Hürden, Anreize und Verflechtungen mit anderen Zielen : über die Verzwicktheit der Umsetzung von Klimapolitik

The Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation – celebrated as a historic breakthrough – relies on the voluntary implementation of adequate climate policy measures on the national and sub-national levels. The compliance with mitigation pledges will crucially depend on the interplay of different incentives and political realities in the emitting countries. It is therefore of fundamental importance to gain a better understanding of what determines national policy making, how incentives can be fostered and how obstacles for policy implementation can be identified and overcome. This thesis is dedicated to the challenges of national climate policy implementation, the politics of climate change and the role of nonclimate incentives. When putting climate policy into practice policy makers are confronted with a variety of real-world imperfections that complicate the implementation of policies. Economic models providing advice for climate policy makers, in contrast, tend to assume idealized conditions and often center their analysis on the climate externality only. Developing a typology, three different categories of real-world impediments are identified and discussed. First, barriers that impede the formulation and implementation of optimal climate policies on the level of governments and institutions. Second, obstacles impacting the behavior of households and firms when responding to implemented policies. And third, market imperfections and distortions affecting both policy implementation and responses of economic agents. The applicability of the typology is illustrated in a case study on China. Moreover, common assumptions of (climate-) energyeconomy models are contrasted with the identified impediments and implications with respect to the interpretation of model results are discussed. To gain more insights into the challenges of climate policy formulation and implementation, a case study on Vietnam analyzes the drivers of climate-related policies in a Non-Annex-I country. In the absence of a binding international agreement, such voluntary mitigation efforts seem to contradict conventional collective action theory that predicts free-riding. Based on qualitative interviews with Vietnamese policy makers and development agencies a policy analysis is conducted investigating the factors that motivated Vietnam to strive for a low-carbon economy. It is found that, while Vietnam's high vulnerability to climate impacts has contributed to put climate change on the political agenda, the recent climate policies were mainly driven by non-climate objectives such as restructuring of the economy, addressing energy security concerns and gaining access to finance and technology. The effectiveness of climate policies with respect to yielding emission reductions will depend on the response of consumers to these policies. Focusing on road transport in Europe, an econometric analysis of the fuel consumption response to pricing policies is conducted. The dynamic panel data analysis provides robust estimates for petrol and diesel price elasticities, accounting for underlying dynamics, dieselization, and fuel price endogeneity. Based on these estimates, the potential of fuel tax reforms to address the two objectives of curbing harmful air pollutants from road transport as well as contributing to climate change mitigation is assessed. It is shown that both (i) a repeal of the preferential tax treatment for diesel and (ii) an introduction of a carbon content‐based tax, could contribute substantially to achieving the EU climate policy goals for 2020 while at the same time avoiding considerable amounts of health damaging air pollutant exhaust.Das Pariser Klimaabkommen - als historischer Durchbruch gefeiert - setzt auf die freiwillige Umsetzung der notwendigen Maßnahmen auf der nationalen und sub-nationalen Ebene. Doch die Einhaltung der nationalen Vermeidungszusagen (INDC) wird maßgeblich vom Zusammenspiel verschiedener Anreize und den politischen Gegebenheiten in den emittierenden Ländern abhängen. Für eine erfolgreiche Umsetzung des Pariser Abkommens ist es demnach von essentieller Bedeutung, ein besseres Verständnis davon zu bekommen, welche Faktoren den nationalen politischen Entscheidungsprozess beeinflussen, wie gewünschte Anreize gefördert werden können und wie Hindernisse für die Politikimplementierung von Klimaschutzmaßnahmen erkannt und beseitigt werden können. Diese Dissertationsschrift widmet sich den Herausforderungen bei der Umsetzung von Klimaschutzmaßnahmen, den politischen Realitäten und den Interaktionen mit anderen Politikzielen. Bei der Umsetzung von Klimaschutzmaßnahmen sind Politiker mit einer Vielzahl von Schwierigkeiten konfrontiert, welche die Implementierung verkomplizieren. Für die Politikberatung entwickelte ökonomische Modelle nehmen hingegen zumeist idealisierte Zusammenhänge an, wobei sich die Analyse weitestgehend auf die Externalität des Klimawandels beschränkt. Anhand einer Typologie werden drei Arten von Hindernissen für Klimaschutzpolitik identifiziert und diskutiert. Die erste Kategorie umfasst Hindernisse, welche die Formulierung und Implementierung von optimalen Klimaschutzmaßnahmen auf der Ebene der Regierung und der Institutionen beinträchtigen. In der zweiten Kategorie werden Hürden zusammengefasst, die das Verhalten von Haushalten und Unternehmen betreffen, welche auf die Politiken reagieren. Als dritte Kategorie werden Marktunvollkommenheiten und –verzerrungen identifiziert, welche sowohl Einfluss auf die Politikimplementierung als auch auf das Konsumenten- bzw. Produzentenverhalten haben. Die Anwendbarkeit der Typologie ist in einer Fallstudie zu China veranschaulicht. Außerdem werden die gängigen Annahmen von (Klima-)Energie-Ökonomie Modellen den identifizierten Hindernissen gegenübergestellt und Folgerungen für die Interpretation von Modell-Ergebnissen diskutiert. Um bessere Einblicke in die Herausforderungen der Formulierung und Implementierung von Klimaschutzpolitik gewinnen zu können, analysiert die Fallstudie zu Vietnam die zu Grunde liegenden Antriebsfaktoren, die zur Implementierung von klima-relevanten Politiken in einem Nicht-Annex-I-Land geführt haben. Ohne verpflichtendes internationales Klimaabkommen scheinen solche freiwilligen Vorstöße im Widerspruch zur Theorie des kollektiven Handelns zu stehen, nach welcher vollständiges Trittbrettfahrerverhalten zu erwarten wäre. Basierend auf qualitativen Interviews mit vietnamesischen politischen Entscheidungsträgern und Mitarbeitern der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit wurde eine Politikanalyse durchgeführt. Diese untersucht Faktoren, die Vietnam dazu bewegt haben, ein kohlenstoffarmes Wachstum anzustreben. Während Vietnams starke Anfälligkeit gegenüber hohen Klimaschäden ein Grund war, dass das Thema Klimaschutz auf die politische Agenda in Vietnam gesetzt wurde, so scheinen die kürzlich verabschiedeten Klimaschutzpolitiken größtenteils durch Faktoren getrieben worden zu sein, welche nicht in direktem Zusammenhang mit Klimaschutzzielen stehen. Diese umfassen die notwendige Umstrukturierung der Wirtschaft, die Sicherung der Energieversorgung und Zugang zu finanziellen Mitteln und Technologie.Die Wirksamkeit von Klimapolitikmaßnahmen zur Erzielung von tatsächlichen Emissionsreduktionen ist stark davon abhängig, wie Konsumenten auf die jeweiligen Politikinstrumente reagieren. Anhand des Straßenverkehrssektors in Europa wird eine ökonometrische Analyse durchgeführt, welche die Nachfragereaktion auf Preispolitiken für Treibstoffe untersucht. In einer dynamischen Analyse eines Paneldatensatzes werden robuste Schätzergebnisse für die Preiselastizität der Nachfrage nach Benzin und Diesel ermittelt, welche dynamische Zusammenhänge, den steigenden Anteil von Dieselfahrzeugen sowie Preis-Endogenität berücksichtigen. Basierend auf diesen Schätzergebnissen wird untersucht, wieviel Potenzial Reformen der Treibstoffbepreisung bieten würden, sowohl schädliche Abgase im Straßenverkehr zu reduzieren als auch einen Beitrag zum Klimaschutz zu leisten. Es wird gezeigt, dass sowohl i) die Abschaffung des Steuervorteils für Dieseltreibstoff als auch ii) die Einführung einer CO2-Steuer erheblich dazu beitragen könnten, die EU Klimaschutzziele für das Jahr 2020 bezüglich des Transportsektors zu erfüllen und den sonstigen Schadstoffausstoß beträchtlich zu reduzieren.EC/FP7/282846/EU/Low climate IMpact scenarios and the Implications of required Tight emission control Strategies/LIMITSBMBF, 01UV1008A, EntDekE

