PPP: a risk approach in the water sector

Objective: This thesis provides a theoretical and managerial contribution on how PPP can address risk in the water sector in developing countries. Three thesis objectives support the results. The first identifies literature contributions, the second is related to the perception of risk management by different stakeholders, and the third concerns the risk approach in PPP water contracts in developing countries. Design: A hybrid method combining systematic, semantic network, and narrative analysis review of previous research supported the first objective. To answer the second thesis’ objective, a semi-structured interview using quantitative and qualitative analysis identified the perception of risk management in PPP water projects. To support the third objective, a case study provided interesting insights regarding the risk approach in PPP contracts Findings: From a total of 122 studies, the first objective, identified five main PPP research domains: risk management, contracts, infrastructure, governance, and financing and tariffs. Twenty-five risk factors with high impact were established as a result of the semiinterviews. The top-five critical risk factors are related to political interference, no baselines for performance measurement, unfavourable global private investment climate, non-payment of bills and water asset condition uncertainty. The case study showed how PPP contracts can fail for not having risk management concerns and we have underestimated risks as conflicts between partners. The traditional risk management approach in PPP contracts showed that there is space to improve. The key risk indicators approach was proposed. Originality: Research outputs showed that PPP laws and sector legislation should be permanently adapted to the local needs. The traditional risk management framework fails to provide a solution. The key risk indicators introduce a paradigm shift, which provides useful guidelines for future studies.Objectivo: Esta tese tem como objetivo ser uma contribuição teórica para a abordagem de como os contratos de Parcerias Públicas Privadas (PPP) abordam a gestão de risco no sector da água em países em vias de desenvolvimento. Os três objetivos da tese suportam os resultados apresentados. O primeiro identifica as contribuições da literatura, o segundo recai sobre a perceção de especialistas sobre a abordagem do risco e o terceiro capta a abordagem do risco dos contratos do tipo PPP em países em vias de desenvolvimento. Metodologia: Com o objetivo de responder ao primeiro objetivo da tese, foi aplicada uma metodologia híbrida através da combinação de uma revisão bibliográfica sistemática, semântica e análise narrativa. Os contributos do segundo objetivo da tese, suportaram-se em entrevistas semiestruturadas através do recurso à estatística descritiva e análise de conteúdo. O terceiro e último objetivo teve como base um estudo de caso. Resultados: A revisão da literatura identificou um total de 122 estudos e a existência de cinco campos relevantes nos contratos do tipo PPP: gestão de risco, contratos, infraestruturas, governança, aspetos financeiros e tarifas. O resultado do segundo estudo identificou vinte e cinco fatores de risco. Os cinco fatores que apresentaram uma maior frequência foram: interferência política, ausência de bases de medição do desempenho, um contexto de investimento desfavorável, o não pagamento das faturas e o desconhecimento do estado de preservação das infraestruturas. Os resultados do terceiro estudo mostraram que o sucesso de um contrato do tipo PPP pode ser comprometido na ausência de uma gestão de risco adequada, onde as gestões de conflitos entre parceiros sejam subestimadas em termos contratuais. A temática gestão de risco nos contratos do tipo PPP tem oportunidades de melhoria. Assim, propõe-se a introdução de indicadores chave de desempenho do risco. Originalidade: As leis com impacto nos contratos do tipo PPP devem ser continuamente atualizadas e adaptadas às distintas realidades. É proposta uma alteração de paradigma através da introdução dos indicadores chave de desempenho do risco, fornecendo possíveis linhas orientadoras para pesquisa futura

