1,473 research outputs found
Legal and Regulatory Impediments to Vehicle-to-Grid Aggregation
This article begins by defining the āvehicle-to-gridā concept for a legal readership, and places it in context by discussing some major problems facing the United States electrical grid. There are several ways in which the vehicle-to-grid concept may potentially mitigate the gridās problems as are described. Then, the article discusses the major legal and regulatory impediments to implementing a vehicle-to-grid program. Several of the hurdles are simply manifestations of uncertainties in the business environment. Others are more properly legal and regulatory impediments, but are expected to be surmountable. Therefore, the Article concludes that legal and regulatory impediments will not likely hinder the adoption of vehicle-to-grid programs
StrathSat-R : Deploying inflatable CubeSat structures in micro gravity
This paper presents the concepts, objectives and design of a student-led sounding rocket experiment which shall test novel inflatable devices in space conditions. This experiment is envisaged as the first step towards developing a CubeSat programme at the University of Strathclyde, which can exploit the novel concepts developed and the technical skills gained. The experiment itself aims to test novel, student developed, inflatable space structures in micro gravity and reduced pressure conditions. It consists of three distinct sections, the ejection housing on the rocket and the two ejectable modules that are based on CubeSat architecture. Shortly before reaching apogee, the two modules are ejected from the rocket and will deploy their own inflating structure during free flight. After landing, the ejectable modules recovery will rely upon a GPS position relayed to the team from the module by Globalstar transmission and a RF beacon for tracking with the recovery helicopter. The two modules carry two different structures resulting in distinct mission objectives: The aim of FRODO is to deploy an experimental passive de-orbiting system for high altitude spacecraft which will in the future utilise solar radiation pressure for orbit removal. The aim of SAM is to serve as a technology demonstrator for the residual air deployment method of a smart bio-inspired space structure. This paper contains details about the science objectives of the mission and how they will be achieved, its experimental design and the management of the student-led project
Discovering New Variable Stars at Key Stage 3
Details of the London pilot of the `Discovery Project' are presented, where
university-based astronomers were given the chance to pass on some real and
applied knowledge of astronomy to a group of selected secondary school pupils.
It was aimed at students in Key Stage 3 of their education, allowing them to be
involved in real astronomical research at an early stage of their education,
the chance to become the official discoverer of a new variable star, and to be
listed in the International Variable Star Index database, all while learning
and practising research-level skills. Future plans are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur
Federal Preemption and Clean Energy Floors
Federal policies regarding renewable and clean energy often lack clear definition, are incomplete, and are scattered across multiple statutes and agencies. Yet at the same time, recent decisions of both federal agencies and courts have attributed a preemptive effect to federal statutes that threatens to hobble innovation in renewable and clean energy policy by subnational regulators. One consequence of this approach is that most significant policies promoting clean and renewable energy are channeled toward subsidies from the federal fisc, rather than diverse policies undertaken independently by state governments or regional customers and suppliers. This Article argues that, contrary to many agency and judicial decisions, the text, structure, history and purpose of key federal statutes does not require a singular approach to federalism in clean energy policy. Borrowing from environmental law, we plant a flag for a preemption approach that we call the Ć¢ā¬Åclean energy floor,Ć¢ā¬ and show that this is consistent with the history and structure of federal energy legislation, including both New Deal and more modern statutes. As a normative matter, we also argue that reading of federal energy statutes to incorporate regulatory floors is a good idea, to the extent that it allows federal and state energy regulators an opportunity to work together to overcome problems of fragmentation, stagnation and stalemate -- and especially to address important issues related to climate change and new technologies such as renewable energy and fracking, even absent new congressional action or completely defined federal policy. Our approach to clean energy federalism also has some important implications for how courts should interpret other statutes in the regulatory contexts where federal and state authority are often perceived as substitutes for one another, such as health care
Federal Preemption and Clean Energy Floors
Federal policies regarding renewable and clean energy often lack clear definition, are incomplete, and are scattered across multiple statutes and agencies. Yet at the same time, recent decisions of both federal agencies and courts have attributed a preemptive effect to federal statutes that threatens to hobble innovation in renewable and clean energy policy by subnational regulators. One consequence of this approach is that most significant policies promoting clean and renewable energy are channeled toward subsidies from the federal fisc, rather than diverse policies undertaken independently by state governments or regional customers and suppliers. This Article argues that, contrary to many agency and judicial decisions, the text, structure, history and purpose of key federal statutes does not require a singular approach to federalism in clean energy policy. Borrowing from environmental law, we plant a flag for a preemption approach