articles+ search results

electricidad, energía hidroeléctrica, patrimonio industrial, electricity, hydroelectric power, and industrial heritage

Reseña de un libro sobre la principal obra hidráulica construida por la Mexican Light and Power a partir de 1903. La empresa fue fundada por Fred Stark Pearson para abastecer de energía eléctrica a Ciudad de México y al centro del país. El libro trata de valorar el patrimonio industrial del municipio en que se encuentra localizado, destacando su importancia para la identidad y el desarrollo, y colaborando con un proyecto colectivo de la comunidad local.
Review of a book about the main hydraulic work built by the Mexican Light and Power since 1903. The company was founded by Fred Stark Pearson to supply electricity to Mexico City and the center of the country. The book tries to assess the industrial heritage of the municipality in which it is located, highlighting its importance for identity and development, and collaborating with a collective project of the local community

Electricity, Magnetism, Conceptual understanding, Multiple-choice instrument, Reliability analysis, Electricidad, Magnetismo, Entendimiento conceptual, Instrumento de opciones múltiples, and Análisis de confiabilidad

The Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) has been widely used in the field of physics education. However, to date, no study presents a version of the test in Spanish. This article has three general objectives: 1) to present the CSEM in Spanish and analyze its reliability and discriminatory power, 2) to perform a detailed analysis of the most frequent difficulties of the students in the concepts evaluated in the test, and 3) to establish recommendations for research and instruction of these concepts. The test was implemented to 310 students who finished an Electricity and Magnetism course in a Mexican university. Researchers or physics professors from Spanish-speaking countries may use the test in Spanish that we present in the PhysPort project (physport. org); and the analysis and recommendations for instruction in this study.
La prueba The Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) ha sido ampliamente utilizada en el área de la educación de la física. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha no existe un estudio que presente el test en su versión en español. Este artículo tiene tres objetivos generales: 1) presentar el CSEM en su versión en español y analizar la confiabilidad y poder discriminatorio de este, 2) realizar un análisis detallado de las dificultades más frecuentes de los estudiantes en los conceptos evaluados en el test y 3) establecer recomendaciones para la investigación e instrucción de estos conceptos. El test fue implementado a 310 estudiantes que terminaban el curso Electricidad y Magnetismo de una universidad mexicana. El test en su versión en español, que presentamos en el proyecto Physport (physport. org), los análisis y las recomendaciones para la instrucción pueden ser utilizados por investigadores o por profesores de física de países hispanohablantes.

gas, electricidad, historia empresarial, Gas, Electricity, and Business history

El artículo aborda la trayectoria de Gaz Franco-Belge. Robert Lesage et Cie. (Cie. Franco-Belge), fundada en Bélgica en 1880, en Sanlúcar de Barrameda. En 1883, se inauguró la iluminación pública de gas y en 1919 cesó su actividad. Esta iniciativa corresponde a una generación efímera de empresas gasistas de matriz extranjera de ámbito municipal. En apariencia, se inscribiría en una tanda de inversiones poco razonables en mercados urbanos insuficientemente desarrollados, que acabaron de liquidar la competencia con la electricidad y las restricciones a las industrias consumidoras de carbón durante la Gran Guerra. Aquí, se defiende que el "privilegio" exclusivo de iluminación pública fue en realidad una condena en tanto el Consistorio se convirtió en el usuario principal y, al mismo tiempo, en la única fuente de regulación del mercado gasista en la ciudad. Sin intención ni de aumentar los impuestos ni de pagar este servicio público, se anclaba a las empresas concesionarias a negocios poco rentables, en localidades con rentas medias bajas.
This article focuses on the trajectory of Gaz Franco-Belge. Robert Lesage et Cie (Cie Franco- Belge), founded in Belgium in 1880, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Public gas lighting was inaugurated in 1883 and the company ceased its activity in 1919. This initiative may be included in an ephemeral generation of foreign companies in charge of municipal lighting. Apparently, these foreign direct investments were unreasonable where urban markets were underdeveloped. Competition with electricity and the restrictions on coal consumption during World War I finished with these firms. Actually, the exclusive “privilege” of public lighting was a sentence as long as the town Hall became both the main user and the only source of market regulation. Without any intention of either raising taxes or paying for this public service, the councils anchored concessionaires companies to unprofitable businesses, in localities with a very low income average.

