Municipal transitions: The social, energy, and spatial dynamics of sociotechnical change in South Tyrol, Italy

With the aim of proposing recommendations on how to use social and territorial specificities as levers for wider achievement of climate and energy targets at local level, this research analyses territories as sociotechnical systems. Defining the territory as a sociotechnical system allows us to underline the interrelations between space, energy and society. Groups of municipalities in a region can be identified with respect to their potential production of renewable energy by means of well-known data-mining approaches. Similar municipalities linking together can share ideas and promote collaborations, supporting clever social planning in the transition towards a new energy system. The methodology is applied to the South Tyrol case study (Italy). Results show eight different spatially-based sociotechnical systems within the coherent cultural and institutional context of South Tyrol. In particular, this paper observes eight different systems in terms of (1) different renewable energy source preferences in semi-urban and rural contexts; (2) different links with other local planning, management, and policy needs; (3) different socio-demographic specificities of individuals and families; (4) presence of different kinds of stakeholders or of (5) different socio-spatial organizations based on land cover. Each energy system has its own specificities and potentialities, including social and spatial dimensions, that can address a more balanced, inclusive, equal, and accelerated energy transition at the local and translocal scale

GIS-based approach for assessing the energy potential and the financial feasibility of run-off-river hydro-power in Alpine valleys

In the last decade, European attractive policies are favoring the construction of new run-off hydro-power plants. The realization cost of these plants is quite low in mountain areas thanks to small water discharges and high gross heads. For this reason, small rivers have been strongly exploited without considering an optimal use of the resource. Nowadays, available sites are often in areas with low accessibility and a greater specific cost of civil engineering works. However, during the planning of new small hydro-power plants, the dependency of physical, technical, legal and financial variable on space is often not assessed. The tool presented in this paper addresses this gap to support the planning of run-off-river plants. The method improves on previous approaches by (1) integrating all the legal, technical and financial analysis in a GIS tool, and (2) trying to validate the site-specific model with local knowledge. The tool is applied to the Gesso and Vermenagna valleys in the Alps. Information and data were collected and discussed with local stakeholders in order to improve the model results

Kinematic Effects in Quarkonia Production

We investigate energy (momentum) distributions in J/Psi photoproduction and J/Psi production in B meson decay. In particular the upper endpoint region of the spectrum is examined where the effect of soft gluon emission from the ccbar pair becomes important. Constructing a model which is consistent with the so-called shape function formalism we consider these fragmentation effects and show that the relevance of possible colour octet contributions in the photoproduction channel is still inconclusive.Comment: LaTeX, 7 pages, 3 figures, The complete paper is also available via the www at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/Preprints

Phosphoinositides differentially regulate bacterial uptake and Nramp1-induced resistance to Legionella infection in Dictyostelium

Membrane phosphatidylinositides recruit cytosolic proteins to regulate phagocytosis, macropinocytosis and endolysosomal vesicle maturation. Here, we describe effects of inactivation of PI3K, PTEN or PLC on Escherichia coli and Legionella pneumophila uptake by the professional phagocyte Dictyostelium discoideum. We show that L. pneumophila is engulfed by macropinocytosis, a process that is partially sensitive to PI3K inactivation, unlike phagocytosis of E. coli. Both processes are blocked by PLC inhibition. Whereas E. coli is rapidly digested, Legionella proliferates intracellularly. Proliferation is blocked by constitutively expressing Nramp1, an endolysosomal iron transporter that confers resistance against invasive bacteria. Inactivation of PI3K, but not PTEN or PLC, enhances Legionella infection and suppresses the protective effect of Nramp1 overexpression. PI3K activity is restricted to early infection and is not mediated by effects on the actin cytoskeleton; rather L. pneumophila, in contrast to E. coli, subverts phosphoinositide-sensitive fusion of Legionella-containing macropinosomes with acidic vesicles, without affecting Nramp1 recruitment. A model is presented to explain how Legionella escapes fusion with acidic vesicles and Nramp1-induced resistance to pathogens

