Letteratura scientifica selezionata sul tema "Exo selective"

Conformationally restrained exo-isomers of N-Boc-protected spiro[2′,2′-difluorocyclopropane-3′,2′-tropanes] were synthesized in 62–83% yield via absolutely diastereoselective cycloaddition of CF2, generated in situ from Me3SiCF3/NaI in refluxing THF, to double bonds of 3-alkylidenetropanes. Standard removal of Boc protecting groups afforded corresponding exo-spiro[2′,2′-difluorocyclopropane-3′,2′-tropane] hydrochlorides in 82–94% yields. DFT and CCSD(T) calculations revealed that the observed exo-selectivity of difluorocarbene addition is likely to be caused by a lower activation barrier of the exo-difluorocyclopropanation compared to the endo-reaction.

One-step and selective approach to the synthesis of Si-containing exo-norbornenes has been developed based on hydrosilylation reaction of norbornadiene-2,5 with unactivated silanes using Pd-complexes in the presence of bulky ligands. This approach leads to only exo-isomers of norbornene derivatives. The absence of alkylation step by organometallic compounds or photochemical isomerization makes the suggested approach promising for the synthesis of new polymeric materials with desired properties.

A simple one-step approach for the selective synthesis of exo-norbornenes with organosilicon substituents is suggested through the direct hydrosilylation of norbornadiene-2,5 with chlorine-free silanes.

With more than ¾ of the forest surface of Cameroon allocated to logging, the survival of many rainforest species will depend on the way in which timber production forests will be managed in this country for the next decades. Management decisions to be applied should be directed systematically towards a minimization of the negative impacts on the ecosystem as a whole, including on the animal populations living in these forests. This requires a detailed understanding of the response of wildlife to selective logging as it is currently practised in Central Africa.

This thesis reports results of a longitudinal monitoring of abundances of nine mammal species in a forest concession over a four years period. From 2003 to 2006, four wildlife censuses have been conducted in the active core of FMU 10.030 allocated to the logging company PALLISCO. Our study area covers 176 sq-km and include several logging compartments and unlogged areas.

The diversity of specific responses to the introduction of human activities into the habitat is at the scale of the biological diversity of the habitat itself. A particular attention was paid to two emblematic species of the Cameroonian forests, western lowland gorillas G.g. gorilla and the common chimpanzees Pan troglodytes. During this work, we studied 1) how logging at industrial scale affects the spatial distribution of nine mammal species, including great apes, in timber production forests of South-eastern Cameroon, and 2) the nature of pressures exerted on animal populations within an active forest concession (anthropic, ecological, ethologic, etc).

Our first results indicate that the extraction of valuable timber species generates a spatial reorganization of gorillas and chimpanzees, inducing local modifications of population densities. This spatial reorganization seems to be mainly due to human activities per se rather than to modifications of the habitat structure or changes in the availability of fruits for these species. Compared with other mammals, great apes are at the two extreme opposites of a gradient of sensitivity to the habitat disturbances created by logging. Gorillas, as well as other "generalist" species like duikers, seem to thrive in logged forests, probably attracted in these areas by the secondarisation of the vegetation. Their densities decrease temporarily in logging compartments during logging operations but these species recover quickly, suggesting a repulsive effect of the human presence in the forest rather than a major alteration of the habitat quality for them. Rather "specialist" species seem to react by increasing the size of their foraging area. These are the sitatungas Tragelpahus spekei and bushpigs Potamochoerus porcus, two typical species of swamp forest with Raffia spp. and semi-inundated forests. These particular biotopes in the heart of the production forests seem to be playing the role of refuge zone for these species. Finally, two species were identified as being explicitly vulnerable to logging activities: the chimpanzees and forest elephants Loxodonta africana cyclotis. Their abundances did not recover to original values during the period of study indicating that they still undergo some kind of ecological and/or anthropic pressures after the end of logging operations that is strongly adverse to them.