Gas, electricidad, consumo, España, Electricity, Consumption, and Spain

En este trabajo se aborda el estudio de dos energías básicas, gas y electricidad, desde la perspectiva de la demanda y bajo un enfoque comparativo. La fuente a utilizar será la Estadística del Impuesto sobre el consumo de luz de gas, electricidad y carburo de calcio, complementada/contrastada con otras (Estadística Minera, Datos estadísticos técnicos de las fábricas de gas españolas, monografías locales, etc.). Los principales aspectos que se tratarán serán su difusión geográfica, incardinándola en la modernización de las estructuras urbanas, y los niveles de gasto energético, insertado a su vez en los cambios generales de las pautas de consumo, ambos desde una doble perspectiva espacial y temporal. Todo ello se llevará a cabo en un marco cronológico clave, el primer tercio del siglo XX, lo que permitirá abrir nuevas perspectivas y debates acerca del modo concreto en que se llevó a cabo en España el proceso de transición energética del gas a la electricidad.
This paper deals with the study of two basic energies, gas and electricity, from a demand perspective, and under a comparative approach. The source that will be used is the Estadística del impuesto sobre el consumo de luz de gas, electricidad y carburo de calcio, which is complemented/ contrasted with others (Estadística Minera, Datos estadísticos técnicos de las fábricas de gas españolas, local monographs, etc). The main issues will be their geographical diffusion, placing it in the context of the modernization of urban structures, as well as the levels of energy expenditure, which are linked to the global changes in consumption patterns, both from a spatial and temporal perspective. All this will be carried out in a chronological framework, over the first third of the twentieth century, which will open new perspectives and debates about the specific way in which the process of energy transition from gas to electricity was carried out in Spain.

Electricidad, sistemas de tarificación, precios, España, siglo xx, Electricity, Rate Systems, Tariffs, Spain, and 20th Century

En 1934, 672 empresas eléctricas de toda España publicaron en los Boletines Oficiales provinciales y en el Butlletí Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya sus precios de venta de la energía destinada a fuerza. Estos datos nos permiten disponer de una información muy completa de los sistemas tarifarios utilizados por los productores y distribuidores de electricidad antes de la guerra civil así como también de los precios máximos y de los descuentos que ofrecían a sus clientes. En este artículo se analizan los precios y descuentos publicados desde una doble perspectiva, empresarial y territorial, con objeto de conocer el precio de la energía eléctrica para usos industriales en la España del momento. Las notables diferencias observadas en el precio de venta del kWh reflejan la existencia de un mercado eléctrico escasamente integrado y el importante papel que seguían desempeñando los pequeños y medianos productores y distribuidores de energía a la hora de suministrar fluido a miles de empresas de todo el país en vísperas de la Guerra Civil.
In 1934, a total of 672 electricity companies from all over Spain made public in the Boletines Oficiales of the provinces and in the Butlletí Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya their rate systems and selling prices for power. These data provide comprehensive information about the diverse pricing system used by producers and distributors of electricity in Spain before the Civil War as well as the maximum prices and discounts offered from them to their clients. This paper analyses these prices and discounts from a business and territorial point of view. The remarkable differences in the selling price of kWh among firms and places reflect the existence of a poorly integrated electricity market and the important role small and medium producers and distributors of energy still played when supplying electricity to thousands of consumers around the country on the eve of the Civil War.

llibres de text, electricitat, anàlisi del llenguatge, educació intercultural, textbooks, electricity, language analysis, intercultural education, libros de texto, electricidad, análisis del lenguaje, and educación intercultural

