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Existe una variada evidencia empírica que documenta que muchos consumidores no reclaman compensación o reemplazo cuando descubren que el producto adquirido presenta una falla. Este hecho reduce los costos de las empresas que pueden tener incentivos a bajar la calidad de los productos. Desde los sesenta las asociaciones de consumidores comenzaron a fomentar a que los consumidores ejerzan sus derechos. En este trabajo analizamos las implicancias de reducir el costo de reclamar de los consumidores en las deciciones sobre precio y calidad de empresas monolísticas. Encontramos que la empresa puede elegir producir un producto de menor calidad cuando estas asociaciones están presentes. El mecanismo es el siguiente: la reducción en los costos de reclamar no solo incrementa la proporción de reclamantes entre los compradores sino que también incrementa el deseo a pagar por el producto. Este segundo efecto surge porque es más barato garantizarse un producto bueno a través de los reclamos, el cuál generate que menor sensibilidad de la demanda a la calidad del producto. Un incremento en el número de reclamos motiva incrementar la calidad, pero la reducción en la sensiblidad de la demanda motiva reducir la calidad. Cuando el segundo efecto domina la calidad cae. Proveemos evidencia sobre los Recalls en el mercado de autos de USA con concilia nuestros resultados.

Ribosomal stalk proteins are known to play important role in protein synthesis. The ‘stalk’, an extended structure on the large subunit of the ribosome is composed mainly of two to three dimers of L12 and one L10 protein, which forms the base of the stalk. In E. coli, four copies of L12 molecules exist as dimer of dimers forming the pentameric L8 complex together with L10. This thesis is a collection of four interlinked studies on the structure, function and application of the ribosomal stalk protein L12. In the first study, we have mapped the interaction sites of the four major translation GTPase factors (IF2, EF-Tu, EF-G & RF3) on L12 molecule using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. Surprisingly, all these factors produced an overlapping interaction map spanning two α-helices on the C terminal domain of L12, thereby suggesting a general nature of the interaction between L12 and the GTPase factors. L12 is known to stimulate GTPase activity of the elongation factors EF-Tu and EF-G. Here, we have clarified the role of L12 in IF2 mediated initiation of protein synthesis. Our data suggest that rapid subunit association requires a specific interaction between the L12 protein on the 50S and IF2·GTP on the 30S preinitiation complex. We have also shown that L12 is not a GAP for IF2 and GTP hydrolysis triggers IF2 release from the 70S initiation complex. The next question we have addressed is why multiple copies of L12 dimer are needed on the ribosome. For this purpose, we created a pure E. coli strain JE105, where the terminal part of rplJ gene coding for the binding site of one L12 dimer on protein L10 was deleted in the chromosomal locus. Using ribosomes with single L12 dimer we have observed that the rate of the initiation and elongation involving IF2 and EF-G gets most compromised, which in turn decreases the growth rate of the bacteria.  This study also indicates that L12 can interact with different GTPase factors in a specialized manner. Lastly, we have developed an application making advantage of the multiple L12 dimers on the ribosome. By inserting a (His)6-tag at the C-terminus of the L12 protein we have created a novel E. coli strain (JE28), where all ribosomes are tetra-(His)6-tagged. Further, we have developed a single step method for purification of the active (His)6-tagged ribosomes from JE28.

