7,177 research outputs found

    Conceptual design of thermal energy storage systems for near term electric utility applications. Volume 2: Appendices - screening of concepts

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    Volume 2 of this 2 volume report is represented. This volume contains three appendices: (1) bibliography and cross references; (2) taxonomy - proponents and sources; and (3) concept definitions

    Conceptual design of thermal energy storage systems for near term electric utility applications. Volume 1: Screening of concepts

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    Over forty thermal energy storage (TES) concepts gathered from the literature and personal contacts were studied for their suitability for the electric utility application of storing energy off-peak discharge during peak hours. Twelve selections were derived from the concepts for screening; they used as storage media high temperature water (HTW), hot oil, molten salts, and packed beds of solids such as rock. HTW required pressure containment by prestressed cast-iron or concrete vessels, or lined underground cavities. Both steam generation from storage and feedwater heating from storage were studied. Four choices were made for further study during the project. Economic comparison by electric utility standard cost practices, and near-term availability (low technical risk) were principal criteria but suitability for utility use, conservation potential, and environmental hazards were considered

    Modelling Bathymetric Uncertainty

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    Modelling depth measurement uncertainty during data collection and processing has become common practice since the release of S-44 4th Edition (IHO, 1998). Hydrographic Offices have also attempted to model uncertainty of legacy bathymetry in order to determine their fitness for various uses. Additional uncertainty can be introduced into representative bathymetry models by various gridding techniques that interpolate depths between measurements. This article reviews sources of measurement uncertainty, looks at methods for estimating uncertainty in legacy data sets and uncer-tainty that is introduced into bathymetry (digital elevation/depth) models (DEMs/DDMs) by gridding. Applications that could benefit from bathymetric/DEM/DDM uncertainty information include bridge risk management and tsunami inundation modelling.Keywords: bathymetry, uncertainty, digital elevation modelsLa modelización de la incertidumbre de las medidas de profundidad durante la recogida y el procesa-do de datos se ha convertido en una práctica común desde la publicación de la 4ª Edición de la S-44 (OHI, 1998). Los Servicios Hidrográficos han intentado también modelar la incertidumbre de la batimetría tradicional para determinar su idoneidad para varios usos. Puede introducirse una incerti-dumbre adicional en modelos de batimetría representativos mediante varias técnicas de reticulado que interpolan profundidades entre las medidas. Este artículo revisa las fuentes de incertidumbre en las medidas, estudia métodos para estimar la incertidumbre en las colecciones de datos tradicionales y la incertidumbre que se introduce en modelos de batimetría (elevación digital/profundidad) (DEMs/DDMs) mediante el reticulado. Las aplicaciones que podrían beneficiar de información relativa a una incertidumbre batimétrica/DEM/DDM incluyen la gestión de los riesgos de puente y la modelización de las inundaciones causadas por los tsunamis.Palabras clave: batimetría, incertidumbre, modelos de elevación digitales.La modélisation de l‘incertitude des mesures des profondeurs pendant la collecte et le traitement des données est devenue pratique commune depuis la publication de la 4ème Edition de la S-44 (OHI, 1998). Les Services hydrographiques se sont également efforcés de modéliser l’incertitude de la bathymétrie traditionnelle afin de déterminer leur aptitude à différentes utilisations. Une incertitude supplémentaire peut être introduite dans des modèles de bathymétrie représentatifs au moyen de différentes techniques de quadrillage qui interpolent les profondeurs entre les mesurages. Cet article passe en revue les sources d‘incertitude dans les mesurages, examine les méthodes d‘estimation de l‘incertitude dans les ensembles de données traditionnels et l‘incertitude introduite dans les modèles d‘élévation ou de profondeurs numériques (DEM/DDM) bathymétriques à l‘aide du quadrillage. Les applications qui pourraient bénéficier d‘informations sur l‘incertitude bathymétrique/DEM/DDM incluent la gestion des risques sur la passerelle et la modélisation des inondations en cas de tsunami.Mots clés : bathymétrie, incertitude, modèles d’élévation numérique

    The impact of masculinity upon men with psychosis who reside in secure forensic settings

