The pricing of water in a university town: An economic analysis of draining a cash cow

This paper analyzes some economic issues involved with the common practice of using metered water rate revenue to fund debt retirement associated with the provision of municipal water and wastewater services. We conclude that rather than simply raising the metered rate, city officials should seriously consider increasing the tax rate levied under the local property tax. There is an important trade-off in the choice of a price policy. An increased property tax rate can result in tax savings to some home owners, which lowers their net expenditure for water. However, a corresponding decrease in the metered rate may increase water consumption, which in turn raises operating cost. In order to do what is best for home owners, it might make sense to give other customers (e.g., a university) an easy ride, even if the latter, because of its low (inelastic) price elasticity of demand for water, is viewed by the municipality as a cash cow

Die Untersuchung der Erkennung von Plasmopara viticola durch VRP1 Rezeptoren und der Regulation der Pathogenabwehr durch die Transkriptionsfaktoren VvWRKY33 und VvERF5 in der Weinrebe (Vitis sp.)

Die Weinrebe (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. vinifera) gehört zu den bedeutendsten Kulturpflanzen weltweit. Ihre hohe Anfälligkeit für eine Vielzahl von Pathogenen, insbesondere dem Echten (Erysiphe necator) und Falschen Mehltau (Plasmopara viticola), ist für den Weinbau eine besondere wirtschaftliche Bedrohung und kann zu erheblichen Ernteausfällen führen. Nicht zuletzt darum werden in Europa zwei Drittel der Gesamtmenge an Fungiziden im Weinbau eingesetzt. Um den Fungizideinsatz zu reduzieren, sollen neue resistente Rebsorten (z.B. `Regent´) gezüchtet werden, wobei es sich bei der angewendeten klassischen Kreuzungszüchtung um ein langwieriges Verfahren handelt. Die Mechanismen, welche in den resistenten Rebsorten die gesteigerte Resistenz vermitteln, sind jedoch größtenteils unbekannt. Die Identifikation sowie die funktionelle Charakterisierung von Genen, welche an der Regulation von Resistenzmechanismen beteiligt sind, könnte somit zur Verbesserung und Beschleunigung der Züchtung neuer resistenter Rebsorten beitragen. Mittels Mikroarrays konnte eine Reihe von Genen identifiziert werden, darunter auch Rezeptoren und Transkriptionsfaktoren (TF), welche in resistenten Rebsorten im Vergleich zu anfälligen Rebsorten eine schnellere und stärkere Induktion zeigten, von denen aber bislang nur vereinzelte Gene funktionell charakterisiert werden konnten. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden daher die Funktion einer Rezeptorfamilie bei der Abwehr von P. viticola nachgewiesen sowie anschließend die Unterschiede der transkriptionellen Regulation der Resistenzantwort durch TFs zwischen einer anfälligen und einer resistenten Rebsorte untersucht. Hierzu wurden im ersten Teil des Projektes die Gene der VRP1 (Vitis Resistance to Plasmopara 1) Rezeptorfamilie charakterisiert. Der in silico Vergleich der drei chimären VRP1 Rezeptoren zwischen der anfälligen Rebsorte `Lemberger´ und der resistenten Rebsorte `Regent´ zeigte keine Sequenzunterschiede. Die Lokalisation der VRP1 Proteine nach Fusion mit dem Grün Fluoreszierenden Protein (GFP) in Protoplasten einer Suspensionskultur (V. vinifera cv. `Chardonnay´) mittels konfokaler Mikroskopie konnte belegen, dass sich alle drei VRP1 Konstrukte im Cytoplasma befanden. Zusätzlich konnte mittels qPCR Analyse nachgewiesen werden, dass die Rezeptoren im resistenten `Regent´ im Vergleich zum anfälligen `Lemberger´, spezifisch durch Infektion mit P. viticola induziert wurden, was auf eine Funktion bei der Abwehr von P. viticola schließen lies. Die transiente Transformation der VRP1 Gene in Weinrebenblätter mit anschließender P. viticola Infektion zeigte, dass die Expression von VRP1-3 eine Steigerung der Resistenz um bis zu 50 % bewirkte. Darüber hinaus wurden die VRP1 Gene stabil in Arabidopsis thaliana transformiert. In Folge der Überexpression von VRP1-3 konnte ebenfalls eine Verbesserung der Resistenz der transgenen Arabidopsis Pflanzen gegen Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis um bis zu 50 % detektiert werden. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit wurde die Induzierbarkeit des Resistenzgens VvPR10.1 (Pathogenesis Related 10.1) durch TFs und ihre Auswirkung auf die Resistenz untersucht. Mittels Promotor Induktionsanalyse konnte gezeigt werden, dass die TFs VvWRKY33, VvERF5 und VvCZF1 den Promotor von VvPR10.1 induzieren konnten, was auf eine Rolle in der Abwehr hindeutete. Es konnte zusätzlich in vivo gezeigt werden, dass eine durch P. viticola Infektion hervorgerufene Induktion von VvWRKY33 in Weinrebenblättern von Gewächshausreben wiederum zur Steigerung der Expression von VvPR10.1 führte. Ektopische Expression der TFs in Weinrebenblättern mit anschließender P. viticola Infektion zeigte, dass die Expression von VvWRKY33 und VvERF5 eine Steigerung der Resistenz um 50-70 % bewirkte. Außerdem konnte durch Komplementierung der A. thaliana knock out Mutante wrky33-1 mit VvWRKY33 nachgewiesen werden, dass die Expression im heterologen System Arabidopsis den Phänotyp des Wildtyps, in Bezug auf die Resistenz, wiederherstellen konnte. Darüber hinaus konnte sogar eine signifikante Steigerung der Resistenz gegen H. arabidopsidis und Botrytis cinerea im Vergleich zum Wildtyp Col-0 erreicht werden. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit konnte somit zum ersten Mal nachgewiesen werden, dass die gezielte Expression des VRP1-3 Rezeptors sowie der TFs VvWRKY33 bzw. VvERF5 in der Weinrebe, eine gesteigerte Resistenz gegen P. viticola induzieren konnten. Dies stellt eine Basis für die Aufklärung der zugrunde liegenden Resistenzmechanismen, und somit für die Entwicklung neuer molekularer Marker zur Verbesserung und Beschleunigung der Züchtung neuer resistenter Rebsorten, dar