Aquesta tesi se centra essencialment en l'estudi de dues variables: el llenguatge de dos llibres de text quant a si afavoreix o no la comprensió explicativa, i les respostes dels estudiants quan s'utilitzen altres fonts d'informació complementària. La mostra pertany a dos països: Canadà i Pakistan, i com a metodologia es va utilitzar l'anàlisi documental i un disseny quasiexperimental. Els resultats apunten a la necessitat de millorar els llibres de text i el seu ús.
This thesis focuses primarily on the study of two variables: the language of two textbooks as to whether or not favors explanatory understanding, and the responses of the students when they use other sources for additional information. The sample belongs to two countries: Canada and Pakistan, and document analysis as a methodology and a quasi-experimental design was used. The results point to the need to improve textbooks and usage.
La presente tesis se centra esencialmente en el estudio de dos variables: el lenguaje de dos libros de texto en cuanto a si favorece o no la comprensión explicativa, y las respuestas de los estudiantes cuando utilizan otras fuentes de información complementaria. La muestra pertenece a dos países: Canadá y Pakistán, y como metodología se utilizó el análisis documental y un diseño cuasiexperimental. Los resultados apuntan a la necesidad de mejorar los libros de texto y su uso.

Guerra Civil Española, Electricidad, Producción, Historia empresarial, Spanish Civil War, Electricity, Production, and Business History.

La historia de la Compañía Eléctrica Mengemor durante la Guerra Civil Española (1936-1939) es interesante, ya que era una de las grandes eléctricas del país, y su dirección e instalaciones quedaron divididas hasta el final de la contienda, y buena parte de las mismas en el frente de batalla. Para cada bando (el republicano y el nacional) analizaré: quiénes y cómo la dirigieron, el estado de las instalaciones, cómo se repararon y la electricidad producida. En general, ésta creció en ambas zonas, gracias a la gestión realizada y los escasos daños sufridos.
The history of the electric company Mengemor during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) is interesting in that it was one of the main electric companies in Spain, and its management and installations were divided during the conflict, and a large part of these were on the front line. For each side in the conflict (the republicans and the nationalists) the following will be analyzed: how they were managed and by whom, the state of the installations, how they were repaired, and the electricity which was produced. In general, production grew in both zones. This can be explained by good management and the scarce damage inflicted on the installations.

Electricity, Smart grid, Hurricane, Metrics, Resilience, SAIDI, Sensor, Engineering, Economics, and Energy

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd The detection of power outages is an essential activity for electric utilities. A large, national dataset of Internet-connected thermostats was used to explore and illustrate the ability of Internet-connected devices to geospatially track outages caused by hurricanes and other major weather events. The method was applied to nine major outage events, including hurricanes and windstorms. In one event, Hurricane Irma, a network of about 1000 thermostats provided quantitatively similar results to detailed utility data with respect to the number of homes without power and identification of the most severely affected regions. The method generated regionally uniform outage data that would give emergency authorities additional visibility into the scope and magnitude of outages. The network of thermostat-sensors also made it possible to calculate a higher resolution version of outage duration (or SAIDI) at a level of customer-level visibility that was not previously available.

Conservation of Natural Resources, Ecosystem, Biodiversity, Electricity, Solar Energy, Wind, Europe, Electric Power Supplies, Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Greenhouse Gases, biodiversity, climate change, conservation, energy, and sustainability

Given its total contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, the global electric power sector will be required to undergo a fundamental transformation over the next decades to limit anthropogenic climate change to below 2 °C. Implications for biodiversity of projected structural changes in the global electric power sector are rarely considered beyond those explicitly linked to climate change. This study uses a spatially explicit consumption-based accounting framework to examine the impact of demand for electric power on terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity globally. We demonstrate that the biodiversity footprint of the electric power sector is primarily within the territory where final demand for electric power resides, although there are substantial regional differences, with Europe displacing its biodiversity threat along international supply chains. The relationship between size of individual components of the electric power sector and threat to biodiversity indicates that a shift to nonfossil sources, such as solar and wind, could reduce pressures on biodiversity both within the territory where demand for power resides and along international supply chains. However, given the current levels of deployment of nonfossil sources of power, there is considerable uncertainty as to how the impacts of structural changes in the global electric power system will scale. Given the strong territorial link between demand and associated biodiversity impacts, development of strong national governance around the electric power sector represents a clear route to mitigate threats to biodiversity associated with efforts to decarbonize society over the coming century.

