Understanding the competitiveness implications of future phases of EU ETS on the industrial sectors

In making key decisions for the future phases of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), policy makers need to fully understand the competitiveness implications of these decisions on industrial sectors. In this paper, we conduct an empirical analysis of cost pass-through ability of producers of selected products within the sectors refineries, glass, chemicals and ceramics of the UK economy. Our results provide new insights into the debate on the ability of pass-through of costs generated by the EU ETS. They suggest that some of the sectors analysed have the ability to pass-through a portion of their carbon costs to the consumers: The UK sectors are not capable to completely pass-through their costs into output prices, with the exception of UK ceramic goods. --Emissions Trading,Competitiveness,Cost Pass-Through

Understanding the competitiveness implications of future phases of EU ETS on the industrial sectors

In making key decisions for the future phases of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), policy makers need to fully understand the competitiveness implications of these decisions on industrial sectors. In this paper, we conduct an empirical analysis of cost pass-through ability of producers of selected products within the sectors refineries, glass, chemicals and ceramics of the UK economy. Our results provide new insights into the debate on the ability of pass-through of costs generated by the EU ETS. They suggest that some of the sectors analysed have the ability to pass-through a portion of their carbon costs to the consumers: The UK sectors are not capable to completely pass-through their costs into output prices, with the exception of UK ceramic goods

Wissensstandsanalyse zum Verbraucher- und Ernährungsverhalten bei ökologischen Lebensmitteln mit Einbezug der Außer-Haus-Verpflegung

Die vorliegende Studie enthält einen umfassenden Überblick zur nationalen wie internationalen Verbraucherforschung für Öko-Lebensmittel. Insgesamt wurden 562 Publikationen basierend auf 338 wissenschaftlichen Studien aus dem Zeitraum Januar 2000 bis Juni 2011 zu den Themengebieten Determinanten des Verbraucherverhaltens, Verbrauchersegmentierung, Produkt-, Preis-, Kommunikations- und Distributionspolitik sowie Außer-Haus-Verzehr analysiert und hinsichtlich ihrer Datengrundlage und Methodik bewertet. Die Betrachtung der einschlägigen englisch- und deutschsprachigen Literatur lieferte Erkenntnisse zum Wissensstand über die Verbraucherforschung für Öko-Lebensmittel und ermöglichte die Identifizierung relevanter Forschungslücken für Deutschland, die richtungsweisend für die zukünftige Forschung ist. Insgesamt ergab sich eine hohe Publikationsdichte insbesondere in den letzten vier Jahren. Zu den zahlenmäßig am häufigsten behandelten Themengebieten gehören die Determinanten des Verbraucherverhaltens, die Produktpolitik sowie die Preispolitik. Dennoch sind auch hier viele gänzlich unbearbeitete Fragestellungen, bspw. zu den Geschmackspräferenzen unterschiedlicher Verbraucher-gruppen, zu umweltfreundlichen Verpackungen sowie zur Preiskenntnis und Preispsychologie des Konsumenten, zu finden. Darüber hinaus konnten innovative Aspekte der Trendforschung zum Thema Öko-Lebensmittel ausgemacht werden. Andere Themengebiete wie zum Beispiel Kommunikationspolitik und Außer-Haus-Verzehr sind bisher kaum untersucht. Die Status-Quo-Analyse wurde mit den Ergebnissen aus einer Online-Befragung und einem Experten-Workshop ergänzt, um die Relevanz der identifizierten Forschungslücken einzuschätzen und den Forschungsbedarf aus Praktiker- und Expertensicht zu ermitteln. Aus dieser umfassenden Analyse konnten konkret Empfehlungen für zukünftige Forschungsschwerpunkte in Deutschland abgeleitet werden

Snakebite Envenoming – A Combined Density Equalizing Mapping and Scientometric Analysis of the Publication History

