Monetary effects of inequality: lessons from the euro experiment

We propose a new explanation for the decoupling of official and perceived inflation based on relative consumption concerns. In presence of high inequality, when the consumers\u2019 reference point of consumption is more distant to reach, a tight budget constraint is likely to be misperceived as a currency\u2019s loss of purchasing power. Using data from a set of 15 European countries in the period 1990-2008, we estimate the effect of inequality on inflation perception. Our research design exploits the exogenous variation in inequality induced by the reduction in social expenditure that accompanied the implementation of the convergence criteria set up by the Maastricht treaty, in the years preceding the Euro changeover. Our results confirm that an increase in inequality significantly affects the deviation of inflation perceptions from actual inflation

High occurrence of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma early in the season on grapevines infected with grapevine yellows

Research NoteA survey for the presence of phytoplasmas associated with grapevine yellows in about 500 Italian vineyards was conducted from 1999 to 2004. Grapevines with the earliest symptoms were mostly infected with Flavescence dorée type C phytoplasma (FD-C). As the season advanced, a steady relative decrease in the occurrence of FD-C coincided with a clear relative increase in Bois noir phytoplasma. The relative occurrence of Flavescence dorée type D phytoplasma remained stable.

A successful defence strategy in grapevine cultivar ‘Tocai friulano’ provides compartmentation of grapevine Flavescence dorée phytoplasma

Background: Flavescence dorée (FD) is a grapevine disease caused by phytoplasma and it is one of the most destructive pathologies in Europe. Nowadays, the only strategies used to control the epidemics are insecticides against vector, but more sustainable techniques are required. Completely resistant Vitis vinifera varieties have not been uncovered yet, but differences in susceptibility among cultivars and spontaneous recovery from FD symptoms have been observed. The grapevine cultivar ‘Tocai friulano’ shows very low susceptibility to FD but its defence strategy to counteract the phytoplasma spread has not been deciphered yet. In this work, the mechanisms occurring within ‘Tocai friulano’ FD-infected plants were examined in depth to identify the phytoplasma distribution and the defence pathways involved. Results: In ‘Tocai friulano’ symptoms of FD-infection remained confined near the area where they appeared during all the vegetative season. Analyses of secondary phloem showed a total absence of FD phytoplasma (FDp) in the trunk and its disappearance in 2-year-old arms from July to November, which was different from ‘Pinot gris’, a highly susceptible variety. Diverse modulations of defence genes and accumulation of metabolites were revealed in 1-year-old canes of ‘Tocai friulano’ FD-infected plants, depending on the sanitary status. Symptomatic portions showed high activation of both jasmonate- and salicylate-mediated responses, together with a great accumulation of resveratrol. Whereas activation of jasmonate-mediated response and high content of ε-viniferin were identified in asymptomatic 1-year-old cane portions close to the symptomatic ones. Conclusion: Successful defence mechanisms activated near the symptomatic areas allowed the compartmentation of FD symptoms and phytoplasmas within the infected ‘Tocai friulano’ plants. These results could suggest specific agronomical practices to be adopted during FD management of this variety, and drive research of resistance genes against FD

Thermal energy performance of a bioclimatic building in a high radiation area of Argentina

