Increasing security of supply by the use of a local power controller during large system disturbances

This paper describes intelligent ways in which distributed generation and local loads can be controlled during large system disturbances, using Local Power Controllers. When distributed generation is available, and a system disturbance is detected early enough, the generation can be dispatched, and its output power can be matched as closely as possible to local microgrid demand levels. Priority-based load shedding can be implemented to aid this process. In this state, the local microgrid supports the wider network by relieving the wider network of the micro-grid load. Should grid performance degrade further, the local microgrid can separate itself from the network and maintain power to the most important local loads, re-synchronising to the grid only after more normal performance is regained. Such an intelligent system would be a suitable for hospitals, data centres, or any other industrial facility where there are critical loads. The paper demonstrates the actions of such Local Power Controllers using laboratory experiments at the 10kVA scale

Discourse and identity in a corpus of lesbian erotica

This article uses corpus linguistic methodologies to explore representations of lesbian desires and identities in a corpus of lesbian erotica from the 1980s and 1990s. We provide a critical examination of the ways in which “lesbian gender,” power, and desire are represented, (re-)produced, and enacted, often in ways that challenge hegemonic discourses of gender and sexuality. By examining word frequencies and collocations, we critically analyze some of the themes, processes, and patterns of representation in the texts. Although rooted in linguistics, we hope this article provides an accessible, interdisciplinary, and timely contribution toward developing understandings of discursive practices surrounding gender and sexuality

Analysis of surface tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate on chlorobutyl rubber SCAPE suits

Tris (2,30-dibromopropyl) phosphate was used to confer flame retardant properties on butyl rubber formulations used in protective clothing such as the self-contained atmospheric protective ensembles (SCAPE suits) worn at Kennedy Space Center in support of Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo-Soyuz missions since 1966. Because tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate is mutagenic, surface concentrations of the compound in SCAPE suits were investigated as were as potential methods of removing or isolating it. Analytical procedures for determining surface concentrations of the tris compound on non-porous materials are described. Soap-and-water washing is the most efficient method of removing the compound from fabricated SCAPE suits and unused material

Effective Hamiltonian Approach to Hyperon Beta Decay with Final-State Baryon Polarization

Using an effective Hamiltonian approach, we obtain expressions for hyperon beta decay final-state baryon polarization. Terms through second order in the energy release are retained. The resulting approximate expressions are much simpler and more compact than the exact expressions, and they agree closely with them.Comment: 1 Figure Will appear in Phys Rev D 60 Article 117505 (Dec 1, 1999

Metabolism of nitrogen and sulfur in ectosymbiotic bacteria of marine nematodes (Nematoda, Stilbonematinae)

Nematodes of the family Stilbonematinae are known for their highly specific association with ectosymbiotic bacteria. These worms are members of the meiofauna in marine, sulfide-rich sediments, where they migrate around the redox boundary layer. In this study, bacterial ectosymbionts of 2 species of marine nematodes, Stilbonema sp. and Laxus oneistus, were shown to be capable of the respiratory reduction of nitrate and nitrite (denitrification). The use of these alternative electron acceptors to oxygen by the bacteria allows the animals to migrate into the deeper, anoxic sediments, where they can exploit the sulfide-rich patches of the deeper sediment layers. The accumulation of thiols (sulfide, thiosulfate, sulfate and glutathione) in body tissues of the worms was determined following incubation in the presence of various electron donors (sulfide, thiosulfate) and acceptors (nitrate). In their chemoautotrophic metabolic potential, the ectosymbionts of the 2 nematode species were found to resemble the phylogenetically related, intracellular symbionts of macrofaunal hosts of deep-sea hydrothermal vents and other sulfide-rich habitats

Comparing plasma and faecal measures of steroid hormones in Adelie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae

Physiological measurements of both stress and sex hormones are often used to estimate the consequences of natural or human-induced change in ecological studies of various animals. Different methods of hormone measurement exist, potentially explaining variation in results across studies; methods should be cross-validated to ensure that they correlate. We directly compared faecal and plasma hormone measurements for the first time in a wild free-living species, the Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae). Blood and faecal samples were simultaneously collected from individual penguins for comparison and assayed for testosterone and corticosterone (or their metabolites). Sex differences and variability within each measure, and correlation of values across measures were compared. For both hormones, plasma samples showed greater variation than faecal samples. Males had higher mean corticosterone concentrations than females, but the difference was only statistically significant in faecal samples. Plasma testosterone, but not faecal testosterone, was significantly higher in males than females. Correlation between sample types was poor overall, and weaker in females than in males, perhaps because measures from plasma represent hormones that are both free and bound to globulins, whereas measures from faeces represent only the free portion. Faecal samples also represent a cumulative measure of hormones over time, as opposed to a plasma ‘snapshot’ concentration. Our data indicate that faecal sampling appears more suitable for assessing baseline hormone concentrations, whilst plasma sampling may best define immediate responses to environmental events. Consequently, future studies should ensure that they select the most appropriate matrix and method of hormone measurement to answer their research questions

