New Zealand transition engineering retro-analysis

To meet New Zealand’s emission commitments, the government has prioritized the up-take of Electric Vehicles (EVs), as personal transportation is a large consumer of fossil fuels. Extrapolating figures from official sources (Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment) we estimate that passenger transportation is responsible for at least 30% of New Zealand’s fossil fuel consumption. Given New Zealand has a large share of renewable sources (78%) the simple conclusion is that the uptake of EVs would directly reduce carbon emissions, however the interaction of EVs with the power system is complex and requires a comprehensive approach. Transition Engineering (TE) is an emerging field that addresses sustainability in design and management of engineered systems. Within the context of the TE methodology we investigated the implication of EV targets on the New Zealand Energy System and associated Greenhouse Gas Emissions. We utilized a Retro Analysis approach, using the transport activity and grid composition of 2012, superimposing various policy objectives into that system to understand the costs, benefits, consequences and utility of the policy. An energy system model was developed using the Longrange Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP). The model incorporated seasonal availability of power plants along with sector specific energy consumption profiles reported in official datasets. We defined a set of scenarios to examine the impact of different EV targets, charging behavior, modal shift, transport behavior and changes to grid composition. The implications of the intermittent nature of renewable resources were explored along with potential demand additions (EV charging) on the power system

Short term culture of breast cancer tissues to study the activity of the anticancer drug taxol in an intact tumor environment

BACKGROUND: Sensitivity of breast tumors to anticancer drugs depends upon dynamic interactions between epithelial tumor cells and their microenvironment including stromal cells and extracellular matrix. To study drug-sensitivity within different compartments of an individual tumor ex vivo, culture models directly established from fresh tumor tissues are absolutely essential. METHODS: We prepared 0.2 mm thick tissue slices from freshly excised tumor samples and cultivated them individually in the presence or absence of taxol for 4 days. To visualize viability, cell death, and expression of surface molecules in different compartments of non-fixed primary breast cancer tissues we established a method based on confocal imaging using mitochondria- and DNA-selective dyes and fluorescent-conjugated antibodies. Proliferation and apoptosis was assessed by immunohistochemistry in sections from paraffin-embedded slices. Overall viability was also analyzed in homogenized tissue slices by a combined ATP/DNA quantification assay. RESULTS: We obtained a mean of 49 tissue slices from 22 breast cancer specimens allowing a wide range of experiments in each individual tumor. In our culture system, cells remained viable and proliferated for at least 4 days within their tissue environment. Viability of tissue slices decreased significantly in the presence of taxol in a dose-dependent manner. A three-color fluorescence viability assay enabled a rapid and authentic estimation of cell viability in the different tumor compartments within non-fixed tissue slices. CONCLUSION: We describe a tissue culture method combined with a novel read out system for both tissue cultivation and rapid assessment of drug efficacy together with the simultaneous identification of different cell types within non-fixed breast cancer tissues. This method has potential significance for studying tumor responses to anticancer drugs in the complex environment of a primary cancer tissue

Preclinical evaluation of transcriptional targeting strategies for carcinoma of the breast in a tissue slice model system

INTRODUCTION: In view of the limited success of available treatment modalities for metastatic breast cancer, alternative and complementary strategies need to be developed. Adenoviral vector mediated strategies for breast cancer gene therapy and virotherapy are a promising novel therapeutic platform for the treatment of breast cancer. However, the promiscuous tropism of adenoviruses (Ads) is a major concern. Employing tissue specific promoters (TSPs) to restrict transgene expression or viral replication is an effective way to increase specificity towards tumor tissues and to reduce adverse effects in non-target tissues such as the liver. In this regard, candidate breast cancer TSPs include promoters of the genes for the epithelial glycoprotein 2 (EGP-2), cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), α-chemokine SDF-1 receptor (stromal-cell-derived factor, CXCR4), secretory leukoprotease inhibitor (SLPI) and survivin. METHODS: We employed E1-deleted Ads that express the reporter gene luciferase under the control of the promoters of interest. We evaluated this class of vectors in various established breast cancer cell lines, primary breast cancer cells and finally in the most stringent preclinical available substrate system, constituted by precision cut tissue slices of human breast cancer and liver. RESULTS: Overall, the CXCR4 promoter exhibited the highest luciferase activity in breast cancer cell lines, primary breast cancer cells and breast cancer tissue slices. Importantly, the CXCR4 promoter displayed a very low activity in human primary fibroblasts and human liver tissue slices. Interestingly, gene expression profiles correlated with the promoter activities both in breast cancer cell lines and primary breast cancer cells. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the CXCR4 promoter has an ideal 'breast cancer-on/liver-off' profile, and could, therefore, be a powerful tool in Ad vector based gene therapy or virotherapy of the carcinoma of the breast

