1,100 research outputs found

    St1 Deep Heat Project : Geothermal energy to the district heating network in Espoo

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    Publisher Copyright: © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.St1 Deep Heat Project with its two deep wells extending to 6.2 - 6.4 km depth is the world's deepest industrial geothermal energy project. The aim is to build an EGS (enhanced geothermal system) at the depth of about 5 - 6 km. The project is a pilot aiming at exploring the technical and economic feasibility of geothermal energy in the crystalline rock conditions of Finland for production of thermal power to a district heating network. Due to the demands of the district heating, the aim is to produce hot fluid at about 100°C and re-inject it to the formation at 50°C. The 100°C goal requires to drill to about 6 km depth. The drill site is located in Espoo, next to the Fortum district heating plant on the Aalto University campus. So far (2020) the project has drilled a 2 km deep completely cored pilot hole (OTN-1), and two deep wells OTN-2 to 6.2 km and OTN-3 to 6.4 km. Hydraulic conductivity has been enhanced by hydraulic stimulation in both deep wells in 2018 and 2020. The extreme depth level sets significant challenges for drilling and hydraulic stimulation, as well as controlling of induced seismicity. At present, the project proceeds with the installation of production pumps in OTN-2 and OTN-3, and first test cross-hole pumpings are expected to start in January 2021. In the presentation we provide an insight to the project and its major achievements and challenges.Peer reviewe

    Cellular Signaling Mechanisms of Hypocretin/Orexin

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    Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s).Orexin receptors (OXRs) are promiscuous G-protein-coupled receptors that signal via several G-proteins and, putatively, via other proteins. On which basis the signal pathways are selected and orchestrated is largely unknown. We also have an insufficient understanding of the kind of signaling that is important for specific types of cellular responses. OXRs are able to form complexes with several other G-protein-coupled receptors in vitro, and one possibility is that the complexing partners regulate the use of certain signal transducers. In the central nervous system neurons, the main acute downstream responses of OXR activation are the inhibition of K+ channels and the activation of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and non-selective cation channels of unknown identity. The exact nature of the intracellular signal chain between the OXRs and these downstream targets is yet to be elucidated, but the Gq-phospholipase C (PLC) protein kinase C pathway - which is a significant signaling pathway for OXRs in recombinant cells - may be one of the players in neurons. The Gq-PLC pathway may also, under certain circumstances, take the route to diacylglycerol lipase, which leads to the production of the potent endocannabinoid (eCB), 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, and thereby connects orexins with eCB signaling. In addition, OXRs have been studied in the context of neurodegeneration and cancer cell death. Overall, OXR signaling is complex, and it can change depending on the cell type and environment.Peer reviewe

    Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems: concepts from COST 715

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    International audienceThe outcome of COST 715 is reviewed from the viewpoint of a potential user who is required to consider urban meteorology within an air pollution assessment. It is shown that descriptive concepts are helpful for understanding the complex structure of the urban boundary layer, but that they only apply under a limited number of conditions. However such concepts are necessary to gain insight into both simple and complex air pollution models. It is argued that wider considerations are needed when considering routine air quality assessments involving an air quality model's formulation and pedigree. Moreover there appears to be a reluctance from model developers to move away from familiar concepts of the atmospheric boundary layer even if they are not appropriate to urban areas. An example is given from COST 715 as to how routine urban meteorological measurements of wind speed may be used and adapted for air quality assessments. Reference to the full COST 715 study is made which provides further details

    Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems: concepts from COST 715

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    International audienceThis selective review of the COST 715 considers simple descriptive concepts in urban meteorology with particular attention to air pollution assessment. It is shown that these are helpful for understanding the complex structure of the urban boundary layer, but that simple concepts only apply under a limited number of occasions. However such concepts are necessary for insight into how both simple and complex air pollution models perform. Wider considerations are needed when considering routine air quality assessments involving an air quality model's formulation and pedigree. It is argued that there is a reluctance from model developers to move away from familiar concepts of the atmospheric boundary layer even if they are not appropriate to urban areas. An example is given from COST 715 as to how routine urban meteorological measurements of wind speed may be used and adapted for air quality assessments. Reference to the full COST 715 study is made which provides further details

    Evaluation of a coupled dispersion and aerosol process model against measurements near a major road

