On the Environmental and Economic Impact of Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Deployment

As per the U.S Energy Information Administration’s latest inventory of electricity generators, renewable energy, most notably solar and wind, will account for roughly 70% of nearly 40 gigawatts of new electricity generating capacity to start commercial operation in 2021. The year 2021 will also set a record in the deployment of utility-scale solar capacity by adding 15.4 gigawatts of capacity to the grid, which surpasses the 12 gigawatts increase in 2020. The rapid increase of renewable energy is expected to significantly decrease emissions of greenhouse gases and change the load profile in the power grid by suppressing production from conventional generators. This paper aims to propose a framework to study the impact of utility-scale solar PV deployment on the generation resource allocation and investigate the economics and policy of electricity generation and carbon emissions. The investigation is carried on the generation resource pool of the southeast region of the U.S augmented by a substantial amount of utility-scale solar generation

The impact of energy price changes in Moldova

In January 2006 the price of natural gas supplied to Moldova increased from $80 to$110 per thousand cubic meters (mcm). Prices may increase further in the near future, putting additional pressure on the economy and leading to adverse effects on the poorest households. This study examines the potential impact of higher energy prices on the economy of Moldova by simulating the likely macroeconomic consequences of recent and future price increases. Moreover, it estimates the direct impact on individual households using data drawn from the 2004 Household Budget Survey. It assesses the distributional implications of the price shock, noting how the social impact may vary depending on the intensity of energy use, geographic location, and the relative share of energy in household expenditure. The results suggest that energy price changes could dampen economic growth while putting additional strains on the current account deficit. The impact on the poorest households could be significant and protecting them may require resources in the amount of 0.7 to 1.7 percent of GDP. This study identifies possible policy responses to dampen the shock of the energy price increase and to promote the longer-term objective of reducing energy vulnerability.Energy Production and Transportation,Environment and Energy Efficiency,Energy and Environment,Markets and Market Access,Transport and Environment

Outcome Comparison of 600- and 300-mg Loading Doses of Clopidogrel in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Results From the ARMYDA-6 MI (Antiplatelet therapy for Reduction of MYocardial Damage during Angioplasty-Myocardial Infarction) Randomized Study

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to compare 600- and 300-mg clopidogrel loading doses in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).BackgroundGiven the high thrombotic risk of patients with STEMI, greater platelet inhibition may improve outcome in those patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Although observational data suggest that pretreatment with a 600-mg clopidogrel loading dose may be more effective than the 300-mg regimen in primary PCI, this hypothesis has never been tested in a randomized study.MethodsA total of 201 patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI randomly received a 600-mg (n = 103) or 300-mg (n = 98) clopidogrel loading dose before the procedure. The primary endpoint was the evaluation of the infarct size, defined as the area under the curve of cardiac markers.ResultsInfarct size was significantly lower in the high-dose regimen: median creatine kinase-myocardial band 2,070 ng/ml (interquartile range [IQR]: 815 to 2,847 ng/ml) versus 3,049 ng/ml (IQR: 1,050 to 7,031 ng/ml) in the 300-mg group, p = 0.0001; troponin-I 255 ng/ml (IQR: 130 to 461 ng/ml) versus 380 ng/ml (IQR: 134 to 1,406 ng/ml), p < 0.0001. In the 600-mg arm, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction flow grade <3 after PCI was less frequent (5.8% vs. 16.3%, p = 0.031), left ventricular ejection fraction at discharge was improved (52.1 ± 9.5% vs. 48.8 ± 11.3%, p = 0.026), 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events were fewer (5.8% vs. 15%, p = 0.049), and bleeding/entry site complications were not increased (secondary endpoints).ConclusionsIn STEMI patients, pre-treatment with a 600-mg clopidogrel loading dose before primary PCI was associated with a reduction of the infarct size compared with a 300-mg loading dose, as well as with improvement of angiographic results, residual cardiac function, and 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events; further studies are warranted to evaluate impact of such strategy on survival

