EU Renewable Energy Targets in 2020 - Analysis of Scenarios for Transport - JEC Biofuels Programme

In the three-year JEC Biofuels Programme, the research collaboration between the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, EUCAR and CONCAWE has investigated the potential role of biofuels and other renewable and alternative energy sources in achieving the mandatory 10% renewable energy target in the transport sector by 2020 with an associated calculation of the impact of renewable fuels on the Fuel Quality directive target. The focus of the analysis was on road transport although all other transport modes have been considered. A dedicated analytical tool, the so-called Fleet and Fuels (F&F) model, has been developed and used. The modelled fleet development leads to a transport fuel demand and constitutes the basis on which penetration and distribution of alternative motor fuels - and availability thereof - are analysed. The impacts of key parameters on the achievement of the RED 10% target are analysed in sensitivity cases.JRC.DDG.F.9-Sustainable Transport (Ispra

EU renewable energy targets in 2020: Revised analysis of scenarios for transport fuels. JEC Biofuels Programme

This study provides a robust scientific assessment of different renewable energy implementation scenarios and their associated impacts on the RED 10% renewable energy target for transport. The primary focus is on road transport demand although all other transport modes (aviation, rail, inland navigation and off-road) have also been considered and would be important contributors towards reaching the renewable target and GHG reduction target.JRC.F.8-Sustainable Transpor

WELL-TO-WHEELS Report version 4.a : JEC WELL-TO-WHEELS ANALYSIS

The JEC research partners [Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, EUCAR and CONCAWE] have updated their joint evaluation of the well-to-wheels energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for a wide range of potential future fuel and powertrain options. This document reports on the fourth release of this study replacing Version 3c published in July 2011. The original version was published in December 2003.JRC.F.8-Sustainable Transpor

TANK-TO-WHEELS report version 4.a : WELL-TO-WHEELS ANALYSIS OF FUTURE AUTOMOTIVE FUELS AND POWERTRAINS IN THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT

The JEC research partners [Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, EUCAR and CONCAWE] have updated their joint evaluation of the tank-to-wheels (TTW) energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for a wide range of potential future fuel and powertrain options. This document is a revision of the fourth release of this study released in July 2013. The original version was published in December 2003.JRC.F.8 - Sustainable Transpor

TANK-to-WHEELS Report Version 4.0

The Tank-to-Wheel study described in this report includes several different fuel–powertrain configurations for conventional1 (i.e. “ICE-only”) as well as electrified (i.e. “xEV”) vehicles. These variants are considered for 2010 (including technologies in the market in the years 2008 up to 2012) to represent the current state-of-the-art in automotive industry and for 2020+JRC.F.8 - Sustainable Transpor

Novel genetic loci associated with hippocampal volume

The hippocampal formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippocampal volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippocampal structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 individuals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippocampal volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes (ASTN2, DPP4 and MAST4) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH. A hippocampal subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippocampal volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (rg =-0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippocampal volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

The 40Ca(alpha,gamma)44Ti reaction in the energy regime of supernova nucleosynthesis

The 44Ti(t1/2 = 59 y) nuclide, an important signature of supernova nucleosynthesis, has recently been observed as live radioactivity by gamma-ray astronomy from the Cas A remnant. We investigate in the laboratory the major 44Ti production reaction, 40Ca(alpha,gamma)44Ti (E_cm = 0.6-1.2 MeV/u), by direct off- line counting of 44Ti nuclei. The yield, significantly higher than inferred from previous experiments, is analyzed in terms of a statistical model using microscopic nuclear inputs. The associated stellar rate has important astrophysical consequences, increasing the calculated supernova 44Ti yield by a factor ~2 over previous estimates and bringing it closer to Cas A observations.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev. lett., 4 pages, 1 table, 2 figure

Novel genetic loci underlying human intracranial volume identified through genome-wide association

Intracranial volume reflects the maximally attained brain size during development, and remains stable with loss of tissue in late life. It is highly heritable, but the underlying genes remain largely undetermined. In a genome-wide association study of 32,438 adults, we discovered five novel loci for intracranial volume and confirmed two known signals. Four of the loci are also associated with adult human stature, but these remained associated with intracranial volume after adjusting for height. We found a high genetic correlation with child head circumference (ρgenetic=0.748), which indicated a similar genetic background and allowed for the identification of four additional loci through meta-analysis (Ncombined = 37,345). Variants for intracranial volume were also related to childhood and adult cognitive function, Parkinson’s disease, and enriched near genes involved in growth pathways including PI3K–AKT signaling. These findings identify biological underpinnings of intracranial volume and provide genetic support for theories on brain reserve and brain overgrowth