hawai‘i to greater use of intermittent renewable and distributed energy resource (DER) technologies in order to facilitate greater use of Hawai‘i's indigenous renewable energy resources. Efforts have been concentrated on the Islands of Hawai‘i, Maui, and O‘ahu, focusing in three areas of endeavor: 1) Energy Modeling and Scenario Analysis (previously called Energy Road mapping); 2) Research, Development, and Validation of Renewable DER and Microgrid Technologies; and 3) Analysis and Policy. These efforts focused on analysis of the island energy systems and development of specific candidate technologies for future insertion into an integrated energy system, which would lead to a more robust transmission and distribution system in the state of Hawai‘i and eventually elsewhere in the nation.

Higher Education Facilities: The SmartGrid Earns a Doctorate in Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Tysseling, John C.; Zibelman, Audrey; Freifeld, Allen

2011-01-01

Most higher education facilities have already accomplished some measure of a "microgrid" investment with building control systems (BCS), energy management systems (EMS), and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) installations. Available energy production facilities may include boilers, chillers, cogeneration, thermal storage, electrical…

News: energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willot, D.

2003-01-01

At the beginning of 2003 the French government launched a national debate about the energies. 6 conferences are due to be held during the first semester. The opening conference in Paris was dedicated to the distribution of energy resources in the world, to the struggle against climate warming and to the opening and deregulation of markets. The following conferences that will take place in Strasbourg, Nice, Bordeaux and Rennes will focus on topics such as controlling the energy consumption in industries, companies and households, and reviewing the pros and cons of the different sources of energy. The ending conference will be held in Paris, the participants will try to find consistencies in the previous debates and will draw some conclusions that will help the French authorities to define the next energy policy. (A.C.)

AbobotulinumtoxinA Efficacy and Safety in Children With Equinus Foot Previously Treated With Botulinum Toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Dabrowski, Edward; Bonikowski, Marcin; Gormley, Mark; Volteau, Magali; Picaut, Philippe; Delgado, Mauricio R

2018-05-01

The effects of botulinum toxin are transient, and repeat injections are required in children with lower-limb spasticity. However, the efficacy of botulinum toxin in patients who have received previous injections has remained largely unexplored. We present subgroup analyses of a phase III study conducted in ambulatory children (aged two to 17) with spastic equinus foot. Patients were randomized to single doses of abobotulinumtoxinA 10 U/kg/leg, 15 U/kg/leg, or placebo injected into the gastrocnemius-soleus complex (one or both legs). The first analysis was prespecified to review the effect of abobotulinumtoxinA in children previously treated with botulinum toxin versus those children new to the treatment; a second post hoc analysis evaluated the effect of abobotulinumtoxinA in children who changed botulinum toxin formulation. Of the 241 randomized patients, 113 had previously received botulinum toxin, including 86 who had been treated with another formulation. In both analyses, muscle tone (Modified Ashworth Scale) and the Physicians Global Assessment, at week 4, improved with abobotulinumtoxinA treatment versus placebo, regardless of baseline botulinum toxin status. Placebo responses in patients new to treatment were consistently higher than in the previously treated group. These results demonstrate similar abobotulinumtoxinA efficacy and safety profiles in children with spasticity who are new to botulinum toxin treatment and those children who were previously treated. The efficacy and safety of abobotulinumtoxinA treatment in these previously treated patients were comparable with the overall trial population, indicating that doses of 10 and 15 U/kg/leg are suitable starting doses for children with spasticity regardless of the previous botulinum toxin preparation used. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement Over Large Solid Angle of Low Energy Cosmic Ray Muon Flux

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiner, H. F., III; Schwitters, R. F.

2015-12-01

Recent advancements in portable muon detectors have made cosmic ray imaging practical for many diverse applications. Working muon attenuation detectors have been built at the University of Texas and are already successfully being used to image tunnels, structures, and Mayan pyramids. Most previous studies have focused on energy measurements of the cosmic ray spectrum from of 1 GeV or higher. We have performed an accurate measurement of the ultra-low energy (muon spectrum down to the acceptance level of our detector, around one hundred MeV. Measurements include angular dependence, with acceptance approaching horizontal. Measurements were made underwater using a custom enclosure in Lake Travis, Austin, TX. This measurement will allow more accurate predictions and simulations of attenuation for small (muon tomography.

Nuclear energy data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

This new edition of Nuclear Energy Data, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's annual compilation of essential statistics on nuclear energy in OECD countries, offers additional graphical information as compared with previous editions allowing a rapid comparison between capacity and requirements in the various phases of the nuclear fuel cycle. It provides the reader with a comprehensive but easy-to-access overview on the status of and trends in the nuclear power and fuel cycle sector. This publication is an authoritative information source of interest to policy makers, experts and academics involved in the nuclear energy field. (author)

Higher-order force gradient symplectic algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Siu A.; Kidwell, Donald W.

2000-12-01

We show that a recently discovered fourth order symplectic algorithm, which requires one evaluation of force gradient in addition to three evaluations of the force, when iterated to higher order, yielded algorithms that are far superior to similarly iterated higher order algorithms based on the standard Forest-Ruth algorithm. We gauge the accuracy of each algorithm by comparing the step-size independent error functions associated with energy conservation and the rotation of the Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector when solving a highly eccentric Kepler problem. For orders 6, 8, 10, and 12, the new algorithms are approximately a factor of 103, 104, 104, and 105 better.

Towards a higher energy efficiency and lower carbon society the European approach and experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hein, Klaus R.G.

2010-01-01

The use of natural energy sources and their conversion to secondary forms of energy are a crucial base for the development of our society with its continuous change of requirements due to an increase in population and the broadening of the needs in our modern life. As a consequence the consumption of primary energy resources rose drastically worldwide during the last 5 decades in particular in the industrialized regions such as Europe. Parallel in time the increasing awareness of negative effects of fuel dependent pollution on the environment and the introduction of stringent emission control regulations about 3 decades ago initiated extensive development and retrofit activities resulting in the today applied high level state of the art. As an additional challenge the worldwide debate about the potential effects of the emission of the s.c green house gases on the global climate in particular carbon dioxide from the use of predominantly fossil fuels have initiated in the European Union extensive efforts in efficiency improvements of large scale fuel conversion and more recently in the development of processes for CO 2 capture and its subsequent storage. Furthermore the use of the s.c CO 2 neutral fuels such as biomass and organic wastes as well as the non carbonaceous options water wind and solar power are promoted towards a growing role in a future primary energy mix. In addition the majority of the member states of the European Union support the minimization of energetic losses by the provision of incentives for energy savings and for switching to lower energy consuming alternatives. In fact all the above mentioned instruments have to be applied in order to fulfil the long term requirements e. g. a reduction of the greenhouse gas emission by at least 20% by 2020 and further alleviations for the time beyond. The presentation will start with summarizing the development of the demand and supply of energy in Europe during the recent decades. After an outline of the

Students in Higher Education Governance: The Portuguese Case

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Sonia; dos Santos, Sergio Machado

2011-01-01

This article aims at analysing and discussing student participation in Portuguese higher education institutions and, specifically, in university governance. In a first moment, it describes this participation under both the previous (1988-2007) and the new legal frameworks (since 2007). A discussion of the changes introduced by this last framework…

Virtual Communities of Collaborative Learning for Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Sotomayor, Gilda E.

2014-01-01

This article aims to outline and project three new learning scenarios for Higher Education that, after the emergence of ICT and communication through the Network-lnternet, have appeared under the generic name of virtual communities. To that end, we start from a previous conceptual analysis on collaborative learning, cooperative learning and…

Differentiation and Social Selectivity in German Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Schindler, Steffen; Reimer, David

2011-01-01

In this paper we investigate social selectivity in access to higher education in Germany and, unlike most previous studies, explicitly devote attention to semi-tertiary institutions such as the so-called universities of cooperative education. Drawing on rational choice models of educational decisions we seek to understand which factors influence…

Who puts the most energy into energy conservation? A segmentation of energy consumers based on energy-related behavioral characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sütterlin, Bernadette; Brunner, Thomas A.; Siegrist, Michael

2011-01-01

The present paper aims to identify and describe different types of energy consumers in a more comprehensive way than previous segmentation studies using cluster analysis. Energy consumers were segmented based on their energy-related behavioral characteristics. In addition to purchase- and curtailment-related energy-saving behavior, consumer classification was also based on acceptance of policy measures and energy-related psychosocial factors, so the used behavioral segmentation base was more comprehensive compared to other studies. Furthermore, differentiation between the energy-saving purchase of daily products, such as food, and of energy efficient appliances allowed a more differentiated characterization of the energy consumer segments. The cluster analysis revealed six energy consumer segments: the idealistic, the selfless inconsequent, the thrifty, the materialistic, the convenience-oriented indifferent, and the problem-aware well-being-oriented energy consumer. Findings emphasize that using a broader and more distinct behavioral base is crucial for an adequate and differentiated description of energy consumer types. The paper concludes by highlighting the most promising energy consumer segments and discussing possible segment-specific marketing and policy strategies. - Highlights: ► By applying a cluster-analytic approach, new energy consumer segments are identified. ► A comprehensive, differentiated description of the different energy consumer types is provided. ► A distinction between purchase of daily products and energy efficient appliances is essential. ► Behavioral variables are a more suitable base for segmentation than general characteristics.

Implementation of the Third Energy Package and Renewable Energy Sources on Croatian Liberalised Market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toljan, I.

2016-01-01

The Croatian Third Energy Package was adopted in 2012 and its implementation in the previous period until today has accelerated changes in all areas of Croatian energy sector. The content of The EU's Third Energy Package was made in two directives and three regulations. Directives are implemented into national legislation of EU Member States (they choose the methods). Regulations are implemented directly in the entire EU. The main goal is to establish a unique electricity and gas market with market prices (or lower) and high safety and public service standards. Croatia began with incentives for generation from renewable energy sources in 2004 and by the end of this year, the first contract in that system (wind power plant Ravne on Pag island) will end. The question that presents itself is where and how will the owner sell electricity from now on. Current market suppliers as well as the new organisation in Croatian energy sector, Croatian Power Exchange, are both realistic options. Balancing market led by Croatian TSO is becoming bigger and participates in the business because of the higher amount of installed power connected to the power grid (mostly wind power plants). Can Croatian Transmission Operator still guarantee safe operational planning as before (the last blackout happened 10 years ago)? The existing electricity and gas market design doesn't satisfy its participants any more so an adjustment to new facts of a free market is necessary (power exchange, no more stimulations for renewable sources). What changes should be made in legislation so that the free market can develop and be harmonised with the European market? Decarbonization and digitalisation are a base of European energy policy but they are still waiting for a wider and stronger application in Croatia, is the current legislation enough? With these analysis the paper contributes to the learnings about the implementation of The Third Energy Package in Croatia and a unique energy policy in the EU.(author).

Proteins in Soy Might Have a Higher Role in Cancer Prevention than Previously Expected: Soybean Protein Fractions Are More Effective MMP-9 Inhibitors Than Non-Protein Fractions, Even in Cooked Seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Lima

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The search for anticancer MMP-9 inhibitors (MMPIs in food products has become a major goal for research. MMPIs in soy have been related only to saponins and isoflavones, but recently, low specific protein fractions in soybeans were shown to reduce MMP-9 activity as well. The present work aimed at comparing the MMPI potential of protein fractions (P and non-protein fractions (NP isolated from soybean seeds, before and after soaking and cooking, mimicking dietary exposures. Reverse and substrate zymography, as well as a fluoregenic DQ gelatin assay were used to evaluate MMP-9 activities. Colon cancer cell migration and proliferation was also tested in HT29 cells. Regarding MMP-9 inhibition, proteins in soy presented IC50 values 100 times lower than non-protein extracts, and remained active after cooking, suggesting that proteins may be more effective MMP-9 inhibitors than non-protein compounds. Using the determined IC50 concentrations, NP fractions were able to induce higher inhibitions of HT29 cell migration and proliferation, but not through MMP-9 inhibition, whilst protein fractions were shown to specifically inhibit MMP-9 activity. Overall, our results show that protein fractions in soybeans might have a higher role in soy-related cancer prevention as MMPIs than previously expected. Being nontoxic and active at lower concentrations, the discovery of these heat-resistant specific MMPI proteins in soy can be of significant importance for cancer preventive diets, particularly considering the increasing use of soy proteins in food products and the controversy around isoflavones amongst consumers.

Renewable energy worldwide outlooks: solar energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darnell, J.R.

1994-01-01

Solar energy yield is weak because it is very diffuse. The solar energy depends on the weather. The collectors need the beam radiation. Wavelength is important for some applications that include not only the visible spectrum but also infrared and ultraviolet radiation. The areas of the greatest future population growth are high on solar energy resources. We have different types of conversion systems where energy can be converted from solar to electric or thermal energy. Photovoltaic cells are made of silicone or gallium arsenide, this latter for the space use. For the solar energy applications there is a storage problem: electric batteries or superconducting magnets. Today, the highest use of solar energy is in the low temperature thermal category with over 90% of the world contribution from this energy. The penetration of solar energy will be higher in rural areas than in urban regions. But there are technical, institutional, economic constraints. In spite of that the use of solar energy would be increasing and will go on to increase thereafter. The decreasing costs over time are a real phenomenon and there is a broad public support for increased use of that energy. 15 figs

Energy policy of the International Energy Agency (IEA) countries. General review of the year 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This book is a general review on energy policy leaded by Members countries of International Energy Agency (IEA) during the year 1990. This book describes also the trends and the recent events which have affected energy demand, energy conservation, energy efficiency, energy supply and energy source development. This annual review gives the IEA energy forecasting for the next years, till year 2001. A detailed study of energy policy in Federal Republic of Germany, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Ireland and Japan is given. The policy of fifteen another Members countries, which have been analyzed the previous years, is recapitulated and briefly brought up to date

Determination of the secondary energy from the electron beam with a flattening foil by computer. Percentage depth dose curve fitting using the specific higher order polynomial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakami, H [Kyushu Univ., Beppu, Oita (Japan). Inst. of Balneotherapeutics

1980-09-01

A computer program written in FORTRAN is described for determining the secondary energy of the electron beam which passed through a flattening foil, using a time-sharing computer service. The procedure of this program is first to fit the specific higher order polynomial to the measured percentage depth dose curve. Next, the practical range is evaluated by the point of intersection R of the line tangent to the fitted curve at the inflection point P and the given dose E, as shown in Fig. 2. Finally, the secondary energy corresponded to the determined practical range can be obtained by the experimental equation (2.1) between the practial range R (g/cm/sup 2/) and the electron energy T (MeV). A graph for the fitted polynomial with the inflection points and the practical range can be plotted on a teletype machine by request of user. In order to estimate the shapes of percentage depth dose curves correspond to the electron beams of different energies, we tried to find some specific functional relationships between each coefficient of the fitted seventh-degree equation and the incident electron energies. However, exact relationships could not be obtained for irreguarity among these coefficients.

Maternal condition and previous reproduction interact to affect offspring sex in a wild mammal.

