Investigation of Efficiency Loss of Distributed Solar Power Due to Soiling and Efficiency Recovery by Rainfall

As the concern with global warming increases causing the need for CO2 reduction, renewable energy is of great interest as it has lower carbon footprint when compared to conventional sources (natural gas, coal, oil and nuclear). Solar energy has been drawing worldwide attention since it can transform sunlight directly into electricity with the use of photovoltaic (PV) cells. However, this technology has some drawbacks that need to be addressed including dust deposition on solar panels, also known as soiling. Soiling can decrease PV panel’s efficiency thereby resulting in less energy production. The soiling rates are very site specific and depend on the geographic location of the panels and the climate in that area. The solar panels can be cleaned naturally (by rainfall, snow or wind) or mechanically washed. This thesis addresses the impact of solar panel soiling and washing on the energy production of solar PV plants located at the UNLV campus. The objectives of this project were (a) to evaluate whether rainfall alone, in the desert environment with low rainfall, is sufficient to clean up the solar panels, and, if possible, determine the minimum amount of rainfall necessary to clean up panels.; (b) to examine the efficiency loss caused by soiling using different methods of analyses and (c) to evaluate if panel washing is worthwhile given the cost and the efficiency gain that is obtained by washing. To calculate the efficiency of the panels, a model was developed to generate parameters that were not measured at the site. Panel efficiencies before and after rainfall events were compared to determine the minimum amount of rain necessary to clean the panels. It was found that at least 0.2 inches of rain was needed to partially restore clean-panel efficiency. In Las Vegas, the recurrence periods of different depths rainfall were calculated using data from the past 29 years. It was observed that the 50th percentile recurrence period of a rainfall event with depth of 0.2 inches or higher was approximately 52 days. Student Union: -0.0044%/day, CBC-C: -0.00099%/day, and Dayton Hall: -0.0034%/day The amount of efficiency lost during the dry intervals (periods between rainfall events) was analyzed in three different ways. The average efficiency loss per day during the dry periods varied from -0.000171 % to -0.00533 %, depending on the method used and the building where the panels were located. However, there were some limitations to the calculations. It was not possible to completely isolate the effects of only soiling on the efficiency of the panels. The rate of decline seemed to be also impacted by seasonal effects. To better evaluate the effect of washing, a professional company was hired to wash a set of solar panels located on UNLV’s Student Union building. The panels were washed with water with a low concentration of TDS. The power output and the efficiency of those panels were analyzed from before and after the washing. There was a very small efficiency and power increase due to the washing. Therefore, it was concluded that washing in this area is not worthwhile, and that rainfall events in excess of 0.2 inches can adequately restore the efficiency of the panels. If there is a change in cost of energy, washing, water or a great increase in the efficiency of the solar panels, it would be necessary to reevaluate the analysis

Appropriate pedagogy for critical reading in English in the Japanese secondary school context : an action research investigation

This study investigates the development of an appropriate pedagogy for critical reading in the Japanese secondary school context, adopting an action research approach as a methodology. It was conducted in a national college of technology in Japan, which offers five-year education for students over the age of 15. The target students were between 15 and 18, who were equivalent to upper secondary students. This study consisted of three phases, lasting from 2008 to 2014 overall. Data were collected by means of several methods: journal writing, interviewing, observing, video- and audio-recording, questionnaires, and documents. Written and oral data were analyzed using thematic analysis. During the process of this action research investigation, teachers in an English language teaching (ELT) study group were engaged as advisors for my teaching as well as informants. The opinions of these teachers as well as students’ opinions were incorporated into this study. This study contributes to ELT in the Japanese context. First, it shows that locally produced, government-approved textbooks could be used as materials for critical reading. Second, it shows that critical reading is a type of instruction which aims to develop students’ reading skills. Third, it shows that developing students’ thinking skills can be used as a rationale for critical reading. Fourth, it developed a framework for critical reading. This framework of critical reading can be used for developing intercultural understanding in other ELT contexts. Another contribution of this study to wider ELT contexts is that it reveals some teachers’ resistance to the political orientation of critical discourse analysis (CDA) and critical pedagogy (CP). There are also methodological contributions. One is that this study reveals the paradoxical nature of action research outcomes affected by social or policy changes. The other is that this action research with other teachers’ participation raises an issue of power relationships in a context where age matters in social interactions and decision-making

Effect of Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on a Child with Involuntary Movement after Hypoxic Encephalopathy

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation to the supplementary motor area to inhibit involuntary movements of a child. An 8-year-old boy who developed hypoxic encephalopathy after asphyxia at the age of 2 had difficulty in remaining standing without support because of involuntary movements. He was instructed to remain standing with his plastic ankle-foot orthosis for 10 s at three time points by leaning forward with his forearms on a desk. He received cathodal or sham transcranial direct current stimulation to the supplementary motor area at 1 mA for 10 min. Involuntary movements during standing were measured using an accelerometer attached to his forehead. The low-frequency power of involuntary movements during cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation significantly decreased compared with that during sham stimulation. No adverse effects were observed. Involuntary movement reduction by cathodal stimulation to supplementary motor areas suggests that stimulations modulated the corticobasal ganglia motor circuit. Cathodal stimulation to supplementary motor areas may be effective for reducing involuntary movements and may be safely applied to children with movement disorders

