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Improving the environmental performance of the built environment is a ‘super wicked’ problem, lacking a simplistic or straightforward response. This is particularly challenging where space is rented, in part because the relationships between the various owners, users and managers of the space is regulated – at least in a formal sense - through the lease. Traditional leases largely ignore environmental considerations and present barriers to making energy efficient upgrades. Leasing practices are evolving to become greener. Evidence from a Sydney Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) study, Australian leasing experts, a UK commercial lease study and a case-study of a major UK retailer, Marks and Spencer (MandS), suggests an increasing, trend towards green leases in most of these markets and opportunities for improving environmental performance through green leasing. Further research is needed in both countries to understand the impact that greener leasing has on environmental performance of buildings.

The application of compliant filament seals to jet engine secondary air systems has been shown to yield significant improvements in specific fuel consumption and improved emissions. One such technology, the leaf seal, provides comparable leakage performance to the brush seal but offers higher axial rigidity, significantly reduced radial stiffness and improved compliance with the rotor. Investigations were carried out on the Engine Seal Test Facility at the University of Oxford into the behavior of a leaf seal prototype at high running speeds. The effects of pressure, speed and cover plate geometry on leakage and torque are quantified. Early publications on leaf seals showed that air-riding at the contact interface might be achieved. Results are presented which appear to confirm that air-riding is taking place. Consideration is given to a possible mechanism for torque reduction at high rotational speeds.

In western countries, alcohol consumption is widespread in women of reproductive age, and in binge quantities. These countries also continue to have high incidences of unplanned pregnancies, with women often reported to cease drinking after discovering their pregnancy. This suggests the early embryo may be highly exposed to the detrimental effects of alcohol during the periconception period. The periconception and pre-implantation windows, which include maturation of the oocyte, fertilisation, and morphogenesis of the pre-implantation embryo, are particularly sensitive times of development. Within the oviduct and uterus, the embryo is exposed to a unique nutritional environment to facilitate its development and establish de-novo expression of the genome through epigenetic reprogramming. Alcohol has wide-ranging effects on cellular stress, as well as hormonal, and nutrient signalling pathways, which may affect the development and metabolism of the early embryo. In this review, we summarise the adverse developmental outcomes of early exposure to alcohol (prior to implantation in animal models) and discuss the potential mechanisms for these outcomes that may occur within the protected oviductal and uterine environment. One interesting candidate is reduced retinoic acid synthesis, as it is implicated in the control of epigenetic reprogramming and cell lineage commitment, processes that have adverse consequences for the formation of the placenta, and subsequently, fetal programming.

A method is presented to extract solar cell parameters from the derivatives of dark current–voltage curves with a three-diode model, using the monotonic properties of the current–voltage characteristic associated with each diode or resistive current. The method yields an improved accuracy of the solar cell parameters when compared with that used on the actual current–voltage curves. Despite the complexity of the three-diode model with seven fit parameters, a good accuracy can be reached using the proposed method with a relatively small computational effort. A hypothetical case is presented using various approaches to obtain the solar cell parameters, with a root-mean-square error for the logarithm of the current–voltage curve ( $\text{RMS}_{\text{log}_{10}I}$ ) of $4{\,\,\times\, 10}^{-3}$ . An example fitting is then demonstrated on a multicrystalline passivated emitter rear contact solar cell, yielding $\text{RMS}_{\text{log}_{10}I}=1.45{\,\,\times\, 10}^{-1}$ .

Filament seals, such as brush seals and leaf seals, are investigated as a potential improved seal for gas turbine applications. As these seals operate in contact with the rotor, a good understanding of their stiffness is required in order to minimize seal wear and degradation. This paper demonstrates that the filament and complete seal stiffness is affected in comparable magnitudes by mechanical and aerodynamic forces. In certain cases, the aerodynamic forces can also lead to an overall negative seal stiffness which may affect stable seal operation. In negative stiffness, the displacement of the seal or rotor into an eccentric position causes a resultant force, which, rather than restoring the rotor to a central position, acts to amplify its displacement. Insight into the forces acting on the seal filaments is gained by investigating a leaf seal, which consists of a pack of thin planar leaves arranged around the rotor, with coverplates on either side of the leaf pack, offset from the pack surfaces. The leaf seal is chosen due to its geometry being more suitable for analysis compared to alternative filament seals such as the brush seal. Data from two experimental campaigns are presented which show a seal exhibiting negative stiffness and a seal exhibiting a stiffness reduction due to aerodynamic effects. An empirical model for the forces acting on leaf filaments is developed based on the experimental data, which allows separation of mechanical and aerodynamic forces. In addition a numerical model is developed to analyze the flow approaching the leaf pack and the interleaf flow, which gives an insight into the causes of the aerodynamic forces. Using the empirical and numerical models together, a full picture of the forces affecting leaf stiffness is created. Validation of the models is achieved by successfully predicting seal stiffness for a further data set across the full range of operating conditions. The understanding of aerodynamic forces and their impact on filament and seal stiffness allows for their consideration in leaf seal design. A qualitative assessment of how they may be used to improve seal operation in filament seals is given.

