Beyond Power over Ethernet : the development of Digital Energy Networks for buildings

Alternating current power distribution using analogue control and safety devices has been the dominant process of power distribution within our buildings since the electricity industry began in the late 19th century. However, with advances in digital technology, the seeds of change have been growing over the last decade. Now, with the simultaneous dramatic fall in power requirements of digital devices and corresponding rise in capability of Power over Ethernet, an entire desktop environment can be powered by a single direct current (dc) Ethernet cable. Going beyond this, it will soon be possible to power entire office buildings using dc networks. This means the logic of “one-size fits all” from the existing ac system is no longer relevant and instead there is an opportunity to redesign the power topology to be appropriate for different applications, devices and end-users throughout the building. This paper proposes a 3-tier classification system for the topology of direct current microgrids in commercial buildings – called a Digital Energy Network or DEN. The first tier is power distribution at a full building level (otherwise known as the microgrid); the second tier is power distribution at a room level (the nanogrid); and the third tier is power distribution at a desktop or appliance level (the picogrid). An important aspect of this classification system is how the design focus changes for each grid. For example; a key driver of the picogrid is the usability of the network – high data rates, and low power requirements; however, in the microgrid, the main driver is high power and efficiency at low cost

A novel DSM philosophy for building integrated renewable systems

This paper presents an overview of a novel concept in IT network design and power control focused on matching building integrated renewable power generation with local demands. It describes how this is achieved through combination of energy demand reduction and dynamic utilisation of embedded energy storage in a robust, efficient and cost effective manner. A brief overview of the main features of the design is given in terms of its intended benefits as an integrated system. The load components and distribution topology are described for this experimental system within the limits set by the capacity, capabilities and desired function of the network. Power supply to the network is described as including a back-up source to the photovoltaic (PV) source to add functionality and stability with no requirements for undesirable exporting of excess PV generation. The necessary configuration of the renewable array integrating with the network is also highlighted with an example compatible solar module device. A trial of the technology and demand management control in a high profile office building is described. This trial in a live working environment is providing invaluable real world data to compare against modelling and network simulation results

Urban grasslands support threatened water voles

Urbanisation is often linked with habitat loss and a reduction in species richness but some species may be able to adapt to urban environments. Water voles Arvicola amphibius, a rapidly declining species in the UK, have recently been recorded in isolated grassland habitats in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city (human population 1.2 million). The aim of this study was to determine the distribution and habitat characteristics of water vole populations occupying these dry grasslands. Field work was undertaken from March to October 2014 in a 34 km2 study area located 3 km east of the city centre. Field sign transects recorded water vole presence in 21/65 (32%) and 19/62 (31%) surveyed sites in spring and autumn, respectively. Vole occupancy increased with distance from water and was greatest in parkland, followed by sites with rank vegetation and roadside habitats. Occupancy was lower where signs of predators were recorded but surprisingly occupancy was found to be greater in the most disturbed sites, perhaps linked to the fact that many of these sites were public parks containing suitable grassland. Sites occupied by water voles were classed as neutral grasslands with species composition dominated by two main species. The number of grassland sites occupied by water voles, especially within public areas suggests that careful management of these urban grassland habitats will benefit the conservation of this highly threatened species in the UK

Comparative Performance Modelling of Heat Pump based Heating Systems using Dynamic Carbon Intensity

