Josh's Battery - a more even relationship with the grid

Josh's House is a “living laboratory” research and demonstration project in the Perth suburb of Hilton, Western Australia. The scope of Josh's House included the design and construction of two energy efficient family homes that achieved the highest level, 10-stars (estimated thermal load: 4 MJ/m2/year) [Australian Government Department of Environment, Star rating scale overview, 2015 (Online), http://www.nathers.gov.au/owners-and-builders/star-rating-scale-overview, accessed on: 2017/17/07], under the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme. The project partners include the Co-operative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living and Curtin University. In mid-2015, a further research component was added to Josh's House involving the installation and ongoing monitoring of a battery storage system. This system is a domestic example of a distributed energy storage system (DESS) and is here referred to “Josh's Battery” or “the DESS”. The aim of the project is, in the first instance, to make domestic DESS data publicly available. Broader project objectives are to trial the technology, test assumptions on performance, document and communicate lessons and outcomes, and to inform further research and development. This paper provides an analysis of the monitoring data produced during the energy storage system's first year of operation. Particular areas of interest include: interaction with the electricity grid before and after installation of the storage system; correlation of system performance to specifications and modelled predictions; anomalies and unexpected results; and lessons learned from the installation and operation of the system. Implications and influences. The significance of this research is that it is built around the first monitored, grid connected domestic energy storage system in the Perth metropolitan area. It provides unprecedented data on how these systems can be expected to operate when embedded into a large-scale electricity network. The project also gives the opportunity to test some fundamental assumptions about these systems and feed into policy and business case development for the distributed energy storage sector, more broadly

Alkaptonuria

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare disorder of autosomal recessive inheritance. It is caused by a mutation in a gene that results in the accumulation of homogentisic acid (HGA). Characteristically, the excess HGA means sufferers pass dark urine, which upon standing turns black. This is a feature present from birth. Over time patients develop other manifestations of AKU, due to deposition of HGA in collagenous tissues, namely ochronosis and ochronotic osteoarthropathy. Although this condition does not reduce life expectancy, it significantly affects quality of life. The natural history of this condition is becoming better understood, despite gaps in knowledge. Clinical assessment of the condition has also improved along with the development of a potentially disease-modifying therapy. Furthermore, recent developments in AKU research have led to new understanding of the disease, and further study of the AKU arthropathy has the potential to influence therapy in the management of osteoarthriti

A role for interleukins in ochronosis in a chondrocyte in vitro model of alkaptonuria

Objectives Alkaptonuria is a rare autosomal recessive condition resulting from inability to breakdown homogentisic acid (HGA); an intermediate in tyrosine degradation. The condition has a triad of clinical features, the most damaging of which is ochronotic osteoarthropathy. HGA is elevated from birth but pigmentation takes many years. We hypothesise that interleukins play a role in initiation and progression of ochronotic osteoarthropathy. Methods C20/A4 cells were cultured and maintained in 9cm petri dishes containing either HGA at 0.33mM, a single interleukin (IL-1β, IL-6 or IL-10) at 1ng/ml or a combination of HGA and a single interleukin. Statistical analysis of pigment deposits and cell viability was performed using analysis of variance with Newman-Keuls post-test. Results All cultures containing HGA showed a significant increase in pigment deposition compared to control and IL cultures alone. The cultures containing HGA and IL-6 showed a significant increase in pigment deposits compared to HGA alone. The cell viability counts across all cultures on day 10 demonstrated a significant decrease in cultures containing HGA compared to those which did not. There was no significant difference between cultures containing just HGA or those combined with an interleukin. Conclusions This work demonstrates a role for cytokines present in the joint(s) in the pigmentation process, particularly IL-6 and that the presence of HGA in joint tissues appears more detrimental to chondrocytes than the presence of any of the interleukins found in response to joint injury, trauma and OA. This further supports the evidence that the arthropathy in alkaptonuria is much more severe and rapidly progressing

The viewpoints of early years practitioners on strategies to support children with speech, language and communication needs: a Q methodological study

Acquiring language is understood to be a key part of a child’s development (Siraj-Blatchford & Clarke, 2003), impacting skills including literacy and behaviour. The number of children identified as having speech, language and communication needs has been increasing by 4-6 percent each year since 2011 and is the most common primary need of children with on the SEN register (Whitaker, 2014). Early intervention is argued to have the greatest impact on the outcomes for children, as well as being the most cost-effective (Law et al., 2001). However, there has been a call to improve the provision for children with these needs due to the variability of the provision children receive (Bercow, 2008). Due to the diverse workforce, as well as the recognised importance of practitioners viewpoints, there has been a call for research into the viewpoints of early years practitioners regarding strategies to support children with SLCN (Marshall & Lewis, 2014). The present research uses a Q methodological research approach (Stephenson, 1953) to explore the viewpoints of 42 early years practitioners on strategies to support children with speech, language and communication needs. Q methodology utilises the advantages of both qualitative and quantitative research methods and creates open communication around complex topics in order to clarify participants’ views and explore subjective and diverse viewpoints. The data generated by Q methodology was analysed using a by-person factor analysis. Three distinct viewpoints were identified within the group of early years practitioners who participated in the research. These viewpoints were: • One: Tailor interventions and seek professionals’ advice • Two: Emphasis on stand-alone strategies, alter instructional language and don’t use visuals • Three: Understand a child’s background and utilise environmental strategies Follow-up interviews were carried out to strengthen the validity of the findings and explore what has informed the viewpoints captured, as well as to identify what helps and hinders practitioners working in line with their viewpoint. Numerous implications for professional practice have been identified that could support the effective implementation of strategies to support children with SLCN

