493 research outputs found
Expression of eEF1A2 is associated with clear cell histology in ovarian carcinomas: overexpression of the gene is not dependent on modifications at the EEF1A2 locus
The tissue-specific translation elongation factor eEF1A2 is a potential oncogene that is overexpressed in human ovarian cancer. eEF1A2 is highly similar (98%) to the near-ubiquitously expressed eEF1A1 (formerly known as EF1-α) making analysis with commercial antibodies difficult. We wanted to establish the expression pattern of eEF1A2 in ovarian cancer of defined histological subtypes at both the RNA and protein level, and to establish the mechanism for the overexpression of eEF1A2 in tumours. We show that while overexpression of eEF1A2 is seen at both the RNA and protein level in up to 75% of clear cell carcinomas, it occurs at a lower frequency in other histological subtypes. The copy number at the EEF1A2 locus does not correlate with expression level of the gene, no functional mutations were found, and the gene is unmethylated in both normal and tumour DNA, showing that overexpression is not dependent on genetic or epigenetic modifications at the EEF1A2 locus. We suggest that the cause of overexpression of eEF1A2 may be the inappropriate expression of a trans-acting factor. The oncogenicity of eEF1A2 may be related either to its role in protein synthesis or to potential non-canonical functions
The place of strategic environmental assessment in the privatised electricity industry
The private sector has given relatively little attention to the emergence of strategic environmental assessment (SEA); even recently privatised utilities, where SEA might be deemed particularly appropriate, and whose activities are likely to fall within the scope of the European Union SEA Directive, have shown less interest than might be expected. However, the global trend towards the privatisation of state-owned enterprises makes the adaptation of SEA towards these industries all the more pressing. This paper addresses the place that SEA might take within the electricity sector, taking the privatised UK electricity industry as an example. Particular challenges are posed by the radical restructuring of the industry, designed to introduce competitive behaviour, making the development of comprehensive SEA processes problematic, and requiring SEA to be placed in the context of corporate environmental policy and objectives.</p
Science and technology parks as innovation intermediaries for green innovation
Author's accepted version (postprint).This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Springer in Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering on 18/08/2020.Available online: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-48021-9_101This paper discusses how science and technology parks (STPs) act as intermediaries for projects regarding green innovation. The empirical evidence is gathered through a case study of the City of Knowledge in Panama. For the recent Panama channel’s expansion, local authorities faced the need to improve the water resource management to secure enough fresh water for the canal’s operation. We inductively analysed data from 24 interviews, documents and participant observer. Preliminary results show the intermediation of STPs in green innovation processes in three phases: a first intermediation process is the STP as a hub for knowledge generation, including training for entrepreneurship. A second stage of the park as an innovation intermediary regards to an arena for knowledge and technology transfer, including collaboration with universities. A third phase implies financing and brokerage of green innovation between local and global actors. Our results challenge the existing literature about STPs with a narrow focus on economic spillover effects, or as hubs for attracting and developing cutting-edge technological innovations.acceptedVersio
Low-Cycle Fatigue of Ultra-Fine-Grained Cryomilled 5083 Aluminum Alloy
The cyclic deformation behavior of cryomilled (CM) AA5083 alloys was compared to that of conventional AA5083-H131. The materials studied were a 100 pct CM alloy with a Gaussian grain size average of 315 nm and an alloy created by mixing 85 pct CM powder with 15 pct unmilled powder before consolidation to fabricate a plate with a bimodal grain size distribution with peak averages at 240 nm and 1.8 μm. Although the ultra-fine-grain (UFG) alloys exhibited considerably higher tensile strengths than those of the conventional material, the results from plastic-strain-controlled low-cycle fatigue tests demonstrate that all three materials exhibit identical fatigue lives across a range of plastic strain amplitudes. The CM materials exhibited softening during the first cycle, similar to other alloys produced by conventional powder metallurgy, followed by continual hardening to saturation before failure. The results reported in this study show that fatigue deformation in the CM material is accompanied by slight grain growth, pinning of dislocations at the grain boundaries, and grain rotation to produce macroscopic slip bands that localize strain, creating a single dominant fatigue crack. In contrast, the conventional alloy exhibits a cell structure and more diffuse fatigue damage accumulation
PolÃtica de estabilização de renda para a agricultura familiar: uma análise de risco.