Science.gov (United States)

Douhard, Mathieu; Festa-Bianchet, Marco; Pelletier, Fanie

2016-08-01

Trivers and Willard proposed that offspring sex ratio should vary with maternal condition when condition, meant as maternal capacity to care, has different fitness consequences for sons and daughters. In polygynous and dimorphic species, mothers in good condition should preferentially produce sons, whereas mothers in poor condition should produce more daughters. Despite its logical appeal, support for this hypothesis has been inconsistent. Sex-ratio variation may be influenced by additional factors, such as environmental conditions and previous reproduction, which are often ignored in empirical studies. We analysed 39 years of data on bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) that fit all the assumptions of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis. Production of sons increased with maternal condition only for mothers that weaned a son the previous year. This relationship likely reflects a mother's ability to bear the higher reproductive costs of sons. The interaction between maternal condition and previous weaning success on the probability of producing a son was independent of the positive effect of paternal reproductive success. Maternal and paternal effects accounted for similar proportions of the variance in offspring sex. Maternal reproductive history should be considered in addition to current condition in studies of sex allocation. © 2016 The Author(s).

Zero-point energy conservation in classical trajectory simulations: Application to H2CO

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kin Long Kelvin; Quinn, Mitchell S.; Kolmann, Stephen J.; Kable, Scott H.; Jordan, Meredith J. T.

2018-05-01

A new approach for preventing zero-point energy (ZPE) violation in quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) simulations is presented and applied to H2CO "roaming" reactions. Zero-point energy may be problematic in roaming reactions because they occur at or near bond dissociation thresholds and these channels may be incorrectly open or closed depending on if, or how, ZPE has been treated. Here we run QCT simulations on a "ZPE-corrected" potential energy surface defined as the sum of the molecular potential energy surface (PES) and the global harmonic ZPE surface. Five different harmonic ZPE estimates are examined with four, on average, giving values within 4 kJ/mol—chemical accuracy—for H2CO. The local harmonic ZPE, at arbitrary molecular configurations, is subsequently defined in terms of "projected" Cartesian coordinates and a global ZPE "surface" is constructed using Shepard interpolation. This, combined with a second-order modified Shepard interpolated PES, V, allows us to construct a proof-of-concept ZPE-corrected PES for H2CO, Veff, at no additional computational cost to the PES itself. Both V and Veff are used to model product state distributions from the H + HCO → H2 + CO abstraction reaction, which are shown to reproduce the literature roaming product state distributions. Our ZPE-corrected PES allows all trajectories to be analysed, whereas, in previous simulations, a significant proportion was discarded because of ZPE violation. We find ZPE has little effect on product rotational distributions, validating previous QCT simulations. Running trajectories on V, however, shifts the product kinetic energy release to higher energy than on Veff and classical simulations of kinetic energy release should therefore be viewed with caution.

Energy price uncertainty, energy intensity and firm investment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Kyung Hwan; Ratti, Ronald A.

2011-01-01

This paper examines the effect of energy price uncertainty on firm-level investment. An error correction model of capital stock adjustment is estimated with data on U.S. manufacturing firms. Higher energy price uncertainty is found to make firms more cautious by reducing the responsiveness of investment to sales growth. The result is robust to consideration of energy intensity by industry. The effect is greater for high growth firms. It must be emphasized that the direct effect of uncertainty is not estimated. Conditional variance of energy price is obtained from a GARCH model. Findings suggest that stability in energy prices would be conducive to greater stability in firm-level investment. (author)

Energy policy objectives scenarios 2050. Reactions on the need for expansion of wind energy and photovoltaics; Energiepolitische Zielszenarien 2050. Rueckwirkungen auf den Ausbaubedarf von Windenergie und Photovoltaik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deutsch, Matthias [Agora Energiewende, Berlin (Germany); Gerhardt, Norman; Sandau, Fabian [Fraunhofer Institut fuer Windenergie und Energiesystemtechnik (IWES), Kassel (Germany). Gruppe Energiewirtschaft und Systemanalyse

2015-12-15

The energy policy debate about renewable energies in Germany is currently focused almost exclusively on expansion targets of the power sector. Imost cases it remains an open question how much current is needed in the long term. A comparison of four cross-sectoral target scenarios shows that electricity consumption in 2050 in many cases could be much higher, depending on the assumptions and interpretation of climate targets than previously thought. [German] Die energiepolitische Diskussion um erneuerbare Energien in Deutschland konzentriert sich zurzeit fast ausschliesslich auf die Ausbauziele im Stromsektor. Dabei bleibt zumeist die Frage offen, wie viel Strom langfristig benoetigt wird. Ein Vergleich von vier sektoruebergreifenden Zielszenarien zeigt, dass der Stromverbrauch im Jahr 2050 je nach Annahmen und Interpretation der Klimaziele weitaus hoeher liegen koennte als bisher vielfach angenommen.

Towards a more conservative energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forman, N.

1977-01-01

The subject is treated under the following headings: the meaning of energy policy; previous attempts to formulate United Kingdom energy policy; patterns of energy supply and demand (in the UK) (current and future); towards a more conservative energy policy (the use of energy in the various sectors, the conversion and distribution of energy (coal, nuclear power, electricity, oil and gas, renewable sources)); energy policy in broader perspective (international context, cost benefit assessments, contrasting patterns of energy use, ethical issues). (U.K.)

ESVD: An Integrated Energy Scalable Framework for Low-Power Video Decoding Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Ji

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Video applications using mobile wireless devices are a challenging task due to the limited capacity of batteries. The higher complex functionality of video decoding needs high resource requirements. Thus, power efficient control has become more critical design with devices integrating complex video processing techniques. Previous works on power efficient control in video decoding systems often aim at the low complexity design and not explicitly consider the scalable impact of subfunctions in decoding process, and seldom consider the relationship with the features of compressed video date. This paper is dedicated to developing an energy-scalable video decoding (ESVD strategy for energy-limited mobile terminals. First, ESVE can dynamically adapt the variable energy resources due to the device aware technique. Second, ESVD combines the decoder control with decoded data, through classifying the data into different partition profiles according to its characteristics. Third, it introduces utility theoretical analysis during the resource allocation process, so as to maximize the resource utilization. Finally, it adapts the energy resource as different energy budget and generates the scalable video decoding output under energy-limited systems. Experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.

Low-energy ion outflow modulated by the solar wind energy input

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kun; Wei, Yong; Andre, Mats; Eriksson, Anders; Haaland, Stein; Kronberg, Elena; Nilsson, Hans; Maes, Lukas

2017-04-01

Due to the spacecraft charging issue, it has been difficult to measure low-energy ions of ionospheric origin in the magnetosphere. A recent study taking advantage of the spacecraft electric potential has found that the previously 'hidden' low-energy ions is dominant in the magnetosphere. This comprehensive dataset of low-energy ions allows us to study the relationship between the ionospheric outflow and energy input from the solar wind (ɛ). In this study, we discuss the ratios of the solar wind energy input to the energy of the ionospheric outflow. We show that the ɛ controls the ionospheric outflow when the ɛ is high, while the ionospheric outflow does not systematically change with the ɛ when the ɛ is low.

The power of non-determinism in higher-order implicit complexity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kop, Cynthia Louisa Martina; Simonsen, Jakob Grue

2017-01-01

We investigate the power of non-determinism in purely functional programming languages with higher-order types. Specifically, we consider cons-free programs of varying data orders, equipped with explicit non-deterministic choice. Cons-freeness roughly means that data constructors cannot occur...... in function bodies and all manipulation of storage space thus has to happen indirectly using the call stack. While cons-free programs have previously been used by several authors to characterise complexity classes, the work on non-deterministic programs has almost exclusively considered programs of data order...... 0. Previous work has shown that adding explicit non-determinism to consfree programs taking data of order 0 does not increase expressivity; we prove that this—dramatically—is not the case for higher data orders: adding non-determinism to programs with data order at least 1 allows...

Antenna entropy in plant photosystems does not reduce the free energy for primary charge separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Robert C; Zucchelli, Giuseppe

2014-12-01

We have investigated the concept of the so-called "antenna entropy" of higher plant photosystems. Several interesting points emerge: 1. In the case of a photosystemwhich harbours an excited state, the “antenna entropy” is equivalent to the configurational (mixing) entropy of a thermodynamic canonical ensemble. The energy associated with this parameter has been calculated for a hypothetical isoenergetic photosystem, photosystem I and photosystem II, and comes out in the range of 3.5 - 8% of the photon energy considering 680 nm. 2. The “antenna entropy” seems to be a rather unique thermodynamic phenomenon, in as much as it does not modify the free energy available for primary photochemistry, as has been previously suggested. 3. It is underlined that this configurational (mixing) entropy, unlike heat dispersal in a thermal system, does not involve energy dilution. This points out an important difference between thermal and electronic energy dispersal. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Do emotional intelligence and previous caring experience influence student nurse performance? A comparative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenhouse, Rosie; Snowden, Austyn; Young, Jenny; Carver, Fiona; Carver, Hannah; Brown, Norrie

2016-08-01

Reports of poor nursing care have focused attention on values based selection of candidates onto nursing programmes. Values based selection lacks clarity and valid measures. Previous caring experience might lead to better care. Emotional intelligence (EI) might be associated with performance, is conceptualised and measurable. To examine the impact of 1) previous caring experience, 2) emotional intelligence 3) social connection scores on performance and retention in a cohort of first year nursing and midwifery students in Scotland. A longitudinal, quasi experimental design. Adult and mental health nursing, and midwifery programmes in a Scottish University. Adult, mental health and midwifery students (n=598) completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-short form and Schutte's Emotional Intelligence Scale on entry to their programmes at a Scottish University, alongside demographic and previous caring experience data. Social connection was calculated from a subset of questions identified within the TEIQue-SF in a prior factor and Rasch analysis. Student performance was calculated as the mean mark across the year. Withdrawal data were gathered. 598 students completed baseline measures. 315 students declared previous caring experience, 277 not. An independent-samples t-test identified that those without previous caring experience scored higher on performance (57.33±11.38) than those with previous caring experience (54.87±11.19), a statistically significant difference of 2.47 (95% CI, 0.54 to 4.38), t(533)=2.52, p=.012. Emotional intelligence scores were not associated with performance. Social connection scores for those withdrawing (mean rank=249) and those remaining (mean rank=304.75) were statistically significantly different, U=15,300, z=-2.61, p$_amp_$lt;0.009. Previous caring experience led to worse performance in this cohort. Emotional intelligence was not a useful indicator of performance. Lower scores on the social connection factor were associated

Effects of oral exposure duration and gastric energy content on appetite ratings and energy intake in lean men

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wijlens, Anne G.M.; Graaf, de Kees; Erkner, Alfrun; Mars, Monica

2016-01-01

Studies show that longer oral exposure to food leads to earlier satiation and lowers energy intake. Moreover, higher energy content of food has been shown to lead to higher satiety. Up to now, it has not been studied systematically how oral exposure duration and gastric energy content interact in

A Better Tomorrow: Examination of International Students' Success in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yue

2017-01-01

International student enrollment in U.S. higher education has increased and diversified over the past decade. The unique needs and challenges international students face in pursuing higher education in the U.S. need a systematic investigation. Previous research literature has identified cultural diversity as one main challenge against…

High Habitual Physical Activity Improves Acute Energy Compensation in Nonobese Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaulieu, Kristine; Hopkins, Mark; Long, Cecilia; Blundell, John; Finlayson, Graham

2017-11-01

Evidence suggests that homeostatic satiety signaling is enhanced with higher levels of physical activity (PA), with active individuals demonstrating an improved ability to compensate for previous energy intake (EI). However, prior studies lacked objective assessment of both PA level and EI. This study examined the effect of objectively measured PA level on homeostatic (energy compensation) and hedonic (liking and wanting) responses to high-energy (HEP), low-energy (LEP), and control preloads. Thirty-four nonobese individuals were grouped by tertiles of accelerometry-measured habitual moderate-to-vigorous PA (low, LoMVPA; moderate, ModMVPA; high, HiMVPA), similar in age, sex, and body mass index. After a preliminary assessment, EI (fixed-energy breakfast and ad libitum lunch, dinner, and evening snack box meals) was determined for three probe meal days in which preloads varying in energy content (HEP, 699 kcal; LEP, 258 kcal; control, 0 kcal) were consumed before the lunch meal. Liking and wanting were assessed before and after preload consumption (Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire), and appetite ratings were taken throughout the day. Relative to control, EI at lunch was reduced to a greater extent after consumption of HEP compared with LEP in ModMVPA (P reflecting more accurate energy compensation in HiMVPA and ModMVPA. There were no effects on cumulative EI after preload consumption of (lunch, dinner, and snack box combined). HEP led to a greater suppression of hunger, liking, and wanting compared with LEP in all MVPA tertiles. Nonobese individuals with lower levels of measured PA were insensitive to the nutritional manipulation of the preloads, suggesting a weaker satiety response to food. This study provides objective evidence that higher habitual PA improves acute homeostatic appetite control.

Incidence of Acneform Lesions in Previously Chemically Damaged Persons-2004

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Dabiri

2008-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Introduction & Objective: Chemical gas weapons especially nitrogen mustard which was used in Iraq-Iran war against Iranian troops have several harmful effects on skin. Some other chemical agents also can cause acne form lesions on skin. The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of acneform in previously chemically damaged soldiers and non chemically damaged persons. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive and analytical study, 180 chemically damaged soldiers, who have been referred to dermatology clinic between 2000 – 2004, and forty non-chemically damaged people, were chosen randomly and examined for acneform lesions. SPSS software was used for statistic analysis of the data. Results: The mean age of the experimental group was 37.5 ± 5.2 and that of the control group was 38.7 ± 5.9 years. The mean percentage of chemical damage in cases was 31 percent and the time after the chemical damage was 15.2 ± 1.1 years. Ninety seven cases (53.9 percent of the subjects and 19 people (47.5 percent of the control group had some degree of acne. No significant correlation was found in incidence, degree of lesions, site of lesions and age of subjects between two groups. No significant correlation was noted between percentage of chemical damage and incidence and degree of lesions in case group. Conclusion: Incidence of acneform lesions among previously chemically injured peoples was not higher than the normal cases.

Multi-bunch energy distribution due to higher order modes in a travelling-wave constant gradient structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, M.; Higo, T.; Matsumoto, H.; Takeda, S.; Oide, K.; Takata, K.

1993-01-01

In order to accept the beam from an injector linac to a damping ring of Accelerator Test Facility (ATF), a multi-bunch energy distribution must be within ±0.3% of the beam energy. Most of the multi-bunch energy distribution linear by depends on a bunch number and this linear term can be corrected by the energy conpesention cavities. So non-linear term was calculated. It was found that the non-linear term is within ±0.3%. (author)

Critical energy of superconducting composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayakumar, R.

1987-01-01

The stability of superconducting composites is studied in one-dimensional geometry and critical quench energies are calculated by solving for the steady state temperature profile which gives the minimum energy. The present calculations give lower values for the critical energy than previous estimates. The calculations are shown to be applicable to both direct cooled and impregnated conductors. Critical energies are also calculated including the effect of temperature dependence of conductor properties. (author)

Higher derivative operators from Scherk-Schwarz supersymmetry breaking on Τ2/Z2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghilencea, D.M.

