Observed adaptation to climate change as initiated transition

This paper investigates whether and to what extent a wide range of actors in the UK are adapting to climate change, and whether this is evidence of a social transition. We document evidence of over 300 examples of early adopters of adaptation practice to climate change in the UK. These examples span a range of activities from small adjustments (or coping), to building adaptive capacity, to implementing actions and to creating deeper systemic change in public and private organisations in a range of sectors. We find that adaptation in the UK has been dominated by government initiatives and has principally occurred in the form of research into climate change impacts. These government initiatives have stimulated a further set of actions at other scales in public agencies, regulatory agencies and regional government (and the devolved administrations), though with little real evidence of climate change adaptation initiatives trickling down to local government level. The sectors requiring significant investment in large scale infrastructure have invested more heavily than those that do not in identifying potential impacts and adaptations. Thus we find a higher level of adaptation activity by the water supply and flood defence sectors. Sectors that are not dependent on large scale infrastructure appear to be investing far less effort and resources in preparing for climate change. We conclude that the UK government-driven top-down targeted adaptation approach has generated anticipatory action at low cost in some areas. We also conclude that these actions may have created enough niche activities to allow for diffusion of new adaptation practices in response to real or perceived climate change. These results have significant implications for how climate policy can be developed to support autonomous adaptors in the UK and other countries.

Oxidised low-density lipoproteins induce rapid platelet activation and shape change through tyrosine kinase and Rho kinase-signaling pathways

Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) generated in the hyperlipidemic state may contribute to unregulated platelet activation during thrombosis. Although the ability of oxLDL to activate platelets is established, the underlying signaling mechanisms remain obscure. Weshow that oxLDL stimulate platelet activation through phosphorylation of the regulatory light chains of the contractile protein myosin IIa (MLC). oxLDL, but not native LDL, induced shape change, spreading, and phosphorylation of MLC (serine 19) through a pathway that was ablated under conditions that blocked CD36 ligation or inhibited Src kinases, suggesting a tyrosine kinase–dependent mechanism. Consistent with this, oxLDL induced tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of proteins including Syk and phospholipase C g2. Inhibition of Syk, Ca21 mobilization, and MLC kinase (MLCK) only partially inhibited MLC phosphorylation, suggesting the presence of a second pathway. oxLDL activated RhoA and RhoA kinase (ROCK) to induce inhibitory phosphorylation of MLC phosphatase (MLCP). Moreover, inhibition of Src kinases prevented the activation of RhoA and ROCK, indicating that oxLDL regulates contractile signaling through a tyrosine kinase–dependent pathway that induces MLC phosphorylation through the dual activation of MLCK and inhibition of MLCP. These data reveal new signaling events downstream of CD36 that are critical in promoting platelet aggregation by oxLDL.

e-Government as a regulatory response to the financial crisis: the case of the UK

This paper seeks to discuss EU policies relating to securities markets, created in the wake of the financial crisis and how ICT and specifically e-Government can be utilised within this context. This study utilises the UK as a basis for our discussion. The recent financial crisis has caused a change of perspective in relation to government services and polices. The regulation of the financial sector has been heavily criticised and so is undergoing radical change in the UK and the rest of Europe. New regulatory bodies are being defined with more focus on taking a risk-based system-wide approach to regulating the financial sector. This approach aims to prevent financial institutions becoming too big to fail and thus require massive government bail outs. In addition, a new wave of EU regulation is in the wind to update risk management practices and to further protect investors. This paper discusses the reasons for the financial crisis and the UK’s past and future regulatory landscape. The current and future approach and strategies adopted by the UK’s financial regulators are reviewed as is the lifecycle of EU Directives. The regulatory responses to the crisis are discussed and upcoming regulatory hotspots identified. Discussion of these issues provides the context for our evaluation of the role e-Government and ICT in improving the regulatory system. We identify several processes, which are elementary for regulatory compliance and discuss how ICT is elementary in their implementation. The processes considered include those required for internal control and monitoring, risk management, record keeping and disclosure to regulatory bodies. We find these processes offer an excellent opportunity to adopt an e-Government approach to improve services to both regulated businesses and individual investors through the benefits derived from a more effective and efficient regulatory system.

