Water use and water availability constraints to decarbonised electricity systems

Analysis of numerous low carbon electricity strategies have been shown to have very divergent water requirements, normally needed for cooling of thermoelectric power stations. Our regional river-basin scale analysis of water use for future UK electricity strategies shows that, whilst in the majority of cases freshwater use is expected to decline, pathways with high levels of carbon capture and storage (CCS) will result in significantly elevated and concentrated water demands in a few key river basins. Furthermore, these growing demands are compared to both current water availability, and our expected regional water availability under the impacts of climate change. We identify key freshwater constraints to electricity strategies with high levels of CCS and show how these risks may be mitigated with higher levels of hybrid cooling and alternative cooling water sources

Field Worker Exposure to Selected Insecticides Applied to Com Via Center-Pivot Irrigation

Field workerswere monitored for dermal and respiratory exposure to chlorpyrifos (with and without crop oil), carbaryl, and permethrin at reentry intervals of 2, 4, 8, 24, and 48 h after application. Insecticides were applied to R3 stage corn through an overhead center-pivot irrigation system. Dermal exposure was measured by analyzing 18 gauze pads attached to the clothing of workers to represent human body regions. Hand exposure was determined using cotton gloves. Respiratory exposure was determined using portable air samplers equipped with polyurethane foam plugs to trap ambient insecticide residues. Gas liquid chromatography was used to quantify residues of chlorpyrifos and permethrin in gauze pads, gloves, and foam plugs. Carbaryl residues in pads, gloves, and foam plugs were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Highest dermal and respiratory exposures were found at the 2-h reentry interval. Exposures decreased as reentry interval increased. Dermal exposure was primarily confined to the hands. Residues detected by air samplers ranged from 0 to 0.03 μg/liter. Based on the estimated percentages of acute toxic dose (all \u3c0.00038%), the risk of acute toxicity to workers at the intervals studied was low

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective

This Report has a number of inter-related general purposes. One is to explore the extent to which food, nutrition, physical activity, and body composition modify the risk of cancer, and to specify which factors are most important. To the extent that environmental factors such as food, nutrition, and physical activity influence the risk of cancer, it is a preventable disease. The Report specifies recommendations based on solid evidence which, when followed, will be expected to reduce the incidence of cancer

TH9 cells are required for tissue mast cell accumulation during allergic inflammation

BACKGROUND: IL-9 is important for the growth and survival of mast cells. IL-9 is produced by T cells, natural killer T cells, mast cells, eosinophils, and innate lymphoid cells, although the cells required for mast cell accumulation during allergic inflammation remain undefined. OBJECTIVE: We sought to elucidate the role of TH9 cells in promoting mast cell accumulation in models of allergic lung inflammation. METHODS: Adoptive transfer of ovalbumin-specific TH2 and TH9 cells was used to assess the ability of each subset to mediate mast cell accumulation in tissues. Mast cell accumulation was assessed in wild-type mice and mice with PU.1-deficient T cells subjected to acute and chronic models of allergic inflammation. RESULTS: Adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that recipients of TH9 cells had significantly higher mast cell accumulation and expression of mast cell proteases compared with control or TH2 recipients. Mast cell accumulation was dependent on IL-9, but not IL-13, a cytokine required for many aspects of allergic inflammation. In models of acute and chronic allergic inflammation, decreased IL-9 levels in mice with PU.1-deficient T cells corresponded to diminished tissue mast cell numbers and expression of mast cell proteases. Mice with PU.1-deficient T cells have defects in IL-9 production from CD4(+) T cells, but not natural killer T cells or innate lymphoid cells, suggesting a TH cell-dependent phenotype. Rag1(-/-) mice subjected to a chronic model of allergic inflammation displayed reduced mast cell infiltration comparable with accumulation in mice with PU.1-deficient T cells, emphasizing the importance of IL-9 produced by T cells in mast cell recruitment. CONCLUSION: TH9 cells are a major source of IL-9 in models of allergic inflammation and play an important role in mast cell accumulation and activation

Non-magnetic impurities in two dimensional superconductors

A numerical approach to disordered 2D superconductors described by BCS mean field theory is outlined. The energy gap and the superfluid density at zero temperature and the quasiparticle density of states are studied. The method involves approximate self-consistent solutions of the Bogolubov-de$\,$Gennes equations on finite square lattices. Where comparison is possible, the results of standard analytic approaches to this problem are reproduced. Detailed modeling of impurity effects is practical using this approach. The {\it range} of the impurity potential is shown to be of {\it quantitative importance} in the case of strong potential scatterers. We discuss the implications for experiments, such as the rapid suppression of superconductivity by Zn doping in Copper-Oxide superconductors.Comment: 16 pages, latex, 8 figures( available upon request

Quasiparticle scattering and local density of states in the d-density wave phase

We study the effects of single-impurity scattering on the local density of states in the high-$T_c$ cuprates. We compare the quasiparticle interference patterns in three different ordered states: d-wave superconductor (DSC), d-density wave (DDW), and coexisting DSC and DDW (DSC-DDW). In the coexisting state, at energies below the DSC gap, the patterns are almost identical to those in the pure DSC state with the same DSC gap. However, they are significantly different for energies greater than or equal to the DSC gap. This transition at an energy around the DSC gap can be used to test the nature of the superconducting state of the underdoped cuprates by scanning tunneling microscopy. Furthermore, we note that in the DDW state the effect of the coherence factors is stronger than in the DSC state. The new features arising due to DDW ordering are discussed.Comment: 6 page, 5 figures (Higher resolution figures are available by request

Extended Impurity Potential in a d_{x^2-y^2} Superconductor

We investigate the role of a finite potential range of a nonmagnetic impurity for the local density of states in a d_{x^2-y^2} superconductor. Impurity induced subgap resonances are modified by the appearance of further scattering channels beyond the $s$--wave scattering limit. The structure of the local density of states (DOS) in the vicinity of the impurity is significantly enhanced and therefore improves the possibility for observing the characteristic anisotropic spatial modulation of the local DOS in a d_{x^2-y^2} superconductor by scanning tunneling microscopy.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, with 4 embedded eps figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

The interplay between electron-electron interactions and impurities in one-dimensional rings

The persistent current and charge stiffness of a one-dimensional Luttinger liquid on a ring threaded by a magnetic flux are calculated by Monte Carlo simulation. By changing the random impurity potential strength and the electron-electron interaction, we see a crossover behavior between weak and strong impurity limits. For weak impurity potentials, interactions enhance impurity effects, that is, interactions decrease the current and the stiffness. On the other hand, interactions tend to screen impurities when the impurity potential is strong. Temperature dependence of the persistent current and the charge stiffness shows a peak at a characteristic temperature, consistent with a recent single impurity study.Comment: 4 pages (ReVTeX3.0) + 3 figures (in uuencoded postscript format) appended in the end of the fil