Potential of Photovoltaics and Energy Storage to Address Lack of Electricity Access

Lack of electricity access is widespread in the developing world and associated with increased mortality, reduced educational levels, and economic and social disadvantages, especially among women. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has emphasized securing access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for all. For climatological and health reasons, particular attention has been focused on expanding the use of renewables for electricity production. In particular, photovoltaics, coupled to energy storage, is an attractive option for dispatchable electricity production, but the degree to which they can be used to address global lack of electricity access, and associated costs, merits more attention. This study presents a global geospatial analysis to identify areas suitable for production of dispatchable electricity using photovoltaics and energy storage. Analysis considers land use restrictions, 25 years of historical hourly solar irradiance, seasonal demand curves, population, and visible nighttime light (as a measure of electrification). We show that nearly all the population identified without electricity access (approx. 1.1 billion people) could get access to Tier 5 level electricity in the Sustainable Energy for All initiative framework using photovoltaics and battery storage coupled systems. Under most cost scenarios analyzed, around 90 percent of this population could be served for a lifetime cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.20 dollars per kWhe or less at current system costs

Rogue Waves: From Nonlinear Schrödinger Breather Solutions to Sea-Keeping Test

Under suitable assumptions, the nonlinear dynamics of surface gravity waves can be modeled by the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Besides traveling wave solutions like solitons, this model admits also breather solutions that are now considered as prototypes of rogue waves in ocean. We propose a novel technique to study the interaction between waves and ships/structures during extreme ocean conditions using such breather solutions. In particular, we discuss a state of the art sea-keeping test in a 90-meter long wave tank by creating a Peregrine breather solution hitting a scaled chemical tanker and we discuss its potential devastating effects on the ship

Penicillium verrucosum occurrence and Ochratoxin A contents in organically cultivated grain with special reference to ancient wheat types and drying practice

This study addresses the relationship between the ochratoxigenic strains of Penicillium verrucosum and ochratoxin A (OTA) contents in organically cultivated grain. It included 37 combined, non-dried grain samples from farmers with no drying facilities as well as 19 non-dried and 22 dried samples from six farms with on-farm drying facilities (Case studies 1-6). The study focused on the ancient wheat type spelt but also included samples of wheat, rye, barley, oats, triticale, emmer, and einkorn. All 78 samples were analysed for moisture content (MC) and occurrence of P. verrucosum. The latter was assessed by plating non-disinfected kernels on DYSG agar and counting those contaminated by the fungus. Fiftyfive samples were analysed for OTA. Most of the combine harvested samples (82%) were contaminated with P. verrucosum prior to drying. This was ascribed to difficult harvest conditions and many samples of spelt, which was significantly more contaminated by P. verrucosum than oats, wheat and barley. Though not statistically significant, the results also indicated that spelt was more contaminated than rye, which is usually regarded the most sensitive small grain cereal. No correlation was found between number of kernels contaminated by P. verrucosum and OTA content. Despite many non-dried samples being contaminated by P. verrucosum, only two exceeded the EU maximum limit for grain (5 ng OTA g-1), both being spring spelt with 18 and 92 ng g-1, respectively. The problems were most likely correlated to a late harvest and high MC of the grain. The case studies showed exceedings of the maximum limit in a batch of dried oats and spring wheat, respectively, probably to be explained by insufficient drying of late harvested grain with high MC. Furthermore, our results clearly indicate that OTA is not produced in significant amounts in samples with MCs below 17%. All dried samples with MCs above 18% exceeded the 5 ng OTA g-1 limit in grain. However, no correlation between MC and the amount of OTA produced was found

Development of novel bioassays to detect soluble and aggregated Huntingtin proteins on three technology platforms

Huntington’s disease is caused by a CAG / polyglutamine repeat expansion. Mutated CAG repeats undergo somatic instability, resulting in tracts of several hundred CAGs in the brain; and genetic modifiers of Huntington’s disease have indicated that somatic instability is a major driver of age of onset and disease progression. As the CAG repeat expands, the likelihood that exon 1 does not splice to exon 2 increases, resulting in two transcripts that encode full-length huntingtin protein, as well as the highly pathogenic and aggregation-prone exon 1 huntingtin protein. Strategies that target the huntingtin gene or transcripts are a major focus of therapeutic development. It is essential that the levels of all isoforms of huntingtin protein can be tracked, to better understand the molecular pathogenesis, and to assess the impact of huntingtin protein-lowering approaches in preclinical studies and clinical trials. Huntingtin protein bioassays for soluble and aggregated forms of huntingtin protein are in widespread use on the homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence and Meso Scale Discovery platforms, but these do not distinguish between exon 1 huntingtin protein and full-length huntingtin protein. In addition, they are frequently used to quantify huntingtin protein levels in the context of highly expanded polyglutamine tracts, for which appropriate protein standards do not currently exist. Here, we set out to develop novel huntingtin protein bioassays to ensure that all soluble huntingtin protein isoforms could be distinguished. We utilized the zQ175 Huntington’s disease mouse model that has ∼190 CAGs, a CAG repeat size for which protein standards are not available. Initially, 30 combinations of six antibodies were tested on three technology platforms: homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence, amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay and Meso Scale Discovery, and a triage strategy was employed to select the best assays. We found that, without a polyglutamine-length-matched standard, the vast majority of soluble mutant huntingtin protein assays cannot be used for quantitative purposes, as the highly expanded polyglutamine tract decreased assay performance. The combination of our novel assays, with those already in existence, provides a tool-kit to track: total soluble mutant huntingtin protein, soluble exon 1 huntingtin protein, soluble mutant huntingtin protein (excluding the exon 1 huntingtin protein) and total soluble full-length huntingtin protein (mutant and wild type). Several novel aggregation assays were also developed that track with disease progression. These selected assays can be used to compare the levels of huntingtin protein isoforms in a wide variety of mouse models of Huntington’s disease and to determine how these change in response to genetic or therapeutic manipulations