An interdisciplinary modelling approach asessing the cost-effectiveness of agri-environmental measures on reducing nutrient concentration to WFD thresholds under climate change: the case of the Louros catchment

The application of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the European Union (EU) targets certain threshold levels for the concentration of various nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorous being the most important. In the EU, agri-environmental measures constitute a significant component of Pillar 2—Rural Development Policies in both financial and regulatory terms. Environmental measures also are linked to Pillar 1 payments through cross-compliance and the greening proposals. This paper drawing from work carried out in the REFRESH FP7 project aims to show how an INtegrated CAtchment model of plant/soil system dynamics and instream biogeochemical and hydrological dynamics can be used to assess the cost-effectiveness of agri-environmental measures in relation to nutrient concentration targets set by the WFD, especially in the presence of important habitats. We present the procedures (methodological steps, challenges and problems) for assessing the cost-effectiveness of agri-environmental measures at the baseline situation, and climate and land use change scenarios. Furthermore, we present results of an application of this methodology to the Louros watershed in Greece and discuss the likely uses and future extensions of the modelling approach. Finally, we attempt to reveal the importance of this methodology for designing and incorporating alternative environmental practices in Pillar 1 and 2 measures.

Deficiency of the human complement regulatory protein factor H associated with low levels of component C9

We identified a 4-year-old Brazilian boy from a family of Japanese descent and history of consanguinity, who suffered from severe recurrent pneumonia. He carries factor H (FH) deficiency associated with reduced levels of component C9 and low serum levels of C3 and factor B. His mother also presented low levels of these proteins and factor I, while his father and sister had only lower levels of FH. Western blot assays confirmed the complete absence of FH and FHL-1 polypeptides in this patient. Sequencing of the proband`s FH cDNA revealed a homozygous G453A substitution, encoding an Arg(127)His change. His mother, father and sister are heterozygous for this substitution. Despite the absence of FH in the plasma, this protein was detected in the patient`s fibroblasts, suggesting that Arg(127) may be important for FH secretion. Low concentrations of C9 were detected in the proband serum but no mutations in the patient`s C9 gene or promoter have been identified, suggesting that this is a consequence of uncontrolled complement activation and high C9 consumption.

Structural reforms, productivity and technological change in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Short periods of fasting followed by refeeding change the expression of muscle growth-related genes in juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Muscle growth mechanisms are controlled by molecular pathways that can be affected by fasting and refeeding. In this study, we hypothesized that short period of fasting followed by refeeding would change the expression of muscle growth-related genes in juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of MyoD, myogenin and myostatin and the muscle growth characteristics in the white muscle of juvenile Nile tilapia during short period of fasting followed by refeeding. Juvenile fish were divided into three groups: (FC) control, feeding continuously for 42. days, (F5) 5. days of fasting and 37. days of refeeding, and (F10) 10. days of fasting and 32. days of refeeding. At days 5 (D5), 10 (D10), 20 (D20) and 42 (D42), fish (n = 14 per group) were anesthetized and euthanized for morphological, morphometric and gene expression analyses. During the refeeding, fasted fish gained weight continuously and, at the end of the experiment (D42), F5 showed total compensatory mass gain. After 5 and 10. days of fasting, a significant increase in the muscle fiber frequency (class 20) occurred in F5 and F10 compared to FC that showed a high muscle fiber frequency in class 40. At D42, the muscle fiber frequency in class 20 was higher in F5. After 5. days of fasting, MyoD and myogenin gene expressions were lower and myostatin expression levels were higher in F5 and F10 compared to FC; at D42, MyoD, myogenin and myostatin gene expression was similar among all groups. In conclusion, this study showed that short periods of fasting promoted muscle fiber atrophy in the juvenile Nile tilapia and the refeeding caused compensatory mass gain and changed the expression of muscle growth-related genes that promote muscle growth. These fasting and refeeding protocols have proven useful for understanding the effects of alternative warm fish feeding strategies on muscle growth-related genes. © 2013.

An assessment of fiscal and regulatory barriers to deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in Guyana

Includes bibliography.

