Environmental Policy in a Linear City Model of Product Differentiation

This paper analyzes how a tax/subsidy policy affects consumers? behavior when choosing between green (pollution free goods) and conventional products and its effects on welfare when some consumers have strong preferences for green goods. We develop a three stage complete information game, using the Hotelling?s linear city model. We show that when products are identical in all respects except in their environmental properties, a tax/subsidy policy performs better than the case without policy. Our efficiency comparisons suggest that under a setting of horizontal product differentiation a tax/subsidy (either on consumers or polluting ?firms) produces higher social welfare than the absence of policy. Moreover, the proportion of consumers who prefer green products affects the welfare gains from a subsidy or tax policy.Green products, environmental policy, horizontal product differentiation

Purkinje cell-specific Grip1/2 knockout mice show increased repetitive self-grooming and enhanced mGluR5 signaling in cerebellum

Cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) loss is a consistent pathological finding in autism. However, neural mechanisms of PC-dysfunction in autism remain poorly characterized. Glutamate receptor interacting proteins 1/2 (Grip1/2) regulate AMPA receptor (AMPAR) trafficking and synaptic strength. To evaluate role of PC-AMPAR signaling in autism, we produced PC-specific Grip1/2 knockout mice by crossing Grip2 conventional and Grip1 conditional KO with L7-Cre driver mice. PCs in the mutant mice showed normal morphology and number, and a lack of Grip1/2 expression. Rodent behavioral testing identified normal ambulation, anxiety, social interaction, and an increase in repetitive self-grooming. Electrophysiology studies revealed normal mEPSCs but an impaired mGluR-LTD at the Parallel Fiber-PC synapses. Immunoblots showed increased expression of mGluR5 and Arc, and enhanced phosphorylation of P38 and AKT in cerebellum of PC-specific Grip1/2 knockout mice. Results indicate that loss of Grip1/2 in PCs contributes to increased repetitive self-grooming, a core autism behavior in mice. Results support a role of AMPAR trafficking defects in PCs and disturbances of mGluR5 signaling in cerebellum in the pathogenesis of repetitive behaviors.University of Seville (V PPIT-US)Spain and an National Institute of Health (NIH) (NS085358

Characteristics of the O(1S) to O(1D) 557.7 nm green emission observed in an argon plasma jet

An extensive study on the green auroral emission characterization is presented based on a single dielectric barrier discharge geometry argon plasma jet driven by a kHz sine voltage. The plasma was generated by using 99.999% pure argon and the observed 557.7 nm green line resulted from the excited O(1S) state. An optical emission spectroscopy method using line ratios of argon was used to obtain the electron density and electron temperature under different conditions in the downstream region. The characteristics of discharge and green emission with variations in interelectrode distance, applied voltage (power) and flow rate are discussed. The spatially diffuse distribution of O(1S), owing to its long lifetime, is shown by the short exposure imaging. Two discharge regimes are presented, accompanied by two distinct branches of the green emission intensity, with a clear conclusion that the 557.7 nm emission is favored in the low electron temperature environment. In this work, the intense and diffuse green plume only forms when the downstream electron density is approximately lower than 1 × 1014 cm−3 and the electron temperature is lower than 1.1 eV. By charging the two electrodes in two opposite ways, it is shown that the green emission from oxygen is favored in the case where the electric field and the electron drift are not continuous

Jobs in Springfield, Massachusetts: understanding and remedying the causes of low resident employment rates

As part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's commitment to supporting efforts to revitalize the economy of Springfield, Massachusetts, this paper explores the causes of and potential remedies for the city's low resident employment rates. When compared to the state as a whole and to other midsize New England cities, the share of employed city residents is low, particularly for residents of downtown Springfield and its nearby neighborhoods. By analyzing the availability of jobs across Springfield's various neighborhoods and in nearby towns and cities, this paper's goal is to learn why so few Springfield residents are employed, and thus to identify policy priorities to increase employment. This study finds that solving Springfield's low resident employment rates will require a combination of new job creation, improved informational and physical access to jobs, and strengthening the citizenry's job skills.Economic conditions - Massachusetts ; Job creation - Massachusetts ; Unemployment - Massachusetts

Greater Springfield employment challenges: findings of employer survey and interviews

This paper presents the findings from in-depth interviews and a survey of employers in the Greater Springfield area regarding (a) employment opportunities for entry-level workers with limited skills and (b) barriers that residents of Springfield's low-income neighborhoods face in accessing these jobs. The survey and interviews indicate that entry-level jobs that do not require college are available in the Springfield area. However, even entry-level jobs require the ability to perform a variety of tasks, and many applicants lack the skills needed to perform these jobs or have work readiness problems. Lack of prior experience and the absence of referral networks limit access to these jobs for residents of Springfield's low-income neighborhoods.Cities and towns - Massachusetts ; Labor market - Massachusetts

Towards a more prosperous Springfield, MA: what jobs exist for people without a college education?

