Measuring Euro Area Monetary Policy Transmission in a Structural Dynamic Factor Model

We study the effects of euro area common monetary policy by means of a structural dynamic factor model estimated on a large panel of euro area quarterly series. While we estimate a flat response of prices to a monetary policy shock, which we explain as aggregation of heterogeneous country-specific responses, we find no relevant asymmetries between countries in terms of output reaction. However, for both Spain and Italy, we find asymmetries in consumption, investment and unemployment. The introduction of the single currency in 1999 has helped reducing asymmetries in price responses but not in consumption and investment.

Fabrication of Air-Bridges for Millimeter Wave Integrated Circuits

High frequencies and sub-micron geometries inherent in today’s millimeter wave integrated circuits mandate utilization of low capacitance cross-over structures such as the air-bridge. A silicon based aluminum air-bridge fabrication process is described. The structure and capacitances associated with these aluminum air-bridges was evaluated for potential use in the fabrication of integrated circuit acoustical disturbance sensors

L’impatto ambientale ed economico del cambiamento climatico sull’agricoltura

I cambiamenti climatici rappresentano uno dei problemi ambientali più dibattuti da parte della pubblica opinione, delle comunità scientifiche, dei governi nazionali. L’agricoltura, che per la sua stessa natura è il settore produttivo più direttamente influenzato dagli eventi climatici, è potenzialmente esposto a grandi rischi, se il trend dei cambiamenti climatici ipotizzato da più parti a livello planetario dovesse davvero verificarsi. Il lavoro presenta i primi risultati conseguiti nell’ambito del progetto FISR “Modello integrato per l’evoluzione degli ecosistemi naturali e agricoli in relazione ai cambiamenti climatici nell’area mediterranea” (M.I.C.E.N.A.), Attività 13 (Analisi tecnico-economica delle variazioni dei principali indicatori di pressione ambientale), giunto alla fine del secondo anno di attività, dei tre previsti. L’obiettivo della ricerca è quello di verificare le conseguenze economiche ed ambientali degli eventuali cambiamenti climatici sull’agricoltura in alcune aree campione dell’Umbria, attraverso simulazioni condotte con l’aiuto di modelli in grado di restituire, oltre ai risultati economici, anche una serie di indicatori capaci di sintetizzare i principali effetti ambientali. La prima fase del lavoro è consistita nella rilevazione ed analisi dei dati territoriali di base relativi alle tre aree di studio umbre (Asta del Tevere, Lago Trasimeno e Conca Ternana) ai fini dell’implementazione degli archivi necessari per il funzionamento del modello di valutazione tecnica, economica ed ambientale (Luciani, Melis, Sediari, 2006). Il modello inizialmente scelto per condurre le simulazioni è stato Planetor (CFFM, 1994), che successivamente è stato affiancato da CropSyst, un altro modello che, dopo i primi test, si è rivelato più adatto per il conseguimento degli obiettivi della ricerca. Alcune funzionalità di Planetor, tuttavia, sono state utilizzate ai fini di una migliore comprensione dei risultati ottenuti con CropSyst. Inoltre, tutto il lavoro di predisposizione degli archivi dei dati tecnici, climatici, podologici (Boggia, Klair, 1995), è rimasto valido anche per l’utilizzo in CropSyst. La simulazione degli scenari di riferimento e la successiva rappresentazione dei risultati sono state eseguite utilizzando un Sistema Informativo Territoriale (SIT), sfruttando in questo modo la possibilità di collegamento di CropSyst con un’interfaccia GIS. Nel presente lavoro sono presentati i primi risultati, relativi a due decenni e su tre aree 2 campione, e viene affrontata una prima analisi ed interpretazione degli stessi, ed una discussione sul percorso metodologico impostato ed utilizzato.