2005-09-01

In orbifold compactifications on Τ 2 /Z 2 with Scherk-Schwarz supersymmetry breaking, it is shown that (brane-localised) superpotential interactions and (bulk) gauge interactions generate at one-loop higher derivative counterterms to the mass of the brane (or zero-mode of the bulk) scalar field. These brane-localised operators are generated by integrating out the bulk modes of the initial theory which, although supersymmetric, is nevertheless non-renormalisable. It is argued that such operators, of non-perturbative origin and not protected by non-renormalisation theorems, are generic in orbifold compactifications and play a crucial role in the UV behaviour of the two-point Green function of the scalar field self-energy. Their presence in the action with unknown coefficients prevents one from making predictions about physics at (momentum) scales close to/above the compactification scale(s). Our results extend to the case of two dimensional orbifolds, previous findings for S 1 /Z 2 and S 1 /(Z 2 x Z 2 ') compactifications where brane-localised higher derivative operators are also dynamically generated at loop level, regardless of the details of the supersymmetry breaking mechanism. We stress the importance of these operators for the hierarchy and the cosmological constant problems in compactified theories. (orig.)

China’s energy economy situation, reforms, behavior, and energy intensity

CERN Document Server

Ma, Hengyun

2012-01-01

In the new millennium, understanding China’s energy economy is crucial for politicians, businesspeople and energy economists, as China’s energy policy choices will mean both challenges and opportunities for the world in terms of an increasing share of primary energy consumption and investment. This book initially reviews the literature on China’s energy economy and in so doing reveals that many important areas have been overlooked or are outdated in their coverage. Given the size of China and its global importance, the book then review s China’s current energy situation and fills the gaps in the literature for those who are interested in and concerned about China’s economic development and energy reform in the new millennium.   The book is different from previous studies in several important ways: Firstly, it presents recent,  pioneering research rather than a simple textbook, several sections of which have been published in high-quality energy journals. Secondly, the book first subdivides China'...

Comparing holographic dark energy models with statefinder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Jing-Lei; Zhang, Jing-Fei

2014-01-01

We apply the statefinder diagnostic to the holographic dark energy models, including the original holographic dark energy (HDE) model, the new holographic dark energy model, the new agegraphic dark energy (NADE) model, and the Ricci dark energy model. In the low-redshift region the holographic dark energy models are degenerate with each other and with the ΛCDM model in the H(z) and q(z) evolutions. In particular, the HDE model is highly degenerate with the ΛCDM model, and in the HDE model the cases with different parameter values are also in strong degeneracy. Since the observational data are mainly within the low-redshift region, it is very important to break this lowredshift degeneracy in the H(z) and q(z) diagnostics by using some quantities with higher order derivatives of the scale factor. It is shown that the statefinder diagnostic r(z) is very useful in breaking the low-redshift degeneracies. By employing the statefinder diagnostic the holographic dark energy models can be differentiated efficiently in the low-redshift region. The degeneracy between the holographic dark energy models and the ΛCDM model can also be broken by this method. Especially for the HDE model, all the previous strong degeneracies appearing in the H(z) and q(z) diagnostics are broken effectively. But for the NADE model, the degeneracy between the cases with different parameter values cannot be broken, even though the statefinder diagnostic is used. A direct comparison of the holographic dark energy models in the r-s plane is also made, in which the separations between the models (including the ΛCDM model) can be directly measured in the light of the current values {r 0 , s 0 } of the models. (orig.)

HAMBURG ENERGIE makes biogas plants fit for the balancing energy market; HAMBURG ENERGIE macht Biogasanlagen fit fuer den Regelenergiemarkt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Timmann, Bernd [HAMBURG ENERGIE, Hamburg (Germany). Direktvermarktung und Regelenergie; Bettinger, Carola [HAMBURG ENERGIE, Hamburg (Germany). Forschungsprojekt SMART POWER HAMBURG

2013-04-15

HAMBURG ENERGIE GmbH (Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany) bundles 40 biogas plants with a total capacity of 15 megawatts to a virtual power plant. Thus, also small, decentralized plants may offer negative balancing power and achieve additional profits that were previously available only to large producers. In the medium term, HAMBURG ENERGIE wants to place a performance of 150 MW on the market.

Limit on possible energy-dependent velocities for massless particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haines, T.J.; Alexandreas, D.E.; Allen, R.C.; Biller, S.; Berley, D.; Burman, R.L.; Cady, D.R.; Chang, C.Y.; Dingus, B.L.; Dion, G.M.; Ellsworth, R.W.; Goodman, J.A.; Hoffman, C.M.; Lloyd-Evans, J.; Nagle, D.E.; Potter, M.; Sandberg, V.D.; Wilkinson, C.A.; Yodh, G.B.

1990-01-01

A basic tenet of special relativity is that all massless particles travel at a constant, energy-independent velocity. Astrophysical data, including observation of the Crab pulsar at ∼100 MeV and the recent detection of the pulsar in Hercules X-1 at energies ≥100 TeV, are used to place new experimental constraints on energy-dependent deviations from constant velocity for massless particles. Previous experiments reached energies ∼10 GeV; this analysis improves the previous constraints by 7 orders of magnitude

Atomic Energy Control Act, c A.19, s.1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The Revised Statutes of Canada 1985 entered into force on 12 December 1988, revoking the previous Atomic Energy Control Act and replacing it with a new version. The new Act (Chapter A-16 of the Revised Statutes) updates the previous text and makes some linguistic corrections. The Atomic Energy Control Act establishes the Atomic Energy Control Board and sets out its duties and powers which include, in particular, the making of regulations for developing, controlling and licensing the production, application and use of atomic energy [fr

High-energy, 2µm laser transmitter for coherent wind LIDAR

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Upendra N.; Yu, Jirong; Kavaya, Michael J.; Koch, Grady J.

2017-11-01

A coherent Doppler lidar at 2μm wavelength has been built with higher output energy (300 mJ) than previously available. The laser transmitter is based on the solid-state Ho:Tm:LuLiF, a NASA Langley Research Center invented laser material for higher extraction efficiency. This diode pumped injection seeded MOPA has a transform limited line width and diffraction limited beam quality. NASA Langley Research Center is developing coherent wind lidar transmitter technology at eye-safe wavelength for satellite-based observation of wind on a global scale. The ability to profile wind is a key measurement for understanding and predicting atmospheric dynamics and is a critical measurement for improving weather forecasting and climate modeling. We would describe the development and performance of an engineering hardened 2μm laser transmitter for coherent Doppler wind measurement from ground/aircraft/space platform.

Higher spin black holes with soft hair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grumiller, Daniel [Institute for Theoretical Physics, TU Wien,Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10/136, Vienna, A-1040 (Austria); Pérez, Alfredo [Centro de Estudios Científicos (CECs),Av. Arturo Prat 514, Valdivia (Chile); Prohazka, Stefan [Institute for Theoretical Physics, TU Wien,Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10/136, Vienna, A-1040 (Austria); Tempo, David; Troncoso, Ricardo [Centro de Estudios Científicos (CECs),Av. Arturo Prat 514, Valdivia (Chile)

2016-10-21

We construct a new set of boundary conditions for higher spin gravity, inspired by a recent “soft Heisenberg hair”-proposal for General Relativity on three-dimensional Anti-de Sitter space. The asymptotic symmetry algebra consists of a set of affine û(1) current algebras. Its associated canonical charges generate higher spin soft hair. We focus first on the spin-3 case and then extend some of our main results to spin-N, many of which resemble the spin-2 results: the generators of the asymptotic W{sub 3} algebra naturally emerge from composite operators of the û(1) charges through a twisted Sugawara construction; our boundary conditions ensure regularity of the Euclidean solutions space independently of the values of the charges; solutions, which we call “higher spin black flowers”, are stationary but not necessarily spherically symmetric. Finally, we derive the entropy of higher spin black flowers, and find that for the branch that is continuously connected to the BTZ black hole, it depends only on the affine purely gravitational zero modes. Using our map to W-algebra currents we recover well-known expressions for higher spin entropy. We also address higher spin black flowers in the metric formalism and achieve full consistency with previous results.

Effects of previous protein intake on rectal temperature, blood glucose, plasma thyroid hormone and minerals by laying hens during a forced molt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues, G.A.; Moraes, V.M.B.; Cherici, I; Furlan, R.L.; Macari, M.

1991-01-01

The effects of forced molting on blood glucose, rectal temperature, plasma T4, T3 and minerals were studied in hens previously fed rations with different protein contents (14, 17 and 20% crude protein). Blood samples were obtained from brachial veins for blood glucose, T4 and T3 were measured by radioimmunoassay, and plasma minerals were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Blood glucose and rectal temperature were reduced during fasting regardless of previous protein intake. Pre molting T4 plasma level was higher in laying hens fed higher protein ration, but feed deprivation reduced T 4 and T 3 concentrations irrespective of protein intake, except T 4 level for 14% crude protein fed birds that increased during fasting. The data obtained in this experiment suggest that previous protein intake does not interfere with the metabolic changes during forced molt. (author). 19 refs, 1 fig, 4 tabs

Effects of previous protein intake on rectal temperature, blood glucose, plasma thyroid hormone and minerals by laying hens during a forced molt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodrigues, G A; Moraes, V M.B.; Cherici, I; Furlan, R L; Macari, M [UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Ciencias Agrarias e Veterinarias

1991-12-01

The effects of forced molting on blood glucose, rectal temperature, plasma T4, T3 and minerals were studied in hens previously fed rations with different protein contents (14, 17 and 20% crude protein). Blood samples were obtained from brachial veins for blood glucose, T4 and T3 were measured by radioimmunoassay, and plasma minerals were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Blood glucose and rectal temperature were reduced during fasting regardless of previous protein intake. Pre molting T4 plasma level was higher in laying hens fed higher protein ration, but feed deprivation reduced T{sub 4} and T{sub 3} concentrations irrespective of protein intake, except T{sub 4} level for 14% crude protein fed birds that increased during fasting. The data obtained in this experiment suggest that previous protein intake does not interfere with the metabolic changes during forced molt. (author). 19 refs, 1 fig, 4 tabs.

All My Rowdy "Friends": The Use of Social Media in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lenartz, Andrew J.

2012-01-01

The use of social media in higher education is escalating at a rapid rate, with previous records for numbers of users being continuously broken. Institutions of higher education have responded by increasingly using social media to connect with students. At the same time, media horror stories about cyberbullying, suicides, and professional…

Functional architecture of higher plant photosystem II supercomplexes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Caffarri, Stefano; Kouril, Roman; Kereiche, Sami; Boekema, Egbert J.; Croce, Roberta; Kereïche, Sami

2009-01-01

Photosystem II ( PSII) is a large multiprotein complex, which catalyses water splitting and plastoquinone reduction necessary to transform sunlight into chemical energy. Detailed functional and structural studies of the complex from higher plants have been hampered by the impossibility to purify it

Dietary self-efficacy predicts AHEI diet quality in women with previous gestational diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferranti, Erin Poe; Narayan, K M Venkat; Reilly, Carolyn M; Foster, Jennifer; McCullough, Marjorie; Ziegler, Thomas R; Guo, Ying; Dunbar, Sandra B

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of intrapersonal influences of diet quality as defined by the Health Belief Model constructs in women with recent histories of gestational diabetes. A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design was used to analyze relationships between diet quality and intrapersonal variables, including perceptions of threat of type 2 diabetes mellitus development, benefits and barriers of healthy eating, and dietary self-efficacy, in a convenience sample of 75 community-dwelling women (55% minority; mean age, 35.5 years; SD, 5.5 years) with previous gestational diabetes mellitus. Diet quality was defined by the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). Multiple regression was used to identify predictors of AHEI diet quality. Women had moderate AHEI diet quality (mean score, 47.6; SD, 14.3). Only higher levels of education and self-efficacy significantly predicted better AHEI diet quality, controlling for other contributing variables. There is a significant opportunity to improve diet quality in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus. Improving self-efficacy may be an important component to include in nutrition interventions. In addition to identifying other important individual components, future studies of diet quality in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus are needed to investigate the scope of influence beyond the individual to potential family, social, and environmental factors. © 2014 The Author(s).

IMP-8 observations of the spectra, composition, and variability of solar heavy ions at high energies relevant to manned space missions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tylka, Allan J.; Dietrich, William F.

1999-01-01

In more than 25 years of almost continuous observations, the University of Chicago's Cosmic Ray Telescope (CRT) on IMP-8 has amassed a unique database on high-energy solar heavy ions of potential relevance to manned spaceflight. In the very largest particle events, IMP-8/CRT has even observed solar Fe ions above the Galactic cosmic ray background up to ∼800 MeV/nucleon, an energy sufficiently high to penetrate nearly 25 g/cm 2 of shielding. IMP-8/CRT observations show that high-energy heavy-ion spectra are often surprisingly hard power laws, without the exponential roll-offs suggested by stochastic acceleration fits to lower energy measurements alone. Also, in many solar particle events the Fe/O ratio grows with increasing energy, contrary to the notion that ions with higher mass-to-charge ratios should be less abundant at higher energies. Previous studies of radiation hazards for manned spaceflight have often assumed heavy-ion composition and steeply-falling energy spectra inconsistent with these observations. Conclusions based on such studies should therefore be re-assessed. The significant event-to-event variability observed in the high-energy solar heavy ions also has important implications for strategies in building probabilistic models of solar particle radiation hazards

Systematic review of the risk of uterine rupture with the use of amnioinfusion after previous cesarean delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Paul

2005-04-01

Amnioinfusion is commonly used for the intrapartum treatment of women with pregnancy complicated by thick meconium or oligohydramnios with deep variable fetal heart rate decelerations. Its benefit in women with previous cesarean deliveries is less known. Theoretically, rapid increases in intrauterine volume would lead to a higher risk of uterine rupture. Searches of the Cochrane Library from inception to the third quarter of 2001 and MEDLINE, 1966 to November 2001, were performed by using keywords "cesarean" and "amnioinfusion." Search terms were expanded to maximize results. All languages were included. Review articles, editorials, and data previously published in other sites were not analyzed. Four studies were retrieved having unduplicated data describing amnioinfusion in women who were attempting a trial of labor after previous cesarean section. As the studies were of disparate types, meta-analysis was not possible. The use of amnioinfusion in women with previous cesarean delivery who are undergoing a trial of labor may be a safe procedure, but confirmatory large, controlled prospective studies are needed before definitive recommendations can be made.

Air Tightness and Energy Performance of an Arctic Low-Energy House

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Carsten; Vladyková, Petra; Kotol, Martin

2010-01-01

A low-energy house has been built in Sisimiut, Greenland, five years ago. An ambitious target was set for its low energy consumption for heating: 80 kWh/(m2∙a). But unfortunately, the house has used more energy than planned, approximately 140 kWh/(m2∙a). Although higher than anticipated, this is ...

SURFACE ENERGY BALANCE OVER ORANGE ORCHARD USING SURFACE RENEWAL ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Barbagallo

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Reliable estimation of surface sensible and latent heat flux is the most important process to appraise energy and mass exchange among atmosphere and biosphere. In this study the surface energy fluxes were measured over an irrigated orange orchard during 2005-2008 monitoring periods using a Surface Renewal- Energy Balance approach. The experimental area is located in a representative orchard growing area of eastern Sicily (Italy. The performance of Surface Renewal (SR analysis for estimating sensible heat flux (H was analysed and evaluated in terms of correlation with H fluxes from the eddy covariance (EC method. Study revealed that the mean available energy (RN- G and latent heat flux (LE were of about 300 W m-2 and 237 W m-2, respectively, during dry periods and unstable-case atmospheric conditions. The estimated crop coefficient Kc values for the orchard crop averaged close to 0.80, which is considerably higher than previous FAO studies that found the value to be 0.65 for citrus with 70% of ground cover. The intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (LI PAR by the crop was measured and relationships between LAI and crop coefficient (Kc were established.

