Ester-filled distribution transformers

The ever increasing demand for electricity in the world is a major cause of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. With increasing numbers of new distribution transformers added every year, the contribution of CO2 emission from transformer increases. It has been reported by the United Nations (UN) that almost 730 million tons/year of CO2 emission are contributed by transformers alone. Thus, there is an urgent need to find a sustainable model to meet the demand, maintain reliability and yet reduce CO2 emissions. By using sustainable ester fluids, a force multiplier to the existing minimum efficiency guidelines can be achieved. This combination will act as an encouragement for purchasers while defining their transformer purchasing policy by adopting sustainable transformer ratings rather than peak transformer ratings. This article quantifies how the cost of losses are reduced while simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions

Microfluidic and Nanofluidic Cavities for Quantum Fluids Experiments

The union of quantum fluids research with nanoscience is rich with opportunities for new physics. The relevant length scales in quantum fluids, 3He in particular, are comparable to those possible using microfluidic and nanofluidic devices. In this article, we will briefly review how the physics of quantum fluids depends strongly on confinement on the microscale and nanoscale. Then we present devices fabricated specifically for quantum fluids research, with cavity sizes ranging from 30 nm to 11 microns deep, and the characterization of these devices for low temperature quantum fluids experiments.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, Accepted to Journal of Low Temperature Physic

Genetic variability and stability of Desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes under late sown terminal heat stress conditions

Given the global climate change and frequent episodes of high temperature, globally legume crops including chickpea are receiving serious challenge of yield loss across the globe. Therefore, to sustain chickpea production breeders exploiting existing germplasm resources which can withstand drastically happening and fluctuating abiotic stresses like terminal heat and draught. A wide range of genetic variability for various phenological traits and yield related traits were recorded in 71 chickpea genotypes during normal and late or terminal heat stress sown conditions. The analysis of variance for all the environments revealed highly significant differences among the mean square due to genotypes for all the characters. The range of variation was comparatively wider in late sown condition than in normal sown conditions. The differences between phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation (PCV and GCV) were not substantial. High heritability coupled with high/moderate genetic advance expressed as percentage of mean were exhibited by hundred seed weight, seed yield/plant, number of pods/plants, plant height, reproductive phase duration, number of primary branches/plant and days to 50 % flowering under normal as well as late planting. So, these traits can be used as selection indices to improve seed yield in high temperature sown condition as well as timely sown condition. The pooled analysis of variance over dates of sowing (environments) were computed following Eberhart and Russell (1966) model. Genotype x environment interactions was highly significant for most of the characters except no. of primary branches/plant when tested against error mean square. G x E (linear) component was significant and higher than non-linear component for days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, number of pods/plants, hundred seed weight and seed yield per plant. From the present study, five genotypes viz., ICC 14778, GJG 6, ICC 6579, ICC 8950 and ICC 10945 were highly stable for seed yield across the environments

Classification of a supersolid: Trial wavefunctions, Symmetry breakings and Excitation spectra

A state of matter is characterized by its symmetry breaking and elementary excitations. A supersolid is a state which breaks both translational symmetry and internal $U(1)$ symmetry. Here, we review some past and recent works in phenomenological Ginsburg-Landau theories, ground state trial wavefunctions and microscopic numerical calculations. We also write down a new effective supersolid Hamiltonian on a lattice. The eigenstates of the Hamiltonian contains both the ground state wavefunction and all the excited states (supersolidon) wavefunctions. We contrast various kinds of supersolids in both continuous systems and on lattices, both condensed matter and cold atom systems. We provide additional new insights in studying their order parameters, symmetry breaking patterns, the excitation spectra and detection methods.Comment: REVTEX4, 19 pages, 3 figure

Finite element modeling and in vivo analysis of electrode configurations for selective stimulation of pudendal afferent fibers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intraurethral electrical stimulation (IES) of pudendal afferent nerve fibers can evoke both excitatory and inhibitory bladder reflexes in cats. These pudendovesical reflexes are a potential substrate for restoring bladder function in persons with spinal cord injury or other neurological disorders. However, the complex distribution of pudendal afferent fibers along the lower urinary tract presents a challenge when trying to determine the optimal geometry and position of IES electrodes for evoking these reflexes. This study aimed to determine the optimal intraurethral electrode configuration(s) and locations for selectively activating targeted pudendal afferents to aid future preclinical and clinical investigations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A finite element model (FEM) of the male cat urethra and surrounding structures was generated to simulate IES with a variety of electrode configurations and locations. The activating functions (AFs) along pudendal afferent branches innervating the cat urethra were determined. Additionally, the thresholds for activation of pudendal afferent branches were measured in α-chloralose anesthetized cats.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Maximum AFs evoked by intraurethral stimulation in the FEM and in vivo threshold intensities were dependent on stimulation location and electrode configuration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A ring electrode configuration is ideal for IES. Stimulation near the urethral meatus or prostate can activate the pudendal afferent fibers at the lowest intensities, and allowed selective activation of the dorsal penile nerve or cranial sensory nerve, respectively. Electrode location was a more important factor than electrode configuration for determining stimulation threshold intensity and nerve selectivity.</p