Delayed bolting in rocket for improved quality and greater sustainability

Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) has recently become a popular salad leaf in the UK due to its peppery taste. It is grown widely in Italy but is now being produced in Spring and Summer in England. It is part of the Brassicaceae family and thus has a high level of homology at the DNA level to other Brassica species and Arabidopsis. This project aims to produce late bolting genotypes of rocket to incorporate into commercial breeding programmes. Delayed bolting is important as current varieties flower at unpredictable times and often earlier than desired. This is a problem because when rocket flowers it becomes unsaleable. Ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) was used to generate a mutant population of rocket. Late bolting lines were selected and whole genome sequencing was used to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) induced by the EMS which may be a cause of the late bolting phenotype. Six flowering pathway genes have been isolated from rocket and have been tested to see if they can functionally complement A. thaliana knockout lines in these genes. Further work was carried out to investigate how these genes were expressed over diurnal and developmental time courses to understand their function in the flowering time pathway in rocket. Together, these results show that most of the flowering pathway genes isolated from rocket are functional orthologues of those in Arabidopsis. The photoperiodic and vernalization requirements of rocket were investigated and it was found that rocket does not have a vernalization requirement and is a facultative long day plant. Targeted mutagenesis using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated system (cas9) was employed for the introduction of mutations into the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene in rocket and Arabidopsis. Many late flowering Arabidopsis lines were identified and sequencing revealed the successful manipulation of the FT gene. Two late bolting rocket lines were also identified. Overall, the project aims were achieved as late bolting rocket lines have been produced and will be incorporated into a rocket breeding programme

FLC expression is down-regulated by cold treatment in Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket), but flowering time is unaffected

Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) has become a very popular salad leaf due to its peppery taste. It is part of the Brassicaceae family and thus has a high level of homology at the DNA level to other Brassica species including Arabidopsis thaliana. The vernalization and photoperiodic requirements of wild rocket have not been reported to date. Photoperiodic experiments described here demonstrate that rocket is a facultative long day plant. To investigate the vernalization requirement, both seed and young plants were given vernalization treatments at 4 °C for different lengths of time. A rocket homologue of FLOWERING LOCUS C (DtFLC) was isolated and shown to functionally complement the Arabidopsis FRI+flc3 null mutant. Whilst the expression of DtFLC was significantly reduced after just one week of cold treatment, cold treatments of two to eight weeks had no significant effect on bolting time of wild rocket indicating that rocket does not have a vernalization requirement. These findings illustrate that important fundamental differences can exist between model and crop plant species, such as in this case where down-regulation of DtFLC expression does not enable earlier flowering in wild rocket as it does in Arabidopsis and many other Brassica species

Raman Spectroscopy identifies differences in ochronotic and non-ochronotic cartilage:a potential novel technique for monitoring ochronosis

Objective Alkaptonuria (AKU) is a rare, inherited disorder of tyrosine metabolism, where patients are unable to breakdown homogentisic acid (HGA), which increases systemically over time. It presents with a clinical triad of features; HGA in urine, ochronosis of collagenous tissues, and the subsequent ochronotic arthritis of these tissues. In recent years the advance in the understanding of the disease and the potential treatment of the disorder looks promising with the data on the efficacy of nitisinone. However, there are limited methods for the detection and monitoring of ochronosis in vivo, or for treatment monitoring. The study aim was to test the hypothesis that Raman spectra would identify a distinct chemical fingerprint for the non-ochronotic, compared to ochronotic cartilage. Design: Ochronotic and non-ochronotic cartilage from human hips and ears were analysed using Raman spectroscopy. Results: Non-ochronotic cartilage spectra were similar and reproducible and typical of normal articular cartilage. Conversely, the ochronotic cartilage samples were highly fluorescent and displayed limited or no discernible Raman peaks in the spectra, in stark contrast to their non-ochronotic pairs. Interestingly, a novel peak was observed associated with the polymer of HGA in the ochronotic cartilage that was confirmed by analysis of pigment derived from synthetic HGA. Conclusion: This technique reveals novel data on the chemical differences in ochronotic compared with non-ochronotic cartilage, these differences are detectable by a technique that is already generating in vivo data and demonstrates the first possible procedure to monitor the progression of ochronosis in tissues of patients with AKU

