A set of coherent indicators for the assessment of the energy profitability of energy systems

The concern on climate change and on the limitations of fossil fuels is leading to the promotion of renewable-based energy options. However, the assessment of the energy profitability of a technology is still a controversial topic, espe-cially when renewable-based systems are compared with non-renewable ones and when the depletion of the stocks of available resources is not accounted properly. As a matter of fact, some popular energy indicators do not seem to cover all the aspects of the problem, with the risk of drawing ambiguous conclusions. A set of life cycle-based indicators is proposed in order to establish a more reliable approach to the assessment of energy products which decouples the different contributions given by renewable and non-renewable resources. The proposed set of indicators has been quantified for different groups of energy products and compared with an en-ergy indicator frequently used (i.e. EROI). A coherent assessment of the depletion of energy resources and of the energy profitability of the products is presented. The indicators could even contribute to understand the feasibility of energy projects and plans by evaluating their impact on the stock of energy resources.JRC.J.5-Sustainable Production and Consumptio

Geomagnetic field observations in Antarctica at the geomagnetic observatories at Terra Nova Bay and DomeC

During the 1986-87 austral summer a geomagnetic observatory was installed at the Italian Antarctic Base Mario Zucchelli Station (TNB, geographic coordinates:74.7S, 164.1E; corrected geomagnetic coordinates: 80.0S, 307.7E; magnetic local time MLT=UT-8). In the first years the measurements of the geomagnetic field were carried out only during summer expeditions. Since 1991 the recording was implemented with an automatic acquisition system operating through the year. More recently,after two short test surveys, from October 2004 a geomagnetic French-Italian observatory was installed on the Antarctic plateau (Dome C, DMC), very close to the geomagnetic pole (geographic coordinates: 75.1S, 123.4E; corrected geomagnetic coordinates:88.8S, 55.6E; magnetic local time MLT=UT-1). In this work we present some results obtained from TNB observations coming from almost twenty years of observations and also the preliminary results obtained from the analysis of the first year of data from DMC

Fourteen years of geomagnetic daily variation at Mario Zucchelli Station (Antarctica)

During the 1986-87 austral summer a geomagnetic observatory was installed at the Italian Antarctic Base Mario Zucchelli Station. In the first three years continuous time variation monitoring and absolute measurements of the geomagnetic field were carried out only during summer expeditions. Starting 1991 an automatic acquisition system, operating through all the year, was put in operation. We present here some peculiarities of the daily variation as observed for fourteen years (1987-2000). The availability of a long series of data has allowed the definition of seasonal, as well as solar cycle effects, on short time variations as observed at a cusp-cap observatory. In particular, contrary to mid latitude behaviour, a clear dependence of the daily variation amplitude on the global geomagnetic K index was well defined

Geomagnetic field observations in Antarctica at the geomagnetic observatories at Terra Nova Bay and DomeC

During the 1986-87 austral summer a geomagnetic observatory was installed at the Italian Antarctic Base Mario Zucchelli Station (TNB, geographic coordinates:74.7S, 164.1E; corrected geomagnetic coordinates: 80.0S, 307.7E; magnetic local time MLT=UT-8). In the first years the measurements of the geomagnetic field were carried out only during summer expeditions. Since 1991 the recording was implemented with an automatic acquisition system operating through the year. More recently,after two short test surveys, from October 2004 a geomagnetic French-Italian observatory was installed on the Antarctic plateau (Dome C, DMC), very close to the geomagnetic pole (geographic coordinates: 75.1S, 123.4E; corrected geomagnetic coordinates:88.8S, 55.6E; magnetic local time MLT=UT-1). In this work we present some results obtained from TNB observations coming from almost twenty years of observations and also the preliminary results obtained from the analysis of the first year of data from DMC

Fourteen years of geomagnetic daily variation at Mario Zucchelli Station (Antarctica)

During the 1986-87 austral summer a geomagnetic observatory was installed at the Italian Antarctic Base Mario Zucchelli Station. In the first three years continuous time variation monitoring and absolute measurements of the geomagnetic field were carried out only during summer expeditions. Starting 1991 an automatic acquisition system, operating through all the year, was put in operation. We present here some peculiarities of the daily variation as observed for fourteen years (1987-2000). The availability of a long series of data has allowed the definition of seasonal, as well as solar cycle effects, on short time variations as observed at a cusp-cap observatory. In particular, contrary to mid latitude behaviour, a clear dependence of the daily variation amplitude on the global geomagnetic K index was well defined

Do firms share the same functional form of their growth rate distribution? A new statistical test

