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At least 1,711 records · Page 95

Emulating the impact of additional proton-proton interactions in the ATLAS simulation by pre-sampling sets of inelastic Monte Carlo events

The accurate simulation of additional interactions at the ATLAS experiment for the analysis of proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider presents a significant challenge to the computing resources. During the LHC Run (2015-2018) there were up to 70 inelastic interactions per bunch crossing, which need to be accounted for in Monte Carlo (MC) production. In this document, a new method to account for these additional interactions in the simulation chain is described. Instead of sampling the inelastic interactions and adding their energy deposits to a hard-scatter interaction one-by-one, the inelastic interactions are presampled, independent of the hard scatter, and stored as combined events. Consequently, for each hard-scatter interaction only one such presampled event needs to be added as part of the simulation chain. For the Run 2 simulation chain, with an average of 35 interactions per bunch crossing, this new method provides a substantial reduction in MC production CPU needs of around 20%, while reproducing the properties of the reconstructed quantities relevant for physics analyses with good accuracy.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Analysis and fringe field scaling of a legacy set of electrostatic deflector aberration formulas [Chapter Seven]

In this work we performed an analysis of the derivation of first and second order analytic aberration formulas by Wollnik (1965) for the case of electrostatic deflectors in the horizontal plane. We found that these aberration formulas are valid for the main field of the deflector; however, they do not account for any fringe field effects. To address this issue, we modified the aberration formulas from Wollnik (1965) for a hard edge fringe field by scaling the particle inclinations at the entrance and exit edges of the deflector. These modified aberration formulas fully agree with electrostatic aberration formulas derived by Valetov and Berz (2020), as well as with differential-algebraic (DA) calculations of electrostatic deflector aberrations using the code COSY INFINITY.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Harmonization of experimental approach and data collection to streamline analysis of biomass composition from algae in an inter-laboratory setting

In order to establish and design long-term algae cultivation experiments, inter-laboratory projects need to harmonize the requirements of techno-economic and life-cycle analysis models, with standardized data inputs. In order to provide a consistent foundation and allow for integration and analysis of the results in computational technical and resource analysis models, we implemented closely coordinated, harmonized and objective analytical protocols along with a common language for measuring growth and productivity for the major algal components. We describe here the process by which we developed a harmonization framework for analysis across five geographically diverse testbed sites. Our goal was to align analytical procedures to ensure consistent reporting on biomass and lipid content, quality and yields to eliminate measurement variability as a source of uncertainty in production data. Developing standards for analysis that streamline reporting on composition and expected fuel yields from biomass is one of the major outcomes of this work and this provides a starting place for further advanced characterization of algae to support the techno-economical process analyses and account for the mass balance accounting of algal biomass. In conclusion, initial analysis of data obtained from field studies shows trends in compositional shifts of lipid and protein content of the biomass that are in support of the physiological experiments demonstrated in the first geographically distributed unified outdoor cultivation trials.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

A distributed decision framework for building clusters with different heterogeneity settings

In the past few decades, extensive research has been conducted to develop operation and control strategy for smart buildings with the purpose of reducing energy consumption. Besides studying on single building, it is envisioned that the next generation buildings can freely connect with one another to share energy and exchange information in the context of smart grid. It was demonstrated that a network of connected buildings (aka building clusters) can significantly reduce primary energy consumption, improve environmental sustainability and building s resilience capability. However, an analytic tool to determine which type of buildings should form a cluster and what is the impact of building clusters heterogeneity based on energy profile to the energy performance of building clusters is missing. To bridge these research gaps, we propose a self-organizing map clustering algorithm to divide multiple buildings to different clusters based on their energy profiles, and a homogeneity index to evaluate the heterogeneity of different building clusters configurations. In addition, a bi-level distributed decision model is developed to study the energy sharing in the building clusters. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed clustering algorithm and decision model, we employ a dataset including monthly energy consumption data for 30 buildings where the data is collected every 15 min. It is demonstrated that the proposed decision model can achieve at least 13% cost savings for building clusters. Furthermore, the results show that the heterogeneity of energy profile is an important factor to select battery and renewable energy source for building clusters, and the shared battery and renewable energy are preferred for more heterogeneous building clusters.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Setting cost targets for zero-emission electricity generation technologies

