Augmented paper applications: Initial user tests of a wireless pattern reader

A handheld pattern reader has been developed to read low visibility conductive patterns on paper. The patterns are formed by masking conductive paper with a non-conductive, printed lacquer. The reader was developed as part of an EU-funded project investigating methods of augmenting paper. Data read from the patterns was used to trigger events in the digital domain. Usability tests were undertaken to investigate the performance of the prototype. Results showed that at this stage of development there was significant variation in performance of the prototype from user to user. Further work is being undertaken to determine the causes of this variability

Energy Analysis Of Wave Energy Concepts: Final Report

Most wave energy devices currently under consideration will employ large volumes of concrete in the construction of their main structures. Concrete is made up from three basic constituents; cement; aggregate and water. Of these the major energy input to concrete is embodied in the cement. For a typical strong concrete (Grade 40: 40N/mm2 28 day strength) made at a wave energy device construction site using ordinary portland cement (OPC), from Scottish mix of supply between 83% and 98% of the energy input is embodied in the cement. The precise energy requirement of concrete is highly site specific. The type of aggregate, its availability and proximity to the wave energy device construction site (WEDCS) all affect the energy requirement of the aggregates and therefore of the concrete. Thus, to study ways of reducing the energy requirement of concrete, it is appropriate to investigate what energy savings are possible in the production of cement for the construction of wave energy devices. This report concentrates on the current practice in the U.K. cement industry and then outlines how the energy saving options described in Energy Audit 11 'The Cement Industry' (1) can be applied to the production of cement which will then be supplied, to wave energy device construction sites in Scotland. The contribution that the device structures make to the energy input to the whole wave energy system varies with the system studied. Thus the proportion of the total system energy input which is embodied in the cement used to construct the devices varies widely between wave energy systems. For example, for the NEL Oscillating Water Column Breakwater device, the cement I makes up 18% of the total energy input to the system,which makes it one of the largest single energy inputs. For this device then, any reduction made in the energy requirement will have an important bearing on its viability in energy terms. In other wave energy devices cement plays a less important role. The Lancaster Flexible Bag system has about 9% of its energy input embodied in the cement (2), whereas the Bristol Oscillating Cylinder device has only 2%. The latter device has its major energy inputs in the power take off machinery and mooring areas

Energy security, equality and justice

PostprintPeer reviewe

Banned Books Week: Big Ideas and Freedom of Information

Banned Books Week: Big Ideas and Freedom of Information Presented by Members of Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society Taylor Vredenburg, Isaiah Russell, Harrison Jenkins, and CJ Gibson October 4, 202

Energy Analysis In The Assessment Of The U.K. Wave Energy Programme, 1978

1.1 In a long term situation of rising energy prices convention al economic appraisal of energy technologies has a number of shortcomings. It is not possible to determine the inflationary effects of energy price rises on costs and also it is a very uncertain guide in R & D planning. By using energy analysis the energy element in costs and the inflationary effects of price rises can be determined directly . Also the net energy requirement is an index of merit which is available during the R & D phase and can be related theoretically to the economics of a technology. It provides a good indicator, during R & D, of economic potential. 1.2 The calculations reported here for wave energy systems are based mainly on information contained in RPT 1978 draft report and hence relate to the reference designs as then conceived. 1.3 The modal net energy requirements (energy input/energy output) for the 1978 Reference Designs on a primary energy basis are as follows National Engineering Laboratories (NEL) 2.79 GJ₍ₜ₎/GJ₍ₑ₎ Wavepowe r Limited ( WPL) 1.45 GJ₍ₜ₎/GJ₍ₑ₎ Hydraulics Research S t ation (HRS) 3.27 GJ₍ₜ₎/GJ₍ₑ₎ Sea Energy Associates (SEA) 2.89 GJ₍ₜ₎/GJ₍ₑ₎ French Flexible Bag (FFB) 0.46 GJ₍ₜ₎/GJ₍ₑ₎ 1.4 On the basis of this information only the FFB satisfies the basic criteria of energetic viability. This criteria is that the net energy requirement of a wave energy system should be less than one. 1.5 While it is not possible as yet to establish the precise relationships between energy requirement and economic viability, clearly the 'energy returns' of the FFB are so low as to make it doubtful that this device would ever be economically viable in this form. 1.6 It is possible to model simply the relationship between energy requirements and costs. This indicates that a technology with a high energy requirement will suffer rapid cost inflation as energy prices rise. Depending on estimates of the value of output electricity (compared with the value of firm electricity) it seems that energy prices will have to rise 13 times before the FFB becomes economically viable. This is far beyond the limits of current medium term and even long-term planning horizons . l.7 It is difficult to imagine any realistic economic circumstances which may develop in the medium and long term which would make wave energy, in this form, economically viable. 1.8 To radically alter this assessment will r e quire a reduction in net energy requirement by factors ranging from 2.3 (FFB) to 16 (HRS). These improvements can only be achieved by substantial reductions in masses of structural and mooring materials per unit output together with improvements in the average load factor of all installed machinery. 1.9 Energy analysis raises serious questions about the wave energy programme. These must be answered convincingly before a rational case for committing major funds to the further development of these designs can be made. In particular the current emphasis on design for production would seem to be premature when basic problems of device size remain unresolved. 1.10 Further work is required constructing models of the net energy requirement of all devices in the prograrmme in terms of major system parameters (structural size, peak/average power ratings etc . ). Also energy analysis of new concepts and generic studies of wave energy devices is required. In this way established devices and new concept s will be analysed in a systematic way and it may be possible to identify directions of development which will offer the possibility of wave energy devices with low net energy requirements and with the ultimate potential to be economically viable

