Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2016 to 2019

This article examines the variation of electricity generation and consumption in the four nations of the United Kingdom. It updates and extends the previous version, published in December 2019. The UK data in this article are taken from chapters 5 and 6 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2020; the definitions are thus identical to those in DUKES. Tables 1 and 2 are included at the end of the main text and cover the latest four years (2016 to 2019 inclusive), with a revised timeseries for 2004 to 2019 in the accompanying Excel spreadsheet

Capacity of UK electricity generation assets in the 21st century, 2000 to 2019

This article examines changes and trends in the capacity of UK electricity generation assets in the period 2000 to 2019. In particular, the article draws attention to dramatic changes to capacity by fuel and technology, which drove changes in the generation mix. The data in this article are taken from chapters 5 and 6 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2020; the definitions are thus identical to those in DUKES. Note that fossil fuel-fired capacity totals in this article include coal, oil, mixed and dual fuelled conventional steam stations, combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) stations, gas turbines and oil engines and combined heat and power plants (electrical capacity only) as listed in DUKES table 5.7. Renewable electricity generation capacity includes hydroelectric (natural flow) stations, wind, solar, shoreline wave, tidal, bioenergy and waste as defined in DUKES table 6.4

Competition in UK Electricity markets

This article includes information relating to competition in the UK electricity market, formerly published as part of UK Energy Sector Indicators. The article examines the two parts of the industry where there is competition for provision: generation and sales. For both markets, the article describes the number of companies operating, and the market concentrations. The Herfindahl-Hirschman measure (see explanation at the end of this article) is used to provide the market concentration as it provides extra emphasis on the contribution of participants with the largest shares. For electricity sales, this article covers the major suppliers1 surveyed by BEIS comprising approximately 96% of the market

Analysis of Accidents Involving Breakaway-Cable-Terminal End Treatments

This report included an analysis of 50 accidents involving breakaway-cable-terminal (BCT) end treatments and 19 accidents involving median-breakaway-cable-terminal (BMCT) end treatments. The primary data base consisted of Kentucky accident records for the years 1980-82; with selected accidents included before 1980 and after 1982. An attempt was made to document each accident with a police report, photographs, and a maintenance repair form. Results showed that the breakaway-cable-terminal end treatment performed properly in most accidents (72 percent); that is, the end treatment performed as it was designed with the wooden posts breaking away or the guardrail redirecting the vehicle. Only four impacts were known to involve small cars and the BCT performed properly in three of those accidents. If trucks are excluded from the analysis, the BCT performed properly in 63 percent of the collisions. The MBCT end treatment performed properly in 50 percent of the accidents. Problems related to stiffness of the end treatment are most apparent when impact angles are shallow. A recommendation was made to remove any existing MBCT designs from gore area locations and replace them with a crash cushion. A new turned-down end treatment design was proposed for consideration at median installations

Analysis of Accidents Involving Crash Cushions

This report is an analysis of 127 accidents involving crash cushions in Kentucky. The primary data base was for the period 1980-82, with some additional data before and after this period. An attempt was made to document each accident with a police report, photographs, and a repair form. The largest number of accidents (63) involved a Hi-Dro cell cushion or cluster, followed by 33 accidents involving a G.R.E.A.T. crash cushion, 19 with a temporary G.R.E.A.T., 10 with sand barrels, and 2 with steel drums. Average repair cost was lowest for the Hi-Dro cell cushion ($392) and highest for the Hi-Dro cell cluster ($2,839). Other repair costs were $1,886 for the G.R.E.A.T. system,$887 for sand barrel installations, and $1,760 for steel drum installations. For those accidents in which performance was noted, crash cushions performed properly 85 percent of the time. Instances of improper performance generally involved either a vehicle rebounding into or across the adjacent roadway or a vehicle overturning. All of the various types performed well. Results from the cost-effectiveness analysis show that crash cushion installations produce a benefit-cost ratio in the range of 1.0 – 2.0

Problem Identification for Highway Safety Plan (FY 1984)

