Pre-investigation of water electrolysis for flexible energy storage at large scales: the case of the Spanish power system

This report analyzes the basis of hydrogen and power integration strategies, by using water electrolysis processes as a means of flexible energy storage at large scales. It is a prospective study, where the scope is to describe the characteristics of current power systems (like the generation technologies, load curves and grid constraints), and define future scenarios of hydrogen for balancing the electrical grids, considering the efficiency, economy and easiness of operations. We focus in the "Spanish case", which is a good example for planning the transition from a power system holding large reserve capacities, high penetration of renewable energies and limited interconnections, to a more sustainable energy system being capable to optimize the volumes, the regulation modes, the utilization ratios and the impacts of the installations. Thus, we explore a novel aspect of the "hydrogen economy" which is based in the potentials of existing power systems and the properties of hydrogen as energy carrier, by considering the electricity generation and demand globally and determining the optimal size and operation of the hydrogen production processes along the country; e.g. the cost production of hydrogen becomes viable for a base-load scenario with 58 TWh/year of power surplus at 0.025 V/kWh, and large number electrolyzer plants (50 MW) running in variable mode (1-12 kA/m2)

Large kinetic isotope effects in enzymatic proton transfer and the role of substrate oscillations

We propose an interpretation of the experimental findings of Klinman and coworkers [Cha, Y., Murray, C. J. & Klinman, J. P. (1989) Science 243, 1325–1330; Grant, K. L. & Klinman, J. P. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 6597–6605; and Bahnson, B. J. & Klinman, J. P. (1995) Methods Enzymol. 249, 373–397], who showed that proton transfer reactions that are catalyzed by bovine serum amine oxidase proceed through tunneling. We show that two different tunneling models are consistent with the experiments. In the first model, the proton tunnels from the ground state. The temperature dependence of the kinetic isotope effect is caused by a thermally excited substrate mode that modulates the barrier, as has been suggested by Borgis and Hynes [Borgis, D. & Hynes, J. T. (1991) J. Chem. Phys. 94, 3619–3628]. In the second model, there is both over-the-barrier transfer and tunneling from excited states. Finally, we propose two experiments that can distinguish between the possible mechanisms.

Prefrontal cortex and episodic memory retrieval mode

A multistudy analysis of positron emission tomography data identified three right prefrontal and two left prefrontal cortical sites, as well as a region in the anterior cingulate gyrus, where neuronal activity is correlated with the maintenance of episodic memory retrieval mode (REMO), a basic and necessary condition of remembering past experiences. The right prefrontal sites were near the frontal pole [Brodmann's area (BA) 10], frontal operculum (BA 47/45), and lateral dorsal area (BA 8/9). The two left prefrontal sites were homotopical with the right frontal pole and opercular sites. The same kinds of REMO sites were not observed in any other cerebral region. Many previous functional neuroimaging studies of episodic memory retrieval have reported activations near the frontal REMO sites identified here, although their function has not been clear. Many of these, too, probably have signaled their involvement in REMO. We propose that REMO activations largely if not entirely account for the frontal hemispheric asymmetry of retrieval as described by the original hemispheric encoding retrieval asymmetry model.

A novel site of antibiotic action in the ribosome: Interaction of evernimicin with the large ribosomal subunit

Evernimicin (Evn), an oligosaccharide antibiotic, interacts with the large ribosomal subunit and inhibits bacterial protein synthesis. RNA probing demonstrated that the drug protects a specific set of nucleotides in the loops of hairpins 89 and 91 of 23S rRNA in bacterial and archaeal ribosomes. Spontaneous Evn-resistant mutants of Halobacterium halobium contained mutations in hairpins 89 and 91 of 23S rRNA. In the ribosome tertiary structure, rRNA residues involved in interaction with the drug form a tight cluster that delineates the drug-binding site. Resistance mutations in the bacterial ribosomal protein L16, which is shown to be homologous to archaeal protein L10e, cluster to the same region as the rRNA mutations. The Evn-binding site overlaps with the binding site of initiation factor 2. Evn inhibits activity of initiation factor 2 in vitro, suggesting that the drug interferes with formation of the 70S initiation complex. The site of Evn binding and its mode of action are distinct from other ribosome-targeted antibiotics. This antibiotic target site can potentially be used for the development of new antibacterial drugs.

