Search

The European Union aims to become carbon-neutral by 2050 and to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The buildings sector accounts for about 40% of its total energy consumption and is responsible for 36% of the total CO2 emissions. For this reason, decarbonising the heat consumed in buildings is key to meeting these targets. CO2 emission reduction in buildings typically involves upgrading heating facilities to enable heat supply at lower temperatures, or renovating buildings, both of which can be challenging for end users. This paper analyses reducing emissions from residential buildings using high-temperature or hybrid heat pumps that can produce water at the same temperature as condensing boilers. This enables a significant reduction in emissions from buildings for owners who cannot afford or do not want to undertake a full renovation or upgrade of their current hydronic facility. The methodology followed makes use of a simplified hourly energy model based on ISO 52016-1:2017. The results indicate that, depending on the EU region, reducing CO2 emissions in buildings through these types of systems is feasible, leading to CO2 emission reductions of 40% to 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non‐trivial relationships link individual materials properties to device‐level performance. Device optimization therefore calls for new automation approaches beyond the laboratory bench with tight integration of different research methods. This study demonstrates a Materials Acceleration Platform (MAP) in the field of battery research based on the problem‐agnostic Fast INtention‐Agnostic LEarning Server (FINALES) framework, which integrates simulations and physical experiments while leaving the active control of the hardware and software resources executing experiments or simulations with the partners running the respective units. This decentralization of control is a distinctive feature of MAPs using the FINALES framework. The connected capabilities entail the formulation and characterization of electrolytes, cell assembly and testing, early lifetime prediction, and ontology‐mapped data storage provided by institutions distributed across Europe. The infrastructure is used to optimize the ionic conductivity of electrolytes and the End Of Life (EOL) of lithium‐ion coin cells by varying the electrolyte formulation. Trends in ionic conductivity are rediscovered and the effect of the electrolyte formulation on the EOL is investigated. Further, the capability of this MAP to bridge diverse research modalities, scales, and institutions enabling system‐level investigations under asynchronous conditions while handling concurrent workflows on the material‐ and system‐level is shown, demonstrating true intention‐agnosticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an approach based on triple injection capillary zone electrophoresis for identification of monoclonal antibodies. The analyte to be identified is injected between two zones of a known reference. The distances between the reference zones (plug I and III) and the target zone (plug II) are adjusted by partial electrophoresis of the first and second injection plugs. The full migration time of the target analyte is calculated from the observed migration time by considering the migration times of the reference in the first and third injection plugs. The relative migration time, that is, the ratio between the full migration time of the analyte and the migration time of the reference in the third injection plug provides the basis for identification. Here, eight monoclonal antibodies, including a pair of biosimilars, were used interchangeably as both analyte and reference to investigate potential of the method. The relative migration time for a preliminary positive identification were found to vary between 0.994 and 1.006 (1.000 ± 0.006, p = 95%). Beside the relative migration time, isoform distribution, peak profiles, and early migrating peaks, originating from components in the pharmaceutical formulations, were successfully used to verify the identity of all tested monoclonal antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides perspectives on recent progress in understanding the physics of devices in which the external magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the discharge current. This configuration generates a strong electric field that acts to accelerate ions. The many applications of this set up include generation of thrust for spacecraft propulsion and separation of species in plasma mass separation devices. These "E × B" plasmas are subject to plasma–wall interaction effects and to various micro- and macroinstabilities. In many devices we also observe the emergence of anomalous transport. This perspective presents the current understanding of the physics of these phenomena and state-of-the-art computational results, identifies critical questions, and suggests directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rotating plasma spoke is shown to develop in two-dimensional full-sized kinetic simulations of a Penning discharge cross-section. Electron cross-field transport within the discharge is highly anomalous and correlates strongly with the spoke phase. Similarity between collisional and collisionless simulations demonstrates that ionization is not necessary for spoke formation. Parameter scans with discharge current Id, applied magnetic field strength B, and ion mass mi show that the spoke frequency scales with e E r L n / m i , where Er is the radial electric field, Ln is the gradient length scale, and e is the fundamental charge. This scaling suggests that the spoke may develop as a non-linear phase of the collisionless Simon-Hoh instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations of a Penning discharge are performed in order to investigate azimuthally asymmetric, spoke-like structures previously observed in experiments. Two-dimensional simulations show that for Penning-discharge conditions, a persistent nonlinear spoke-like structure forms readily and rotates in the direction of E × B and electron diamagnetic drifts. The azimuthal velocity is within about a factor of 2 of the ion acoustic speed. The spoke frequency follows the experimentally observed scaling with ion mass, which indicates the importance of ion inertia in spoke formation. The spoke provides enhanced (anomalous) radial electron transport, and the