485 research outputs found
The role of energy management in the agricultural sector: key prerequisites and impacts
Received: January 30th, 2023 ; Accepted: April 8th, 2023 ; Published: May 3rd
, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] is one of the most energy-consuming sectors in the EU’s economy.
Implementing sustainable agriculture to reduce GHG emissions and increase energy efficiency
through energy management is a crucial strategy to tackle climate change. In this paper, the role
of energy management in the agricultural sector is studied, and experiences from Europe and the
world have been considered. Literature analysis regarding the chosen topic has been conducted,
including the methodology of energy management plan development and its implementation in
the case study of Latvia. Data from Latvia’s agricultural and other sectors have been analysed
and compared. Latvia’s Inventory Report regarding GHG emissions in the agricultural sector was
reviewed, and all emission sources in the agricultural sector were highlighted. The primary
purpose of the study is to find out if energy management were introduced in an agricultural
company, what would be the potential GHG emission, energy savings and additional advantages.
Two companies working in Latvia were surveyed, and potential emission and energy
consumption reduction measures in agriculture that would be applied to companies were
developed. The research showed that by implementing the basic principles of energy
management, it would be possible to reduce the average energy consumption by 17%. If measures
are applied to reduce GHG emissions from agricultural companies, the average emissions would
be reduced by 43%
Effect of nuclear quadrupole interactions on the dynamics of two-level systems in glasses
The standard tunneling model describes quite satisfactorily the thermal
properties of amorphous solids at temperatures in terms of an ensemble
of two-level systems possessing logarithmically uniform distribution over their
tunneling amplitudes and uniform distribution over their asymmetry energies. In
particular, this distribution explains the observable logarithmic temperature
dependence of the dielectric constant. Yet, experiments have shown that at
ultralow temperatures such a temperature behavior breaks down and the
dielectric constant becomes temperature independent (plateau effect). In this
letter we suggest an explanation of this behavior exploiting the effect of the
nuclear quadrupole interaction on tunneling. We show that below a temperature
corresponding to the characteristic energy of the nuclear quadrupole
interaction the effective tunneling amplitude is reduced by a small overlap
factor of the nuclear quadrupole ground states in the left and right potential
wells of the tunneling system. It is just this reduction that explains the
plateau effect . We predict that the application of a sufficiently large
magnetic field should restore the logarithmic dependence because of the
suppression of the nuclear quadrupole interaction.Comment: To appear in the Physical Review Letter
On the theory of resonant susceptibility of dielectric glasses in magnetic field
The anomalous magnetic field dependence of dielectric properties of
insulating glasses in the temperature interval is considered. In
this temperature range, the dielectric permittivity is defined by the resonant
contribution of tunneling systems. The external magnetic field regulates
nuclear spins of tunneling atoms. This regulation suppresses a nuclear
quadrupole interaction of these spins with lattice and, thus, affects the
dielectric response of tunneling systems. It is demonstrated that in the
absence of an external magnetic field the nuclear quadrupole interaction
results in the correction to the permittivity in the
temperature range of interest. An application of a magnetic field results in a
sharp increase of this correction approximately by a factor of two when the
Zeeman splitting approaches the order of . Further increase of the
magnetic field results in a relatively smooth decrease in the correction until
the Zeeman splitting approaches the temperature. This smooth dependence results
from tunneling accompanied by a change of the nuclear spin projection. As the
magnetic field surpasses the temperature, the correction vanishes. The results
obtained in this paper are compared with experiment. A new mechanism of the low
temperature nuclear spin-lattice relaxation in glasses is considered.Comment: 9 Pages, 5 Figures, To be submitted to the Physical Review B, please
send comment
Understanding user reactions and interactions with an internet-based intervention for tinnitus self-management: mixed-methods process evaluation protocol
Background: Tinnitus is a common medical symptom that can affect an individual’s emotional and functional quality of life. Psychological therapies are acknowledged as beneficial to people with tinnitus; however, such therapies are not always readily accessible. With their global reach, automated Internet-based interventions have the potential to reduce the disparity in access to psychological support that people with tinnitus currently experience. However, the evidence on the acceptability and efficacy of these interventions is lacking. Process evaluations that develop an in-depth understanding of how users experience these interventions provide an essential first step when evaluating complex psychological interventions.
Objective: To describe the protocol for a study that will explore past, current, and new users’ reactions to and interactions with the Tinnitus E-Programme, an Internet-based intervention for the self-management of tinnitus.
Methods: Two parallel mixed-methods studies will be carried out with 2 different populations. Study 1 will use an online survey to gather past and current users’ views of the program. Study 2 will recruit new program users to take part in an interview and complete a relaxation log to explore how well they were able to implement the skills they learned during the program in their everyday lives. The findings from both studies will be triangulated to develop an in-depth understanding of the program’s mechanisms of impact and identify any implementation or contextual factors that strengthen or impede its delivery and functioning.
Results: Study 1 is open for recruitment with a projected completion in June 2016 and Study 2 was completed November 2015. At the time of submission, 36 participants have been recruited to Study 1 and 12 participants have taken part in Study 2.
Conclusions: Findings will inform the optimization of the Tinnitus E-Programme and guide future evaluation work to assess the program’s effectiveness as a therapy for people with tinnitus
Understanding user reactions and interactions with an Internet-based intervention for tinnitus self-management: Mixed-methods evaluation
Purpose: Internet-based interventions have the potential to reduce the disparity in access to psychological therapy that people with tinnitus currently experience. One example is the Tinnitus E-Programme, which although freely available online, has not yet been formally evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate past, current, and new users’ reactions and interactions with the Tinnitus E-Programme.Method: Study 1 used an online survey to gather past and current users’ reactions to, and interactions with, the intervention (n=27). Study 2 used interviews and a relaxation log to assess how new users implemented the skills they learned into their everyday lives (n=13). Results: Generally, users expressed positive views of the intervention content and design features. Users particularly valued the education about tinnitus and its management, and relaxation skills training, and use of these components was high. In contrast, user reactions to self-monitoring tools, an online support forum, and therapist support were mixed, and use was lower. Implementation was limited by instances of poor usability and accessibility, user engagement, and adherence to relaxation goals. Users’ perceptions of the interventions credibility and relevance, and beliefs regarding a negative impact on their tinnitus influenced engagement. Users in both studies identified several benefits gained, including functional and emotional management; self-efficacy for managing and coping with tinnitus; understanding tinnitus and its management; social support; and acceptance of tinnitus. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the intervention was acceptable to its target group but also highlighted some areas for improvement. These findings will be used to inform further optimization work
Influência da temperatura e do substrato na germinação de sementes de dedaleiro (Lafoensia pacari).
Resumo
Efeito do substrato e da temperatura na germinação de sementes de Escallonia montevidensis (Cham. & Schl.) DC. (Saxifragaceae).
Organizado por Patricia Póvoa de Mattos, Celso Garcia Auer, Rejane Stumpf Sberze, Katia Regina Pichelli e Paulo César Botosso
Efeito do ataque de insetos na germinação de sementes de pau-jacaré (Piptadenia gonoacantha).
Organizado por Patricia Póvoa de Mattos, Celso Garcia Auer, Rejane Stumpf Sberze, Katia Regina Pichelli e Paulo César Botosso
- …