The area code hypothesis revisited: Olfactory receptors and other related transmembrane receptors may function as the last digits in a cell surface code for assembling embryos

Recent evidence emerging from several laboratories, integrated with new data obtained by searching the genome databases, suggests that the area code hypothesis provides a good heuristic model for explaining the remarkable specificity of cell migration and tissue assembly that occurs throughout embryogenesis. The area code hypothesis proposes that cells assemble organisms, including their brains and nervous systems, with the aid of a molecular-addressing code that functions much like the country, area, regional, and local portions of the telephone dialing system. The complexity of the information required to code cells for the construction of entire organisms is so enormous that we assume that the code must make combinatorial use of members of large multigene families. Such a system would reuse the same receptors as molecular digits in various regions of the embryo, thus greatly reducing the total number of genes required. We present the hypothesis that members of the very large families of olfactory receptors and vomeronasal receptors fulfill the criteria proposed for area code molecules and could serve as the last digits in such a code. We discuss our evidence indicating that receptors of these families are expressed in many parts of developing embryos and suggest that they play a key functional role in cell recognition and targeting not only in the olfactory system but also throughout the brain and numerous other organs as they are assembled.

A β-hairpin structure in a 13-mer peptide that binds α-bungarotoxin with high affinity and neutralizes its toxicity

Snake-venom α-bungarotoxin is a member of the α-neurotoxin family that binds with very high affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) at the neuromuscular junction. The structure of the complex between α-bungarotoxin and a 13-mer peptide (WRYYESSLEPYPD) that binds the toxin with high affinity, thus inhibiting its interactions with AChR with an IC50 of 2 nM, has been solved by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The bound peptide folds into a β-hairpin structure created by two antiparallel β-strands, which combine with the already existing triple-stranded β-sheet of the toxin to form a five-stranded intermolecular, antiparallel β-sheet. Peptide residues Y3P, E5P, and L8P have the highest intermolecular contact area, indicating their importance in the binding of α-bungarotoxin; W1P, R2P, and Y4P also contribute significantly to the binding. A large number of characteristic hydrogen bonds and electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions are observed in the complex. The high-affinity peptide exhibits inhibitory potency that is better than any known peptide derived from AChR, and is equal to that of the whole α-subunit of AChR. The high degree of sequence similarity between the peptide and various types of AChRs implies that the binding mode found within the complex might possibly mimic the receptor binding to the toxin. The design of the high-affinity peptide was based on our previous findings: (i) the detection of a lead peptide (MRYYESSLKSYPD) that binds α-bungarotoxin, using a phage-display peptide library, (ii) the information about the three-dimensional structure of α-bungarotoxin/lead-peptide complex, and (iii) the amino acid sequence analysis of different AChRs.

A rat genetic map constructed by representational difference analysis markers with suitability for large-scale typing.

Representational difference analysis (RDA) was applied to isolate chromosomal markers in the rat. Four series of RDA [restriction enzymes, BamHI and HindIII; subtraction of ACI/N (ACI) amplicon from BUF/Nac (BUF) amplicon and vice versa] yielded 131 polymorphic markers; 125 of these markers were mapped to all chromosomes except for chromosome X. This was done by using a mapping panel of 105 ACI x BUF F2 rats. To complement the relative paucity of chromosomal markers in the rat, genetically directed RDA, which allows isolation of polymorphic markers in the specific chromosomal region, was performed. By changing the F2 driver-DNA allele frequency around the region, four markers were isolated from the D1Ncc1 locus. Twenty-five of 27 RDA markers were informative regarding the dot blot analysis of amplicons, hybridizing only with tester amplicons. Dot blot analysis at a high density per unit of area made it possible to process a large number of samples. Quantitative trait loci can now be mapped in the rat genome by processing a large number of samples with RDA markers and then by isolating markers close to the loci of interest by genetically directed RDA.

Spatial heterogeneity of inhibitory surrounds in the middle temporal visual area.

A recurrent theme in the organization of vertebrate visual cortex is that of receptive fields with an associated "silent" opponency component. In the middle temporal area (area MT), a cortical visual area involved in the analysis of retinal motion in primates, this opponency appears in the form of a region outside the classical receptive field (CRF) that in itself gives no response but suppresses responses to motion evoked within the CRF. This antagonistic motion surround has been described as very large and symmetrically arrayed around the CRF. On the basis of this view, the primary function of the surround has long been thought to consist of simple figure-ground segregation based on movement. We have made use of small stimulus patches to map the form and extent of the surround and find evidence that the surround inhibition of many MT cells is in fact confined to restricted regions on one side or on opposite sides of the CRF. Such regions endow MT cells with the ability to make local-to-local motion comparisons, capable of extracting more complex features from the visual environment, and as such, may be better viewed as intrinsic parts of the receptive field, rather than as separate entities responsible for local-to-global comparisons.