A Mammoth Task:Identifying Mammoth Ivory Using Raman Spectroscopy

A mammoth tusk contains an inner mineralized protein matrix of dentine and an outer layer of cementum. Enamel is only present on the tips of the tusks of young mammoths, and is worn away in older mammoths. Dentine is a mineralized connective tissue containing the inorganic component of dahlite [Ca10(PO4)6(CO3)H2O]. To determine the species from which ivory originated, often destructive methods are used. Raman spectroscopy is a non-invasive laser-based technique that has proven applications in the chemistry of mineralized tissue. Ivory and bone have similar biochemical properties. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that mammoth ivory is identifiable using Raman spectroscopy. Mammoth tusks were kindly loaned from the Natural History Museum, London, UK. All tusks were from the species Mammuthus primigenius discovered either in Lyakhov Islands or next to the Yenisei river, Krasnoyarsk (Siberia, Russia) and span the Pleistocene epoch, Cenerzoic era. The ivory was scanned with an inVia Raman micro spectrometer (Renishaw Ltd) equipped with a x50 objective lens and a 785nm laser. Spectra were acquired using line maps on cross sections of two samples, and individual spectral points were acquired independently at random or at points of interest on all samples. Data was analysed with principal component analysis (PCA) using an in-house Matlab script. To date, the results of this study establishes that well preserved mammoth ivory can be characterized through the comparison of peak intensity ratios between organic v(CH) collagen peaks and inorganic v(PO) hydroxyapatite peaks. Differences were observed in the hydroxyapatite peak from spectra acquired near the medulla of the tusk compared to the cortex. This suggests that the tusk is more mineralized towards the cortex compared to dentine found closer to the medulla. A comparison of the average data from each mammoth tusk demonstrated that the mammoth spectral ‘fingerprint’ remains similar for all samples, though there was some inter-variation in the mineralization of the tusks from mammoths of the same species. Further work in this study aims to compare the Raman spectra between mammoth and elephant ivory. This will have direct applications in archaeology, as the species from which an ivory sample is found could be identified without the need for more traditional, destructive techniques of valuable artefacts. Additionally, international trade regulations require proof of the species from which ivory is obtained. The information obtained in this study will be valuable in developing quick and non-destructive methods for the identification of ivory from an unknown origin

FARMERS DECISIONS AND DETERMINANTS OF CROP ROTATIONS WITH LUPIN: THE CASE OF WEST AMHARA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Using lupin as a break crop and for soil fertility improvement is one of the practices to enhance productivity and improve soil fertility in Ethiopian conditions. However, the use of this practice by smallholder farmers is limited. Therefore, the major objective of this study was to empirically examine factors influencing farmers’ decision to allocate land for lupin crop production as a break crop in North Western Amhara Region of Ethiopia. In this study, stratified sampling procedure was used to select 253 sample households from four Districts (137 household who use lupin in their crop rotations and 116 that do not). The required data were collected using interviews with a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing farmers’ decision to allocate land for lupin production as a break crop. The results of the logit regression analysis indicate that family size, total farmland holdings and contacts with extension workers were the most important factors influencing the decision of the farmer to practice crop rotation with lupin. Hence, emphasis should be given to improve the human capital through training and providing extension service to bring farmers’ awareness to practice improved technologies and best indigenous knowledge

Discrimination of ivory from extant and extinct elephant species using Raman spectroscopy : A potential non-destructive technique for combating illegal wildlife trade

The use of elephant ivory as a commodity is a factor in declining elephant populations. Despite recent worldwide elephant ivory trade bans, mammoth ivory trade remains unregulated. This complicates law enforcement efforts, as distinguishing between ivory from extant and extinct species requires costly, destructive and time consuming methods. Elephant and mammoth ivory mainly consists of dentine, a mineralized connective tissue that contains an organic collagenous component and an inorganic component of calcium phosphate minerals, similar in structure to hydroxyapatite crystals. Raman spectroscopy is a non-invasive laser-based technique that has previously been used for the study of bone and mineral chemistry. Ivory and bone have similar biochemical properties, making Raman spectroscopy a promising method for species identification based on ivory. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that it is possible to identify differences in the chemistry of mammoth and elephant ivory using Raman spectroscopy. Mammoth and elephant tusks were obtained from the Natural History Museum in London, UK. Included in this study were eight samples of ivory from Mammuthus primigenius, two samples of carved ivory bangles from Africa (Loxodonta species), and one cross section of a tusk from Elephas maximus. The ivory was scanned using an inVia Raman micro spectrometer equipped with a x50 objective lens and a 785nm laser. Spectra were acquired using line maps and individual spectral points were acquired randomly or at points of interest on all samples. The data was then analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) with use of an in-house MATLAB script. Univariate analysis of peak intensity ratios of phosphate to amide I and III peaks, and carbonate to phosphate peaks showed statistical differences (