[Hungarian Diet and Nutritional Status Survey - OTÁP2014. II. Energy and macronutrient intake of the Hungarian population].

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkadi Nagy, Eszter; Bakacs, Márta; Illés, Éva; Nagy, Barbara; Varga, Anita; Kis, Orsolya; Schreiberné Molnár, Erzsébet; Martos, Éva

2017-04-01

The aim of the study was to assess and monitor the dietary habits and nutrient intake of Hungarian adults. Three-day dietary records were used for dietary assessment, the sample was representative for the Hungarian population aged ≥18ys by gender and age. The mean proportion of energy from fat was higher (men: 38 energy%, women: 37 energy%), that from carbohydrates was lower (men: 45 energy%, women: 47 energy%) than recommended, the protein intake is adequate. Unfavorable change compared to the previous survey in 2009 was the increase of fat and saturated fatty acid energy percent in women, the decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption, which explains the decreased fiber intake. An increasing trend in added sugar energy percent in each age groups of both genders was observed compared to 2009. Interventions focusing on the promotion of fruit and vegetable consumption and decreasing of saturated fat and added sugar intake are needed. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(15), 587-597.

Nostalgia, Entrepreneurship, and Redemption: Understanding Prototypes in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Haas, Eric; Fischman, Gustavo

2010-01-01

Recent developments in cognitive science and linguistics provide strong evidence that understanding decision-making processes in higher education requires close attention to not only rational and consciously controlled dynamics but also those aspects that are less consciously controlled than previously assumed. When deciding to favor or reject…

Energy security in ASEAN: A quantitative approach for sustainable energy policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tongsopit, Sopitsuda; Kittner, Noah; Chang, Youngho; Aksornkij, Apinya; Wangjiraniran, Weerin

2016-01-01

We investigate energy security of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) under the 4-A’s framework. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) agreement launched in 2015 renewed a regional focus on energy security and sustainability. We employ an analytic framework to quantitatively assess progress in different categories including availability, acceptability, affordability, and applicability. Key metrics include the documentation of CO_2 emissions, energy access measures, and energy supply reserves from 2005–2010. We identify relevant energy indicators using high quality historical data from the IEA and World Bank. We find that ASEAN made little progress toward establishing energy security in the previous five-year planning period (2005–2010) as it regressed in most categories except applicability. Therefore, we suggest that increased development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies would move ASEAN in a positive direction toward achieving energy security and sustainable energy policy goals. - Highlights: • We investigate energy security in ASEAN across four dimensions. • Energy security in ASEAN has mostly regressed from 2005–2010. • Future cooperative agreements will help ASEAN improve energy security.

Teaching ``The Physics of Energy'' at MIT

Science.gov (United States)

Jaffe, Robert

2009-05-01

New physics courses on energy are popping up at colleges and universities across the country. Many require little or no previous physics background, aiming to introduce a broad audience to this complex and critical problem, often augmenting the scientific message with economic and policy discussions. Others are advanced courses, focussing on highly specialized subjects like solar voltaics, nuclear physics, or thermal fluids, for example. About two years ago Washington Taylor and I undertook to develop a course on the ``Physics of Energy'' open to all MIT students who had taken MIT's common core of university level calculus, physics, and chemistry. By avoiding higher level prerequisites, we aimed to attract and make the subject relevant to students in the life sciences, economics, etc. --- as well as physical scientists and engineers --- who want to approach energy issues in a sophisticated and analytical fashion, exploiting their background in calculus, mechanics, and E & M, but without having to take advanced courses in thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, or nuclear physics beforehand. Our object was to interweave teaching the fundamental physics principles at the foundations of energy science with the applications of those principles to energy systems. We envisioned a course that would present the basics of statistical, quantum, and fluid mechanics at a fairly sophisticated level and apply those concepts to the study of energy sources, conversion, transport, losses, storage, conservation, and end use. In the end we developed almost all of the material for the course from scratch. The course debuted this past fall. I will describe what we learned and what general lessons our experience might have for others who contemplate teaching energy physics broadly to a technically sophisticated audience.

Air Space Proportion in Pterosaur Limb Bones Using Computed Tomography and Its Implications for Previous Estimates of Pneumaticity

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Elizabeth G.; Palmer, Colin

2014-01-01

Air Space Proportion (ASP) is a measure of how much air is present within a bone, which allows for a quantifiable comparison of pneumaticity between specimens and species. Measured from zero to one, higher ASP means more air and less bone. Conventionally, it is estimated from measurements of the internal and external bone diameter, or by analyzing cross-sections. To date, the only pterosaur ASP study has been carried out by visual inspection of sectioned bones within matrix. Here, computed tomography (CT) scans are used to calculate ASP in a small sample of pterosaur wing bones (mainly phalanges) and to assess how the values change throughout the bone. These results show higher ASPs than previous pterosaur pneumaticity studies, and more significantly, higher ASP values in the heads of wing bones than the shaft. This suggests that pneumaticity has been underestimated previously in pterosaurs, birds, and other archosaurs when shaft cross-sections are used to estimate ASP. Furthermore, ASP in pterosaurs is higher than those found in birds and most sauropod dinosaurs, giving them among the highest ASP values of animals studied so far, supporting the view that pterosaurs were some of the most pneumatized animals to have lived. The high degree of pneumaticity found in pterosaurs is proposed to be a response to the wing bone bending stiffness requirements of flight rather than a means to reduce mass, as is often suggested. Mass reduction may be a secondary result of pneumaticity that subsequently aids flight. PMID:24817312

Energy Tax and Competition in Energy Efficiency. The Case of Consumer Durables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conrad, K.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of an energy tax on technical improvements and on prices of consumer durables induced by strategic competition in energy efficiency. If the gasoline tax is raised this does in principle not affect the producers of cars because the motorist pays for it in terms of a higher cost of using the car. This, however, affects the unit sales of car producers because of substitution towards other modes of transportation. A second element of reaction to energy price variation is an indirect one and relates to the effect of energy prices on technology. Competition forces car producers to develop more energy efficient cars in order to reduce the cost of using a car. This indirect effect can partly offset the direct effect of higher energy prices on demand if it is profitable for the automobile industry to engineer more energy efficient equipment. We will analyze the impact of an energy tax on energy efficiency and on the price of a durable good. This will be done within the framework of a duopoly competing in prices and in the energy efficiency of its products. The government chooses a welfare maximizing energy tax as an incentive to innovate. Then we will analyze a strategic two-stage decision process in which the duopolists first decide about energy efficiency and then compete in prices. 18 refs

Why do perfectionists have a higher burnout risk than others? The mediational effect of workaholism

OpenAIRE

van Beek, Ilona; Schaufeli, Wilmar B.; Taris, Toon W.

2010-01-01

Previous research has revealed that perfectionists have a higher burnout risk than others, but the mechanisms accounting for this association have rarely been examined. The present study proposes that workaholism mediates this relation, as previous research revealed that (a) perfectionists are more likely to be workaholics than others, and (b) workaholics have a higher burnout risk than others. Using cross-sectional data from 199 Dutch managers, regression analyses revealed that holding high ...

On the Energy Conversion Efficiency of Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesting Devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jae Eun [Catholic University of Daegu, Kyungsan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

To properly design and assess a piezoelectric vibration energy harvester, it is necessary to consider the application of an efficiency measure of energy conversion. The energy conversion efficiency is defined in this work as the ratio of the electrical output power to the mechanical input power for a piezoelectric vibration energy harvester with an impedance-matched load resistor. While previous research works employed the electrical output power for approximate impedance-matched load resistance, this work derives an efficiency measure considering optimally matched resistance. The modified efficiency measure is validated by comparing it with finite element analysis results for piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters with three different values of the electro-mechanical coupling coefficient. New findings on the characteristics of energy conversion and conversion efficiency are also provided for the two different impedance matching methods.

Impact of previously disadvantaged land-users on sustainable ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Impact of previously disadvantaged land-users on sustainable agricultural ... about previously disadvantaged land users involved in communal farming systems ... of input, capital, marketing, information and land use planning, with effect on ...

Global energy balance 2013: 'BRICS and the USA draw the world energy consumption'. Based on its 2013 data for G20 countries, Enerdata analyses the trends of the world energy demand. June 2, 2014 - Paris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

Asia, where prices are much higher than in Europe. European utilities under pressure: For the first time since 2009, the EU's demand dropped for all energy sources, including fossil fuels and electricity. Meanwhile, the constant development of renewable energy sources led them to dominate the EU power mix for the first time in 2013. This pushed the mothballing or closure of an increasing number of gas power plants that have become unprofitable due to insufficient utilisation (less than 3,000 hours on average in Germany in 2013). As a result, utilities face lower income due to low demand. This situation deteriorates the return on investment of fossil fuels-based power assets that are required to meet the peak electricity demand. BRICS countries have experienced a strong energy demand growth in 2013, in line with previous years. Consumption has increased in all types of energies, fossil fuels as well as renewables. Nevertheless, the growth of the demand for fossil fuels has been lower compared to the previous decade, in particular the demand for oil that was halved between 2012 and 2013. The growth in demand for electricity is 3 times higher in the BRICS countries than the G20 countries' average (close to 6% against just over 2%). Solar surge in Asia and sudden crash of wind market in USA: One of the most important trends in 2013 is Asian solar PV increase: 7 GW of new installed capacity in China and 7 GW in Japan. The extension of regulatory incentives in Asian countries (China, Japan, and India) has largely contributed to this important development. It is quite the opposite in the USA for the wind turbine market: uncertainty around the regulatory framework have stopped or postponed many projects. Only 1 GW of new wind capacity has been installed in 2013 in the USA, compared to 13 GW in 2012. However, investments have started again in 2014. Europe is remaining the renewable energy leader with nearly 200 GW of installed capacities, of which are 120 MW of wind and 80 GW

Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Joon Ho; Kwak, Soo Heon; Jang, Hak C.

2017-01-01

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy, is characterized by underlying maternal defects in the β-cell response to insulin during pregnancy. Women with a previous history of GDM have a greater than 7-fold higher risk of developing postpartum diabetes compared with women without GDM. Various risk factors for postpartum diabetes have been identified, including maternal age, glucose levels in pregnancy, family history of diabetes, pre-pregnancy and postpartum body mass index, dietary patterns, physical activity, and breastfeeding. Genetic studies revealed that GDM shares common genetic variants with type 2 diabetes. A number of lifestyle interventional trials that aimed to ameliorate modifiable risk factors, including diet, exercise, and breastfeeding, succeeded in reducing the incidence of postpartum diabetes, weight retention, and other obesity-related morbidities. The present review summarizes the findings of previous studies on the incidence and risk factors of postpartum diabetes and discusses recent lifestyle interventional trials that attempted to prevent postpartum diabetes. PMID:28049284

CEBAF at higher energies: Working group report on hadron spectroscopy and production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnes, T. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN (United States)]| [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville (United States); Napolitano, J. [Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)

1994-04-01

This report summarizes topics in hadron spectroscopy and production which could be addressed at CEBAF with an energy upgrade to E{sub {gamma}} = 8 GeV and beyond. The topics discussed include conventional meson and baryon spectrocopy, spectroscopy of exotica (especially molecules and hybrids), CP and CPT tests using {phi} mesons, and new detector and accelerator options.

Institute for Atomic Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The Institute has in 1980 changed its name to 'Institutt for Energiteknikk' and this reflects a de facto change in programme emphasis in which a large part of the activity in 1979 was in energy systems analysis, energy technology and conservation, petroleum technology,etc. However previous projects in environmental and safety aspects of nuclear power, risk analysis and fundamental physics using neutron beams, have continued. Nuclear technology is now concentrated in the Halden Reactor Project, whose work is outlined. Isotope production based on the JEEP II reactor and irradiation there and in the Co-60 plant, and isotope applications in environmental and resource investigations continue as previously. Waste processing and safeguards are also carried out as national responsibilities. (JIW)

France's energy assessment for 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dussud, Xavier; Guggemos, Fabien; Riedinger, Nicolas; Cavaud, Denis; Delamare, Karine; Ecoiffier, Mathieu; Gong, Zheng; Hagege, Claire; Lepoittevin, Daniel; Lauverjat, Jean; Misak, Evelyne; Martin, Jean-Philippe; Mombel, David; Reynaud, Didier

2016-11-01

This accounting document has been elaborated in compliance with standards defined by the European Union, the International Agency of Energy, and the United Nations. It gives a global overview of the supply and usage chain for each energy source (coal, oil, gas, electricity, thermal renewable energies and wastes). It also gives data related to energy efficiency, supply dependence on other countries, and carbon dioxide emissions. A first part presents the economic and climatic context for 2015: slow world economic growth and an oil market always in surplus, GDP growth at a higher rate, the third hottest year since 1900 with rainfall deficit and sunshine higher than normal. The second part analyses the weight of energy in the French economy: evolutions of energy and oil markets, decrease of energy bill, stronger decrease of oil product prices, higher energy expenses and lower fuel expenses for households. The third part analyses France's energy supply: slight increase of primary production, further decrease of coal imports, recovery of crude oil imports but decrease of refined product trade deficit, moderate increase of natural gas imports, moderate increase of some renewable productions (biomass, wastes, thermal solar, geothermal, heat pumps), slight increase of electricity production with increased use of natural gas. The fourth part analyses quantities and forms of consumed energy: globally, for coal, oil, gas, biomass, wastes, thermal solar, geothermal and heat pumps, and electricity. The fifth part analyses usages and sectors of energy consumption: global final energy, and case of housing and office building, transports, industry, agriculture and fishery. The sixth part proposes an assessment for overseas territories, globally and for the different energy sources. The seventh part discusses other energy-related issues: evolution of energy intensity, of CO_2 emissions due to energy combustion, co-generated heat and heat networks. Numerous data and methodological

Severe Accidents in the Energy Sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirschberg, S; Spiekerman, G; Dones, R

1998-11-01

A comprehensive database on severe accidents, with main emphasis on the ones associated with the energy sector, has been established by the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). Fossil energy carriers, nuclear power and hydro power are covered in ENSAD (Energy related Severe Accident Database), and the scope of work includes all stages of the analysed energy chains, i.e. exploration, extraction, transports, processing, storage and waste disposal. The database has been developed using a wide variety of sources. As opposed to the previous studies the ambition of the present work has been, whenever feasible, to cover a relatively broad spectrum of damage categories of interest. This includes apart from fatalities also serious injuries, evacuations, land or water contamination, and economic losses. Currently, ENSAD covers 13,914 accidents, of which 4290 are energy related, and 1943 are considered as severe accidents. Significant effort has been directed towards the examination of the relevance of the worldwide accident records to the Swiss specific conditions, particularly in the context of nuclear and hydro power. For example, a detailed investigation of large dam failures and their consequences was carried out. Generally, while Swiss specific aspects are emphasised, the major part of the collected and analysed data, as well as the insights gained, are considered to be of general interest. In particular, three sets of the aggregated results are provided based on world wide occurrence, on OECD countries, and on non OECD countries, respectively. Significant differences exist between the aggregated, normalised damage rates assessed for the various energy carriers: On the world wide basis, the broader picture obtained by coverage of full energy chains leads to aggregated immediate fatality rates being much higher for the fossil fuels than what one would expect if power plants only were considered. The highest rates apply to LPG, followed by hydro, oil, coal, natural gas and

Severe Accidents in the Energy Sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, S.; Spiekerman, G.; Dones, R.

