• Energy Research
• Open Access close
• Closed Access close
• Embargo close
• CA close

This contains the monthly heating rate kernel based on ERA5 and data for "Diagnosing atmospheric heating rate changes using radiative kernels". Please find more details in README file.

Climate change is causing large declines in many Pacific salmon populations. In particular, warm rivers are associated with high levels of premature mortality in migrating adults. The Fraser River watershed in British Columbia, Canada, supports some of the largest Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) runs in the world. However, the Fraser River is warming at a rate that threatens these populations at critical freshwater life stages. A growing body of literature suggests salmonids are locally adapted to their thermal migratory experience, and thus, population-specific thermal performance information can aid in management decisions. We compared the thermal performance of pre-spawning adult Chinook salmon from two populations, a coastal fall-run from the Chilliwack River (125 km cooler migration) and an interior summer-run from the Shuswap River (565 km warmer migration). We acutely exposed fish to temperatures reflecting current (12, 18°C) and future projected temperatures (21, 24°C) in the Fraser River and assessed survival, aerobic capacity (resting and maximum metabolic rates, absolute aerobic scope (AAS), muscle and ventricle citrate synthase), anaerobic capacity (muscle and ventricle lactate dehydrogenase), and recovery capacity (post-exercise metabolism, blood physiology, tissue lactate). Chilliwack Chinook salmon performed worse at high temperatures, indicated by elevated mortality, reduced breadth in AAS, enhanced plasma lactate and potassium levels, and elevated tissue lactate concentrations compared to Shuswap Chinook salmon. At water temperatures exceeding the upper pejus temperatures (Tpejus, defined here as 80% of maximum AAS) of Chilliwack (18.7°C) and Shuswap (20.2°C) Chinook salmon populations, physiological performance will decline and affect migration and survival to spawn. Our results reveal population differences in pre-spawning Chinook salmon performance across scales of biological organization at ecologically relevant temperatures. Given the rapid warming of rivers, we show that it is critical to consider the intra-specific variation in thermal physiology to assist in the conservation and management of Pacific salmon. Please see the main manuscript for all information regarding data collection and analysis.

A vehicle model is used to evaluate a novel powertrain that is comprised of a dual energy storage system (Dual ESS). The system includes two battery packs with different chemistries and the necessary electronic controls to facilitate their coordination and optimization. Here, a lithium-ion battery pack is used as the primary pack and a Zinc-air battery as the secondary or range-extending pack. Zinc-air batteries are usually considered unsuitable for use in vehicles due to their poor cycle life, but the model demonstrates the feasibility of this technology with an appropriate control strategy, with limited cycling of the range extender pack. The battery pack sizes and the battery control strategy are configured to optimize range, cost and longevity. In simulation the vehicle performance compares favourably to a similar vehicle with a single energy storage system (Single ESS) powertrain, travelling up to 75 km further under test conditions. The simulation demonstrates that the Zinc-air battery pack need only cycle 100 times to enjoy a ten-year lifespan. The Zinc-air battery model is based on leading Zinc-air battery research from literature, with some assumptions regarding achievable improvements. Having such a model clarifies the performance requirements of Zinc-air cells and improves the research community's ability to set performance targets for Zinc-air cells.

In a forward chemical equilibrium problem (FCEP), the state of minimum Gibbs energy for a chemical system is sought, in which temperature, pressure, elemental amounts, and thermodynamic model parameters are prescribed. We herein present a mathematical framework for characterizing and solving inverse chemical equilibrium problems (ICEP), a class of problems for which one or more of those prescribed conditions in a FCEP are unknown in advance. In an ICEP, complementary conditions must be imposed, which are referred to here as equilibrium constraints. Examples of ICEPs include those in which a certain property is known at equilibrium (e.g., volume is specified instead of pressure; enthalpy is specified instead of temperature; pH is specified instead of the amount of element H). The equilibrium constraints may also be specified by equations that govern the relationship between several equilibrium properties (e.g., the equations relating temperature, pressure, density, energy, and velocity of the gases produced during the detonation of an explosive). Chemical Engineering Science, 252 ISSN:0009-2509

Aims The aim of this study was to determine whether the sequential application of povidone iodine-alcohol (PVI) followed by chlorhexidine gluconate-alcohol (CHG) would reduce surgical wound contamination to a greater extent than PVI applied twice in patients undergoing spinal surgery. Patients and Methods A single-centre, interventional, two arm, parallel group randomised controlled trial was undertaken, involving 407 patients who underwent elective spinal surgery. For 203 patients, the skin was disinfected before surgery using PVI (10% [w/w (1% w/w available iodine)] in 95% industrial denatured alcohol, povidone iodine; Videne Alcoholic Tincture) twice, and for 204 patients using PVI once followed by CHG (2% [w/v] chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% [v/v] isopropyl alcohol; Chloraprep with tint). The primary outcome measure was contamination of the wound determined by aerobic and anaerobic bacterial growth from samples taken after disinfection. Results The detection of viable bacteria in any one of the samples taken after disinfection (culture-positive) was significantly lower in the group treated with both PVI and CHG than in the group treated with PVI alone (59 (29.1%) versus 85 (41.7%), p = 0.009; odds ratio 0.574; 95% confidence interval, 0.380 to 0.866). Conclusions Antisepsis of the skin with the sequential application of PVI and CHG more effectively reduces the contamination of a surgical wound than PVI alone. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1354–65.

Abstract Residues from the liquefaction of Black Thunder subbituminous and Illinois No. 6 bituminous coals in an autoclave and a bench unit were examined petrographically. Optical microscopy proved valuable for ranking the samples on the basis of overall coal conversion and presence of vitroplast, granular residue and inertinite. It was observed that in the autoclave that runs on Black Thunder coal, K 2 CO 3 was a superior water gas shift reaction catalyst to NaAlO 2 , or a combination of CS 2 and Fe or Mo catalysts. The amount of vitroplast showing vacuoles and cenospheric morphology in the residues was inversely related to the CO conversion, indicating that the mechanism of vitroplast dissolution is linked to the availability of active CO intermediates (e.g. formate ion, HCOO − ). A CO-steam mixture was more effective than syngas or pure H 2 and N 2 in increasing Black Thunder coal conversion, and resulted in greater morphological changes to the coal particles. In contrast, for Illinois No. 6 coal pure H 2 had a greater effect on coal solubilization and overall conversion than pure CO at the same temperature; this was attributed to the absence of carboxylates to react with the formate ions. Higher mesophase and coke contents were detected in some bench unit runs on Black Thunder coal that were operated in counterflow mode. Higher severity, poorer mixing, longer residence time and a reduction in pressure by almost 3.5 MPa are believed to be responsible for the retrogressive reactions forming mesospheres in these cases.

The author comments on the paper by J. Ma et al. (see ibid., vol.17, p.881-5, 2002), pointing out the practical aspects to be considered for actual conditions in the field.