Effect of density on house prices in the Randstad region

Increasing degree of urbanization has led to a greater pressure of densification in cities across the world. This underlines the pressing need for socially, economically and environmentally efficient spatial planning. It is believed that compact urban living would provide a desirable outcome in this direction. However, the lack of empirical evidence prevents a thorough investigation of the costs and benefits associated with compact urban living. This study contributes to the debate by measuring the impact of localized urban density and characteristics of urban form on house prices in the four largest cities of the Randstad region, namely, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Our results suggest a negative valuation for density, as measured by the floor space index, in Amsterdam and Rotterdam as opposed to a positive valuation in The Hague and especially Utrecht. To the contrary, the valuation for building height and open space appears to follows a reverse trend, and a preference for greater building height generally aligns with a preference for more open space in the neighborhood. Additionally, our results also indicate a preference for mixed land use in the neighborhood. Amongst the case study areas in this study, Amsterdam represents a high-rise and high density urban form while Utrecht represents a relatively low-rise and low density urban form. We believe that it is this difference in the urban character of cities coupled with heterogeneity in household preferences that leads to the contrasting price effects of density between them. Our results also hint at a sorting phenomenon based on differential preferences for urban design characteristics

Identification of microbial diversity associated with post-harvest storage of rice in India

The microbial communities associated with eleven samples of milled and un-milled rice from various storage facilities and local trade markets of Haryana, India were analyzed using high-throughput pyrosequencing. Comparison of the microbial community compositions of freshly harvested paddy and stored rice led to identification of the dominant fungi and bacteria specifically present or enriched during storage. Greater microbial diversity of fresh paddy as compared to milled rice suggests that milling may be responsible for the removal of many microbes from paddy. Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, and Leuconostoc were the major bacterial genera specific to stored rice. Clostridium, although low in abundance, was significantly enriched during storage. The dominant fungus specific to stored rice was the well-known ‘storage fungus’ Aspergillus. It was present along with ‘field fungi’ Fusarium, Alternaria and Cladosporium. The wide range of temperature tolerance of lactic acid bacteria and Aspergillus may be leading to their high abundance at storage sites. The presence of lactic acid bacteria together with ‘field fungi’ is indicative of high moisture contents (>20%) and anaerobic conditions at storage sites. The lactic acid bacteria as well as Clostridium produce volatile organic compounds and biogenic amines which enhance spoilage of food grains. Aspergillus and Fusarium, on the other hand, are mycotoxigenic fungi known to produce toxins that are carcinogenic to humans. In conclusion, the microbes identified are suggestive of inappropriate post-harvest storage conditions leading to negative implications on grain quality and human health

Spatial preferences of logistics development

This study aims to empirically estimate the relative impact of various accessibility, location and policy factors on logistics development as a land-use change process. A distinction is made between four different types of logistics development with the purpose of identifying any differences in the relative importance of spatial drivers for different types of logistics firms. Logistics land-use change data is derived from a historical dataset depicting logistics growth in the East - Southeast transport corridor of the Netherlands between 1980 2020 and a discrete choice modelling approach is employed

Identification of Genetic Modifiers of TDP-43 Neurotoxicity in Drosophila

<div><p>Cytosolic aggregation of the nuclear RNA-binding protein TDP-43 is a histopathologic signature of degenerating neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and mutations in the <i>TARDBP</i> gene encoding TDP-43 cause dominantly inherited forms of this condition. To understand the relationship between TDP-43 misregulation and neurotoxicity, we and others have used Drosophila as a model system, in which overexpression of either wild-type TDP-43 or its ALS-associated mutants in neurons is sufficient to induce neurotoxicity, paralysis, and early death. Using microarrays, we have examined gene expression patterns that accompany TDP-43-induced neurotoxicity in the fly system. Constitutive expression of TDP-43 in the Drosophila compound eye elicited widespread gene expression changes, with strong upregulation of cell cycle regulatory genes and genes functioning in the Notch intercellular communication pathway. Inducible expression of TDP-43 specifically in neurons elicited significant expression differences in a more restricted set of genes. Genes that were upregulated in both paradigms included <i>SpindleB</i> and the Notch target <i>Hey</i>, which appeared to be a direct TDP-43 target. Mutations that diminished activity of Notch or disrupted the function of downstream Notch target genes extended the lifespan of TDP-43 transgenic flies, suggesting that Notch activation was deleterious in this model. Finally, we showed that mutation of the nucleoporin <i>Nup50</i> increased the lifespan of TDP-43 transgenic flies, suggesting that nuclear events contribute to TDP-43-dependent neurotoxicity. The combined findings identified pathways whose deregulation might contribute to TDP-43-induced neurotoxicity in Drosophila.</p> </div

