6,394 research outputs found
Stacked Micro Heat Exchange System for Optimized Thermal Coupling of MicroTEGs
This study presents modeling and experimental results of micro thermoelectric generators (μTEGs) integrated into a multilayer micro heat exchange system. The multilayer configuration benefits from low heat transfer resistances at small fluid flow rates and at the same time from low required pumping powers. The compact stacked power device allows for high net output power per volume, and therefore a reduction in size, weight, and cost compared with conventional large-scale heat exchangers. The influence of the boundary conditions and the system design parameters on the net output power of the micro heat exchange system was investigated by simulation. The theoretical results showed a major impact of the microchannel dimensions and the μTEG thickness on the overall output performance of the system. By adapting the applied fluid flow rate, the system's net power output can be maximized for varying operating temperatures. Experimental measurements of the cross-flow micro heat exchange system were in good agreement with the performed simulations. A net μTEG output power of 62.9mW/cm2 was measured for a double-layer system at an applied water inlet temperature difference of 60K with a Bi2Te3 μTEG (ZT of 0.12), resulting in a net volumetric efficiency factor of 37.2W/m3/K
Sandstone geomorphology of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa, in a global context
Fort Devens. Cold Climate, Energy-Efficient, Market-Rate Townhomes
In 2009, Mass Development issued an RFQ and subsequent RFP for teams to develop moderately priced high-efficiency homes on two sites within the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone. MassDevelopment, a Massachusetts agency that owns the Devens site (formerly Fort Devens Army Base, in Harvard, Massachusetts), set a goal of producing a replicable example of current and innovative sustainable building practices with a near-zero energy potential. Metric Development, as primary developer and construction manager, formed one of the successful teams that included CARB and Cambridge Seven Architects (C7A)
Wind speed characteristics and implications for wind power generation: Cape regions, South Africa
Research Proposal for an Experiment to Search for the Decay {\mu} -> eee
We propose an experiment (Mu3e) to search for the lepton flavour violating
decay mu+ -> e+e-e+. We aim for an ultimate sensitivity of one in 10^16
mu-decays, four orders of magnitude better than previous searches. This
sensitivity is made possible by exploiting modern silicon pixel detectors
providing high spatial resolution and hodoscopes using scintillating fibres and
tiles providing precise timing information at high particle rates.Comment: Research proposal submitted to the Paul Scherrer Institute Research
Committee for Particle Physics at the Ring Cyclotron, 104 page
Singapore boards and directors – Of those who govern and direct
<div><p>Environmental public goods—including national parks, clean air/water, and ecosystem services—provide substantial benefits on a global scale. These goods have unique characteristics in that they are typically “nonmarket” goods, with values from both use and passive use that accrue to a large number of individuals both in current and future generations. In this study, we test the hypothesis that neural signals in areas correlated with subjective valuations for essentially all other previously studied categories of goods (ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum) also correlate with environmental valuations. We use contingent valuation (CV) as our behavioral tool for measuring valuations of environmental public goods. CV is a standard stated preference approach that presents survey respondents with information on an issue and asks questions that help policymakers determine how much citizens are willing to pay for a public good or policy. We scanned human subjects while they viewed environmental proposals, along with three other classes of goods. The presentation of all four classes of goods yielded robust and similar patterns of temporally synchronized brain activation within <i>attentional </i>networks. The activations associated with the traditional classes of goods replicate previous correlations between neural activity in valuation areas and behavioral preferences. In contrast, CV-elicited values for environmental proposals did not correlate with brain activity at either the individual or population level. For a sub-population of participants, CV-elicited values were correlated with activity within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, a region associated with cognitive control and shifting decision strategies. The results show that neural activity associated with the subjective valuation of environmental proposals differs profoundly from the neural activity associated with previously examined goods and preference measures.</p></div
Differences between <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i> groups 1 and 2 in their resistance to killing by Trypanolytic factor 1
<p><b>Background:</b> The three sub-species of <i>Trypanosoma brucei</i> are important pathogens of sub-Saharan Africa. <i>T. b. brucei</i> is unable to infect humans due to sensitivity to trypanosome lytic factors (TLF) 1 and 2 found in human serum. <i>T. b. rhodesiense</i> and <i>T. b. gambiense</i> are able to resist lysis by TLF. There are two distinct sub-groups of <i>T. b. gambiense</i> that differ genetically and by human serum resistance phenotypes. Group 1 <i>T. b. gambiense</i> have an invariant phenotype whereas group 2 show variable resistance. Previous data indicated that group 1 <i>T. b. gambiense</i> are resistant to TLF-1 due in-part to reduced uptake of TLF-1 mediated by reduced expression of the TLF-1 receptor (the haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor (<i>HpHbR</i>)) gene. Here we investigate if this is also true in group 2 parasites.</p>
<p><b>Methodology:</b> Isogenic resistant and sensitive group 2 <i>T. b. gambiense</i> were derived and compared to other T. brucei parasites. Both resistant and sensitive lines express the <i>HpHbR</i> gene at similar levels and internalized fluorescently labeled TLF-1 similar fashion to <i>T. b. brucei</i>. Both resistant and sensitive group 2, as well as group 1 <i>T. b. gambiense</i>, internalize recombinant APOL1, but only sensitive group 2 parasites are lysed.</p>
<p><b>Conclusions:</b> Our data indicate that, despite group 1 <i>T. b. gambiense</i> avoiding TLF-1, it is resistant to the main lytic component, APOL1. Similarly group 2 <i>T. b. gambiense</i> is innately resistant to APOL1, which could be based on the same mechanism. However, group 2 <i>T. b. gambiense</i> variably displays this phenotype and expression does not appear to correlate with a change in expression site or expression of <i>HpHbR</i>. Thus there are differences in the mechanism of human serum resistance between <i>T. b. gambiense</i> groups 1 and 2.</p>
Measurements of Transverse Energy Flow in Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA
Measurements of transverse energy flow are presented for neutral current
deep-inelastic scattering events produced in positron-proton collisions at
HERA. The kinematic range covers squared momentum transfers Q^2 from 3.2 to
2,200 GeV^2, the Bjorken scaling variable x from 8.10^{-5} to 0.11 and the
hadronic mass W from 66 to 233 GeV. The transverse energy flow is measured in
the hadronic centre of mass frame and is studied as a function of Q^2, x, W and
pseudorapidity. A comparison is made with QCD based models. The behaviour of
the mean transverse energy in the central pseudorapidity region and an interval
corresponding to the photon fragmentation region are analysed as a function of
Q^2 and W.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Eur. Phys.
Searches at HERA for Squarks in R-Parity Violating Supersymmetry
A search for squarks in R-parity violating supersymmetry is performed in e^+p
collisions at HERA at a centre of mass energy of 300 GeV, using H1 data
corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 37 pb^(-1). The direct production
of single squarks of any generation in positron-quark fusion via a Yukawa
coupling lambda' is considered, taking into account R-parity violating and
conserving decays of the squarks. No significant deviation from the Standard
Model expectation is found. The results are interpreted in terms of constraints
within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), the constrained MSSM
and the minimal Supergravity model, and their sensitivity to the model
parameters is studied in detail. For a Yukawa coupling of electromagnetic
strength, squark masses below 260 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level in a
large part of the parameter space. For a 100 times smaller coupling strength
masses up to 182 GeV are excluded.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, 3 table
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