1998-11-01

A comprehensive database on severe accidents, with main emphasis on the ones associated with the energy sector, has been established by the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). Fossil energy carriers, nuclear power and hydro power are covered in ENSAD (Energy related Severe Accident Database), and the scope of work includes all stages of the analysed energy chains, i.e. exploration, extraction, transports, processing, storage and waste disposal. The database has been developed using a wide variety of sources. As opposed to the previous studies the ambition of the present work has been, whenever feasible, to cover a relatively broad spectrum of damage categories of interest. This includes apart from fatalities also serious injuries, evacuations, land or water contamination, and economic losses. Currently, ENSAD covers 13,914 accidents, of which 4290 are energy related, and 1943 are considered as severe accidents. Significant effort has been directed towards the examination of the relevance of the worldwide accident records to the Swiss specific conditions, particularly in the context of nuclear and hydro power. For example, a detailed investigation of large dam failures and their consequences was carried out. Generally, while Swiss specific aspects are emphasised, the major part of the collected and analysed data, as well as the insights gained, are considered to be of general interest. In particular, three sets of the aggregated results are provided based on world wide occurrence, on OECD countries, and on non OECD countries, respectively. Significant differences exist between the aggregated, normalised damage rates assessed for the various energy carriers: On the world wide basis, the broader picture obtained by coverage of full energy chains leads to aggregated immediate fatality rates being much higher for the fossil fuels than what one would expect if power plants only were considered. The highest rates apply to LPG, followed by hydro, oil, coal, natural gas and

Classical aspects of higher spin topologically massive gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Bin; Long Jiang; Zhang Jiandong

2012-01-01

We study the classical solutions of three-dimensional topologically massive gravity (TMG) and its higher spin generalization, in the first-order formulation. The action of higher spin TMG has been proposed by Chen and Long (2011 J. High Energy Phys. JHEP12(2011)114) to be of a Chern–Simons-like form. The equations of motion are more complicated than the ones in pure higher spin AdS 3 gravity, but are still tractable. As all the solutions in higher spin gravity are automatically the solutions of higher spin TMG, we focus on other solutions. We manage to find the AdS pp-wave solutions with higher spin hair and find that the non-vanishing higher spin fields may or may not modify the pp-wave geometry. In order to discuss the warped spacetime, we introduce the notion of a special Killing vector, which is defined to be the symmetry on the frame-like fields. We reproduce various warped spacetimes of TMG in our framework, with the help of special Killing vectors. (paper)

Determining root correspondence between previously and newly detected objects

Science.gov (United States)

Paglieroni, David W.; Beer, N Reginald

2014-06-17

A system that applies attribute and topology based change detection to networks of objects that were detected on previous scans of a structure, roadway, or area of interest. The attributes capture properties or characteristics of the previously detected objects, such as location, time of detection, size, elongation, orientation, etc. The topology of the network of previously detected objects is maintained in a constellation database that stores attributes of previously detected objects and implicitly captures the geometrical structure of the network. A change detection system detects change by comparing the attributes and topology of new objects detected on the latest scan to the constellation database of previously detected objects.

Widening energy access in Africa: Towards energy transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokona, Youba; Mulugetta, Yacob; Gujba, Haruna

2012-01-01

The discussion to widen access to modern energy services has been influential in shaping some of the discussions on energy at the international level. The practice of widening modern energy services access to the poor in Africa is complex, and exacerbated by the dual nature of the energy system across Sub-Saharan Africa where traditional and modern energy systems and practices co-exist. This presents major challenges for policy makers who have to contend with a fragmented energy system, which requires the mobilisation of an array of actors at cross-sectoral levels in order to develop effective institutions and implement innovative policy frameworks. This paper further argues that, the ‘energy access’ discussion needs to take place in the context of energy transitions, giving due consideration to the productive sector as an important vehicle for change. As the link between energy and development is context specific, each African country needs to chart its own energy transition pathway into the future, and there are ample lessons that they can draw from previous energy transitions. - Highlights: ► Lack of access to modern energy services in Africa is an impediment to socio-economic development. ► Widening modern energy services access to the poor in Africa is complex. ► A broader approach to address the ‘energy access’ discourse is required. ► Each African country needs to chart its own energy transition pathway. ► Both fossil and renewable energy systems would be needed for a transition to modern energy sources.

Previous hepatitis a virus infection is related to slower psychomotor speed in elderly adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Cheng-Fang; Liu, Ching-Kuan; Fang, Tzu-Jung; Yu, Yau-Hua; Lai, Chiou-Lian; Kuo, Hsu-Ko

2009-10-01

Patients with chronic viral hepatitis are at a higher risk for cognitive dysfunction. Little is known about the association between hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection and cognitive function. From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002, we selected study participants (> or =60 years, n = 1,529) without hepatitis B, C, or D virus infection; without previous hepatitis A vaccination; and without abnormal liver function. HAV-seropositive participants represented people with previous HAV infection. Psychomotor speed and executive functioning domain of cognitive function were measured by the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). HAV-seropositive participants had lower DSST scores than HAV-seronegative participants (weighted mean, 44.4 vs 53.9, p a multivariable model, the weighted adjusted beta coefficient of DSST score was -2.48 (95% CI -2.49 to -2.46, p < .001) for the HAV-seropositive participants. HAV seropositivity is associated with slower psychomotor speed among the U.S. community-dwelling elders.

Orthogonality measurements for multidimensional chromatography in three and higher dimensional separations.

Science.gov (United States)

Schure, Mark R; Davis, Joe M

2017-11-10

Orthogonality metrics (OMs) for three and higher dimensional separations are proposed as extensions of previously developed OMs, which were used to evaluate the zone utilization of two-dimensional (2D) separations. These OMs include correlation coefficients, dimensionality, information theory metrics and convex-hull metrics. In a number of these cases, lower dimensional subspace metrics exist and can be readily calculated. The metrics are used to interpret previously generated experimental data. The experimental datasets are derived from Gilar's peptide data, now modified to be three dimensional (3D), and a comprehensive 3D chromatogram from Moore and Jorgenson. The Moore and Jorgenson chromatogram, which has 25 identifiable 3D volume elements or peaks, displayed good orthogonality values over all dimensions. However, OMs based on discretization of the 3D space changed substantially with changes in binning parameters. This example highlights the importance in higher dimensions of having an abundant number of retention times as data points, especially for methods that use discretization. The Gilar data, which in a previous study produced 21 2D datasets by the pairing of 7 one-dimensional separations, was reinterpreted to produce 35 3D datasets. These datasets show a number of interesting properties, one of which is that geometric and harmonic means of lower dimensional subspace (i.e., 2D) OMs correlate well with the higher dimensional (i.e., 3D) OMs. The space utilization of the Gilar 3D datasets was ranked using OMs, with the retention times of the datasets having the largest and smallest OMs presented as graphs. A discussion concerning the orthogonality of higher dimensional techniques is given with emphasis on molecular diversity in chromatographic separations. In the information theory work, an inconsistency is found in previous studies of orthogonality using the 2D metric often identified as %O. A new choice of metric is proposed, extended to higher dimensions

Narrowband NIR-Induced In Situ Generation of the High-Energy Trans Conformer of Trichloroacetic Acid Isolated in Solid Nitrogen and its Spontaneous Decay by Tunneling to the Low-Energy Cis Conformer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. F. G. Apóstolo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The monomeric form of trichloroacetic acid (CCl3COOH; TCA was isolated in a cryogenic nitrogen matrix (15 K and the higher energy trans conformer (O=C–O–H dihedral: 180° was generated in situ by narrowband near-infrared selective excitation the 1st OH stretching overtone of the low-energy cis conformer (O=C–O–H dihedral: 0°. The spontaneous decay, by tunneling, of the generated high-energy conformer into the cis form was then evaluated and compared with those observed previously for the trans conformers of acetic and formic acids in identical experimental conditions. The much faster decay of the high-energy conformer of TCA compared to both formic and acetic acids (by ~35 and ca. 25 times, respectively was found to correlate well with the lower energy barrier for the trans→cis isomerization in the studied compound. The experimental studies received support from quantum chemistry calculations undertaken at the DFT(B3LYP/cc-pVDZ level of approximation, which allowed a detailed characterization of the potential energy surface of the molecule and the detailed assignment of the infrared spectra of the two conformers.

Household energy and climate mitigation policies: Investigating energy practices in the housing sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaffrin, André; Reibling, Nadine

2015-01-01

One central aim of climate change mitigation in the European Union is to reduce energy consumption in the housing sector. In order to ensure effectiveness of policies targeting household energy conservation, it is important to investigate existing energy practices of different social groups. This article describes and explains energy practices in three leading states in environmental politics, technological innovation, and support for renewable energy production: Denmark, Austria, and the United Kingdom. Based on a longitudinal analysis of housing utility costs from the European Community Statistics on Income and Living Conditions we show that income plays a central role in households' energy practices. While high-income households have higher overall energy consumption, low-income groups spend a larger share of their income on utility costs. The variation of energy consumption across income groups is related to household characteristics, characteristics of the dwellings, and cross-national differences in the housing sector. - Highlights: • We explain energy practices in Denmark, Austria, and the United Kingdom. • We show that income plays a central role in households’ energy practices. • High-income households have higher overall energy consumption. • Low-income groups spend a larger share of their income on utility costs. • Consumption depends on the household, dwelling and the housing sector

Multi-instantons and exact results II: specific cases, higher-order effects, and numerical calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinn-Justin, Jean; Jentschura, Ulrich D.

2004-01-01

In this second part of the treatment of instantons in quantum mechanics, the focus is on specific calculations related to a number of quantum mechanical potentials with degenerate minima. We calculate the leading multi-instanton contributions to the partition function, using the formalism introduced in the first part of the treatise [Ann. Phys. (N. Y.) (previous issue) (2004)]. The following potentials are considered: (i) asymmetric potentials with degenerate minima, (ii) the periodic cosine potential, (iii) anharmonic oscillators with radial symmetry, and (iv) a specific potential which bears an analogy with the Fokker-Planck equation. The latter potential has the peculiar property that the perturbation series for the ground-state energy vanishes to all orders and is thus formally convergent (the ground-state energy, however, is non-zero and positive). For the potentials (ii), (iii), and (iv), we calculate the perturbative B-function as well as the instanton A-function to fourth order in g. We also consider the double-well potential in detail, and present some higher-order analytic as well as numerical calculations to verify explicitly the related conjectures up to the order of three instantons. Strategies analogous to those outlined here could result in new conjectures for problems where our present understanding is more limited

Energy balances 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2006-01-01

Denmark's energy consumption was 800 PJ in 2005 when corrected for the fuel consumption used for producing electricity for export. The consumption is 0,5 % higher than in 2004. Since 1975, the energy consumption has been on the same level with minor fluctuations which are mainly due to the climate. The energy balances is an account of production, import and export, and consumption of energy. The consumption is accounted as physical amounts as well as gross consumption. Also, accounts are presented of the costs of energy in basis prices and in market prices, including excises on energy, CO 2 , and SO 2 . (LN)

Monetary and social macroeconomic impact of equivalent energy production strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lattes, Robert; Thiriet, Lucien

1981-01-01

This current report updates a previous report (February 1979) and brings to light many new factors; a comparative analysis of global impacts is presented, particular emphasis being given to large scale equilibria, and equivalent, but different energy strategies and policies. The way in which different energy strategies might reduce externally imposed constraints is examined in detail, i.e. enabling higher economic growth to be achieved, and unemployment to be reduced without increasing or even with a decrease in the external balance-of-payments deficit. A reference electricity generating program (realized with coal, oil or uranium) similar to the medium and long term French nuclear program was retained. Attention was given to ensure that the ratio between the amount of electricity generated and the total electricity requirements remained realistic. This was also true for the ratio between the amount of nuclear origin generated electricity and the total amount of electricity generated [fr

Energy Hub’s Structural and Operational Optimization for Minimal Energy Usage Costs in Energy Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanh Tung Ha

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The structural and optimal operation of an Energy Hub (EH has a tremendous influence on the hub’s performance and reliability. This paper envisions an innovative methodology that prominently increases the synergy between structural and operational optimization and targets system cost affordability. The generalized energy system structure is presented theoretically with all selective hub sub-modules, including electric heater (EHe and solar sources block sub-modules. To minimize energy usage cost, an energy hub is proposed that consists of 12 kinds of elements (i.e., energy resources, conversion, and storage functions and is modeled mathematically in a General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS, which indicates the optimal hub structure’s corresponding elements with binary variables (0, 1. Simulation results contrast with 144 various scenarios established in all 144 categories of hub structures, in which for each scenario the corresponding optimal operation cost is previously calculated. These case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested model and methodology. Finally, avenues for future research are also prospected.

Reducing barriers to energy efficiency in the German energy service companies sector. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koewener, D.; Schleich, J.

2000-12-01

This report describes the empirical research conducted in the German energy service sector to assess to what extent energy service companies (ESCOs) can help overcome the barriers to energy in the higher education, brewing and mechanical engineering sectors. This report complements the sector for Germany within the BARRIERS project (Sorrell et al., 2000; Schleich/Boede 2000a; Schleich/Boede 2000b; Schleich et al., 2000). The report characterises the German energy service sector, contains a description and analysis of four case studies in the energy service sector, identifies the main barriers and chances for ESCOs in the higher education, brewery and mechanical engineering sectors, and concludes with brief recommendations on how these barriers may be overcome. The results of the study are summarised here under the following headings: Characterising the energy service sector in Germany; - Case studies of energy service companies in Germany; - The role of ESCOs in the case-study sectors; - Policy implications. (orig.)

Low energy electron attachment to SF6 in N2, Ar, and Xe buffer gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunter, S.R.; Carter, J.G.; Christophorou, L.G.

1989-01-01

The electron attachment rate constants k/sub a/ for SF 6 have been measured in dilute mixtures of SF 6 in high pressure (>1 atm) N 2 , Ar, and Xe buffer gases at room temperature (T≅300 K) over a wide E/N range (electric field strength to gas number density ratio), corresponding to mean electron energies from near thermal electron energies (≅0.04 eV) to ≅4.3 eV. Particular attention has been paid to the effects of space charge distortion, molecular impurities, and changes in the electron energy distribution function on the measured electron attachment rate constant values at the lower E/N values in these mixtures. The present measured thermal electron attachment rate constants in SF 6 /N 2 and SF 6 /Xe gas mixtures are in excellent agreement with recent accurate measurements of these parameters in several SF 6 /buffer gas mixtures. At higher values, the present SF 6 /N 2 measurements are in fair agreement with previous measurements, while no previous measurements using Ar and Xe buffer gases have been published. These measurements have been used in numerical two term, spherical harmonic Boltzmann equation analyses of the electron motion in these gas mixtures to obtain the low energy ( 6 . The present derived electron attachment cross sections are compared with recently measured and derived nondissociative and dissociative electron attachment cross sections for SF 6

Finding Higher Order Differentials of MISTY1

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunoo, Yukiyasu; Saito, Teruo; Kawabata, Takeshi; Nakagawa, Hirokatsu

MISTY1 is a 64-bit block cipher that has provable security against differential and linear cryptanalysis. MISTY1 is one of the algorithms selected in the European NESSIE project, and it is recommended for Japanese e-Government ciphers by the CRYPTREC project. In this paper, we report on 12th order differentials in 3-round MISTY1 with FL functions and 44th order differentials in 4-round MISTY1 with FL functions both previously unknown. We also report that both data complexity and computational complexity of higher order differential attacks on 6-round MISTY1 with FL functions and 7-round MISTY1 with FL functions using the 46th order differential can be reduced to as much as 1/22 of the previous values by using multiple 44th order differentials simultaneously.

