Potential of biomass energy for electricity generation in sub-Saharan Africa

The paper explores the biomass based power generation potential of Africa. Access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is about 26% and falls to less than 1% in the rural areas. On the basis of the agricultural and forest produce of this region, the residues generated after processing are estimated for all the countries. The paper also addresses the use of gasification technology - an efficient thermo-chemical process for distributed power generation - either to replace fossil fuel in an existing diesel engine based power generation system or to generate electricity using a gas engine. This approach enables the implementation of electrification programs in the rural sector and gives access to grid quality power. This study estimates power generation potential at about 5000 MW and 10,000 MW by using 30% of residues generated during agro processing and 10% of forest residues from the wood processing industry, respectively. A power generation potential of 15000 MW could generate 100 terawatt-hours (TWh), about 15% of current generation in SSA. The paper also summarizes some of the experience in using the biomass gasification technology for power generation in Africa and India. The paper also highlights the techno economics and key barriers to promotion of biomass energy in sub-Saharan Africa. (C) 2011 International Energy Initiative. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

La fundamentación eugenésica del artículo 86, inc. 2, del Código Penal y el fallo “F., A. L. s/medida autosatisfactiva” : convalidación de una teoría aberrante

Resumen: Este artículo analiza el fallo del 13 de marzo de 2012 de la Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación, en los autos “F., A. L. s/ medida autosatisfactiva”, en el cual el máximo tribunal argentino adoptó la interpretación amplia del Artículo 86, inciso 2, del Código Penal, a la luz de la “voluntad del legislador histórico”; teniendo en cuenta que la misma Corte la invoca en sus fundamentos para fallar a favor de la constitucionalidad del inciso referido. Se parte de entender el contexto histórico e ideológico de las primeras décadas del siglo XX, tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, del cual surge la influencia que tuvo la eugenesia en los ámbitos científicos, académicos y jurídicos. Teoría que tenía por objetivo la búsqueda del “perfeccionamiento” de la especie humana, lo que implicaba descartar a los seres humanos más débiles, imperfectos o defectuosos. Dentro de este contexto se impulsó la modificación del Código Penal, por lo que es central para entender la “voluntad del legislador histórico” el Informe de la Comisión de Códigos del Senado de la Nación, de 1920, que receptó claramente las ideas eugenésicas, siendo el Artículo 86, inc. 2, un claro ejemplo de ello. El mencionado informe demuestra que la verdadera motivación de los legisladores para incluir la no punibilidad del aborto en este inciso fue que no nacieran “seres anormales o degenerados”, no hay una sola mención a la situación de la mujer embarazada y de los perjuicios que un embarazo en estas condiciones le podrían acarrear.

Darwin Scientific Foundation, Inc. and Galapagos Darwin Trust, Europe

From a special issue: A Brief History of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands 1959-1988

吉林哈尼湖钻孔5000年来的植被演替与气候变化

重建古气候、古环境已成为当今全球变化研究的热点。5000以来是人类有文字记录的历史时期，其气候与植被变化与人类活动十分密切，对这一时期的气候变化的研究，具有重要的理论意义。 植被的状况可以在相当大的程度上反映气候的状况。孢子和花粉由于其个体小、产量高和易于保存而成为植被演替和古气候、古环境研究的重要手段之一。 孢粉组合的变化可以很好地反映植被的演替，吉林地区地层沉积比较稳定，本文选取哈尼湖钻孔360-0cm（5112－0aBP）的沉积物进行孢粉分析，共采取样品85个，平均时间分辨率约为60年。样品中花粉含量非常丰富，种类以乔木为主，其百分含量多在80%以上，最高可达96%，根据花粉组成在钻孔上的变化，结合花粉沉积率进行样品的分析，自下而上可分为4个花粉组合带，进而得出5000年以来该区气候演化大致可分为4个阶段：阶段1（5112－3784aBP），阔叶类乔木占优势，湿生及水生草本比较丰富，气候温暖湿润;阶段2（ 3784 －1380aBP）针叶类乔木占优势，湿生及水生草本消失，气候变凉干;阶段3（ 1380 －994aBP），以松为主的针叶类仍占绝对优势，喜温湿的灌木草本含量持续下降，说明气候继续变冷变干;阶段 4（ 994－0aBP），植物种类比较丰富，湿生植物的沉积率明显增高，气候变的更加湿润。

The record of cultivated rice from archaeobiotogical evidence in northwestern China 5000 years ago

