Intentionality and free-will: the crucial effects of neuronal networks on human evolution

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Factors Driving University Choice: A Principal Component Analysis on Italian Institutions

[EN] When investigating students’ motivations to enroll in university, a wide range of elements related to the overall student experience concerning both the institution and the surrounding context should be taken into account. The current study moves from this point to analyse students’ choice factors from a survey completed by 27,705 students across 23 Italian institutions by means of a logistic Principal Component Analysis. Results confirm the presence of multiple factors jointly influencing students’ choice, with geographical proximity, job opportunities in the region, university reputation and ease of access opposing one another. Aggregating results at institutional level, students’ distribution prove to be highly heterogeneous across universities. From this, a managerial tool is provided to position student population and derive strategic implications.  Finally, policy considerations are reported.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Azzone, G.; Soncin, M. (2018). Factors Driving University Choice: A Principal Component Analysis on Italian Institutions. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 733-741. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.8076OCS73374

Differential Effects of Rotenone and Amytal on Mitochondrial Electron and Energy Transfer

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OXIDATION OF CHOLINE IN RAT LIVER MITOCHONDRIA.

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Ion Transport in Liver Mitochondria IV. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ION TRANSLOCATION AND ELECTRON TRANSPORT

Abstract Addition of small amounts of Ca++ to liver mitochondria incubated in the absence of phosphate or acetate results in an inhibition of respiration. The inhibition of respiration is reversed by increasing the concentration of substrate anions in the medium, and is enhanced by increasing the ionic strength or the pH of the medium. The H+:O and Ca++:O ratios are increased severalfold when measured under conditions of inhibited respiration. Furthermore, mitochondria which have entered a state of inhibited respiration continue to take up Ca++ and to release H+. It is concluded that the above stoichiometries in the absence of phosphate or acetate are determined by both uninhibited and inhibited respirations. The higher the concentration of Ca++, the larger is the contribution of the inhibited respiration. In the presence of acetate, the Ca++ to total oxygen ratio is in the region of 2.0 to 2.5 with succinate as substrate. The inhibition of respiration is related to the increase of the intramitochondrial pH as followed kinetically with the bromthymol blue technique. The bromthymol blue response is dependent on the rate of influx of anions. Increasing the ionic strength and pH enhances the bromthymol blue response, presumably by restraining the influx of anions. The mechanism by which the inhibition of respiration causes the superstoichiometric ratios is discussed

Determinants for university students’ location data sharing with public institutions during COVID-19: The Italian case

Data on real-time individuals’ location may provide significant opportunities for managing emergency situations. For example, in the case of outbreaks, besides informing on the proximity of people, hence supporting contact tracing activities, location data can be used to understand spatial heterogeneity in virus transmission. However, individuals’ low consent to share their data, proved by the low penetration rate of contact tracing apps in several countries during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, re-opened the scientific and practitioners’ discussion on factors and conditions triggering citizens to share their positioning data. Following the Antecedents → Privacy Concerns → Outcomes (APCO) model, and based on Privacy Calculus and Reasoned Action Theories, the study investigates factors that cause university students to share their location data with public institutions during outbreaks. To this end, an explanatory survey was conducted in Italy during the second wave of COVID-19, collecting 245 questionnaire responses. Structural equations modeling was used to contemporary investigate the role of trust, perceived benefit, and perceived risk as determinants of the intention to share location data during outbreaks. Results show that respondents’ trust in public institutions, the perceived benefits, and the perceived risk are significant predictor of the intention to disclose personal tracking data with public institutions. Results indicate that the latter two factors impact university students’ willingness to share data more than trust, prompting public institutions to rethink how they launch and manage the adoption process for these technological applications

Ion transport in liver mitochondria. I. Metabolism-independent Ca++ binding and H+ release.

Abstract 1. Liver mitochondria are able to bind large amounts of Ca++ through a process which is independent of metabolism. The amount of Ca++ bound is increased by increasing the pH of the medium and is decreased by the addition of univalent cations. The binding of Ca++ to the mitochondria is a function of the concentration of Ca++ in the medium and is affected by the Ca++ to protein ratio. 2. A large part of the metabolism-independent binding of Ca++ occurs in a space which is rendered accessible to univalent cations by valinomycin or gramicidin. In fact when the mitochondria are pretreated with valinomycin or gramicidin, the binding of Ca++ is increased in a sucrose medium and decreased in a KCl or NaCl medium. The competition between Ca++ and univalent cations has been studied. 3. The metabolism-independent binding of Ca++ is coupled to a release of H+ or of K+. The conditions affecting the exchange between divalent and univalent cations are studied and data are reported on the stoichiometry of H+:Ca++ and K+:Ca++ in normal and valinomycin-treated mitochondria

How to measure the innovation ecosystems’ shared value? A balanced approach.

Measuring shared value created in innovation ecosystems is increasingly relevant, but complex, given the multidimensional and multistakeholder nature of both these concepts. Therefore, despite academics and practitioners show high interest in this issue, the literature lacks the introduction and application of a tool that could be used to effectively measure the shared value created in innovation ecosystems. The present research inserts in this gap, by developing an integrated approach to design a shared value balanced scorecard for innovation ecosystems, grounding on the most recent literature both on innovation ecosystems performance measurement and on shared value creation