effective cross-field conductivity is several times larger than the classical (collisional) value. The level of anomalous current obtained in the simulations is in good agreement with the experimental data. The rotating spoke channels most of the radial current, observable by an edge probe as short pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propagation of charged particle beams in background plasma as a method of space charge neutralization has been shown to achieve a high degree of charge and current neutralization and therefore enables nearly ballistic propagation and focusing of charged particle beams. Correspondingly, the use of plasmas for propagation of charged particle beams has important applications for transport and focusing of intense particle beams in inertial fusion and high energy density laboratory plasma physics. However, the streaming of beam ions through a background plasma can lead to the development of two-stream instability between the beam ions and the plasma electrons. The beam electric and magnetic fields enhanced by the two-stream instability can lead to defocusing of the ion beam. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we study the scaling of the instability-driven self-electromagnetic fields and consequent defocusing forces with the background plasma density and beam ion mass. We identify plasma parameters where the defocusing forces can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) might regulate T-cell activation and lineage commitment. Here, we measured the effects of omega-3 (n-3), n-6 and n-9 fatty acids on the interaction between dendritic cells (DCs) and naïve T cells. Spleen DCs from BALB/c mice were cultured in vitro with ovalbumin (OVA) with 50 μM fatty acids; α-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linoleic acid or oleic acid and thereafter OVA-specific DO11.10 T cells were added to the cultures. Fatty acids were taken up by the DCs, as shown by gas chromatography analysis. After culture with arachidonic acid or DHA CD11c+ CD11b+ and CD11c+ CD11bneg DCs expressed more CD40, CD80, CD83, CD86 and PDL-1, while IAd remained unchanged. However, fewer T cells co-cultured with these DCs proliferated (CellTrace Violetlow) and expressed CD69 or CD25, while more were necrotic (7AAD+). We noted an increased proportion of T cells with a regulatory T cell (Treg) phenotype, i.e., when gating on CD4+ FoxP3+ CTLA-4+, CD4+ FoxP3+ Helios+ or CD4+ FoxP3+ PD-1+, in co-cultures with arachidonic acid- or DHA-primed DCs relative to control cultures. The proportion of putative Tregs was inversely correlated to T-cell proliferation, indicating a suppressive function of these cells. With arachidonic acid DCs produced higher levels of prostaglandin E2 while T cells produced lower amounts of IL-10 and IFNγ. In conclusion arachidonic acid and DHA induced up-regulation of activation markers on DCs. However arachidonic acid- and DHA-primed DCs reduced T-cell proliferation and increased the proportion of T cells expressing FoxP3, indicating that these fatty acids can promote induction of regulatory T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The half-integer quantum Hall effect (QHE) is often suppressed in graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition on metals. The reason behind the suppression is unclear, and we hypothesize that it might be connected to extended defects in the material. In this paper we present results for the quantum Hall effect in graphene with [0001] tilt grain boundaries connecting opposite sides of Hall bar devices. Such grain boundaries contain 5-7 ring complexes that host defect states that hybridize toform bands with varying degree of metallicity depending on grain-boundary defect density. In a magnetic held, edge states on opposite sides of the Hah bar can be connected by the defect states along the grain boundary. This destroys Hall resistance quantization and leads to nonzero longitudinal resistance. Anderson disorder can partly recover quantization, where current instead flows along returning paths along the grain boundary depending on defect density in the grain boundary and on disorder strength. Since grain sizes in graphene made by chemical vapor deposition are usually small, this may help explain why the quantum Hall effect is usually poorly developed in devices made of this material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to constraints inherent to a reversed-field pinch plasma configuration, an unusual launch structure—the interdigital line—was used for lower-hybrid current-drive experiments in the Madison Symmetric Torus. The antenna design and performance were analyzed using an array of codes (including RANT3D/AORSA1D-H, Microwave Studio and VORPAL). It was found that the voltage phasing was not the intended one. As a result, the parallel-wavenumber spectrum of the launched wave peaks at a value lower than desired, making the accessibility marginal. Further simulations demonstrated that the error can largely be corrected by either lowering the antenna operating frequency or shortening the length of the resonators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last two decades have seen remarkable progress and improvements in optical biosensor systems such that those are currently seen as an important and value-adding component of modern drug screening activities. In particular the introduction of microplate-based biosensor systems holds the promise to match the required throughput without compromising on data quality thus representing a sought-after complement to traditional fluidic systems. This article aims to highlight the application of the two most prominent optical biosensor technologies, namely surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and optical waveguide grating (OWG), in small-molecule screening and will present, review and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different assay formats on these platforms. A particular focus will be on the specific advantages of the inhibition in solution assay (ISA) format in contrast to traditional direct binding assays (DBA). Furthermore we will discuss different application areas for both fluidic as well as plate-based biosensor systems by considering the individual strength of the platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several experiments have revealed the presence of grain boundaries in graphene that may change