Higher Dairy Food Intake Is Associated With Higher Spine Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) Bone Measures in the Framingham Study for Men But Not Women

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dongen, van Laura H.; Kiel, Douglas P.; Soedamah-Muthu, Sabita S.; Bouxsein, Mary L.; Hannan, Marian T.; Sahni, Shivani

2018-01-01

Previous studies found that dairy foods were associated with higher areal bone mineral density (BMD). However, data on bone geometry or compartment-specific bone density is lacking. In this cross-sectional study, the association of milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, milk+yogurt, and milk+yogurt+cheese

Nuclear energy and the responsibilities of the Atomic Energy Board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Villiers, J.W.L.

1980-01-01

The paper discusses nuclear energy and the responsibilities of the previous Atomic Energy Board, (now the Atomic Energy Corporation) of South Africa in this respect. The paper starts by giving a brief introduction to the Atomic Energy Board, its organization and its functions. Research is undertaken in various fields such as the exploitation of nuclear fuels, radiobiology, radioisotopes, etc. Certain activities of the Board was also more directly related to Koeberg. The paper covers four of these areas, namely the early studies of the feasibility of introducing nuclear power in South Africa; the services involving the Board's special expertise in certain areas which Escom makes use of; the regulatory function and the preparation for handling and disposal of radioactive waste

Use of caffeinated energy drinks among secondary school students in Ontario: Prevalence and correlates of using energy drinks and mixing with alcohol.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Jessica L; Hammond, David; McCrory, Cassondra; Dubin, Joel A; Leatherdale, Scott T

2015-03-12

Caffeinated energy drinks have become increasingly popular among young people, raising concern about possible adverse effects, including increased alcohol consumption and related risk behaviours. The current study examined consumption of caffeinated energy drinks and use of energy drinks with alcohol, as well as associations with socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics, among a sample of secondary school students in Ontario. Survey data from 23,610 grade 9-12 students at 43 purposefully sampled Ontario secondary schools participating in the baseline wave (2012/13) of the COMPASS study were analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models. Outcomes were any energy drink use, frequency of use, and use of alcohol mixed with energy drinks; covariates were age, sex, race, spending money, bodymass index (BMI), weight-related efforts and alcohol use. Two-way interactions between sex and other covariates were tested. Nearly one in five students (18.2%) reported consuming energy drinks in a usual week. Use of energy drinks was associated (p < 0.01) with all socio-demographic variables examined and was more common among students who were male, off-reserve Aboriginal, had some spending money, had a BMI outside of "healthy" range, were trying to lose weight, and/or reported a higher intensity of alcohol use. Interactions with sex were observed for age, spending money and weight-related efforts. Use of energy drinks mixed with alcohol in the previous 12 months was reported by 17.3% of the sample, and was associated with race, spending money, and more frequent binge drinking. Regular use of energy drinks was common among this sample of students and strongly linked to alcohol consumption.

Experimental study of deceleration process of traveling wave direct energy converter for advanced fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeno, Hormasa; Yamamoto, Takayoshi; Takada, Kousuke; Yasaka, Yasuyoshi

2007-01-01

Advanced fusion is attractive in the view point of utilization of high efficiency direct energy conversion from fusion produced ions. Deuterium-helium-3 reaction is the most possible, however, the energy of created fast proton is so enormous that conventional electro-static converters cannot be applied. Use of a traveling wave direct energy converter (TWDEC), the principle of which was inverse process of a linear accelerator, was proposed for recovering energy of the fast protons. In order to realize the TWDEC, the authors are continuing experimental study by employing a small-scale simulator. A TWDEC consists of a modulator and a decelerator. Fast proton beam extracted from a reactor is introduced in the modulator where radio frequency (RF) electrostatic field modulate the beam velocity, and hence, the protons are bunched and density-modulated in the downstream. The density-modulated protons flow into the decelerator where a number of electrodes connected to a transmission circuit are axially aligned. The flowing protons induce RF current which creates RF traveling voltage on the electrodes. The RF traveling field between aligned electrodes decelerates the protons, thus their energy is recovered into RF power. In this paper, deceleration process of TWDEC is experimentally examined. In our experimental simulator, because of the small beam current, the induced potential, i.e. the deceleration field is so weak that the beam cannot be decelerated. Thus, we examined the process by dividing into two: one was induction of the deceleration field by the modulated beam, which was called as passive decelerator. The other was energy recovery through interaction between the deceleration field and the modulated beam. In this latter experiment, the deceleration field was supplied externally, and we called this as active decelerator. As for the active decelerator mode, we performed higher beam energy experiment than previous one. As the beam energy increases, the divergence of

Urethrotomy has a much lower success rate than previously reported.

Science.gov (United States)

Santucci, Richard; Eisenberg, Lauren

2010-05-01

We evaluated the success rate of direct vision internal urethrotomy as a treatment for simple male urethral strictures. A retrospective chart review was performed on 136 patients who underwent urethrotomy from January 1994 through March 2009. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze stricture-free probability after the first, second, third, fourth and fifth urethrotomy. Patients with complex strictures (36) were excluded from the study for reasons including previous urethroplasty, neophallus or previous radiation, and 24 patients were lost to followup. Data were available for 76 patients. The stricture-free rate after the first urethrotomy was 8% with a median time to recurrence of 7 months. For the second urethrotomy stricture-free rate was 6% with a median time to recurrence of 9 months. For the third urethrotomy stricture-free rate was 9% with a median time to recurrence of 3 months. For procedures 4 and 5 stricture-free rate was 0% with a median time to recurrence of 20 and 8 months, respectively. Urethrotomy is a popular treatment for male urethral strictures. However, the performance characteristics are poor. Success rates were no higher than 9% in this series for first or subsequent urethrotomy during the observation period. Most of the patients in this series will be expected to experience failure with longer followup and the expected long-term success rate from any (1 through 5) urethrotomy approach is 0%. Urethrotomy should be considered a temporizing measure until definitive curative reconstruction can be planned. 2010 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incident energy dependence of pt correlations at relativistic energies

CERN Document Server

Adams, J; Ahammed, Z; Amonett, J; Anderson, B D; Arkhipkin, D; Averichev, G S; Badyal, S K; Bai, Y; Balewski, J; Barannikova, O; Barnby, L S; Baudot, J; Bekele, S; Belaga, V V; Bellingeri-Laurikainen, A; Bellwied, R; Berger, J; Bezverkhny, B I; Bharadwaj, S; Bhasin, A; Bhati, A K; Bhatia, V S; Bichsel, H; Bielcik, J; Bielcikova, J; Billmeier, A; Bland, L C; Blyth, C O; Bonner, B E; Botje, M; Boucham, A; Bouchet, J; Brandin, A V; Bravar, A; Bystersky, M; Cadman, R V; Cai, X Z; Caines, H; Calderón de la Barca-Sanchez, M; Castillo, J; Catu, O; Cebra, D; Chajecki, Z; Chaloupka, P; Chattopadhyay, S; Chen, H F; Chen, Y; Cheng, J; Cherney, M; Chikanian, A; Christie, W; Coffin, J P; Cormier, T M; Cramer, J G; Crawford, H J; Das, D; Das, S; Daugherity, M; De Moura, M M; Dedovich, T G; Derevshchikov, A A; Didenko, L; Dietel, T; Dogra, S M; Dong, W J; Dong, X; Draper, J E; Du, F; Dubey, A K; Dunin, V B; Dunlop, J C; Dutta, M R; Mazumdar; Eckardt, V; Edwards, W R; Efimov, L G; Emelianov, V; Engelage, J; Eppley, G; Erazmus, B; Estienne, M; Fachini, P; Faivre, J; Fatemi, R; Fedorisin, J; Filimonov, K; Filip, P; Finch, E; Fine, V; Fisyak, Yu; Fu, J; Gagliardi, C A; Gaillard, L; Gans, J; Ganti, M S; Geurts, F; Ghazikhanian, V; Ghosh, P; González, J E; Gos, H; Grachov, O; Grebenyuk, O; Grosnick, D P; Guertin, S M; Guo, Y; Sen-Gupta, A; Gutíerrez, T D; Hallman, T J; Hamed, A; Hardtke, D; Harris, J W; Heinz, M; Henry, T W; Hepplemann, S; Hippolyte, B; Hirsch, A; Hjort, E; Hoffmann, G W; Huang, H Z; Huang, S L; Hughes, E W; Humanic, T J; Igo, G; Ishihara, A; Jacobs, P; Jacobs, W W; Jedynak, M; Jiang, H; Jones, P G; Judd, E G; Kabana, S; Kang, K; Kaplan, M; Keane, D; Kechechyan, A; Khodyrev, V Yu; Kiryluk, J; Kisiel, A; Kislov, E M; Klay, J; Klein, S R; Koetke, D D; Kollegger, T; Kopytine, M; Kotchenda, L; Kowalik, K L; Krämer, M; Kravtsov, P; Kravtsov, V I; Krüger, K; Kuhn, C; Kulikov, A I; Kumar, A; Kutuev, R K; Kuznetsov, A A; Lamont, M A C; Landgraf, J M; Lange, S; Laue, F; Lauret, J; Lebedev, A; Lednicky, R; Lehocka, S; Le Vine, M J; Li, C; Li, Q; Li, Y; Lin, G; Lindenbaum, S J; Lisa, M A; Liu, F; Liu, H; Liu, L; Liu, Q J; Liu, Z; Ljubicic, T; Llope, W J; Long, H; Longacre, R S; López-Noriega, M; Love, W A; Lu, Y; Ludlam, T; Lynn, D; Ma, G L; Ma, J G; Ma, Y G; Magestro, D; Mahajan, S; Mahapatra, D P; Majka, R; Mangotra, L K; Manweiler, R; Margetis, S; Markert, C; Martin, L; Marx, J N; Matis, H S; Matulenko, Yu A; McClain, C J; McShane, T S; Meissner, F; Melnik, Yu M; Meschanin, A; Miller, M L; Minaev, N G; Mironov, C; Mischke, A; Mishra, D K; Mitchell, J; Mohanty, B; Molnár, L; Moore, C F; Morozov, D A; Munhoz, M G; Nandi, B K; Nayak, S K; Nayak, T K; Nelson, J M; Netrakanti, P K; Nikitin, V A; Nogach, L V; Nurushev, S B; Odyniec, Grazyna Janina; Ogawa, A; Okorokov, V; Oldenburg, M; Olson, D; Pal, S K; Panebratsev, Yu A; Panitkin, S Y; Pavlinov, A I; Pawlak, T; Peitzmann, T; Perevozchikov, V; Perkins, C; Peryt, W; Petrov, V A; Phatak, S C; Picha, R; Planinic, M; Pluta, J; Porile, N; Porter, J; Poskanzer, A M; Potekhin, M V; Potrebenikova, E V; Potukuchi, B V K S; Prindle, D; Pruneau, C A; Putschke, J; Rakness, G; Raniwala, R; Raniwala, S; Ravel, O; Ray, R L; Razin, S V; Reichhold, D M; Reid, J G; Reinnarth, J; Renault, G; Retière, F; Ridiger, A; Ritter, H G; Roberts, J B; Rogachevski, O V; Romero, J L; Rose, A; Roy, C; Ruan, L; Russcher, M; Sahoo, R; Sakrejda, I; Salur, S; Sandweiss, J; Sarsour, M; Savin, I; Sazhin, P S; Schambach, J; Scharenberg, R P; Schmitz, N; Schweda, K; Seger, J; Seyboth, P; Shahaliev, E; Shao, M; Shao, W; Sharma, M; Shen, W Q; Shestermanov, K E; Shimansky, S S; Sichtermann, E P; Simon, F; Singaraju, R N; Smirnov, N; Snellings, R; Sood, G; Sørensen, P; Sowinski, J; Speltz, J; Spinka, H M; Srivastava, B; Stadnik, A; Stanislaus, T D S; Stock, R; Stolpovsky, A; Strikhanov, M N; Stringfellow, B C; Suaide, A A P; Sugarbaker, E R; Suire, C; Sumbera, M; Surrow, B; Swanger, M; Symons, T J M; Szanto de Toledo, A; Tai, A; Takahashi, J; Tang, A H; Tarnowsky, T J; Thein, D; Thomas, J H; Timoshenko, S; Tokarev, M; Trentalange, S; Tribble, R E; Tsai, O D; Ulery, J; Ullrich, T; Underwood, D G; Van Buren, G; Van Leeuwen, M; Van der Molen, A M; Varma, R; Vasilevski, I M; Vasilev, A N; Vernet, R; Vigdor, S E; Viyogi, Y P; Vokal, S; Voloshin, S A; Waggoner, W T; Wang, F; Wang, G; Wang, X L; Wang, Y; Wang, Z M; Ward, H; Watson, J W; Webb, J C; Westfall, G D; Wetzler, A; Whitten, C; Wieman, H; Wissink, S W; Witt, R; Wood, J; Wu, J; Xu, N; Xu, Z; Xu, Z Z; Yamamoto, E; Yepes, P; Yurevich, V I; Zborovský, I; Zhang, H; Zhang, W M; Zhang, Y; Zhang, Z P; Zoulkarneev, R; Zoulkarneeva, Y; Zubarev, A N

2005-01-01

We present results for two-particle transverse momentum correlations, , as a function of event centrality for Au+Au collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 20, 62, 130, and 200 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We observe correlations decreasing with centrality that are similar at all four incident energies. The correlations multiplied by the multiplicity density increase with incident energy and the centrality dependence may show evidence of processes such as thermalization, minijet production, or the saturation of transverse flow. The square root of the correlations divided by the event-wise average transverse momentum per event shows little or no beam energy dependence and generally agrees with previous measurements at the Super Proton Synchrotron.

Erlotinib-induced rash spares previously irradiated skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lips, Irene M.; Vonk, Ernest J.A.; Koster, Mariska E.Y.; Houwing, Ronald H.

2011-01-01

Erlotinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor prescribed to patients with locally advanced or metastasized non-small cell lung carcinoma after failure of at least one earlier chemotherapy treatment. Approximately 75% of the patients treated with erlotinib develop acneiform skin rashes. A patient treated with erlotinib 3 months after finishing concomitant treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer is presented. Unexpectedly, the part of the skin that had been included in his previously radiotherapy field was completely spared from the erlotinib-induced acneiform skin rash. The exact mechanism of erlotinib-induced rash sparing in previously irradiated skin is unclear. The underlying mechanism of this phenomenon needs to be explored further, because the number of patients being treated with a combination of both therapeutic modalities is increasing. The therapeutic effect of erlotinib in the area of the previously irradiated lesion should be assessed. (orig.)