In order to contrast the ecological and/or anthropic factors ruling gorillas' and chimpanzees' spatial distribution in the habitat, we have used a spatial modelling technique called “Ecological Niche Factor Analysis - ENFA". ENFA-generated models for these two species mainly retained anthropic variables to explain great apes local repartition in the study area. For gorillas, it was mainly explained by the local pattern of logging compartments and the time that passed since the end of logging operations. Globally, this species avoids the areas of forests showing a high rate of human frequentation and is attracted to old logged areas. As for the chimpanzees, their spatial distribution is influenced mainly by the presence of roads which are largely avoided. The periphery of logged compartment seems to be a zone of convergence for chimpanzee communities that have probably been driven out from logging compartments during operations, but these movements of populations would be limited to short distances. The vulnerability of the chimpanzees is consequently explained by the absence of demographic mechanisms enabling them to avoid the disturbed zones while reducing the territorial conflicts.

The general trend in great ape abundances in an active logging concession confirms that even closely related species can show divergent capacities of survival when confronted to human disturbances. Our work highlights that chimpanzee communities demonstrate some spatial inertia, contrarily to gorillas which easily manage to avoid human activities. This inertia would be probably at the origin of its sensitivity to current forestry practices. Our results confirm White & Tutin (2001)'s socio-ecological explanation for the vulnerability of chimpanzees to logging in forests of Central Africa. Knowing this, it is imperative to set up concrete conservation actions aiming at maintaining the chimpanzee populations of in Cameroonian timber production forests.

Practically, selective logging would easily be compatible with the preservation of the majority of rainforests mammals if concrete measures aiming at decreasing the negative impacts of logging were effectively applied. As a general rule, the proximity between logged areas and some zones that can serve as refuge seems to be a determining factor of the persistence of rainforests mammals in logged forests. A line of thought would be thus to ensure safe shifts of populations towards these zones in order to guarantee the avoidance of disturbances and, later, the recovery of densities in logged forests. In this sense, our main recommendation consists in promoting a delimitation of logging compartments into narrow strips so as to reduce the distance to be walked by an animal to geographically avoid human disturbances. Additionally, it is necessary to set up well-designed biomonitoring programmes to follow up trends in wildlife abundances and promote a flexible management that can be adapted according to the evidence of detrimental events to wildlife.

/

Avec plus de ¾ de la surface forestière du Cameroun allouée à l'exploitation forestière, la survie de nombreuses espèces de mammifères dépendra de la façon dont seront gérés les massifs de forêt de production de ce pays dans les décennies à venir. Les mesures de gestion à appliquer devraient être orientées systématiquement vers une minimisation des impacts négatifs sur l'écosystème dans son ensemble, y compris sur les populations animales résidant dans ces forêts. Ceci nécessite une compréhension détaillée de la réponse de la grande et moyenne faune à l'exploitation forestière sélective telle qu'elle est effectivement pratiquée en Afrique Centrale.

Cette thèse de doctorat rapporte les résultats d'un suivi longitudinal, sur une période de quatre ans, des abondances de neuf espèces de mammifères au sein d'une concession forestière du Sud-est Cameroun. Au total, quatre recensements de la faune ont été réalisés entre 2003 et 2006 dans la partie active de l'UFA 10.030 allouée à la société PALLISCO. La zone étudiée couvre 176 km2 et englobe plusieurs parcelles annuelles d'abattage ainsi que des compartiments non exploités.

La diversité des réponses spécifiques vis-à-vis de l'introduction d'activités humaines dans l'habitat est à l'échelle de la diversité biologique de l'habitat lui-même. Une attention particulière a été portée sur deux espèces emblématiques des forêts camerounaises, les gorilles des plaines occidentales G.g. gorilla et les chimpanzés communs Pan t. troglodytes. Durant ce travail, nous avons étudié 1) comment l'exploitation forestière à l'échelle industrielle affecte la distribution spatiale de neuf espèces de mammifères, dont les grands singes, dans les massifs de forêt de production du Sud-est Cameroun, et 2) de quelle nature sont les pressions exercées sur les populations animales au sein d'une concession forestière active (anthropique, écologique, éthologique, etc.).

