Optimizing the Operation of Bulk Energy Storage Devices to Find the Trade-offs Between Revenue and CO2 Emissions.

The purpose of this research is to encourage policy makers to craft policies that support environmentally sound design practices while integrating bulk energy storage into the electricity grid. Bulk energy storage technology can regulate electricity coming into the grid from different energy sources. Grid flexibility is a powerful tool to empower the clean energy movement because it enables the integration of renewable energy into the electrical grid. However, storage technology has the potential to become another one of the many “tragedy of commons”, considering that there are no regulations forcing storage companies to pursue environmental-friendly operation. Bulk energy storage devices which earn income through arbitrage, have the potential to increase grid emissions. Both energy losses and the variety of energy grid resources, largely damper the environmental advantages of bulk energy storage devices. By using a linear programming formulation that considers both revenue and emissions, this thesis proposes operational solutions where bulk energy storage technologies can retain a high revenue while simultaneously reducing their emissions from the current eGRID sub-regions. These results can be achieved by explicitly demanding small inexpensive changes in the operation of the system. Usually, only a few companies will follow sustainable practices by themselves. Therefore, a variety of policy implementations are suggested to support environmentally sound design principals for bulk energy storage technology

Optimization of a new Ni-free Ti alloy for applications in the implant field

Three new Ni-free Ti alloys, Ti-16.2Hf-24.8Nb-1Zr, Ti-5.2Hf-31.2Nb-0.4Zr and Ti-16Hf-36.2Nb-1Zr (wt%), were designed and produced in order to obtain shape memory and/or low elastic modulus materials in order to avoid stress shielding and to enhance bone regeneration in the load transfer implant field. The alloys were microstructurally and mechanically characterized, cytotoxicity was evaluated using MG63 osteoblast-like cells. The elastic modulus of the new alloys (between 67-90 GPa) are smaller than those of the commercial alloys employed for implantation. The lowest elastic modulus alloy, Ti-16.2Hf-24.8Nb-1Zr (wt %), with 67.5 GPa, was optimized by cold work in order to determine the key factor that promotes the desired shape memory properties and/or low elastic modulus. A higher proportion of martensite was observed by optical and electron transmission microscopy in the low cold work samples compared to the quenched alloy. The elastic modulus for each cold work condition was evaluated by nanoindentation tests using a spherical tip. The elastic modulus decreases when increasing the cold work level. The lowest value corresponds to the 99% cold work condition, with 44 GPa, closer to that of cortical bone and smaller than the quenched alloy (67.5 GPa).Tres nuevas aleaciones de Ti libres de Ni, Ti-16.2Hf-24.8Nb-1Zr, Ti-5.2Hf-31.2Nb-0.4Zr y Ti-16Hf-36.2Nb-1Zr, porcentajes en peso, fueron diseñadas y fabricadas con el fin de obtener memoria de forma y/o bajo módulo elástico con el objetivo de evitar el apantallamiento de cargas y mejorar la regeneración ósea en el campo de la implantología de transferencia de carga. Las aleaciones fueron caracterizadas microestructural y mecánicamente y la citotoxicidad fue evaluada utilizando osteoblastos MG63. El módulo elástico de las nuevas aleaciones (entre 67-90 GPa) es menor que el de las aleaciones comerciales utilizadas en implantología. El menor módulo elástico corresponde a la aleación Ti-16.2Hf-24.8Nb-1Zr, con 67.5 GPa y fue optimizado mediante trabajo en frío con el objetivo de determinar el factor responsable de la obtención de las propiedades deseadas de bajo módulo elástico y/o memoria de forma. Una mayor proporción de martensita fue observada por microscopía óptica y microscopía electrónica de transmisión en las muestras con bajo porcentaje de trabajo en frío en comparación con la muestra templada. El módulo elástico correspondiente a cada condición de trabajo en frío fue evaluado mediante nanoindentación con punta esférica. El módulo elástico disminuye al aumentar el porcentaje de trabajo en frío. El menor valor corresponde a la condición de 95% de trabajo en frío, con 44 GPa, valor cercano al del hueso cortical y menor que el del material templado (67.5 GPa).Peer Reviewe

Exploring scientific collaborations in geographical information science (GIScience): A study of its co-authorship networks