Diagnostic validity of clinical signs associated with a large exophoria at near

Purpose. To analyze the diagnostic validity of accommodative and binocular tests in a sample of patients with a large near exophoria with moderate to severe symptoms. Methods. Two groups of patients between 19 and 35 years were recruited from a university clinic: 33 subjects with large exophoria at near vision and moderate or high visual discomfort and 33 patients with normal heterophoria and low visual discomfort. Visual discomfort was defined using the Conlon survey. A refractive exam and an exhaustive evaluation of accommodation and vergence were assessed. Diagnostic validity by means of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, sensitivity (S), specificity (Sp), and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+, LR−) were assessed. This analysis was also carried out considering multiple tests as serial testing strategy. Results. ROC analysis showed the best diagnostic accuracy for receded near point of convergence (NPC) recovery (area = 0.929) and binocular accommodative facility (BAF) (area = 0.886). Using the cut-offs obtained with ROC analysis, the best diagnostic validity was obtained for the combination of NPC recovery and BAF (S  =  0.77, Sp = 1, LR+ = value tending to infinity, LR− = 0.23) and the combination of NPC break and recovery with BAF (S  =  0.73, Sp = 1, LR+ = tending to infinity, LR− = 0.27). Conclusions. NPC and BAF tests were the tests with the best diagnostic accuracy for subjects with large near exophoria and moderate to severe symptoms.

San Francisco Bay Area, California, Nautical Chart, 1877 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Entrance to San Francisco Bay, California, from a trigonometrical survey under the direction of A.D. Bache, Superintendent of the Survey of the Coast of the United States ; triangulation by R.D. Cutts, asst. & A.F. Rodgers, sub-asst. ; topography by R.D. Cutts, asst., A.M. Harrison & A.F. Rodgers, sub-assts. ; hydrography by the party under the command of Lieut. Comdg. James Alden, U.S.N. assist. It was published by The Survey in 1877. Scale 1:50,000. Covers the San Francisco Bay Area. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows coastal features such as lighthouses, buoys, beacons, rocks, channels, points, coves, islands, bottom soil types, wharves, and more. Includes also selected land features such as roads, railroads, drainage, land cover, selected buildings, towns, and more. Relief shown by hachures and spot heights; depths by sounding, shading, and contours. Includes inset map: Sub-sketch of entrance to San Francisco Bay (Scale 1:400,000), and inset views: View of the entrance to San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz N.E. by E. 1/2 (by compass 10 miles) -- View of the entrance to San Francisco Bay from Yerba Buena Id. -- View of the entrance to San Pablo Bay from near Angel Id. Also includes text and tables. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

San Francisco Bay Area, California, Nautical Chart, 1889 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: San Francisco entrance, California, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey ; eng.d by J. Enthoffer, E.A. Maedel, J.J. Young, W.A. Thompson, H.M. Knight, A. Peterson, and J.G. Thompson; red.r dr.ng by A. Lindenkohl, C. Junken, E. Molkow, E.J. Sommer. It was published by U.S.C. & G.S., printed March 15, 1889, corrected to April 12, 1889. Scale 1:40,000. Covers the San Francisco Bay Area. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the California Zone III State Plane Coordinate System NAD83 (in Feet) (Fipszone 0403). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows coastal features such as lighthouses, buoys, beacons, rocks, channels, points, coves, islands, bottom soil types, wharves, and more. Includes also selected land features such as roads, railroads, drainage, land cover, selected buildings, towns, and more. Relief shown by contours and spot heights; depths by soundings. Includes notes, tables, and list of authorities. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

La Gironde Rivière Area, Bordeaux, France, ca. 1910 (Image 1 of 2) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Plan de Bordeaux. It was published ca. 1910. Scale 1:10,000. Covers La Gironde Rivière area, Bordeaux, France. This layer is image 1 of 2 total images of the two sheet source map, representing the southern portion of the map. Map in French. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the 'European Datum 1950 UTM 30N' projected coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings and industries, docks and wharves, and more. Includes manuscript additions. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

La Gironde Rivière Area, Bordeaux, France, ca. 1910 (Image 2 of 2) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Plan de Bordeaux. It was published ca. 1910. Scale 1:10,000. Covers La Gironde Rivière area, Bordeaux, France. This layer is image 2 of 2 total images of the two sheet source map, representing the northern portion of the map. Map in French. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the 'European Datum 1950 UTM 30N' projected coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings and industries, docks and wharves, and more. Includes manuscript additions. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

With or without you...judging politically in the field of Area of Freedom, Security and Justice? Research Papers in Law, 3/2007

