Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), General Electric Phase 1. Volume 3: Energy conversion subsystems and components. Part 1: Bottoming cycles and materials of construction

Energy conversion subsystems and components were evaluated in terms of advanced energy conversion systems. Results of the bottoming cycles and materials of construction studies are presented and discussed

Gauge-Higgs Unification and Radiative Electroweak Symmetry Breaking in Warped Extra Dimensions

We compute the Coleman Weinberg effective potential for the Higgs field in RS Gauge-Higgs unification scenarios based on a bulk SO(5) x U(1)_X gauge symmetry, with gauge and fermion fields propagating in the bulk and a custodial symmetry protecting the generation of large corrections to the T parameter and the coupling of the Z to the bottom quark. We demonstrate that electroweak symmetry breaking may be realized, with proper generation of the top and bottom quark masses for the same region of bulk mass parameters that lead to good agreement with precision electroweak data in the presence of a light Higgs. We compute the Higgs mass and demonstrate that for the range of parameters for which the Higgs boson has Standard Model-like properties, the Higgs mass is naturally in a range that varies between values close to the LEP experimental limit and about 160 GeV. This mass range may be probed at the Tevatron and at the LHC. We analyze the KK spectrum and briefly discuss the phenomenology of the light resonances arising in our model.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures. Corrected typo in boundary condition for gauge bosons and top mass equation. To appear in PR

Balancing Local Order and Long-Ranged Interactions in the Molecular Theory of Liquid Water

A molecular theory of liquid water is identified and studied on the basis of computer simulation of the TIP3P model of liquid water. This theory would be exact for models of liquid water in which the intermolecular interactions vanish outside a finite spatial range, and therefore provides a precise analysis tool for investigating the effects of longer-ranged intermolecular interactions. We show how local order can be introduced through quasi-chemical theory. Long-ranged interactions are characterized generally by a conditional distribution of binding energies, and this formulation is interpreted as a regularization of the primitive statistical thermodynamic problem. These binding-energy distributions for liquid water are observed to be unimodal. The gaussian approximation proposed is remarkably successful in predicting the Gibbs free energy and the molar entropy of liquid water, as judged by comparison with numerically exact results. The remaining discrepancies are subtle quantitative problems that do have significant consequences for the thermodynamic properties that distinguish water from many other liquids. The basic subtlety of liquid water is found then in the competition of several effects which must be quantitatively balanced for realistic results.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Structural and magnetic properties of Pr-alloyed MnBi nanostructures

The structural and magnetic properties of Pr-alloyed MnBi (short MnBi-Pr) nanostructures with a range of Pr concentrations have been investigated. The nanostructures include thin films having Pr concentrations 0, 2, 3, 5 and 9 atomic percent and melt-spun ribbons having Pr concentrations 0, 2, 4 and 6 percent respectively. Addition of Pr into the MnBi lattice has produced a significant change in the magnetic properties of these nanostructures including an increase in coercivity and structural phase transition temperature, and a decrease in saturation magnetization and anisotropy energy. The highest value of coercivity measured in the films is 23 kOe and in the ribbons is 5.6 kOe. The observed magnetic properties are explained as the consequences of competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions

Healthy shopper? Blood pressure testing in a shopping centre Pop-Up in England

Background: Improving detection of elevated blood pressure (BP) remains a public health need. We present results from a Pop-Up health check stationed in shopping centres in England. We hypothesise the rate of case detection is related to measurable ‘unhealthiness’ of the shopping centres. Methods: A Pop-Up health check was sited in four and three shopping centres sampled from the top ten unhealthiest and top 15 healthiest shopping regions respectively, following a report ranking towns/cities based on their unhealthy and healthy retail outlets. On one day in each shopping centre, people were approached and consented to BP testing. Outcome measure was people flagged with BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg (cases). Results: We detected 45 (22.6%) and 20 (13.1%) cases from testing 199 and 152 adults in the unhealthy and healthy locations respectively (relative risk 1.72; 95% confidence interval: 1.06 to 2.78). A measure of unhealthy retail outlets (e.g. fast-food outlets) within each shopping centre was associated with detection rate (R2 = 0.61; p = 0.04). Conclusion: An association exists between cases of suspect hypertension found in a health check Pop-Up and measured ‘unhealthiness’ of the shopping centre site. Results hint at strategies for public testing of BP, potentially in the context of reducing health inequalities