Nos premiers résultats indiquent que l'extraction d'essences précieuses dans les forêts camerounaises génère notamment une réorganisation de la distribution spatiale des gorilles et des chimpanzés, induisant des modifications locales de densité de population. Cette réorganisation spatiale semble être due aux activités humaines elles-mêmes plutôt qu'aux modifications de la structure de l'habitat ou à une diminution de la disponibilité de certaines ressources alimentaires importantes pour ces espèces. Comparés à d'autres mammifères, les grands singes se placent aux deux extrêmes d'un gradient de sensibilité aux perturbations de l'habitat causés par l'exploitation forestière. Les gorilles, ainsi que d'autres espèces "généralistes" comme les céphalophes, semblent prospérer dans les forêts exploitées, probablement attirés dans ces zones par la secondarisation de la végétation. Leurs densités diminuent ponctuellement dans les parcelles d'abattage pendant les opérations d'extraction, mais retrouvent très vite leur niveau initial. Ceci suggère un effet répulsif de la présence humaine sur ces espèces plutôt qu'une altération majeure de la qualité de l'habitat pour ces dernières. D'autres espèces plus "spécialistes" semblent réagir en augmentant la taille de leurs aires de fourragement. Il s'agit des sitatungas Tragelpahus spekei et des potamochères Potamochoerus porcus, deux espèces appréciant les biotopes humides (marécages à Raphia spp. des zones de forêt inondées, etc.). Ces biotopes particuliers, non-affectés par l'exploitation forestière, au coeur des forêts de production semblent servir de refuge pour ces espèces. Enfin, deux espèces ont été identifiées comme étant explicitement très vulnérables aux activités d'exploitation: les chimpanzés et les éléphants des forêts Loxodonta africana cyclotis. Leurs abondances n'ont pas recouvré les valeurs originelles durant la période d'étude, indiquant que ces espèces subissent encore des pressions écologiques et/ou anthropiques jusqu'à quatre ans après la fin des activités d'exploitation forestière.

Afin de contraster les facteurs écologiques et/ou anthropiques régissant la distribution spatiale des gorilles et des chimpanzés, nous avons fait usage d'une technique de modélisation spatiale appelée "Ecological Niche Factor Analysis – ENFA". Les modèles ENFA pour ces deux espèces ont principalement retenu les variables anthropiques pour expliquer la distribution spatiale des grands singes dans l'aire d'étude. Il a ainsi été démontré que la répartition des gorilles était en grande partie expliquée par l'agencement local des AACs et le temps qui s'est écoulé depuis la fin des opérations d'extraction dans celles-ci. De manière générale, cette espèce évite les zones présentant un haut taux de fréquentation humaine et préfère les forêts exploitées quelques années auparavant. Quant aux chimpanzés, leur distribution spatiale est principalement expliquée par la présence de routes et pistes forestières qui sont amplement évitées. La périphérie des zones exploitées semble être une zone de convergence pour les chimpanzés qui y seraient vraisemblablement refoulés lors des perturbations, mais ces mouvements seraient limités à de courtes distances. La vulnérabilité des chimpanzés s'expliquerait dès lors par l'absence de mécanismes démographiques leur permettant d'éviter les zones affectées tout en réduisant les conflits territoriaux résultant d'une réorganisation spatiale.

La tendance globale des variations d'abondance des grands singes au sein d'une concession forestière en cours d'exploitation confirme que même des espèces très proches phylogénétiquement peuvent faire preuve de capacités différentes de survie face aux perturbations anthropiques. Il ressort de nos observations que les communautés de chimpanzés font preuve d'une certaine inertie spatiale, contrairement aux gorilles qui parviennent à éviter les activités humaines. Cette inertie serait probablement à l'origine de sa vulnérabilité face aux pratiques forestières actuelles. Nos résultats viennent confirmer l'hypothèse socio-écologique émise par White & Tutin (2001). Face à ce malheureux constat, il est impératif de mettre en place des mesures concrètes de gestion visant à maintenir les populations de chimpanzés dans les forêts de production camerounaises.

