Nonpoint source pollution: An experimental investigation of the Average Pigouvian Tax

The “Average Pigouvian Tax” (APT) was proposed by Suter et al. (2008) to reduce the financial burden of the standard ambient tax. This instrument consists in a standard ambient tax divided by the number of firms, which requires polluters to cooperate in order to achieve the social optimum. To enable polluters to cooperate, communication is allowed. We introduce different types of communication: cheap talk, exogenous costly communication (communication is imposed), and endogenous costly communication (conducted on a voluntary basis after a vote). Our experiment confirms that the instrument induces polluters to reduce their emissions under cheap talk. However, we find that group emissions are less reduced when communication is costly. This result still holds even when we endogenize communication by introducing a voting phase

Why and how to contribute to libre software when you integrate them into an in-house application ?

Free or open source software are common tools that everybody can use and customise at its convenience to create in-house applications. Using and customising free software is not sufficient to ensure that this in-house application will be maintainable at mid or long term. This paper draws lessons from our in-house project, the development of a groupware Web platform for researchers, to help defining a policy through which efficient contributions can be made to open source software so that the in-house projects may remain viable

Comprendre les bases théoriques du néo-racisme pour analyser les discours des populistes de droite en France et en Allemagne - L’exemple du FN et de l’AfD

Ziel der Arbeit ist es, zu hinterfragen ob die AfD und der FN überhaupt rassistische Parteien sind. Deshalb, war eine zentrale Fragestellung der Arbeit, woher die Ideologie der Nationalpopulisten in Deutschland und Frankreich stammt und welche Unterschiede von Bedeutung sind. Für die Beantwortung dieser Fragestellung wurde eine Analyse medialer sowie parteiinterner Quellen der AFD und des FN unternommen, um eine Strukturierung neorassistischer Aspekte beider Parteien ins Licht zu setzen

Trehalose metabolism gene manipulations and improving plant abiotic stress tolerance

Genetické modifikace zemědělských plodin jsou v dnešní době již běžně využívány v boji proti škůdcům a plevelům. Čím dál tím častěji se také objevují snahy využít genetické modifikace i ke zvýšení odolnosti k abiotickým stresům, které celosvětově ovlivňují výnosy mnohem více než stresy biotické. Jednou z intenzivně studovaných možností jak zvýšení stresové tolerance dosáhnout, je manipulace s trehalosovým metabolismem. Tato práce shrnuje dosavadní poznatky o ochranných účincích trehalosy v buňkách a zabývá se přirozenou signální funkcí trehalosy a meziproduktu její syntézy trehalosa-6-fosfátu u rostlin. Dále popisuje již dosažené úspěchy při zvyšování odolnosti rostlin k abiotickým stresům pomocí genetických zásahů do trehalosového metabolismu, ale i doprovodné problémy. V závěru je pak zhodnocen potenciál využití této metody do budoucna.In these days, genetic modifications of crops are commonly used in the fight against pests and weeds. More and more often there are also efforts to use genetic modifications to increase tolerance to abiotic stresses that affect worldwide yields much more than biotic ones. Manipulation of trehalose metabolism represents one of the frequently studied options of abiotic stress tolerance enhancement. This work summarizes current knowledge on the protective effects of trehalose in cells and describes signaling functions of trehalose and its metabolic intermediate trehalose-6-phosphate in plants. It also describes current achievements in increasing abiotic stress tolerance through genetic modifications of trehalose metabolism together with accompanying problems. Finally, the potential of this method for future exploitation is discussed.Department of Experimental Plant BiologyKatedra experimentální biologie rostlinFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

Heidrun Ochs, Gabriel Zeilinger (dir.), Kaufhäuser an Mittel- und Oberrhein im Spätmittelalter

Le présent ouvrage constitue la publication des actes d’un colloque tenu à Mayence les 3 et 4 mars 2016 et portant sur les Kaufhäuser (le français parle tantôt de « halle » tantôt de « douane », notamment en Alsace) dans l’espace du Rhin supérieur et du Rhin moyen à la fin du Moyen Âge. Il s’inscrit ainsi les travaux de recherches autour de la halle de Mayence ayant donné lieu à la création d’un site internet (www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/mainz/kulturdenkmaeler/kaufhaus-am-brand/sta..

