The Coming Boom in Computer Loads

Computers and other electronic equipment now consume as much electricity as electric steel furnaces, and their growth shows no signs of slowing. Utilities are active participants in the computer revolution. Northeast Utilities, for example, reports that 20% of electricity use in a typical new office building in its service area goes to computers. Given the expected growth in computers and computer loads, this technology deserves greater attention from utility planners and other energy analysts. It is shown that the commercial sector has been the largest contributor to kilowatt-hour (kwh) sales growth and that new uses within the commercial sector have accounted for the biggest portion of this growth. Confirming this conclusion are a 4-year Department of Energy-funded study of the Park Plaza Building office tower and a 1985 study of 181 office buildings by Northwest Utilities. A prospective study suggests that computers could account for as much as 150 billion kwh by the early 1990s

The upper critical field of filamentary Nb3Sn conductors

We have examined the upper critical field of a large and representative set of present multi-filamentary Nb3Sn wires and one bulk sample over a temperature range from 1.4 K up to the zero field critical temperature. Since all present wires use a solid-state diffusion reaction to form the A15 layers, inhomogeneities with respect to Sn content are inevitable, in contrast to some previously studied homogeneous samples. Our study emphasizes the effects that these inevitable inhomogeneities have on the field-temperature phase boundary. The property inhomogeneities are extracted from field-dependent resistive transitions which we find broaden with increasing inhomogeneity. The upper 90-99 % of the transitions clearly separates alloyed and binary wires but a pure, Cu-free binary bulk sample also exhibits a zero temperature critical field that is comparable to the ternary wires. The highest mu0Hc2 detected in the ternary wires are remarkably constant: The highest zero temperature upper critical fields and zero field critical temperatures fall within 29.5 +/- 0.3 T and 17.8 +/- 0.3 K respectively, independent of the wire layout. The complete field-temperature phase boundary can be described very well with the relatively simple Maki-DeGennes model using a two parameter fit, independent of composition, strain state, sample layout or applied critical state criterion.Comment: Accepted Journal of Applied Physics Few changes to shorten document, replaced eq. 7-

Population stratification may bias analysis of PGC-1α as a modifier of age at Huntington disease motor onset

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive and behavioral disturbances, caused by the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat in the HD gene. The CAG allele size is the major determinant of age at onset (AO) of motor symptoms, although the remaining variance in AO is highly heritable. The rs7665116 SNP in PPARGC1A, encoding the mitochondrial regulator PGC-1α, has been reported to be a significant modifier of AO in three European HD cohorts, perhaps due to affected cases from Italy. We attempted to replicate these findings in a large collection of (1,727) HD patient DNA samples of European origin. In the entire cohort, rs7665116 showed a significant effect in the dominant model (p value = 0.008) and the additive model (p value = 0.009). However, when examined by origin, cases of Southern European origin had an increased rs7665116 minor allele frequency (MAF), consistent with this being an ancestry-tagging SNP. The Southern European cases, despite similar mean CAG allele size, had a significantly older mean AO (p < 0.001), suggesting population-dependent phenotype stratification. When the generalized estimating equations models were adjusted for ancestry, the effect of the rs7665116 genotype on AO decreased dramatically. Our results do not support rs7665116 as a modifier of AO of motor symptoms, as we found evidence for a dramatic effect of phenotypic (AO) and genotypic (MAF) stratification among European cohorts that was not considered in previously reported association studies. A significantly older AO in Southern Europe may reflect population differences in genetic or environmental factors that warrant further investigation

Candidate glutamatergic and dopaminergic pathway gene variants do not influence Huntington’s disease motor onset

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and behavioral disturbances. It is caused by the expansion of the HTT CAG repeat, which is the major determinant of age at onset (AO) of motor symptoms. Aberrant function of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and/or overexposure to dopamine has been suggested to cause significant neurotoxicity, contributing to HD pathogenesis. We used genetic association analysis in 1,628 HD patients to evaluate candidate polymorphisms in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtype genes (GRIN2A rs4998386 and rs2650427, and GRIN2B rs1806201) and functional polymorphisms in genes in the dopamine pathway (DAT1 3′ UTR 40-bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR), DRD4 exon 3 48-bp VNTR, DRD2 rs1800497, and COMT rs4608) as potential modifiers of the disease process. None of the seven polymorphisms tested was found to be associated with significant modification of motor AO, either in a dominant or additive model, after adjusting for ancestry. The results of this candidate-genetic study therefore do not provide strong evidence to support a modulatory role for these variations within glutamatergic and dopaminergic genes in the AO of HD motor manifestations

How to reinforce governance in water-tourism nexus research? Updating the Hydrosocial Cycle to loop into stakeholders’ roles, interactions, and power dynamics

