What is public relations to society? Toward an economically informed understanding of public relations

The notion of public relations contributing to the fabric of society is heavily contested in the public sphere and under-researched by the academy. The authors of this paper propose that the study of the relevance of public relations to society can be enlightened by turning to economics. Using information asymmetry as a framework, the argument is that public relations can be analyzed as a social institution that both helps to mitigate market imperfections and consequently increases the efficiency with which society’s resources are allocated as well as the chances for more market participants to derive value out of economic transaction

What is public relations to society? Toward an economically informed understanding of public relations

The notion of public relations contributing to the fabric of society is heavily contested in the public sphere and under-researched by the academy. The authors of this paper propose that the study of the relevance of public relations to society can be enlightened by turning to economics. Using information asymmetry as a framework, the argument is that public relations can be analyzed as a social institution that both helps to mitigate market imperfections and consequently increases the efficiency with which society’s resources are allocated as well as the chances for more market participants to derive value out of economic transaction

New Realities, New Risks: Rethinking the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Sweeping changes in US and global oil markets call for a rethink of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), an institution born of the first oil shock of 1973 and rooted in a vastly different oil market than today’s. The perceived redundancy of the SPR reflects a mood swing in policymaking circles. Until recently, the SPR enjoyed wholehearted support from Congress and successive administrations as a tool of energy security that helped shield the US economy from the adverse consequences of oil shortages. Admittedly, the SPR had its critics, but those came from a relatively narrow fringe for the most part. Today, the idea that the SPR is too large or even altogether useless has moved to the mainstream and is gaining traction. Fundamental changes have reshaped the global oil market as a whole during the four and a half decades since the creation of the SPR in ways that seem to call into question the traditional calculus of energy security. The debate over the fate of the SPR should not be limited to a binary choice between keeping it whole or cutting it down to size. Rather, it ought to focus on how to best repurpose the SPR to address the myriad new threats facing oil consumers and the global economy. This must include new forms of financing the SPR and the possibility of joint stockpiling with both oil producers and consumers. At a time of uncertainty about future supply and demand and elevated risks to markets and future investment, the very possibility of an uneven energy transition strengthens rather than weakens the case for the SPR. While the evolution of oil markets has led to the emergence of new energy security risks, it has also created new opportunities for innovation in risk management and SPR design. It is essential for the SPR to catch up with the transformation of the global energy landscape, rather than simply disband

SNX27-Mediated Recycling of Neuroligin-2 Regulates Inhibitory Signaling

GABAA receptors mediate fast inhibitory transmission in the brain, and their number can be rapidly up- or downregulated to alter synaptic strength. Neuroligin-2 plays a critical role in the stabilization of synaptic GABAA receptors and the development and maintenance of inhibitory synapses. To date, little is known about how the amount of neuroligin-2 at the synapse is regulated and whether neuroligin-2 trafficking affects inhibitory signaling. Here, we show that neuroligin-2, when internalized to endosomes, co-localizes with SNX27, a brain-enriched cargo-adaptor protein that facilitates membrane protein recycling. Direct interaction between the PDZ domain of SNX27 and PDZ-binding motif in neuroligin-2 enables membrane retrieval of neuroligin-2, thus enhancing synaptic neuroligin-2 clusters. Furthermore, SNX27 knockdown has the opposite effect. SNX27-mediated up- and downregulation of neuroligin-2 surface levels affects inhibitory synapse composition and signaling strength. Taken together, we show a role for SNX27-mediated recycling of neuroligin-2 in maintenance and signaling of the GABAergic synapse

Effects of Urbanization and Other Factors on Synthetic Unit Hydrographs

Paper by Albert H. Halff, Jose I. Novoa, and Louis M. Salced

Code Red: Venezuela's Oil and Debt Crisis

The economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela took a turn for the worse in the second half of 2017. Declines in oil production and exports are accelerating. The government has fallen behind in debt payments, past the grace period in several cases. This report summarizes some key takeaways from an expert workshop convened by Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy to appraise these alarming developments