Maps, Memories and Manchester: The Cartographic Imagination of the Hidden Networks of the Hydraulic City

The largely unseen channelling, culverting and controlling of water into, through and out of cities is the focus of our cartographic interpretation. This paper draws on empirical material depicting hydraulic infrastructure underlying the growth of Manchester in mapped form. Focusing, in particular, on the 19th century burst of large-scale hydraulic engineering, which supplied vastly increased amounts of clean drinking water, controlled unruly rivers to eliminate flooding, and safely removed sewage, this paper explores the contribution of mapping to the making of a more sanitary city, and towards bold civic minded urban intervention. These extensive infrastructures planned and engineered during Victorian and Edwardian Manchester are now taken-for-granted but remain essential for urban life. The maps, plans and diagrams of hydraulic Manchester fixed particular forms of elite knowledge (around planning foresight, topographical precision, civil engineering and sanitary science) but also facilitated and freed flows of water throughout the city. The survival of these maps and plans in libraries, technical books and obscure reports allows the changing cultural work of water to be explored and evokes a range of socially specific memories of a hidden city. Our aetiology of hydraulic cartographics is conducted using ideas from science and technology studies, semiology, and critical cartography with the goal of revealing how they work as virtual witnesses to an 1 unseen city, dramatizing engineering prowess and envisioning complex and messy materiality into a logical, holistic and fluid network underpinning the urban machine. 1

Phenotype onset in Huntington's disease knock-in mice is correlated with the incomplete splicing of the mutant huntingtin gene

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat within the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The Q140 and HdhQ150 knock‐in HD mouse models were generated such that HdhQ150 mice have an expanded CAG repeat inserted into the mouse Htt gene, whereas in the Q140s, mouse exon 1 Htt was replaced with a mutated version of human exon 1. By standardizing mouse strain background, breeding to homozygosity and employing sensitive behavioral tests, we demonstrate that the onset of behavioral phenotypes occurs earlier in the Q140 than the HdhQ150 knock‐in mouse models and that huntingtin (HTT) aggregation appears earlier in the striata of Q140 mice. We have previously found that the incomplete splicing of mutant HTT from exon 1 to exon 2 results in the production of a small polyadenylated transcript that encodes the highly pathogenic mutant HTT exon 1 protein. In this report, we have identified a functional consequence of the sequence differences between these two models at the RNA level, in that the level of incomplete splicing, and of the mutant exon 1 HTT protein, are greater in the brains of Q140 mice. While differences in the human and mouse exon 1 HTT proteins (e.g., proline rich sequences) could also contribute to the phenotypic differences, our data indicate that the incomplete splicing of HTT and approaches to lower the levels of the exon 1 HTT transcript should be pursued as therapeutic targets

Plantar calcaneal spurs in older people: longitudinal traction or vertical compression?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Plantar calcaneal spurs are common, however their pathophysiology is poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and correlates of plantar calcaneal spurs in a large sample of older people.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Weightbearing lateral foot radiographs of 216 people (140 women and 76 men) aged 62 to 94 years (mean age 75.9, <smcaps>SD</smcaps> 6.6) were examined for plantar calcaneal and Achilles tendon spurs. Associations between the presence of spurs and sex, body mass index, radiographic measures of foot posture, self-reported co-morbidities and current or previous heel pain were then explored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 216 participants, 119 (55%) had at least one plantar calcaneal spur and 103 (48%) had at least one Achilles tendon spur. Those with plantar calcaneal spurs were more likely to have Achilles tendon spurs (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2 to 3.5). Prevalence of spurs did not differ according to sex. Participants with plantar calcaneal spurs were more likely to be obese (OR = 7.9, 95% CI 3.6 to 17.0), report osteoarthritis (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.8) and have current or previous heel pain (OR = 4.6, 95% CI 2.3 to 9.4). No relationship was found between the presence of calcaneal spurs and radiographic measures of foot posture.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Calcaneal spurs are common in older men and women and are related to obesity, osteoarthritis and current or previous heel pain, but are unrelated to radiographic measurements of foot posture. These findings support the theory that plantar calcaneal spurs may be an adaptive response to vertical compression of the heel rather than longitudinal traction at the calcaneal enthesis.</p

A quantitative model for estimating risk from multiple interacting natural hazards: an application to northeast Zhejiang, China

Multi-hazard risk assessment is a major concern in risk analysis, but most approaches do not consider all hazard interactions when calculating possible losses. We address this problem by developing an improved quantitative model - Model for multi-hazard Risk assessment with a consideration of Hazard Interaction (MmhRisk-HI). This model calculates the possible loss caused by multiple hazards, with an explicit consideration of interaction between those hazards. There are two main components to the model. In the first, based on the hazard-forming environment, relationships among hazards are classified into four types for calculation of the exceedance probability of multiple hazards occurrence. In the second, a Bayesian network is used to calculate possible loss caused by multiple hazards with different exceedance probabilities. A multi-hazard risk map can then be drawn addressing the probability of multi-hazard occurrence and corresponding loss. This model was applied in northeast Zhejiang, China and validated by comparison against an observed multi-hazard sequence. The validation results show that the model can more effectively represent the real world, and that the modelled outputs, possible loss caused by multiple hazards, are reliable. The outputs can additionally help to identify areas at greatest risk, and allows a determination of the factors that contribute to that risk, and hence the model can provide useful further information for planners and decision-makers concerned with risk mitigation