<i>Brucella abortus</i> is capable of resisting the microbicidal mechanisms of phagocytic cells and growing within phagocytic cells, usually macrophages. <I>B. abortus</i>, like several other intracellular bacteria responds to the hostile environment in macrophages by producing heat shock proteins (HSPs) which are induced by environmental stresses. Bacterial HSPs are very immunogenic, eliciting both cellular and humoral immune responses in the infected host. The significance of host cellular and protective immune responses directed against these proteins is currently unresolved. Baculovirus recombinants were generated in <i>Sf9</i> insect cells for <i>B. abortus</i> HSPs and the protein expression was optimized. Humoral (Western blot), cell mediated (CMI, IFN-g- release by splenocytes, and CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+ T cell/ total splenocytes ratios) and protective immune responses of BALB/c mice (challenge with virulent <i>B. abortus</i> 2308) against these recombinants, against <i>B. abortus</i> superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ribosomal L7/L12 proteins, inoculated alone or in various combinations with complete Freund's, Ribi and recombinant IL-12 as adjuvants, were analyzed. Vaccinia virus-GroEL recombinant as priming immunogen, followed by baculovirus-GroEL-Ribi booster, was explored. Androstenediol, an immune up-regulator, was tested for its ability to induce resistance against challenge. None of the mice inoculated with individual, divalent or trivalent HSP-expressing <i>Sf9</i> cells combined with Freund's were protected against challenge and the <i>Sf9</i> cell-induced response masked the recombinant protein-specific CMI responses. Recombinant HSPs were purified and combined with Ribi. Although significant IFN-g release was induced by immunization with the HtrA-Ribi combination, no mice were protected against challenge. Priming with vaccinia virus-GroEl recombinant and boosting with purified baculovirus-GroEL protein-Ribi combination did not induce protection. Androstenediol did not enhance in vivo resistance to challenge. IL-12 alone did not activate splenocytes but induced significant IFN-g release in mice when combined with killed <i>B. abortu</i>s RB51 vaccine, purified recombinant HtrA or purified SOD proteins, or L7/L12 expressing <i>Escherichia coli</i> cells. Significant protection was induced by SOD combined with IL-12. No correlation was seen between IFN-g release by splenocytes and protection against challenge in the SOD/IL-12-immunized mice. The results suggest that <i>B. abortus</i> HSPs are not highly immunogenic in mice and though various immune responses may be induced by one or another HSPs, protective immune response, unfortunately, is not among them. The results of this study reflect the difficulties in experimenting with immune responses against single or a limited number of recombinant <i>B. abortus</i> proteins. This is particularly true when the task includes induction of a protective immune response and finding significant correlation between different types of immune response assays. / Ph. D.

Yes / Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Aeromonas caviae strain L12, which shows quorum-sensing activity. The availability of this genome sequence is important to the research of the quorum-sensing regulatory system in this isolate. / High Impact Research Grants from the University of Malaya (A000001-50001; UM-MOHE HIR Grant UM C/625/1/HIR/MOHE/CHAN/14/1, H-50001-A000027)

This paper looks at the effects of different forms of wholesale and retail regulation on retail competition in fixed network telephony markets. We explicitly model two asymmetries between the incumbent operator and two entrants: (i) While the incumbent has zero marginal costs, the entrant has the wholesale access charge as (positive) marginal costs; (ii) While the incumbent is setting a two-part tariff at the retail level (fixed fee and calls price), the entrant can only set a linear price for calls. We model the product of the incumbent as horizontally differentiated from the products of the entrants who are homogenous and do not have any market power. Competition from other infrastructures such as mobile telephony or cable is modelled as an "outside opportunity" for consumers. We find that entrants without market power might be subject to a margin squeeze if the wholesale access price is set at average costs and competitive pressure from other infrastructures increases. Product differentiation, however, prevents market foreclosure. We argue that a wholesale price regulation at average costs is not optimal in such a situation and discuss retail-minus and deregulation as potential alternatives. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers / Research Institute for Regulatory Economics

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第21768号 / 工博第4585号 / 新制||工||1714(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科材料工学専攻 / (主査)教授 乾 晴行, 教授 安田 秀幸, 教授 辻 伸泰 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

La plasticité des protéines joue un rôle majeur dans l'expression de leur fonction. Or, les déplacements amples de groupes d'atomes à l'intérieur des protéines sont souvent difficiles à étudier expérimentalement. Par exemple, on ne sait dire ce qui distingue entre eux les sous-états conformationels mis en évidence par Frauenfelder. Pour préciser l'interprétation de ce type de donnée expérimentale, les méthodes de dynamique moléculaire seraient idéales si le calcul de trajectoires d'environ 100 nsec était possible. La méthode de dynamique moléculaire confinée que nous avons développée repose sur la description que donne la théorie des modes normaux des mouvements amples et lents d'une protéine. Elle permet de calculer des trajectoires beaucoup plus longues que d'ordinaire. Cependant, un comportement anharmonique méconnu perturbe le déroulement des trajectoires calculées ainsi, et ce même dans le cas d'un polypeptide ne subissant aucun changement de conformation (la décaalanine). Pour préciser les voies de développement ultérieur de notre méthode, la dernière partie de cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude d'un mouvement ample et lent d'une petite protéine, le fragment C-terminal de la protéine ribosomale L7/L12.

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