Pratiquement, l'exploitation sélective serait compatible avec la conservation de la plupart des mammifères si certaines mesures de gestion visant à diminuer les impacts négatifs étaient rapidement mises en application. La proximité entre les zones exploitées et les zones pouvant servir de refuge semble être un facteur déterminant de la survie de nombreuses espèces de mammifères dans les forêts de production du Cameroun. Une ligne de réflexion serait donc d'assurer les mouvements de populations vers ces zones-refuge sans heurts afin de garantir l'émigration des populations animales en dehors des zones affectées et la recolonisation ultérieure des forêts exploitées. En ce sens, notre principale recommandation consiste à promouvoir un découpage en assiettes de coupe en bandes relativement étroites (<2,5 km) de façon à réduire la distance à parcourir pour éviter géographiquement les perturbations anthropiques. De même, il serait nécessaire de mettre en place des programmes de suivi régulier des abondances faunistiques afin de permettre une gestion adaptative qui s'ajusterait au vu d'événements critiques pour la faune.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This thesis focuses on eco-design trade-offs and material selection in a Small to Medium–Sized Enterprise (SME) producing office furniture. The rationale for undertaking this work is based on the wide acceptance that eco-design uptake in SMEs remains low and the need for SMEs to adopt eco-design is pressing. SMEs constitute 99.9% of UK private sector business and it has been estimated that SMEs account for approximately 64-70% of overall pollution from industry. Supporting SMEs in adopting eco-design is challenging. The complexities of eco-design decision-making, poor understanding of environmental trade-offs, limited access to relevant information and complex eco-design methods (amongst others) negatively affect an SME’s ability to reduce a product’s environmental impacts. The aim of this research is to deepen understanding of eco-design by investigating eco-design trade-offs and material selection during the development of eco-innovative office furniture products. This improves understanding of environmental impact reduction at the material selection and concept stage of the design process. The research design is an intensive single case study at Orangebox, a UK market leader in the design and manufacture of office furniture. The case company is selected, as a best practice example of eco-design integration within an SME. Four embedded case studies of New Product Development (NPD) are conducted within the main case. The research employs a multi-strategy design using both qualitative and quantitative methods and is delivered over two stages. The contributions to knowledge of the thesis are (1) the identification and description of a set of eco-design trade-offs linked to specific eco-design strategies (design for disassembly, light-weighting, material streamlining) and (2) the thesis argues that stakeholders play a crucial role in eco-innovative material selection. From this, the thesis presents a conceptual classification of a material portfolio incorporating eco-design strategies and trade-offs to facilitate eco-innovation during NPD.

Duchene Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), and the milder allelic Becker muscular dystrophy (EMD), are X-linked recessive muscle wasting disorders characterised by mutations in the dystrophin gene. DMD occurs at a frequency of approximately 1 in 3500 male newborns and life expectancy is typically less than 30 years. Due to progressive muscle wasting, affected boys are restricted to a wheelchair by the age of 12 years. The most common cause of death is pneumonia, compounded by cardiac involvement. Mutations that disrupt the dystrophin reading frame, or prevent the synthesis of either terminus, preclude the synthesis of a fully functional dystrophin. The subsequent Joss of membrane integrity results in a severe DMD phenotype, as these weakened but still functional muscle fibres are subject to continuous cycles of damage and regeneration. Conversely, BMD mutations are generally found to be in-frame deletions where a shorter but semi-functional protein with intact amino and carboxyl tennini has been synthesised. BMD has an incidence almost ten times less than DMD. While the distribution of myopathy parallels DMD, the onset and progression of BMD is variable and generally less severe and some affected individuals are virtually asymptomatic.

Legislation, court decisions, and the changing political and social climate provide evidence of the importance of the outcomes of EEO litigation involving challenged selection procedures for transfer, training and development, and promotion. These selection procedures are being challenged by more informed employees and, in many cases, result in costly litigation. Thus, organizations must be aware of the continuing developments in employment law especially as found in court decisions and related legislation. This study investigates judicial and EEOC decisions in discrimination cases to provide answers to these questions: Are organizations aware of the outcomes of EEO litigation involving challenged selection procedures for transfer, training and development, and promotion? Are organizations aware of what constitutes a discriminatory practice in the selection of employees for transfer, training and development, and promotion? Does management recognize and follow nondiscriminatory procedures in selecting personnel for transfer, training and development, and promotion? The purposes of the study are 1. To analyze outcomes of EEO litigation involving challenged selection procedures for transfer, training and development, and promotion; 2. To develop a model set of guidelines to aid organizations in developing nondiscriminatory procedures for use in selecting employees for transfer, training and development, and promotion. This study concludes that many employers are aware of the outcomes of EEO litigation involving challenged selection procedures for transfer, training and development, and promotion. Many employers are also aware of what constitutes a discriminatory practice in the selection of employees for some employment advantage. However, management does not always recognize and follow nondiscriminatory procedures when selecting employees for transfer, training and development, and promotion. The number of cases in which selection procedures were found discriminatory supports this conclusion.