An assessment of fiscal and regulatory barriers to deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in Belize

Belize is currently faced with several critical challenges associated with the production, distribution and use of energy. Despite an abundance of renewable energy resources, the country remains disproportionately dependent on imported fossil fuels, which exposes it to volatile and rising oil prices, limits economic development, and retards its ability to make the investments that are necessary for adapting to climate change, which pose a particularly acute threat to the small island states and low-lying coastal nations of the Caribbean. This transition from energy consumption and supply patterns that are based on imported fossil fuels and electricity towards a more sustainable energy economy that is based on environmentally benign, indigenous renewable energy technologies and more efficient use of energy requires concerted action as the country is already challenged by limited fiscal space which reduces its ability to provide some fiscal incentives, which have been proven to be effective tools for the promotion of sustainable energy markets in a number of countries. This report identifies the fiscal and regulatory barriers to implementation of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies in Belize. Data and information were derived from stakeholder consultations conducted within the country. The major result of the assessment is that the transition of policies and plans into tangible action needs to be increased. In this regard, it is necessary to articulate sub-policies of the National Energy Policy to amend the Public Utilities Commission Act, to develop a grid interconnection policy, to establish minimum energy performance standards for buildings and equipment and to develop a public procurement policy. Finally, decisions on renewable energy and energy efficiency-related incentives from the Government formally requires decision-makers to solve what may be extremely complex optimization problems in order to obtain the lowest-cost provision of energy services to society, thereby weighing the cost of revenue losses with the benefits of fuel and infrastructure expansion savings. The establishment of a management system that is efficient, flexible, and transparent, which will facilitate the implementation of the strategic objectives and outputs in the time available, with the financial resources allocated is recommended. Support is required for additional institutional and capacity strengthening.

An assessment of fiscal and regulatory barriers to deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in Curaçao

The current energy systems within Curaçao depend primarily on high cost, imported fossil fuels, and typically constitute power sectors that are characterized by small, inefficient generation plants which result in high energy prices. As a consequence of its dependence on external fuel supplies, Curaçao is extremely vulnerable to international oil price shocks, which can impact on economic planning and foreign direct investment within their industrial sectors. The ability of the successive governments to source capital for economic stimulation and social investment is therefore significantly challenging. Additionally, there is over-dependence on two of the most climate-sensitive economic sectors, namely the tourism and fisheries sectors, but the vulnerabilities of the country to the effects of climate change make adaptation difficult and costly. It is within this context that this report focuses on identification of the fiscal and regulatory barriers to implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in Curaçao with a view of making recommendations for removal of these barriers. Consultations with key Government officials, the private sector as well as civil society were conducted to obtain information and data on the energy sector in the country. Desktop research was also conducted to supplement the information gathered from the consultations. The major result of the assessment is that Curaçao is at an early stage in the definition of its energy sector. Despite some infrastructural legacies of the pre-independence era, as well as a number of recent developments including the modernization and expansion of its windfarms and completion of a modern Electricity Policy, there are still a number of important institutional and policy gaps within the energy sector in Curaçao. The most significant deficiency is the absence of a ministry or Government agency with portfolio responsibility for the energy sector as a whole; this has: limited the degree to which the activities of energy sector stakeholders are coordinated and retarded the development and implementation of a comprehensive national energy policy. The absence of an energy policy, which provides the framework for energy planning, increases investor risk. Also, the lack of political continuity that has emanated from the frequent changes in Government administrations is a concern among stakeholders and has served to reduce investor confidence in particular, and market confidence in general.

Differential Expression of Myogenic Regulatory Factor Genes in the Skeletal Muscles of Tambaqui Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier 1818) from Amazonian Black and Clear Water

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Angiotensin II AT(1) receptor mutants expressed in CHO cells caused morphological change and inhibition of cell growth

To assess the importance of the leucine residues in positions 262 and 265 of the angiotensin AT, receptor for signaling pathways and receptor expression and regulation, we compared the properties of CHO cells transfected with the wild type or the L262D or L265D receptor point mutants. It was found that the two mutants significantly increased the basal intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) formation in an agonist-independent mode. The morphology transformation of CHO cells was correlated with the increased cAMP formation, since forskolin, a direct activator of adenylate cyclase mimicked this effect on WT-expressing CHO cells. DNA synthesis was found to be inhibited in these cell lines, indicating that cAMP may also have determined the inhibitory effect on cell growth, in addition to the cell transformation from a tumorigenic to a non-tumorigenic phenotype. However a role for an increased Ca2(+) influx induced by the mutants in non-stimulated cells cannot be ruled out since this ion also was shown to cause transformed cells to regain the morphology and growth regulation. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regulatory mechanism of the light-activable allosteric switch LOV-TAP for the control of DNA binding: a computer simulation study

