The American Democracy in the 21st Century

This paper puts forward a theory of democracy most suited for American politics given the plurality of ideological interests at play in the United States. This plurality, which I call the fact of ideological diversity, dictates that in order for our government to be truly democratic, the political forum must foster opinions from all ideological considerations, not just the most dominant ones. I also demonstrate that given the nature of free institutions and our governmental structure, prior attemps by philosophers to reconcile a diversity of ideological interests using a procedural format is not sufficient to forming a wholly democratic political domain

The double RGB in M 2: C, N, Sr and Ba abundances

The globular cluster M 2 has a photometrically detected double red giant branch (RGB) sequence. We investigate here the chemical differences between the two RGBs in order to gain insight in the star formation history of this cluster. The low-resolution spectra, covering the blue spectral range, were collected with the MODS spectrograph on the LBT, and analyzed via spectrum synthesis technique. The high quality of the spectra allows us to measure C, N, Ba, and Sr abundances relative to iron for 15 RGB stars distributed along the two sequences. We add to the MODS sample C and N measurements for 35 additional stars belonging to the blue RGB sequence, presented in Lardo et al. (2012). We find a clear separation between the two groups of stars in s-process elements as well as C and N content. Both groups display a C-N anti-correlation and the red RGB stars are on average richer in C and N with respect to the blue RGB. Our results reinforce the suggestion that M2 belongs to the family of globular clusters with complex star formation history, together with Omega Cen, NGC 1851, and M 22.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Risk-adjusted performance indicators in life insurance

The paper approaches the potential of risk-adjusted performance indicators in life insurance, with special reference to a structured policy. The final issue is the computation of risk adjusted indicators as a tool to evaluate the portfolio given a policy structure. The computation of such indicator could be suitable for the appraisal of both portfolio optimization and potential profits of the structured policy. The selection tool is put into an asset and liability management decision making context, where the relationship between expected surplus and capital at risk are compared. The analysis is applied to a structured temporary annuity and is treated by means of Monte Carlo simulations

Challenges and opportunities for more efficient water use and circular wastewater management. The case of Campania Region, Italy

By 2050, global demand for water is expected to increase by some 55% due to population growth and urbanization. The utilization of large amounts of freshwater in the world, generate huge volumes of wastewater of which, globally, more than 80% is discharged without treatment, thus causing impacts on aquatic ecosystems, human health and economic productivity. More sustainable practices of wastewater management are expected as a way towards circular bioeconomy (CBE) processes, whose goal is to implement closed systems promoting the systematic use of recycling, reuse and recovery of bioproducts and by-products and the reduction of waste generation. This approach, if adopted in the water and wastewater sector, can ensure environmental, economic and social benefits. The reuse of wastewater, on the one hand, reduces the volume of wastewater and the pressure on water bodies; on the other hand, the recovery of nutrients (P or N) and/or other high value bioproducts (biogas, cellulose, biopolymers) from wastewater offers numerous advantages in terms of supplying new raw bio-based materials that can be refed back to supply chains (thus substituting fossil resources) and, at the same time, producing cleaner water to be reused. Nevertheless, while in Europe many industries have demonstrated the ability to recycle and reuse water, in many regions of Italy the sustainable management of water and wastewater is not yet consolidated. In this study we explore the available technological, economic and environmental options concerning water use and wastewater treatment and we apply them to design appropriate scenarios for improved use efficiency and circular management. A comprehensive literature review of the most promising wastewater treatment processes for resources and energy valorization was conducted. The recovery of PHAs, struvite, nitrogen and algal biomass, as potential substitutes for conventional PET, phosphate and nitrogen chemical fertilizers and electricity, respectively, in addition to reusable treated water, were hypothesized and carefully discussed. Resulting scenarios are tested against the present situation of Campania Region (situated in Southern Italy) based on population and demand statistics, in order to develop strategies and policies potentially applicable locally and elsewhere

Epoetin alfa increases frataxin production in Friedreich's ataxia without affecting hematocrit.

Objective of the study was to test the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of two single doses of Epoetin alfa in patients with Friedreich's ataxia. Ten patients were treated subcutaneously with 600 IU/kg for the first dose, and 3 months later with 1200 IU/kg. Epoetin alfa had no acute effect on frataxin, whereas a delayed and sustained increase in frataxin was evident at 3 months after the first dose (+35%; P < 0.05), and up to 6 months after the second dose (+54%; P < 0.001). The treatment was well tolerated and did not affect hematocrit, cardiac function, and neurological scale. Single high dose of Epoetin alfa can produce a considerably larger and sustained effect when compared with low doses and repeated administration schemes previously adopted. In addition, no hemoglobin increase was observed, and none of our patients required phlebotomy, indicating lack of erythropoietic effect of single high dose of erythropoietin. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society

Somatic instability of the expanded GAA triplet-repeat sequence in Friedreich ataxia progresses throughout life

Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) patients are homozygous for expanded GAA triplet-repeat alleles in the FXN gene. Primary neurodegeneration involving the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) results in progressive ataxia. While it is known that DRG are inherently sensitive to frataxin deficiency, recent observations also indicate that they show age-dependent, further expansion of the GAA triplet-repeat mutation. Whether somatic instability is progressive has not been systematically investigated in FRDA patients. Small pool PCR analysis of ~2300 individual molecules from tissues of an 18-week fetus, homozygous for expanded alleles, revealed very low levels of instability compared with adult-derived tissues (4.2% versus 30.6%, P<0.0001). Mutation load in blood samples from multiple patients and carriers increased significantly with age, ranging from 7.5% at 18-weeks gestation to 78.7% at 49y (R=0.91; P=0.0001). Therefore, somatic instability in FRDA occurs mostly after early embryonic development and progresses throughout life, lending further support to the role of postnatal somatic instability in disease pathogenesis

Avaliação do amaciamento de melão Galia 'Solar King' tratado com 1-MCP (1-metilciclopropreno) através da firmeza da polpa e tomografia de RM.

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de doses de 1-MCP (0, 100, 300 e 900 ppb) sobre o amaciamento da polpa (firmeza e tomografia de RM) e a formação da região de abscisão do pedúnculo, durante o armazenamento (24,5 ± 0,9ºC e 86,4 ± 7,9%) de melão Galia 'Solar King'. O 1-MCP atrasou a evolução de ambas as variáveis. As melhores respostas foram obtidas com 300 e 900 ppb, recomendando-se a primeira como dose econômica