2,047 research outputs found
Ubiquitous energy storage
This paper presents a vision of a future power system with "ubiquitous energy storage", where storage would be utilized at all levels of the electricity system. The growing requirement for storage is reviewed, driven by the expansion of distributed generation. The capabilities and existing applications of various storage technologies are presented, providing a useful review of the state of the art. Energy storage will have to be integrated with the power system and there are various ways in which this may be achieved. Some of these options are discussed, as are commercial and regulatory issues. In two case studies, the costs and benefits of some storage options are assessed. It is concluded that electrical storage is not cost effective but that thermal storage offers attractive opportunities
High-Growth Rate Fails to Enhance Adaptive Immune Responses in Neonatal Calves and Decreases Immune Cell Viability
The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of different feeding rates achieving three targeted growth rates (No Growth, Low Growth, and High Growth) on adaptive immune responses of neonatal calves vaccinated with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and ovalbumin (OVA) 3 wks after initiation of dietary treatments. The daily growth rates for No-, Low-, and High-growth calves were different throughout the experimental period and averaged 0.11 ± 0.02 kg, 0.58 ± .02, and 1.16 ± 0.04 kg, respectively. Adaptive immune responses generally were not affected by growth rate. Ovalbumin-specific IgG1 and IgG2 concentrations after vaccination were not affected by growth rate. Interferon (IFN)-γ and nitric oxide (NO) secretion by PPD-stimulated mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) also were not affected by growth rate. Antigen (i.e., PPD)-elicited delayed-type hypersensitivity in No-growth calves was greater than Lowgrowth but similar to High-growth calves. Viability of MNL, CD4+, CD8+, and γδTCR+ cells in stimulated and non-stimulated cultures from High-growth calves was substantially lower compared with No- and Low-growth calves. These results suggest protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) in the absence of weight loss does not affect negatively adaptive immune responses of calves and that increasing growth rate or plane of nutrition above maintenance requirements does not benefit adaptive immune responses. High rates of growth, however, may affect negatively immune cell viability, with potentially deleterious effects on the calf’s resistance to infectious disease
Antigen-Specific B Cell Responses of Vaccinated, Neonatal Calves
The immune response of newborn calves to early vaccination is often variable and frequently characterized by marginal or nonexistent antibody responses. The B cell subpopulation of immune cells is pivotal in the production of antibody and has not been characterized completely in the newborn calf. Results from this research describe the composition and antigen-specific responses of B cell populations in preruminant calves vaccinated at an early age. Although preliminary, these data indicate that the responsiveness of B cell population in young calves is dependent on the nature of the vaccine and less on animal maturity. This research provides important new information regarding the immune responsiveness of the neonatal calf to vaccination
Puberty in breeds of female hair sheep in Northeast Brazil.
Abstract: The variation in the onset of puberty in ewe lambs is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Identification of the specific factor and its influence in relation to other factors is unclear. The age and live body weight at which ewe lambs show the first puberal estrus are of considerable practical importance. Ewe lambs showing early sexual activity have increased lifetime performance and hada higher reproductive efficiency in the adult ewe. An attempt has been made to study puberty in terms of age, live body weight, breed and ovarian activity at the onset of puberty (first behavioral estrus) of hair sheep in Northeast Brazil. [Puberdade em fĂŞmeas de raças ovinas deslanadas no Nordeste do Brasil]. Resumo: Analisou-se o desempenho de 112 borregas Morada Nova (32), Somalis Brasileira (63) e Santa InĂŞs (17), mantidas em pastagem nativa, no Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Caprinos (CNPC), em Sobral, CE, Nordeste do Brasil (latitude 3° 42' Sul e longitude em 40° 21' Oeste). Desmamadas a idade mĂ©dia de 112 dias, foram pesadas ao nascer e a cada 28 dias, atĂ© Ă puberdade e observadas com vistas Ă detecção da ocorrĂŞncia de estro, durante duas vezes ao dia, com auxĂlio de rufiões. Entre 40 e 60 horas apĂłs a borrega ser identificada em estro, era submetida Ă laparotomia, como objetivo de se avaliar a função ovariana quanto Ă ocorrĂŞncia e Ă taxa de ovulação nos perĂodos prĂ©-puberal e puberal. A idade e o peso mĂ©dio Ă puberdade foram de 306,3 ± 5,6 dias e de 20,7 ± 0,3 kg, respectivamente. A raça Santa InĂŞs (24,0 ± 1,0 kg) foi estatisticamente mais pesada (P 0,05), porĂ©m observou-se efeito de ano (P 0,05) entre raças. Durante o perĂodo prĂ©-puberal, 78,35% das borregas ovularam com uma taxa de 1,13
Puberty in four genotypes of female goats in Northeast Brazil.