The stability of winter wheat-flowering-date is crucial for ensuring consistent and robust crop performance across diverse climatic conditions. However, the impact of climate change on wheat-flowering-dates remains uncertain. This study aims to elucidate the influence of climate change on wheat-flowering-dates, predict how projected future climate conditions will affect flowering date stability, and identify the most stable wheat genotypes in the study region. We applied a multi-locus genotype-based (MLG-based) model for simulating wheat-flowering-dates, which we calibrated and evaluated using observed data from the Northern China winter wheat region (NCWWR). This MLG-based model was employed to project flowering dates under different climate scenarios. The simulated flowering dates were then used to assess the stability of flowering dates under varying allelic combinations in projected climatic conditions. Our MLG-based model effectively simulated flowering dates, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.3 days, explaining approximately 88.5 % of the genotypic variation in flowering dates among 100 wheat genotypes. We found that, in comparison to the baseline climate, wheat-flowering-dates are expected to shift earlier within the target sowing window by approximately 11 and 14 days by 2050 under the Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 (RCP4.5) and RCP8.5 climate scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that wheat-flowering-date stability is likely to be further strengthened under projected climate scenarios due to early flowering trends. Ultimately, we demonstrate that the combination of Vrn and Ppd genes, rather than individual Vrn or Ppd genes, plays a critical role in wheat-flowering-date stability. Our results suggest that the combination of Ppd-D1a with winter genotypes carrying the vrn-D1 allele significantly contributes to flowering date stability under current and projected climate scenarios. These findings provide valuable insights for wheat breeders and producers under future climatic conditions.

Abstract For a successful transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles and from conventional power plants to renewable energy supply, battery technology plays a vital role. Accordingly, battery research and development (R&D) efforts have been increased considerably over the past decades, particularly regarding materials and cell chemistries to further improve the electrochemical performance of lithium ion batteries. The impetus behind such massive R&D has been the replacement of metallic lithium anodes, a notorious for potentially catastrophic shorting by lithium metal dendrites. However, despite the promise of a step improvement in energy density outperforming established LIB technology, the commercial introduction of cells with alternative anode materials in the mass market is slow. Against this backdrop, the aim of the present study is to provide an overview of current developments in the academic and industrial research arena, summarising the historical development of scientific literature and patent landscape beyond established anode materials. The study identifies and critically reviews tin, silicon, silicon oxide, aluminium and titanium-based anode materials as promising pathways to develop high-energy density next-generation LIBs.

Energy efficiency has long been considered a key component of an industrial company's competitive repertoire. However, despite the potential benefits of adopting so-called energy efficiency measures, their uptake in such companies remains low. In response, this study proposes a framework aimed at supporting key decision-makers in undertaking a thorough assessment of energy efficiency measures. This involves, on the one hand, providing a complete characterization of a general industrial energy efficiency measure and, on the other, identifying the multiple impacts stemming from its adoption based on a novel performance measurement system that encompasses sustainability features and is defined at the shop floor level. Once theoretically validated through literature, the framework is empirically tested with a heterogeneous sample of Italian companies. The preliminary results demonstrate the framework's ability to thoroughly assess energy efficiency measures, highlighting characteristics and impacts that are sometimes considered more critical than energy saving by industrial decision-makers and therefore able to guide the outcome of the adoption decision.

Abstract This study presents the energy performance of a three unit apartment building in Perth, Western Australia equipped with a shared energy microgrid. Although there has been a dramatic growth of residential rooftop solar PV across Australia, apartment buildings and their occupants are rarely able to access the benefits associated with onsite renewable energy generation and consumption. To address this, an apartment building in Perth was fitted with a PV and battery energy storage system, with metering architecture. The microgrid configuration enabled the sharing of energy between the apartment units. A one year dataset (December 2017-December 2018) obtained from onsite pulse meters was analysed. Load profiles were assessed and grid minimisation was evaluated through self-sufficiency metric. The three unit apartment showed a 22% reduction in average yearly energy consumption against the benchmark. The findings demonstrated an overall 75% dependency of the microgrid on renewables; and suggest that a shared energy microgrid may be more effective than separate supply connections.