Growth in planted areas of
for biomass in Europe has stagnated since 2010 due to technical challenges, economic barriers and environmental concerns. These limitations need to be overcome before ...biomass production from
can expand to several million hectares. In this paper, we consider the economic and environmental effects of introducing seed based hybrids as an alternative to clonal
(
). The impact of seed based propagation and novel agronomy was compared with current
cultivation and used in 10 commercially relevant, field scale experiments planted between 2012 and 2014 in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine. Economic and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions costs were quantified for the following production chain: propagation, establishment, harvest, transportation, storage, and fuel preparation (excluding soil carbon changes). The production and utilization efficiency of seed and rhizome propagation were compared. Results show that new hybrid seed propagation significantly reduces establishment cost to below £900 ha
. Calculated GHG emission costs for the seeds established via plugs, though relatively small, was higher than rhizomes because fossil fuels were assumed to heat glasshouses for raising seedling plugs (5.3 and 1.5 kg CO
eq. C Mg dry matter (DM)
), respectively. Plastic mulch film reduced establishment time, improving crop economics. The breakeven yield was calculated to be 6 Mg DM ha
y
, which is about half average United Kingdom yield for
; with newer seeded hybrids reaching 16 Mg DM ha
in second year United Kingdom trials. These combined improvements will significantly increase crop profitability. The trade-offs between costs of production for the preparation of different feedstock formats show that bales are the best option for direct firing with the lowest transport costs (£0.04 Mg
km
) and easy on-farm storage. However, if pelleted fuel is required then chip harvesting is more economic. We show how current seed based propagation methods can increase the rate at which
can be scaled up; ∼×100 those of current rhizome propagation. These rapid ramp rates for biomass production are required to deliver a scalable and economic
biomass fuel whose GHG emissions are ∼1/20th those of natural gas per unit of heat.
This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which investigated methods to optimize the production and use of miscanthus biomass. Miscanthus bioenergy and ...bioproduct chains were investigated by trialing 15 diverse germplasm types in a range of climatic and soil environments across central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and China. The abiotic stress tolerances of a wider panel of 100 germplasm types to drought, salinity, and low temperatures were measured in the laboratory and a field trial in Belgium. A small selection of germplasm types was evaluated for performance in grasslands on marginal sites in Germany and the UK. The growth traits underlying biomass yield and quality were measured to improve regional estimates of feedstock availability. Several potential high-value bioproducts were identified. The combined results provide recommendations to policymakers, growers and industry. The major technical advances in miscanthus production achieved by OPTIMISC include: (1) demonstration that novel hybrids can out-yield the standard commercially grown genotype
(2) characterization of the interactions of physiological growth responses with environmental variation within and between sites; (3) quantification of biomass-quality-relevant traits; (4) abiotic stress tolerances of miscanthus genotypes; (5) selections suitable for production on marginal land; (6) field establishment methods for seeds using plugs; (7) evaluation of harvesting methods; and (8) quantification of energy used in densification (pellet) technologies with a range of hybrids with differences in stem wall properties. End-user needs were addressed by demonstrating the potential of optimizing miscanthus biomass composition for the production of ethanol and biogas as well as for combustion. The costs and life-cycle assessment of seven miscanthus-based value chains, including small- and large-scale heat and power, ethanol, biogas, and insulation material production, revealed GHG-emission- and fossil-energy-saving potentials of up to 30.6 t CO
C ha
y
and 429 GJ ha
y
, respectively. Transport distance was identified as an important cost factor. Negative carbon mitigation costs of -78€ t
CO
C were recorded for local biomass use. The OPTIMISC results demonstrate the potential of miscanthus as a crop for marginal sites and provide information and technologies for the commercial implementation of miscanthus-based value chains.