Observation of the Decay \u3ci\u3eD\u3c/i\u3e\u3csub\u3es\u3c/sub\u3e\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e → ωπ\u3csup\u3e+\u3c/sup\u3e

Using e+e- annihilation data collected by the CLEO II detector at CESR, we have observed the decay Ds+ → ωπ+. This final state may be produced through the annihilation decay of the i\u3eDs+, or through final state interactions. We find a branching ratio of γ(Ds+ → ωπ+)/γ(Ds+ →ηπ+) = 0.16±0.04±0.03, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic

CLEO Contributions to Tau Physics

We review many of the contributions of the CLEO experiment to tau physics. Topics discussed are: branching fractions for major decay modes and tests of lepton universality; rare decays; forbidden decays; Michel parameters and spin physics; hadronic sub-structure and resonance parameters; the tau mass, tau lifetime, and tau neutrino mass; searches for CP violation in tau decay; tau pair production, dipole moments, and CP violating EDM; and tau physics at CLEO-III and at CLEO-c.Comment: Invited talk at the Seventh International Workshop on Tau Lepton Physics (TAU02), Santa Cruz, Ca, USA, Sept 2002, 14 pages, LaTeX, 21 eps figure

Uma década de fidelidade partidária e sua desconstrução

Trabalho de conclusão de curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, 2017.O presente trabalho pretende fazer uma análise acerca da instituição da fidelidade partidária e os desdobramentos que ocorreram diante desta nova restrição nas migrações partidárias. O estudo faz uma abordagem acerca do contexto político em que a fidelidade partidária é inserida, verificando o fenômeno migratório partidário no sistema político brasileiro e a recepção deste instituto no ordenamento jurídico. A partir disso, estudando como o poder legislativo, o principal afetado por essa mudança política, lidou com essa limitação na atividade política.This paper intends to analyze the institution of party loyalty and the developments that occurred in the face of this new restriction on party migration. The study approaches the political context in which party loyalty is inserted, verifying the phenomenon of partisan migration in the Brazilian political system and the reception of this institute in the legal system. Based on that, studying how the legislative power, the most affected by this political change, dealt with the limitation in political activity

Power of Forest Stakeholders in the Participatory Decision Making Process: A Case Study in Northern Italy

AbstractIn European countries, current forest use aims to enhance goods and services supplied by forest ecosystems, taking into account the multiple needs and interests of society through a participatory process. A successful participatory process requires a thorough analysis of stakeholders’ perceptions and preferences. The aim of this paper is to investigate the differences between stakeholders’ perceived influence and real power in forest management. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 51 forest stakeholders in a case study in the Italian Alps. Perceived influence was measured by asking stakeholders to rate on a 5-point scale the extent to which they can influence forest management issues. Real power was analyzed using social network analysis (SNA), investigating the relationships that stakeholders have with each other in the network. Real power was measured using a Freeman’s degree centrality measure, which focuses on the direct ties coming in and out for each stakeholder. The results show that public administration is the category of stakeholders with the most power in all forest management issues, while the actors of the tourism sector are in a marginal position. In addition, the results of the study suggest that in many cases stakeholders have a distorted perception of their own power.</jats:p

Uma década de fidelidade partidária e sua desconstrução

Trabalho de conclusão de curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, 2017.O presente trabalho pretende fazer uma análise acerca da instituição da fidelidade partidária e os desdobramentos que ocorreram diante desta nova restrição nas migrações partidárias. O estudo faz uma abordagem acerca do contexto político em que a fidelidade partidária é inserida, verificando o fenômeno migratório partidário no sistema político brasileiro e a recepção deste instituto no ordenamento jurídico. A partir disso, estudando como o poder legislativo, o principal afetado por essa mudança política, lidou com essa limitação na atividade política.This paper intends to analyze the institution of party loyalty and the developments that occurred in the face of this new restriction on party migration. The study approaches the political context in which party loyalty is inserted, verifying the phenomenon of partisan migration in the Brazilian political system and the reception of this institute in the legal system. Based on that, studying how the legislative power, the most affected by this political change, dealt with the limitation in political activity