Capital stranding cascades: The impact of decarbonisation on productive asset utilisation

This article develops a novel methodological framework to investigate the exposure of eco- nomic systems to the risk of physical capital stranding. Combining Input-Output (IO) and network theory, we define measures to identify both the sectors likely to trigger relevant capital stranding cascades and those most exposed to capital stranding risk. We show how, in a sample of ten European countries, mining is among the sectors with the highest external asset strand- ing multipliers. The sectors most affected by capital stranding triggered by decarbonisation include electricity and gas; coke and refined petroleum products; basic metals; and transporta- tion. From these sectors, stranding would frequently cascade down to chemicals; metal products; motor vehicles water and waste services; wholesale and retail trade; and public administration. Finally, we provide an estimate for the lower-bound amount of assets at risk of transition-related stranding, which is in the range of 0.6-8.2% of the overall productive capital stock for our sample of countries, mainly concentrated in the electricity and gas sector, manufacturing, and mining. These results confirm the systemic relevance of transition-related risks on European societies.Series: Ecological Economic Paper

Dynamic regulation of quaternary organization of the M1 muscarinic receptor by subtype-selective antagonist drugs

Although rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors can exist as both monomers and non-covalently associated dimers/oligomers, the steady-state proportion of each form and whether this is regulated by receptor ligands is unknown. Herein we address these topics for the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor, a key molecular target for novel cognition enhancers, by employing Spatial Intensity Distribution Analysis. This method can measure fluorescent particle concentration and assess oligomerization states of proteins within defined regions of living cells. Imaging and analysis of the basolateral surface of cells expressing some 50 molecules.microm-2 of the human muscarinic M1 receptor identified an ~75/25 mixture of receptor monomers and dimers/oligomers. Both sustained and shorter-term treatment with the selective M1 antagonist pirenzepine resulted in a large shift in the distribution of receptor species to favor the dimeric/oligomeric state. Although sustained treatment with pirenzepine also resulted in marked upregulation of the receptor, simple mass-action effects were not the basis for ligand-induced stabilization of receptor dimers/oligomers. The related antagonist telenzepine also produced stabilization and enrichment of the M1 receptor dimer population but the receptor subtype non-selective antagonists atropine and N-methylscopolamine did not. In contrast, neither pirenzepine nor telenzepine altered the quaternary organization of the related M3 muscarinic receptor. These data provide unique insights into the selective capacity of receptor ligands to promote and/or stabilize receptor dimers/oligomers and demonstrate that the dynamics of ligand regulation of the quaternary organization of G protein-coupled receptors is markedly more complex than previously appreciated. This may have major implications for receptor function and behavior

Cinéma et modernité : le Festival international du film de Montréal de 1960 à 1967, du personnalisme au néonationalisme

En 1960, Fernand Cadieux et Pierre Juneau créent le premier Festival international du film de Montréal. Chaque année le Festival a lieu au mois d’août jusqu’à l’Expo 67, événement qui marque à la fois le point culminant et final de cette aventure culturelle. L’histoire de cette institution touche à la culture, au personnalisme, au nationalisme, à la cinéphilie ainsi qu’à l’institutionnalisation et à l’industrialisation du cinéma au Canada et au Québec pendant les années cinquante et soixante. Conçu sous le régime politique de Duplessis par d’anciens membres de la Jeunesse étudiante catholique qui deviendraient presque tous fédéralistes, le Festival constitue un objet idéal d’histoire culturelle propice à étendre la compréhension des origines catholiques de la Révolution tranquille. Au plan culturel, il permet aussi de comprendre plus finement la resynchronisation du Québec dans la trajectoire de la modernité, ainsi que les répercussions du choc entre nationalistes et gauchistes québécois contre libéraux fédéralistes. Ce mémoire permet aussi de découvrir le FIFM comme institution cinématographique québécoise, le réseau d’acteurs et d’établissements qui le soutiennent et l’objet de leur passion : les films. La présente analyse explore la manifestation dans ses dimensions à la fois cinématographique et politique, artistique et historique.In 1960, Fernand Cadieux and Pierre Juneau founded the first Montreal International Film Festival. This great cultural adventure was held each August, up until what became its culminating and final year: that of Expo ’67. The history of the festival is intrinsically linked to culture, personalism, nationalism, and cinephillia, as well as the institutionalization and industrialization of cinema in Canada and Quebec during the 1950s and 60s. Created under the political regime of Duplessis by former members of the Jeunesse étudiante catholique (Young Christian Students), who would almost all become federalists, it became apparent to me that the festival constituted a cultural-historic event conductive to expanding our understanding of the Catholic origins of the Quiet Revolution. It also allowed for a finer understanding of the resynchronization of Quebec with modernity and the shock waves that emanated from this change, in particular, between leftists Quebec nationalists against federal Liberals. Moreover, this paper allows us to discover the FIFM in its role as a Quebec cinemagraphic institution, as well as the community of actors and establishments that supported it and the object of their passion: film. The wager is therefore, to analyze in one hundred or so pages, the multiple facets of these issues: the cinemagraphic, political, artistic and historic