CHO Cells, Animals, Humans, Cricetulus, Integrins, Integrin alpha Chains, Recombinant Proteins, Fluorescent Dyes, Electricity, Cell Movement, Time-Lapse Imaging, Transcriptome, Taxis Response, directional cell migration, directional reversal, galvanotaxis, motility, α9, alpha 9, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Physiology, Medical Physiology, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Proper control of cell migration is critically important in many biologic processes, such as wound healing, immune surveillance, and development. Much progress has been made in the initiation of cell migration; however, little is known about termination and sometimes directional reversal. During active cell migration, as in wound healing, development, and immune surveillance, the integrin expression profile undergoes drastic changes. Here, we uncovered the extensive regulatory and even opposing roles of integrins in directional cell migration in electric fields (EFs), a potentially important endogenous guidance mechanism. We established cell lines that stably express specific integrins and determined their responses to applied EFs with a high throughput screen. Expression of specific integrins drove cells to migrate to the cathode or to the anode or to lose migration direction. Cells expressing αMβ2, β1, α2, αIIbβ3, and α5 migrated to the cathode, whereas cells expressing β3, α6, and α9 migrated to the anode. Cells expressing α4, αV, and α6β4 lost directional electrotaxis. Manipulation of α9 molecules, one of the molecular directional switches, suggested that the intracellular domain is critical for the directional reversal. These data revealed an unreported role for integrins in controlling stop, go, and reversal activity of directional migration of mammalian cells in EFs, which might ensure that cells reach their final destination with well-controlled speed and direction.-Zhu, K., Takada, Y., Nakajima, K., Sun, Y., Jiang, J., Zhang, Y., Zeng, Q., Takada, Y., Zhao, M. Expression of integrins to control migration direction of electrotaxis.

Carbon Dioxide, Goals, Electricity, Fossil Fuels, Temperature, Atmosphere, International Cooperation, Global Warming, Natural Gas, and General Science & Technology

Net anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) must approach zero by mid-century (2050) in order to stabilize the global mean temperature at the level targeted by international efforts1-5. Yet continued expansion of fossil-fuel-burning energy infrastructure implies already 'committed' future CO2 emissions6-13. Here we use detailed datasets of existing fossil-fuel energy infrastructure in 2018 to estimate regional and sectoral patterns of committed CO2 emissions, the sensitivity of such emissions to assumed operating lifetimes and schedules, and the economic value of the associated infrastructure. We estimate that, if operated as historically, existing infrastructure will cumulatively emit about 658 gigatonnes of CO2 (with a range of 226 to 1,479 gigatonnes CO2, depending on the lifetimes and utilization rates assumed). More than half of these emissions are predicted to come from the electricity sector; infrastructure in China, the USA and the 28 member states of the European Union represents approximately 41 per cent, 9 per cent and 7 per cent of the total, respectively. If built, proposed power plants (planned, permitted or under construction) would emit roughly an extra 188 (range 37-427) gigatonnes CO2. Committed emissions from existing and proposed energy infrastructure (about 846 gigatonnes CO2) thus represent more than the entire carbon budget that remains if mean warming is to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) with a probability of 66 to 50 per cent (420-580 gigatonnes CO2)5, and perhaps two-thirds of the remaining carbon budget if mean warming is to be limited to less than 2 °C (1,170-1,500 gigatonnes CO2)5. The remaining carbon budget estimates are varied and nuanced14,15, and depend on the climate target and the availability of large-scale negative emissions16. Nevertheless, our estimates suggest that little or no new CO2-emitting infrastructure can be commissioned, and that existing infrastructure may need to be retired early (or be retrofitted with carbon capture and storage technology) in order to meet the Paris Agreement climate goals17. Given the asset value per tonne of committed emissions, we suggest that the most cost-effective premature infrastructure retirements will be in the electricity and industry sectors, if non-emitting alternatives are available and affordable4,18.

energy modeling, distributed storage, V2G, G2V, renewable energy, EV, FCV, Hydrogen, and Electricity