Na4IrO4: Square-Planar Coordination of a Transition Metal in d5 Configuration due to Weak On-Site Coulomb Interactions

Local environments and valence electron counts primarily determine the electronic states and physical properties of transition metal complexes. For example, square-planar surroundings found in transition oxometalates such as curprates are usually associated with the d8 or d9 electron configuration. In this work, we address an exotic square-planar mono-oxoanion [IrO4]^{4-} as observed in Na4IrO4 with Ir(IV) in d^5 configuration, and characterize the chemical bonding by experiment and ab initio calculations. We find that Na4IrO4 in its ground state evolves a square-planar coordination for Ir(IV) because of the weak Coulomb repulsion of Ir-5d electrons. In contrast, in its 3d counterpart, Na4CoO4, Co(IV) is in tetrahedral coordination, due to strong electron correlation. Na4IrO4 thus may serve as a simple paradigmatic platform for studying the ramifications of Hubbard type Coulomb interactions on local geometries.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Ang. Chem. Int. Ed. (2015

Distributed Spectrum Assignment for Home WLANs

We consider the problem of jointly allocating chan- nel center frequencies and bandwidths for IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs (WLANs). The bandwidth used on a link affects sig- nificantly both the capacity experienced on this link and the interference produced on neighboring links. Therefore, when jointly assigning both center frequencies and channel widths, there is a trade-off between interference mitigation and the potential capacity offered on each link. We study this trade- off and we present SAW (spectrum assignment for WLANs), a decentralized algorithm that finds efficient configurations. SAW is tailored for 802.11 home networks. It is distributed, online and transparent. It does not require a central coordinator and it constantly adapts the spectrum usage without disrupting network traffic. A key feature of SAW is that the access points (APs) need only a few out-of-band measurements in order to make spectrum allocation decisions. Despite being completely decentralized, the algorithm is self-organizing and provably converges towards efficient spectrum allocations. We evaluate SAW using both simulation and a deployment on an indoor testbed composed of off-the-shelf 802.11 hardware. We observe that it dramatically increases the overall network efficiency and fairness

In vitro optical quality measurements of three intraocular lens models having identical platform

Background: With recent advances in technology and introduction of new intraocular lens (IOL) models, surgeons today have the opportunity to choose from various optical designs, which can influence the postoperative quality of vision. In our laboratory study, we compared the optical quality of three different IOLs that use the identical platform and are produced by the same manufacturer. The study included two diffractive multifocal IOLs, a bifocal and a trifocal one, as well as a monofocal IOL. Methods: Three IOL models: monofocal CT ASPHINA 409 M, diffractive bifocal AT LISA 809 M, and diffractive trifocal AT LISA Tri 839MP (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Germany) were assessed for optical quality by measuring modulation transfer function (MTF) and Strehl Ratio (SR) values at pupil sizes of 3.0 and 4.5 mm on the OptiSpheric® IOL PRO (Trioptics GmbH, Germany). The United States Air Force (USAF) Target images were also recorded to comfirm the optical performance qualitatively. Results: For far focus at 50 lp/mm and 3.0 mm pupil size, MTF value of the monofocal lens (MTF = 0.798) was 1.8-fold and 2.1-fold better than the bifocal (MTF = 0.446) and the trifocal (MTF = 0.382) IOLs, respectively. For near focus, bifocal IOL (MTF = 0.265) was 1.4-fold better than trifocal IOL (MTF = 0.187), while for intermediate focus, the trifocal IOL (MTF = 0.148) was 1.7-fold better than the bifocal IOL (MTF = 0.086). For the same pupil size, total sum of light loss amounted to 5.2% for the monofocal, 16.0% for the bifocal and 6.0% for the trifocal IOL. For a larger pupil, the amount of light loss increased significantly for the multifocal IOLs. Conclusions: The monofocal IOL performed the best for far, the bifocal IOL for near and the trifocal IOL for intermediate focus. While the monofocal IOL created the least amount of light loss for both pupil sizes, the trifocal IOL created less than half the amount of light loss than the bifocal IOL for small pupil. For large pupil, however, less light scatter was observed for the bifocal than the trifocal IOL

Effects of ranibizumab (Lucentis®) and bevacizumab (Avastin®) on human corneal endothelial cells

Background: Ingrowth of newly formed blood and lymph vessels (angiogenesis) from the limbus region into the cornea can be treated successfully by subconjunctival application of antiangiogenic agents. Currently, there are several angiogenesis inhibitors from various manufacturers available, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies. The aim of the study was to investigate potential cytotoxic effects of two anti-VEGF agents, ranibizumab (Lucentis®) and bevacizumab (Avastin®) on the human corneal endothelium. Methods: Human donor corneas, not suitable for corneal transplantation, were organ-cultured in the presence of either ranibizumab (Lucentis®) or bevacizumab (Avastin®) at different concentrations (group 1: 250 μg / ml, group 2: 25 μg / ml, group 3: 2.5 μg / ml) for a period of up to 4 weeks. Microscopic imaging for endothelial cell counting, detection of morphologic alterations of the endothelium, and molecular biology testing (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA]) for metabolic changes was performed. Results: Background-corrected results showed neither a significant lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) change with increasing culturing time nor a significant difference between ranibizumab (Lucentis®) and bevacizumab (Avastin®) treatment. The endothelial cell density revealed also no statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups with ranibizumab (Lucentis®) and bevacizumab (Avastin®) at all concentrations tested in this study. Conclusions: In this study, the anti-angiogenic agents ranibizumab (Lucentis®) and bevacizumab (Avastin®) demonstrated no cytotoxic effects on the corneal endothelium of human organ-cultured donor corneas over the limited study time period of 4 weeks. However, based on the study design (in-vitro) and the limited follow-up period, no conclusions on potential long-term effects can be drawn

