A ducted wind turbine simulation model for building simulation

Power production is shifting away from centralized generation plants to production of heat and power at the point of demand. A technology that may play a part in this shift is the ducted wind turbine (DWT). The emergence of small building integrated micro turbines opens up the possibility of utilizing the differential pressures occurring around buildings for local power production. This paper describes work to develop and test a simple mathematical model of a ducted wind turbine and its integration within a building simulation tool. A case study in which the simulation model will be used to analyse of the likely power output from a building incorporating ducted wind turbines within the façade is also presented

Economic Significance of Specific Export Promotion on Poverty Reduction and Inter- Industry Growth of Ethiopia

Micro simulated general equilibrium approach was used to analyze the economic significance of the current export promotion policy of Ethiopia. Simulation results, in general, indicated little achievements of economic growth and poverty reduction under selective export promotion. In this policy approach, only rural households were able to acquire higher income and lower poverty incidence. These achievements however were transmitted to small and big urban households when export promotion was assumed to be implemented across the board of all agricultural activities. Significant economic and inter-industrial growths were attained when the coffee industry was given equal policy treatments like other export agricultureSelective export promotion policy, computable general equilibrium, poverty reduction, foreign direct investment, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Studies of satellite support to weather modification in the western US region

The applications of meteorological satellite data to both summer and winter weather modification programs are addressed. Appraisals of the capability of satellites to assess seedability, to provide real-time operational support, and to assist in the post-experiment analysis of a seeding experiment led to the incorporation of satellite observing systems as a major component in the Bureau of Reclamations weather modification activities. Satellite observations are an integral part of the South Park Area cumulus experiment (SPACE) which aims to formulate a quantitative hypothesis for enhancing precipitation from orographically induced summertime mesoscale convective systems (orogenic mesoscale systems). Progress is reported in using satellite observations to assist in classifying the important mesoscale systems, and in defining their frequency and coverage, and potential area of effect. Satellite studies of severe storms are also covered

Assessment of the learning curve in health technologies: a systematic review

Objective: We reviewed and appraised the methods by which the issue of the learning curve has been addressed during health technology assessment in the past. Method: We performed a systematic review of papers in clinical databases (BIOSIS, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, HealthSTAR, MEDLINE, Science Citation Index, and Social Science Citation Index) using the search term "learning curve:" Results: The clinical search retrieved 4,571 abstracts for assessment, of which 559 (12%) published articles were eligible for review. Of these, 272 were judged to have formally assessed a learning curve. The procedures assessed were minimal access (51%), other surgical (41%), and diagnostic (8%). The majority of the studies were case series (95%). Some 47% of studies addressed only individual operator performance and 52% addressed institutional performance. The data were collected prospectively in 40%, retrospectively in 26%, and the method was unclear for 31%. The statistical methods used were simple graphs (44%), splitting the data chronologically and performing a t test or chi-squared test (60%), curve fitting (12%), and other model fitting (5%). Conclusions: Learning curves are rarely considered formally in health technology assessment. Where they are, the reporting of the studies and the statistical methods used are weak. As a minimum, reporting of learning should include the number and experience of the operators and a detailed description of data collection. Improved statistical methods would enhance the assessment of health technologies that require learning

Assessing the learning curve effect in health technologies: Lessons from the non-clinical literature

Introduction: Many health technologies exhibit some form of learning effect, and this represents a barrier to rigorous assessment. It has been shown that the statistical methods used are relatively crude. Methods to describe learning curves in fields outside medicine, for example, psychology and engineering, may be better. Methods: To systematically search non–health technology assessment literature (for example, PsycLit and Econlit databases) to identify novel statistical techniques applied to learning curves. Results: The search retrieved 9,431 abstracts for assessment, of which 18 used a statistical technique for analyzing learning effects that had not previously been identified in the clinical literature. The newly identified methods were combined with those previously used in health technology assessment, and categorized into four groups of increasing complexity: a) exploratory data analysis; b) simple data analysis; c) complex data analysis; and d) generic methods. All the complex structured data techniques for analyzing learning effects were identified in the nonclinical literature, and these emphasized the importance of estimating intra- and interindividual learning effects. Conclusion: A good dividend of more sophisticated methods was obtained by searching in nonclinical fields. These methods now require formal testing on health technology data sets

Selective cell death of latently HIV-infected CD4+ T cells mediated by autosis inducing nanopeptides.