Transcriptome-Wide Identification of Preferentially Expressed Genes in the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland

To identify preferentially expressed genes in the central endocrine organs of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, we generated transcriptome-wide mRNA profiles of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and parietal cortex in male mice (12–15 weeks old) using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). Total counts of SAGE tags for the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and parietal cortex were 165824, 126688, and 161045 tags, respectively. This represented 59244, 45151, and 55131 distinct tags, respectively. Comparison of these mRNA profiles revealed that 22 mRNA species, including three potential novel transcripts, were preferentially expressed in the hypothalamus. In addition to well-known hypothalamic transcripts, such as hypocretin, several genes involved in hormone function, intracellular transduction, metabolism, protein transport, steroidogenesis, extracellular matrix, and brain disease were identified as preferentially expressed hypothalamic transcripts. In the pituitary gland, 106 mRNA species, including 60 potential novel transcripts, were preferentially expressed. In addition to well-known pituitary genes, such as growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone beta, a number of genes classified to function in transport, amino acid metabolism, intracellular transduction, cell adhesion, disulfide bond formation, stress response, transcription, protein synthesis, and turnover, cell differentiation, the cell cycle, and in the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix were also preferentially expressed. In conclusion, the current study identified not only well-known hypothalamic and pituitary transcripts but also a number of new candidates likely to be involved in endocrine homeostatic systems regulated by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland

Investigating the Bow-Pulling Model in Reverse Culture Shock

逆カルチャーショックの存在は知られるが、その機序の解明は十分とは言い難い。滞在先によく馴染むほど再適応は困難になるとみる「弓引きモデル」が成り立つかどうかをRQ1、文化受容と帰国後のその変化をRQ2、逆カルチャーショックの心理的機序をRQ3として、日本人元留学生12名に半構造化面接を行った。渡航先は北米6名、欧州3名、オセアニア1名、アジア2名であった。語りから社会文化的な認知や行動の変容と維持を抽出し、KJ法を用いて分析した。帰国後切り替えられた文化行動には、表出性（双方向的授業、主張性、明言、相互性）、社会的圧力（自由さ、過度な気遣いなし、おおらかさ）、親近性（身体接触を伴う挨拶、フレンドリーさ、パーティー）のカテゴリが見いだされた。二文化性への態度として、習慣取り入れ、受容の態度、母文化拒否感、転換への消極性、スイッチングのカテゴリが認められた。弓引きモデルの該当例は8名見られた。滞在先で文化受容が進み、帰国後は二文化を客観視する2名は再適応の困難が小さく、俯瞰モデルと名付けられた。文化受容が限定的で母文化が比較的維持され、再適応の速やかな2名は維持モデルと名付けられた。滞在先での文化受容は逆カルチャーショックを潜在的に準備するが、母文化観が相対的でなく拒否的な場合に、再適応の難度が高まる。この機序は、文化受容の可逆性や準拠文化の択一性、文化的スイッチングの機能に関わる問いに繋がる

FALSAS MEMÓRIAS NO PROCESSO PENAL: A INCIDÊNCIA DE FALSAS MEMÓRIAS NA PROVA TESTEMUNHAL

RESUMO Objetivo: O objetivo do estudo é compreender a capacidade da mente humana de criar falsas memórias e sua influência e incidência na prova testemunhal do processo penal. Aponta para a alta incidência de casos de falsas memórias no processo penal brasileiro. Metodologia: A partir de pesquisa documental, utiliza o método dedutivo para, valendo-se de textos doutrinários, legislativos, jurisprudenciais e constitucionais, extrair conclusões sobre a as falas memórias em depoimentos.Resultado: Apresentam-se algumas medidas capazes de diminuir a presença de falsas memórias em testemunhos durante a instrução, de maneira a minimizar o impacto negativo, na resolução dos casos penais, destas falhas cognitivas usuais que caracterizam os processos mnemônicos.Contribuições: O reconhecimento da relevância do trabalho multidisciplinar nos estudos das falsas memórias, na capacitação dos profissionais de Direito acerca deste aspecto e na integração de profissionais de outras áreas no ambiente do processo criminal. Palavras-chave: Processo penal; prova testemunhal; falsas memórias. ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of the study is to understand the capacity of the human mind to create false memories and its influence and impact on the testimonial evidence of the criminal process. It points to the high incidence of cases of false memories in the Brazilian criminal process. Methodology: Based on documentary research, it is used the deductive method to, based on doctrinal, legislative, jurisprudential and constitutional texts, obtain conclusions about the false memories in testimonies. Result: Some measures are presented to reduce the presence of false memories in testimonies during instruction, in order to minimize the negative impact in the resolution of criminal cases of these usual cognitive flaws that characterize mnemonic processes. Contributions: Recognition of the relevance of multidisciplinary work in the study of false memories, in the training of legal professionals about this aspect and in the integration of professionals from other areas in the criminal process environment. Keywords: Criminal procedure; testimonial evidence; false memories

