STC power for 15MW of PV comparing nameplate, initial power and power after 4 years

To date, the majority of quality controls performed at PV plants are based on the measurement of a small sample of individual modules. Consequently, there is very little representative data on the real Standard Test Conditions (STC) power output values for PV generators. This paper presents the power output values for more than 1300 PV generators having a total installed power capacity of almost 15.3 MW. The values were obtained by the INGEPER-UPNA group, in collaboration with the IES-UPM, through a study to monitor the power output of a number of PV plants from 2006 to 2009. This work has made it possible to determine, amongst other things, the power dispersion that can be expected amongst generators made by different manufacturers, amongst generators made by the same manufacturer but comprising modules of different nameplate ratings and also amongst generators formed by modules with the same characteristics. The work also analyses the STC power output evolution over time in the course of this 4-year study. The values presented here could be considered to be representative of generators with fault-free modules.

Lateral orbitofrontal cortex involvement in initial negative aesthetic impression formation

It is well established that aesthetic appreciation is related with activity in several different brain regions. The identification of the neural correlates of beauty or liking ratings has been the focus of most prior studies. Not much attention has been directed towards the fact that humans are surrounded by objects that lead them to experience aesthetic indifference or leave them with a negative aesthetic impression. Here we explore the neural substrate of such experiences. Given the neuroimaging techniques that have been used, little is known about the temporal features of such brain activity. By means of magnetoencephalography we registered the moment at which brain activity differed while participants viewed images they considered to be beautiful or not. Results show that the first differential activity appears between 300 and 400 ms after stimulus onset. During this period activity in right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) was greater while participants rated visual stimuli as not beautiful than when they rated them as beautiful. We argue that this activity is associated with an initial negative aesthetic impression formation, driven by the relative hedonic value of stimuli regarded as not beautiful. Additionally, our results contribute to the understanding of the nature of the functional roles of the lOFC.

Developmental Expression of Kv Potassium Channels at the Axon Initial Segment of Cultured Hippocampal Neurons

Axonal outgrowth and the formation of the axon initial segment (AIS) are early events in the acquisition of neuronal polarity. The AIS is characterized by a high concentration of voltage-dependent sodium and potassium channels. However, the specific ion channel subunits present and their precise localization in this axonal subdomain vary both during development and among the types of neurons, probably determining their firing characteristics in response to stimulation. Here, we characterize the developmental expression of different subfamilies of voltage-gated potassium channels in the AISs of cultured mouse hippocampal neurons, including subunits Kv1.2, Kv2.2 and Kv7.2. In contrast to the early appearance of voltage-gated sodium channels and the Kv7.2 subunit at the AIS, Kv1.2 and Kv2.2 subunits were tethered at the AIS only after 10 days in vitro. Interestingly, we observed different patterns of Kv1.2 and Kv2.2 subunit expression, with each confined to distinct neuronal populations. The accumulation of Kv1.2 and Kv2.2 subunits at the AIS was dependent on ankyrin G tethering, it was not affected by disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and it was resistant to detergent extraction, as described previously for other AIS proteins. This distribution of potassium channels in the AIS further emphasizes the heterogeneity of this structure in different neuronal populations, as proposed previously, and suggests corresponding differences in action potential regulation.

Colocalization of α-actinin and Synaptopodin in the Pyramidal Cell Axon Initial Segment

The cisternal organelle that resides in the axon initial segment (AIS) of neocortical and hippocampal pyramidal cells is thought to be involved in regulating the Ca(2+) available to maintain AIS scaffolding proteins, thereby preserving normal AIS structure and function. Through immunocytochemistry and correlative light and electron microscopy, we show here that the actin-binding protein ?-actinin is present in the typical cistenal organelle of rodent pyramidal neurons as well as in a large structure in the AIS of a subpopulation of layer V pyramidal cells that we have called the "giant saccular organelle." Indeed, this localization of ?-actinin in the AIS is dependent on the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton. Moreover, in the cisternal organelle of cultured hippocampal neurons, ?-actinin colocalizes extensively with synaptopodin, a protein that interacts with both actin and ?-actinin, and they appear concomitantly during the development of these neurons. Together, these results indicate that ?-actinin and the actin cytoskeleton are important components of the cisternal organelle that are probably required to stabilize the AIS.

