3,024 research outputs found
Pan-European backcasting exercise, enriched with regional perspective, and including a list of short-term policy options
This deliverable reports on the results of the third and final pan-European stakeholder meeting and secondly, on the enrichment with a Pilot Area and regional perspective. The main emphasis is on backcasting as a means to arrive at long-term strategies and short-term (policy) actions
Report describing methodology for scenario development at pan-European and pilot Area scales, SCENES Deliverable 2.1
Microscopic energy flows in disordered Ising spin systems
An efficient microcanonical dynamics has been recently introduced for Ising
spin models embedded in a generic connected graph even in the presence of
disorder i.e. with the spin couplings chosen from a random distribution. Such a
dynamics allows a coherent definition of local temperatures also when open
boundaries are coupled to thermostats, imposing an energy flow. Within this
framework, here we introduce a consistent definition for local energy currents
and we study their dependence on the disorder. In the linear response regime,
when the global gradient between thermostats is small, we also define local
conductivities following a Fourier dicretized picture. Then, we work out a
linearized "mean-field approximation", where local conductivities are supposed
to depend on local couplings and temperatures only. We compare the approximated
currents with the exact results of the nonlinear system, showing the
reliability range of the mean-field approach, which proves very good at high
temperatures and not so efficient in the critical region. In the numerical
studies we focus on the disordered cylinder but our results could be extended
to an arbitrary, disordered spin model on a generic discrete structures.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
Hypothermic in situ perfusion of the porcine liver using Celsior or Ringer-lactate solution
BACKGROUND: Hypothermic perfusion (HP) of the liver is applied during total vascular exclusion (TVE) to reduce ischemic injury during liver resection. No studies have been performed comparing different perfusion solutions for HP. The aim of this experimental study was to compare Ringer-lactate solution (RL) with Celsior solution (Cs) for HP in a pig model of 60-min TVE. METHOD: Twenty pigs underwent 60-min TVE of the liver. Groups were TVE without HP (no-HP, n = 9), TVE with HP using RL (n = 6), and TVE with HP using Cs (n = 5). Blood and liver tissue samples were taken before TVE and during 24-h reperfusion. RESULTS: In the no-HP group, plasma aspartate aminotransferase values were significantly increased during reperfusion (p <0.05), while liver tissue pO(2) levels (p <0.01) were decreased when compared to the HP groups. After 24-h reperfusion, bile production and liver tissue glutathione content were significantly higher (p <0.05) in the Cs group (42.0 +/- 1.7 mL/h and 44.9 +/- 2.2 nmol/mg, respectively) as compared to the RL group (31.5 +/- 3.5 mL/h and 19.6 +/- 1.8 nmol/mg, respectively). CONCLUSION: The protective effect of HP during TVE was confirmed in this study. HP with Cs was more effective in reducing ischemic injury as compared to HP with R
PerR controls oxidative stress defence and aerotolerance but not motility-associated phenotypes of Campylobacter jejuni
The foodborne bacterial pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is an obligate microaerophile, which is exposed to atmospheric oxygen during transmission through the food chain. Survival under aerobic conditions requires the concerted control of oxidative stress systems, which in C. jejuni are intimately connected with iron metabolism via the PerR and Fur regulatory proteins. Here we have characterised the roles of C. jejuni PerR in oxidative stress- and motility phenotypes, and its regulon at the level of transcription, protein expression and promoter interactions. Insertional inactivation of perR in the C. jejuni reference strains NCTC 11168, 81-176 and 81116 did not result in any growth deficiencies, but strongly increased survival in atmospheric oxygen conditions, and allowed growth around filter discs infused with up to 30% H2O2 (8.8 M). Expression of catalase, alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, thioredoxin reductase and the Rrc desulforubrerythrin were increased in the perR mutant, and this was mediated at the transcriptional level as shown by electrophoretic mobility shift assays of the katA, ahpC and trxB promoters using purified PerR. Differential RNA-seq analysis of a fur perR mutant allowed the identification of eight previously unknown transcription start sites of genes controlled by either Fur and/or PerR. Finally, inactivation of perR in C. jejuni did not result in reduced motility, and did not reduce killing of Galleria melonella wax moth larvae. In conclusion, PerR plays an important role in controlling oxidative stress resistance and aerobic survival of C. jejuni, but this role does not extend into control of motility and associated phenotypes
Energy Sector Adaptation in Response to Water Scarcity
Integrated assessment models (IAMs) have largely ignored the impacts of water scarcity on the energy sector and the related implications for climate change mitigation. However, significant water is required in the production of energy, including for thermoelectric power plant cooling, hydropower generation, irrigation for bioenergy, and the extraction and refining of liquid fuels. With a changing climate and expectations of increasing competition for water from the agricultural and municipal sectors, it is unclear whether sufficient water will be available where needed to support water-intensive energy technologies (e.g., thermoelectric generation) in the future. Thus, it is important that water use and water constraints are incorporated into IAMs to better understand energy sector adaptation to water scarcity.
The MESSAGE model has recently been updated with the capability to quantify the water consumption and withdrawal requirements of the energy sector and now includes several cooling technologies for addressing water scarcity. These new capabilities have been used to quantify water consumption, water withdrawal, and thermal pollution associated with pre-existing climate change mitigation scenarios. The current study takes the next step by introducing water constraints into Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios to examine whether and how the energy sector can adapt to water scarcity.
This study will provide insight into the following questions related to energy sector adaptation to water scarcity:
How does the energy sector adapt to water scarcity in different regions?
What are the costs associated with adaptation to water scarcity?
How do adaptations to constraints on water withdrawal and consumption differ?
Is climate mitigation limited under water scarcity (esp. with low deployment of wind/ solar)?
How important are dry cooling and seawater cooling for addressing water scarcity and climate mitigation
Shot Noise in Linear Macroscopic Resistors
We report on a direct experimental evidence of shot noise in a linear
macroscopic resistor. The origin of the shot noise comes from the fluctuation
of the total number of charge carriers inside the resistor associated with
their diffusive motion under the condition that the dielectric relaxation time
becomes longer than the dynamic transit time. Present results show that neither
potential barriers nor the absence of inelastic scattering are necessary to
observe shot noise in electronic devices.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Energy Sector Adaptation in Response to Water Scarcity
Integrated assessment models (IAMs) have largely ignored the impacts of water scarcity on the energy sector and the related implications for climate change mitigation. However, significant water is required in the production of energy, including for thermoelectric power plant cooling, hydropower generation, irrigation for bioenergy, and the extraction and refining of liquid fuels. With a changing climate and expectations of increasing competition for water from the agricultural and municipal sectors, it is unclear whether sufficient water will be available where needed to support water-intensive energy technologies (e.g., thermoelectric generation) in the future. Thus, it is important that water use and water constraints are incorporated into IAMs to better understand energy sector adaptation to water scarcity.
The MESSAGE model has recently been updated with the capability to quantify the water consumption and withdrawal requirements of the energy sector and now includes several cooling technologies for addressing water scarcity. These new capabilities have been used to quantify water consumption, water withdrawal, and thermal pollution associated with pre-existing climate change mitigation scenarios. The current study takes the next step by introducing water constraints into Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios to examine whether and how the energy sector can adapt to water scarcity.
This study will provide insight into the following questions related to energy sector adaptation to water scarcity:
How does the energy sector adapt to water scarcity in different regions?
What are the costs associated with adaptation to water scarcity?
How do adaptations to constraints on water withdrawal and consumption differ?
Is climate mitigation limited under water scarcity (esp. with low deployment of wind/ solar)?
How important are dry cooling and seawater cooling for addressing water scarcity and climate mitigation
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