Abstract: This experiment was carried out with 99 female kids from four native brceds (Canind& Marota, Moxotó, and Repartida, raised on native pasture at Lhe l3razilian National (loat Research Center, Ceará State, Northeast Brazil. Body weight of the animais were taken at birth, and at four-week intervais until each female kid showed the first puberal estrus. Between 40-60 hours after puberal estrus was detected using teaser bucks, the ovaries of each female kid were observed by laparotomy to determine the number of corpora albicantia and/or corpora hemorrhagica, as an estimate of the occurrence and rate of prepuberal and puberal ovulation, respectively. The overail mean age and live body weight at puberty was 3616±69 days and 12.6±0.2 kg, respectively. I3reed or type of birth did not affect sigrnficaniiy (P>0.05) the age and weight at puberty. The ovulation rate at prepuberal period and at puberal estrus was 1.00 and 1.04, respcctively (P>0.05). Forty percent of the female kids ovulated prior to puberal estrus and 100% ovulated at puberal estrus. Ovulation occurred more frequentely m the right than iii the Ieft ovary at prepuberal (P0,05) a idade e o peso a puberdade. As taxas medias de ovulacao, no periodo pre-puberal e a puberdade, foram 1,00 e 1,04, respectivamente (P>0,05). Aproximadamente 40,0% das cabritas tinham ovulado antes de apresentarem o primeiro estro clinico, enquanto 100,0% delas ovularam a puberdade. A ovulacao ocorreu com maior frequencia no ovario direito do que no esquerdo, no periodo pre-puberal (P<0,01) e a puberdade (P<0,05)
Protocols for calibrating multibeam sonar
Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 117 (2005): 2013-2027, doi:10.1121/1.1869073.Development of protocols for calibrating multibeam sonar by means of the standard-target method is documented. Particular systems used in the development work included three that provide the water-column signals, namely the SIMRAD SM2000/90- and 200-kHz sonars and RESON SeaBat 8101 sonar, with operating frequency of 240 kHz. Two facilities were instrumented specifically for the work: a sea well at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a large, indoor freshwater tank at the University of New Hampshire. Methods for measuring the transfer characteristics of each sonar, with transducers attached, are described and illustrated with measurement results. The principal results, however, are the protocols themselves. These are elaborated for positioning the target, choosing the receiver gain function, quantifying the system stability, mapping the directionality in the plane of the receiving array and in the plane normal to the central axis, measuring the directionality of individual beams, and measuring the nearfield response. General preparations for calibrating multibeam sonars and a method for measuring the receiver response electronically are outlined. Advantages of multibeam sonar calibration and outstanding problems, such as that of validation of the performance of multibeam sonars as configured for use, are mentioned.Support by the National Science Foundation through Award
No. OCE-0002664, NOAA through Grant No.
NA97OG0241, and the Cooperative Institute for Climate and
Ocean Research (CICOR) through NOAA Contract No.
NA17RJ1223 is acknowledged
Saving Lives and Dollars Through Comprehensive Preventive Health Care
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68280/2/10_1111_j_1741-6248_1993_00163_x.pd
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