This report makes an initial investigation into the potential for combining very high penetration levels of electric vehicles with similarly very high penetration of variable renewable electricity (VRE) in California. A literature review is performed regarding the potential for high levels of EV sales and VRE penetration at both the U.S. and California level. Such scenarios have been developed by a number of researchers, such as U.S. national laboratories for the White House (under the Obama Administration), and by Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3) for the California Energy Commission. Such studies indicate that both of these “extreme” futures are entirely plausible and have the potential to coexist. However, none of the reviewed studies has undertaken detailed analysis of how large numbers of EVs could interact with and support a VRE-dominated system, and how these might interact in a useful way. This could include grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and vehicle- to-grid (V2G) movement of electricity, with vehicle batteries providing large scale electricity storage.We undertake our own preliminary simulation for a 2030 and 2050 scenario for California, using an 8760 hours (full year) electricity demand profile and VRE generation example. We assume a ramp- up of VRE to 60% of all electricity generation by 2030 and 100% by 2050, with a similar increase in the EV share of new LDV sales, creating a significant stock (about 7 million) by 2030 and nearly complete transition (to over 20 million vehicles) by 2050. Using an “averages, peaks and valleys” analysis on the electric side, and a typical spare battery storage potential on the vehicle side, our simulation shows that by 2030 a large share of excess VRE electricity generation could be stored, and a large share of electricity shortfall from VRE could be provided, by electric vehicle batteries throughout the year, though there would be many cases where they cannot provide full coverage of these situations. However by 2050, if nearly 100% of the fleet were EVs, only about half of their available, spare capacity is needed to store the excess electricity from a full VRE system on the highest generation day and only about 40% would be needed to store and supply the shortage from lack of VRE generation on the highest shortfall day.While these results are encouraging, a deeper simulation is needed to provide a true hour-by-hour assessment of battery use and the incidence of storage need compared to driving need. Management of charging times that could not be assessed here may also play a critical role. In addition, our initial assessment only covers a single day shortfall. Shortfalls could occur for longer periods, particularly if the VRE electricity system were sized to take better advantage of seasonal storage options. Vehicle batteries are best suited to very short duration storage and may not be adequate to keep the electricity reliable for many consecutive days of shortfall. Hydrogen (H2) has the potential to be a longer-term energy storage option and could be stored in fuel cell vehicle tanks (and the H2 system associated with generating, storing and distributing H2 to those tanks). The next stage of our research will involve running a full simulation using our (ITS-Davis) California ZEV power model (“CALZEV”), a version of the larger Message model, applied to consider both electricity and hydrogen (with large numbers of both of these types of vehicles) in order to: 1) gauge the relative storage potential and cost over a range of time frames and VRE scenarios, and 2) estimate the relative value and possible synergies in a system with both types of vehicles and fuels.

energy, electricity, and economic growth

We find that electricity use and access are strongly correlated with economic development, as theory would suggest. Despite large empirical literatures and suggestive case evidence, there are, however, few methodologically strong studies that establish causal effects on an economy-wide basis. There is some evidence that reliability of electricity supply is important for economic growth. We propose that future research focuses on identifying the causal effects of electricity reliability, infrastructure, and access on economic growth; testing the replicability of the literature; and deepening our theoretical understanding of how lack ofavailability of electricity can be a constraint to growth.

Agriculture, Irrigation, Demand response, Ancillary services, Electricity, Water, Environmental Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Interdisciplinary Engineering, and Environmental Sciences