that we call the Ć¢ā¬Åclean energy floor,Ć¢ā¬ and show that this is consistent with the history and structure of federal energy legislation, including both New Deal and more modern statutes. As a normative matter, we also argue that reading of federal energy statutes to incorporate regulatory floors is a good idea, to the extent that it allows federal and state energy regulators an opportunity to work together to overcome problems of fragmentation, stagnation and stalemate -- and especially to address important issues related to climate change and new technologies such as renewable energy and fracking, even absent new congressional action or completely defined federal policy. Our approach to clean energy federalism also has some important implications for how courts should interpret other statutes in the regulatory contexts where federal and state authority are often perceived as substitutes for one another, such as health care
Switching patients from other inhaled corticosteroid devices to the Easyhaler(Ā®) : historical, matched-cohort study of real-life asthma patients
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Missouri\u27s Feral Hog Task Force: Addressing Increasing Feral Swine Populations
Feral hog (Sus scrofa) populations are expanding in size and distribution in Missouri and other parts of the United States. Increases of this invasive species are a serious concern because of the damage they cause and diseases they carry. Affected stakeholders in Missouri formed a task force in 1998 with sixteen member agencies and organizations to develop a program for the control/eradication of feral hogs in the state. The task force identified three objectives with appropriate supporting strategies to help achieve the ultimate goal: protection of Missouri \u27s public health, agricultural economy, and natural resources through eradication of feral swine in Missouri. The task force has been an essential vehicle in working toward these objectives during a time when member agencies and organizations are tight on funding. The collaboration has accomplished several tasks that could not have been implemented by any single participant. This paper presents the successes and shortcomings of Missouri\u27s efforts and provides recommendations to other states that may implement feral hog control
A question of trust: can we build an evidence base to gain trust in systematic review automation technologies?
Background Although many aspects of systematic reviews use computational tools, systematic reviewers have been reluctant to adopt machine learning tools.
Discussion We discuss that the potential reason for the slow adoption of machine learning tools into systematic reviews is multifactorial. We focus on the current absence of trust in automation and set-up challenges as major barriers to adoption. It is important that reviews produced using automation tools are considered non-inferior or superior to current practice. However, this standard will likely not be sufficient to lead to widespread adoption. As with many technologies, it is important that reviewers see āothersā in the review community using automation tools. Adoption will also be slow if the automation tools are not compatible with workflows and tasks currently used to produce reviews. Many automation tools being developed for systematic reviews mimic classification problems. Therefore, the evidence that these automation tools are non-inferior or superior can be presented using methods similar to diagnostic test evaluations, i.e., precision and recall compared to a human reviewer. However, the assessment of automation tools does present unique challenges for investigators and systematic reviewers, including the need to clarify which metrics are of interest to the systematic review community and the unique documentation challenges for reproducible software experiments.
Conclusion We discuss adoption barriers with the goal of providing tool developers with guidance as to how to design and report such evaluations and for end users to assess their validity. Further, we discuss approaches to formatting and announcing publicly available datasets suitable for assessment of automation technologies and tools. Making these resources available will increase trust that tools are non-inferior or superior to current practice. Finally, we identify that, even with evidence that automation tools are non-inferior or superior to current practice, substantial set-up challenges remain for main stream integration of automation into the systematic review process
The Role of Traditional Knowledge in Coastal Adaptation Priorities: The Pamunkey Indian Reservation
Coastal reservations are increasingly vulnerable to hazards exacerbated by climate change. Resources for restoration projects are limited. Storm surge, storms, tidal flooding, and erosion endanger artifacts and limit livelihoods of tribes in coastal Virginia. GIS offers a platform to increase communication between scientists, planners, and indigenous groups. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe engaged in a participatory mapping exercise to assess the role of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in coastal management decision-making and its capacity to address flooding. Priorities and strategies were spatially referenced using maps of potential sea level rise for 2040, 2060, and 2080, input into a resilience matrix to identify benchmarks for each phase of disaster resilience building, and contextualized with oral histories. Results highlight increased immediacy to protect housing and heritage sites along the shoreline as well as maintain access to the Reservation. Preferences toward structural solutions guided by and facilitating TEK options were expressed. Additional community capacities, tribal council support, federal assistance, impact assessments, and coordination would facilitate risk reduction project implementation. The screening process integrates TEK with planning and is transferable to neighboring tribes
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