IEECAS SKLLQG

过去5000年中国气温变化序列重建

根据近20年来基于孢粉、石笋、湖泊沉积、泥炭、冰芯、历史文献等代用证据重建的中国31个地点(区)的温度变化序列,利用集成方法重建了中国过去5000a来分辨率为100a的气温变化序列．结果显示:在千年尺度的变化上,3050-250BC为温暖时期,250BC-1950AD为寒冷时期,在这两个千年尺度的冷暖气候期中又明显存在次一级的冷暖波动阶段．5000a来中国不同区域之间还存在明显的冷暖变化差异,特别是在东部季风区、青藏区和西北区之间,在2850BC,2350BC,1350BC,950-350BC,50-25

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha cDNA cloning and its mRNA and protein tissue specific expression in domestic yak (Bos grunniens) from Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

Adaptation to hypoxia is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a heterodimeric transcription factor consisting of an oxygen-regulated a-subunit and a constitutively expressed beta-subunit. How animals living on Qinghai-Tibetan plateau adapt to the extreme hypoxia environment is known indistinctly. In this study, the Qinghai yak which has been living at 3000-5000 m attitude for at least two millions of years was selected as the model of high hypoxia-tolerant adaptation species. The HIF-1 alpha ORFs (open reading frames) encoding for two isoforms of HIF-1 alpha have been cloned from the brain of the domestic yak. Its expression of HIF-1 alpha was analyzed at both mRNA and protein levels in various tissues. Both its HIF-1 alpha mRNA and protein are tissue specific expression. Its HIF-1 alpha protein's high expression in the brain, lung, and kidney showed us that HIF-1 alpha protein may play an important role in the adaptation to hypoxia environment. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Leptin cDNA cloning and its mRNA expression in plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) from different altitudes on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, plays all important role in body energy homeostasis. Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), an endemic and keystone species living only at 3000-5000 in above sea level oil Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a typically high hypoxia and low temperature tolerant mammal with high resting metabolic rate (RMR), non-shivering thermogenesis (NST), and high ratio of oxygen utilization to cope with harsh plateau environment. To explore the molecular mechanism of ecological acclimation in plateau pika, we first cloned pika leptin cDNA and compared its mRNA expression in different altitudes (3200 and 3900 in) using real-time RTPCR (Taqman probe) technology. The full-length pika leptin cDNA was 3015 with 504 bp open-reading frame encoding the precursor peptide of 167 amino acids including 21 residues of signal peptide. Pika leptin was 70-72% homologous to that of other species and was of similarly structural characteristics with other species. The pika-specific genetic diversity in leptin sequence occurred at twenty sites. With the increase in attitude, there were larger fat store and high level of ob gene expression in plateau pika. Our results indicated that leptin is sensitive to cold and hypoxia plateau environment and may play one of important roles in pika's ecological adaptation to harsh plateau environment. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

过去5000年西太平洋副热带高压活动的泥炭纤维素碳同位素记录

文章以金川和红原两组泥炭纤维素Δδ13C 时间序列值的反向变化来指示西太平洋副热带高压活动变化。结果表明,在过去5 000 年中,西太平洋副热带高压的活动可分为4 个阶段,即西太平洋副热带高压位置在2800～2200 B. C. 期间持续偏北,2200～600 B. C. 期间持续偏南,600 B. C. ～ 1200 A.D. 期间在北进与南移之间频繁波动,以及1200 ～1900A. D. 期间再次持续偏北,它们导致降雨量在中国大陆上不同的分布。从约1900A. D. 起西太平洋副热带高压的活动似乎又开始一个新的偏南阶段,值得进一步加强研究。

小兴安岭过去5000年的泥炭δ^13C记录

小兴安岭植物体中δ13C 不仅受区域湿度变化控制,也受温度变化控制。泥炭纤维素的δ13C 曲线,较好地响应了小兴安岭地区过去5000 年来气候,特别是温度和湿度的演变过程。5. 1～3. 0 ka BP、3. 0 ～1. 8 ka BP、1. 8 kaBP 迄今,小兴安岭经历了3 个千年尺度的气候波动,气候演变过程为温暖湿润→温凉较湿→冷凉较湿。在千年尺度的气候波动上,又叠加着百年尺度的气候变化,在3. 0 kaBP 以来更为显著。相应的,泥炭发育也经历了从富营养、中营养到贫营养阶段。