Hydrogen storage in depleted offshore gas fields in Brazil:Potential and implications for energy security

This article estimates the potential of using depleted offshore gas fields in Brazil for hydrogen storage and the effects this may have in terms of energy security. Brazil is starting to invest in producing green hydrogen associated with offshore wind energy generation. This initiative has stimulated the search for suitable locations to store hydrogen, including in depleted offshore gas reservoirs. The methodology used in this paper allows for identifying which of the 85 assessed depleted offshore gas fields are the most suitable for hydrogen storage and evaluating the storage capacity of the selected fields. In addition, a wind speed analysis is made to investigate possible locations for prospective wind energy generation projects that can accommodate green hydrogen production. As our main result, we find that the selected depleted offshore gas fields have the potential to store around 5483 TWh worth of hydrogen. This amount is equivalent to about 10 times the total annual electricity consumption in Brazil. Hence, Brazil can comfortably leverage its offshore wind potential in connection with hydrogen production to enhance the energy security of its electricity supply. Considering that to date primarily natural gas has been used as the main source of energy security in Brazil and that its share in the electricity sector has significantly increased over the last decade, the combination of hydrogen storage and renewable energy such as offshore wind power has the potential to provide a resilient and decarbonised electricity system in the country. Furthermore, hydrogen stored in offshore reservoirs in Brazil can become an important resource in the international energy market and constitute a possible key to energy security for countries to which Brazil may export hydrogen. We end our paper by providing comments on the challenges, opportunities, and prospects of offshore hydrogen storage in Brazil

The contribution of Further Education and skills to social mobility

Social mobility means being able to improve your and your family’s standard of living, through better education, employment and income. This report investigates how taking part in further education – such as an apprenticeship, work-based learning, community learning and adult education – helps people get better jobs and wages. It also looks at the effects further education has on the prospects for the children of learners. It is a review of published research from government, academics and think tanks

Platelet Activation in Ovarian Cancer Ascites: Assessment of GPIIb/IIIa and PF4 in Small Extracellular Vesicles by Nano-Flow Cytometry Analysis

In ovarian cancer, ascites represent the microenvironment in which the platelets extravasate to play their role in the disease progression. We aimed to develop an assay to measure ascites’ platelet activation. We enriched small extracellular vesicles (EVs) (40–200 nm) from ascites of high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer patients (n = 12) using precipitation with polyethylene glycol, and we conducted single-particle phenotyping analysis by nano-flow cytometry after labelling and ultra-centrifugation. Atomic force microscopy single-particle nanomechanical analysis showed heterogeneous distributions in the size of the precipitated particles and their mechanical stiffness. Samples were fluorescently labelled with antibodies specific to the platelet markers GPIIb/IIIa and PF4, showing 2.6 to 18.16% of all particles stained positive for the biomarkers and, simultaneously, the EV membrane labelling. Single-particle phenotyping analysis allowed us to quantify the total number of non-EV particles, the number of small-EVs and the number of platelet-derived small-EVs, providing a platelet activation assessment independent of the ascites volume. The percentage of platelet-derived small-EVs was positively correlated with platelet distribution width to platelet count in sera (PDW/PLT). Overall, we presented a high-throughput method that can be helpful in future studies to determine the correlation between the extent of platelet activation in ascites and disease status

Spin-Dependent Enantioselective Electropolymerization

The electro-oxidative polymerization of an enantiopure chiral 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene monomer, performed using spin-polarized currents, is shown to depend on the electron spin orientation. The spin-polarized current is shown to influence the initial nucleation rate of the polymerization reaction. This observation is rationalized in the framework of the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect

High Circular Polarization of Electroluminescence Achieved via Self-Assembly of a Light-Emitting Chiral Conjugated Polymer into Multidomain Cholesteric Films

We demonstrate a facile route to obtain high and broad-band circular polarization of electroluminescence in single-layer polymer OLEDs. As a light-emitting material we use a donor-acceptor polyfluorene with enantiomerically pure chiral side-chains. We show that upon thermal annealing the polymer self-assembles into a multidomain cholesteric film. By varying the thickness of the polymer emitting layer, we achieve high levels of circular polarization of electroluminescence (up to 40% excess of right-handed polarization), which are the highest reported for polymer OLEDs not using chiral dopants or alignment layers. Mueller matrix ellipsometry shows strong optical anisotropies in the film, indicating that the circular polarization of luminescence arises mainly after the photon has been generated, through selective scattering and birefringence correlated in the direction of the initial linear polarization of the photon. Our work demonstrates that chirally substituted conjugated polymers can combine photonic and semiconducting properties in advanced optoelectronic devices

La lutte des ouvriers de GKN à Florence, entre auto-organisation ouvrière et mobilisation sociale

Cette chronique décrit la lutte des travailleurs de l’usine GKN de Florence contre sa fermeture et sa délocalisation. Après avoir rendu compte des principales étapes du conflit, l’article se penche sur trois aspects fondamentaux : l’organisation syndicale interne à l’usine et sa capacité à renforcer les ressources militantes autonomes des travailleurs, l’habileté de ces derniers à mobiliser le tissu social environnant et à nouer des alliances avec d’autres mouvements sociaux et, enfin, la contribution apportée par le monde de l’université et de la recherche dans l’élaboration d’un plan de reconversion du site

Permian-Triassic maturation and multistage migration of hydrocarbons in the Assistência Formation (Irati Subgroup), Paraná Basin, Brazil: implications for the exploration model

New lines of geological evidence strongly suggest that the main period of hydrocarbon maturation within Assistência Formation should be Permian-Triassic, stimulated by a high geothermal gradient that also sustained various manifestations of hydrothermal activity. Three main stages of fluid/hydrocarbon migration can also be inferred on the basis of multiscale observations: confined flow in late Permian to Triassic times, depending on the local build-up of fluid pressures; heterogeneous flow in Lower Cretaceous, triggered by a rejuvenated temperature gradient assisted by the early developed permeability conditions; and a late flow possibly driven by local pressure gradients, after complete cooling of dolerite dykes/sills. The early maturation and multistage migration of hydrocarbons have significant consequences in the design of exploration models to be applied in Paraná Basin

A fossil winonaite-like meteorite in Ordovician limestone: A piece of the impactor that broke up the L-chondrite parent body?

AbstractAbout a quarter of all meteorites falling on Earth today originate from the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body ∼470 Ma ago, the largest documented breakup in the asteroid belt in the past ∼3 Ga. A window into the flux of meteorites to Earth shortly after this event comes from the recovery of about 100 fossil L chondrites (1–21 cm in diameter) in a quarry of mid-Ordovician limestone in southern Sweden. Here we report on the first non-L-chondritic meteorite from the quarry, an 8 cm large winonaite-related meteorite of a type not known among present-day meteorite falls and finds. The noble gas data for relict spinels recovered from the meteorite show that it may be a remnant of the body that hit and broke up the L-chondrite parent body, creating one of the major asteroid families in the asteroid belt. After two decades of systematic recovery of fossil meteorites and relict extraterrestrial spinel grains from marine limestone, it appears that the meteorite flux to Earth in the mid-Ordovician was very different from that of today