This paper analyzes projections of Massachusetts employment opportunities by occupation to address concerns about a shortage of jobs for those who lack a college education. While occupations requiring a college degree will grow more rapidly over the period 2006-2016 than occupations that do not require college, replacement needs will ensure large numbers of job openings that do not require college. Wage levels in jobs that do not require college are generally low, however. The exceptions usually require meaningful training of another sort, such as long-term on-the-job training or courses in postsecondary schools or community college. Additionally, some individuals who demonstrate the necessary qualities achieve higher wages through promotion. The distribution of occupations in the Springfield metropolitan area is sufficiently similar to that in Massachusetts that inferences from the Massachusetts projections should be relevant to Springfield.Cities and towns - Massachusetts ; Labor market - Massachusetts

Reinvigorating Springfield's economy: lessons from resurgent cities

As part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's commitment to supporting efforts to revitalize the economy of Springfield, Massachusetts, this paper analyzes the economic development approaches of other mid-sized manufacturing-oriented cities during the past half century. From among a comparison group of 25 municipalities that were similar to Springfield in 1960, the study identifies 10 "resurgent cities" that have made substantial progress in improving living standards for their residents, and that are recognized as vital communities in a broader sense by experts on urban economic development and policy. These case studies suggest that industry mix, demographic composition, and geographic position are not the key factors distinguishing the resurgent cities from Springfield. Instead, the most important lessons from the resurgent cities concern leadership and collaboration. Initial leadership in these cities came from a variety of key institutions and individuals. In some cases, the turnaround started with efforts on the part of the public sector, while in other cases nongovernmental institutions or private developers were at the forefront. Regardless of who initiated the turnaround, economic redevelopment efforts spanned decades and involved collaborations among numerous organizations and sectors.Cities and towns ; Cities and towns - Massachusetts ; Economic policy - Massachusetts

Use of top-down and bottom-up fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry for mapping calmodulin sites modified by platinum anticancer drugs

Calmodulin (CaM) is a highly conserved, ubiquitous, calcium-binding protein; it binds to and regulates many different protein targets, thereby functioning as a calcium sensor and signal transducer. CaM contains 9 methionine (Met), 1 histidine (His), 17 aspartic acid (Asp), and 23 glutamine acid (Glu) residues, all of which can potentially react with platinum compounds; thus, one-third of the CaM sequence is a possible binding target of platinum anticancer drugs, which represents a major challenge for identification of specific platinum modification sites. Here, top-down electron capture dissociation (ECD) was used to elucidate the transition metal–platinum(II) modification sites. By using a combination of top-down and bottom-up mass spectrometric (MS) approaches, 10 specific binding sites for mononuclear complexes, cisplatin and [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl, and dinuclear complex [{cis-PtCl2(NH3)}2(μ-NH2(CH2)4NH2)] on CaM were identified. High resolution MS of cisplatin-modified CaM revealed that cisplatin mainly targets Met residues in solution at low molar ratios of cisplatin–CaM (2:1), by cross-linking Met residues. At a high molar ratio of cisplatin:CaM (8:1), up to 10 platinum(II) bind to Met, Asp, and Glu residues. [{cis-PtCl2(NH3)}2(μ-NH2(CH2)4NH2)] forms mononuclear adducts with CaM. The alkanediamine linker between the two platinum centers dissociates due to a trans-labilization effect. [Pt(dien)Cl]Cl forms {Pt(dien)}2+ adducts with CaM, and the preferential binding sites were identified as Met51, Met71, Met72, His107, Met109, Met124, Met144, Met145, Glu45 or Glu47, and Asp122 or Glu123. The binding of these complexes to CaM, particularly when binding involves loss of all four original ligands, is largely irreversible which could result in their failure to reach the target DNA or be responsible for unwanted side-effects during chemotherapy. Additionally, the cross-linking of cisplatin to CaM might lead to the loss of the biological function of CaM or CaM–Ca2+ due to limiting the flexibility of the CaM or CaM–Ca2+ complex to recognize target proteins or blocking the binding region of target proteins to CaM

Metal/Metalloid Levels in Electronic Cigarette Liquids, Aerosols, and Human Biosamples: A Systematic Review

Background: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become popular, in part because they are perceived as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes. An increasing number of studies, however, have found toxic metals/metalloids in e-cigarette emissions. Results: We identified 24 studies on metals/metalloids in e-liquid, e-cigarette aerosols, and human biosamples of e-cigarette users. Metal/metalloid levels, including aluminum, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, selenium, tin, and zinc, were present in e-cigarette samples in the studies reviewed. Twelve studies reported metal/metalloid levels in e-liquids (bottles, cartridges, open wick, and tank), 12 studies reported metal/metalloid levels in e-cigarette aerosols (from cig-a-like and tank devices), and 4 studies reported metal/metalloid levels in human biosamples (urine, saliva, serum, and blood) of e-cigarette users. Metal/metalloid levels showed substantial heterogeneity depending on sample type, source of e-liquid, and device type. Metal/metalloid levels in e-liquid from cartridges or tank/open wicks were higher than those from bottles, possibly due to coil contact. Most metal/metalloid levels found in biosamples of e-cigarette users were similar or higher than levels found in biosamples of conventional cigarette users, and even higher than those found in biosamples of cigar users. Conclusion: E-cigarettes are a potential source of exposure to metals/metalloids. Differences in collection methods and puffing regimes likely contribute to the variability in metal/metalloid levels across studies, making comparison across studies difficult. Standardized protocols for the quantification of metal/metalloid levels from e-cigarette samples are needed.This study was supported by NIEHS/FDA grants R21ES029777 and R01ES030025, NIEHS grant P30ES009089, and a Johns Hopkins University Technology Transfer Seed Award. D. Z. was supported by the China Scholarship Council (201706190116). A. A. was supported by a grant from the MD Cigarette Restitution Fund (grantPHPA-G2034)