More green and less blue water in the Alps during warmer summers

Climate change can reduce surface-water supply by enhancing evapotranspiration in forested mountains, especially during heatwaves. We investigate this ‘drought paradox’ for the European Alps using a 1,212-station database and hyper-resolution ecohydrological simulations to quantify blue (runoff) and green (evapotranspiration) water fluxes. During the 2003 heatwave, evapotranspiration in large areas over the Alps was above average despite low precipitation, amplifying the runoff deficit by 32% in the most runoff-productive areas (1,300–3,000 m above sea level). A 3 °C air temperature increase could enhance annual evapotranspiration by up to 100 mm (45 mm on average), which would reduce annual runoff at a rate similar to a 3% precipitation decrease. This suggests that green-water feedbacks—which are often poorly represented in large-scale model simulations—pose an additional threat to water resources, especially in dry summers. Despite uncertainty in the validation of the hyper-resolution ecohydrological modelling with observations, this approach permits more realistic predictions of mountain region water availability

Multiple Deprivation, Severity and Latent Sub-Groups:Advantages of Factor Mixture Modelling for Analysing Material Deprivation

Material deprivation is represented in different forms and manifestations. Two individuals with the same deprivation score (i.e. number of deprivations), for instance, are likely to be unable to afford or access entirely or partially different sets of goods and services, while one individual may fail to purchase clothes and consumer durables and another one may lack access to healthcare and be deprived of adequate housing . As such, the number of possible patterns or combinations of multiple deprivation become increasingly complex for a higher number of indicators. Given this difficulty, there is interest in poverty research in understanding multiple deprivation, as this analysis might lead to the identification of meaningful population sub-groups that could be the subjects of specific policies. This article applies a factor mixture model (FMM) to a real dataset and discusses its conceptual and empirical advantages and disadvantages with respect to other methods that have been used in poverty research . The exercise suggests that FMM is based on more sensible assumptions (i.e. deprivation covary within each class), provides valuable information with which to understand multiple deprivation and is useful to understand severity of deprivation and the additive properties of deprivation indicators

PLoS Genet

The retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are ligand-activated transcription factors which heterodimerize with a number of nuclear hormone receptors, thereby controlling a variety of (patho)-physiological processes. Although synthetic RXR ligands are developed for the treatment of various diseases, endogenous ligand(s) for these receptors have not been conclusively identified. We show here that mice lacking cellular retinol binding protein (Rbp1-/-) display memory deficits reflecting compromised RXR signaling. Using HPLC-MS and chemical synthesis we identified in Rbp1-/- mice reduced levels of 9-cis-13,14-dihydroretinoic acid (9CDHRA), which acts as an RXR ligand since it binds and transactivates RXR in various assays. 9CDHRA rescues the Rbp1-/- phenotype similarly to a synthetic RXR ligand and displays similar transcriptional activity in cultured human dendritic cells. High endogenous levels of 9CDHRA in mice indicate physiological relevance of these data and that 9CDHRA acts as an endogenous RXR ligand

Effects of 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) and Rosiglitazone on Human Vδ2+ T Cells

BACKGROUND:Thiazolidinediones (TZD) class of drugs, and 15-deoxy-D12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) are immune regulators predicted to modulate human autoimmune disease. Their effects on gammadelta T cells, which are involved in animal model and human and animal autoimmune diseases, are unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We characterized the activity of rosiglitazone (from the TZD class of drugs) and 15d-PGJ2 in human Vdelta2 T cells. We found that 15d-PGJ2 and rosiglitazone had different effects on Vdelta2 T cell functions. Both 15d-PGJ2 and rosiglitazone suppressed Vdelta2 T cell proliferation in response to IPP and IL2. However, only 15d-PGJ2 suppressed functional responses including cytokine production, degranulation and cytotoxicity against tumor cells. The mechanism for 15d-PGJ2 effects on Vdelta2 T cells acts through inhibiting Erk activation. In contrast, rosiglitazone did not affect Erk activation but the IL2 signaling pathway, which accounts for rosiglitazone suppression of IL2-dependent, Vdelta2 T cell proliferation without affecting TCR-dependent functions. Rosiglitazone and 15d-PGJ2 are designed to be peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) ligands and PPARgamma was expressed in Vdelta2 T cell. Surprisingly, when PPARgamma levels were lowered by specific siRNA, 15d-PGJ2 and rosiglitazone were still active, suggesting their target of action induces cellular proteins other than PPARgamma. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The current findings expand our understanding of how the immune system is regulated by rosiglitazone and 15d-PGJ2 and will be important to evaluate these compounds as therapeutic agents in human autoimmune disease