Analysis of the truck trip generation characteristics of supermarkets and convenience stores

Transport engineers and urban planners use truck trip generation as one of the tools to identify the effects of trucks on urban congestion, pollution, safety, and the strain on the road network. Truck trip rates for supermarkets and convenience stores are higher than other retail facilities as they require more frequent and timely movement of goods, particularly perishable items. Supermarkets and convenience stores contribute to significant truck traffic in urban residential areas and thus have high exposure to rising fuel prices. A manual truck count survey was conducted on the supermarkets and convenience stores in one New Zealand town. The main factors influencing truck trip generation rates of the stores are examined such as the physical and operational characteristics of the store and origin of loading of the truck. Correlation analyses are performed on the parameters to determine their influence on the truck trip generation of the stores. Moreover, freight energy consumption and fuel intensity were calculated from the truck type and trip length of the deliveries. The major differences in the distribution patterns of the stores highlighted their differences in their freight energy consumption

Transport Behaviour Assessment for Adaptability

Personal travel demand behaviour (TDB) will change in the future due to a range of factors including high price, supply reduction, insecurity and perception. We have proposed that adaptation will depend on a new metric called essentiality as well as more common variables such as income and transport networks. A new type of virtual reality, immersive game travel survey has been developed with the purpose of probing adaptive behaviour change. There are two issues addressed by the survey tool; (1) rapid, low-cost travel surveys to track TDB change, and (2) a way to survey adaptation behaviour before fuel shortages

New Zealand intermodal freight network and the potential for mode shifting

Intermodal freight transport is a system of interconnected networks involving various modes and facilities allowing transfer of commodities from one mode to another. The system aims to provide efficient, seamless transport of goods from the origin to its destination offering producers and manufacturers a full range of transportation modes and routing options. In this paper, we review the different modes of freight transportation in New Zealand as well as the current trends of mode share. A GIS-based optimisation model is created integrating road, rail and shipping network called the New Zealand Intermodal Freight Network (NZIFN). The resulting model uses deterrence parameters such as operational costs and time-of-delivery as well as energy consumption and emissions, evaluates trade-offs, and finds the most optimal route from a given origin to a destination. The model is applied to hypothetical scenarios of distribution from Auckland to Wellington and Auckland to Christchurch which demonstrates how freight mod

Methodology of pre-feasibility study for a binary geothermal power plant utilizing moderate-temperature heat resources

The exploitation of medium-low temperature geothermal reservoirs is a potential resource that does not yet have mature commercial technology solutions. This study describes a methodology of pre-feasibility study for a binary geothermal power plant utilizing moderate temperature heat sources . This pre-feasibility study can be a useful tool for decision making processes in the preliminary study. The methodology is applied to an existing geothermal well located in the Taupo Geothermal Zone (TGZ) in New Zealand. Three common working fluids, n-pentane, R245fa and R134a are analyzed. The cycle designs considered are standard (Std) and recuperative (Rec) cycles. The results of the analyses indicate that the Std designs using n-pentane and R245fa are feasible for the geothermal well. The Std design using R245fa is more economical than the design using n-pentane, however the design using R245fa has lower Energy Return on Investment (EROI) than the design using n-pentane. The present methodology can be utilized to estimate pre-feasibility of geothermal wells in the initial stage , reducing risk and indicating potential for further engineering investigations.

Unique precursor delivery and control afforded by low-pressure pulsed MOCVD process with ultrasonic atomization

The novel chemical vapor deposition system, termed Pulsed-CVD, employs timed liquid injection with ultrasonic atomization to deliver the precursor vapor to a low-pressure reactor. A description of the operating principles of Pulsed-CVD is given. Experimental results were analyzed to determine the rate controlling mechanisms and conversion efficiency. The system was studied using deposition of TiO2, ZrO2 and Yttra-stabilized-Zirconia films from dilute solutions of metalorganic precursors. Growth rate was measured by in situ color fringe technique and derived from final film thickness over the temperature range 400°-650°C. Titania films up to 45µm in thickness were deposited at growth rates exceeding 0.5µm/min. YSZ films up to 17µm thick were deposited at a rate of 0.1µm/min. Film microstructure was observed using optical microscope and SEM. Morphology was determined by XRD. Analysis shows that morphology, texture, and porosity, can be controlled by deposition temperature and injection rate. Pulsed-CVD has demonstrated good performance, with uniform film thickness and relatively high growth rate and conversion efficiency