The Effects of Supersaturated Hydrogen-Rich Water Bathing on Biomarkers of Muscular Damage and Soreness Perception in Young Men Subjected to High-Intensity Eccentric Exercise

High-intensity eccentric exercise can cause a delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), a short-term condition characterized by muscle damage and tenderness that might hold up recovery and jeopardize exercise routine. Previous studies indicated that hydrogen-rich water (HRW) might be a helpful topical intervention to boost recovery in musculoskeletal medicine, yet no data are available concerning the effectiveness and safety of whole-body bathing with supersaturated HRW after DOMS-inducing exercise. This study evaluates the effects of a single-session bathing with HRW on biochemical markers of muscular damage in healthy young men. The six volunteers who were exposed to DOMS-inducing eccentric exercise were assigned to either supersaturated HRW or control whole-body bathing in a double-blind crossover design. Immediately after an exercise session, the participants were immersed up to the neck into a 200 L bathtub with supersaturated HRW (8 mg of H2 per L) or control water (no hydrogen) for 30 min. Blood biomarkers of inflammation and muscular damage and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores for muscle soreness were assessed at baseline (before exercise) and at 24-hour follow-up. Two-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference between two groups in serum creatine kinase (CK) response over the period of intervention (P=0.04). A single-session bathing in HRW prevented a rise in circulating biomarkers of muscular damage induced by exercise at 24-hour follow-up, retaining the levels of all biomarkers similar to the baseline values (P>0.05). On the other hand, serum CK, aldolase, and aspartate transaminase were significantly elevated at 24-hour follow-up as compared to the baseline levels after the control bath (342 ± 309 U/L vs. 465 ± 295 U/L; P>0.05). HRW bath also induced a significant drop in VAS scores for muscle soreness in comparison with control water, both immediately after an intervention (32.7 ± 8.6% vs. 20.0 ± 12.8%; P=0.02) and at 24-hour follow-up (31.6 ± 24.3% vs. 22.4 ± 27.5%; P=0.03), respectively. No participants reported any major side effects during the trial. This pilot study suggests that the whole-body bathing in supersaturated HRW is a safe procedure that attenuates muscular damage and can ease sore muscles after high-intensity eccentric exercise

Structure and properties of thermoplastic polyurethanes based on poly(dimethylsiloxane): Assessment of biocompatibility

Properties and biocompatibility of a series of thermoplastic poly(urethane-siloxane)s (TPUSs) based on alpha,omega-dihydroxy ethoxy propyl poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for potential biomedical application were studied. Thin films of TPUSs with a different PDMS soft segment content were characterized by H-1 NMR, quantitative C-13 NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), contact angle, and water absorption measurements. Different techniques (FTIR, AFM, and DMA) showed that decrease of PDMS content promotes microphase separation in TPUSs. Samples with a higher PDMS content have more hydrophobic surface and better waterproof performances, but lower degree of crystallinity. Biocompatibility of TPUSs was examined after attachment of endothelial cells to the untreated copolymer surface or surface pretreated with multicomponent protein mixture, and by using competitive protein adsorption assay. TPUSs did not exhibit any cytotoxicity toward endothelial cells, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase and 3-{[}4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assays. The untreated and proteins preadsorbed TPUS samples favored endothelial cells adhesion and growth, indicating good biocompatibility. All TPUSs adsorbed more albumin than fibrinogen in competitive protein adsorption experiment, which is feature regarded as beneficial for biocompatibility. The results indicate that TPUSs have good surface, thermo-mechanical, and biocompatible properties, which can be tailored for biomedical application requirements by adequate selection of the soft/hard segments ratio of the copolymers. (C) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia {[}172062

Acute Coronary Syndrome Presenting during On- and Off-Hours: Is There a Difference in a Tertiary Cardiovascular Center?