Impact of radiation dose reduction and iterative image reconstruction on CT-guided spine biopsies

Abstract This study aimed to systematically evaluate the impact of dose reduction on image quality and confidence for intervention planning and guidance regarding computed tomography (CT)-based intervertebral disc and vertebral body biopsies. We retrospectively analyzed 96 patients who underwent multi-detector CT (MDCT) acquired for the purpose of biopsies, which were either derived from scanning with standard dose (SD) or low dose (LD; using tube current reduction). The SD cases were matched to LD cases considering sex, age, level of biopsy, presence of spinal instrumentation, and body diameter. All images for planning (reconstruction: “IMR1”) and periprocedural guidance (reconstruction: “iDose4”) were evaluated by two readers (R1 and R2) using Likert scales. Image noise was measured using attenuation values of paraspinal muscle tissue. The dose length product (DLP) was statistically significantly lower for LD scans regarding the planning scans (SD: 13.8 ± 8.2 mGy*cm, LD: 8.1 ± 4.4 mGy*cm, p  0.05). Image noise was similar between SD and LD scans performed for planning of the interventional procedures (SD: 14.62 ± 2.83 HU vs. LD: 15.45 ± 3.22 HU, p = 0.24). Use of a LD protocol for MDCT-guided biopsies along the spine is a practical alternative, maintaining overall image quality and confidence. Increasing availability of model-based iterative reconstruction in clinical routine may facilitate further radiation dose reductions

AAV capsid engineering identified two novel variants with improved in vivo tropism for cardiomyocytes

