Nutrient distribution in Picea likiangensis trees growing in a plantation in West Sichuan, Southwest China

Abstract

Regulation of Electricity Transmission and Distribution in Russia

The regulation of electricity transmission and distribution business is an essential issue for any electricity market; it is widely introduced in developed electricity markets of Great Britain, Scandinavian countries and United States of America and other. Those markets which were liberalized recently also need well planned regulation model to be chosen and implemented. In open electricity markets the sectors of electricity distribution and transmission remain monopolies, so called "natural monopolies", as introducing the competition into these sectors in most cases appears to be inefficient. Thatis why regulation becomes very important as its main tasks are: to set reasonable tariffs for customers, to ensure non-discriminating process of electricity transmission and distribution, at the same time to provide distribution companies with incentives to operate efficiently and the owners of the companies with reasonable profits as well; the problem of power quality should be solved at the same time. It should be mentioned also, that there is no incentive scheme which will be suitable for any conditions, that is why it is essential to study differentregulation models in order to form the best one for concrete situation. The aim of this Master's Thesis is to give an overview over theregulation of electricity transmission and distribution in Russia. First, the general information about theory of regulation of natural monopolies will be described; the situation in Russian network business and the importance of regulation process for it will be discussed next. Then there is a detailed description ofexisting regulatory system and the process of tariff calculation with an example. And finally, in the work there is a brief analysis of problems of present scheme of regulation, an attempt to predict the following development of regulationin Russia and the perspectives and risks connected to regulation which could face the companies that try to enter Russian electricity market (such as FORTUM OY).

Electric field distribution in silicon edgeless detector

This Master’s Thesis work reports about electric field distribution in recently developed silicon edgeless detector with a new current terminating structure. This structure enables the essential reduction of insensitive detector area as well as allows separation of the current flowing through the active area from the current flowing at the cut edge. The reliable operation of this detector is strongly needed due to the installation inside LHC. In accordance with formulated problems SEM was used as an investigation tool for collecting the data about electric field distribution.

Effect of bariatric surgery on adipose tissue distribution in severely obese patients

Background and aim: Bariatric surgery leads to sustain weight loss, improve metabolic and lipids profiles and ultimately leads to remission of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in some obese individuals. The aim of the project is to evaluate the effect of bariatric on abdominal fat distribution in severely obese T2DM and non-T2DM obese patients. Study design and methods: A total of 23 morbidly obese subjects (mean ± SD body mass index 43.0 ± 3.6 kg/m2, age 46.5 ± 9.0 years) were recruited from the lager multicenter SLEEVEPASS studies (ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00793143). 10 healthy age-matched non-obese individuals served as controls. The obese patients were studied before and 6 months after surgery. At baseline, there were 9 T2DMs and 14 non-diabetics. After surgery, there were 5 remitters and 4 nonremitters. Whole body magnetic resonance imaging including the abdominal regions was performed for the obese subjects before and 6 months after surgery and for the controls once. Abdominal fat were compartmentalized and analyzed. Results: At 6 months of follow-up, BMI in the obese decreased significantly (from 43 ± 4 to 33 ± 2 kg/m2, p < 0.001) with substantial improvement in whole body insulin sensitivity (from 12.2 ± 5.7 to 23.3 ± 8.1 µmol/kg/min, p < 0.001). Intraperitoneal fat mass decreased by 46% (from 3.4 ± 1.1 to 1.9± 1.0 kg, p < 0.001) more than the rest of the compartments. Abdominal visceral compartments in obese correlated with glycemic status independent of surgery. Pre-surgery posterior deep and intraperitoneal fat mass were better predictors of post-surgery glycemic status in obese. Remitters showed significant improvement in whole body insulin sensitivity (from 9.1 ± 2.1 to 20.9 ± 8.4 µmol/kg/min, p = 0.02), fasting glucose decreased significant only in nonremitters (from 7.1 ± 1.1 to 6.0 ± 0.8 mmol/l, p = 0.05) after surgery. There were no differences in extraperitoneal fat mass in remitters and superficial subcutaneous fat in non-remitters but all other compartments decreased significantly 6 months after the surgery Conclusion: Both deep subcutaneous and visceral fat are important contributors to glycemic status in obese subjects. Whereas visceral fat compartments are directly involved in T2DM, superficial subcutaneous may have offered protection against T2DM in obese subjects.

Investigation of the applicability of LVDC microgrids in utility distribution in Russia

The research towards efficient, reliable and environmental-friendly power supply solutions is producing growing interest to the “Smart Grid” approach for the development of the electricity networks and managing the increasing energy consumption. One of the novel approaches is an LVDC microgrid. The purpose of the research is to analyze the possibilities for the implementation of LVDC microgrids in public distribution networks in Russia. The research contains the analysis of the modern Russian electric power industry, electricity market, electricity distribution business, regulatory framework and standardization, related to the implementation of LVDC microgrid concept. For the purpose of the economic feasibility estimation, a theoretical case study for comparing low voltage AC and medium voltage AC with LVDC microgrid solutions for a small settlement in Russia is presented. The results of the market and regulatory framework analysis along with the economic comparison of AC and DC solutions show that implementation of the LVDC microgrid concept in Russia is possible and can be economically feasible. From the electric power industry and regulatory framework point of view, there are no serious obstacles for the LVDC microgrids in Russian distribution networks. However, the most suitable use cases at the moment are expected to be found in the electrification of remote settlements, which are isolated from the Unified Energy System of Russia.