Clean energy deployment scenarios typically assume a diverse mix of low-emission generation. However, because of historically low natural gas prices and cost reductions for onshore wind and photovoltaic technologies, recent new capacity deployment, especially in the United States, has come largely from these three generation sources. Here, we quantify competitive cost targets for three less-common zero-emission generation technologies -- nuclear, concentrating solar, and offshore wind -- under a range of future conditions. We determine the cost targets based on the technologies' system value, such that technology value equals or exceeds its cost. Using a capacity expansion model that develops system-wide, economically optimal generation scenarios of the United States power sector, we find that nuclear, concentrating solar, and offshore wind would need to attain levelized cost ranges of $53-84/MWh, $65-91/MWh, and $39-77/MWh, respectively, to achieve 1% additional grid penetration. We refer to this metric as the 'required cost,' which is a technology's levelized cost of energy needed to achieve a specific penetration level. Higher penetrations lead to lower required costs as lower-cost generation is displaced. We estimate that to reach 10% penetration, the required cost for nuclear declines to $45-76/MWh. Because of resource variability and increased transmission needs for concentrating solar power and offshore wind, even lower costs are needed to reach higher penetrations: required cost ranges to achieve 10% penetration are estimated to be $30-56/MWh and $18-40/MWh for these two technologies respectively. Our analysis informs research and development priorities and the design of policies supporting clean technologies.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein 1 induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition by inducing V-set Ig domain containing 4 (VSIG4) expression via NF-kB in renal tubular epithelial HK-2 cells

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a hallmark of chronic kidney disease, is a key event in the conversion from tubular epithelial cells to myofibroblasts in renal fibrosis. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a γ-herpes oncovirus associated with chronic kidney disease. However, the relationship between EBV and the EMT process in renal tubular epithelial cells is not well understood. Among EBV-latent genes, EBV-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) induces EMT by regulating a variety of molecules in EBV-induced oncogenic transformation. In this study, we investigated EBV-encoded LMP1 and EMT process markers in human proximal tubule epithelial cell line HK-2. LMP1 overexpression induces cell morphological changes via the epithelial to mesenchymal process in HK-2 cells, and these changes accelerate cell proliferation, cell motility, and invasion. Furthermore, VSIG4 upregulation by EBV-LMP1 induced LMP1-mediated EMT, cell motility, and invasion. VSIG4 upregulation by LMP1 was regulated at the transcriptional level via the NF-kB signaling axis. These results suggest that EBV-encoded LMP1 regulates EMT through the NF-kB-VSIG4 axis in HK-2 cells, and VSIG4 is a potential target in EBV-induced chronic kidney diseases. - Highlights: • Epstein Barr virus-encoded LMP1 overexpression induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition in renal epithelial HK-2 cells. • Upregulation of VISG4 expression by EBV-LMP1 plays an important role in LMP1-induced EMT process in HK-2 cells. • VSIG4 upregulation by EBV-LMP1 is regulated at transcriptional level via LMP1-induced NF-kB activation. • The interruption of VSIG4 expression could be a potential strategy for treatment of EBV-infected renal diseases.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Setting a baseline for Integrated Landscape Design: Cost and risk assessment in herbaceous feedstock supply chains

The literature on bioenergy has pointed out that financial risks and limited performance benchmarks are leading barriers to wide-spread industry expansion. The purpose of this paper is to document a baseline cost and risk assessment from the perspective of biorefinery management for two herbaceous feedstocks, switchgrass and corn stover, in an application of Integrated Landscape Design (ILD). Integrating energy crops into row crops has attracted considerable attention leading to a variety of ways to implement ILD. However, variation in production conditions, different methods of implementing unit operations, and technology performance variability are among many factors leading to financial risk facing biorefineries from feedstock supply based on ILD. Utilizing data from field-based trials on switchgrass and corn stover in Virginia and Iowa in the United States, we estimate feedstock logistics cost and characterize it by a distribution of potential outcomes. The results show that, across fields included in the study, logistics cost for switchgrass vary from 73 per Mg to 171 per Mg. For corn stover, the inter-field variation in cost ranges from 83 per Mg to 105 per Mg. Results for intra-field uncertainty show that the cost for switchgrass ranges from 58 per Mg to 74 per Mg, and for corn stover they range from 50 per Mg to 65 per Mg. Furthermore, these results inform a baseline from which improvements in ILD can be compared, and provide biorefinery management with a starting point for cost and risk estimates of feedstock from ILD.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Cement paste prior to setting: A rheological approach

The evolution of cement paste during the dormant period is analyzed via small amplitude oscillation rheological measurements. Cement paste, from the very first moments after mixing cement and water, shows the formation of an elastic gel whose strength is rapidly increasing over time. Up to the onset of Portlandite precipitation G′(t) increases by more than 2 orders of magnitude and in the acceleratory period G′(t) continues steadily to increase. A microstructural modification is likely to occur between the dormant and the acceleratory period. At low deformations in the linearity domain the storage modulus G′(ω) exhibits a negligible frequency dependence. At higher deformations cement paste shows a yield stress which increases on increasing paste concentration. The presence of superplasticizers decreases the yield stress and increases the gelation threshold of the paste. Above the gelation threshold the evolution of cement paste with superplasticizers follows similar trends to the neat paste. -- Highlights: •The gelation of cement paste during the dormant period is analyzed via rheometry. •The observed evolution is proposed to be related to the pore structure refinement. •Similarities are observed with colloidal gels and colloidal glasses.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