Estimates suggest that more than 25,000 to 125,000 people die annually from snakebite envenomation worldwide. In contrast to this major disease burden, thorough bibliometric studies do not exist so far that illustrate the overall research activity over a long time span. Therefore, the NewQIS-platform conducted an analysis on snakebite envenoming using the Thomson Reuters database Web of Science. To determine and assess changes regarding the scientific activities and to specifically address the more recent situation we analyzed two time intervals (t). During the first time interval from 1900 to 2007 (t1) 13,015 publications (p) were identified. In the following period (2008–2016 = t2) 4,982 publications were identified by the same search strategy. They originate from 114 (t1) respectively 121 countries (t2), with the USA (p = 3518), Brazil (p = 1100) and Japan (p = 961) being most productive in the first period, and the USA (p = 1087), Brazil (p = 991) and China (p = 378) in the second period, respectively. Setting the publication numbers in relation to GDP/capita, Brazil leads with 92 publications per 10,000 Int$GDP/capita, followed by India with 79 publications per 10000 Int$GDP/capita (t1). Comparing the country’s publication activity with the Human Development Index level indicates that the majority of the publications is published by highly developed countries. When calculating the average citation rates (citations per published item = CR) mainly European countries show the highest ranks: From 1900–2007 Sweden ranks first with a CR = 27, followed by the Netherlands (CR = 24.8), Switzerland (CR = 23), Spain, Austria and the USA (CR = 22). From 2008 to 2016 the highest rate achieves Switzerland with a value of 24.6, followed by Belgium (CR = 18.1), Spain (CR = 16.7), Costa Rica (CR = 14.9) and Netherlands (CR = 14). Compared with this, the USA was placed at rank 13 (CR = 9,5). In summary, the present study represents the first density-equalizing map projection and in-depth scientometric analysis of the global research output on snakebites and its venoms. So it draws a sketch of the worldwide publication architecture and indicates that countries with a high incidence of snakebites and a low economical level still need to be empowered in carrying out research in this area

Sinuous is a Drosophila claudin required for septate junction organization and epithelial tube size control

Epithelial tubes of the correct size and shape are vital for the function of the lungs, kidneys, and vascular system, yet little is known about epithelial tube size regulation. Mutations in the Drosophila gene sinuous have previously been shown to cause tracheal tubes to be elongated and have diameter increases. Our genetic analysis using a sinuous null mutation suggests that sinuous functions in the same pathway as the septate junction genes neurexin and scribble, but that nervana 2, convoluted, varicose, and cystic have functions not shared by sinuous. Our molecular analyses reveal that sinuous encodes a claudin that localizes to septate junctions and is required for septate junction organization and paracellular barrier function. These results provide important evidence that the paracellular barriers formed by arthropod septate junctions and vertebrate tight junctions have a common molecular basis despite their otherwise different molecular compositions, morphologies, and subcellular localizations

Interplay of NH4+ and BH4- reorientational dynamics in NH4BH4

The reorientational dynamics of ammonium borohydride (NH4BH4) was studied using quasielastic neutron scattering in the temperature interval from 10 to 240 K, which covers both the dynamically ordered and disordered polymorphs of NH4BH4. In the low-temperature (50 K) ordered polymorph of NH4BH4, analysis of the quasielastic neutron scattering data reveals that no reorientational dynamics is present within the probed timescale region of 0.1 to 100 ps. In the high-temperature (50 K) disordered polymorph, the analysis establishes the onset of NH4+ and BH4- dynamics at around 50 and 125 K, respectively. The relaxation time at 150 K for NH4+ is approximately 1 ps, while around 100 ps for BH4- . The NH4+ dynamics at temperatures below 125 K is associated with preferential tetrahedral tumbling motions, where each of the hydrogen atoms in the NH4+ tetrahedron can visit any of the four hydrogen sites, however, reorientations around a specific axis are more frequently occurring (C-2 or C3). At higher temperatures, the analysis does not exclude a possible evolution of the NH4+ dynamics from tetrahedral tumbling to either cubic tumbling, where the hydrogen atoms can visit any of the eight positions corresponding to the corners of a cube, or isotropic rotational diffusion, where the hydrogen atoms can visit any location on the surface of a sphere. The BH4- dynamics can be described as cubic tumbling. The difference in reorientational dynamics between the two ions is related to the difference of the local environment where the dynamically much slower BH4- anion imposes a noncubic environment on the NH4+ cation