Os produtores familiares foram prejudicados pelas polÃticas de substituição de importações e de modernização da agricultura, sofrendo com elevadas transferências de renda para fora do setor. Uma forma de ressarci-los seria implementando uma polÃtica de estabilização de renda que asseguraria rentabilidade estável aos produtores. O objetivo deste artigo é determinar os benefÃcios de uma polÃtica de estabilização de renda implementada na agricultura familiar para agricultores e consumidores de arroz, feijão, milho e mandioca, e os custos para agricultores comerciais nesses mercados. Utilizou-se o modelo de Newbery e Stiglitz, que considera a redução do risco com a polÃtica de estabilização de renda. A polÃtica implicaria aumento de receita para produtores familiares. Os benefÃcios de transferência superariam os de eficiência para produtores familiares e consumidores. Os benefÃcios para a agricultura familiar superariam os custos da agricultura comercial com a polÃtica nos mercados de feijão, mandioca e milho, e os benefÃcios totais superariam os custos totais nos mercados de feijão e milho, ao contrário ocorreria nos mercados de arroz e mandioca, embora neste fosse pequena a diferença. Conclui-se que a implementação da polÃtica seria viável nos mercados onde a participação da agricultura familiar fosse maior que a da comercial e naqueles importadores
Welfare effects of unbundling under different regulatory regimes in natural gas markets
In this paper, we develop a theoretical model that enriches the literature on the pros and cons of ownership unbundling vis-a`-vis lighter unbundling frameworks in the natural gas markets. For each regulatory framework, we compute equilibrium outcomes when an incumbent firm and a new entrant compete a` la Cournot in the final gas market. We find that the entrant’s contracting conditions in the upstream market and the transmission tariff are key determinants of the market structure in the downstream gas market (both with ownership and with legal unbundling). We also study how the regulator must optimally set transmission tariffs in each of the two unbundling regimes. We conclude that welfare maximizing tariffs often require free access to the transmission network (in both regulatoy regimes). However, when the regulator aims at promoting the break-even of the regulated transmission system operator, the first-best tariff is unfeasible in both regimes. Hence, we study a more realistic set-up, in which the regulator’s action is constrained by the break-even of the regulated firm (the transmission system operator). In this set-up, we find that, for a given transmission tariff, final prices in the downstream market are always higher with ownership unbundling than with legal unbundling.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Open Government Data: A Focus on Key Economic and Organizational Drivers
Grounding the analysis on multidisciplinary literature on the topic, the existing EU legislation and relevant examples, this working paper aims at highlighting some key economic and organizational aspects of the "Open Government Data" paradigm and its drivers and implications within and outside Public Administrations. The discussion intends to adopt an "Internet Science" perspective, taking into account as enabling factors the digital environment itself, as well as specific models and tools. More "traditional" and mature markets grounded on Public Sector Information are also considered, in order to indirectly detect the main differences with respect to the aforementioned paradig
Scheduling of grid tied battery energy storage system participating in frequency response services and energy arbitrage
Battery energy storage
systems
(BESS)
are
widely used to smooth
power
fluctuations
and maintain the voltage and
frequency of the power feeder at a desired level.
T
he National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), the primary electricity
transmission network operator in the UK, has introduced various frequency response servic
es that are
designed
to provide a
real
-
time response to deviations in the grid frequency.
In this study
,
a
control
algorithm is
developed
which generates a
charge/discharge power output with respect to deviations in
the grid frequency and the requisite
service
specifications. Using
historical
UK electricity prices, a new
balancing
service scheduling approach
has
also been
developed to
maximize
energy
arbitrage
revenue
by layering
different types of balancing services
throughout the day
. Simulation result
s show that the
proposed algorithm delivers both dynamic and non
-
dynamic firm frequency response (FFR) and also enhanced frequency
response (EFR) to
NGET
specifications while
generating arbitrage revenue
as well as service availability payment
s
in the
balancing market. A comparative study is also presented to compare the yearly arbitrage revenue
obtained
from
the work
presented in this
paper and
a
previous
reference study
.
Finall
y, exper
imental results of
a
grid
-
tied
2MW
/1MWh
BESS
have
been used
for verification purposes
- …