On Yanomami ceremonial dialogues: a political aesthetic of metaphorical agency

The Yanomami ceremonial dialogues (wayamou) are a ritualized form of verbal exchange aimed at inter-community conflict resolution. This paper is devoted to describing and analyzing these ceremonial dialogues, taking a closer look at a. the significance of their tropic nature; b. the role played by knowledge acquired in dreams; and c. the manner in which « naming » the forest socializes space, peopling it not only with communities, but also with resources and exchange possibilities. I shall demonstrate that this combination of features delineates a political aesthetics reminiscent of shamanic form and efficacy. Such proximity suggests lines of continuity between political and religious agency, helping to bridge the gap Amazonianist anthropology has carved between the analysis of intra-human politics and that between humans and non-humans.Los diálogos ceremoniales yanomami (wayamou) son una forma ritualizada de intercambio verbal orientada a la resolución de conflictos intercomunitarios. Este trabajo describe y analiza estos diálogos enfocándose en a. el significado de su carácter metafórico; b. el papel del conocimiento adquirido en sueños; y c. la forma en que el nombramiento del territorio socializa el espacio, poblándolo no solo de comunidades, sino también con sus recursos y posibilidades de intercambio. Trataré de demostrar que esta combinación de características nos coloca frente una estética política propia del chamanismo. Esta proximidad sugiere una continuidad entre tipos de agencia politíca y religiosa que puede ayudar a acortar la distancia que la antropología amazonista ha creado entre el análisis de la politica intra-humana y aquella que se lleva a cabo entre humanos y no-humanos.Les dialogues cérémoniaux yanomami (wayamou) sont une forme ritualisée d’échange verbal destinée à la résolution des conflits entre les communautés. Ce travail décrit et analyse ces dialogues en tenant compte : a. du sens de son caractère métaphorique ; b. du rôle des connaissances acquises lors des rêves ; et c. de la façon dont les dénominations données au territoire socialisent l’espace, tout en le peuplant non pas seulement de communautés mais aussi de ressources et de possibilités d’échanges. J’essaierai de montrer que cette combinaison de caractéristiques relève d’une esthétique politique propre au chamanisme. Cette proximité suggère une continuité entre différents types d’agence politique et religieuse. On pourra ainsi tenter de réduire les distances que l’anthropologie amazonienne a crée entre l’analyse de la politique entre les humains et celle qui se tient entre les humains et les non-humains

Articulação de sistemas médicos, diálogos cerimoniais e reuniões políticas: comentários sobre a antimestiçagem cosmopolítica para além do interétnico

Este texto visa ilustrar, por meio da etnografia de dois contextos, o primeiro do campo médico e o segundo do campo político, como os Yanomami da região do Alto Orinoco, na Venezuela, fazem combinações de práticas, objetos e ideias provenientes de seu mundo e o mundo dos brancos que mantém a diferença yanomami/brancos, apesar da sua mistura. Ofereço estes exemplos como um exercício de exploração em torno da ideia de antimestiçagem, como uma forma indígena de mistura sem fusão, isto é, de mistura que mantém explícita a origem diversa dos elementos de um composto

Kopenawa Davi et Bruce Albert, La chute du ciel. Paroles d’un chaman yanomami

Depuis plus d’une dizaine d’années, le bruit courait dans les milieux de l’ethnologie que le tandem Kopenawa-Albert concoctait quelque chose de réellement exceptionnel. Certaines prémices avaient même déjà circulé (Albert 1993 ; Albert et Kopenawa 2003 ; Viveiros de Castro 2007). L’attente en aura valu la peine ! car voici un opus magnum sans équivalent dans l’anthropologie amazoniste. Nul doute que La chute du ciel… entrera dans le panthéon des grands textes de l’anthropologie et laissera un..

Emotional management and biological markers of dietetic regimen in chronic kidney disease patients

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between psychological characteristics and biological markers of adherence in chronic kidney disease patients receiving conservative therapy, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis (PD), or kidney transplantation. Seventy-nine adult patients were asked to complete the following questionnaires: Toronto Alexithymia scale, Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Short Form Health Survey. Biological markers of adherence to treatment were measured. Peritoneal dialysis patients showed a lower capacity to feel pleasure from sensorial experience (p = .011) and a higher values of phosphorus compared to the other patients’ groups (p = .0001). The inability to communicate emotions was negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels (r = −(0).69; p = .001) and positively correlated with phosphorus values in the PD patients (r = .45; p = .050). Findings showed higher psychological impairments and a lower adherence to the treatment in PD patients and suggest the implication of emotional competence in adherence to treatment.The aim of the study was to investigate the association between psychological characteristics and biological markers of adherence in chronic kidney disease patients receiving conservative therapy, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis (PD), or kidney transplantation. Seventy-nine adult patients were asked to complete the following questionnaires: Toronto Alexithymia scale, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Short Form Health Survey. Biological markers of adherence to treatment were measured. Peritoneal dialysis patients showed a lower capacity to feel pleasure from sensorial experience (p = .011) and a higher values of phosphorus compared to the other patients' groups (p = .0001). The inability to communicate emotions was negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels (r = -(0).69; p = .001) and positively correlated with phosphorus values in the PD patients (r = .45; p = .050). Findings showed higher psychological impairments and a lower adherence to the treatment in PD patients and suggest the implication of emotional competence in adherence to treatment

Studio di alcune caratteristiche compositive di oli vergini di oliva sardi e corsi in relazione all'origine geografica

