Considering Environmental Justice in the Decision to Unbundle Renewable Energy Certificates

This comment discusses the current debate over whether or not to unbundle Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and concludes that no regulatory or legislative decision can be made without careful consideration of the potential adverse environmental impacts of unbundling upon disadvantaged communities. Part I explains the concept of Distributed Generation, its history and its importance for the electrical utility industry, paying particular attention to renewable Distributed Generation. Next, it describes the role of the CPUC in the argument regarding REC bundling. This part also examines legislative efforts undertaken to deal with the evolving relationship between renewable energy generators, Distributed Generators and the Investor Owned Utilities (hereinafter IOU ). Part I concludes with an exploration of the interplay between regulatory and market approaches to solving various problems in California\u27s recent power industry history. Part II analyzes the pros and the cons of bundled RECs as they relate to REC trading, ratepayers and owners of residential photovoltaic systems. Part III first analyzes environmental justice issues in the context of unbundling RECs, and then proposes that the California Legislature pass the newly introduced Senate Bill 107

Codon usage analysis of prokaryotic mechanosensation genes

[Abstract]: In the present study, we examined GC nucleotide composition, relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), effective number of codons (ENC), codon adaptation index (CAI) and gene length for 308 prokaryotic mechanosensitive ion channel (MSC) genes from six evolutionary groups: Euryarchaeota, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Gammaproteobacteria. Results showed that 1). a wide variation of overrepresentation of nucleotides exists in the MSC genes; 2). codon usage bias varies considerably among the MSC genes; 3). both nucleotide constraint and gene length play an important role in shaping codon usage of the bacterial MSC genes and 4). synonymous codon usage of prokaryotic MSC genes is phylogenetically conserved. Knowledge of codon usage in prokaryotic MSC genes may benefit for the study of the MSC genes in eukaryotes in which few MSC genes have been identified and functionally analysed

Pathological pregnancy and psychological symptoms in women [Patološka trudnoća i psihički simptomi u žena]

Pregnancy is followed by many physiologic, organic and psychological changes and disorders, which can become more serious in pregnancy followed by complications, especially in women with pathological conditions during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to find out and analyze the prevalence and intensity of psychological disorders in women with pathological conditions during pregnancy and compare it with conditions in pregnant women who had normal development of pregnancy. The research is approved by the Ethical committee of the Mostar University Hospital Center, and it was made in accordance with Helsinki declaration and good clinical practices. The research conducted section for pathology of pregnancy of Department for gynecology and obstetrics of the Mostar University Hospital Center. It included 82 pregnant women with disorders in pregnancy developement and control group consisted of pregnant women who had normal development of pregnancy. The research work was conducted from September 2007 to August 2008 in Mostar University Hospital Center. Pregnant women had Standard and laboratory tests, Ultrasound. CTG examinations were done for all pregnant women and additional tests for those women with complications during pregnancy. Pregnant women completed sociobiographical, obstetrical-clinical and psychological SCL 90-R questionnaire. Pregnant women with pathological pregnancy exibited significantly more psychological symptoms in comparison to pregnant women with normal pregnancy (p < 0.001 to p = 0.004). Frequency and intensity of psychical symptoms and disorders statisticly are more characteristic in pathological pregnancy (61%/40.6%). The statistical data indicate a significantly higher score of psychological disorders in those pregnant women with primary school education (p = 0.050), those who take more than 60% carbohydrates (p = 0.001), those with pathological CTG records (p < 0.001), those with pathological ultrasound results (p < 0.001 to 0.216) and those pregnant women with medium obesity and obesity (p = 0.046). Body mass index (BMI) during normal pregnancy development is lower (p = 0.002) but the levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL and LDL in blood are higher Blood pressure in pregnant women with pathological pregnancy was statistically significantly higher (p < 0.001). Diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome were found in 19 pregnant women with the pathological pregnancy. Statistically, in those women, a significantly higher appearance of psychological symptoms and disorders was observed in comparison to the pregnant women without metabolic syndrome (p < 0.001). The research has shown that 87.8% from all pregnant women included in this study have been hospitalized due to premature birth, hypertensive disorders, and diabetes in pregnancy, and also due to bleeding in the second and third trimester of pregnancy

A Framework for Integrated Energy Systems, Infrastructure and Services Optimization with Visualization and Simulation Platform for Low-carbon Precincts

Abstract: The energy informatics can be enhanced to support decision-making, communication and benchmarking of the energy performance both in design and operational phases. To enable engineers, developers and policy-makers to better understand the implications of energy systems and services, computer-generated visualization is a powerful tool to inform a range of technological options and to analyze the effects of energy system strategies. Visualization increases the transparency of results and the understanding of interactions between users and energy systems. This paper presents a novel conceptual framework for integrating energy systems, infrastructure and services optimization with a visualization and simulation platform. It focuses on the development of a tool for low-carbon energy systems and high quality energy services at precinct scale. The paper describes the vision and architectural design for the integrated framework. It is expected to serve as a next generation approach to managing energy services, carbon emissions and efficient resource use in the built environment. This will help to deliver new environmentally sustainable infrastructure and achieve carbon neutrality in urban development. Citation: Phdungslip, A., Martinac, I & Ngo, T. (2014). A Framework for Integrated Energy Systems, Infrastructure and Services Optimization with Visualization and Simulation Platform for Low-carbon Precincts. In: Campbell P. and Perez P. (Eds), Proceedings of the International Symposium of Next Generation Infrastructure, 1-4 October 2013, SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong, Australia