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Historically, the focus of the agricultural industry has been increasing profit through maximizing crop yield. Costs for energy and water are small compared to equipment and personnel, and are thus often overlooked. However, energy costs for irrigation are increasing and could be exacerbated with declining water levels in many Western states. This trend has motivated many farmers to explore sustainable irrigation water and energy management practices. Much of this new focus has been directed towards the adoption of new agricultural technologies with a misplaced assumption that technology alone will inherently bring all the benefits. On one hand, farms are going through a paradigm shift, and are turning into net electricity generators, and on the other, higher penetration of intermittent renewable sources into the electricity grid, require dynamic loads to help the grid balance its intra-hour variability and short duration ramps. The agricultural industry could be restructured to utilize larger amounts of renewable energy such as wind and solar and provide a great deal of flexibility to the grid. As emerging producers of clean energy, farmers are required to learn and speak the complex language of the electricity grid in order to monetize their energy generation while making the renewable electricity grid more resilient and reliable. In this paper, we develop a foundational approach for understanding and connecting three important concepts that can help the agricultural industry during this critical transition period. Those three concepts are: (a) current and future needs of the electricity grid, (b) available electricity market mechanisms through which farms can provide services to the grid, and (c) understanding electricity consuming/generating equipment on farms. Defining these concepts and condensing them into a standardized framework, can remove a significant barrier for enabling farms to provide services to the electricity grid while improving their bottom line.

Gastrointestinal Tract, Epithelium, Macrophages, Animals, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Salmonella, Salmonella Infections, Bacterial Proteins, Electricity, Cell Movement, Phagocytosis, Electric Conductivity, Female, Male, Taxis Response, Inbred C57BL, Biological Sciences, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Medical and Health Sciences, and Developmental Biology

Many bacterial pathogens hijack macrophages to egress from the port of entry to the lymphatic drainage and/or bloodstream, causing dissemination of life-threatening infections. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we report that Salmonella infection generates directional electric fields (EFs) in the follicle-associated epithelium of mouse cecum. In vitro application of an EF, mimicking the infection-generated electric field (IGEF), induces directional migration of primary mouse macrophages to the anode, which is reversed to the cathode upon Salmonella infection. This infection-dependent directional switch is independent of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) type III secretion system. The switch is accompanied by a reduction of sialic acids on glycosylated surface components during phagocytosis of bacteria, which is absent in macrophages challenged by microspheres. Moreover, enzymatic cleavage of terminally exposed sialic acids reduces macrophage surface negativity and severely impairs directional migration of macrophages in response to an EF. Based on these findings, we propose that macrophages are attracted to the site of infection by a combination of chemotaxis and galvanotaxis; after phagocytosis of bacteria, surface electrical properties of the macrophage change, and galvanotaxis directs the cells away from the site of infection.

Humans, Carbon Monoxide, Linear Models, Cross-Sectional Studies, Biomass, Electricity, Housing, Air Pollution, Indoor, Environmental Monitoring, Particle Size, Wood, Rural Population, Paraguay, Particulate Matter, Cooking, Surveys and Questionnaires, PM2.5, CO, biomass, household air pollution, multiple linear regression, outdoor air pollution, PM2.5, Air Pollution, Indoor, PM2.5, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Medical and Health Sciences, and Building & Construction

In Paraguay, 49% of the population depends on biomass (wood and charcoal) for cooking. Residential biomass burning is a major source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) in and around the household environment. In July 2016, cross-sectional household air pollution sampling was conducted in 80 households in rural Paraguay. Time-integrated samples (24 hours) of PM2.5 and continuous CO concentrations were measured in kitchens that used wood, charcoal, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or electricity to cook. Qualitative and quantitative household-level variables were captured using questionnaires. The average PM2.5 concentration (μg/m3 ) was higher in kitchens that burned wood (741.7 ± 546.4) and charcoal (107.0 ± 68.6) than in kitchens where LPG (52.3 ± 18.9) or electricity (52.0 ± 14.8) was used. Likewise, the average CO concentration (ppm) was higher in kitchens that used wood (19.4 ± 12.6) and charcoal (7.6 ± 6.5) than in those that used LPG (0.5 ± 0.6) or electricity (0.4 ± 0.6). Multivariable linear regression was conducted to generate predictive models for indoor PM2.5 and CO concentrations (predicted R2  = 0.837 and 0.822, respectively). This study provides baseline indoor air quality data for Paraguay and presents a multivariate statistical approach that could be used in future research and intervention programs.