11th IET International Conference (APSCOM 2018) on Advances in Power System Control, Operation and Management, 2018Modern buildings and homes utilise multiple systems for energy generation, supply and storage in order to maintain occupant comfort, reduce operating costs and CO2 emissions. In recent times electricity generation and supply network (UK National Grid) have had to manage variable supply from renewable sources such as wind turbines and photovoltaics. This resulting supply mixture has a dynamic profile at intermittent times. To manage excess supply, the options are either to reduce the generation by power stations/renewables or reinforce the power infrastructure with storage capability. This has given rise to calls for electrification of services in streamlining the supply profile through intelligent demand response such as electric heating and vehicles. Furthermore, due to zero carbon energy sources with dynamic supply profile, the carbon intensity is no longer constant. This impacts the seasonal CO2 emissions calculations and also the design and performance of electrical powered heat pump based heating systems. The RISE (Renewable Integrated Sustainable Electric) heating system was developed (funded by the UK Research and Innovation), where an electrical powered Heat pump is combined with electric thermal storage allowing low cost and low carbon electricity to be utilised. For such a system more realistic performance analysis requires dynamic carbon intensity calculations to assess impact on its ability to maintain comfort, low operating costs and low carbon emissions. The paper builds upon previously published research on the RISE system comparing with domestic Gas Condensing Boiler (GCB) using static carbon calculations. This paper presents a comparison between the RISE system and standard domestic electrical powered Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) when using static and dynamic carbon intensity profiles. The Inverse Dynamics based Energy Assessment and Simulation (IDEAS) framework is utilised for modelling and dynamic simulation of building and heating system, operating cost and estimation of annual emissions based on half hourly (HH) dynamic CO2 intensity figures rather than annual average. The results show that with dynamic carbon intensity calculations, both electric heat pump based heating systems, RISE and ASHP show a significant increase (>15%) in carbon emissions for space heating. The results also show that whilst the RISE system’s thermal storage helps to reduce running costs using a time of use tariff (TOU), it only provides a small benefit in carbon emissions

Using climate reanalysis data in conjunction with multi-temporal satellite thermal imagery to derive supraglacial debris thickness changes from energy balance modelling

Surface energy-balance models are commonly used in conjunction with satellite thermal imagery to estimate supraglacial debris thickness. Removing the need for local meteorological data in the debris thickness estimation workflow could improve the versatility and spatiotemporal application of debris thickness estimation. We evaluate the use of regional reanalysis data to derive debris thickness for two mountain glaciers using a surface energy-balance model. Results forced using ERA-5 agree with AWS-derived estimates to within 0.01 ± 0.05 m for Miage Glacier, Italy, and 0.01 ± 0.02 m for Khumbu Glacier, Nepal. ERA-5 data were then used to estimate spatiotemporal changes in debris thickness over a ~20-year period for Miage Glacier, Khumbu Glacier and Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland. We observe significant increases in debris thickness at the terminus for Haut Glacier d'Arolla and at the margins of the expanding debris cover at all glaciers. While simulated debris thickness was underestimated compared to point measurements in areas of thick debris, our approach can reconstruct glacier-scale debris thickness distribution and its temporal evolution over multiple decades. We find significant changes in debris thickness over areas of thin debris, areas susceptible to high ablation rates, where current knowledge of debris evolution is limited

Surgical Treatment for Recurrent Bulbar Urethral Stricture: A Randomised Open-label Superiority Trial of Open Urethroplasty Versus Endoscopic Urethrotomy (the OPEN Trial)

BackgroundUrethral stricture affects 0.9% of men. Initial treatment is urethrotomy. Approximately, half of the strictures recur within 4 yr. Options for further treatment are repeat urethrotomy or open urethroplasty.ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of urethrotomy with open urethroplasty in adult men with recurrent bulbar urethral stricture.Design, setting, and participantsThis was an open label, two-arm, patient-randomised controlled trial. UK National Health Service hospitals were recruited and 222 men were randomised to receive urethroplasty or urethrotomy.InterventionUrethrotomy is a minimally invasive technique whereby the narrowed area is progressively widened by cutting the scar tissue with a steel blade mounted on a urethroscope. Urethroplasty is a more invasive surgery to reconstruct the narrowed area.Outcome measurements and statistical analysisThe primary outcome was the profile over 24 mo of a patient-reported outcome measure, the voiding symptom score. The main clinical outcome was time until reintervention.Results and limitationsThe primary analysis included 69 (63%) and 90 (81%) of those allocated to urethroplasty and urethrotomy, respectively. The mean difference between the urethroplasty and urethrotomy groups was –0.36 (95% confidence interval [CI] –1.74 to 1.02). Fifteen men allocated to urethroplasty needed a reintervention compared with 29 allocated to urethrotomy (hazard ratio [95% CI] 0.52 [0.31–0.89]).ConclusionsIn men with recurrent bulbar urethral stricture, both urethroplasty and urethrotomy improved voiding symptoms. The benefit lasted longer for urethroplasty.Patient summaryThere was uncertainty about the best treatment for men with recurrent bulbar urethral stricture. We randomised men to receive one of the following two treatment options: urethrotomy and urethroplasty. At the end of the study, both treatments resulted in similar and better symptom scores. However, the urethroplasty group had fewer reinterventions

