Direct in-vial collection for liquid-scintillation assay of carbon-14 and tritium

Dissolution of biological materials combines the simplicity of oxygen-flask combustion with the reproducibility and purity of the final product, and convenience of direct in-vial collection of the sample by the sealed-tube method. It assures quantitative and reproducible recoveries

Combustion method for assay of biological materials labeled with carbon-14 or tritium, or double-labeled

Dry catalytic combustion at high temperatures is used for assaying biological materials labeled carbon-14 and tritium, or double-labeled. A modified oxygen-flask technique is combined with standard vacuum-line techniques and includes convenience of direct in-vial collection of final combustion products, giving quantitative recovery of tritium and carbon-14

Size and the City: The potential of downsizing in reducing energy demand and increasing quality of life

Recent decades have seen a tremendous growth in the population, particularly in cities. London, for example, has increased from about 6.8 million to 8.2 million over 20 years from 1991 to 2011. Additionally, we have seen substantial demographic change, with an increasing life expectancy and other factors resulting in a larger number of households with only one or two people. One consequence of this is that older people can end up living in inappropriate housing being too large for their needs, with high heating bills and stairs restricting mobility. In addition, this also contributes to the decreasing availability of housing for the growing population. Ultimately, this can lead to unnecessary use of energy and carbon emissions. One potential approach would be to promote downsizing amongst those who live in larger-than-needed properties (defined in relationship to a standard). Some people might choose to live in large properties – for those the question might be for whom could downsizing be rendered an attractive option. For those keen on downsizing, the question is more how it can be realized, i.e. what barriers need to be removed and what help given. In any case, for those who downsize, this could result in significant release of equity (for home owners) or reduced rent, in addition to lower bills and potentially more suitable accommodation in terms of access and mobility. Potential benefits for the wider population would be greater availability of housing stock. This paper will address this issue in different ways. Firstly, empirical data will be presented on the effect of housing size on energy consumption. A sample of N = 991 households, approximately representative for the English population, is analysed with regard to the impact of housing size and housing type on energy consumption. Results show that those two predictors are of greatest importance, and together explain about 29% of the variability in the log-transformed annual energy consumption, surpassing all other variables. In addition, the analysis calculates the amount of under- and overpopulation of housing to give an estimate of the distribution of living space. Secondly, the paper will discuss the benefits of downsizing for the population. A detailed literature review is performed. The results address the benefits of downsizing and highlight which factors would promote downsizing. One issue that has been shown previously, was that those who could downsize felt that little adequate alternative housing was available. Also, general potential effects are discussed, such as freed up living space, and issues of intergenerational justice. Thirdly, the paper will look beyond downsizing at other options such as co-housing, creating multiple-generation homes, or taking a lodger. The prevalence of these schemes will be discussed, and their potential highlighted

TReQ Tools: How to Improve Transparency, Reproducibility and Quality in Energy Research

This working paper provides a toolkit to help energy researchers conduct transparent, reproducible (where appropriate) and quality research -- or TReQ research for short. Energy use is key to global challenges such as climate change, while also playing an important role in the day-to-day lives of people and communities. But how sure can we be that the research done in these areas is providing reliable findings? Unlike in fields such as medicine, energy research has not adopted many of the tools and practices needed to maximise the transparency, quality and reproducibility of studies. The consequence of this is that evidence-based policy and practice may be built on shaky foundations. This document aims to set out the principles and tools that all energy researchers should now consider bringing to their work. It provides practical instruction on approaches such as pre-analysis plans, reporting guidelines and systematic evidence reviews that are widely used in other fields to support TReQ research. Crucially, it draws on the recognition that real-world research can be messy and unpredictable – and therefore considers how best to design and conduct resilient research under these circumstances. Applicable for quantitative and qualitative approaches in a wide range of disciplines, we hope this developing document will be a useful reference for energy and buildings researchers everywhere, whether in training or in practice

Valuing energy performance in home purchasing: an analysis of mortgage lending for sustainable buildings

Many UK lenders consider energy costs, but only as it relates to information about the customers and not the energy performance of the building. Lenders could include more detailed energy costs estimates that reflect energy performance alongside other ma jor household expenses when assessing customer affordability. At present, energy performance ratings required for all homes sold in the UK are of dubious quality and generally do not accurately reflect the likely energy costs. However, if lenders were to inc lude energy performance in their mortgage calculations this might ha ve the effect of improving the accuracy of energy performance ratings through market pressure. It may also have the consequence of increasing the value of more efficient homes, which would have lower energy costs and improve its affordability for customer s. It may also offer an opportunity for lenders to extend mortgages to improve the dwellings energy performance due to the potential increase in value. In this work, we set out the implications of mortgage lenders using the dwelling’s energy perfo rmance as part of their energy cost calculations. We also illustrate how improving the accuracy of ratings can achieve more precise estimates of energy costs. The implication of includ ing energy performance ratings when providing mortgages could result in £billions for lenders in terms of loan extensions and more accurately property values. It could also help potential purchasers understand the real costs of the properties they purchase

Results of ultra-low level 71ge counting for application in the Gallex-solar neutrino experiment at the Gran Sasso Underground Physics Laboratory

It has been experimentally verified that the Ultra-Low-Level Counting System for the Gallex solar neutrino experiment is capable of measuring the expected solar up silon-flux to plus or minus 12% during two years of operation

Design Considerations for 1-3 Composites Used in Transducers for Medical Ultrasonic Imaging

Ceramic polymer piezoelectric composites with 1-3 connectivity have become an important tool in the design and manufacture of thickness-mode transducers for medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging. The authors compare annular array transducers made from ceramics alone to those made with these composites to demonstrate the advantages of composites. They examine some of the trade-offs involved in optimizing composite designs for this application. The effects of varying Young\u27s modulus and Poisson\u27s ratio of the polymer phase on the coupling coefficient and high-frequency lateral resonances of the composite are presente

Two energy suppliers are better than one: survey experiments on consumer engagement with local energy in GB

Usually consumers have a single energy supplier. Permitting consumers to take on additional contracts with local suppliers in a multiple-supplier model could support growth of local renewable energy. The aims of this study were to assess the attractiveness of a multiple-supplier model and to understand whether consumers would be more likely to engage with local energy suppliers in a multiple-supplier model or the current single supplier model. An additional aim was to explore the role of default effects and cognitive biases associated with remaining with incumbent suppliers (loss-aversion, cognitive effort and implied endorsement). Two nationally representative survey experiments were conducted in Great Britain (n = 1042, n = 762). Results showed that participants were significantly more likely to engage with local energy suppliers under a multiple-supplier model than the current single supplier model. In one experiment, consumers’ preference for adding a local supplier under a multiple-supplier model was so strong that it overcame default effects. The perception that the supplier has been recommended (i.e. implied endorsement) was the most robust mechanism associated with remaining with default suppliers, suggesting that explicit endorsement of local energy suppliers may encourage uptake. Results suggest multiple-supplier models are likely to be a promising avenue for increased energy market engagement

Low noise cryogenic system for the measurement of Casimir energy in rigid cavities

We report on preliminary results on the measurement of variations of the Casimir energy in rigid cavities through its influence on the superconducting transition of in-cavity aluminium (Al) thin films. After a description of the experimental apparatus we report on a measurement made with thermal photons, discussing its implications for the zero-point photons case. Finally we show the preliminary results for the zero-point case.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, Talk given at QFEXT07 Conference in Liepzig: Quantum Field Theory Under the Influence of External Condition