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Practical Development (practical + development)
Selected AbstractsSeveral basic and practical aspects related to electrochemical deionization of waterAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2010Yaniv Bouhadana Abstract We examine water desalination processes based on the electrosorption of ions onto activated carbon electrodes (capacitive deionization, CDI). A flow-by operation mode was used (solutions flows within channels in the separator, parallel to the electrodes) in both continuous and stopped flow experiments. The different response of solutions containing more than 5000 ppm NaCl and dilute solutions (e.g., 1000 ppm NaCl) to the applied potential is discussed. The electrical current transients on potential steps were faster by two orders of magnitude than the resulting concentration transients due to the dynamics of these deionization processes and the properties of the cells used herein. Guidelines for the practical development of capacitive water deionization processes are discussed herein. It is assumed that for brackish water containing several thousands ppms of NaCl, CDI may be advantageous over competitive methods (e.g., reverse osmosis). © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010 [source] Deployment of diversity for enhanced crop functionANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009A.C. Newton Abstract Mixtures of genotypes are the norm in natural and seminatural ecosystems and subsistence agriculture but have been replaced by pure genotypes in modern agriculture to maximise profitability in high-input systems. However, crop function with respect to the stability of yield and quality in particular tends to be lost in this process. Diversity can be reintroduced into cropping systems as a trait not only to confer stability but also to exploit synergies between component genotypes, compensating for potential performance losses against the best performing genotype in any given season or location. Quality need not be compromised, and research has demonstrated practical development and deployment approaches, which challenge the assumed benefits of current approaches to agronomy and achieve enhanced crop function. [source] A DNA replicon system for rapid high-level production of virus-like particles in plantsBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 4 2009Zhong Huang Abstract Recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) represent a safe and effective vaccine strategy. We previously described a stable transgenic plant system for inexpensive production and oral delivery of VLP vaccines. However, the relatively low-level antigen accumulation and long-time frame to produce transgenic plants are the two major roadblocks in the practical development of plant-based VLP production. In this article, we describe the optimization of geminivirus-derived DNA replicon vectors for rapid, high-yield plant-based production of VLPs. Co-delivery of bean yellow dwarf virus (BeYDV)-derived vector and Rep/RepA-supplying vector by agroinfiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves resulted in efficient replicon amplification and robust protein production within 5 days. Co-expression of the P19 protein of tomato bush stunt virus, a gene silencing inhibitor, further enhanced VLP accumulation by stabilizing the mRNA. With this system, hepatitis B core antigen (HBc) and Norwalk virus capsid protein (NVCP) were produced at 0.80 and 0.34 mg/g leaf fresh weight, respectively. Sedimentation analysis and electron microscopy of transiently expressed antigens verified the efficient assembly of VLPs. Furthermore, a single replicon vector containing a built-in Rep/RepA cassette without P19 drove protein expression at similar levels as the three-component system. These results demonstrate the advantages of fast and high-level production of VLP-based vaccines using the BeYDV-derived DNA replicon system for transient expression in plants. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 706,714. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Dynamics of energy storage in phase change drywall systemsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 4 2005K. Darkwa Abstract Experimental evaluations of manufactured samples of laminated and randomly mixed phase change material (PCM) drywalls have been carried out and compared with numerical results. The analysis showed that the laminated PCM drywall performed thermally better. Even though there was a maximum 3% deviation of the average experimental result from the numerical values, the laminated PCM board achieved about 55% of the phase change process as against 48% for the randomly distributed drywall sample. The laminated board sample also released about 27% more latent heat than the randomly distributed type at the optimum time of 90 min thus validating previous simulation study. Given the experimental conditions and assumptions the experiment has proved that it is feasible to develop the laminated PCM technique for enhancing and minimising multi-dimensional heat transfers in drywall systems. Further practical developments are however encouraged to improve the overall level of heat transfer. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Report of the Council for the session 2006,2007JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 4 2007Council Report President's foreword., This year's annual report shows another very successful year for the Society. The range of the Society's new initiatives bears testament to our vigour and to the energy and enthusiasm of Fellows and staff. It is difficult to summarize all of these but I offer a brief overview of some of the highlights. This year we have awarded the first annual prize for ,Statistical excellence in journalism'. It is too easy to bemoan the general quality of coverage of statistical issues in the press and other media. But simply moaning does not improve the situation. As a positive step, on the instigation of Sheila Bird and Andrew Garratt, the Society decided to initiate an award for the best journalistic coverage of a statistical issue. This year first prize was awarded to Ben Goldacre of The Guardian. I hope that these annual awards will offer a positive focus on good coverage and help us to promote best practice. This year, also, we have set up the Professional Development Centre to act as a focus for statistical training both for statisticians and for others who use statistical methods as part of their work. It thus reflects our support for continuing professional development for our Fellows and at the same time provides outreach to members of the statistical user community who want to improve their statistical skills. We welcome Nicola Bright as the Director of the Centre and wish her every success. I am pleased to say that it is not just the Society centrally that has taken new activities this year. The Manchester Local Group have initiated a prize for final year undergraduates from any higher education institute in the north-west. At a time when there are concerns about the number of well-qualified graduates coming into the statistics profession this seems an excellent way to attract the attention of final year undergraduates. I wish this initiative every success. Another development to which the Society has contributed is the Higher Education Funding Council for England project ,more maths grads' which is designed to promote participation in undergraduate degrees in the mathematical sciences. A good supply of mathematically trained graduates is essential to the UK economy in general and to the health of the statistics discipline in particular. It is good that the Society is involved in practical developments that are aimed at increasing participation. The final new initiative that I shall draw attention to is the ,first-in-man' report which is concerned with the statistical design of drug trials aimed at testing novel treatment types. The working party was set up as a result of the adverse reactions suffered by healthy volunteers to a first-in-man trial of monoclonal antibodies and who were subsequently admitted to Northwick Park hospital. The report makes a series of recommendations about the design of such trials and will, I hope, contribute to the safety of future trials. I would like to thank Stephen Senn and the members of the working party for their considerable efforts. As well as these new initiatives there were, of course, many other continuing activities that are noteworthy. The annual conference in Belfast was a great success with many lively sessions and a good number of participants. In particular it was good to see a high number of young statisticians participating in the conference, reflecting the continuing impact of the Young Statisticians Forum on which I commented in the previous annual report. Another continuing activity for the Society is the statistical legislation going through Parliament as I write. The Society has long campaigned for legislation for official statistics. The issue now is to try to get good legislation which will have the required effect and will help the Government Statistical Service and other statistical producers to produce high quality, authoritative statistics in an environment that commands public confidence. As first published, the Society was disappointed with the Bill but we have worked to build support for amendments that, in our view, are essential. Time alone will tell how effective the final legislation will be in meeting our aims. I would like to draw attention to the success of the Membership Services team. We, although with other statistical Societies, have experienced a decline in membership in recent years but the team have turned this round. They are helping to recruit new Fellows and to retain the commitment of existing Fellows. This is a fine achievement and I would like to thank Nicola Emmerson, Ed Swires-Hennessy and the whole team. Finally we have, at last, reached a conclusion in our dealings with the Privy Council and will implement the second phase of constitutional changes. In future our business year, financial year and year for elected appointments will all coincide on a calendar year basis. There will be transitional arrangements but in due course all our administrative arrangements will coincide and will improve efficiency and co-ordination. This has been a long journey, steered effectively by our Director General, Ivor Goddard, and I congratulate him for a successful outcome on your behalf. As you read this report, I hope that you will share my impression of a Society that is lively and spawning many new programmes. We have a dual commitment: to the well-being of statistics as a discipline and to the promotion of statistical understanding and practice to the benefit of Society at large. In both respects I feel that the Society is in good health. This is due to the unstinting efforts of a large number of individual volunteers, including in particular our Honorary Officers and also, of course, the staff at Errol Street. On behalf of all Fellows, I wish to express my thanks to everyone involved. Tim Holt [source] | ||||||||||