The Europeanisation of national political systems : Parliaments and executives

This article reviews the by now extensive literature on the Europeanisation of the political systems of the EU-15, with an emphasis on parliaments and executives (i.e., governments and ministerial administrations). The Living Review highlights apparently contradictory effects of integration: de-parlamentarisation vs. re-parlamentarisation; bureaucratisation vs. politicisation; and centralisation vs. diffusion. These diverging assessments of the effects of integration do, in part, reflect diversity in the EU-15; in part, they are, however, also a result of differences in the specification of variables, research designs and theoretical approaches. Work that inquires into patterns of Europeanisation – across institutional domains, countries, regions and time – and which seeks to tackle the ‘methodological nationalism’ of the Europeanisation literature promises a clearer picture of the institutional consequences of European integration than we possess at present

A Simplified Model for the Battery Ageing Potential Under Highly Rippled Load for Battery Management and Active Degradation Control

Whereas in typical standardized tests batteries are almost exclusively loaded with constant current or relatively slowly changing cycles, real applications involve rapid load ripple, which do not contribute to the net energy. The trend to reduced filter capacitors and even dynamically reconfigurable batteries further increases the ripple. The influence of rippled load on lithium batteries is therefore receiving increased attention. According to recent studies, accelerated ageing strongly depends on the frequency of the ripple. We use electrochemical models to derive a highly simplified regression model that catches the asymptotic behavior and allows parameter identification and calibration to specific cells. The model allows quantitative monitoring of the additional ageing due to ripple current in battery management systems. Furthermore it enables active control of the ageing potential by influencing the frequency content in modern battery systems, such as reconfigurable batteries.Comment: 7 page

Ageing Mitigation and Loss Control Through Ripple Management in Dynamically Reconfigurable Batteries

Dynamically reconfigurable batteries merge battery management with output formation in ac and dc batteries, increasing the available charge, power, and life time. However, the combined ripple generated by the load and the internal reconfiguration can degrade the battery. This paper introduces that the frequency range of the ripple matters for degradation and loss. It presents a novel control method that reduces the low-frequency ripple of dynamically reconfigurable battery technology to reduce cell ageing and loss. It furthermore shifts the residual ripple to higher frequencies where the lower impedance reduces heating and the dielectric capacitance of electrodes and electrolyte shunt the current around the electrochemical reactions.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Quality-assured training in the evaluation of cochlear implant electrode position: a prospective experimental study

Background The objective of this study was to demonstrate the utility of an approach in training predoctoral medical students, to enable them to measure electrode-to-modiolus distances (EMDs) and insertion-depth angles (aDOIs) in cochlear implant (CI) imaging at the performance level of a single senior rater. Methods This prospective experimental study was conducted on a clinical training dataset comprising patients undergoing cochlear implantation with a Nucleus® CI532 Slim Modiolar electrode (N = 20) or a CI512 Contour Advance electrode (N = 10). To assess the learning curves of a single medical student in measuring EMD and aDOI, interrater differences (senior-student) were compared with the intrarater differences of a single senior rater (test-retest). The interrater and intrarater range were both calculated as the distance between the 0.1th and 99.9th percentiles. A "deliberate practice" training approach was used to teach knowledge and skills, while correctives were applied to minimize faulty data-gathering and data synthesis. Results Intrarater differences of the senior rater ranged from - 0.5 to 0.5 mm for EMD and - 14° to 16° for aDOI (respective medians: 0 mm and 0°). Use of the training approach led to interrater differences that matched this after the 4th (EMD) and 3rd (aDOI) feedback/measurement series had been provided to the student. Conclusions The training approach enabled the student to evaluate the CI electrode position at the performance level of a senior rater. This finding may offer a basis for ongoing clinical quality assurance for the assessment of CI electrode position

Agrobacterium-Mediated Gene Transfer to Cereal Crop Plants: Current Protocols for Barley, Wheat, Triticale, and Maize

The development of powerful “omics” technologies has enabled researchers to identify many genes of interest for which comprehensive functional analyses are highly desirable. However, the production of lines which ectopically express recombinant genes, or those in which endogenous genes are knocked down via stable transformation, remains a major bottleneck for the association between genetics and gene function in monocotyledonous crops. Methods of effective DNA transfer into regenerable cells of immature embryos from cereals by means of Agrobacterium tumefaciens have been modified in a stepwise manner. The effect of particular improvement measures has often not been significantly evident, whereas their combined implementation has resulted in meaningful advances. Here, we provide updated protocols for the Agrobacterium-mediated generation of stably transgenic barley, wheat, triticale and maize. Based upon these methods, several hundred independent transgenic lines have been delivered, with efficiencies of inoculated embryos leading to stably transgenic plants reaching 86% in barley, 10% in wheat, 4% in triticale, and 24% in maize

Combustion Device Failures During Space Shuttle Main Engine Development

Major Causes: Limited Initial Materials Properties. Limited Structural Models - especially fatigue. Limited Thermal Models. Limited Aerodynamic Models. Human Errors. Limited Component Test. High Pressure. Complicated Control

Setting Mechanism of a CDHA Forming α-TCP Cement Modified with Sodium Phytate for Improved Injectability

A calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) forming cement with a bimodal grain size distribution, composed of α-TCP and fine grained CDHA at a weight ratio of 9:1, was modified by the addition of sodium phytate (IP6) in variable amounts ranging from 0.25 to 2 wt.%, related to the powder content. The injectability of the cement paste was drastically increased by the IP6 addition, independent of the amount of added IP6. Additionally, the cement paste viscosity during the first minutes decreased. These effects could be clearly related to a slightly more negative zeta potential. Furthermore, IP6 was shown to strongly retard the setting reaction, as can be seen both in the calorimetry and X-ray diffraction measurements. In addition, octacalcium phosphate (OCP) was identified as a further setting product. All measurements were performed at 23 °C and 37 °C to assess the effect of temperature on the setting reaction for both clinical handling by the surgeon and the final hardening in the bone defect