A regulação do sector do saneamento em Portugal : uma perspectiva económica

Mestrado em EconomiaO sector da Água e Saneamento esta fortemente marcado pela intervenção directa do Estado. Apesar de serem indústrias distintas, ainda co-existe uma plataforma comum ao nível das políticas orientadoras. Apesar da inexistência de uma política comum ao nível comunitário, surge uma tendência liberalizadora entre todos os Estados Membros. Sendo o papel de cada país preparar da melhor forma este sector de tão vital importância para o bem-estar das populações, para uma possível abertura ao sector privado. Este trabalho versa essencialmente sobre o actual molde regulatório, em vigor no nosso país, balizando as suas virtudes e principais obstáculos. A análise das características e as tendências de organização e pricing do sector a nível Europeu são desenvolvidas com base em análise de literatura e relatórios. A segunda parte aborda o caso Português, incorporando uma análise do modelo de organização e gestão, os pontos e fracos do mesmo, e demonstrando com um caso concreto as dificuldades financeiras das entidades gestoras, causadas pelo actual modelo. Ao nível dos contributos a nível académico, pretende-se para além de desenvolver uma sistematização dos possíveis modelos regulatórios, efectuouse uma revisão bibliográfica das diversas formas de pricing para os monopólios naturais. Nos contributos da componente prática, destaca-se uma revisão do actual estado dos sistemas de água e saneamento na Europa e em particular em Portugal, evidenciando a problemática da sua sustentabilidade económicofinanceira, procurando novos caminhos para a sua resolução. A reorganização interna e re-definição do pricing em vigor, são considerados dois pontos-chave para o sucesso do actual modelo regulatório em vigor. ABSTRACT: The Water and Sewerage fields are heavily subject to state intervention. Although being two distinct industries they share a common base for orientation policies. Even in the absence of a European Union common policy, emerges a tendency towards liberalisation amongst member states. These industries being of such an importance for the well being of populations that it is capital for each country to prepare for a possible opening to the private sector. This research will explore the current Portuguese regulatory frame, analysing its virtues and downsides. The analysis of the characteristics, organisational trends and pricing of the industry is based on literature and reports. Part two is dedicated to the case of Portugal including a study of the organizational and management models. A case study is used to illustrate the financial issues caused by the present model. From an academic stand point this work aims at a systematization of the regulatory models, based on an in-depth bibliographical research of the several type of pricing within the natural monopolies. In practice this work shows the current situation of the The Water and Sewerage systems in Europe and particularly Portugal. Highlighting the problems of its economic and financial sustainability and looking for new ways to solve them. The internal reorganization and re-definition of pricing are considered two key points to the success of the current regulatory model

Pseudoboehmite as a drug delivery system for acyclovir

Herpes simplex virus is among the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections. Acyclovir is a potent, selective inhibitor of herpes viruses and it is indicated for the treatment and management of recurrent cold sores on the lips and face, genital herpes, among other diseases. The problem of the oral bioavailability of acyclovir is limited because of the low permeability across the gastrointestinal membrane. The use of nanoparticles of pseudoboehmite as a drug delivery system in vitro assays is a promising approach to further the permeability of acyclovir release. Here we report the synthesis of high purity pseudoboehmite from aluminium nitrate and ammonium hydroxide containing nanoparticles, using the sol–gel method, as a drug delivery system to improve the systemic bioavailability of acyclovir. The presence of pseudoboehmite nanoparticles were verified by infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. In vivo tests were performed with Wistar rats to compare the release of acyclovir, with and without the addition of pseudoboehmite. The administration of acyclovir with the addition of pseudoboehmite increased the drug content by 4.6 times in the plasma of Wistar rats after 4 h administration. We determined that the toxicity of pseudoboehmite is low up to 10 mg/mL, in gel and the dried pseudoboehmite nanoparticles.The authors thank the Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Texas Tech University, Mack Pesquisa, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES), Cnpq, and FAPESP (grant 2010/19157-9 and grant 2017/22396-4) for the sponsorship to this project

Coherent coupling between radio frequency, optical, and acoustic waves in piezo-optomechanical circuits