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    International audienceA field measurement campaign was conducted near a major road "Itäväylä" in an urban area in Helsinki in 17?20 February 2003. Aerosol measurements were conducted using a mobile laboratory "Sniffer" at various distances from the road, and at an urban background location. Measurements included particle size distribution in the size range of 7 nm?10 ?m (aerodynamic diameter) by the Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) and in the size range of 3?50 nm (mobility diameter) by Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), total number concentration of particles larger than 3 nm detected by an ultrafine condensation particle counter (UCPC), temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, driving route of the mobile laboratory, and traffic density on the studied road. In this study, we have compared measured concentration data with the predictions of the road network dispersion model CAR-FMI used in combination with an aerosol process model MONO32. The vehicular exhaust emissions, and atmospheric dispersion and transformation of fine and ultrafine particles was evaluated within the distance scale of 200 m (corresponding to a time scale of a couple of minutes). We computed the temporal evolution of the number concentrations, size distributions and chemical compositions of various particle size classes. The atmospheric dilution rate of particles is obtained from the roadside dispersion model CAR-FMI. Considering the evolution of total number concentration, dilution was shown to be the most important process. The influence of coagulation and condensation on the number concentrations of particle size modes was found to be negligible at this distance scale. Condensation was found to affect the evolution of particle diameter in the two smallest particle modes. The assumed value of the concentration of condensable organic vapour of 1012 molecules cm?3 was shown to be in a disagreement with the measured particle size evolution, while the modelling runs with the concentration of condensable organic vapour of 109?1010 molecules cm?3 resulted in particle sizes that were closest to the measured values

    Charge and Spin Response of the Spin--Polarized Electron Gas

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    The charge and spin response of a spin--polarized electron gas is investigated including terms beyond the random phase approximation. We evaluate the charge response, the longitudinal and transverse spin response, and the mixed spin--charge response self--consistently in terms of the susceptibility functions of a non--interacting system. Exchange--correlation effects between electrons of spin σ\sigma and σ′\sigma^{'} are included following Kukkonen and Overhauser, by using spin--polarization dependent generalized Hubbard local field factors Gσ±{G_\sigma}^{\pm} and Gσˉ±{G_{\bar\sigma}}^{\pm}. The general condition for charge--density and spin--density--wave excitations of the system is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, latex, no figure

    Self-consistent Overhauser model for the pair distribution function of an electron gas at finite temperature

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    We present calculations of the spin-averaged pair distribution function g(r)g(r) in a homogeneous gas of electrons moving in dimensionality D=3 or D=2 at finite temperature. The model involves the solution of a two-electron scattering problem via an effective potential which embodies many-body effects through a self-consistent Hartree approximation, leading to two-body wave functions to be averaged over a temperature-dependent distribution of relative momentum for electron pairs. We report illustrative numerical results for g(r)g(r) in an intermediate-coupling regime and interpret them in terms of changes of short-range order with increasing temperature.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Solid State Communication

    Backchannel chatter or spatter? A comparison of online synchronous chatroom use during STEM and Social Sciences lectures.

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    Student engagement in large lectures is challenging, and one of our strategies has been to introduce online chatting and polling during lectures. Although our initial experiences with a backchannel chat were positive across smaller STEM and larger Social Sciences courses, it became apparent that student usage might differ across disciplines. As such, this study aimed to directly compared the use of backchannel chat in second year Engineering (ENGG*2400; N=418) and Human Sexuality (FRHD*2100; N=263) courses at the University of Guelph. Kountu, a web-based online chat and polling application, was utilized during each Fall 2016 lecture for both courses. The majority of students (72% of FRHD*2100 and 64% of ENGG*2400) tried the chatroom at least once, with an ANOVA demonstrating that the FRHD*2100 students logged in significantly more often (p \u3c .001; m = 9.53 lectures) than ENGG*2400 students (m = 6.55 lectures). ENGG*2400 students, however, posted (m = 14.34) and ‘liked’ (m = 15.25) significantly more messages per person during each lecture than FRHD*2100 students (posts m = 4.38; likes m = 5.64). Interestingly, an online survey of 79 participants indicated that ENGG*2400 students engaged in significantly more off-topic conversations and found their chatroom to be significantly more distracting during lecture than FRHD*2100 students. Additionally, FRHD*2100 students felt significantly more comfortable participating in their chatroom as compared to ENGG*2400. Using live examples and audience participation in Kountu, we will demonstrate the potential reasons for these differences as well as highlight discipline-specific advantages and limitations of using backchannel chat during lecture
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