AAV vectors are promising delivery tools for human gene ther-apy. However, broad tissue tropism and pre-existing immunity against natural serotypes limit their clinical use. We identified two AAV capsid variants, AAV2-THGTPAD and AAV2-NLPGSGD, by in vivo AAV2 peptide display library screening in a murine model of pressure overload-induced cardiac hyper-trophy. Both variants showed significantly improved efficacy in in vivo cardiomyocyte transduction compared with the parental serotype AAV2 as indicated by a higher number of AAV vector episomes in the nucleus and significant improved transduction efficiency. Both variants also outcompeted the reference serotype AAV9 regarding cardiomyocyte tropism, reaching comparable cardiac transduction efficiencies accompanied with liver de -tar-geting and decreased transduction efficiency of non-cardiac cells. Capsid modification influenced immunogenicity as sera of mice treated with AAV2-THGTPAD and AAV2-NLPGSGD demon-strated a poor neutralization capacity for the parental serotype and the novel variants. In a therapeutic setting, using the long non-coding RNA H19 in low vector dose conditions, novel AAV variants mediated superior anti-hypertrophic effects and revealed a further improved target-to-noise ratio, i.e., cardio-myocyte tropism. In conclusion, AAV2-THGTPAD and AAV2-NLPGSGD are promising novel tools for cardiac-directed gene therapy outperforming AAV9 regarding the specificity and therapeutic efficiency of in vivo cardiomyocyte transduction

Preclinical Development of a MicroRNA-Based Therapy for Elderly Patients With Myocardial Infarction

AbstractBackgroundAging populations show higher incidences of myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure (HF). Cardiac remodeling post-MI leads to progressive impaired cardiac function caused by a disarray of several processes including derailed autophagy. Microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are known to be key players in cardiovascular disease but their involvement in cardiac autophagy and aging is not well understood.ObjectivesThis study sought to identify new miRNA candidates that regulate cardiac autophagy and aging.MethodsWe exploited a high-throughput, fluorescence-activated cell sorting-based green fluorescent protein–LC3 detection method to measure the autophagic flux in cardiomyocytes after transfection of a precursor miRNA library consisting of 380 miRNAs. This was followed by a series of molecular and in vivo studies.ResultsTogether with additional expression screenings, we identified miR-22 as an abundant and strong inhibitor of the cardiac autophagy process. Cardiac miR-22 expression levels increased during aging of mice as well as in aging neonatal cardiomyocytes in vitro by a P53-dependent mechanism. Inhibition of miR-22 in aging cardiomyocytes in vitro activated autophagy and inhibited cellular hypertrophy. Pharmacological inhibition of miR-22 post-MI in older mice activated cardiac autophagy, prevented post-infarction remodeling, and improved cardiac function compared with control subjects. Interestingly, similar effects were less pronounced in younger mice with significantly lower cardiac miR-22 expression levels. In addition, circulating levels of miR-22 in 154 patients with systolic HF were highly associated with early mortality.ConclusionsWe concluded that miR-22 is an important regulator of cardiac autophagy and a potential therapeutic target, especially in the older myocardium. Finally, circulating miR-22 provides prognostic information for HF patients, highlighting miR-22 as a promising therapeutic and biomarker candidate for cardiovascular disorders

Cardiac fibroblast-derived microRNA passenger strand-enriched exosomes mediate cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

In response to stress, the heart undergoes extensive cardiac remodeling that results in cardiac fibrosis and pathological growth of cardiomyocytes (hypertrophy), which contribute to heart failure. Alterations in microRNA (miRNA) levels are associated with dysfunctional gene expression profiles associated with many cardiovascular disease conditions; however, miRNAs have emerged recently as paracrine signaling mediators. Thus, we investigated a potential paracrine miRNA crosstalk between cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes and found that cardiac fibroblasts secrete miRNA-enriched exosomes. Surprisingly, evaluation of the miRNA content of cardiac fibroblast–derived exosomes revealed a relatively high abundance of many miRNA passenger strands (“star” miRNAs), which normally undergo intracellular degradation. Using confocal imaging and coculture assays, we identified fibroblast exosomal–derived miR-21_3p (miR-21*) as a potent paracrine-acting RNA molecule that induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Proteome profiling identified sorbin and SH3 domain-containing protein 2 (SORBS2) and PDZ and LIM domain 5 (PDLIM5) as miR-21* targets, and silencing SORBS2 or PDLIM5 in cardiomyocytes induced hypertrophy. Pharmacological inhibition of miR-21* in a mouse model of Ang II–induced cardiac hypertrophy attenuated pathology. These findings demonstrate that cardiac fibroblasts secrete star miRNA–enriched exosomes and identify fibroblast-derived miR-21* as a paracrine signaling mediator of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy that has potential as a therapeutic target

SiGe HBTs and BiCMOS Technology for Present and Future Millimeter-Wave Systems

International audienceThis paper gives an overall picture from BiCMOS technologies up to THz systems integration, which were developed in the European Research project TARANTO. The European high performance BiCMOS technology platforms are presented, which have special advantages for addressing applications in the submillimeter-wave and THz range. The status of the technology process is reviewed and the integration challenges are examined. A detailed discussion on millimeter-wave characterization and modeling is given with emphasis on harmonic distortion analysis, power and noise figure measurements up to 190 GHz and 325 GHz respectively and S-parameter measurements up to 500 GHz. The results of electrical compact models of active (HBTs) and passive components are presented together with benchmark circuit blocks for model verification. BiCMOS-enabled systems and applications with focus on future wireless communication systems and high-speed optical transmission systems up to resulting net data rates of 1.55 Tbit/s are presented