An annual highway safety program is proposed each year for the State of Kentucky in order to comply with Section 402, Title 23 of the United States Code. This program includes the identification, programming, budgeting, and evaluation of safety projects. This report is the fifth in a series of annual reports which have been included as the problem identification portion of Kentucky\u27s Annual Highway Safety Plan. In the past, the approach to problem identification has been to identify problem areas in the 18 highway safety program areas (standards). While the search for problems in each of these standard areas will continue, certain program areas were identified for emphasis. The result was an analysis of 12 problem areas, with emphasis on alcohol and occupant protection. Recommendations were made for programs which could serve as countermeasures for the highway safety problems identified and for studies to develop and evaluate such programs

Characterization of Fiber-Forming Peptides and Proteins by Means of Atomic Force Microscopy

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is widely used in biological sciences due to its ability to perform imaging experiments at high resolution in a physiological environment, without special sample preparation such as fixation or staining. AFM is unique, in that it allows single molecule information of mechanical properties and molecular recognition to be gathered. This review sets out to identify methodological applications of AFM for characterization of fiber-forming proteins and peptides. The basics of AFM operation are detailed, with in-depth information for any life scientist to get a grasp on AFM capabilities. It also briefly describes antibody recognition imaging and mapping of nanomechanical properties on biological samples. Subsequently, examples of AFM application to fiber-forming natural proteins, and fiberforming synthetic peptides are given. Here, AFM is used primarily for structural characterization of fibers in combination with other techniques, such as circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. More recent developments in antibody recognition imaging to identify constituents of protein fibers formed in human disease are explored. This review, as a whole, seeks to encourage the life scientists dealing with protein aggregation phenomena to consider AFM as a part of their research toolkit, by highlighting the manifold capabilities of this technique

Automated dry thawing of cryopreserved haematopoietic cells is not adversely influenced by cryostorage time, patient age or gender.

Cell therapies are becoming increasingly widely used, and their production and cryopreservation should take place under tightly controlled GMP conditions, with minimal batch-to-batch variation. One potential source of variation is in the thawing of cryopreserved samples, typically carried out in water baths. This study looks at an alternative, dry thawing, to minimise variability in the thawing of a cryopreserved cell therapy, and compares the cellular outcome on thaw. Factors such as storage time, patient age, and gender are considered in terms of cryopreservation and thawing outcomes. Cryopreserved leukapheresis samples from 41 donors, frozen by the same protocol and stored for up to 17 years, have been thawed using automated, water-free equipment and by conventional wet thawing using a water bath. Post-thaw viability, assessed by both trypan blue and flow cytometry, showed no significant differences between the techniques. Similarly, there was no negative effect of the duration of frozen storage, donor age at sample collection or donor gender on post-thaw viability using either thawing method. The implication of these results is that the cryopreservation protocol chosen initially remains robust and appropriate for use with a wide range of donors. The positive response of the samples to water-free thawing offers potential benefits for clinical situations by removing the subjective element inherent in water bath thawing and eliminating possible contamination issues

A physical control interface with proprioceptive feedback and multiple degrees of freedom

The use of the drug thalidomide by pregnant mothers in Britain resulted in a variety of deformities including the birth of children having no arms. Such children were provided with powered artificial arms with up to five degrees of freedom simultaneously controlled in real time by shoulder movement. The physiological sense of proprioception was extended from the user into the device, reducing the need for visual feedback and conscious control. With the banning of thalidomide, this technique fell into disuse but it is now being re-examined as a control mechanism for other artificial limbs and it may have other medical applications to allow patients to control formerly paralyzed limbs moved by electrical stimulation. It may also have commercial applications in robotic manipulation or physical interaction with virtual environments. To allow it to be investigated further, the original pneumatic control system has recently been converted to an electrical analogue to allow interfacing to electronic and computer-assisted systems. A harness incorporates force-sensitive resistors and linear potentiomenters for sensing position and force at the interface with the skin, and miniature electric motors and lead screws for feeding back to the user the position of the robotic arm and the forces applied to it. In the present system, control is applied to four degrees of freedom using elevation/depression and protraction/reaction of each shoulder so that each collar bone emulates a joystick. However, both electrical and mechanical components have been built in modular form to allow rapid replication and testing of a variety of force and position control strategies