Anti-pseudomonad Activity of Manuka Honey and Antibiotics in a Specialized ex vivo Model Simulating Cystic Fibrosis Lung Infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes problematic chronic lung infections in those suffering from cystic fibrosis. This is due to its antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and its ability to form robust biofilm communities with increased antimicrobial tolerances. Using novel antimicrobials or repurposing current ones is required in order to overcome these problems. Manuka honey is a natural antimicrobial agent that has been used for many decades in the treatment of chronic surface wounds with great success, particularly those infected with P. aeruginosa. Here we aim to determine whether the antimicrobial activity of manuka honey could potentially be repurposed to inhibit pulmonary P. aeruginosa infections using two ex vivo models. P. aeruginosa isolates (n = 28) from an international panel were tested for their susceptibility to manuka honey and clinically relevant antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, and tobramycin), alone and in combination, using conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). To increase clinical applicability, two ex vivo porcine lung (EVPL) models (using alveolar and bronchiolar tissue) were used to determine the anti-biofilm effects of manuka honey alone and in combination with antibiotics. All P. aeruginosa isolates were susceptible to manuka honey, however, varying incidences of resistance were seen against antibiotics. The combination of sub-inhibitory manuka honey and antibiotics using conventional AST had no effect on activity against the majority of isolates tested. Using the two ex vivo models, 64% (w/v) manuka honey inhibited many of the isolates where abnormally high concentrations of antibiotics could not. Typically, combinations of both manuka honey and antibiotics had increased antimicrobial activity. These results highlight the potential of manuka honey as a future antimicrobial for the treatment of pulmonary P. aeruginosa isolates, clearing potential infection reservoirs within the upper airway

Giving Hope to Expectant Mothers: The Problem of Addiction in Our Community

According to 2015 drug overdose data, West Virginia held the highest rate of drug-related deaths in the country (41.5 per 100,000; CDC, 2016). The concern for drug addiction is particularly high in Cabell County, with approximately 13.78% of the population currently addicted to drugs (Huntington Police Department, 2016). Unfortunately, for many, this problem does not escape expectant mothers. Across the United States in 2013, an estimated seven of every 1,000 live births were diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS; Reuters, 2015). In West Virginia, the rate is five times higher at 37 per 1,000 live births, and the rate within our county is even higher at 139 per 1,000 (Reuters, 2015). To work toward resolving this issue, we are working with 34 expectant mothers at Marshall OB-GYN who struggle with addiction. Our mission is to further educate and engage women in this oft-overlooked population. We will inform participants of how to obtain a GED, attend post-secondary school, and develop a resume. We will also create a bank of supportive/motivational text messages to facilitate discussion and engagement outside of the program. Additionally, we will create care packages for the expectant mothers. The packages will help ease an exacerbated life at the hospital, since an estimated 75% of these women will give birth to babies with NAS. Overall, our goal is to give hope to women who struggle with substance abuse by supplying them with the necessary support and information needed to better themselves

Occurrence of preterm calving in Great Britain and associations with milk production and reproductive performance in dairy cattle

This study describes the occurrence of preterm calving in Great Britain and evaluates its associations with subsequent milk production and reproductive performances and survival on farm of dairy cows. A total of 53 British dairy farms and 5759 animals with detailed breeding and milk recording data available were used to form two study groups: preterm calving (calving occurring between days 266 and 277 of gestation) and full-term calving (calving occurring at 278 days of gestation and over). Mixed effects models were implemented to compare milk production, clinical cases of mastitis and number of services per conception between groups. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses compared time from calving to conception, calving interval and survival on farm between groups. Preterm calving cows showed significantly lower milk yield (P<0.01) and butter fat per cent (P=0.02), increased milk protein per cent (P=0.01), longer survival on farm (P<0.01), and a tendency for shorter calving to conception intervals and fewer services per conception, although other factors were involved in the reproduction outcomes. Experiencing a preterm calving is associated with lower milk production and longer survival times on farm. Potential risk factors for preterm calving, such as infectious diseases, diet and husbandry practices, should be further investigated

A framework of web-based conceptual design

A web-based conceptual design prototype system is presented. The system consists of four parts which interpret on-line sketches as 2D and 3D geometry, extract 3D hierarchical configurations, allow editing of component behaviours, and produce VRML-based behavioural simulations for design verification and web-based application. In the first part, on-line freehand sketched input is interpreted as 2D and 3D geometry, which geometrically represents conceptual design. The system then infers 3D configuration by analysing 3D modelling history. The configuration is described by a parent–child hierarchical relationship and relative positions between two geometric components. The positioning information is computed with respect to the VRML97 specification. In order to verify the conceptual design of a product, the behaviours can be specified interactively on different components. Finally, the system creates VRML97 formatted files for behavioural simulation and collaborative design application over the Internet. The paper gives examples of web-based applications. This work forms a part of a research project into the design and establishing of modular machines for automation manufacture. A consortium of leading automotive companies is collaborating on the research project

Tribimaximal Mixing, Leptogenesis, and theta13

We show that seesaw models based on flavor symmetries (such as A_4 and Z_7 X Z_3) which produce exact tribimaximal neutrino mixing, also imply a vanishing leptogenesis asymmetry. We show that higher order symmetry breaking corrections in these models can give a non-zero leptogenesis asymmetry and generically also give deviations from tribimaximal mixing and a non-zero theta13 >~ 10^(-2)Comment: Results generalized to include flavored leptogenesi