Language Transfer And Universal Grammatical Relations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98353/1/j.1467-1770.1979.tb01073.x.pd

The carbon footprint of power-to-synthetic natural gas by photovoltaic solar powered electrochemical reduction of CO2

The search for more sustainable production and consumption patterns entails the integration of emerging edge-cutting technologies. Holistic studies are needed in order to accurately evaluate properly the environmental competitiveness of the suggested solutions. Among those alternatives, it has been suggested the utilisation of CO2 for the production of synthetic natural gas, the so-called Power-to-Gas (PtG) technology. In this work, we use the PtG technology to analyse the environmental rationality in terms of the carbon footprint (CF) of a Photovoltaic (PV) solar powered Electrochemical Reduction (ER) process for the utilisation of CO2 as carbon source for the production of CH4. This synthetic natural gas is ready to be injected into the transmission and distribution network. The raw materials for the process are a source of CO2 (mixed with different ratios of N2), H2O and electricity from PV solar. The separated products are CH4, C2H4, H2/CO, O2 and HCOOH. The reaction, separation/purification and compression stages needed to deliver commercially distributable products are included. Mass and energy balances were used to create a black-box model. The input to the model is the faradaic efficiency and cathodic potential of the best cathodesperforming at lab-scale (over 60% faradaic efficiency towards CH4). It was assumed that cathodes were long-lasting. The output of the model is the distribution of products (related to 1 kg of pure CH4) and the energy consumption at each of the aforementioned stages. The overall CF is then calculated as a function of the CF PV solar reference and the total energy consumption. The effect on the distribution of each stage to the total energy consumption of both the purity of the CO2 stream and the conversion of CO2 in the reactor was analysed. The results show that the principal contributor to the total energy consumption is the ER of CH4 across all CO2concentrations and conversions. When a CO2 conversion of 50% is chosen together with an inlet stream with a N2:CO2 ratio of 24, the electricity consumption of the process is between 2.6 and 6.2 times the minimum obtained for a reference ER reactor including the separation and compression of gaseous products (18.5 kWh kg−1 of CH4). The use of PV solar energywith low CF (14⋅10−3 kg kWh−1) allows the current lab-scale performers to even the CF associated with the average world production of natural gas when the valorisation of C2H4 is included (∼1.0 kg kg−1 of CH4).Authors gratefully acknowledge the funding provided by the State Research Agency, Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (Spain) through the project CTQ2016-76231-C2-1-R

SME insolvency, bankruptcy, and survival: an examination of retrenchment strategies

A key assertion in the turnaround literature is that when survival is threatened, it is necessary to undertake asset and cost retrenchment strategies that stabilise the performance decline and provide a base for survival and recovery. Correcting for methodological weaknesses in the literature, this study of Spanish SMEs finds that retrenchment of inventory and employees is associated with liquidation. Furthermore, neither intangible asset nor tangible asset retrenchment is associated with survival. Only retrenchment of debt is associated with survival. These results challenge conventional wisdom on retrenchment in turnaround situations. Automatic, across-the-board retrenchment is not a universal panacea to achieve turnaround and should not be implemented as a reflex response to insolvency. Instead, managers of insolvent firms should focus on liquidity and operational improvements, which result in debt reduction. Great care should be taken with the need for, and the extent of, retrenchment in inventory and employees

The Economies and Diseconomies of Industrial Clustering:Multinational Enterprises versus Uninational Enterprises

This study’s objective is to compare cluster economies and diseconomies for multinational enterprises (MNEs) and uninational enterprises (UNEs) within the London financial services cluster. In contrast to the implicit assumption of the cluster participation literature that the economies and diseconomies of clusters are valued similarly by all firms, we find that economies relating to social capital and labour market pooling are equally important to MNEs and UNEs, economies relating to local competition and diseconomies relating to congestion costs are more important to MNEs than to UNEs, and economies relating to the reputational effects of locating in a world-leading cluster and access to specialised suppliers are more important to UNEs than to MNEs. That MNEs and UNEs do not experience cluster economies and diseconomies in the same way indicates that both cluster participation theory and international business theory need augmentation to recognise that cluster incumbents benefit and suffer from cluster membership differently

Measuring achievement goal motivation, mindsets and cognitive load: validation of three instruments’ scores

© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education Objective: Measurement of motivation and cognitive load has potential value in health professions education. Our objective was to evaluate the validity of scores from Dweck\u27s Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (ITIS), Elliot\u27s Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R) and Leppink\u27s cognitive load index (CLI). Methods: This was a validity study evaluating internal structure using reliability and factor analysis, and relationships with other variables using the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Two hundred and thirty-two secondary school students participated in a medical simulation-based training activity at an academic medical center. Pre-activity ITIS (implicit theory [mindset] domains: incremental, entity) and AGQ-R (achievement goal domains: mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance), post-activity CLI (cognitive load domains: intrinsic, extrinsic, germane) and task persistence (self-directed repetitions on a laparoscopic surgery task) were measured. Results: Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach\u27s alpha) was \u3e 0.70 for all domain scores except AGQ-R performance-avoidance (alpha 0.68) and CLI extrinsic load (alpha 0.64). Confirmatory factor analysis of ITIS and CLI scores demonstrated acceptable model fit. Confirmatory factor analysis of AGQ-R scores demonstrated borderline fit, and exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-domain model for achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance and avoidance). Correlations among scores from conceptually-related domains generally aligned with expectations, as follows: ITIS incremental and entity, r = −0.52; AGQ-R mastery-avoidance and performance-avoidance, r = 0.71; mastery-approach and performance-approach, r = 0.55; performance-approach and performance-avoidance, r = 0.43; mastery-approach and mastery-avoidance, r = 0.36; CLI germane and extrinsic, r = −0.35; ITIS incremental and AGQ-R mastery-approach, r = 0.34; ITIS incremental and CLI germane, r = 0.44; AGQ-R mastery-approach and CLI germane, r = 0.48 (all p \u3c 0.001). We found no correlation between the number of task repetitions (i.e. persistence) and mastery-approach scores, r = −0.01. Conclusions: ITIS and CLI scores had appropriate internal structures and relationships with other variables. AGQ-R scores fit a three-factor (not four-factor) model that collapsed avoidance into one domain, although relationships of other variables with the original four domain scores generally aligned with expectations. Mastery goals are positively correlated with germane cognitive load

Flaring of natural gas from inclined vent stacks

Paper in IChemE's Symp. Ser. (102) 'Hazards from pressure' Jun 1987Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:2301.0306(BG-MRS-E--495) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Influencing Mindsets and Motivation in Procedural Skills Learning: Two Randomized Studies

© 2018 Association of Program Directors in Surgery Objectives: An incremental (growth) theory of intelligence (mindset), compared with an entity (fixed) mindset, has been associated with improved motivation and performance. Interventions to induce incremental beliefs have improved performance on non-surgical motor tasks. We sought to evaluate the impact of 2 brief interventions to induce incremental beliefs in the context of learning a surgical task. Design: Two randomized experiments. Participants and setting: Secondary school students participating in medical simulation-based training activities at an academic medical center. Interventions: We created 4 instructional messages intended to influence mindsets (two 60-second videos in Study 1, 2 fabricated “journal articles” in Study 2). In each study, one message emphasized that ability improves with practice (incremental); the other emphasized that ability is fixed (entity). After reviewing their randomly-assigned message, participants completed a laparoscopic cutting task as many times as they desired. Measurements included performance (product quality, self-reported task, and completion time), task persistence (repetitions), and entity beliefs. Results: Two hundred and three students completed Study 1. Postevent entity beliefs (1 = lowest, 6 = highest) were similar between groups (incremental, 2.0vs entity, 2.0; p = 0.78). Contrary to hypothesis, the incremental video group demonstrated slower time (276vs 191 seconds; p \u3c 0.0001), lower product quality (7.2vs 3.8mm deviation; p \u3c 0.0001), and fewer task repetitions (1.4vs 1.8; p = 0.02). In Study 2, 113 participants provided outcomes related to mindset beliefs, but only 14 provided usable performance outcomes. Postevent entity beliefs were lower in the incremental article group (1.7vs 2.4; p \u3c 0.0001). Task time (507vs 585 seconds; p = 0.40) and quality (7.1vs 7.5mm deviation; p = 0.85) were similar between groups. Conclusions: Brief motivational interventions can influence procedural performance and motivation. We need to better understand motivation and other affective influences on procedural skills learning. Mindset theory shows promise in this regard