Market design for a high-renewables European electricity system

This paper presents a set of policy recommendations for the market design of a future European electricity system characterized by a dominant share of intermittent renewable energy supply (RES), in line with the stated targets of European governments. We discuss the market failures that need to be addressed to accommodate RES in liberalized electricity markets, review the evolution of the EU’s RES policy mechanisms, and summarize the key market impacts of RES to date. We then set out economic principles for wholesale market design and use these to develop our policy recommendations. Our analysis covers the value of interconnection and market integration, electricity storage, the design of RES support mechanisms, distributed generation and network tariffs, the pricing of electricity and flexibility as well as long-term contracting and risk management

The effect of socioeconomic status on three-year mortality after first-ever ischemic stroke in Nanjing, China

BACKGROUND: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with increased mortality after stroke in developed countries. This study was performed to determine whether a similar association also exists in China. METHODS: A total of 806 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were enrolled in our study. From August 1999 to August 2005, the three-year all-cause mortality following the stroke was determined. Level of education, occupation, taxable income and housing space were used as indicators for SES. Stepwise univariate and multivariate COX proportional hazards models were used to study the association between the SES measures and the three-year mortality. RESULTS: Our analyses confirmed that occupation, taxable income and housing space were significantly associated with three-year mortality after first-ever stroke. Manual workers had a significant hazard ratio of 5.44 (95% CI 2.75 to 10.77) for death within three years when compared with non-manual workers. Those in the zero income group had a significant hazard ratio of 5.35 (95% CI 2.95 to 9.70) and those in the intermediate income group 2.10 (95% CI 1.24 to 3.58) when compared with those in the highest income group. Those in two of the three groups with the smallest housing space also had significant hazard ratios of 2.06 (95% CI 1.16 to 3.65) and 1.68 (95% CI 1.12 to 2.52) when compared with those in group with the largest housing space. These hazard ratios remained largely unchanged after multivariate adjustment for age, gender, baseline cardiovascular disease risk factors, and stroke severity. The analyses did not confirm an association with educational level. CONCLUSION: Lower SES has a negative impact on the outcome of first-ever stroke in Nanjing, China. This confirms the need to improve preventive and secondary care for stroke among low SES groups

High-Resolution X-Ray Structure of the Trimeric Scar/WAVE-Complex Precursor Brk1

The Scar/WAVE-complex links upstream Rho-GTPase signaling to the activation of the conserved Arp2/3-complex. Scar/WAVE-induced and Arp2/3-complex-mediated actin nucleation is crucial for actin assembly in protruding lamellipodia to drive cell migration. The heteropentameric Scar/WAVE-complex is composed of Scar/WAVE, Abi, Nap, Pir and a small polypeptide Brk1/HSPC300, and recent work suggested that free Brk1 serves as a homooligomeric precursor in the assembly of this complex. Here we characterized the Brk1 trimer from Dictyostelium by analytical ultracentrifugation and gelfiltration. We show for the first time its dissociation at concentrations in the nanomolar range as well as an exchange of subunits within different DdBrk1 containing complexes. Moreover, we determined the three-dimensional structure of DdBrk1 at 1.5 Å resolution by X-ray crystallography. Three chains of DdBrk1 are associated with each other forming a parallel triple coiled-coil bundle. Notably, this structure is highly similar to the heterotrimeric α-helical bundle of HSPC300/WAVE1/Abi2 within the human Scar/WAVE-complex. This finding, together with the fact that Brk1 is collectively sandwiched by the remaining subunits and also constitutes the main subunit connecting the triple-coil domain of the HSPC300/WAVE1/Abi2/ heterotrimer to Sra1(Pir1), implies a critical function of this subunit in the assembly process of the entire Scar/WAVE-complex

Co-occurrence of diabetes and hopelessness predicts adverse prognosis following percutaneous coronary intervention

We examined the impact of co-occurring diabetes and hopelessness on 3-year prognosis in percutaneous coronary intervention patients. Consecutive patients (n = 534) treated with the paclitaxel-eluting stent completed a set of questionnaires at baseline and were followed up for 3-year adverse clinical events. The incidence of 3-year death/non-fatal myocardial infarction was 3.5% in patients with no risk factors (neither hopelessness nor diabetes), 8.2% in patients with diabetes, 11.2% in patients with high hopelessness, and 15.9% in patients with both factors (p = 0.001). Patients with hopelessness (HR: 3.28; 95% CI: 1.49-7.23) and co-occurring diabetes and hopelessness (HR: 4.89; 95% CI: 1.86-12.85) were at increased risk of 3-year adverse clinical events compared to patients with no risk factors, whereas patients with diabetes were at a clinically relevant but not statistically significant risk (HR: 2.40; 95% CI: 0.82-7.01). These results remained, adjusting for baseline characteristics an