The use of uniaxial accelerometry for the assessment of physical-activity-related energy expenditure: a validation study against whole-body indirect calorimetry

Assessing the total energy expenditure (TEE) and the levels of physical activity in free-living conditions with non-invasive techniques remains a challenge. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of a new uniaxial accelerometer for assessing TEE and physical-activity-related energy expenditure (PAEE) over a 24 h period in a respiratory chamber, and to establish activity levels based on the accelerometry ranges corresponding to the operationally defined metabolic equivalent (MET) categories. In study 1, measurement of the 24 h energy expenditure of seventy-nine Japanese subjects (40 (SD 12) years old) was performed in a large respiratory chamber. During the measurements, the subjects wore a uniaxial accelerometer (Lifecorder; Suzuken Co. Ltd, Nagoya, Japan) on their belt. Two moderate walking exercises of 30 min each were performed on a horizontal treadmill. In study 2, ten male subjects walked at six different speeds and ran at three different speeds on a treadmill for 4 min, with the same accelerometer. O2 consumption was measured during the last minute of each stage and was expressed in MET. The measured TEE was 8447 (SD 1337) kJ/d. The accelerometer significantly underestimated TEE and PAEE (91·9 (SD 5·4) and 92·7 (SD 17·8) % chamber value respectively); however, there was a significant correlation between the two values (r 0·928 and 0·564 respectively; P<0·001). There was a strong correlation between the activity levels and the measured MET while walking (r2 0·93; P<0·001). Although TEE and PAEE were systematically underestimated during the 24 h period, the accelerometer assessed energy expenditure well during both the exercise period and the non-structured activities. Individual calibration factors may help to improve the accuracy of TEE estimation, but the average calibration factor for the group is probably sufficient for epidemiological research. This method is also important for assessing the diurnal profile of physical activit

Parkin‐mediated ubiquitylation redistributes MITOL/March5 from mitochondria to peroxisomes

Ubiquitylation of outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) proteins is closely related to the onset of familial Parkinson's disease. Typically, a reduction in the mitochondrial membrane potential results in Parkin‐mediated ubiquitylation of OMM proteins, which are then targeted for proteasomal and mitophagic degradation. The role of ubiquitylation of OMM proteins with non‐degradative fates, however, remains poorly understood. In this study, we find that the mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin ligase MITOL/March5 translocates from depolarized mitochondria to peroxisomes following mitophagy stimulation. This unusual redistribution is mediated by peroxins (peroxisomal biogenesis factors) Pex3/16 and requires the E3 ligase activity of Parkin, which ubiquitylates K268 in the MITOL C‐terminus, essential for p97/VCP‐dependent mitochondrial extraction of MITOL. These findings imply that ubiquitylation directs peroxisomal translocation of MITOL upon mitophagy stimulation and reveal a novel role for ubiquitin as a sorting signal that allows certain specialized proteins to escape from damaged mitochondria

Evaluation of chemical-specific IgG antibodies in male workers from a urethane foam factory

Background: Plastic resins are complex chemicals that contain toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and/or trimellitic anhydride (TMA), which cause occupational allergies (OA), including respiratory allergies. Serum IgGs against TDI and TMA have been suggested as potential markers of the exposure status and as exploring cause of OA. Although TDI-specific IgG has been examined for suspected OA, TMA-specific IgG is not commonly evaluated in a urethane foam factory. This study therefore investigated both TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in suspected OA patients and to evaluate the usefulness of the measurement of multiple chemical-specific IgG measurement for practical monitoring. Methods: Blood samples were collected from two male workers who developed respiratory allergies supposedly caused by occupational exposure to TDI and/or TMA for the presence of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs. In addition, blood samples from 75 male workers from a urethane foam factory, along with 87 male control subjects, were collected in 2014 and tested for the same IgGs in 2014. The presence and levels of TDI- and TMA-specific serum IgGs were measured using dot blot assays. Results: We found that controls had mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs of 0.98 and 2.10 μg/mL, respectively. In the two workers with respiratory allergies, the TDI-specific IgG concentrations were 15.6 and 9.51 μg/ mL, and TMA-specific IgG concentrations were 4.56 and 14.4 μg/mL, which are clearly higher than those in controls. Mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in the factory workers were 1.89 and 2.41 μg/mL, respectively, and are significantly higher than those of the controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.026 for TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs, respectively). Conclusion: The workers suspected of OA showed an evidently high level of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG, and these levels in workers at the urethane foam factory were also significantly higher than those in controls. In conclusion, the measurement of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG among workers using plastic resins is helpful to monitor their exposure status.This study was funded by an Industrial Disease Clinical Research Grant (grant number 14040101-02 to M.T.) and the JSPS KAKENHI (grant numbers 22790546 and 25860472 to M.T.)