Associations of body mass index and waist circumference with: energy intake and percentage energy from macronutrients, in a cohort of australian children

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background It is evident from previous research that the role of dietary composition in relation to the development of childhood obesity remains inconclusive. Several studies investigating the relationship between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and/or skin fold measurements with energy intake have suggested that the macronutrient composition of the diet (protein, carbohydrate, fat) may play an important contributing role to obesity in childhood as it does in adults. This study investigated the possible relationship between BMI and WC with energy intake and percentage energy intake from macronutrients in Australian children and adolescents. Methods Height, weight and WC measurements, along with 24 h food and drink records (FDR) intake data were collected from 2460 boys and girls aged 5-17 years living in the state of Queensland, Australia. Results Statistically significant, yet weak correlations between BMI z-score and WC with total energy intake were observed in grades 1, 5 and 10, with only 55% of subjects having a physiologically plausible 24 hr FDR. Using Pearson correlations to examine the relationship between BMI and WC with energy intake and percentage macronutrient intake, no significant correlations were observed between BMI z-score or WC and percentage energy intake from protein, carbohydrate or fat. One way ANOVAs showed that although those with a higher BMI z-score or WC consumed significantly more energy than their lean counterparts. Conclusion No evidence of an association between percentage macronutrient intake and BMI or WC was found. Evidently, more robust longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the relationship linking obesity and dietary intake. PMID:21615883

Preparation and characterization of stable aqueous higher-order fullerenes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aich, Nirupam; Flora, Joseph R V; Saleh, Navid B

2012-01-01

Stable aqueous suspensions of nC 60 and individual higher fullerenes, i.e. C 70 , C 76 and C 84 , are prepared by a calorimetric modification of a commonly used liquid–liquid extraction technique. The energy requirement for synthesis of higher fullerenes has been guided by molecular-scale interaction energy calculations. Solubilized fullerenes show crystalline behavior by exhibiting lattice fringes in high resolution transmission electron microscopy images. The fullerene colloidal suspensions thus prepared are stable with a narrow distribution of cluster radii (42.7 ± 0.8 nm, 46.0 ± 14.0 nm, 60 ± 3.2 nm and 56.3 ± 1.1 nm for nC 60 , nC 70 , nC 76 and nC 84 , respectively) as measured by time-resolved dynamic light scattering. The ζ-potential values for all fullerene samples showed negative surface potentials with similar magnitude ( − 38.6 ± 5.8 mV, − 39.1 ± 4.2 mV, − 38.9 ± 5.8 mV and − 41.7 ± 5.1 mV for nC 60 , nC 70 , nC 76 and nC 84 , respectively), which provide electrostatic stability to the colloidal clusters. This energy-based modified solubilization technique to produce stable aqueous fullerenes will likely aid in future studies focusing on better applicability, determination of colloidal properties, and understanding of environmental fate, transport and toxicity of higher-order fullerenes. (paper)

Ineffective higher derivative black hole hair

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Kevin; Mashiyane, James Junior

2018-01-01

Inspired by the possibility that the Schwarzschild black hole may not be the unique spherically symmetric vacuum solution to generalizations of general relativity, we consider black holes in pure fourth order higher derivative gravity treated as an effective theory. Such solutions may be of interest in addressing the issue of higher derivative hair or during the later stages of black hole evaporation. Non-Schwarzschild solutions have been studied but we have put earlier results on a firmer footing by finding a systematic asymptotic expansion for the black holes and matching them with known numerical solutions obtained by integrating out from the near-horizon region. These asymptotic expansions can be cast in the form of trans-series expansions which we conjecture will be a generic feature of non-Schwarzschild higher derivative black holes. Excitingly we find a new branch of solutions with lower free energy than the Schwarzschild solution, but as found in earlier work, solutions only seem to exist for black holes with large curvatures, meaning that one should not generically neglect even higher derivative corrections. This suggests that one effectively recovers the nonhair theorems in this context.

Dosimetry of low-energy beta radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borg, J.

1996-08-01

Useful techniques and procedures for determination of absorbed doses from exposure in a low-energy β radiation field were studied and evaluated in this project. The four different techniques included were β spectrometry, extrapolation chamber dosimetry, Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, and exoelectron dosimetry. As a typical low-energy β radiation field a moderated spectrum from a 14 C source (E β , max =156 keV) was chosen for the study. The measured response of a Si(Li) detector to photons (bremsstrahlung) showed fine agreement with the MC calculated photon response, whereas the difference between measured and MC calculated responses to electrons indicates an additional dead layer thickness of about 12 μm in the Si(Li) detector. The depth-dose profiles measured with extrapolation chambers at two laboratories agreed very well, and it was confirmed that the fitting procedure previously reported for 147 Pm depth-dose profiles is also suitable for β radiation from 14 C. An increasing difference between measured and MC calculated dose rates for increasing absorber thickness was found, which is explained by limitations of the EGS4 code for transport of very low-energy electrons (below 10-20 keV). Finally a study of the thermally stimulated exoelectron emission (TSEE) response of BeO thin film dosemeters to β radiation for radiation fields with maximum β energies ranging from 67 keV to 2.27 MeV is reported. For maximum β energies below approximately 500 keV, a decrease in the response amounting to about 20% was observed. It is thus concluded that a β dose higher than about 10 μGy can be measured with these dosemeters to within 0 to -20% independently of the βenergy for E β , max values down to 67 keV. (au) 12 tabs., 38 ills., 71 refs

Photoneutron strengths in 26Mg at energies of astrophysical interest

Science.gov (United States)

deBoer, R. J.; Best, A.; Görres, J.; Smith, K.; Tan, W.; Wiescher, M.; Raut, R.; Rusev, G.; Tonchev, A. P.; Tornow, W.

2014-05-01

Background: The 22Ne(α,n)25Mg reaction is an important source of neutrons for s-process nucleosynthesis. The neutron production from the reaction is quite sensitive to the low-energy cross section, which is dominated by narrow resonances. The high level density of the 26Mg compound nucleus above the α separation energy prevents simple extrapolations from higher energy and the high Coulomb barrier makes the direct measurements extremely difficult. For this reason, indirect methods must be employed to study the level properties of 26Mg. Purpose: The current measurement utilizes the reaction 26Mg(γ,n)25Mg to probe the level structure of the 26Mg compound nucleus from the neutron-separation energy at 11.093 MeV up to Ex≈ 12 MeV. Methods: The High-Intensity γ-ray Source of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory was used to bombard a ˜16 g sample of enriched 26Mg oxide and the resulting decay neutrons were detected with an array of nine liquid scintillator detectors. Neutron time-of-flight peaks with corresponding energies as low as ˜50 keV were detected. An efficiency measurement of the detectors was made at the University of Notre Dame's nuclear science laboratory to energies as low as 45 keV. Results: Five resonances were observed at Eγ = 11.150, 11.289, 11.329, 11.506, and 11.749 MeV and their strengths have been extracted. Conclusion:. The resulting strengths at Eγ = 11.289, 11.329, 11.506, and 11.749 MeV are in good agreement with previous measurements. The strength of the resonance at Eγ = 11.150 MeV is somewhat lower than previously measured but is in reasonable agreement when systematic uncertainties are considered. The results are also consistent with those of 25Mg(n,γ)26Mg studies where a comparison shows that many of the resonances observed here are the result of multiple unresolved narrow resonances.

A general solution strategy of modified power method for higher mode solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Peng; Lee, Hyunsuk; Lee, Deokjung

2016-01-01

A general solution strategy of the modified power iteration method for calculating higher eigenmodes has been developed and applied in continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation. The new approach adopts four features: 1) the eigen decomposition of transfer matrix, 2) weight cancellation for higher modes, 3) population control with higher mode weights, and 4) stabilization technique of statistical fluctuations using multi-cycle accumulations. The numerical tests of neutron transport eigenvalue problems successfully demonstrate that the new strategy can significantly accelerate the fission source convergence with stable convergence behavior while obtaining multiple higher eigenmodes at the same time. The advantages of the new strategy can be summarized as 1) the replacement of the cumbersome solution step of high order polynomial equations required by Booth's original method with the simple matrix eigen decomposition, 2) faster fission source convergence in inactive cycles, 3) more stable behaviors in both inactive and active cycles, and 4) smaller variances in active cycles. Advantages 3 and 4 can be attributed to the lower sensitivity of the new strategy to statistical fluctuations due to the multi-cycle accumulations. The application of the modified power method to continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation and the higher eigenmodes up to 4th order are reported for the first time in this paper. -- Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Modified power method is applied to continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation. •Transfer matrix is introduced to generalize the modified power method. •All mode based population control is applied to get the higher eigenmodes. •Statistic fluctuation can be greatly reduced using accumulated tally results. •Fission source convergence is accelerated with higher mode solutions.

Retrospective analysis on malignant calcification previously misdiagnosed as benign on screening mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Su Min; Cha, Joo Hee; Kim, Hak Hee; Shin, Hee Jung; Chae, Eun Young; Choi, Woo Jung

2017-01-01

The purpose of our study was to investigate the morphology and distribution of calcifications initially interpreted as benign or probably benign, but proven to be malignant by subsequent stereotactic biopsy, and to identify the reason for misinterpretation or underestimation at the initial diagnosis. Out of 567 women who underwent stereotactic biopsy for calcifications at our hospital between January 2012 and December 2014, 167 women were diagnosed with malignancy. Forty-six of these 167 women had previous mammography assessed as benign or probably benign which was changed to suspicious malignancy on follow-up mammography. Of these 46 women, three women with biopsy-proven benign calcifications at the site of subsequent cancer were excluded, and 43 patients were finally included. The calcifications (morphology, distribution, extent, associated findings) in the previous and follow-up mammography examinations were analyzed according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon and assessment category. We classified the patients into two groups: 1) group A patients who were still retrospectively re-categorized as less than or equal to BI-RADS 3 and 2) group B patients who were re-categorized as equal to or higher than BI-RADS 4a and whose results should have prompted previous diagnostic assessment. In the follow-up mammography examinations, change in calcification morphology (n = 27, 63%) was the most frequent cause of assessment change. The most frequent previous mammographic findings of malignant calcification were amorphous morphology (n = 26, 60%) and grouped distribution (n = 36, 84%). The most frequent calcification findings at reassessment were amorphous morphology (n = 4, 9%), fine pleomorphic calcification (n = 30, 70%), grouped distribution (n = 23, 53%), and segmental calcification (n = 12, 28%). There were 33 (77%) patients in group A, and 10 patients (23%) in group B. Amorphous morphology and grouped distribution were the most frequent

Retrospective analysis on malignant calcification previously misdiagnosed as benign on screening mammography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Su Min [Dept. of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Chung Ang University Hospital, Seoul(Korea, Republic of); Cha, Joo Hee; Kim, Hak Hee; Shin, Hee Jung; Chae, Eun Young; Choi, Woo Jung [Dept. of Radiology, Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-04-15

The purpose of our study was to investigate the morphology and distribution of calcifications initially interpreted as benign or probably benign, but proven to be malignant by subsequent stereotactic biopsy, and to identify the reason for misinterpretation or underestimation at the initial diagnosis. Out of 567 women who underwent stereotactic biopsy for calcifications at our hospital between January 2012 and December 2014, 167 women were diagnosed with malignancy. Forty-six of these 167 women had previous mammography assessed as benign or probably benign which was changed to suspicious malignancy on follow-up mammography. Of these 46 women, three women with biopsy-proven benign calcifications at the site of subsequent cancer were excluded, and 43 patients were finally included. The calcifications (morphology, distribution, extent, associated findings) in the previous and follow-up mammography examinations were analyzed according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon and assessment category. We classified the patients into two groups: 1) group A patients who were still retrospectively re-categorized as less than or equal to BI-RADS 3 and 2) group B patients who were re-categorized as equal to or higher than BI-RADS 4a and whose results should have prompted previous diagnostic assessment. In the follow-up mammography examinations, change in calcification morphology (n = 27, 63%) was the most frequent cause of assessment change. The most frequent previous mammographic findings of malignant calcification were amorphous morphology (n = 26, 60%) and grouped distribution (n = 36, 84%). The most frequent calcification findings at reassessment were amorphous morphology (n = 4, 9%), fine pleomorphic calcification (n = 30, 70%), grouped distribution (n = 23, 53%), and segmental calcification (n = 12, 28%). There were 33 (77%) patients in group A, and 10 patients (23%) in group B. Amorphous morphology and grouped distribution were the most frequent

Higher energy prices are associated with diminished resources, performance and safety in Australian ambulance systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Lawrence H; Chaiechi, Taha; Buettner, Petra G; Canyon, Deon V; Crawford, J Mac; Judd, Jenni

2013-02-01

To evaluate the impact of changing energy prices on Australian ambulance systems. Generalised estimating equations were used to analyse contemporaneous and lagged relationships between changes in energy prices and ambulance system performance measures in all Australian State/Territory ambulance systems for the years 2000-2010. Measures included: expenditures per response; labour-to-total expenditure ratio; full-time equivalent employees (FTE) per 10,000 responses; average salary; median and 90th percentile response time; and injury compensation claims. Energy price data included State average diesel price, State average electricity price, and world crude oil price. Changes in diesel prices were inversely associated with changes in salaries, and positively associated with changes in ambulance response times; changes in oil prices were also inversely associated with changes in salaries, as well with staffing levels and expenditures per ambulance response. Changes in electricity prices were positively associated with changes in expenditures per response and changes in salaries; they were also positively associated with changes in injury compensation claims per 100 FTE. Changes in energy prices are associated with changes in Australian ambulance systems' resource, performance and safety characteristics in ways that could affect both patients and personnel. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms of, and strategies for mitigating, these impacts. The impacts of energy prices on other aspects of the health system should also be investigated. © 2013 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2013 Public Health Association of Australia.

Dark Mass Creation During EWPT Via Dark Energy Interaction

OpenAIRE

Kisslinger, Leonard S.; Casper, Steven

2013-01-01

We add Dark Matter Dark Energy terms with a quintessence field interacting with a Dark Matter field to a MSSM EW Lagrangian previously used to calculate the magnetic field created during the EWPT. From the expectation value of the quintessence field we estimate the Dark Matter mass for parameters used in previous work on Dark Matter-Dark Energy interactions.

The impact of future energy demand on renewable energy production – Case of Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, Eva; Lind, Arne; Espegren, Kari Aamodt

2013-01-01

Projections of energy demand are an important part of analyses of policies to promote conservation, efficiency, technology implementation and renewable energy production. The development of energy demand is a key driver of the future energy system. This paper presents long-term projections of the Norwegian energy demand as a two-step methodology of first using activities and intensities to calculate a demand of energy services, and secondly use this as input to the energy system model TIMES-Norway to optimize the Norwegian energy system. Long-term energy demand projections are uncertain and the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the impact of different projections on the energy system. The results of the analyses show that decreased energy demand results in a higher renewable fraction compared to an increased demand, and the renewable energy production increases with increased energy demand. The most profitable solution to cover increased demand is to increase the use of bio energy and to implement energy efficiency measures. To increase the wind power production, an increased renewable target or higher electricity export prices have to be fulfilled, in combination with more electricity export. - Highlights: • Projections to 2050 of Norwegian energy demand services, carriers and technologies. • Energy demand services calculated based on intensities and activities. • Energy carriers and technologies analysed by TIMES-Norway. • High renewable target results in more wind power production and electricity export. • Increased energy efficiency is important for a high renewable fraction

Calculating Casimir energies in renormalizable quantum field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milton, Kimball A.

