Investment Decisions and Emissions Reductions : Results from Experiments in Emissions Trading

Emissions trading is an important regulatory tool in environmental policy making. Unfortunately the effectiveness of these regulations is difficult to measure in the field due to the unavailability of appropriate data. In contrast, experiments in the laboratory can provide guidance to regulators and legislatures about the performance of different market features in emission trading programs. This paper reports on the implementation of three different institutional designs, and presents experimental results investigating important features of emissions trading regimes: the ability to make investments in emissions abatement, ability to bank allowances and a declining emissions cap, both with and without uncertainty. These features are observed in virtually all existing air pollution emissions trading programs currently in place and will almost certainly be part of future applications. Like previous experimental studies of emissions trading, this paper shows that the efficiency gains expected from economic theory emerge observationally. We also show reduced efficiency when permits are bankable due to over-banking and when investments in emissions abatement are possible due to overinvesting. These tendencies do not worsen, however, when emissions caps decline.Emissions Trading, Investment in Abatement, Banking, Laboratory Experiments

Study on geological and structural characterization around Mai Kenetal, Central Tigray in Northern Ethiopia

The present research is aims to study geological and structural characterization around Mai Kenetal, central Tigray, in northern Ethiopia. Topographic difference of the Mai Kenetal area helped in identifying the rock units in the north-western and south-eastern parts of the study area. So that metavolcanic, metavolcaniclastic formations are located in the north and northeast sides whereas slate and phyllite are situated in the south, central and eastern side. Also intrusive granite and dikes are recognized in the central part of the study area. The results shows that the basement rocks are prominently NE-SW trending and shows parallel to the regional lineaments of Mai Kenetal is syncline inliers structure. In study area, the dominant structures such as foliation, shear zone, fold, and fractures like fault, joints, and slickenside are appears. Structural data suggests that the study area has been experienced in three phases of deformation and it also indicated presence of hydrothermal alterations like chloritization, epidotization, sericitization. Based on the lithology study and the non-development of foliation or schistosity suggest that the study area is experienced in low grade metamorphic conditions

Experimental Investigation of Effect of Ingredient Particle Size on Dynamic Damping of RTV Silicone Base Magnetorheological Elastomers

AbstractMagnetorheological elastomers (MRE) are a type of smart materials which responds to an externally applied magnetic field which results in enhanced mechanical properties. MRE consists of a non-magnetic matrix material like rubber and a ferromagnetic ingredient. The size of the particle ingredient plays an important role in the property enhancement of the MRE. In the current work, MRE samples were prepared using Room temperature vulcanising Silicone as matrix material and 2 different samples of carbonyl iron powder (3.15μm and 6.25μm diameters) were used as particle ingredients. Microstructure of the sample were studied under Confocal microscope, which showed the smaller diameter powders results in more agglomeration even though the distribution of powders in the matrix were fairly uniform. A test set up was made to conduct dynamic tests to investigate the influence of particle size on the dynamic performance of the prepared MRE samples. Test results in these experiments showed that smaller diameter particle ingredients results in better MR effect

Re-staging surgery in endometrial cancer: an audit on its value

Background: Incomplete surgical staging in carcinoma endometrium is not an uncommon entity in developing world. Proper surgical staging has got a role in prognostication and planning adjuvant treatment. So, an audit was done to assess the extent of upstaging in women with endometrial cancers who were referred to index centre from outside hospitals with incomplete surgical staging.Methods: It is a retrospective study. The demographic, clinical and treatment details of women with complete data having at-least one follow up after completion surgery were analyzed. Patients who had any other anticancer treatment elsewhere were excluded. The extent of upstaging was studied based on International federation of gynecology and obstetrics (FIGO) 2008 staging.Results: A total of 88 patients of endometrial cancer were evaluated retrospectively, of which 10 had completion surgery. 10% of the patients were upstaged according to the FIGO stage (one from IA to IB), while one patient upstaged from IIIA to IVB after slide review by index centre. According to FIGO Grade, 40% patient upgraded (one upgraded from I to II, three from II to III) while one downgraded from II to I. Recurrence rate was 40%.Conclusions: Upstaging is seen in 10% of patient after completion surgery, which requires the necessity of evaluation by gynecologic oncologist selectively. However, larger and multi-centric studies needed to draw definite conclusion. There is a significant discordance in grade and histology after the review at index centre