The purpose of this research work is to propose an improved method for real-time sensitivity analysis (SA) applicable to large-scale complex systems. Borrowed from the EventTracker principle of the interrelation of causal events, it deploys the Rank Order Clustering (ROC) method to automatically group every relevant system input to parameters that represent the system state (i.e. output). The fundamental principle of event modelling is that the state of a given system is a function of every acquirable piece of knowledge or data (input) of events that occur within the system and its wider operational environment unless proven otherwise. It therefore strives to build the theoretical and practical foundation for the engineering of input data. The event modelling platform proposed attempts to filter unwanted data, and more importantly, include information that was thought to be irrelevant at the outset of the design process. The underpinning logic of the proposed Event Clustering technique (EventiC) is to build causal relationship between the events that trigger the inputs and outputs of the system. EventiC groups inputs with relevant corresponding outputs and measures the impact of each input variable on the output variables in short spans of time (relative real-time). It is believed that this grouping of relevant input-output event data by order of its importance in real-time is the key contribution to knowledge in this subject area. Our motivation is that components of current complex and organised systems are capable of generating and sharing information within their network of interrelated devices and systems. In addition to being an intelligent recorder of events, EventiC could also be a platform for preliminary data and knowledge construction. This improvement in the quality, and at times the quantity of input data, may lead to improved higher level mathematical formalism. It is hoped that better models will translate into superior controls and decision making. It is therefore believed that the projected outcome of this research work can be used to predict, stabilize (control), and optimize (operational research) the work of complex systems in the shortest possible time. For proof of concept, EventiC was designed using the MATLAB package and implemented using real-time data from the monitoring and control system of a typical cement manufacturing plant. The purpose for this deployment was to test and validate the concept, and to demonstrate whether the clusters of input data and their levels of importance against system performance indicators could be approved by industry experts. EventiC was used as an input variable selection tool for improving the existing fuzzy controller of the plant. Finally, EventiC was compared with its predecessor EventTracker using the same case study. The results revealed improvements in both computational efficiency and the quality of input variable selection.

Does the choice of a medium, by which a company’s advertising message is carried, communicate something about that company’s commitment to act responsibly towards the green environment? Does the choice of a medium that consumers perceive as more harmful for the green environment impact ad and brand evaluations more negatively than a medium that they perceive as less harmful? If so, to what extent do companies have knowledge of such change in consumer media behavior and thereby take into account the green environmental aspect with media selection? Driven by such questions, and by way of an experiment, secondary data analysis, interviews and surveys this thesis explores green media selection and its impact on communication effectiveness from the consumer’s and marketing manager’s perspective. Building on theories of advertising planning and media selection the thesis contributes with four empirical studies to increase the understanding of green advertising media and how consumers’ eco-harmful media perceptions impact communication effectiveness. The findings shed light on the importance of taking the green environmental aspect into account when practitioners select advertising media. This is particularly valid for companies that are committed to act responsibly toward the green environment, by for instance having documented green environmental policies, and wish to be associated as such through their brands and marketing communication thereof.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2013

Manufacturers of passenger vehicles are experiencing increased pressure from consumers and legislators due to the impact of transportation on the environment. Automotive manufacturers are responding by designing more sustainable forms of transportation through a variety of efforts, including increased vehicle efficiency and the electrification of vehicle powertrains (plug in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV)). An additional method for reducing the environmental impact of personal transport is eco-routing, a methodology which selects routes on the basis of energy consumption. Standard navigation systems offer route alternatives between a user clarified origin and destination when there are multiple paths available. These alternatives are commonly weighted on the basis of minimizing either total travel time (TTT) or trip distance. Eco-routing offers an alternative criterion – minimizing route energy consumption. Calculation of the energy consumption of a route necessitates the creation of a velocity profile which models how the route will be driven and a powertrain model which relates energy consumption to the constructed velocity profile. Existing research efforts related to both of these aspects typically require complex analysis and proprietary vehicle properties. A new approach to weighting the energy consumption of different routes is presented within this paper. The process of synthesizing velocity profiles is an improvement upon simpler models while requiring fewer variables as compared to more complex models. A single input, the maximum acceleration, is required to tune driver aggressiveness throughout an entire route. Additionally, powertrain results are simplified through the application of a new parameter, predictive terminal energy. The parameter uses only glider properties as inputs, as compared to dedicated powertrain models which use proprietary vehicle information as inputs which are not readily available from manufacturers. Application of this research reduces computation time and increases the number of vehicles for which this analysis can be applied. An example routing scenario is presented, demonstrating the capability of the velocity synthesis and predictive terminal energy methodologies.
Master of Science

