Innovation in the energy sector: advancing or frustrating climate policy goals?

The energy sector is well known for the relatively modest level of resource that it devotes to research and development (R&D). However, the incremental pace of energy innovation has speeded up in the last decade as measured by public sector R&D budgets, deployment of alternative technologies and novel institutional arrangements. While much of this effort has been targeted at technologies that promise to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, there have also been major innovations that extend the fossil fuel resource base and reduce the cost of extraction. The last decade’s developments can be seen in terms of a challenge to the existing energy paradigm in parallel with a renewed innovative response focusing on conventional fuels and technologies. This paper examines this tension, by exploring the expectations of a variety of organisations in both the public and private sector regarding energy sector developments and by analysing private sector expenditure on energy research and development (R&D) and public sector budgets for energy R&D and demonstration (RD&D). Scenarios and outlook exercises that have been published since 2013 reveal a wide range of beliefs about the future development of the energy system. The contrasting views underpinning the different scenarios are reflected in divergent patterns of R&D investment between the private and public sectors. There appears to be a tension between the drive to transform energy systems, on the part of public bodies, mainly motivated by the need to combat global climate change, and private sector activity, which tends to reinforce and extend existing patterns of energy provision. The paper addresses, but not answer definitively, the key question as to whether technological change is enabling or frustrating ambitious carbon goals

Determination of step rate thresholds corresponding to physical activity intensity classifications in adults

Current recommendations call for adults to be physically active at moderate and/or vigorous intensities. Given the popularity of walking and running, the use of step rates may provide a practical and inexpensive means to evaluate ambulatory intensity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify step rate thresholds that correspond to various intensity classifications. Methods: Oxygen consumption was measured at rest and during 10 minute treadmill walking and running trials at 6 standardized speeds (54, 80, 107, 134, 161, and 188 m∙min-1) in 9 men and 10 women (28.8 ± 6.8 yrs). Two observers counted the participants’ steps at each treadmill speed. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses were used to develop prediction equations to ascertain step rate thresholds at various intensities. Results: Nonlinear regression analysis of the metabolic cost versus step rates across all treadmill speeds yielded the highest R2 values for men (R2 = .91) and women (R2 = .79). For men, the nonlinear analysis yielded 94 and 125 step∙min-1 for moderate and vigorous intensities, respectively. For women, 99 and 135 step∙min-1 corresponded with moderate and vigorous intensities, respectively. Conclusions: Promoting a step rate of 100 step∙min-1 may serve as a practical public health recommendation to exercise at moderate intensity

Electron Capture Dissociation Mass Spectrometry of Metallo-Supramolecular Complexes

The electron capture dissociation (ECD) of metallo-supramolecular dinuclear triple-stranded helicate Fe2L3 4 ions was determined by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Initial electron capture by the di-iron(II) triple helicate ions produces dinuclear double-stranded complexes analogous to those seen in solution with the monocationic metal centers CuI or AgI. The gas-phase fragmentation behavior [ECD, collision-induced dissociation (CID), and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD)] of the di-iron double-stranded complexes, (i.e., MS3 of the ECD product) was compared with the ECD, CID, and IRMPD of the CuI and AgI complexes generated from solution. The results suggest that iron-bound dimers may be of the formFeI 2L2 2 and that ECD by metallo-complexes allows access, in the gas phase,to oxidation states and coordination chemistry that cannot be accessed in solution

Conserved themes in small-RNA-mediated transposon control

Eukaryotes are engaged in a constant struggle against transposable elements, which have invaded and profoundly shaped their genomes. Over the past decade, a growing body of evidence has pointed to a role for small RNAs in transposon defense. Although the strategies used in different organisms vary in their details, they have strikingly similar general properties. Basically, all mechanisms consist of three components. First, transposon detection prompts the production of small RNAs, which are Piwi-interacting RNAs in some organisms and small interfering RNAs in others. Second, the population of small RNAs targeting active transposons is amplified through an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase-based or Slicer-based mechanism. Third, small RNAs are incorporated into Argonaute- or Piwi-containing effector complexes, which target transposon transcripts for post-transcriptional silencing and/or target transposon DNA for repressive chromatin modification and DNA methylation. These properties produce robust systems that limit the catastrophic consequences of transposon mobilization, which can result in the accumulation of deleterious mutations, changes in gene expression patterns, and conditions such as gonadal hypotrophy and sterility

