PHYCOBILISOMES AND ISOLATED PHYCOBILIPROTEINS. EFFECT OF GLUTARDIALDEHYDE AND BENZOQUINONE ON FLUORESCENCE

The fluorescence of the biliproteins C-phycocyanin from Spirulina platensis, B-phycoerythrin from Porphyridium cruentum and of isolated whole P. cruentum phycobilisomes is quenched in the presence of glutardialdehyde (GA) or benzoquinone (BQ). The kinetics of fluorescence decrease thus induced is biphasic. If GA is used as a quencher, the fluorescence can be recovered at 77 K. Contrary to the GA-effect, only a minor recovery takes place with BQ at 77K, thus demonstrating a different mechanism of action of GA and BQ on biliprotein

STUDIES ON PLANT BILE PIGMENTS.

The (4 Z, 10 2, 15Ej-2,3-dihydrobilindione 4, along with the fully unsaturated (E, 2, Z)-analogue 8, has been prepared from the corresponding (Z, Z, Z)-isomer by a variation of Falk's method (Falk et ul., 1980). The photochemical and acid-catalyzed back-reactions have been studied by UV-vis and 'H-NMR spectroscopy

Three Essays in Macroeconomics : Implications of the Great Recession for Fiscal and Monetary Policy

The Great Recession prompted several governments and central banks in advanced economies to take exceptional measures, whose consequences are still visible today. In particular, two developments seem to be noteworthy. First, many governments' debt-to-GDP ratios are high with no sign of returning to pre-crisis levels, raising concerns about their sustainability. Second, interest rates are low and in some countries at the effective lower bound, reducing monetary policies' room for manoeuvre. This thesis investigates several implications of these two consequences of the crisis for fiscal and monetary policy. The first two chapters focus on means to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio, either by generating primary surpluses through budgetary adjustments (chapter 1) or by directly lowering the interest rates on government debt due to financial repression (chapter 2). The last chapter evaluates the impact of interest rate forward guidance, an important tool for central banks to enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy at the effective lower bound