THE TOWER OF BABEL? THE INNOVATION SYSTEM APPROACH VERSUS MAINSTREAM ECONOMICS.

The Innovation systems (IS) approach and the system failures it identifies, play an important role in the design and legitimization of innovation policy. This paper analyses the usefulness of this concept. We conclude that the IS-approach can be useful to visualize the complexity of the innovation processes. However, for policy design this approach is less suited, because system failures aim at symptoms in stead of underlying incentive structures. In our view, policy design should be based on standard economic framework of market- and government failures. Theoretically, an exception is the system failure path dependency. However, the empirical evidence for the existence of this phenomenon is mixed. Furthermore, policy initiatives to tackle path dependence are likely to be subject to severe government failure.innovation policy, Innovation systems, market failure

An Integrated Assessment of Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Energy Security Policy

This article presents an integrated assessment of climate change, air pollution, and energy security policy. Basis of our analysis is the MERGE model, designed to study the interaction between the global economy, energy use, and the impacts of climate change. For our purposes we expanded MERGE with expressions that quantify damages incurred to regional economies as a result of air pollution and lack of energy security. One of the main findings of our cost-benefit analysis is that energy security policy alone does not decrease the use of oil: global oil consumption is only delayed by several decades and oil reserves are still practically depleted before the end of the 21st century. If, on the other hand, energy security policy is integrated with optimal climate change and air pollution policy, the world’s oil reserves will not be depleted, at least not before our modeling horizon well into the 22nd century: total cumulative demand for oil then decreases by about 20%. More generally, we demonstrate that there are multiple other benefits of combining climate change, air pollution, and energy security policies and exploiting the possible synergies between them. These benefits can be large: for Europe the achievable CO2 emission abatement and oil consumption reduction levels are significantly deeper for integrated policy than when a strategy is adopted in which one of the three policies is omitted. Integrated optimal energy policy can reduce the number of premature deaths from air pollution by about 14,000 annually in Europe and over 3 million per year globally, by lowering the chronic exposure to ambient particulate matter. Only the optimal strategy combining the three types of energy policy can constrain the global average atmospheric temperature increase to a limit of 3ºC with respect to the pre-industrial level.Climate Change, Air Pollution, Energy Security, Cost-Benefit Analysis

Queering Faith: The Bible

Queering Faith: The Bible is a training that takes an in-depth look at common verses in the Bible that are typically used to combat homosexuality. The historical context the verses were written in will be evaluated, and the translation of the verse will also be analyzed. This training addresses the complicated relationship between religion and sexual minoritized individuals. Target Audience: Open to any student, staff, or faculty member who is interested in becoming an ally for the LGBTQA+ community and learning more about gender and sexuality-related issue

Beyond Bystander

The Beyond Bystander training complements the Safe Zone Core training taking a more thorough look at how to effectively advocate for members of the GSD community. This training will provide an interactive platform to assist in being a better advocate and ally for the Gender and Sexual Diversity community. Target Audience: Open to any student, staff, or faculty member who is interested in becoming an ally for the LGBTQA+ community and learning more about gender and sexuality-related issues

Membrane Ballooning in Aggregated Platelets is Synchronised and Mediates a Surge in Microvesiculation:Synchronised ballooning and microvesiculation

AbstractHuman platelet transformation into balloons is part of the haemostatic response and thrombus architecture. Here we reveal that in aggregates of platelets in plasma, ballooning in multiple platelets occurs in a synchronised manner. This suggests a mechanism of coordination between cells, previously unrecognised. We aimed to understand this mechanism, and how it may contribute to thrombus development. Using spinning-disc confocal microscopy we visualised membrane ballooning in human platelet aggregates adherent to collagen-coated surfaces. Within an aggregate, multiple platelets undergo ballooning in a synchronised fashion, dependent upon extracellular calcium, in a manner that followed peak cytosolic calcium levels in the aggregate. Synchrony was observed in platelets within but not between aggregates, suggesting a level of intra-thrombus communication. Blocking phosphatidylserine, inhibiting thrombin or blocking PAR1 receptor, largely prevented synchrony without blocking ballooning itself. In contrast, inhibition of connexins, P2Y12, P2Y1 or thromboxane formation had no effect on synchrony or ballooning. Importantly, synchronised ballooning was closely followed by a surge in microvesicle formation, which was absent when synchrony was blocked. Our data demonstrate that the mechanism underlying synchronised membrane ballooning requires thrombin generation acting effectively in a positive feedback loop, mediating a subsequent surge in procoagulant activity and microvesicle release.</jats:p

ENV-644: USE OF NEW MODELS TO SUPPORT VAPOUR INTRUSION MITIGATION DESIGN

Soil vapour intrusion of subsurface volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into indoor air of buildings is a significant potential concern at existing sites where chemical releases occur, or at new buildings at Brownfield sites with residual chemical impacts. While soil vapour intrusion mitigation systems are increasingly being implemented, there are limited published data on mitigation performance for VOCs particularly for industrial or commercial buildings or high density residential buildings with below ground parking garages. Data gaps include the effectiveness of passive and active venting systems and reduction in vapour intrusion that can be achieved relative to unmitigated buildings. Because of lack of knowledge and standardization, design practices and post-mitigation monitoring requirements vary widely and are, in some cases, over-conservative. To address these gaps, a comprehensive empirical review of data on the performance of active and passive venting systems and a study using the Modified Johnson and Ettinger Model was completed. The empirical data indicate performance of passive venting systems are variable in terms of venting air flow rates and pressures. The results of modelling for passive venting indicate a wide range of predicted reduction factors, defined as the vapour attenuation factor for a baseline unmitigated building divided by the attenuation factor for the mitigated case. Because of the potential for depressurized buildings and/or reverse vent stack effect, for passive venting systems a continuous leak free barrier that reduces the potential for soil gas diffusion and advection is essential. The performance of active venting systems can be more readily controlled and quantified based on design principles as supported by the results of modelling, which indicated higher reduction factors than for passive venting systems. For both passive and active venting systems, improved efficiency in venting can be achieved through aerated subfloors. A monitoring framework that is robust but efficient and sustainable is presented that incorporates the concept of a concentration exceedance factor and the type of mitigation system

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Matt Sleat, ed. 2018, Politics Recovered : Realist Thought in Theory and Practice

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