Geographic Information Science (GIScience) as a discipline focuses on fundamental issues surrounding Geographic Information (Gl) and developments and applications of Geographical Information Technologies (GITechnologies). GIScience has accumulated a body of knowledge that can be easily exported and applied to other disciplines and assembled a wider multidisciplinary research community. Co-authorship networks are used to explore GIScience scientific collaborations during 1992-2002. Six different co-authorship networks were built from publication outlets comprising different sets of core and peripheral journals. The closer the periphery to the core, the more relevant the selected journals are to GIScience. Topological characteristics of all networks show similar networks despite the differences in sizes and the nature of the topics covered. However, networks with the peripheral journals closer to the core were more centralized around well-known scholars within the discipline. Furthermore, the network structures show a GIScience core linked to allied disciplines, especially to a highly clustered remote sensing research community. The core co-authorship network was geo-referenced using authors’ affiliation information. The results show that geographical proximity, language and cultural preferences play important roles. Countries known for their strong publishing patterns in other sciences such as England, USA and Canada were alos identified within GIScience domain. A growth of international collaboration among Scandinavian and European Countries was revealed. Results also show that China, India and Brazil have been increasing their international participation within the GIScience research community

Developing a Multi-sensory Public Participation GIS (MSPPGIS) method for integrating landscape values and soundscapes of urban green infrastructure

This paper develops, tests and validates a Multi-sensory Public Participation GIS (MSPPGIS) method combining the qualities of soundscapes and landscape values mapping. The development of the method involved: a) Public Participation GIS survey design; b) three-phase evaluation of survey addressing analytical, applicability and usability criteria; c) survey refinement; d) sampling and data collection, and; e) spatial data analysis. The analysis consisted of hotspot mapping involving Kernel Density Estimation, spatial overlap assessment using Jaccard coefficients and value compatibility analysis showing the level of spatial compatibility between positive landscape values and positive and negative soundscapes. Results indicated very low to low spatial overlap between the different landscape values and pleasant/unpleasant sound hotspots, suggesting that landscape values do not necessarily reflect sonic perception of urban green and blue spaces. Pleasant and unpleasant sounds were located closer to home than landscape values (except for urban life values), indicating that respondents' soundscape 'cognitive map' is smaller in spatial range. The MSPPGIS method enables the elicitation of a more dynamic and diverse set of sounds compared to previous soundscape mapping which tend to focus on 'noise' instead of multiple experiences of different sounds. Also, the combination of landscape values and soundscapes in MSPPGIS provides for a more integrated assessment of 'where' and 'how' to design urban green infrastructure.Peer reviewe

Map-based multicriteria analysis to support interactive land use allocation

This article focuses on the use of map-based multicriteria analysis to develop a negotiation support tool for land use allocation. Spatial multicriteria analysis is used to make explicit trade-offs between objectives and to provide guidance and feedback on the land use changes negotiated by the participants. Digital maps are the means of communication among workshop participants, and an interactive mapping device (the 'Touch table') is used as the interface. Participants are informed about the relevant trade-offs on the map and use this information to change the land use maps. The approach is tested during a negotiation session as part of the land use planning process of the Bodegraven polder, a peat meadow area in the Netherlands. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Transferência gênica assistida por campos magnéticos: Estudos em células gliais

Las nanopartículas magnéticas (MNP) complejadas con vectores génicos pueden, en presencia de un campo magnético externo, amplificar sustancialmente la eficiencia de la transferencia génica. Esta técnica, denominada magnetofección, es de gran interés en el campo de la terapia génica. En este estudio se caracterizó la mejora de transferencia génica en células gliales B92 utilizando complejos constituidos por diferentes proporciones de MNP asociadas a dos vectores adenovirales, a saber: los complejos entre las MNP denominadas PEI-Mag2 asociadas al adenovector RAd-GFP que expresa la proteína fluorescente verde GFP o al adenovector RAd-DsRed que expresa la proteína fluorescente roja DsRed2. Se demostró que para ambos vectores, a medida que la relación MNP/partícula viral física (PVF) va aumentando, la amplificación de la transfección también aumenta hasta que se llega a una relación MNP/PVF a partir de la cual el factor de amplificación alcanza un plateau. Se determinó que para el complejo PEI-Mag2/RAd-GFP la relación a partir de la cual se alcanza el plateau es de aproximadamente 0,5 fg Fe/PVF mientras que para el complejo PEI-Mag2/RAd-DsRed, esta relación corresponde a aproximadamente 71 fg Fe/PVF. Se concluye que los dos complejos magnéticos estudiados representan promisorias herramientas para mejorar la eficiencia en la terapia génica en células cerebrales.Fil: Pardo, Joaquin. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - la Plata. Instituto de Invest.bioquimicas de la Plata;Fil: Sosa, Yolanda Elena. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - la Plata. Instituto de Invest.bioquimicas de la Plata;Fil: Reggiani, Paula Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - la Plata. Instituto de Invest.bioquimicas de la Plata;Fil: Arciniegas, M. I.. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; Argentina;Fil: Sanchez, Francisco Homero. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas; Argentina;Fil: Goya, Rodolfo Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnol.conicet - la Plata. Instituto de Invest.bioquimicas de la Plata