Presentations of major peripheral arterial disease and risk of major outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes: results from the ADVANCE-ON study.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is known to be associated with high cardiovascular risk, but the individual impact of PAD presentations on risk of macrovascular and microvascular events has not been reliably compared in patients with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the impact of major PAD, and its different presentations, on the 10-year risk of death, major macrovascular events, and major clinical microvascular events in these patients. METHODS: Participants in the action in diabetes and vascular disease: PreterAx and DiamicroN modified-release controlled evaluation (ADVANCE) trial and the ADVANCE-ON post-trial study were followed for a median of 5.0 (in-trial), 5.4 (post-trial), and 9.9 (overall) years. Major PAD at baseline was subdivided into lower-extremity chronic ulceration or amputation secondary to vascular disease and history of peripheral revascularization by angioplasty or surgery. RESULTS: Among 11,140 participants, 516 (4.6 %) had major PAD at baseline: 300 (2.7 %) had lower-extremity ulceration or amputation alone, 190 (1.7 %) had peripheral revascularization alone, and 26 (0.2 %) had both presentations. All-cause mortality, major macrovascular events, and major clinical microvascular events occurred in 2265 (20.3 %), 2166 (19.4 %), and 807 (7.2 %) participants, respectively. Compared to those without PAD, patients with major PAD had increased rates of all-cause mortality (HR 1.35, 95 % CI 1.15-1.60, p = 0.0004), and major macrovascular events (1.47 [1.23-1.75], p < 0.0001), after multiple adjustments for region of origin, cardiovascular risk factors and treatments, peripheral neuropathy markers, and randomized treatments. We have also observed a trend toward an association of baseline PAD with risk of major clinical microvascular events [1.31 (0.96-1.78), p = 0.09]. These associations were comparable for patients with a lower-extremity ulceration or amputation and for those with a history of peripheral revascularization. Furthermore, the risk of retinal photocoagulation or blindness, but not renal events, increased in patients with lower-extremity ulceration or amputation [1.53 (1.01-2.30), p = 0.04]. CONCLUSIONS: Lower-extremity ulceration or amputation, and peripheral revascularization both increased the risks of death and cardiovascular events, but only lower-extremity ulceration or amputation increased the risk of severe retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Screening for major PAD and its management remain crucial for cardiovascular prevention in patients with type 2 diabetes (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00949286)

(Re)construction pragmatique et effets de synesthésie : le cas des incises de discours rapporté

Ce travail se propose d’étudier les incises en tant que modes de construction caractéristiques du discours rapporté à l’écrit. Très présentes dans la fiction littéraire, les incises sont souvent le mode de report privilégié des types de discours « atypiques », imaginés, interprétés ou encore ressentis par les personnages. La position des incises peut être considérée comme un choix stylistique, et un parallèle avec les synesthésies ouvre des perspectives d’analyse intéressantes pour ce type d’énoncés.This article investigates the use of reporting clauses and reporting parentheticals in final and medial positions in reported speech. They are typically found in literary texts and are sometimes used for stylistic purposes such as “reporting” in the form of speech what characters feel, see or perceive. Drawing parallels with synesthesia provides some really interesting leads for discourse analysis

Polisacáridos de bacterias lácticas de fermentos artesanales para el desarrollo de alimentos funcionales : Estudio del efecto prebiótico

Objetivo general: Aislar e identificar los microorganismos responsables de la producción de kefiran a partir de gránulos de kefir y evaluar su efecto prebiótico para su posible aplicación en alimentos funcionales. Para cumplir con el objetivo general se plantearon los siguientes objetivos específicos: Objetivos Específicos: A. Aislar Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. kefiranofaciens de los gránulos de kefir de la colección CIDCA. B. Seleccionar lactobacilos aislados de kefir capaces de producir exopolisacáridos, caracterizar parcialmente los mismos y compararlos con el kefiran obtenido de gránulo. C. Estudiar in vivo el efecto del kefiran y/o de EPS de microorganismos aislados de kefir sobre la microbiota intestinal para su potencial aplicación como prebiótico.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Orientalism: From Expeditions to Colonialisation

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between orientalism and colonialism. More specifically, it analyses orientalism in its various ways before and during the nineteenth century to the present day, as well as its actual aims. For this purpose, the expeditions of some European orientalists, missionaries, and explorers are analysed and discussed. In addition to these expeditions, numerous writings and various viewpoints expressed by some authors in the social and human sciences are examined. The methodology used in the study is mainly based on critical literature sources. Overall, it appears that despite the attempts of some authors to challenge it, there is a direct and close link between orientalism, postcolonialism, and colonialism. Indeed, far from being a simple and innocent approach or discipline studying the relationship between the East and the West, orientalism served as a colonial ideology and prepare the ground to facilitate Europe's dominance over the rest of the world. Furthermore, the structure of international relations and the forms of relationship that certain European powers maintain with their former colonies reveal orientalist and neo-colonialist patterns

Nijer'de Eğitim Sistemi, Kültür ve Kimlik: Sosyolojik ve Tarihsel bir Bakış

Bu araştırma Nijer'in eğitim sistemi ile kültür ve kimliğinin inşası arasındaki mevcut ilişkiyi ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu makalede, sömürgecilik döneminden günümüze kadar Nijer’in siyasî tarihine odaklanılmıştır. Nitekim geçmişte yaşanan çeşitli gelişmeler Nijer’in siyasi tarihinde önemli bir yere sahiptir. Bununla birlikte yaşanan gelişmelerinin ardında Nijer’de yönetim biçimi demokratik sürece doğru geçişi tecrübe etmektedir. Nijer’in bağımsızlığı dâhil olmak üzere, istikrarın olmadığı dönemlerde iktidar tarafından uygulamaya konulan eğitim ve kamu politikalarının kültürel hayat ve kimlik üzerindeki etkileri tartışmaya açıktır. Genel olarak, Nijer’in toplumsal gerçekliği ve kültürel dokusu dikkate alınarak, yeni bir eğitim sistemi müfredatı uygulamaya konulmuş olmakla birlikte, birçok eksikliğin varlığı da göze çarpmaktadır. Dolaysıyla, bağımsız bir ülke olmasına rağmen, başta Fransa olmak üzere dış devletler tarafından Nijer’in iç politikasına yapılan yoğun müdahalelerden dolayı ülkenin eğitim standartları hedeflenenden daha aşağı seviyededir