Background and Objectives: ACS presents an acute manifestation of coronary artery disease and its treatment is based on timely interventional diagnostics and PCI. It has been known that the treatment and the outcomes are not the same for all the patients with ACS during the working day, depending on the availability of the procedures and staff. The aim of the study was to explore the differences in clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients admitted for ACS during on- and off-hours. Materials and Methods: The retrospective study included 1873 consecutive ACS patients admitted to a tertiary, university hospital that underwent coronary angiography and intervention. On-hours were defined from Monday to Friday from 07:30 h to 14:30 h, while the rest was considered off-hours. Results: There were more males in the off-hours group (on-hours 475 (56%) vs. off-hours 635 (62%); p = 0.011), while previous MI was more frequent in the on-hours group (on 250 (30%) vs. off 148 (14%); p p p p = 0.006), as well as multivessel PCI (on 187 (22%) vs. off 171 (16%); p = 0.002), while radial access was preferred in off-hours patients (on 692 (82%) vs. off 883 (86%); p = 0.004). Left main PCI was performed with similar frequency in both groups (on 37 (4%) vs. off 35 (3%); p = 0.203). Death occurred with similar frequency in both groups (on 17 (2.0%) vs. off 26 (2.54%); p = 0.404), while major adverse cardio-cerebral events (MACCEs) were more frequent in the on-hours group (on 105 (12.4%) vs. off 70 (6.8%); p = 0.039) probably due to the more frequent repeated PCI (on 49 (5.8%) vs. off 27 (2.6%); p = 0.035). Conclusions: Patients admitted for ACS during working hours in a tertiary hospital present with more complex CAD, have more demanding interventions, and experience more MACCEs during follow-up mostly due to myocardial infarctions and repeated procedures

Coronary Flow Velocity Reserve Using Dobutamine Test for Noninvasive Functional Assessment of Myocardial Bridging

Background: It has been shown that coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) measurement by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) during dobutamine (DOB) provocation provides a more accurate functional evaluation of myocardial bridging (MB) compared to adenosine. However; the cut-off value of CFVR during DOB for identification of MB associated with myocardial ischemia has not been fully clarified. Purpose: This prospective study aimed to determine the cut-off value of TTDE-CFVR during DOB in patients with isolated-MB, as compared with stress-induced wall motion abnormalities (VMA) during exercise stress-echocardiography (SE) as reference. Methods: Eighty-one symptomatic patients (55 males [68%], mean age 56 &plusmn; 10 years; range: 27&ndash;74 years) with the existence of isolated-MB on the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and systolic MB-compression &ge;50% diameter stenosis (DS) were eligible to participate in the study. Each patient underwent treadmill exercise-SE, invasive coronary angiography, and TTDE-CFVR measurements in the distal segment of LAD during DOB infusion (DOB: 10&ndash;40 &mu;g/kg/min). Using quantitative coronary angiography, both minimal luminal diameter (MLD) and percent DS at MB-site at end-systole and end-diastole were determined. Results: Stress-induced myocardial ischemia with the occurrence of WMA was found in 23 patients (28%). CFVR during peak DOB was significantly lower in the SE-positive group compared with the SE-negative group (1.94 &plusmn; 0.16 vs. 2.78 &plusmn; 0.53; p &lt; 0.001). ROC analyses identified the optimal CFVR cut-off value &le; 2.1 obtained during high-dose dobutamine (&gt;20 &micro;g/kg/min) for the identification of MB associated with stress-induced WMA, with a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of 96%, 95%, 88%, and 98%, respectively (AUC 0.986; 95% CI: 0.967&ndash;1.000; p &lt; 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that MLD and percent DS, both at end-diastole, were the only independent predictors of ischemic CFVR values &le;2.1 (OR: 0.023; 95% CI: 0.001&ndash;0.534; p = 0.019; OR: 1.147; 95% CI: 1.042&ndash;1.263; p = 0.005; respectively). Conclusions: Noninvasive CFVR during dobutamine provocation appears to be an additional and important noninvasive tool to determine the functional severity of isolated-MB. A transthoracic CFVR cut-off &le;2.1 measured at a high-dobutamine dose may be adequate for detecting myocardial ischemia in patients with isolated-MB