The global surge in energy innovation

Policymakers are seeking a transformation of the energy system driven by concerns about climate change, energy security and affordability. At the same time, emerging developments in underpinning science and engineering are opening up new possibilities across the whole technology spectrum covering renewables and other supply side technologies, energy demand and energy infrastructure. This paper reviews both the “policy pull” for energy innovation activities and the “science and technology push”. It explores the expectations of a variety of organisations in both the public and private sector regarding these pressures and possibilities by assessing various scenarios and outlook exercises that have been published since 2013. It reveals a wide range of beliefs about the future development of the energy system. The paper then moves on to analyse private sector expenditure on energy research and development (R&D) and public sector budgets for energy R&D and demonstration (RD&D). This analysis demonstrates significant divergences in patterns of innovation between the private and public sectors and leads to the hypothesis that the private sector is, broadly, taking measures to reinforce the existing energy paradigm while the public sector is focusing on new energy technologies that support wider policy objectives. This pattern is consistent with past technological transitions, with innovation efforts that would transform the energy system being counteracted by countervailing efforts that reinforce the existing fossil fuel-based paradigm

AlGaAs top solar cell for mechanical attachment in a multi-junction tandem concentrator solar cell stack

The AstroPower self-supporting, transparent AlGaAs top solar cell can be stacked upon any well-developed bottom solar cell for improved system performance. This is an approach to improve the performance and scale of space photovoltaic power systems. Mechanically stacked tandem solar cell concentrator systems based on the AlGaAs top concentrator solar cell can provide near term efficiencies of 36 percent (AMO, 100x). Possible tandem stack efficiencies greater than 38 percent (100x, AMO) are feasible with a careful selection of materials. In a three solar cell stack, system efficiencies exceed 41 percent (100x, AMO). These device results demonstrate a practical solution for a state-of-the-art top solar cell for attachment to an existing, well-developed solar cell

Analysis of large-scale sequencing of small RNAs

The advent of large-scale sequencing has opened up new areas of research, such as the study of Piwi-interacting small RNAs (piRNAs). piRNAs are longer than miRNAs, close to 30 nucleotides in length, involved in various functions, such as the suppression of transposons in germline. Since a large number of them (many tens of thousands) are generated from a wide range of positions in the genome, large-scale sequencing is the only way to study them. The key to understanding their genesis and biological roles is efficient analysis, which is complicated by the large volumes of sequence data. Taking account of the underlying biology is also important. We describe here novel analyses techniques and tools applied to small RNAs from germ cells in D. melanogaster, that allowed us to infer mechanism and biological function

An epigenetic role for maternally inherited piRNAs in transposon silencing

In plants and mammals, small RNAs indirectly mediate epigenetic inheritance by specifying cytosine methylation. We found that small RNAs themselves serve as vectors for epigenetic information. Crosses between Drosophila strains that differ in the presence of a particular transposon can produce sterile progeny, a phenomenon called hybrid dysgenesis. This phenotype manifests itself only if the transposon is paternally inherited, suggesting maternal transmission of a factor that maintains fertility. In both P- and I-element-mediated hybrid dysgenesis models, daughters show a markedly different content of Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) targeting each element, depending on their parents of origin. Such differences persist from fertilization through adulthood. This indicates that maternally deposited piRNAs are important for mounting an effective silencing response and that a lack of maternal piRNA inheritance underlies hybrid dysgenesis

Twigraph: Discovering and Visualizing Influential Words between Twitter Profiles

The social media craze is on an ever increasing spree, and people are connected with each other like never before, but these vast connections are visually unexplored. We propose a methodology Twigraph to explore the connections between persons using their Twitter profiles. First, we propose a hybrid approach of recommending social media profiles, articles, and advertisements to a user.The profiles are recommended based on the similarity score between the user profile, and profile under evaluation. The similarity between a set of profiles is investigated by finding the top influential words thus causing a high similarity through an Influence Term Metric for each word. Then, we group profiles of various domains such as politics, sports, and entertainment based on the similarity score through a novel clustering algorithm. The connectivity between profiles is envisaged using word graphs that help in finding the words that connect a set of profiles and the profiles that are connected to a word. Finally, we analyze the top influential words over a set of profiles through clustering by finding the similarity of that profiles enabling to break down a Twitter profile with a lot of followers to fine level word connections using word graphs. The proposed method was implemented on datasets comprising 1.1 M Tweets obtained from Twitter. Experimental results show that the resultant influential words were highly representative of the relationship between two profiles or a set of profile