Percent trygliceride composition, total carotenoids and chlorophylles and the main quality parameters of 110 and 29 extra-virgin oils most important Sardinian and Corsican production places, respectively, have been inspected. Statistical analysis of data revealed that some of the above cited components can serve as discriminatory factors to exactly define the origin of the oil, while others do not. On the other hand, some similarity has been found with other components of the two islands. In particular, it has been found that an exact identification of place of origin is easily achieved for zones 2 (south Sardinia) and 3 (north-west Sardinia), because they show the significantly highest content of POL trygliceride and palmitoleic acid or SOO trygliceride and stearic acid, respectively. Moreover, zones 2 and 3 have the significant lowest content of OOO and PSO tryglicerides, respectively. A cross comparison of parameters allows the place of origin identification for the remaining zones as well. A geographical discrimination of Corsican oils is possible only for those marked as AB, B and G, due to their significantly higher content of LLL, OLLn and PPO tryglicerides, with respect to the other places of origin. No statistical difference was found for S, Z and C oils. Su 110 oli vergini d'oliva sardi e su 29 corsi provenienti dalle principali zone olivicole delle due isole sono stati determinati: composizione percentuale in trigliceridi e alcuni parametri primari della qualità, e, limitatamente ai campioni sardi, gli acidi grassi e il contenuto di caroteni e clorofille totali. L'elaborazione statistica dei risultati ottenuti ha permesso di individuare la presenza di arcuni componenti, che fungono da discriminanti in funzione della zona di provenienza degli oli. Altri componenti, invece, risultano omogenei tra l'intera produzione sarda e corsa. In particolare, si è visto che è possibile discriminare agevolmente gli oli della Sardegna meridionale (zona 2) e della Sardegna nord-occidentale (zona 3) perché presentano il più alto contenuto dal punto di vista statistico del trigliceride POL e di SOO inoltre, hanno iI pill basso contenuto dei triglicerldi OOO (zona 2) e PSO (zona 3). Per le altre zone, invece, è possibile, tramite il controllo di più parametri, risalire alla provenienza. Per gli oli corsi la caratterizzazione geografica e varietale è possibile per quelli siglati AB, B e G, riconoscibili per un significativo maggior contenuto, rispetto aile altre provenienze, rispettivamente dei trigliceridi LLL, OLLn e PPO. Non è stata invece riscontrata una distinzione statisticamente significativa per gli oli siglati S, Z e C

Urinary cortisol-creatinine ratio in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism

Background Basal serum cortisol (BSC) >= 2 mu g/dL (>55 nmol/L) has high sensitivity but low specificity for hypoadrenocorticism (HA). Objective To determine whether the urinary corticoid:creatinine ratio (UCCR) can be used to differentiate dogs with HA from healthy dogs and those with diseases mimicking HA (DMHA). Animals Nineteen healthy dogs, 18 dogs with DMHA, and 10 dogs with HA. Methods Retrospective study. The UCCR was determined on urine samples from healthy dogs, dogs with DMHA, and dogs with HA. The diagnostic performance of the UCCR was assessed based on receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, calculating the area under the ROC curve. Results The UCCR was significantly lower in dogs with HA (0.65 x 10(-6); range, 0.33-1.22 x 10(-6)) as compared to healthy dogs (3.38 x 10(-6); range, 1.11-17.32 x 10(-6)) and those with DMHA (10.28 x 10(-6); range, 2.46-78.65 x 10(-6)) (P < .0001). There was no overlap between dogs with HA and dogs with DMHA. In contrast, 1 healthy dog had a UCCR value in the range of dogs with HA. The area under the ROC curve was 0.99. A UCCR cut-off value of <1.4 yielded 100% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity in diagnosing HA. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The UCCR seems to be a valuable and reliable screening test for HA in dogs. The greatest advantage of this test is the need for only a single urine sample

An Image-Based Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Mitral Regurgitation in Presence of Prolapse

Purpose: In this work we performed an imaged-based computational study of the systolic fluid dynamics in presence of mitral valve regurgitation (MVR). In particular, we compared healthy and different regurgitant scenarios with the aim of quantifying different hemodynamic quantities. Methods: We performed computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations in the left ventricle, left atrium and aortic root, with a resistive immersed method, a turbulence model, and with imposed systolic wall motion reconstructed from Cine-MRI images, which allowed us to segment also the mitral valve. For the regurgitant scenarios we considered an increase of the heart rate and a dilation of the left ventricle. Results: Our results highlighted that MVR gave rise to regurgitant jets through the mitral orifice impinging against the atrial walls and scratching against the mitral valve leading to high values of wall shear stresses (WSSs) with respect to the healthy case. Conclusion: CFD with prescribed wall motion and immersed mitral valve revealed to be an effective tool to quantitatively describe hemodynamics in case of MVR and to compare different regurgitant scenarios. Our findings highlighted in particular the presence of transition to turbulence in the atrium and allowed us to quantify some important cardiac indices such as cardiac output and WSS