Hydro reservoir handling in Norway before and after deregulation

The Norwegian Energy Act that came into force in 1991 deregulated the electricity market and removed the former obligation power companies had to supply electricity to the geographical area they were responsible for. Hence producers can supply electricity on the basis of profitability. In 2007 the Energy Act was evaluated by the Government. As a part of this, a study concerning hydro reservoir handling before and after deregulation was carried out by SINTEF. Public statistics show that average hydro reservoir levels measured in per cent of reservoir capacity have been reduced after 1990. We have used the power-market model EMPS¹ (EFI's Multi-area Power-market Simulator) to analyze if this reduction can be explained by natural variation in climatic variables or by structural changes that have occurred after 1990. Simulation results show that the reduced reservoir levels cannot be explained by natural variation in climatic variables. Structural changes such as increased transmission capacities can, however, explain some of the reduction. Our study does not indicate that the present reservoir handling gives reservoir levels that are too low. In this paper we also describe the stochastic dynamic optimization problem for long-term hydropower scheduling, and we explain how this problem actually is solved by the EMPS model.     

Computing as compression: An overview of the SP theory and system

This article is an overview of a programme of research based on the conjecture thatall kinds of computing and formal reasoning may usefully be understood as information compression by pattern matching, unification and metrics-guided search. The research aims to develop this idea into a theory of computing to integrate and simplify diverse concepts in the field. The research also aims to develop a ‘new generation’ computing system, based on the theory, to integrate and simplify diverse kinds of computing and to achieve more flexibility and ‘intelligence’ than conventional computers. Software simulations of the proposed new system provide a concrete expression of the developing theory and a test-bed for the ideas. The background to the research is briefly reviewed including evidence that information compression is a significant element in biological information processing systems. Concepts ofinformation andredundancy are described as a basis for describing how information compression may be achieved by the comparison ormatching of patterns, the merging orunification of patterns which are the same, together withmetrics-guided search (e.g., ‘hill climbing’, ‘beam search’) to maximise compression for a given computational effort. The main elements of the SP theory and of the proposed SP system are described with a summary of developments to date. Some of the kinds of computing which be interpreted as information compression are briefly reviewed. These include: the ‘low level’ workings of conventional computers; information retrieval, pattern recognition and de-referencing of identifiers; unsupervised inductive learning (grammatical inference, data mining, automatic organisation of software and of knowledge bases); the execution of mathematical or computing functions; deductive and probabilistic inference; parsing and natural language processing; planning and problem solving. Areas of uncertainty where further work is needed are indicated at appropriate points throughout the article.     

Employment opportunities for graduates of APA-approved and non-APA-approved training programs.

Examined employers' hiring preferences and practices related to American Psychological Association (APA) approved and non-APA-approved training program graduates, based on 414 job advertisements listed in the APA Monitor and a survey of 104 employers who had advertised positions. Results indicate that employers would prefer to hire graduates of APA-approved training programs. 82% of employers in the academic area and 77% of those in the applied area reported that they would give hiring preference to APA-approved program graduates. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of atomic force microscopy upon nominated living cells

This work describes a system for precise re-location of cells within a monolayer after atomic force imaging. As we know little about probe interaction with soft biological surfaces any corroborative evidence is of great importance. For example, it is of paramount importance in living cell force microscopy that interrogated cells can be re-located and imaged by other corroborative technologies. Methodologies expressed here have shown that non-invasive force parameters can be established for specific cell types. Additionally, we show that the same sample can be transferred reliably to an SEM. Results here indicate that further work with live cells should initially establish appropriate prevailing force parameters and that cell damage should be checked for before and after an imaging experiment.     

Quantitative T 2 * assessment of acute and chronic myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice

Object

Imaging of myocardial infarct composition is essential to assess efficacy of emerging therapeutics. T ₂ ^* mapping has the potential to image myocardial hemorrhage and fibrosis by virtue of its short T ₂ ^* . We aimed to quantify T ₂ ^* in acute and chronic myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice.

Materials and methods

I/R-injury was induced in C57BL/6 mice (n?=?9). Sham-operated mice (n?=?8) served as controls. MRI was performed at baseline, and 1, 7 and 28?days after surgery. MRI at 9.4?T consisted of Cine, T ₂ ^* mapping and late-gadolinium-enhancement (LGE). Mice (n?=?6) were histologically assessed for hemorrhage and collagen in the fibrotic scar.

Results

Baseline T ₂ ^* values were 17.1?±?2.0?ms. At day 1, LGE displayed a homogeneous infarct enhancement. T ₂ ^* in infarct (12.0?±?1.1?ms) and remote myocardium (13.9?±?0.8?ms) was lower than at baseline. On days 7 and 28, LGE was heterogeneous. T ₂ ^* in the infarct decreased to 7.9?±?0.7 and 6.4?±?0.7?ms, whereas T ₂ ^* values in the remote myocardium were 14.2?±?1.1 and 15.6?±?1.0?ms. Histology revealed deposition of iron and collagen in parallel with decreased T ₂ ^* .