Clofazimine Inhibits Human Kv1.3 Potassium Channel by Perturbing Calcium Oscillation in T Lymphocytes

The Kv1.3 potassium channel plays an essential role in effector memory T cells and has been implicated in several important autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and type 1 diabetes. A number of potent small molecule inhibitors of Kv1.3 channel have been reported, some of which were found to be effective in various animal models of autoimmune diseases. We report herein the identification of clofazimine, a known anti-mycobacterial drug, as a novel inhibitor of human Kv1.3. Clofazimine was initially identified as an inhibitor of intracellular T cell receptor-mediated signaling leading to the transcriptional activation of human interleukin-2 gene in T cells from a screen of the Johns Hopkins Drug Library. A systematic mechanistic deconvolution revealed that clofazimine selectively blocked the Kv1.3 channel activity, perturbing the oscillation frequency of the calcium-release activated calcium channel, which in turn led to the inhibition of the calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway. These effects of clofazimine provide the first line of experimental evidence in support of a causal relationship between Kv1.3 and calcium oscillation in human T cells. Furthermore, clofazimine was found to be effective in blocking human T cell-mediated skin graft rejection in an animal model in vivo. Together, these results suggest that clofazimine is a promising immunomodulatory drug candidate for treating a variety of autoimmune disorders

Protecting Important Sites for Biodiversity Contributes to Meeting Global Conservation Targets

Protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone of conservation efforts and now cover nearly 13% of the world's land surface, with the world's governments committed to expand this to 17%. However, as biodiversity continues to decline, the effectiveness of PAs in reducing the extinction risk of species remains largely untested. We analyzed PA coverage and trends in species' extinction risk at globally significant sites for conserving birds (10,993 Important Bird Areas, IBAs) and highly threatened vertebrates and conifers (588 Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, AZEs) (referred to collectively hereafter as ‘important sites’). Species occurring in important sites with greater PA coverage experienced smaller increases in extinction risk over recent decades: the increase was half as large for bird species with>50% of the IBAs at which they occur completely covered by PAs, and a third lower for birds, mammals and amphibians restricted to protected AZEs (compared with unprotected or partially protected sites). Globally, half of the important sites for biodiversity conservation remain unprotected (49% of IBAs, 51% of AZEs). While PA coverage of important sites has increased over time, the proportion of PA area covering important sites, as opposed to less important land, has declined (by 0.45–1.14% annually since 1950 for IBAs and 0.79–1.49% annually for AZEs). Thus, while appropriately located PAs may slow the rate at which species are driven towards extinction, recent PA network expansion has under-represented important sites. We conclude that better targeted expansion of PA networks would help to improve biodiversity trends

Data from: Plant-disperser mutualisms in a semi-arid habitat invaded by Lantana camara L.

Dispersal is an important ecological process that affects plant population structure and community composition. Invasive plants with fleshy fruits rapidly form associations with native and invasive dispersers, and may affect existing native plant-disperser associations. We asked whether frugivore visitation rate and fruit removal was associated with plant characteristics in a community of fleshy-fruited plants and whether an invasive plant receives more visitation and greater fruit removal than native plants in a semi-arid habitat of Andhra Pradesh, India. Tree-watches were undertaken at individuals of nine native and one invasive shrub species to assess the identity, number and fruit removal by avian frugivores. Network analyses and generalised linear mixed effects models were used to understand species and community-level patterns. All plants received most number of visits from abundant, generalist avian frugivores. Number of frugivore visits and time spent by frugivores at individual plants, was positively associated with fruit crop-size while fruit removal was positively associated with number of frugivore visits and their mean foraging time at individual plants. The invasive shrub, Lantana camara L. (Lantana), had lower average frugivore visit rate than the community of fleshy fruited plants and received similar average frugivore visits but greater average per-hour fruit removal than two other concurrently fruiting native species. Based on the results of our study, we infer that there is little evidence of competition between native plants and Lantana for the dispersal services of native frugivores and that more data are required to assess the nature of these interactions over the long term. We speculate that plant associations with generalist frugivores may increase the functional redundancy of this frugivory network, buffering it against loss of participating species