Se describe el diseño de un edificio bioclimático para el INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria) en Victorica, al NO de la provincia de La Pampa, Argentina (37º38´S, 63º34´W). Las pautas generales de diseño fueron: minimizar el consumo de energía convencional, utilizar la tecnología tradicional, maximizar el confort térmico y visual y alcanzar un costo adicional inferior al 10%. Las estrategias fueron: solarización (ganancia solar directa), conservación (envolvente de baja permeabilidad térmica y masa de acumulación), disipación (ventilación natural cruzada) y protección solar. Los objetivos del trabajo son: analizar el comportamiento higrotérmico y energético del edificio a través del monitoreo durante el invierno de 2017 y el verano 2017-2018. Los resultados del monitoreo experimental muestran un entorno térmicamente aceptable. El área colectora al norte del 7 % respecto al área útil es apropiada. El consumo anual de energía es de 46 kWh/m2 (calefacción) y 19 kWh/m2 (electricidad utilizada para refrigeración, equipos e iluminación) y resultan de las mediciones registradas en medidores entre las 7 hs del de agosto de 2017 y las 7hs del 1 de agosto de 2018. Las aproximaciones realizadas en las primeras etapas de diseño fueron apropiadasThe design of a bioclimatic building for the INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) in Victorica, NW of the province of La Pampa, Argentina (37º38'S, 63º34'W) is described. The general design guidelines were: minimize conventional energy consumption, use traditional technology, maximize thermal and visual comfort and achieve an additional cost of less than 10%. The strategies were: solarization (direct solar gain), conservation (envelope with low thermal permeability and thermal mass), dissipation (natural cross ventilation) and shading. The objectives of the work are: to analyze the hygrothermal and energetic behavior of the building through monitoring during winter of 2017 and summer 2017-2018. The results of the experimental monitoring show a thermally acceptable environment. The collection area north of 7% with respect to the useful area is appropriate. The annual energy consumption is 46 kWh / m2 (heating) and 19 kWh / m2 (electricity used for refrigeration, equipment and lighting) and results from measurements recorded on meters between 7 am (August 1, 2017) and 7 am (August 1, 2018). The approximations made in the early design stages were appropriate.Fil: Filippin, Maria Celina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Flores Larsen, Silvana Elinor. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones en Energía no Convencional. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Física. Instituto de Investigaciones en Energía no Convencional; ArgentinaFil: Marek, L.. No especifíca

Design and Development of a Magnus Hydrokinetic Rotor

The energy matrix diversification has become noticed in the latest years. Energy conversion of the free flow in rivers and canals into electrical energy has been a good complementation for the conventional generation. The first application of hydrokinetic turbines, commercially, were in Mississippi's river (Minnesota, USA), in 2008. The USAge of Magnus effect in hydrokinetic turbines occurred in an innovative manner. In this project, rotational cylinders actuate as blades of an axial hydrokinetic rotor, converting kinetic energy of the flow into potency in the rotor axle. This effect was initially observed in 1853 by Henrich Magnus and, since then, few researches were carried out to its application in hydraulic generation of energy. Therefore, tests in reduced-scale prototype and numerical simulations were made for the development and executive design of a hydrokinetic rotor. At the end of this study, a hydro generator with 62% hydraulic efficiency, considering the Betz Limit, was constructed

BICEP2 / Keck Array VIII: Measurement of gravitational lensing from large-scale B-mode polarization

We present measurements of polarization lensing using the 150 GHz maps which include all data taken by the BICEP2 & Keck Array CMB polarization experiments up to and including the 2014 observing season (BK14). Despite their modest angular resolution ($\sim 0.5^\circ$), the excellent sensitivity ($\sim 3\mu$K-arcmin) of these maps makes it possible to directly reconstruct the lensing potential using only information at larger angular scales ($\ell\leq 700$). From the auto-spectrum of the reconstructed potential we measure an amplitude of the spectrum to be $A^{\phi\phi}_{\rm L}=1.15\pm 0.36$ (Planck $\Lambda$CDM prediction corresponds to $A^{\phi\phi}_{\rm L}=1$), and reject the no-lensing hypothesis at 5.8$\sigma$, which is the highest significance achieved to date using an EB lensing estimator. Taking the cross-spectrum of the reconstructed potential with the Planck 2015 lensing map yields $A^{\phi\phi}_{\rm L}=1.13\pm 0.20$. These direct measurements of $A^{\phi\phi}_{\rm L}$ are consistent with the $\Lambda$CDM cosmology, and with that derived from the previously reported BK14 B-mode auto-spectrum ($A^{\rm BB}_{\rm L}=1.20\pm 0.17$). We perform a series of null tests and consistency checks to show that these results are robust against systematics and are insensitive to analysis choices. These results unambiguously demonstrate that the B-modes previously reported by BICEP / Keck at intermediate angular scales ($150\lesssim\ell\lesssim 350$) are dominated by gravitational lensing. The good agreement between the lensing amplitudes obtained from the lensing reconstruction and B-mode spectrum starts to place constraints on any alternative cosmological sources of B-modes at these angular scales.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

When a Palearctic bacterium meets a Nearctic insect vector: Genetic and ecological insights into the emergence of the grapevine Flavescence dorée epidemics in Europe