Effects of Notch pathway knockdown on D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 and control fly lifespan.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Survival curves of D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 flies crossed to mutants of <i>Delta</i> (<i>Dl</i>^RevF10) and <i>Serrate</i> (<i>Ser</i>^Rx82) or <i>Enhancer of split</i> (<i>E(spl)</i>^rv1). Median survival (days) of: D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 = 24, N = 213; D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43, <i>Dl</i>^RevF10<i>Ser</i>^RX82 = 28, N = 215, p<0.0001; D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43, <i>E(spl)</i>^rv1 = 28, N = 220, p<0.0001. (<b>B</b>) Survival curves of D42-Gal4 control flies containing <i>Dl</i>^RevF10<i>Ser</i>^Rx82 and <i>E(spl)</i>^rv1 LOF alleles. Median survival (days) of: D42-Gal4/+ = 61, N = 221; D42-Gal4/<i>Dl</i>^RevF10, <i>Ser</i>^RX82 = 56, N = 219, p<0.0001; D42-Gal4/<i>E(spl)</i>^rv1 = 51, N = 216, p<0.0001; (<b>C</b> and <b>D</b>) TDP-43 expression level was not affected by the indicated mutations. D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 flies were crossed to <i>w</i>1118 control flies or to the <i>Dl</i>^RevF10<i>Ser</i>^Rx82, <i>E(spl)</i>^rv1, <i>Nup50</i>^kg09557, ED1735 deletion line. Flies containing D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 were heterozygous with each testing allele. Tubulin or Gal4 was used as a loading control; blots were representative of multiple experiments.</p

Gene expression changes in TDP-43 flies, arranged by category.

<p>All significantly changed Notch genes are shown, but only the most highly upregulated mitochondrial/redox and cell cycle genes are included.</p

Analysis of <i>Nup50</i> and other candidate genes.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Survival curves of D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 crossed to <i>Pabp2</i> (<i>Pabp2</i>⁰¹or <i>Pabp2</i>^kg02359) and the <i>Rs1</i>^k09514 mutant lines. Median survival (days) of: D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 = 21, N = 110; D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43, <i>PABP</i>⁰¹ = 24, N = 63, p<0.0001; D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43, <i>PABP</i>^KG02359 = 22, N = 110, p<0.01. D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43, <i>Rs1</i>^K09514 = 21, N = 30, p = 0.8. (<b>B</b>) Survival curves of D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 flies with the <i>Nup50</i>^kg09557 mutation. Median survival (days) of: D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43 = 21, N = 110; D42-Gal4/UAS-TDP-43, <i>Nup50</i>^KG09557 = 26, N = 111; <i>p</i><0.0001. (<b>C</b>) Survival curves of D42-Gal4 control flies with <i>Nup50</i>^kg09557 mutation. Median survival (days) of: D42-Gal4/+ = 67.5, N = 110; D42-Gal4/<i>Nup50</i>^KG09557 = 75, N = 105, p<0.0001.</p

Expanded gene expression changes in inducible TDP-43 flies.

<p>Genes are from same experiment and analysis as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0057214#pone-0057214-t003" target="_blank">Table 3</a>, with less stringent criteria to identify potentially important genes. nACR, nicotinic acetycholine receptor.</p