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    Purpose Masculinity is a core cognitive structure that plays a central role in organising attitudinal and behavioural processes. Yet there is limited research focussing upon the meaning of masculinity for men who have a past history of violent behaviour, who experience psychotic phenomena and reside in secure forensic settings. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Q-methodology was used to elucidate the factors regarding how men who experience psychotic phenomena perceive their masculinity. Ten participants from a secure forensic setting performed a 49-statement Q-sort task. Findings Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed on the ten completed Q-sorts which revealed a three-factor solution, accounting for 57 per cent of the variance in the data. The factors were interpreted and discussed under the following headings: “assured and asserting maverick”, “calm, confident, composed conformist” and “nurturing provider in the face of adversity”. This revealed that men with psychosis have different, predominantly pro-social explanatory frameworks for their representation of masculinity. Research limitations/implications This study revealed that men with psychosis have different, predominantly pro-social explanatory frameworks for their representation of masculinity. However, the study was limited by its lack of longitudinal assessment and the inclusion of a greater number of participants may have enhanced the representativeness and generalisability of the findings. Practical implications Therapeutic discussions in respect of masculinity itself could provide men with the opportunity to develop newer, more adaptive conceptualisations of themselves, help them develop greater self-awareness and understanding of the sources of their presenting concerns, which in turn could enhance a provisional formulation of their difficulties. It would also be potentially valuable to understand how these patterns of masculinity map onto coping, recovery style and service engagement. Furthermore, services could also benefit from becoming more aware of hospitalisation being a shameful perhaps stigmatizing time for men with psychosis. Social implications It may be useful for people working in healthcare settings to be aware of how the service users they support perceive their masculinity, so the existential and deeper needs of male patients are provided with enough consideration. This is an important point, as some individuals are often reluctant or neglect to enquire about individual’s psychotic experiences and gender identification. Originality/value Although forensic psychiatric care is primarily populated by men who have committed violent acts, there is a limited research focussing upon the meaning of masculinity in this context. This is in spite of evidence which shows that maladaptive perceptions of masculinity can be reinforced during time spent residing in secure settings. The cultural constructs of masculinity and their respective impact upon the diagnosis, management and outcome of psychosis has also received little attention. Therefore, this research represents new and significant contributions to the field

    Frontostriatal Maturation Predicts Cognitive Control Failure to Appetitive Cues in Adolescents

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    Adolescent risk-taking is a public health issue that increases the odds of poor lifetime outcomes. One factor thought to influence adolescents' propensity for risk-taking is an enhanced sensitivity to appetitive cues, relative to an immature capacity to exert sufficient cognitive control. We tested this hypothesis by characterizing interactions among ventral striatal, dorsal striatal, and prefrontal cortical regions with varying appetitive load using fMRI scanning. Child, teen, and adult participants performed a go/no-go task with appetitive (happy faces) and neutral cues (calm faces). Impulse control to neutral cues showed linear improvement with age, whereas teens showed a nonlinear reduction in impulse control to appetitive cues. This performance decrement in teens was paralleled by enhanced activity in the ventral striatum. Prefrontal cortical recruitment correlated with overall accuracy and showed a linear response with age for no-go versus go trials. Connectivity analyses identified a ventral frontostriatal circuit including the inferior frontal gyrus and dorsal striatum during no-go versus go trials. Examining recruitment developmentally showed that teens had greater between-subject ventral-dorsal striatal coactivation relative to children and adults for happy no-go versus go trials. These findings implicate exaggerated ventral striatal representation of appetitive cues in adolescents relative to an intermediary cognitive control response. Connectivity and coactivity data suggest these systems communicate at the level of the dorsal striatum differentially across development. Biased responding in this system is one possible mechanism underlying heightened risk-taking during adolescence

    Airborne multiwavelength High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-2) observations during TCAP 2012 : Vertical profiles of optical and microphysical properties of a smoke/urban haze plume over the northeastern coast of the US