University for the Creative Arts staff research 2011

This publication brings together a selection of the University’s current research. The contributions foreground areas of research strength including still and moving image research, applied arts and crafts, as well as emerging fields of investigations such as design and architecture. It also maps thematic concerns across disciplinary areas that focus on models and processes of creative practice, value formations and processes of identification through art and artefacts as well as cross-cultural connectivity. Dr. Seymour Roworth-Stoke

Interaction modulation through arrays of clustered methyl-arginine protein modifications

Systematic analysis of human arginine methylation identifies two distinct signaling modes;either isolated modifications akin to canonical post-translational modification regulation, or clustered arrays within disordered protein sequence. Hundreds of proteins contain these methyl-arginine arrays and are more prone to accumulate mutations and more tightly expression-regulated than dispersed methylation targets. Arginines within an array in the highly methylated RNA-binding protein synaptotagmin binding cytoplasmic RNA interacting protein (SYNCRIP) were experimentally shown to function in concert, providing a tunable protein interaction interface. Quantitative immunoprecipitation assays defined two distinct cumulative binding mechanisms operating across 18 proximal arginine-glycine (RG) motifs in SYNCRIP. Functional binding to the methyltransferase PRMT1 was promoted by continual arginine stretches, whereas interaction with the methyl-binding protein SMN1 was arginine content-dependent irrespective of linear position within the unstructured region. This study highlights how highly repetitive modifiable amino acid arrays in low structural complexity regions can provide regulatory platforms, with SYNCRIP as an extreme example how arginine methylation leverages these disordered sequences to mediate cellular interactions

The extracellular chaperone Clusterin enhances Tau aggregate seeding in a cellular model

Variants of the extracellular chaperone Clusterin are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Clusterin levels are elevated in AD patient brains. Here, the authors show that Clusterin binds to oligomeric Tau, which enhances the seeding capacity of Tau aggregates upon cellular uptake. They also demonstrate that Tau/Clusterin complexes enter cells via the endosomal pathway, resulting in damage to endolysosomes and entry into the cytosol, where they induce the aggregation of endogenous, soluble Tau. Spreading of aggregate pathology across brain regions acts as a driver of disease progression in Tau-related neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia. Aggregate seeds released from affected cells are internalized by naive cells and induce the prion-like templating of soluble Tau into neurotoxic aggregates. Here we show in a cellular model system and in neurons that Clusterin, an abundant extracellular chaperone, strongly enhances Tau aggregate seeding. Upon interaction with Tau aggregates, Clusterin stabilizes highly potent, soluble seed species. Tau/Clusterin complexes enter recipient cells via endocytosis and compromise the endolysosomal compartment, allowing transfer to the cytosol where they propagate aggregation of endogenous Tau. Thus, upregulation of Clusterin, as observed in AD patients, may enhance Tau seeding and possibly accelerate the spreading of Tau pathology

The extracellular chaperone Clusterin enhances Tau aggregate seeding in a cellular model

Spreading of aggregate pathology across brain regions acts as a driver of disease progression in Tau-related neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia. Aggregate seeds released from affected cells are internalized by naïve cells and induce the prion-like templating of soluble Tau into neurotoxic aggregates. Here we show in a cellular model system and in neurons that Clusterin, an abundant extracellular chaperone, strongly enhances Tau aggregate seeding. Upon interaction with Tau aggregates, Clusterin stabilizes highly potent, soluble seed species. Tau/Clusterin complexes enter recipient cells via endocytosis and compromise the endolysosomal compartment, allowing transfer to the cytosol where they propagate aggregation of endogenous Tau. Thus, upregulation of Clusterin, as observed in AD patients, may enhance Tau seeding and possibly accelerate the spreading of Tau pathology