The interaction of optical and mechanical modes in nanoscale optomechanical systems has been widely studied for applications ranging from sensing to quantum information science. Here, we develop a platform for cavity optomechanical circuits in which localized and interacting 1550 nm photons and 2.4 GHz phonons are combined with photonic and phononic waveguides. Working in GaAs facilitates manipulation of the localized mechanical mode either with a radio frequency field through the piezo-electric effect, or optically through the strong photoelastic effect. We use this to demonstrate a novel acoustic wave interference effect, analogous to coherent population trapping in atomic systems, in which the coherent mechanical motion induced by the electrical drive can be completely cancelled out by the optically-driven motion. The ability to manipulate cavity optomechanical systems with equal facility through either photonic or phononic channels enables new device and system architectures for signal transduction between the optical, electrical, and mechanical domains

Orthogonal decomposition of left ventricular remodeling in myocardial infarction

Left ventricular size and shape are important for quantifying cardiac remodeling in response to cardiovascular disease. Geometric remodeling indices have been shown to have prognostic value in predicting adverse events in the clinical literature, but these often describe interrelated shape changes. We developed a novel method for deriving orthogonal remodeling components directly from any (moderately independent) set of clinical remodeling indices. Results: Six clinical remodeling indices (end-diastolic volume index, sphericity, relative wall thickness, ejection fraction, apical conicity, and longitudinal shortening) were evaluated using cardiac magnetic resonance images of 300 patients with myocardial infarction, and 1991 asymptomatic subjects, obtained from the Cardiac Atlas Project. Partial least squares (PLS) regression of left ventricular shape models resulted in remodeling components that were optimally associated with each remodeling index. A Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization process, by which remodeling components were successively removed from the shape space in the order of shape variance explained, resulted in a set of orthonormal remodeling components. Remodeling scores could then be calculated that quantify the amount of each remodeling component present in each case. A one-factor PLS regression led to more decoupling between scores from the different remodeling components across the entire cohort, and zero correlation between clinical indices and subsequent scores. Conclusions: The PLS orthogonal remodeling components had similar power to describe differences between myocardial infarction patients and asymptomatic subjects as principal component analysis, but were better associated with well-understood clinical indices of cardiac remodeling. The data and analyses are available from www.cardiacatlas.org

Hybrid nanomembranes for high power and high energy density supercapacitors and their yarn application

Ultrathin (thicknessnm) electrically conducting membranes can be used as electrodes for sensors, actuators, optical devices, fuel cells, scaffolds for assembling nanoparticles, and separation of biological macromolecules.1-6 Various approaches have been suggested for the fabrication of free-standing nanomembranes based on organic polymers and/or inorganic materials: spin-casting of films,7 layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers,8 cross-linking of self-assembled monolayers,9 and assembly of triblock copolymers.10,11 Loading materials such as gold nanoparticles12 or carbon nanotubes13 make membranes robust and electrically conductive. However, these methods are often time-consuming and have some limitations in terms of achievable electrical and electrochemical membrane performance as well as scale-up. Alternative approaches are needed for the preparation of mechanically robust, free-standing, conductive nanomembranes that could be easily manufactured

Comparison of 5-year progression of retinitis pigmentosa involving the posterior pole among siblings by means of SD-OCT: a retrospective study

The blockchain technology promises to transform finance, money and evengovernments. However, analyses of blockchain applicability and robustness typicallyfocus on isolated systems whose actors contribute mainly by running the consensusalgorithm. Here, we highlight the importance of considering trustless platformswithin the broader ecosystem that includes social and communication networks. Asan example, we analyse the flash-crash observed on 21st June 2017 in the Ethereumplatform and show that a major phenomenon of social coordination led to acatastrophic cascade of events across several interconnected systems. We proposethe concept of “emergent centralisation” to describe situations where a single systembecomes critically important for the functioning of the whole ecosystem, and arguethat such situations are likely to become more and more frequent in interconnectedsocio-technical systems. We anticipate that the systemic approach we propose willhave implications for future assessments of trustless systems and call for the attentionof policy-makers on the fragility of our interconnected and rapidly changing world