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    © Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.We present measurements acquired by the world's first airborne 3 backscatter (β) + 2 extinction (α) High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-2). HSRL-2 measures particle backscatter coefficients at 355, 532, and 1064 nm, and particle extinction coefficients at 355 and 532 nm. The instrument has been developed by the NASA Langley Research Center. The instrument was operated during Phase 1 of the Department of Energy (DOE) Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP) in July 2012. We observed pollution outflow from the northeastern coast of the US out over the western Atlantic Ocean. Lidar ratios were 50-60 sr at 355 nm and 60-70 sr at 532 nm. Extinction-related Ångström exponents were on average 1.2-1.7, indicating comparably small particles. Our novel automated, unsupervised data inversion algorithm retrieved particle effective radii of approximately 0.2 μm, which is in agreement with the large Ångström exponents. We find good agreement with particle size parameters obtained from coincident in situ measurements carried out with the DOE Gulfstream-1 aircraft.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

    Plane-Symmetric Inhomogeneous Bulk Viscous Cosmological Models with Variable Λ\Lambda

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    A plane-symmetric non-static cosmological model representing a bulk viscous fluid distribution has been obtained which is inhomogeneous and anisotropic and a particular case of which is gravitationally radiative. Without assuming any {\it adhoc} law, we obtain a cosmological constant as a decreasing function of time. The physical and geometric features of the models are also discussed.Comment: 11 page

    Towards optimal 1.5° and 2 °C emission pathways for individual countries: A Finland case study

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    © 2019 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted so far under the Paris Agreement are not in line with its long-term temperature goal. To bridge this gap, countries are required to provide regular updates and enhancements of their long-term targets and strategies, based on scientific assessments. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate a policy-support approach for evaluating NDCs and guiding enhanced ambition. The approach rests on deriving national targets in line with the Paris Agreement by downscaling regional results of Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) to the country level. The method of downscaling relies on a reduced complexity IAM: SIAMESE (Simplified Integrated Assessment Model with Energy System Emulator). We apply the approach to an EU28 member state – Finland – with the aim of providing useful insights for policy makers to consider cost-effective mitigation options. Results over the historical period confirm that our approach is valid when national policies are similar to those across the larger IAM region, but must include country-specific circumstances. Strengths and limitations of the approach are discussed. We assess the remaining carbon budget and analyse the different implications of 2 °C and 1.5 °C global warming limits for the emissions pathway and energy mix in Finland over the 21st century

    Interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality for accurate flexible protein-ligand docking

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    Simulating drug binding and unbinding is a challenge, as the rugged energy landscapes that separate bound and unbound states require extensive sampling that consumes significant computational resources. Here, we describe the use of interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality (iMD-VR) as an accurate low-cost strategy for flexible protein-ligand docking. We outline an experimental protocol which enables expert iMD-VR users to guide ligands into and out of the binding pockets of trypsin, neuraminidase, and HIV-1 protease, and recreate their respective crystallographic protein-ligand binding poses within 5 - 10 minutes. Following a brief training phase, our studies shown that iMD-VR novices were able to generate unbinding and rebinding pathways on similar timescales as iMD-VR experts, with the majority able to recover binding poses within 2.15 Angstrom RMSD of the crystallographic binding pose. These results indicate that iMD-VR affords sufficient control for users to carry out the detailed atomic manipulations required to dock flexible ligands into dynamic enzyme active sites and recover crystallographic poses, offering an interesting new approach for simulating drug docking and generating binding hypotheses.Comment: PLOS ON

    A Strong Pulsing Nature of Negative Intracloud Dart Leaders Accompanied by Regular Trains of Microsecond-Scale Pulses

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    We report the first observations of negative intracloud (IC) dart-stepped leaders accompanied by regular trains of microsecond-scale pulses, simultaneously detected by shielded broadband magnetic loop antennas and the radio telescope Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). Four investigated pulse trains occurred during complicated IC flashes on 18 June 2021, when heavy thunderstorms hit the Netherlands. The pulses within the trains are unipolar, a few microseconds wide, and with an average inter-pulse interval of 5–7 μs. The broadband pulses perfectly match energetic, regularly distributed, and relatively isolated bursts of very high frequency sources localized by LOFAR. All trains were generated by negative dart-stepped leaders propagating at a lower speed than usual dart leaders. They followed channels of previous leaders occurring within the same flash several tens of milliseconds before the reported observations. The physical mechanism remains unclear as to why we observe dart-stepped leaders, which show mostly regular stepping, emitting energetic microsecond-scale pulses.</p
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