The spatio-temporal control of gene expression is fundamental to elucidate cell proliferation and deregulation phenomena in living systems. Novel approaches based on light-sensitive multiprotein complexes have recently been devised, showing promising perspectives for the noninvasive and reversible modulation of the DNA-transcriptional activity in vivo. This has lately been demonstrated in a striking way through the generation of the artificial protein construct light-oxygen-voltage (LOV)-tryptophan-activated protein (TAP), in which the LOV-2-Jα photoswitch of phototropin1 from Avena sativa (AsLOV2-Jα) has been ligated to the tryptophan-repressor (TrpR) protein from Escherichia coli. Although tremendous progress has been achieved on the generation of such protein constructs, a detailed understanding of their functioning as opto-genetical tools is still in its infancy. Here, we elucidate the early stages of the light-induced regulatory mechanism of LOV-TAP at the molecular level, using the noninvasive molecular dynamics simulation technique. More specifically, we find that Cys450-FMN-adduct formation in the AsLOV2-Jα-binding pocket after photoexcitation induces the cleavage of the peripheral Jα-helix from the LOV core, causing a change of its polarity and electrostatic attraction of the photoswitch onto the DNA surface. This goes along with the flexibilization through unfolding of a hairpin-like helix-loop-helix region interlinking the AsLOV2-Jα- and TrpR-domains, ultimately enabling the condensation of LOV-TAP onto the DNA surface. By contrast, in the dark state the AsLOV2-Jα photoswitch remains inactive and exerts a repulsive electrostatic force on the DNA surface. This leads to a distortion of the hairpin region, which finally relieves its tension by causing the disruption of LOV-TAP from the DNA.

Mechanistic insights from the crystal structures of a feast/famine regulatory protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Rv3291c gene from Mycobacterium tuberculosis codes for a transcriptional regulator belonging to the (leucine responsive regulatory protein/regulator of asparigine synthase C gene product) Lrp/AsnC-family. We have identified a novel effectorbinding site from crystal structures of the apo protein, complexes with a variety of amino acid effectors, X-ray based ligand screening and qualitative fluorescence spectroscopy experiments. The new effector site is in addition to the structural characterization of another distinct site in the protein conserved in the related AsnC-family of regulators. The structures reveal that the ligandbinding loops of two crystallographically ndependent subunits adopt different conformations to generate two distinct effector-binding sites. A change in the conformation of the binding site loop 100–106 in the B subunit is apparently necessary for octameric association and also allows the loop to interact with a bound ligand in the newly identified effector-binding site. There are four sites of each kind in the octamer and the protein preferentially binds to aromatic amino acids. While amino acids like Phe, Tyr and Trp exhibit binding to only one site, His exhibits binding to both sites. Binding of Phe is accompanied by a conformational change of 3.7A ° in the 75–83 loop, which is advantageously positioned to control formation of higher oligomers. Taken together, the present studies suggest an elegant control mechanism for global transcription regulation involving binding of ligands to the two sites, individually or collectively.

Functional regulatory spaces

This article develops the concept of “Functional Regulatory Space” (FRS) in order to analyze the new forms of State action addressing (super) wicked problems. A FRS simultaneously spans several policy sectors, institutional territories and levels of government. It suggests integrating previous policy theories that focused on “boundary-spanning regime,” “territorial institutionalism” or multi-level governance. The FRS concept is envisaged as a Weberian “ideal-type” of State action and is applied to the empirical study of two European cases of potential FRS: the integrated management of water basins and the regulation of the European sky through functional airspace blocks. It will be concluded that the current airspace regulation does match the ideal-type of FRS any better than the water resource regulation does. The next research step consists in analyzing the genesis and institutionalization of potential FRS addressing other (super) wicked problems such as climate change and economic, security, health and immigration issues in different institutional contexts as well as at various levels of governance.