Conclusion

T ₂ ^* values are dynamic during infarct development and decrease significantly during scar maturation. In the acute phase, T ₂ ^* values in infarcted myocardium differ significantly from those in the chronic phase. T ₂ ^* mapping was able to confirm the presence of a chronic infarction in cases where LGE was inconclusive. Hence, T ₂ ^* may be used to discriminate between acute and chronic infarctions.     

Synthesis,Pharmacological Evaluation,and Docking Studies of Novel Pyridazinone‐Based Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 Ligands

In recent years, cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB₂R) have emerged as promising therapeutic targets in a wide variety of diseases. Selective ligands of CB₂R are devoid of the psychoactive effects typically observed for CB₁R ligands. Based on our recent studies on a class of pyridazinone 4‐carboxamides, further structural modifications of the pyridazinone core were made to better investigate the structure–activity relationships for this promising scaffold with the aim to develop potent CB₂R ligands. In binding assays, two of the new synthesized compounds [6‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐2‐(4‐fluorobenzyl)‐cis‐N‐(4‐methylcyclohexyl)‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydropyridazine‐4‐carboxamide ( 2 ) and 6‐(4‐chloro‐3‐methylphenyl)‐cis‐N‐(4‐methylcyclohexyl)‐3‐oxo‐2‐pentyl‐2,3‐dihydropyridazine‐4‐carboxamide ( 22 )] showed high CB₂R affinity, with K_i values of 2.1 and 1.6 nm , respectively. In addition, functional assays of these compounds and other new active related derivatives revealed their pharmacological profiles as CB₂R inverse agonists. Compound 22 displayed the highest CB₂R selectivity and potency, presenting a favorable in silico pharmacokinetic profile. Furthermore, a molecular modeling study revealed how 22 produces inverse agonism through blocking the movement of the toggle‐switch residue, W6.48.     

Dietary Apigenin Exerts Immune-Regulatory Activity in Vivo by Reducing NF-κB Activity,Halting Leukocyte Infiltration and Restoring Normal Metabolic Function

The increasing prevalence of inflammatory diseases and the adverse effects associated with the long-term use of current anti-inflammatory therapies prompt the identification of alternative approaches to reestablish immune balance. Apigenin, an abundant dietary flavonoid, is emerging as a potential regulator of inflammation. Here, we show that apigenin has immune-regulatory activity in vivo. Apigenin conferred survival to mice treated with a lethal dose of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) restoring normal cardiac function and heart mitochondrial Complex I activity. Despite the adverse effects associated with high levels of splenocyte apoptosis in septic models, apigenin had no effect on reducing cell death. However, we found that apigenin decreased LPS-induced apoptosis in lungs, infiltration of inflammatory cells and chemotactic factors’ accumulation, re-establishing normal lung architecture. Using NF-κB luciferase transgenic mice, we found that apigenin effectively modulated NF-κB activity in the lungs, suggesting the ability of dietary compounds to exert immune-regulatory activity in an organ-specific manner. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the underlying immune-regulatory mechanisms of dietary nutraceuticals in vivo.     

Rheological behaviour of multiphase slurries for combustion applications

The rheological behaviour of a concentrated coal-water-fuel oil slurry was investigated with a tube viscometer, to optimize its formulation. The non-Newtonian character of the slurry follows the rheological model of Ostwald de Waele, according to the experimental results obtained. A factorial plan was used and empirical equations were obtained which correlate rheological characteristics with the mass fractions of the slurry components.     

Structural and Biochemical Studies of Actin in Complex with Synthetic Macrolide Tail Analogues

The actin filament‐binding and filament‐severing activities of the aplyronine, kabiramide, and reidispongiolide families of marine macrolides are located within the hydrophobic tail region of the molecule. Two synthetic tail analogues of aplyronine C (SF‐01 and GC‐04) are shown to bind to G‐actin with dissociation constants of (285±33) and (132±13) nM , respectively. The crystal structures of actin complexes with GC‐04, SF‐01, and kabiramide C reveal a conserved mode of tail binding within the cleft that forms between subdomains (SD) 1 and 3. Our studies support the view that filament severing is brought about by specific binding of the tail region to the SD1/SD3 cleft on the upper protomer, which displaces loop‐D from the lower protomer on the same half‐filament. With previous studies showing that the GC‐04 analogue can sever actin filaments, it is argued that the shorter complex lifetime of tail analogues with F‐actin would make them more effective at severing filaments compared with plasma gelsolin. Structure‐based analyses are used to suggest more reactive or targetable forms of GC‐04 and SF‐01, which may serve to boost the capacity of the serum actin scavenging system, to generate antibody conjugates against tumor cell antigens, and to decrease sputum viscosity in children with cystic fibrosis.