Modelling and simulation of small-scale embedded generation systems

Advances in heat and power production are leading to a revolution in how buildings are perceived as an energy system. The rapid development of fuel cells, photovoltaic facades, cogeneration and the evolution of ducted windturbines allows the designer to envisage a building providing much of its own heat and power through local embedded generation (EG). However, the addition of heat and power production to the building increases it complexityas an energy system. New design issues must be addressed such as the integration of EG with traditional HVAC and power systems; optimal demand and supply matching; demand side management and its impact on environmentalperformance; interaction of the EG system with the local electricity network, etc

Structuring educational decisions using the multiple sorting task: An example focusing on international placements in nursing

Practical examples of the steps involved in the planning and execution of the multiple sorting task are frequently lacking in published reports. This article demonstrates how the multiple sorting task can be used to structure conversations with a group of health professionals planning an international placement for nursing students. Sixteen participants were drawn from diverse professional backgrounds, including academia, clinical practice, government policy, and placement administrators. Participants sorted 17 statements written on cards into categories of their choice and noted why they sorted the cards into these particular groups. Data were analysed using multidimensional scaling and qualitative perspectives. The analysis identified four key themes that detailed the participants’ views about international placements. These findings demonstrate how the multiple sorting task can be used to generate information that facilitates the examination of important facets of health care practice that universities could cover in preparing students for international placements

Organic Digital Logic and Analog Circuits Fabricated in a Roll-to-Roll Compatible Vacuum-Evaporation Process

We report the fabrication of a range of organic circuits produced by a high-yielding, vacuum-based process compatible with roll-to-roll production. The circuits include inverters, NAND and NOR logic gates, a simple memory element (set-reset latch), and a modified Wilson current mirror circuit. The measured circuit responses are presented together with simulated responses based on a previously reported transistor model of organic transistors produced using our fabrication process. Circuit simulations replicated all the key features of the experimentally observed circuit performance. The logic gates were capable of operating at frequencies in excess of 1 kHz while the current mirror circuit produced currents up to 18 μA

Diagnostic accuracy of DXA compared to conventional spine radiographs for the detection of vertebral fractures in children

Objectives In children, radiography is performed to diagnose vertebral fractures and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess bone density. In adults, DXA assesses both. We aimed to establish whether DXA can replace spine radiographs in assessment of paediatric vertebral fractures. Methods Prospectively, lateral spine radiographs and lateral spine DXA of 250 children performed on the same day were independently scored by three radiologists using the simplified algorithm based qualitative technique and blinded to results of the other modality. Consensus radiograph read and second read of 100 random images were performed. Diagnostic accuracy, inter/intraobserver and intermodality agreements, patient/carer experience and radiation dose were assessed. Results Average sensitivity and specificity (95% confidence interval) in diagnosing one or more vertebral fractures requiring treatment was 70% (58%-82%) and 97% (94%- 100%) respectively for DXA and 74% (55%-93%) and 96% (95%-98%) for radiographs. Fleiss’ kappa for interobserver and average kappa for intraobserver reliability were 0.371 and 0.631 respectively for DXA and 0.418 and 0.621 for radiographs. Average effective dose was 41.9µSv for DXA and 232.7µSv for radiographs. Image quality was similar. Conclusion Given comparable image quality and non-inferior diagnostic accuracy, lateral spine DXA should replace conventional radiographs for assessment of vertebral fractures in children

An automated high-throughput system for phenotypic screening of chemical libraries on C. elegans and parasitic nematodes

Parasitic nematodes infect hundreds of millions of people and farmed livestock. Further, plant parasitic nematodes result in major crop damage. The pipeline of therapeutic compounds is limited and parasite resistance to the existing anthelmintic compounds is a global threat. We have developed an INVertebrate Automated Phenotyping Platform (INVAPP) for high-throughput, plate-based chemical screening, and an algorithm (Paragon) which allows screening for compounds that have an effect on motility and development of parasitic worms. We have validated its utility by determining the efficacy of a panel of known anthelmintics against model and parasitic nematodes: Caenorhabditis elegans, Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, and Trichuris muris. We then applied the system to screen the Pathogen Box chemical library in a blinded fashion and identified compounds already known to have anthelmintic or anti-parasitic activity, including tolfenpyrad, auranofin, and mebendazole; and 14 compounds previously undescribed as anthelmintics, including benzoxaborole and isoxazole chemotypes. This system offers an effective, high-throughput system for the discovery of novel anthelmintics

Предсказание торсионных углов в аминокислотных последовательностях белков на основе байесовской процедуры распознавания на цепях Маркова

Запропоновано процедуру розпізнавання торсіонних кутів, утворених C^α атомами чотирьох сусідніх амінокислотних залишків. Отримана послідовність кутів використовується для побудови просторової структури білка на решітці Z³.Torsion angles defined on C^α atoms of four neighbouring residues are predicted using Bayesian pattern recognition procedure on non-stationary Markov chains. The predicted sequence of torsion angles is used for constructing protein 3-dimensional structure on Z³

Description of the inelastic collision of two solitary waves for the BBM equation

We prove that the collision of two solitary waves of the BBM equation is inelastic but almost elastic in the case where one solitary wave is small in the energy space. We show precise estimates of the nonzero residue due to the collision. Moreover, we give a precise description of the collision phenomenon (change of size of the solitary waves).Comment: submitted for publication. Corrected typo in Theorem 1.

On a class of stationary loops on SO(n) and the existence of multiple twisting solutions to a nonlinear elliptic system subject to a hard incompressibility constraint

For full abstract please refer to http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13661-018-1047-

Priorities for mitigating greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions to meet UK policy targets

Agriculture is essential for providing food and maintaining food security while concurrently delivering multiple other ecosystem services. However, agricultural systems are generally a net source of greenhouse gases and ammonia. They, therefore, need to substantively contribute to climate change mitigation and net zero ambitions. It is widely acknowledged that there is a need to further reduce and mitigate emissions across sectors, including agriculture to address the climate emergency and emissions gap. This discussion paper outlines a collation of opinions from a range of experts within agricultural research and advisory roles following a greenhouse gas and ammonia emission mitigation workshop held in the UK in March 2022. The meeting identified the top mitigation priorities within the UK’s agricultural sector to achieve reductions in greenhouse gases and ammonia that are compatible with policy targets. In addition, experts provided an overview of what they believe are the key knowledge gaps, future opportunities and co-benefits to mitigation practices as well as indicating the potential barriers to uptake for mitigation scenarios discussed

Greenhouse gas and ammonia emission mitigation priorities for UK policy targets

Acknowledgements Many thanks to the Association of Applied Biologist’s for organising and hosting the ‘Agricultural greenhouse gases and ammonia mitigation: Solutions, challenges, and opportunities’ workshop. This work was supported with funding from the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme (2022-2027, C2-1 SRUC) and BBSRC (BBS/E/C/000I0320 and BBS/E/C/000I0330). We also acknowledge support from UKRI694 BBSRC (United Kingdom Research and Innovation-Biotechnology and Biological Sciences 695 Research Council; United Kingdom) via grants BBS/E/C/000I0320 and BBS/E/C/000I0330. and Rothamsted Research's Science Initiative Catalyst Award (SICA) supported by BBSRC.Peer reviewedPublisher PD