Enrichment of the exocytosis protein STX4 in skeletal muscle remediates peripheral insulin resistance and alters mitochondrial dynamics via Drp1

Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Syntaxin 4 (STX4) levels are reduced in human diabetic skeletal muscle, and global transgenic enrichment of STX4 expression improves insulin sensitivity in mice. Here, we show that transgenic skeletal muscle-specific STX4 enrichment (skmSTX4tg) in mice reverses established insulin resistance and improves mitochondrial function in the context of diabetogenic stress. Specifically, skmSTX4tg reversed insulin resistance caused by high-fat diet (HFD) without altering body weight or food consumption. Electron microscopy of wild-type mouse muscle revealed STX4 localisation at or proximal to the mitochondrial membrane. STX4 enrichment prevented HFD-induced mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction through a mechanism involving STX4-Drp1 interaction and elevated AMPK-mediated phosphorylation at Drp1 S637, which favors fusion. Our findings challenge the dogma that STX4 acts solely at the plasma membrane, revealing that STX4 localises at/proximal to and regulates the function of mitochondria in muscle. These results establish skeletal muscle STX4 enrichment as a candidate therapeutic strategy to reverse peripheral insulin resistance

Orchestration of the stilbene synthase gene family and their regulators by subgroup 2 MYB genes

The control of plant specialised metabolism is exerted by transcription factors and co-regulators acting on cis-regulatory DNA sequences of pathway-structural genes, determining when, where, and how metabolites are accumulated. A particularly interesting case for studying the transcriptional control of metabolism is represented by stilbenoids, produced within the phenylpropanoid pathway, as their ability to inhibit infection by coronaviruses MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV has been recently demonstrated in vitro. Integrative omic studies in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), including gene co-expression networks, have previously highlighted several transcription factors (TFs) from different gene families as potential modulators of stilbenoid accumulation, offering an ideal framework for gene function characterisation using genome-wide approaches. In the context of non-model plant species, DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-Seq) results a novel and potentially powerful tool for the analysis of novel uncharacterised regulators, however, it has not yet been applied in fruit crops. Accordingly, we tested as a proof-of-concept the binding of two previously characterised R2R3-MYB TFs to their known targets of the stilbene pathway, MYB14 and MYB15, obtaining 5,222 and 4,502 binding events assigned to 4,038 and 3,645 genes for each TF, respectively. Bound genes (putative targets) were overlapped with aggregated gene centred co-expression networks resulting in shared and exclusive High Confidence Targets (HCTs) suggesting a high, but not complete, redundancy. Our results show that in addition to the previously known but few STS targets, these regulators bind to almost half of the complete STS family in addition to other phenylpropanoid- and stilbenoid-related genes. We also suggest they are potentially involved in other processes such as the circadian rhythm or the synthesis of biotin. We searched the activated transcriptomes of transiently MYB15-overexpressing grapevine plants and observed a large activation of its high confidence targets, validating our methodological approach. Our results also show that MYB15 seems to play a role in regulating other stilbenoid-related TFs such as WRKY03.This work was supported by Grant PGC2018-099449-A-I00 and by the Ramón y Cajal program grant RYC-2017-23645, both awarded to J.T.M. and to the FPI scholarship PRE2019-088044 granted to L.O. from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci´on y Universidades (MCIU, Spain), Agencia Estatal de Investigaci´on (AEI, Spain), and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, European Union). C.Z. is supported by China Scholarship Council (CSC) no. 201906300087. This article is based upon work from COST Action CA 17111 INTEGRAPE, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). Data has been treated and uploaded in public repositories according to the FAIR principles.N