Despite significant advances in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV) infection, antiretroviral therapy only suppresses viral replication but is unable to eliminate infection. Thus, discontinuation of antiretrovirals results in viral reactivation and disease progression. A major reservoir of HIV latent infection resides in resting central memory CD4+ T cells (TCM) that escape clearance by current therapeutic regimens and will require novel strategies for elimination. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of autophagy-inducing peptides, Tat-Beclin 1 and Tat-vFLIP-α2, which can induce a novel Na+/K+-ATPase dependent form of cell death (autosis), to kill latently HIV-infected TCM while preventing virologic rebound. In this study, we encapsulated autophagy inducing peptides into biodegradable lipid-coated hybrid PLGA (poly lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles for controlled intracellular delivery. A single dose of nanopeptides was found to eliminate latent HIV infection in an in vitro primary model of HIV latency and ex vivo using resting CD4+ T cells obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral with fully suppressed virus for greater than 12 months. Notably, increased LC3B lipidation, SQSTM1/p62 degradation and Na+/K+-ATPase activity characteristic of autosis, were detected in nanopeptide treated latently HIV-infected cells compared to untreated uninfected or infected cells. Nanopeptide-induced cell death could be reversed by knockdown of autophagy proteins, ATG5 and ATG7, and inhibition or knockdown of Na+/K+-ATPase. Importantly, viral rebound was not detected following the induction of the Na+/K+-ATPase dependent form of cell death induced by the Tat-Beclin 1 and Tat-vFLIP-α2 nanopeptides. These findings provide a novel strategy to eradicate HIV latently infected resting memory CD4+ T cells, the major reservoir of HIV latency, through the induction of Na+/K+-ATPase dependent autophagy, while preventing reactivation of virus and new infection of uninfected bystander cells

Constraining planet formation around 6M⊙-8M⊙ stars

Identifying planets around O-type and B-type stars is inherently difficult; the most massive known planet host has a mass of only about 3M⊙. However, planetary systems which survive the transformation of their host stars into white dwarfs can be detected via photospheric trace metals, circumstellar dusty and gaseous discs, and transits of planetary debris crossing our line-of-sight. These signatures offer the potential to explore the efficiency of planet formation for host stars with masses up to the core-collapse boundary at ≈8M⊙, a mass regime rarely investigated in planet formation theory. Here, we establish limits on where both major and minor planets must reside around ≈6M⊙ − 8M⊙ stars in order to survive into the white dwarf phase. For this mass range, we find that intact terrestrial or giant planets need to leave the main sequence beyond approximate minimum star-planet separations of respectively about 3 and 6 au. In these systems, rubble pile minor planets of radii 10, 1.0, and 0.1 km would have been shorn apart by giant branch radiative YORP spin-up if they formed and remained within, respectively, tens, hundreds and thousands of au. These boundary values would help distinguish the nature of the progenitor of metal-pollution in white dwarf atmospheres. We find that planet formation around the highest mass white dwarf progenitors may be feasible, and hence encourage both dedicated planet formation investigations for these systems and spectroscopic analyses of the highest mass white dwarfs

Population biology and prospects for suppression of the solanaceous fruit fly, Bactrocera latifrons (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel) is a tephritid fruit fly native to South and Southeast Asia. First detected in Hawaii in 1983, it primarily infests fruits of solanaceous plants but has also been found to infest fruits of some species of cucurbitaceous plants in Hawaii. Because it has been known in Hawaii for a much shorter period of time than the other three introduced tephritid fruit flies of economic importance, there has been much less opportunity to study its basic biology and ecology. One area not yet sufficiently understood is the population ecology of this species. Here, we report on the population levels of B. latifrons as they relate to turkeyberry (Solanum torvum Sw) phenology in a cattle pasture with abundant turkeyberry patches in the vicinity of Haiku, Maui