From the Introduction. The study of the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) case law of the regarding the Area of Freedom Security and Justice (AFSJ) is fascinating in many ways.1 First, almost the totality of the relevant case law is extremely recent, thereby marking the first ‘foundational’ steps in this field of law. This is the result of the fact that the AFSJ was set up by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997 and only entered into force in May 1999.2 Second, as the AFSJ is a new field of EU competence, it sets afresh all the fundamental questions – both political and legal – triggered by European integration, namely in terms of: a) distribution of powers between the Union and its member states, b) attribution of competences between the various EU Institutions, c) direct effect and supremacy of EU rules, d) scope of competence of the ECJ, and e) measure of the protection given to fundamental rights. The above questions beg for answers which should take into account both the extremely sensible fields of law upon which the AFSJ is anchored, and the EU’s highly inconvenient three-pillar institutional framework.3 Third, and as a consequence of the above, the vast majority of the ECJ’s judgments relating to the AFSJ are a) delivered by the Full Court or, at least, the Grand Chamber, b) with the intervention of great many member states and c) often obscure in content. This is due to the fact that the Court is called upon to set the foundational rules in a new field of EU law, often trying to accommodate divergent considerations, not all of which are strictly legal.4 Fourth, the case law of the Court relating to the AFSJ, touches upon a vast variety of topics which are not necessarily related to one another. This is why it is essential to limit the scope of this study. The content of, and steering for, the AFSJ were given by the Tampere European Council, in October 1999. According to the Tampere Conclusions, the AFSJ should consist of four key elements: a) a common immigration and asylum policy, b) judicial cooperation in both civil and penal matters, c) action against criminality and d) external action of the EU in all the above fields. Moreover, the AFSJ is to a large extent based on the Schengen acquis. The latter has been ‘communautarised’5 by the Treaty of Amsterdam and further ‘ventilated’ between the first and third pillars by decisions 1999/435 and 1999/436.6 Judicial cooperation in civil matters, mainly by means of international conventions (such as the Rome Convention of 1981 on the law applicable to contractual obligations) and regulations (such as (EC) 44/20017 and (EC) 1348/20008) also form part of the AFSJ. However, the relevant case law of the ECJ will not be examined in the present contribution.9 Similarly, the judgments of the Court delivered in the course of Article 226 EC proceedings against member states, will be omitted.10 Even after setting aside the above case law and notwithstanding the fact that the AFSJ only dates as far back as May 1999, the judgments of the ECJ are numerous. A simple (if not simplistic) categorisation may be between, on the one hand, judgments which concern the institutional setting of the AFSJ (para. 2) and, on the other, judgments which are related to some substantive AFSJ policy (para. 3).

Casual but Smart: The Court’s new clothes in the Area of Freedom Security and Justice (AFSJ) after the Lisbon Treaty. Research Papers in Law, 2/2008

Introduction. Unintended as it was, the European Court of Justice (ECJ, the Court, the Court of the EU) has played an extremely important role in the construction of the Area of Freedom Security and Justice (AFSJ). The AFSJ was set up by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997 and only entered into force in May 1999. The fact that this is a new field of EU competence, poses afresh all the fundamental questions – both political and legal – triggered by European integration, namely in terms of: a) distribution of powers between the Union and its Member States, b) attribution of competences between the various EU Institutions, c) direct effect and supremacy of EU rules, d) scope of competence of the ECJ, and e) extent of the protection given to fundamental rights. The above questions have prompted judicial solutions which take into account both the extremely sensible fields of law upon which the AFSJ is anchored, and the EU’s highly inconvenient three-pillar institutional framework.1 The ECJ is the body whose institutional role is to benefit most from this upcoming ‘depilarisation’, possibly more than that of the European Parliament. This structure is on the verge of being abandoned, provided the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force.2 However spectacular this formal boost of the Court’s competence, the changes in real terms are not going to be that dramatic. This apparent contradiction is explained, to a large extent, by the fact that the Court has in many ways ‘provoked’, or even ‘anticipated’, the depilarisation of its own jurisdictional role, already under the existing three-pillar structure. Simply put, under the new – post Treaty of Lisbon – regime, the Court will have full jurisdiction over all AFSJ matters, as those are going to be fully integrated in what is now the first pillar. Some limitations will continue to apply, however, while a special AFSJ procedure will be institutionalised. Indeed, if we look into the new Treaty we may identify general modifications to the Court’s structure and jurisdiction affecting the AFSJ (section 2), modifications in the field of the AFSJ stemming from the abolition of the pillar structure (section 3) and, finally, some rules specifically applicable to the AFSJ (section 4).