TIA1 Mutations in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia Promote Phase Separation and Alter Stress Granule Dynamics.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are age-related neurodegenerative disorders with shared genetic etiologies and overlapping clinical and pathological features. Here we studied a novel ALS/FTD family and identified the P362L mutation in the low-complexity domain (LCD) of T cell-restricted intracellular antigen-1 (TIA1). Subsequent genetic association analyses showed an increased burden of TIA1 LCD mutations in ALS patients compared to controls (p = 8.7 × 1

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

Crop Updates 2007 - Weeds

This session covers thirty two papers from different authors: 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, Alexandra Douglas CONVENOR – WEEDS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD WILD RADISH MANAGEMENT 2. Decimate a wild radish seed bank in five years, Peter Newman, Sally Peltzer, Abul Hashem and Aik Cheam, Department of Agriculture and Food 3. High level of seed-set control in wild radish is achievable, Aik Cheam and Siew Lee,Department of Agriculture and Food 4. Wild radish: Best management practice, Aik Cheam and Siew Lee, Department of Agriculture and Food 5. Control of phenoxy resistant wild radish through the combined effects of wheat competition and phenoxy herbicides, Natalie Maguire and Michael Walsh, WAHRI, School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia 6.Efficacy of florasulam on chlorsulfuron resistant and susceptible wild radish populations in Western Australia, Michael Walsh1 and Dan Cornally2, 1WAHRI, School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, 2Dow Agrosciences Australia 7. Does liming to increase soil pH limit the growth and development of wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum)Matt Willis and Michael Walsh, WAHRI, School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia IWM TECHNIQUES AND SEEDBANKS 8. Weed trimming – a potential technique to reduce weed seed set, Glen Riethmuller, Abul Hashem and Shahab Pathan, Department of Agriculture and Food 9. Burn narrow windrows in the wind, Peter Newman1and Michael Walsh2, 1Department of Agriculture and Food, 2Research Fellow, WA Herbicide Resistance Initiative 10. Winning the Weed War with the Weed Seed Wizard! Michael Renton, Sally Peltzer and Art Diggle, Department of Agriculture and Food HERBICIDE RESISTANCE AND GENE FLOW 11. Frequency of herbicide resistance in wild oat (Avena fatua) across the Western Australian wheatbelt, Mechelle Owen and Stephen Powles, WA Herbicide Resistance Initiative, School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia 12. Pollen mediated gene flow of herbicide resistance can occur over long distances doe annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum): Results of two years with different meteorological conditions, Roberto Busi, Robert Barrett-Lennard and Stephen B. Powles, Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, School of Plant Biology – University of Western Australia 13. Doublegee has developed resistance to metsulfuron-methyl within WA wheatbelt, Dr Abul Hashem1and Dr Shahab Pathan2, 1Senior Research Officer, and 2Research Officer, Department Agriculture and Food 14. Another case of glyphosate resistance in annual ryegrass confirmes within Western Australia, Dr Abul Hashem1and Dr Shahab Pathan2, 1Senior Research Officer, and 2Research Officer, Department Agriculture and Food 15. Glyphosate resistance in the northern NSW – implications for Western Australian farming systems, Andrew Storrie, Tamworth Agricultural Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries ALTERNATIVES TO TRIFLURALIN, KNOCKDOWNS, TANK MIXES AND NOVEL USES 16. Alternative pre-emergent herbicides to trifluralin for annual ryegrass control, Mr David Minkey and Dr Abul Hashem, Department of Agriculture and Food, 17. Evaluation of a new pre-emergent herbicide alternative dor the control of trifluralin resistant Lolium rigidum Gaudin (annual ryegrass) in wheat and barley, Craig A. Ruchs, Syngenta Crop Protection Australia Pty Ltd and Dr Peter Boutsalis, University of Adelaide 18. Novel knockdown tank mixes: Results from 12 trials over four years, Shahab Pathan1, Abul Hashem2, Catherine Borger3, Nerys Wilkins and Julie Roche, Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, and 3the University of Western Australia 19. Alternative herbicides for weed control in lupins, Peter Newman and Martin Harries, Department of Agriculture and Food 20. Novel use application of clopyealid in lupins, John Peirce, and Brad Rayner, Department of Agriculture and Food 21. A model to predict grass selective herbicide rates, John Moore, Department of Agriculture and Food CROP AND WEED MANAGEMENT 22. Inter-row weed control in wide row lupin using knockdown-based tank mixes, Dr Abul Hashem1, Ray Fulwood2 and Chris Roberts3, 1Senior Research Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food, 2Farmer, Meckering, WA, 3Technical Officer, Department of Agriculture and Food 23. Timing of weed removal in wide-row lupins, Sally Peltzer, Shahab Pathan and Paul Matson, Department of Agriculture and Food 24. The effect of row spacing and crop density on competitiveness of lupins with wild radish, Bob French and Laurie Maiolo, Department of Agriculture and Food 25. Is delayed sowing a good strategy for weed management in lupins? Bob French, Department of Agriculture and Food 26. Delayed sowing as a strategy to manage annual ryegrass, Department of Agriculture and Food HERBICIDE TOLERANCE 27. The effect of herbicides on nodulation in lupins, Lorne Mills1, Harmohinder Dhammu2 and Beng Tan1, 1Curtin University of Technology, and 2Department of Agriculture and Food 28. Response of new wheat varieties to herbicides, Harmohinder Dhammu, Department of Agriculture and Food 29. Herbicide tolerance of new barley varieties, Harmohinder Dhammu, Vince Lambert and Chris Roberts, Department of Agriculture and Food 30. Herbicide tolerance of new oat varieties, Harmohinder Dhammu, Vince Lambert and Chris Roberts, Department of Agriculture and Food OTHER WEEDY MATTERS 31. Research and extension need for wild radish and other cruciferous weeds, Aik Cheam, Department of Agriculture and Food 32. e-weed – an information resource of seasonal weed management issues, Vanessa Stewartand Julie Roche, Department of Agriculture and Foo