System Engineering Approach to Initial Design of LEO Remote Sensing Missions

The satellite remote sensing missions are essential for long-term research around the condition of the earth resources and environment. On the other hand, in recent years the application of microsatellites is of interest in many space programs for their less cost and response time. In microsatellite remote sensing missions there are tight interrelations between different requirements such as orbital altitude, revisit time, mission life and spatial resolution. Also, all of these requirements can affect the whole system level design characteristics. In this work, the remote sensing microsatellite sizing process is divided into three major design disciplines; a) orbit design, b) payload sizing and c) bus sizing. Finally, some specific design cases are investigated inside the design space for evaluating the effect of different design variables on the satellite total mass. Considering the results of the work, it is concluded that applying a systematic approach at the initial design phase of such projects provides a good insight to the not clearly seen interactions inside their highly extended design space

Replication Data Management,needs and solutions: an initial evaluation of conceptual approaches for integrating heterogeneous replication study data

Replication Data Management (RDM) aims at enabling the use of data collections from several iterations of an experiment. However, there are several major challenges to RDM from integrating data models and data from empirical study infrastructures that were not designed to cooperate, e.g., data model variation of local data sources. [Objective] In this paper we analyze RDM needs and evaluate conceptual RDM approaches to support replication researchers. [Method] We adapted the ATAM evaluation process to (a) analyze RDM use cases and needs of empirical replication study research groups and (b) compare three conceptual approaches to address these RDM needs: central data repositories with a fixed data model, heterogeneous local repositories, and an empirical ecosystem. [Results] While the central and local approaches have major issues that are hard to resolve in practice, the empirical ecosystem allows bridging current gaps in RDM from heterogeneous data sources. [Conclusions] The empirical ecosystem approach should be explored in diverse empirical environments.

Discussion of “Initial Pore Pressure from Vertical Surface Loads” by Jacobo Bielak (September, 1982)

The author presents a very interesting application of the ideas developed by Scott to determine the initial pore pressure in excess of the hydrostatic pore pressure in linear, elastic, homogeneous and isotropic soil-skeleton. Scott demonstrates that under vertical surface loads the problem is governed by Laplace's equation. Nevertheless the writers' think that it could be interesting to state clearly the conditions under which this analogy can be applied.

A novel scanning lens instrument for evaluating Fresnel lens performance: equipment development and initial results

A system dedicated to the optical transmittance characterization of Fresnel lenses has been developed at NREL, in collaboration with the UPM. The system quantifies the optical efficiency of the lens by generating a performance map. The shape of the focused spot may also be analyzed to understand change in the lens performance. The primary instrument components (lasers and CCD detector) have been characterized to confirm their capability for performing optical transmittance measurements. Measurements performed on SoG and PMMA lenses subject to a variety of indoor conditions (e.g., UV and damp heat) identified differences in the optical efficiency of the evaluated lenses, demonstrating the ability of the Scanning Lens Instrument (SLI) to distinguish between the aged lenses.

An initial study on atmospheric pressure ion transport by laser ionization and electrostatic fields.

Laser ionization of mixtures of gases at atmospheric pressure and the subsequent transport through electrostatic field is studied. A prototype is designed to perform the transport and detection of the ions. Relevance of the composition of the mixture of gases and ionization parameters is shown

Low initial aspect-ratio direct-drive target designs for shock- or self-ignition in the context of the laser Megajoule

