Paris Climate Agreement 2015 – EU needs to ensure ‘signal’ and ‘direction’. IES Policy Brief Issue 2014/08/October 2014

Summary. Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are expected to agree on a new international climate agreement applicable to all countries from 2020 at the Paris climate summit in December 2015. This Policy Brief investigates the possible role of the European Union (EU) towards the 2015 Paris climate agreement. It argues for renewed efforts by the EU at coalition building with progressive developing countries, leadership by example and a more prominent, complementary role of individual EU member states. It also argues for a Paris agreement that provides a strong “signal” and “direction”, and discusses what this may entail.

What signal from the Fed? Should the ECB ease further? CEPS Commentary, 18 September 2015

The Federal Reserve left rates unchanged at its closely-watched meeting on September 17th, although many had argued that the real economy data, especially on the labour market, would have justified an exit (from the zero interest policy). In this CEPS Commentary, Daniel Gros observes that no similar decision on exit is in sight in the euro area, despite the fact that some have argued that the ECB should consider further easing measures (pushing the deposit rate deeper into negative territory or increasing the size of its asset purchase programme). He asks, in fact, whether further easing measures should be even discussed at this point.

Manipulation of the Quorum Sensing Signal AI-2 Affects the Antibiotic-Treated Gut Microbiota

The mammalian gut microbiota harbors a diverse ecosystem where hundreds of bacterial species interact with each other and their host. Given that bacteria use signals to communicate and regulate group behaviors (quorum sensing), we asked whether such communication between different commensal species can influence the interactions occurring in this environment. We engineered the enteric bacterium, Escherichia coli, to manipulate the levels of the interspecies quorum sensing signal, autoinducer-2 (AI-2), in the mouse intestine and investigated the effect upon antibiotic-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. E. coli that increased intestinal AI-2 levels altered the composition of the antibiotic-treated gut microbiota, favoring the expansion of the Firmicutes phylum. This significantly increased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, to oppose the strong effect of the antibiotic, which had almost cleared the Firmicutes. This demonstrates that AI-2 levels influence the abundance of the major phyla of the gut microbiota, the balance of which is known to influence human health.

Evaluation of emergency vehicle signal preemption on the Route 7 Virginia corridor.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Operations Research and Development, McLean, Va.

Driver perception of just-noticeable differences of automotive signal lamp intensities. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Loran-C signal analysis : final report /

"Report no. CG-D-4-80."

Day and night intensities of rear signal system lights.

National Highway Safety Bureau, Washington, D.C.

Daytime running lights and turn signal masking. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Development of standards and tests for acceptance of traffic signal lenses. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.

Alternative incandescent traffic signal lamps and systems for improved optical and energy efficiency. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety and Traffic Operations Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Waveform generator signal processing software. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Research and Development, Washington, D.C.

Transportation infrastructure: benefits of traffic control signal systems are not being fully realized.

Mode of access: Internet.

Cost analysis for upgraded passenger car rear signal lighting requirements. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.