Childhood meat eating and inflammatory markers: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We hypothesized that socio-economic development could, via nutritionally driven levels of pubertal sex-steroids, promote a pro-inflammatory state among men but not women in developing countries. We tested this hypothesis, using recalled childhood meat eating as a proxy for childhood nutrition, in southern China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used multivariable linear regression in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study phase 3 (2006-8) to examine the adjusted associations of recalled childhood meat eating, <1/week (n = 5,023), about once per week (n = 3,592) and almost daily (n = 1,252), with white blood cell count and its differentials among older (≥50 years) men (n = 2,498) and women (n = 7,369).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Adjusted for age, childhood socio-economic position, education and smoking, childhood meat eating had sex-specific associations with white blood cell count and lymphocyte count, but not granulocyte count. Men with childhood meat eating almost daily compared to <1/week had higher white blood cell count (0.33 10⁹/L, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10 to 0.56) and higher lymphocyte count (0.16 10⁹/L, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.25). Adjustment for obesity slightly attenuated these associations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>If confirmed, this hypothesis implies that economic development and the associated improvements in nutrition at puberty may be less beneficial among men than women; consistent with the widening sex differentials in life expectancy with economic development.</p

Do changes in traditional coronary heart disease risk factors over time explain the association between socio-economic status and coronary heart disease?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Socioeconomic status (SES) predicts coronary heart disease independently of the traditional risk factors included in the Framingham risk score. However, it is unknown whether <it>changes </it>in Framingham risk score variables over time explain the association between SES and coronary heart disease. We examined this question given its relevance to risk assessment in clinical decision making.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study data (initiated in 1987 with 10-years follow-up of 15,495 adults aged 45-64 years in four Southern and Mid-Western communities) were used. SES was assessed at baseline, dichotomized as low SES (defined as low education and/or low income) or not. The time dependent variables - smoking, total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and use of blood pressure lowering medication - were assessed every three years. Ten-year incidence of coronary heart disease was based on EKG and cardiac enzyme criteria, or adjudicated death certificate data. Cox survival analyses examined the contribution of SES to heart disease risk independent of baseline Framingham risk score, without and with further adjustment for the time dependent variables.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Adjusting for baseline Framingham risk score, low SES was associated with an increased coronary heart disease risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.53; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.27 to1.85). After further adjustment for the time dependent variables, the SES effect remained significant (HR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.19 to1.74).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Using Framingham Risk Score alone under estimated the coronary heart disease risk in low SES persons. This bias was not eliminated by subsequent changes in Framingham risk score variables.</p

Health inequalities in Germany: do regional-level variables explain differentials in cardiovascular risk?

Breckenkamp J, Mielck A, Razum O. Health inequalities in Germany: do regional-level variables explain differentials in cardiovascular risk? BMC Public Health. 2007;7(1): 132.Background: Socioeconomic status is a predictor not only of mortality, but also of cardiovascular risk and morbidity. An ongoing debate in the field of social inequalities and health focuses on two questions: 1) Is individual health status associated with individual income as well as with income inequality at the aggregate (e. g. regional) level? 2) If there is such an association, does it operate via a psychosocial pathway (e.g. stress) or via a ´´neo-materialistic´´ pathway (e.g. systematic under-investment in societal infrastructures)? For the first time in Germany, we here investigate the association between cardiovascular health status and income inequality at the area level, controlling for individual socio-economic status. Methods: Individual-level explanatory variables (age, socio-economic status) and outcome data (body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol level) as well as the regional-level variable (proportion of relative poverty) were taken from the baseline survey of the German Cardiovascular Prevention Study, a cross-sectional, community-based, multi-center intervention study, comprising six socio-economically diverse intervention regions, each with about 1800 participants aged 25–69 years. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the effects of individual and regional level variables. Results: Regional effects are small compared to individual effects for all risk factors analyzed. Most of the total variance is explained at the individual level. Only for diastolic blood pressure in men and for cholesterol in both men and women is a statistically significant effect visible at the regional level. Conclusion: Our analysis does not support the assumption that in Germany cardiovascular risk factors were to a large extent associated with income inequality at regional level

Evidence and morality in harm-reduction debates: can we use value-neutral arguments to achieve value-driven goals?

It is common to argue that politicians make selective use of evidence to tacitly reinforce their moral positions, but all stakeholders combine facts and values to produce and use research for policy. The drug policy debate has largely been framed in terms of an opposition between evidence and politics. Focusing on harm reduction provides useful ground to discuss a further opposition proposed by evidence advocates, that between evidence and morality. Can evidence sway individuals from their existing moral positions, so as to “neutralise” morality? And if not, then should evidence advocates change the way in which they frame their arguments? To address these questions, analysis of N=27 interviews with stakeholders involved in drug policy and harm reduction research, advocacy, lobbying, implementation and decision-making in England, UK and New South Wales, Australia, was conducted. Participants’ accounts suggest that although evidence can help focus discussions away from values and principles, exposure to evidence does not necessarily change deeply held views. Whether stakeholders decide to go with the evidence or not seems contingent on whether they embrace a view of evidence as secular faith; a view that is shaped by experience, politics, training, and role. And yet, morality, values, and emotions underpin all stakeholders’ views, motivating their commitment to drug policy and harm reduction. Evidence advocates might thus benefit from morally and emotionally engaging audiences. This paper aims to develop better tools for analysing the role of morality in decision-making, starting with moral foundations theory. Using tools from disciplines such as moral psychology is relevant to the study of the politics of evidence-based policymaking