Analysis of low initial aspect ratio direct-drive target designs is carried out by varying the implosion velocity and the fuel mass. Starting from two different spherical targets with a given 300?g-DT mass, optimization of laser pulse and drive power allows to obtain a set of target seeds referenced by their peak implosion velocities and initial aspect ratio (A = 3 and A = 5). Self-ignition is achieved with higher implosion velocity for A = 5-design than for A = 3-design. Then, rescaling is done to extend the set of designs to a huge amount of mass, peak kinetic energies and peak areal densities. Self-ignition kinetic energy threshold Ek is characterized by a dependance of Ek ? v? with ?-values which depart from self-ignition models. Nevertheless, self-ignition energy is seen lower for smaller initial aspect ratio. An analysis of Two-Plasmons Decay threshold and Rayleigh?Taylor instability e-folding is carried out and it is shown that two-plasmon decay threshold is always overpassed for all designs. The hydrodynamic stability analysis is performed by embedded models to deal with linear and non-linear regime. It is found that the A = 5-designs are always at the limit of disruption of the shell.

Initial design with L2 Monge-Kantorovich theory for the Monge–Ampère equation method of freeform optics

The Monge–Ampère (MA) equation arising in illumination design is highly nonlinear so that the convergence of the MA method is strongly determined by the initial design. We address the initial design of the MA method in this paper with the L2 Monge-Kantorovich (LMK) theory, and introduce an efficient approach for finding the optimal mapping of the LMK problem. Three examples, including the beam shaping of collimated beam and point light source, are given to illustrate the potential benefits of the LMK theory in the initial design. The results show the MA method converges more stably and faster with the application of the LMK theory in the initial design.

Surgical trial in traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (STITCH) : A randomised controlled trial of early surgery compared with Initial conservative treatment

Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme.

Flickering fusion pores comparable with initial exocytotic pores occur in protein-free phospholipid bilayers

For the act of membrane fusion, there are two competing, mutually exclusive molecular models that differ in the structure of the initial pore, the pathway for ionic continuity between formerly separated volumes. Because biological “fusion pores” can be as small as ionic channels or gap junctions, one model posits a proteinaceous initial fusion pore. Because biological fusion pore conductance varies widely, another model proposes a lipidic initial pore. We have found pore opening and flickering during the fusion of protein-free phospholipid vesicles with planar phospholipid bilayers. Fusion pore formation appears to follow the coalescence of contacting monolayers to create a zone of hemifusion where continuity between the two adherent membranes is lipidic, but not aqueous. Hypotonic stress, causing tension in the vesicle membrane, promotes complete fusion. Pores closed soon after opening (flickering), and the distribution of fusion pore conductance appears similar to the distribution of initial fusion pores in biological fusion. Because small flickering pores can form in the absence of protein, the existence of small pores in biological fusion cannot be an argument in support of models based on proteinaceous pores. Rather, these results support the model of a lipidic fusion pore developing within a hemifused contact site.

Stimulation of human 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase by AP-endonuclease: potential coordination of the initial steps in base excision repair

8-Oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1), with intrinsic AP lyase activity, is the major enzyme for repairing 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), a critical mutagenic DNA lesion induced by reactive oxygen species. Human OGG1 excised the damaged base from an 8-oxoG·C-containing duplex oligo with a very low apparent kcat of 0.1 min–1 at 37°C and cleaved abasic (AP) sites at half the rate, thus leaving abasic sites as the major product. Excision of 8-oxoG by OGG1 alone did not follow Michaelis–Menten kinetics. However, in the presence of a comparable amount of human AP endonuclease (APE1) the specific activity of OGG1 was increased ∼5-fold and Michaelis–Menten kinetics were observed. Inactive APE1, at a higher molar ratio, and a bacterial APE (Nfo) similarly enhanced OGG1 activity. The affinity of OGG1 for its product AP·C pair (Kd ∼ 2.8 nM) was substantially higher than for its substrate 8-oxoG·C pair (Kd ∼ 23.4 nM) and the affinity for its final β-elimination product was much lower (Kd ∼ 233 nM). These data, as well as single burst kinetics studies, indicate that the enzyme remains tightly bound to its AP product following base excision and that APE1 prevents its reassociation with its product, thus enhancing OGG1 turnover. These results suggest coordinated functions of OGG1 and APE1, and possibly other enzymes, in the DNA base excision repair pathway.