Analysis of Meson Exchange and Isobar Currents in (e,e'p) Reactions from O-16

An analysis of the effects of meson exchange and isobar currents in exclusive (e,e'p) processes from O-16 under quasi-free kinematics is presented. A model that has probed its feasibility for inclusive quasi-elastic (e,e') processes is considered. Sensitivity to final state interactions between the outgoing proton and the residual nucleus is discussed by comparing the results obtained with phenomenological optical potentials and a continuum nuclear shell-model calculation. The contribution of the meson-exchange and isobar currents to the response functions is evaluated and compared to previous calculations, which differ notably from our results. These two-body contributions cannot solve the puzzle of the simultaneous description of the different responses experimentally separated. Copyright 1999 by The American Physical SocietyComment: 5 pages, plus 3 PS figures. To be published in Phys. Rev. C Updated figure

Presenting signs and patient co-variables in Gaucher disease : outcome of the Gaucher Earlier Diagnosis Consensus (GED-C) Delphi initiative

© 2018 The Authors. Internal Medicine Journal by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Royal Australasian College of Physicians.Background: Gaucher disease (GD) presents with a range of signs and symptoms. Physicians can fail to recognise the early stages of GD owing to a lack of disease awareness, which can lead to significant diagnostic delays and sometimes irreversible but avoidable morbidities. Aim: The Gaucher Earlier Diagnosis Consensus (GED-C) initiative aimed to identify signs and co-variables considered most indicative of early type 1 and type 3 GD, to help non-specialists identify ‘at-risk’ patients who may benefit from diagnostic testing. Methods: An anonymous, three-round Delphi consensus process was deployed among a global panel of 22 specialists in GD (median experience 17.5 years, collectively managing almost 3000 patients). The rounds entailed data gathering, then importance ranking and establishment of consensus, using 5-point Likert scales and scoring thresholds defined a priori. Results: For type 1 disease, seven major signs (splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, bone-related manifestations, anaemia, hyperferritinaemia, hepatomegaly and gammopathy) and two major co-variables (family history of GD and Ashkenazi-Jewish ancestry) were identified. For type 3 disease, nine major signs (splenomegaly, oculomotor disturbances, thrombocytopenia, epilepsy, anaemia, hepatomegaly, bone pain, motor disturbances and kyphosis) and one major co-variable (family history of GD) were identified. Lack of disease awareness, overlooking mild early signs and failure to consider GD as a diagnostic differential were considered major barriers to early diagnosis. Conclusion: The signs and co-variables identified in the GED-C initiative as potentially indicative of early GD will help to guide non-specialists and raise their index of suspicion in identifying patients potentially suitable for diagnostic testing for GD.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Whisker touch guides canopy exploration in a nocturnal, arboreal rodent, the Hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)

Dormouse numbers are declining in the UK due to habitat loss and fragmentation. We know that dormice are nocturnal, arboreal, and avoid crossing open spaces between habitats, yet how they navigate around their canopy is unknown. As other rodents use whisker touch sensing to navigate and explore their environment, this study investigates whether Hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) employ their whiskers to cross between habitats. We analysed high-speed video footage of dormice exploring freely in flat and climbing arenas in near darkness and using infrared light illumination. We confirm that, like rats and mice, dormice move their whiskers back and forth continuously (~10 Hz) in a motion called whisking and recruit them to explore small gaps (<10 cm) by increasing the amplitude and frequency of whisking and also the asymmetry of movement between the left and right whisker fields. When gaps between platforms are larger than 10-15 cm dormice spend more time travelling on the floor. These findings suggest that dormice can actively and purposively move their whiskers to gather relevant information from their canopy at night. As this species is vulnerable to threats on the ground, we also provide evidence that joining habitat patches between dormouse populations is important for promoting natural behaviours and movement between patches