Pay-as-bid pricing in combined pool / bilateral electricity markets

In the context of combined pool/bilateral operation of electricity markets, this paper compares two pricing strategies; pay-as-bid strategy defines three types of services: bilateral contract generation, transmission loss and congestion management required by the bilateral contracts, and pool demand generation including associated transmission loss and congestio

Effects of high volume saline enemas vs no enema during labour – The N-Ma Randomised Controlled Trial [ISRCTN43153145]

BACKGROUND: Enemas are used during labour in obstetric settings with the belief that they reduce puerperal and neonatal infections, shorten labour duration, and make delivery cleaner for attending personnel. However, a systematic review of the literature found insufficient evidence to support the use of enemas. The objective of this RCT was to address an identified knowledge gap by determining the effect of routine enemas used during the first stage of labour on puerperal and neonatal infection rates. METHODS: Design: RCT (randomised controlled trial; randomized clinical trial). Outcomes: Clinical diagnosis of maternal or neonatal infections, labour duration, delivery types, episiotomy rates, and prescription of antibiotics Setting: Tertiary care referral hospital at the Javeriana University (Bogotá, Colombia) that attended 3170 births during study period with a caesarean section rate of 26%. Participants: 443 women admitted for delivery to the obstetrics service (February 1997 to February 1998) and followed for a month after delivery. Inclusion criteria were women with: low risk pregnancy and expected to remain in Bogotá during follow up; gestational age ≥ 36 weeks; no pelvic or systemic bacterial infection; intact membranes; cervix dilatation ≤7 cm. Intervention: 1 litre saline enema, versus no enema, allocated following a block random allocation sequence and using sealed opaque envelopes. RESULTS: Allocation provided balanced groups and 86% of the participants were followed up for one month. The overall infection rate for newborns was 21%, and 18% for women. We found no significant differences in puerperal or neonatal infection rates (Puerperal infection: 41/190 [22%] with enema v 26/182 [14%] without enema; RR 0.66 CI 95%: 0.43 to 1.03; neonatal infection 38/191 [20%] with enema v 40/179 [22%] without enema; RR 1.12, 95% CI 95% 0.76 to 1.66), and median labour time was similar between groups (515 min. with enema v 585 min. without enema; P = 0.24). Enemas didn't significantly change episiorraphy dehiscence rates (21/182 [12%] with enema v 32/190 [17%] without enema; P = 0.30). CONCLUSION: This RCT found no evidence to support routine use of enemas during labour. Although these results cannot rule out a small clinical effect, it seems unlikely that enemas will improve maternal and neonatal outcomes and provide an overall benefit

Dispersive ππ→KKˉ\pi\pi\rightarrow K\bar K amplitude and giant CP violation in B to three light-meson decays at LHCb

The LHCb collaboration has recently reported the largest CP violation effect from a single amplitude, as well as other giant CP asymmetries in several $B$-meson decays into three charmless light mesons. It is also claimed that this is predominantly due to $\pi\pi\rightarrow K\bar K$ rescattering in the final state, particularly in the 1 to 1.5 GeV region. In these analyses the $\pi\pi\rightarrow K\bar K$ amplitude is by default estimated from the $\pi\pi$ elastic scattering amplitude and does not describe the existing $\pi\pi\rightarrow K\bar K$ scattering data. Here we show how the recent model-independent dispersive analysis of $\pi\pi\rightarrow K\bar K$ data can be easily implemented in the LHCb formalism. This leads to a more accurate description of the asymmetry, while being consistent with the measured scattering amplitude and confirming the prominent role of hadronic final state interactions, paving the way for more elaborated analyses.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Minor corrections and discussions were added. Extended appendix with an additional improved model of the S-wave. Final version to appear in Phys.Rev.Let

Twin disc assessment of wear regime transitions and rolling contact fatigue in R400HT – E8 pairs

Twin disc tests were carried out to evaluate the wear resistance and Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) of premium R400HT rail samples in contact with E8 wheel samples. The wear rate and friction coefficient were correlated with the frictional work expended at the contact interface (the Tgamma approach). Accelerated RCF tests were also carried out on the premium R400HT rail and the results were compared to those obtained for standard R260 rail. The wear rates of rail samples were consistently lower than those reported in the literature for other contacting pairs in which the rail material studied is softer than R400HT. Also, the energy needed for the transition from the moderate to severe wear regime significantly increased for the hardened rail. Fatigue cracks were shallower for R400HT when compared with standard rail material. Hardened rails also showed lower mean spacing between fatigue cracks. This new information can be used to improve wear simulations of wheels and rails by using more realistic wear equations

Age- and stress-associated C. elegans granulins impair lysosomal function and induce a compensatory HLH-30/TFEB transcriptional response.

The progressive failure of protein homeostasis is a hallmark of aging and a common feature in neurodegenerative disease. As the enzymes executing the final stages of autophagy, lysosomal proteases are key contributors to the maintenance of protein homeostasis with age. We previously reported that expression of granulin peptides, the cleavage products of the neurodegenerative disease protein progranulin, enhance the accumulation and toxicity of TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). In this study we show that C. elegans granulins are produced in an age- and stress-dependent manner. Granulins localize to the endolysosomal compartment where they impair lysosomal protease expression and activity. Consequently, protein homeostasis is disrupted, promoting the nuclear translocation of the lysosomal transcription factor HLH-30/TFEB, and prompting cells to activate a compensatory transcriptional program. The three C. elegans granulin peptides exhibited distinct but overlapping functional effects in our assays, which may be due to amino acid composition that results in distinct electrostatic and hydrophobicity profiles. Our results support a model in which granulin production modulates a critical transition between the normal, physiological regulation of protease activity and the impairment of lysosomal function that can occur with age and disease

Caregiving For and By Hispanic Elders: Perceptions of Four Generations of Women

So as to learn about the experiences of acculturation among older Hispanic women, four generations were interviewed about their ethnic identity, perceptions of gender equity in the home, life satisfaction, and beliefs regarding family caregiving responsibilities. Findings reveal general differences between hopes for, and experiences with, gender equity and in their self-identification as a member of a minority group and their perceptions of others toward them. Differences were also found among the four age groups of Hispanic women