2003-01-01

Quantum vacuum energy has been known to have observable consequences since 1948 when Casimir calculated the force of attraction between parallel uncharged plates, a phenomenon confirmed experimentally with ever increasing precision. Casimir himself suggested that a similar attractive self-stress existed for a conducting spherical shell, but Boyer obtained a repulsive stress. Other geometries and higher dimensions have been considered over the years. Local effects, and divergences associated with surfaces and edges were studied by several authors. Quite recently, Graham et al. have reexamined such calculations, using conventional techniques of perturbative quantum field theory to remove divergences, and have suggested that previous self-stress results may be suspect. Here we show that the examples considered in their work are misleading; in particular, it is well known that in two space dimensions a circular boundary has a divergence in the Casimir energy for massless fields, while for general spatial dimension D not equal to an even integer the corresponding Casimir energy arising from massless fields interior and exterior to a hyperspherical shell is finite. It has also long been recognized that the Casimir energy for massive fields is divergent for curved boundaries. These conclusions are reinforced by a calculation of the relevant leading Feynman diagram in D and in three dimensions. There is therefore no doubt of the validity of the conventional finite Casimir calculations

The indicators of energy security of decentralized heating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Vitalyevna Bykova

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In the paper, the new additional indicators of energy security with the purpose to include decentralized heating sector is developed in the work. The structure of the housing stock of the country is analyzed, which includes different types of central heating boilers and CHP, individual gas or electric heating and stove heating.The analysis of the existing thermal supply (per unit area and per capita living for each sector is carried out. It is found that heat consumed in the residential sector with central heating from CHP and boilers is significantly higher of heat consumed in other sectors. The missing amount of heat energy, which can be produced in two ways, is calculated. Part of the deficit heat can be produced at existing sources that are not loaded enough to the nominal parameters at the moment. The second part can be obtained from small new sources (for inhabited localities that do not have a centralized heat supply infrastructure. New indicators complement the system of indicators to be used to analyze and monitoring the level of Moldova's energy security. They allowed including decentralized heat supply sector, which is not reflected in the official statistics. At the same, the calculation methodology has been improved and the overall integral indicator of the energy security level, which was even more crisis than previously thought.

String fields, higher spins and number theory

CERN Document Server

Polyakov, Dimitri

2018-01-01

The book aims to analyze and explore deep and profound relations between string field theory, higher spin gauge theories and holography the disciplines that have been on the cutting edge of theoretical high energy physics and other fields. These intriguing relations and connections involve some profound ideas in number theory, which appear to be part of a unifying language to describe these connections.

Disruption simulation experiments in a pulsed plasma accelerator - energy absorption and damage evolution on plasma facing materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolt, H.; Barabash, V.; Gervash, A.; Linke, J.; Lu, L.P.; Ovchinnikov, I.; Roedig, M.

1995-01-01

Plasma accelerators are used as test beds for disruption simulation experiments on plasma facing materials, because the incident energy fluxes and the discharge duration are of similar order as those expected during disruptions in ITER. The VIKA facility was used for the testing of materials under incident energies up to 5 kJ/cm 2 . Different carbon materials, SiC, stainless steel, TZM and tungsten have been tested. From the experimental results a scaling of the ablation with incident energy density was derived. The resulting ablation depth on carbon materials is roughly 2 μm per kJcm -2 of incident energy density. For metals this ablation is much higher due to the partial loss of the melt layer from splashing. For stainless steel an ablation depth of 9.5 μm per kJcm -2 was determined. The result of a linear scaling of the ablation depth with incident energy density is consistent with a previous calorimetric study. (orig.)

Solar Energy - It's Growth, Development, and Use

Science.gov (United States)

dropdown arrow Site Map A-Z Index Menu Synopsis Solar Energy Resources with Additional Information Solar has played a major role in solar energy development through previous research and ongoing activities . As a result of research and development, the "cost of solar energy has been reduced 100-fold

Intermediate energy cross sections for electron-impact vibrational-excitation of pyrimidine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jones, D. B. [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001 (Australia); Ellis-Gibbings, L.; García, G. [Instituto de Física Fundamental, CSIC, Serrano 113-bis, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Nixon, K. L. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil); School of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY (United Kingdom); Lopes, M. C. A. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Brunger, M. J., E-mail: Michael.Brunger@flinders.edu.au [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001 (Australia); Institute of Mathematical Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2015-09-07

We report differential cross sections (DCSs) and integral cross sections (ICSs) for electron-impact vibrational-excitation of pyrimidine, at incident electron energies in the range 15–50 eV. The scattered electron angular range for the DCS measurements was 15°–90°. The measurements at the DCS-level are the first to be reported for vibrational-excitation in pyrimidine via electron impact, while for the ICS we extend the results from the only previous condensed-phase study [P. L. Levesque, M. Michaud, and L. Sanche, J. Chem. Phys. 122, 094701 (2005)], for electron energies ⩽12 eV, to higher energies. Interestingly, the trend in the magnitude of the lower energy condensed-phase ICSs is much smaller when compared to the corresponding gas phase results. As there is no evidence for the existence of any shape-resonances, in the available pyrimidine total cross sections [Baek et al., Phys. Rev. A 88, 032702 (2013); Fuss et al., ibid. 88, 042702 (2013)], between 10 and 20 eV, this mismatch in absolute magnitude between the condensed-phase and gas-phase ICSs might be indicative for collective-behaviour effects in the condensed-phase results.

Energy-Info 2014 barometer of the national mediator of energy. Consumers and energy. Wave 8 - Main lessons. First results of the Energy-Info 2014 barometer of the national mediator of energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaubert, Jean; Gillmann, Aurore

2014-10-01

This publication presents and comments the first results of a survey on the relationship between French people and energy. It appears that energy expenses are a matter of concern for French households as energy bills are keeping on being a burden for their budget. Energy management and saving is therefore an important challenge. It also appears that French people are as much aware of market opening, but have a more positive opinion when comparing with results obtained during previous years. However, it appears that rules induced by market opening remain fuzzy and that regulated tariffs are still not well known by households. The role of the mediator seems to be better known and well accepted. The survey also addressed how the potential benefits of smart counters (Linky, Gazpar) were perceived, and how energy transition was perceived. Two articles propose synthetic focus on various results of the survey

The Status of Native American Women in Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidwell, Clara Sue

A study of the status of Native American women in higher education obtained questionnaires from 61 undergraduate women at 4 colleges and 9 women with advanced degrees, interviewed 6 women in or about to enter graduate programs, and reviewed previous research and available statistical data. Results indicated that: relatively few Native American…

Is the Universe More Transparent to Gamma Rays than Previously Thought?

Science.gov (United States)

Stecker, Floyd W.; Scully, Sean T.

2009-01-01

The MAGIC collaboration has recently reported the detection of the strong gamma-ray blazar 3C279 during a 1-2 day flare. They have used their spectral observations to draw conclusions regarding upper limits on the opacity of the Universe to high energy gamma-rays and, by implication, upper limits on the extragalactic mid-infrared background radiation. In this paper we examine the effect of gamma-ray absorption by the extragalactic infrared radiation on intrinsic spectra for this blazar and compare our results with the observational data on 3C279. We find agreement with our previous results, contrary to the recent assertion of the MAGIC group that the Universe is more transparent to gamma-rays than our calculations indicate. Our analysis indicates that in the energy range between approx. 80 and approx. 500 GeV, 3C279 has a best-fit intrinsic spectrum with a spectral index approx. 1.78 using our fast evolution model and approx. 2.19 using our baseline model. However, we also find that spectral indices in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 are almost as equally acceptable as the best fit spectral indices. Assuming the same intrinsic spectral index for this flare as for the 1991 flare from 3C279 observed by EGRET, viz., 2.02, which lies between our best fit indeces, we estimate that the MAGIC flare was approx.3 times brighter than the EGRET flare observed 15 years earlier.

Surveillance for previously unmonitored organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary.

Science.gov (United States)

Oros, Daniel R; Jarman, Walter M; Lowe, Theresa; David, Nicole; Lowe, Sarah; Davis, Jay A

2003-09-01

The San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program initiated surveillance monitoring to identify previously unmonitored synthetic organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary. Organic extracts of water samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in full scan mode. The major contaminant classes identified in the samples were fire retardants, pesticides, personal care product ingredients, and plasticizers. Evidence from the literature suggests that some of these contaminants can persist in the environment, induce toxicity, and accumulate in marine biota and in higher food chain consumers. The major sources of these contaminants into the marine environment are the discharge of municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, urban stormwater, and agricultural runoff. As a proactive effort, it is suggested that surveillance studies be used routinely in monitoring programs to identify and prevent potential problem contaminants from harming the marine environment.

Management of development of renewable energy sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inić Branimir P.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper: 'Management of development of renewable energy sources is to point out the possible solutions for neutralizing the threat of energy shortages. The paper outlines major short and long term energy problems facing humanity. The increase of world human population is, inevitably, accompanied by higher energy consumption. Reserves decrease of nonrenewable energy sources like oil, gas, and coal is a major threat to maintaining current living conditions, and thus requires solutions in order to neutralize the threat. This is why the management of development of renewable energy sources is an imperative for Serbia. The paper emphasizes the use of solar energy, because the annual average of solar radiation in Serbia is about 40% higher than the European average, however, the actual use of the sun's energy to generate electricity in Serbia is far behind the countries of the European Union. Solar energy is clean, renewable, and the fact that 4.2 kilowatt-hours are received daily per square meter averaged over the entire surface of the planet, makes it an almost unused energy source, Compared to EU countries, the price of non-renewable derived energy is, on average, higher in Serbia. Taking this into consideration, the use of solar energy, as an unused resource, imposes itself as indispensable.

Scattering length and effective range for charged-particle scattering in a plane and in higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhaar, B.J.; de Goey, L.P.H.; Vredenbregt, E.J.D.

1985-01-01

The concepts of scattering length a and effective range r/sub e/ previously introduced for low-energy scattering from a potential V(r) in a plane and in higher dimensions are extended to include a 1/r potential (strength parameter γ). Both a and r/sub e/ have the physical significance of being equal to the radius of an equivalent hard sphere giving rise to the same O(k 0 ) and O(k 2 ) terms in the expression for the phase shift. The method used is based on the properties of the ''local scattering length'' a(r,γ) for the potential V(r) cut off at radius r and an ''equivalent hard-sphere radius'' a(r,k,γ) for wave number knot =0. It is shown that these quantities have a smooth behavior for γ→0 and for dimension n→2

Impact of higher twist terms on the analysis of scaling violation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnett, R.M.

1979-09-01

A critical discussion is given of analyses of scaling violation in deep-inelastic scattering in the context of QCD. Several possible approaches are examined. Higher twist contributions are defined, and it is shown that they can have a crucial impact on tests of QCD. Higher twist terms can dramatically affect R = sigma/sub L//sigma/sub T/. QCD may be harder to test than previously realized. 17 references

Measurement of pair production cross sections in Ge for the 1. 238-3. 548 MeV energy range

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, R K; Singh, K; Sahota, H S

1985-02-28

Pair production cross sections have been determined for the 1.238-3.548 MeV energy range in germanium (Z = 32) using a Ge(Li) gamma ray detector. The experimental results have been compared with the theoretical cross sections of previous workers. The results of the present measurements agree with the Bethe-Heitler results down to 1.771 MeV. However, at 1.238 MeV the experimental results are higher than all the theories.

Results and analysis of free-electron-laser oscillation in a high-energy storage ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couprie, M.E.; Velghe, M.; Prazeres, R.; Jaroszynski, D.; Billardon, M.

1991-01-01

A storage-ring free-electron laser at Orsay has been operating since 1989 in the visible wavelength range. In contrast with previous experiments, it operates with positrons and at higher energies (600--800 MeV), with the storage ring Super-ACO (ACO denotes Anneau de Collisions d'Orsay). The optical gain, the laser power, the transverse profile, and the macrotemporal structure of the laser are analyzed. In particular, we show that the gain matrix possesses many off-diagonal elements, which results in lasing on a combination of noncylindrical Gaussian modes. The eigenmode of the laser oscillation is a combination of one or two main Gaussian modes and several higher-order modes, which results in most of the power being extracted in these modes

Modeling international trends in energy efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stern, David I.

2012-01-01

I use a stochastic production frontier to model energy efficiency trends in 85 countries over a 37-year period. Differences in energy efficiency across countries are modeled as a stochastic function of explanatory variables and I estimate the model using the cross-section of time-averaged data, so that no structure is imposed on technological change over time. Energy efficiency is measured using a new energy distance function approach. The country using the least energy per unit output, given its mix of outputs and inputs, defines the global production frontier. A country's relative energy efficiency is given by its distance from the frontier—the ratio of its actual energy use to the minimum required energy use, ceteris paribus. Energy efficiency is higher in countries with, inter alia, higher total factor productivity, undervalued currencies, and smaller fossil fuel reserves and it converges over time across countries. Globally, technological change was the most important factor counteracting the energy-use and carbon-emissions increasing effects of economic growth.

Effects of daily snack food intake on food reinforcement depend on body mass index and energy density.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Erika N; Dewey, Amber M; Temple, Jennifer L

2010-02-01

The reinforcing value of food plays a role in food consumption. We have shown previously that daily intake of a high-energy-density (HED) snack food decreases food reinforcement and food liking in nonobese women but increases food reinforcement and decreases food liking in obese women. These previous studies were conducted with the use of only HED snack foods. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these effects generalize to low-energy-density (LED) foods. Participants (n = 53) had food reinforcement and food liking tested at baseline and then again after 2 wk of daily consumption of 60-g portions of an HED (n = 26) or an LED (n = 27) snack food. We observed a decrease in food reinforcement in women with a lower body mass index (BMI) and an increase in food reinforcement in women with a higher BMI after 14 d of consumption of an HED snack food. Food liking decreased in all women, regardless of BMI, after repeated consumption of HED foods. Conversely, all women, regardless of BMI, showed a decrease in food reinforcement after 14 d of LED snack food consumption. Women with a lower BMI who consumed LED snacks also showed a decrease in liking, but women with a higher BMI who consumed LED foods reported no change in liking. These findings suggest that changes in food reinforcement after daily snack food intake are influenced by both BMI and the energy density of the foods. In addition, changes in food reinforcement cannot be explained by changes in food liking.

Asymmetric adaptations to energy price changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuper, G.H.; Van Soest, D.P.

1999-01-01

The effectiveness of policies to reduce the use of energy depend on the elasticity of substitution between the various inputs and on the rate of technological progress. This paper presents a theoretical model emphasising energy investment characteristics of uncertainty and irreversibility that result in testable hypotheses concerning the relative values of substitution parameters and rates of technological change in periods of high and increasing energy prices and in periods of low prices. Estimation results for a panel of sectors of the Dutch economy show that the elasticity of substitution between energy and other inputs is low in periods of low energy prices, whereas it is significantly higher in the preceding period of high and increasing energy prices. Furthermore, energy-saving technological progress in periods of high and increasing energy prices is also significantly higher than if energy prices are low and falling. The regression results suggest that, due this asymmetric response of firms to changes in energy prices, taxing energy in the current period of low energy prices will not yield substantial reductions in energy use of Dutch industry. 21 refs