We introduce a new statistical test of the hypothesis that a balanced panel of firms have the same growth rate distribution or, more generally, that they share the same functional form of growth rate distribution. We applied the test to European Union and US publicly quoted manufacturing firms data, considering functional forms belonging to the Subbotin family of distributions. While our hypotheses are rejected for the vast majority of sets at the sector level, we cannot rejected them at the subsector level, indicating that homogenous panels of firms could be described by a common functional form of growth rate distribution.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica, Geomagnetic observatory, magnetic observations results, 2001-2002, 2002-2003

These reports deal with activities undertaken at the Geomagnetic Observatory TNB in Antarctica during the austral summers 2001-2002 and 2002-2003. Since the Observatory was located very close to the Base, where the growing human activity gave rise to an increased artificial electromagnetic noise, during this campaign, the Observatory has been moved to a new site, called OASI, about 1 km away from the old site. In austral summer 2001-2002, geomagnetic absolute measurements have been performed at both sites, in order to evaluate possible spatial gradients between them. Conversely, the variometer measurements have been carried out only at the new site

Fissurectomy versus lateral internal sphincterotomy in the treatment of chronic anal fissures: no advantages in terms of post-operative incontinence

PurposeThe standard treatment for chronic anal fissures that have failed non-operative management is lateral internal sphincterotomy. Surgery can cause de novo incontinence. Fissurectomy has been proposed as a sphincter/saving procedure, especially in the presence of a deep posterior pouch with or without a crypt infection. This study investigated whether fissurectomy offers a benefit in terms of de novo post-operative incontinence.MethodsPatients surgically managed with fissurectomy or lateral internal sphincterotomy for chronic anal fissures from 2013 to 2019 have been included. Healing rate, changes in continence and patient satisfaction were investigated at long-term follow-up.ResultsOne hundred twenty patients (55 females, 65 males) were analysed: 29 patients underwent fissurectomy and 91 lateral internal sphincterotomy. Mean follow-up was 55 months [confidence interval (CI) 5-116 months]. Both techniques showed some rate of de novo post-operative incontinence (> +3 Vaizey score points): 8.9% lateral internal sphincterotomy, 17.8% fissurectomy (p = 0.338). The mean Vaizey score in these patients was 10.37 [standard deviation (sd) 6.3] after lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) and 5.4 (sd 2.3) after fissurectomy Healing rate was 97.8% in the lateral internal sphincterotomy group and 75.8% in the fissurectomy group (p = 0.001). In the lateral internal sphincterotomy group, patients with de novo post-op incontinence showed a statistically significant lower satisfaction rate (9.2 +/- 1.57 versus 6.13 +/- 3; p = 0.023) while no differences were present in the fissurectomy group (8.87 +/- 1.69 versus 7.4 +/- 1.14; p = 0.077).ConclusionsLateral internal sphincterotomy is confirmed as the preferred technique in term of healing rate. Fissurectomy did not offer a lower rate of de novo post-operative incontinence, but resulted in lower Vaizey scores in patients in whom this occurred. Satisfaction was lower in patients suffering a de novo post-operative incontinence after lateral internal sphincterotomy

ULF Geomagnetic Pulsations at High Latitudes: the Italian contribution

The study of geomagnetic field variations in Antarctica is important in that local field lines are close to extreme magnetospheric regions, such as the polar cusp, where several generation mechanisms for ULF waves are active. Since the eighties, the Italian scientific community developed a research activity in Antarctica at Mario Zucchelli Station (TNB, CGM latitude 80°S), where magnetic facilities are continuously operating. In this review we present the experimental results obtained by a number of investigations conducted in the last years on geomagnetic pulsations in the Pc3-Pc5 frequency range. We also show compared analyses with measurements from other Antarctic and low latitude stations, and, in particular, a statistical analysis of propagation characteristics of low frequency geomagnetic field fluctuations between the two Antarctic stations, TNB and Scott Base

Fourteen years of geomagnetic daily variation at Mario Zucchelli Station (Antarctica)

During the 1986-87 austral summer a geomagnetic observatory was installed at the Italian Antarctic Base Mario Zucchelli Station. In the first three years continuous time variation monitoring and absolute measurements of the geomagnetic field were carried out only during summer expeditions. Starting 1991 an automatic acquisition system, operating through all the year, was put in operation. We present here some peculiarities of the daily variation as observed for fourteen years (1987-2000). The availability of a long series of data has allowed the definition of seasonal, as well as solar cycle effects, on short time variations as observed at a cusp-cap observatory. In particular, contrary to mid latitude behaviour, a clear dependence of the daily variation amplitude on the global geomagnetic K index was well defined