Here is an account of mentality and human experience, written for a multi-disciplinary readership. The focus is on how mind, consciousness and selves inter-relate, extending into exploration of ideas ...about the nature of awareness and a search for relevant evidence. 'Consciousness studies' has reached something of a crossroads nowadays. Computational approaches to mind and 'quantum consciousness' theories, have not lived up to early hopes. Neuroscience has made huge strides in the last few years, but is still nowhere near able to account for the existence of consciousness itself - as opposed to being able to explain how some of its content gets there. Philosophically, there is lack of consensus over both the nature of consciousness and what questions we should be asking about it. Chris Nunn's book surveys the current situation and argues that, as far as 'mind' is concerned, we need to take the overall dynamics into consideration, which include genetic, environmental and social fac.
Since the late 1990s various consortia have published papers and reports seeking to establish a systemic public film education in Britain. Despite the time and effort taken by colleagues in ...organizations such as the British Film Institute (BFI), who have been involved in the production of these papers since at least
Making Movies Matter
in 1999, it is observable that each policy initiative has eventually fallen away. This article seeks to explore the discourse that these reports, taken together, present and how this might impact the development of a future public film pedagogy, as well as affect students who seek to study film and television production at later stages. This research was finalized shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time when the film and television industries in Britain were demonstrating huge fiscal successes; however, the fate of the talent that will shape the future of these industries is still very much hanging in the balance.
This article presents an interview with Ben Gibson, former distributor, programmer, film journalist and producer, who went on to run the London Film School from 2000 to 2014. In this interview, ...Gibson deconstructs what is meant by the term ‘independent film-making’ in an educational context. Drawing on his wealth of experience in a variety of contexts, Gibson takes apart current notions that dominate in contemporary educational and industrial discourses, surprisingly arriving at a conclusion which could lead emerging film-makers and their supporters towards a notion of independence after all.
Some implications of the metric time incorporated in relativity theory strongly suggest that there is a need to accord separate ontological status to both of the concepts of time that were described ...by John McTaggart over 100 years ago; namely his 'untensed' and 'tensed'
times. Quantizing 'tensed' time leads to a proposal for a panprotopsychist theory (SoS theory) which avoids the 'binding' and 'combination' problems to which most theories of this type succumb when envisaged as providers of a basis for our form of conscious experience.
For this reason, SoS theory is regarded as relatively plausible, while it has empirically testable implications for both a potential means of inducing general anaesthesia and for the probable manifestation of brief violations of objective energy conservation.
Awareness Nunn, Chris
1996, 20020926, 1995, 2002-09-26
eBook
Awareness: What it is, What it does is an accessible, up-to-date examination of scientific thinking about the nature of consciousness. Written to be understood by the non-specialist, Chris Nunn ...begins by describing basic facts about the brain and the physical world. He then examines various theories of consciousness, highlighting their relative strengths and weaknesses, and their practical implications especially for medicine and psychiatry. The study of awareness is currently a fast developing adn controversial area. This book contains a state-of-the art overview of some of the most exciting theoretical adn experimental advances. It will be of interest to a wide range of academics, students and general readers. Chris Nunn is a former Consultant Psychiatrist, based in Southampton. He combined his role providing services to local communities with extensive research interests in mind/body relationships and awareness.
We report a case involving a 55-year-old man who had a recent resection of tracheal carcinoma and tracheal reanastomosis. He subsequently developed tracheomalacia and anastomotic dehiscence requiring ...airway stenting via an armored endotracheal tube (ETT). Placement of the armored ETT was technically difficult. It required insertion of an airway exchange catheter through the tracheal stoma to oxygenate, ventilate, and serve as a guide for ETT placement through the tracheotomy and across the dehiscence. During transtracheal jet ventilation our patient developed bilateral tension pneumothoraces requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation and chest tube placement. The patient was quickly recovered, stabilized, and later discharged after a prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) course. We review the recommendations for jet ventilation via airway exchange catheters, common problems during this technique, and potential methods for avoiding these problems. The risk of barotrauma and pneumothoraces during jet ventilation via an airway exchange catheter should be kept in mind.
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