Aptamer-based multiplexed proteomic technology for biomarker discovery

Interrogation of the human proteome in a highly multiplexed and efficient manner remains a coveted and challenging goal in biology. We present a new aptamer-based proteomic technology for biomarker discovery capable of simultaneously measuring thousands of proteins from small sample volumes (15 [mu]L of serum or plasma). Our current assay allows us to measure ~800 proteins with very low limits of detection (1 pM average), 7 logs of overall dynamic range, and 5% average coefficient of variation. This technology is enabled by a new generation of aptamers that contain chemically modified nucleotides, which greatly expand the physicochemical diversity of the large randomized nucleic acid libraries from which the aptamers are selected. Proteins in complex matrices such as plasma are measured with a process that transforms a signature of protein concentrations into a corresponding DNA aptamer concentration signature, which is then quantified with a DNA microarray. In essence, our assay takes advantage of the dual nature of aptamers as both folded binding entities with defined shapes and unique sequences recognizable by specific hybridization probes. To demonstrate the utility of our proteomics biomarker discovery technology, we applied it to a clinical study of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We identified two well known CKD biomarkers as well as an additional 58 potential CKD biomarkers. These results demonstrate the potential utility of our technology to discover unique protein signatures characteristic of various disease states. More generally, we describe a versatile and powerful tool that allows large-scale comparison of proteome profiles among discrete populations. This unbiased and highly multiplexed search engine will enable the discovery of novel biomarkers in a manner that is unencumbered by our incomplete knowledge of biology, thereby helping to advance the next generation of evidence-based medicine