Over the years, a substantial body of knowledge has emerged to analyse the water–tourism nexus, shifting from setting agendas to problem-solving approaches, while highlighting the importance of involving stakeholders in effective governance. In this respect, the hydrosocial cycle approach has demonstrated its effectiveness in assessing the human–nature dimension of water resources by examining the roles and narratives of stakeholders, as well as the asymmetrical power dynamics influencing decision-making processes. This study establishes a framework aimed at enhancing governance in hydrosocial research related to the intersection of water and tourism by exploring stakeholders' interactions across five key dimensions: relevance, representativeness, recognition, performance, and collaboration. Additionally, it articulates each dimension using a triple-loop factor scheme that considers stakeholders' knowledge (to be), actions (to do), and relationships (to share). This framework was implemented in two Mediterranean coastal hotspots, Benidorm (Spain) and Rimini (Italy), which exemplify complex water management contexts marked by competing water needs. Data were gathered through questionnaires distributed to key stakeholders, such as municipalities, regional authorities, water suppliers, irrigation districts, and tourism associations. Our findings illustrate that within the water–tourism nexus, governance tends to favour the water component over the tourism dimension, as evidenced by water stakeholders' leadership roles, player status, and their greater relevance and recognition in terms of their responsibilities and actions. Moreover, although some stakeholders lack awareness of others' roles within the system, no stakeholder was seen as redundant, which suggests potential for fostering engagement by pinpointing most influential stakeholders and reassessing their positions in power-imbalanced contexts. The proposed framework introduces a straightforward, flexible, and easily replicable strategy for dealing with context-dependent issues and challenges, such as the water–tourism nexus, and can enhance the effectiveness of broader participatory tools, such as semi-structured interviews and workshops, improving its applicability in a range of governance environments

Deep white matter in Huntington's disease

White matter (WM) abnormalities have already been shown in presymptomatic (Pre-HD) and symptomatic HD subjects using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). In the present study, we examined the microstructure of the long-range large deep WM tracts by applying two different MRI approaches: Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) -based tractography, and T2*weighted (iron sensitive) imaging. We collected Pre-HD subjects (n = 25), HD patients (n = 25) and healthy control subjects (n = 50). Results revealed increased axial (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) and iron levels in Pre-HD subjects compared to controls. Fractional anisotropy decreased between the Pre-HD and HD phase and AD/RD increased and although impairment was pervasive in HD, degeneration occurred in a pattern in Pre-HD. Furthermore, iron levels dropped for HD patients. As increased iron levels are associated with remyelination, the data suggests that Pre-HD subjects attempt to repair damaged deep WM years before symptoms occur but this process fails with disease progression

Economies of the Edge: Frontier Zone Processes at Regional, Imperial, and Global Scales (300 BCE–300 CE)

Dieser Band eröffnet eine neue Perspektive auf die trans-eurasische Konnektivität zwischen 300 v. Chr. und 300 n. Chr. Im Fokus stehen Grenzräume als zentrale Schauplätze wirtschaftlicher Interaktion und Transformation. Jenseits klassischer Zentrum-Peripherie-Modelle und statischer Vorstellungen von „Seidenstraßen“-Routen untersuchen die Beiträge, wie imperiale Expansion, regionale politische Ökonomien und dezentrale Handelsnetzwerke den Fernhandel prägten. Archäologische, textliche und numismatische Fallstudien zeigen Grenzregionen als dynamische Räume von Innovation, Aushandlung und interimperialer Verflechtung.This volume offers a new perspective on trans-Eurasian connectivity between 300 BCE and 300 CE. It focuses on border regions as key sites of economic interaction and transformation. Beyond classic center-periphery models and static notions of ‘Silk Road’ routes, the contributions examine how imperial expansion, regional political economies and decentralised trade networks shaped long-distance trade. Archaeological, textual and numismatic case studies reveal border regions as dynamic spaces of innovation, negotiation and interregional entanglements

Economies of the Edge: Frontier Zone Processes at Regional, Imperial, and Global Scales (300 BCE–300 CE)

Dieser Band eröffnet eine neue Perspektive auf die trans-eurasische Konnektivität zwischen 300 v. Chr. und 300 n. Chr. Im Fokus stehen Grenzräume als zentrale Schauplätze wirtschaftlicher Interaktion und Transformation. Jenseits klassischer Zentrum-Peripherie-Modelle und statischer Vorstellungen von „Seidenstraßen“-Routen untersuchen die Beiträge, wie imperiale Expansion, regionale politische Ökonomien und dezentrale Handelsnetzwerke den Fernhandel prägten. Archäologische, textliche und numismatische Fallstudien zeigen Grenzregionen als dynamische Räume von Innovation, Aushandlung und interimperialer Verflechtung.This volume offers a new perspective on trans-Eurasian connectivity between 300 BCE and 300 CE. It focuses on border regions as key sites of economic interaction and transformation. Beyond classic center-periphery models and static notions of ‘Silk Road’ routes, the contributions examine how imperial expansion, regional political economies and decentralised trade networks shaped long-distance trade. Archaeological, textual and numismatic case studies reveal border regions as dynamic spaces of innovation, negotiation and interregional entanglements