Drawing on the papers presented at CEEJA’s* first international conference addressing the long-neglected field relating to the generation, dissemination and application of technical knowledge in Japan from the Edo to the Meiji periods, this volume provides a valuable selection of new research on the subject, from Hashimoto Takehiko’s detailed examination of Tanaka Hisashige’s ‘Myriad Year Clock’, Regine Mathias’s paper on mining and smelting, and Erich Pauer’s overview of Japanese technical books in the pre-modern era, to Suzuki Jun’s detailed account of boiler-making in late nineteenth-century Japan. * Centre Européen d’Études Japonaises d’Alsace, 2017

When considering the main trends in the development of modern autonomous objects (aircraft, combat vehicles, motor vehicles, floating vehicles, agricultural machines, etc.) in recent decades, two key areas can be identified. The first direction is associated with the improvement of traditional designs of autonomous objects (AO) with an internal combustion engine (ICE) or a gas turbine engine (GTD). The second direction is connected with the creation of new types of joint-stock companies, namely electric joint-stock companies( EAO), joint-stock companies with combined power plants (AOKEU). The energy efficiency is largely determined by the power of the generator set and the battery, which is given to the electrical network in various driving modes. Most of the existing methods for calculating power supply systems use the average values of disturbing factors (generator speed, current of electric energy consumers, voltage in the on-board network) when choosing the characteristics of the generator set and the battery. At the same time, it is obvious that when operating a motor vehicle, these parameters change depending on the driving mode. Modern methods of selecting the main parameters and characteristics of the power supply system do not provide for modeling its interaction with the power unit start-up system of a motor vehicle in operation due to the lack of a systematic approach. The choice of a generator set and a battery, as well as the concept of the synthesis of the power supply system is a problem studied in the monograph. For all those interested in electrical engineering and electronics.

Actual performance testing is a key element in the design stage, development and troubleshooting of centrifugal compressors. The present work discusses the procedure for designing the experimental setup and the selection of drive unit for variable centrifugal compressors sizes. It starts with setting criteria of selection. A survey over different types of drive units and facility setup was conducted. It was found that the electric drive unit with the aid of transmission for stepping-up the speeds is the most suitable type. This is due mainly to the excellent control property of electric motors allowing for wide range of operational speed and power. A new methodology was developed for selecting operational power and speeds of the drive unit for different sizes of impellers. The code, used for the analysis, was developed by the authors. It calculates the range of input power, input torque, and rotational speeds, as well as, the mass flow rate, total pressure and temperature ratios for different sizes of impellers. This will aid in selecting the proper instrumentation for the experiments. The code used for design methodology is based on one dimensional through flow formulation and validated with experimental results in the literature. It is expected that the present methodology will enhance selection procedure for designing compressor test facility.

The selection of sensor locations during dynamic testing of integrally bladed disks (Blisks) is discussed for measuring experimental mode shapes. As-manufactured geometries of the experimental Blisk are obtained in point-cloud form via a structured light optical measurement system. The nominal finite element mesh of the Blisk is then “morphed” to the average sector of as-measured, point-cloud geometry through a mesh metamorphosis algorithm. A ray-tracing algorithm is developed for selecting observable degrees of freedom (DOFs) of the morphed mesh to an overhead laser scanning vibrometer. This set of DOFs is then down-selected since measuring tens-of-thousands of points is in-feasible during experimental testing. This selection is carried out using a Cyclic Effective Independence Method that exploits a Blisk’s cyclic symmetry to greatly reduce computational expenses. Furthermore, the approach allows for selecting points belonging to specific engine order excitations typical in engine operating environments that can be excited during bench top traveling wave testing. Measurement point locations are compared for three cyclic symmetry finite element models: a nominal coarse mesh density, a nominal fine mesh density, and a fine mesh density morphed to average sector geometries.