Carbon Dioxide, Carbon, Electricity, Greenhouse Effect, Greenhouse Gases, and Environmental Sciences

In many jurisdictions, policy-makers are seeking to decentralize the electric power system while also promoting deep reductions in the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). We examine the potential roles for residential energy storage (RES), a technology thought to be at the epicenter of these twin revolutions. We model the impact of grid-connected RES operation on electricity costs and GHG emissions for households in 16 of the largest U.S. utility service territories under 3 plausible operational modes. Regardless of operation mode, RES mostly increases emissions when users seek to minimize their electricity cost. When operated with the goal of minimizing emissions, RES can reduce average household emissions by 2.2-6.4%, implying a cost equivalent of $180 to $5160 per metric ton of carbon dioxide avoided. While RES is costly compared with many other emission-control measures, tariffs that internalize the social cost of carbon would reduce emissions by 0.1-5.9% relative to cost-minimizing operation. Policy-makers should be careful about assuming that decentralization will clean the electric power system, especially if it proceeds without carbon-mindful tariff reforms.

Fibroblasts, Animals, Mice, Knockout, Humans, src-Family Kinases, Electricity, Cell Adhesion, Cell Division, Mitosis, Cell Shape, Up-Regulation, MCF-7 Cells, Cell division orientation, Cell geometry, Cell polarity, Src, Mice, Knockout, Breast Cancer, Cancer, 1.1 Normal biological development and functioning, 2.1 Biological and endogenous factors, Generic Health Relevance, and Biomedical Engineering

Orientation of cell division plane plays a crucial role in morphogenesis and regeneration. Misoriented cell division underlies many important diseases, such as cancer. Studies with Drosophila and C. elegance models show that Src, a proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase, is a critical regulator of this aspect of mitosis. However, the role for Src in controlling cell division orientation in mammalian cells is not well understood. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches and two extracellular signals to orient cell division, we demonstrated a critical role for Src. Either knockout or pharmacological inhibition of Src would retain the fidelity of cell division orientation with the long-axis orientation of mother cells. Conversely, re-expression of Src would decouple cell division orientation from the pre-division orientation of the long axis of mother cells. Cell division orientation in human breast and gastric cancer tissues showed that the Src activation level correlated with the degree of mitotic spindle misorientation relative to the apical surface. Examination of proteins associated with cortical actin revealed that Src activation regulated the accumulation and local density of adhesion proteins on the sites of cell-matrix attachment. By analyzing division patterns in the cells with or without Src activation and through use of a mathematical model, we further support our findings and provide evidence for a previously unknown role for Src in regulating cell division orientation in relation to the pre-division geometry of mother cells, which may contribute to the misoriented cell division.

Sustainable Development Goal 7, Access to electricity, Commodification, Cost-recovery, Culture of non-payment, Behavioral and Social Science, Electricity, Culture of non-paymen, Development Studies, Studies in Human Society, and Economics

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd Sustainable Development Goal 7, with the light bulb and power button as its symbols, in effect promotes the universal right to basic electricity services. Access for all demands both affordability and cost-recovery, and utilities (and donors) increasingly require users to shoulder the greater burden of cost-recovery. We argue that the electricity system is underpinned by a set of relationships among user, provider and the service itself: these relationships are mediated by the meter, the technology of commodification. Using a constant-comparison approach, and based on a year of interviews and document analysis, we compare postpaid and prepaid meter regimes in Unguja, Tanzania. We ask: what difference does the mode of payment make to the (residential) user, the utility, and to the prospects for meeting SDG 7? We find that the prepaid meter becomes reified with its automated monitoring and measurement mechanism, rendering the once-familiar meter reader obsolete, and shutting off the flow of electricity as soon as the customer's “units” have run down. Reification makes the utility more invisible to the customer, who now blames the meter rather than the utility for poor service or high bills. Our interviews reveal broad support for the prepaid meter, however, because economically vulnerable users expressed greater fear of debt than of the dark, and were willing to cede control of their consumption to the new meter. These findings undermine the common accusation of a “culture of nonpayment” in Africa. We also find that prepaid meters may incentivize the partial return to biomass-based fuels when cash is not available – exactly the behavior that universal access to electricity is supposed to prevent. We conclude that, if access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa becomes entirely contingent on payment prior to use, this is not fully compatible with a commitment to universal basic access.