The Effectiveness of Augmented Reality as a Facilitator of Information Acquisition in Aviation Maintenance Applications

Until recently, in the field of Augmented Reality (AR) little research attention has been paid to the cognitive benefits of this emerging technology. AR, the synthesis of computer images and text in the real world, affords a supplement to normal information acquisition that has yet to be fully explored and exploited. AR achieves a more smooth and seamless interface by complementing human cognitive networks, and aiding information integration through multimodal sensory elaboration (visual, verbal, proprioceptive, and tactile memory) while the user is performing real world tasks. AR also incorporates visuo-spatial ability, which involves the representations of spatial information in memory. The use of this type of information is an extremely powerful form of elaboration. This study examined four learning paradigms: print (printed material) mode, observe (video tape) mode, interact (text annotations activated by mouse interaction) mode, and select (AR) mode. The results of the experiment indicated that the select (AR) mode resulted in better learning and recall when compared to the other three conventional learning modes

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function in a Murine Model of Sickle Cell Disease

Previous studies have shown that the sickle environment is highly enriched for reactive oxygen species (ROS). We examined the oxidative effects of sickle cell disease on hematopoietic stem cell function in a sickle mouse model. In vitro colony-forming assays showed a significant decrease in progenitor colony formation derived from sickle compared to control bone marrow (BM). Sickle BM possessed a significant decrease in the KSL (c-kit+, Sca-1+, Lineage−) progenitor population, and cell cycle analysis showed that there were fewer KSL cells in the G0 phase of the cell cycle compared to controls. We found a significant increase in both lipid peroxidation and ROS in sickle-derived KSL cells. In vivo analysis demonstrated that normal bone marrow cells engraft with increased frequency into sickle mice compared to control mice. Hematopoietic progenitor cells derived from sickle mice, however, demonstrated significant impairment in engraftment potential. We observed partial restoration of engraftment by n-acetyl cysteine (NAC) treatment of KSL cells prior to transplantation. Increased intracellular ROS and lipid peroxidation combined with improvement in engraftment following NAC treatment suggests that an altered redox environment in sickle mice affects hematopoietic progenitor and stem cell function

Nutritional values and cooking quality of defatted kenaf seeds yellow (DKSY) noodles

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) seeds have always being wasted as agricultural waste. Recent studies revealed that the seeds contain high fiber. The purpose of this study is to develop defatted kenaf seeds yellow noodles (DKSY) and assess the nutritional and physicohemical properties of the noodles. Defatted kenaf flour at 25% and 75% were used to make DKSY noodles and compared to wheat yellow noodles (Control). Fresh DKSY noodles were analyzed for their nutritional and physiochemical properties. The ash and fiber contents increased in order of Control > 25% DKSY > 75% DKSY noodles. While total phenolic contents (TPC) was found to be higher in 75% DKSY noodles (138.30 ± 1.63 mg GAE/100 g) than Control noodles. Colour (L, b) and hardness decreased in order of Control > 25% DKSY > 75% DKSY indicating that DKSY noodles developed less quality than Control noodles. However, cooking loss values were found to be in the same order while cooking values exist in the opposite order indicating that. DKSY noodles have better noodle cooking quality. In conclusion, nutritional properties and noodle cooking quality of yellow noodles increased with higher concentration of defatted kenaf flour but the physicochemical properties were compromised. More research needs to be done in order to develop a formulation that can increase all of the attributes studied