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems have many economical and environmental benefits. Generally, selection of these systems is performed using the time-dependent curves of the required electricity and heating load during a year. In the selection of a CHP system, the operation of this system at off-design point also should be studied. In this paper, a method for selecting the number of prime movers, and determining their nominal power and operational strategy considering specific electrical and heating loads is presented. Three types of prime movers which are studied in this paper are gas turbine, diesel engine, and gas engine. Selecting the number of each type of prime mover and determining their nominal power as well as the operational strategy are presented here. Ambient conditions and electricity and heating load curves are assumed as known parameters. Parameters such as engine thermal efficiency, exhaust gas temperature, mass flow rate of fuel and exhaust gases are computed for three types of prime movers. After determining the optimum value of number and nominal power of prime mover(s), the operational strategy of each type of prime mover in CHP system is analyzed.

Lipid oxidation in food products is a crucial problem that causes undesirable changes in the food’s flavor, texture, nutritional value and consequently reduces shelf life. Even though lipid oxidation has been examined extensively and is rather well understood in bulk oils and fats, the processes behind it in more complex systems like emulsified foods are still largely unresolved. Oxidation reactions are believed to progress from the oil/water interface to the core of the oil droplets, making it important to understand the contribution of interfacial lipids (i.e. MAG, DAG and PL) to the lipid oxidation process. To study this, novel analytical tools are needed that allow the characterization of the highly complex mixture of oxidized species encountered in aged emulsified foods.In this study, a direct infusion mass spectrometry (MS) approach was set up to selectively ionize oxidized lipid species versus their non-oxidized precursors (DAG and TAG). Three mobile phase additives were investigated (NH4HCO2, C2H3NaO2 and NaI) at three different concentrations, and three ion source parameters (i.e. sheath gas temperature, nozzle and capillary voltage)were optimized. A fractional factorial design was conducted to examine not only the direct effect of the operating parameters on selective ionization of oxidized lipid species, but also assess their combined effect. A three level process was chosen to examine the effect of the selected parameters: (1) on the whole mass range of oxidized versus non oxidized lipid species, (2) on selected lipid species and their different oxidized forms, and (3) on the fragments of the lipid species investigated in the previous step. Selective ionization of oxidized versus non-oxidized lipid species was favored more by the use of sodium containing solvent additives. These findings will contribute to future studies on the influence of interfacial composition on lipid oxidation in complex emulsified food systems.

Low heating value of gasified biomass and its fuel bound nitrogen containing compounds challenge the efforts on utilizing gasified biomass on gas turbine combustor. Low heating value of the gas brings along combustion stability issues and pollutant emission concerns. The fuel bound nitrogen present in gasified biomass could completely be converted to NOx during the combustion process. Catalytic combustion technology, showing promising developments on ultra low emission gas turbine combustion of natural gas could also be the key to successful utilization of biomass in gas turbine combustor. Catalysts could stabilize the combustion process of low heating value gas while the proper design of the catalytic configuration could selectively convert the fuel bound nitrogen into molecular nitrogen. This paper presents preliminary results of the experimental investigations on combustion stability and nitrogen selectivity in selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia in catalytic combustion followed by a brief description of the design of catalytic combustion test facility. The fuel-NOx reduction strategy considered in this study was to preprocess fuel in the catalytic system to remove fuel bound nitrogen before real combustion reactions occurs. The catalytic combustion system studied here contained two stage reactor in one unit containing fuel preprocessor (SCO catalyst) and combustion catalysts. Experiments were performed under lean combustion conditions (λ value from 6 up to 22) using a simulated mixture of gasified biomass. The Selective Catalytic Oxidation approach was considered to reduce the conversion of NH3 into N2. Results showed very good combustion stability, higher combustion efficiency and good ignition performances under the experimental conditions. However, the selective oxidation of fuel bound nitrogen into N2 was only in the range of 20% to 30% under the above conditions.

An annular, radial flow gas turbine engine and airborne vehicle utilizing same for jet propulsion. The engine comprises counter-rotating rotors and a compressor section with counter-rotating annular rows of intermeshing compressor blades, an annular combustion section common to both rotors wherein the combustion zone is defined by oppositely rotating rotor walls, and a turbine section made up of annular rows of counter-rotating exhaust turbine blades. No stator blades are present in either the compressor or the turbine sections. The craft comprises a central hub on which the engine rotors rotate on thrust bearings, and speed-staged bearings maintain rotor tolerances with respect to each other and to nonrotating shell portions above and below the engine rotors. Air inlet guide vanes leading to the compressor section are also housed in the hub portion of the craft. Exhaust gases emitting from the turbine section are selectively ducted through the annularly arranged-downwardly directed lift thrust producing ducts and/ or rearwardly directed ducts or vanes for generation of forward propulsion. Directional control during hovering and low speed flight is by selective braking of one or the other of the rotors. and during high speed flight also by selective control of spoiler surfaces arranged in the upper and lower external surfaces of the craft.