Flavescence dorée (FD) is a European quarantine grapevine disease transmitted by the Deltocephalinae leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus. Whereas this vector had been introduced from North America, the possible European origin of FD phytoplasma needed to be challenged and correlated with ecological and genetic drivers of FD emergence. For that purpose, a survey of genetic diversity of these phytoplasmas in grapevines, S. titanus, black alders, alder leafhoppers and clematis were conducted in five European countries. Out of 132 map genotypes, only 11 were associated to FD outbreaks, three were detected in clematis, whereas 127 were detected in alder trees, alder leafhoppers or in grapevines out of FD outbreaks. Most of the alder trees were found infected, including 8% with FD genotypes M6, M38 and M50, also present in alders neighboring FD-free vineyards and vineyard-free areas. The Macropsinae Oncopsis alni could transmit genotypes unable to achieve transmission by S. titanus, while the Deltocephalinae Allygus spp. and Orientus ishidae transmitted M38 and M50 that proved to be compatible with S. titanus. Variability of vmpA and vmpB adhesin-like genes clearly discriminated 3 genetic clusters. Cluster Vmp-I grouped genotypes only transmitted by O. alni, while clusters Vmp-II and -III grouped genotypes transmitted by Deltocephalinae leafhoppers. Interestingly, adhesin repeated domains evolved independently in cluster Vmp-I, whereas in clusters Vmp-II and-III showed recent duplications. Latex beads coated with various ratio of VmpA of clusters II and I, showed that cluster II VmpA promoted enhanced adhesion to the Deltocephalinae Euscelidius variegatus epithelial cells and were better retained in both E. variegatus and S. titanus midguts. Our data demonstrate that most FD phytoplasmas are endemic to European alders. Their emergence as grapevine epidemic pathogens appeared restricted to some genetic variants pre-existing in alders, whose compatibility to S. titanus correlates with different vmp gene sequences and VmpA binding properties

Metabolomic biomarker candidates for skeletal muscle loss in the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model

There is no consensus for diagnosis or treatment of RA muscle loss. We aimed to investigate metabolites in arthritic mice urine as biomarkers of muscle loss. DBA1/J mice comprised collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and control (CO) groups. Urine samples were collected at 0, 18, 35, 45, 55, and 65 days of disease and subjected to nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Metabolites were identified using Chenomx and Birmingham Metabolite libraries. The statistical model used principal component analysis, partial least-squares discriminant analysis, and partial least-squares regression analysis. Linear regression and Fisher’s exact test via the MetaboAnalyst website were performed (VIP-score). Nearly 100 identified metabolites had CIA vs. CO and disease time-dependent differences (p < 0.05). Twenty-eight metabolites were muscle-associated: carnosine (VIPs 2.8 × 102) and succinyl acetone (VIPs 1.0 × 10) showed high importance in CIA vs. CO models at day 65; CIA pair analysis showed histidine (VIPs 1.2 × 102) days 55 vs. 65, histamine (VIPs 1.1 × 102) days 55 vs. 65, and L-methionine (VIPs 1.1 × 102) days 0 vs. 18. Carnosine was fatigue- (0.039) related, creatine was food intake- (−0.177) and body weight- (−0.039) related, and both metabolites were clinical score- (0.093; 0.050) and paw edema- (0.125; 0.026) related. Therefore, muscle metabolic alterations were detected in arthritic mice urine, enabling further validation in RA patient’s urine, targeting prognosis, diagnosis, and monitoring of RA-mediated muscle loss

Evolution of nuclear structure in neutron-rich odd-Zn isotopes and isomers

Collinear laser spectroscopy was performed on Zn (Z=30) isotopes at ISOLDE, CERN. The study of hyperfine spectra of nuclei across the Zn isotopic chain, N=33–49, allowed the measurement of nuclear spins for the ground and isomeric states in odd-A neutron-rich nuclei up to N=50. Exactly one long-lived (>10 ms) isomeric state has been established in each 69–79Zn isotope. The nuclear magnetic dipole moments and spectroscopic quadrupole moments are well reproduced by large-scale shell–model calculations in the f5pg9 and fpg9d5 model spaces, thus establishing the dominant term in their wave function. The magnetic moment of the intruder Iπ=1/2+ isomer in 79Zn is reproduced only if the νs1/2 orbital is added to the valence space, as realized in the recently developed PFSDG-U interaction. The spin and moments of the low-lying isomeric state in 73Zn suggest a strong onset of deformation at N=43, while the progression towards 79Zn points to the stability of the Z=28 and N=50 shell gaps, supporting the magicity of 78Ni