Stock-Flow Consistent Modeling Through the Ages

Dieser Vortrag muss hier angekündigt werden: "15. Juli 2008, 19.30 Uhr, Universität [Augsburg], Hörsaalzentrum, Universitätsstr. 10, HS III Schatzwächter und Zauberworte: Flucht ins Archiv. Über Literatur und Wissenschaft, Sammelwahn und Kanonbildung Moderation: Prof. Dr. Joachim Jacob, Neuere Deutsche Literaturwissenschaft mit Schwerpunkt Ethik" Quelle: http://www.uni-protokolle.de/nachrichten/id/15503

Photoswitchable single-walled carbon nanotubes for super-resolution microscopy in the near-infrared

The design of single-molecule photoswitchable emitters was the first milestone toward the advent of single-molecule localization microscopy, setting a new paradigm in the field of optical imaging. Several photoswitchable emitters have been developed, but they all fluoresce in the visible or far-red ranges, missing the desirable near-infrared window where biological tissues are most transparent. Moreover, photocontrol of individual emitters in the near-infrared would be highly desirable for elementary optical molecular switches or information storage elements since most communication data transfer protocols are established in this spectral range. Here, we introduce a type of hybrid nanomaterials consisting of single-wall carbon nanotubes covalently functionalized with photoswitching molecules that are used to control the intrinsic luminescence of the single nanotubes in the near-infrared (beyond 1 μm). Through the control of photoswitching, we demonstrate super-localization imaging of nanotubes unresolved by diffraction-limited microscopy

Redistribution in the age of austerity : evidence from Europe 2006 - 2013

We examine the relationship between changes in a country’s public sector fiscal position on inequality at the top and bottom of the income distribution during the age of austerity from 2006 to 2013. We use a parametric Lorenz curve model and Gini-like indices of inequality as our measures to assess distributional changes. Based on Statistics of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and IMF data for 12 European countries, we find that more severe adjustments to the cyclically adjusted primary balance (i.e., more austerity) are associated with a more unequal distribution of income driven by rising inequality at the top. The data also weakly suggests a decrease in inequality at the bottom. The distributional impact of austerity measures reflects the reliance on regressive policies and likely produces increased incentives for rent-seeking while reducing incentives for workers to increase productivity

Changes in the profile of inequality across Europe since 2005: austerity and redistribution

We present two Gini-like inequality indices that provide a more nuanced picture of how the profile of inequality has changed across European countries since 2005. We use these indices to analyse the distributional changes that can be attributed to the push for austerity. We estimate the JV-indices for 24 European countries over 9 years, and then use this panel to analyse the distributional effects of the fiscal consolidation policies Europe endured after the 2008 crisis. We find that austerity increased income inequality in eurozone countries, but reduced income inequality in countries that do not use the euro as their currency. We uncover a significant new relationship between austerity policies and the tails of the income distribution, further suggesting that in the eurozone these policies on average amount to a redistribution from the bottom to the top