its electronic and elastic properties. Here, we present a general theory for the structure of [0001] tilt grain boundaries in graphene based on the coincidence site lattice (CSL) theory. We show that the CSL theory uniquely classifies the grain boundaries in terms of the misorientation angle θ and periodicity d using two grain-boundary indices (m,n), similar to the nanotube indices. The structure and formation energy of a large set of grain boundaries generated by the CSL theory for 0° < θ < 60° (up to 15 608 atoms) were optimized by a hierarchical methodology and validated by density functional calculations. We find that low-energy grain boundaries in graphene can be identified as dislocation arrays. The dislocations form hillocks like those observed by scanning tunneling microscopy in graphene grown on Ir(111) for small θ that flatten out at larger misorientation angles. We find that, in contrast to three-dimensional materials, the strain created by the grain boundary can be released via out-of-plane distortions that lead to an effective attractive interaction between dislocation cores. Therefore, the dependence on θ of the formation energy parallels that of the out-of-plane distortions, with a secondary minimum at θ = 32.2° where the grain boundary is made of a flat zigzag array of only 5 and 7 rings. For θ > 32.27deg;, other nonhexagonal rings are also possible. We discuss the importance of these findings for the interpretation of recent experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An implicitly charge-conserving algorithm has been developed for solving the nonlinear Poisson equation that results from the use of Boltzmann electrons. The new algorithm solves for the Boltzmann density parameter and, in the case of a Neumann boundary condition, the surface-charge density, simultaneously as it solves for the discretized electrostatic potential. Numerical stability is demonstrated for time steps exceeding the electron plasma period and spatial resolutions much coarser than the Debye length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of hydrogen from water using a catalyst and solar energy is an ideal future energy source, independent of fossil reserves. For an economical use of water and solar energy, catalysts that are sufficiently efficient, stable, inexpensive and capable of harvesting light are required. Here, we show that an abundant material, polymeric carbon nitride, can produce hydrogen from water under visible-light irradiation in the presence of a sacrificial donor. Contrary to other conducting polymer semiconductors, carbon nitride is chemically and thermally stable and does not rely on complicated device manufacturing. The results represent an important first step towards photosynthesis in general where artificial conjugated polymer semiconductors can be used as energy transducers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety investigations were performed on 600- and 1426-MW (thermal) liquid-metal--cooled reactors with the heat exchangers (HXs) located in the risers of simple flow-path pool designs. This includes both critical reactors and accelerator-driven systems (ADSs) using liquid-metal coolants. For the 600-MW (thermal) ADS, the safety implications were examined for vessel sizes of two heights (11 and 15 m) and two diameters (6 and 10 m). Then, the reference design of 11-m height and 6-m diameter was compared with a similar design, but with the HXs located in the downcomers. The transients investigated were total-loss-of-power (TLOP), unprotected-loss-of-flow (ULOF), protected-loss-of-flow and unprotected loss-of-heat-sink accidents. The 600-MW (thermal) ADS of 11-m height and 6-m diameter peaks at 1041 K after 29 h during a TLOP accident. If the diameter is increased to 10 m, it will peak after 55 h at a 178 K lower temperature thanks to its larger thermal inertia. The difference between locating the HXs in the risers and the downcomers is insignificant for this accident type. With the HXs in the risers, the temperature peaks at 1045 K after 28 h. During a ULOF accident in an ADS at full power, the core outlet temperature stabilizes at 1010 K, which is 337K above the nominal outlet temperature. When the vessel height is increased to 15 m, the natural convection is improved, and the core outlet temperature stabilizes at 911 K. A Pb-cooled 1426-MW (thermal) reactor of 11-m height and 12-m diameter is also shown to be sufficiently coolable during a TLOP accident; i.e., it peaks at 1093 K aider 49 h. In a pool-type design with a simple flow path, the use of HXs in the risers and flaps at their inlets that prevent a flow reversal will have significant safety advantages in case of HX tube failures. Steam or gas bubbles exiting from the secondary circuit cannot be dragged into the core region by the liquid-metal coolant. Instead, they would rise with the coolant and exit through the free surface. Another important effect from placing the HXs in the risers is the fact that the reactor vessel wall will be cooler during normal operation and during all accidents in which the HXs still operate. This is because the coolant passes through the HXs before it reaches the vessel wall. The idea to place the HXs in the risers of a simple flow-path design is protected by European patent No. 04 103 634.4. The computational fluid dynamics code STAR-CD was used in all calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the weak but strongly varying magnetic field, fast ions in spherical tokamaks are susceptible to the breakdown of adiabatic invariance. Beam ions in present-day spherical tokamaks are typically marginally adiabatic or super-adiabatic. Super-adiabatic ions have energies in the intermediate range where the longitudinal invariant is still adiabatically invariant, but the magnetic moment is not, and their motion is integrable. Fusion alphas in proposed burning-plasma experiments would, however, to a large extent be nonadiabatic, and follow chaotic orbits. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on several theoretical studies about the existence of two-dimensional crystals through the isolation of free-standing graphene sheets. A study inferred that two-dimensional crystals are impossible to exist because the periodic order of the atoms cannot be maintained. However, a study using Monte Carlo simulations has confirmed that the sheets can be supported by the formation of finite-sized ripples.