Towards an EU measure of child deprivation

This paper proposes a new measure of child material and social deprivation (MSD) in the European Union (EU) which includes age appropriate child-specific information available from the thematic deprivation modules included in the 2009 and 2014 waves of the “EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions” (EU‑SILC). It summarises the main results of the in-depth analysis of these two datasets, identifies an optimal set of robust children MSD items and recommends a child‑specific MSD indicator for use by EU countries and the European Commission in their regular social monitoring. In doing this, the paper replicates and expands on the methodological framework outlined in Guio, Gordon and Marlier (2012), particularly by including additional advanced reliability tests

Metody zewnętrznego finansowania węgierskich przedsiębiorstw rolnych

One of the most important tools for increasing business performance is to provide a proper level of financial resources, which is important for the continuity of all business establishments. Those factors that determine agricultural financing have specific characteristics. Due to the specifics of rural economies, agricultural enterprises have a low capacity for self-financing, thus they need significant external resources. After EU accession there has been a significant increase of subsidies received by farmers, but the distribution of support is not equal and available for all. Our aim was to analyse agricultural HUF and FX short term loans between the years 1995 and 2013 to find out the relationship between foreign currency and the effects of strengthening of Hungarian forint. We tried to find trends, we created forecasts and analyzed them with two different methods to get aproperview on correlation and chenges in this period. Agriculture, like all sectors of the economy, needs credit loans for its development. In a competitive financial environment, profitable agriculture can obtain the credit loan it needs. Bank lending becomes this economy’s engine.Przeanalizowano długo- i krótkoterminowe pożyczki HUF i FX udzielane węgierskim przedsiębiorstwom rolnym w latach 1995-2013 i określono tendencje tego zjawiska w tym okresie. Sektor rolny do swojego rozwoju potrzebuje dofinasowania. Zapewnienie odpowiedniego poziomu środków finansowych jest ważnym czynnikiem, umożliwiającym stałe funkcjonowanie podmiotów. Ze względu na specyfikę sektora rolnego możliwość samofinansowania wśród gospodarstw rolnych jest niewystarczająca, co za tym idzie potrzebują one znacznych zasobów zewnętrznych. Po przyłączeniu się do UE zaobserwowano istotny wzrost dotacji przyznanych rolnikom, jednak podział tego wsparcia był nierówny i nie dla wszystkich rolników dostępny. Na przykład ze względu na wielkość gospodarstw, te małe są w gorszej sytuacji. W konkurencyjnym otoczeniu dochodowe gospodarstwa rolnicze mogą uzyskać kredyty z banków. To znaczy, że banki udzielające pożyczek stają się dla sektora rolnego napędem ekonomicznym

Coatings Probed by Positrons

Thin film coatings such as TiN and polymers (paint) have been studied using positrons. Positrons provide information on defect structure. It is shown how the positron response is related to properties of the coatings such as stoichiometry. Further positrons provide a measure of the uniformity of the coating. Preliminary results on the effect of weathering (ultraviolet exposure) of polymer protective coatings are very encouraging

The Forms and Determinants of Social Exclusion in the European Union: The Case of Luxemburg

Social exclusion, Deprivation, Economic and social disadvantages, D60, 050,