Attracting and retaining high-quality teachers has a large social benefit, but it is challenging for schools to identify good teachers ex-ante. This paper uses teachers’ contract choices and a randomized controlled trial of performance pay with 7,000 teachers in 243 private schools in Pakistan to study whether performance pay affects the composition of teachers. Consistent with adverse selection models, we find that performance pay induces positive sorting: both among teachers with higher latent ability and among those with a more elastic effort response to incentives. Teachers also have better information about these dimensions of type than their principals. Using two additional treatments, we show effects are more pronounced among teachers with better information about their quality and teachers with lower switching costs. Accounting for these sorting effects, the total effect of performance pay on test scores is twice as large as the direct effect on the existing stock of teachers, suggesting that analyses that ignore sorting effects may substantially understate the effects of performance pay.

In Israel and in the U.S., Streptococcus iniae is responsible for considerable losses in various fish species. Poor understanding of its virulence factors and limited know-how-to of vaccine formulation and administration are the main reasons for the limited efficacy of vaccines. Our strategy was that in order to Improve control measures, both aspects should be equally addressed. Our proposal included the following objectives: (i) construction of host-pathogen interaction models; (ii) characterization of virulence factors and immunodominant antigens, with assessment of their relative importance in terms of protection and (iii) genetic identification of virulence factors and genes, with evaluation of the protective effect of recombinant proteins. We have shown that two different serotypes are involved. Their capsular polysaccharides (CPS) were characterized, and proved to play an important role in immune evasion and in other consequences of the infection. This is an innovative finding in fish bacteriology and resembles what, in other fields, has become apparent in the recent years: S. iniae alters surface antigens. By so doing, the pathogen escapes immune destruction. Immunological assays (agar-gel immunodiffusion and antibody titers) confirmed that only limited cross recognition between the two types occurs and that capsular polysaccharides are immunodominant. Vaccination with purified CPS (as an acellular vaccine) results in protection. In vitro and ex-vivo models have allowed us to unravel additional insights of the host-pathogen interactions. S. iniae 173 (type II) produced DNA fragmentation of TMB-8 cells characteristic of cellular necrosis; the same isolate also prevented the development of apoptosis in NCC. This was determined by finding reduced expression of phosphotidylserine (PS) on the outer membrane leaflet of NCC. NCC treated with this isolate had very high levels of cellular necrosis compared to all other isolates. This cellular pathology was confirmed by observing reduced DNA laddering in these same treated cells. Transmission EM also showed characteristic necrotic cellular changes in treated cells. To determine if the (in vitro) PCD/apoptosis protective effects of #173 correlated with any in vivo activity, tilapia were injected IV with #173 and #164 (an Israeli type I strain). Following injection, purified NCC were tested (in vitro) for cytotoxicity against HL-60 target cells. Four significant observations were made : (i) fish injected with #173 had 100-400% increased cytotoxicity compared to #164 (ii) in vivo activation occurred within 5 minutes of injection; (iii) activation occurred only within the peripheral blood compartment; and (iv) the isolate that protected NCC from apoptosis in vitro caused in vivo activation of cytotoxicity. The levels of in vivo cytotoxicity responses are associated with certain pathogens (pathogen associated molecular patterns/PAMP) and with the tissue of origin of NCC. NCC from different tissue (i.e. PBL, anterior kidney, spleen) exist in different states of differentiation. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis revealed the "adaptation" of the bacterium to the vaccinated environment, suggesting a "Darwinian-like" evolution of any bacterium. Due to the selective pressure which has occurred in the vaccinated environment, type II strains, able to evade the protective response elicited by the vaccine, have evolved from type I strains. The increased virulence through the appropriation of a novel antigenic composition conforms with pathogenic mechanisms described for other streptococci. Vaccine efficacy was improved: water-in-oil formulations were found effective in inducing protection that lasted for a period of (at least) 6 months. Protection was evaluated by functional tests - the protective effect, and immunological parameters - elicitation of T- and B-cells proliferation. Vaccinated fish were found to be resistant to the disease for (at least) six months; protection was accompanied by activation of the cellular and the humoral branches.