Analyzing the relationship between oil prices and renewable energy sources in Italy during the first COVID-19 wave through quantile and wavelet analyses

The paper aims to analyze the evolution of oil prices and renewable energy production in Italy during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis with daily data for the period January 2020-September 2020 through several time series techniques (long memory test and spectral causality analysis) and Wavelet Analysis tools. Italy has been the first country all over the world to be severely hit by the pandemic, reacting immediately with strong restrictive measures. The applied results show that oil prices and renewable energy sources were highly correlated during the pandemic shock. Moreover, causality tests reveal a unidirectional flow running from solar, hydro, and wind sources to oil prices, highlighting the relevance of the effect of the energy transition on the oil market. It is also imperative for a country that is a net energy resources importer to achieve a more sustainable way of production and accelerate the energy transition process, especially during phases of high fossil fuel prices

Calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity selectively labels accessory optic nuclei and pathways of the rat visual system.

The present study shows the distribution of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunolabeled neuronal somata and fibers in the accessory optic system of adult rats. CGRP-immunoreactive cell bodies were small to medium-sized and mostly fusiform or oval-shaped. Both immunolabeled somata and fibers were found in the dorsal and lateral terminal nuclei as well as in the interstitial nucleus of the superior fasciculus (posterior fibers); whereas only immunoreactive fibers were found in the ventral division of the medial terminal nucleus, particularly its rostral portion. These results indicate that CGRP-containing neurons are present in all nuclear components of the accessory optic system and suggest that this neuropeptide may play a neuromodulative role in eye movements

Wagner’s Law and Peacock and Wiseman’s Displacement Effect in European Union Countries: A Panel Data Study

Wagner’s Law is the fi rst model of public expenditure in the history of public fi nance. It suggests that during the process of economic development the share of public spending in national income tends to expand (Wagner, 1883). Nevertheless, Peacock and Scott in 2000 wrote a paper entitled “The curious attraction of Wagner’s law,” explaining the reasons for why this (apparently) outworn theory is still studied by modern economists. On the other hand, Keynes (1936) considered public spending as an exogenous factor to be used as a policy instrument to infl uence growth. Moreover, Peacock and Wiseman (1961) presented the displacement effect, according to which during times of war tax rates are increased to generate more revenues, sustaining the increase in defense spending. While Peacock and Wiseman (1979) surveys the literature on public expenditure growth. This paper aims to analyze the relationship between public expenditure and aggregate income in European Union countries, for the period 1980-2013, using panel data methodologies. After a brief introduction, a survey of the economic literature on this issue is discussed. Then, panel data tests on stationarity, cross-dependence, cointegration, and causality are shown. Finally, some notes on policy implications conclude the paper

Gas Turbine Coatings Eddy-Current Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation

Gas turbine blades (buckets) are among the most critical and expensive components of the engine. Buckets rely on protective coatings in order to withstand the harsh environment in which they operate. The thickness and the microstructure of coatings during the lifespan of a unit are fundamental to evaluate their fitness for service. A frequency scanning Eddy Current instrument can allow the measurement of the thickness and of physical properties of coatings in a Non-Destructive manner. The method employed relies on the acquisition of impedance spectra and on the inversion of the experimental data to derive the coating properties and structure using some assumptions. This article describes the experimental validation performed on several samples and real components in order to assess the performance of the instrument as a coating thickness gage. The application of the technique to support residual life assessment of serviced buckets is also presented

Synaptic and neurochemical features of calcitonin gene-related peptide containing neurons in the rat accessory optic nuclei.

Within the rodent visual system, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is selectively expressed in neurons in the accessory optic nuclei (AON), including the dorsal terminal nucleus (DTN), lateral terminal nucleus (LTN) and medial terminal nucleus (MTN). To determine whether CGRP-immunoreactive neurons are involved in visual circuitry, electron microscopic preparations were analyzed from normal rats and rats with optic nerve transections. A co-localization analysis was also made because CGRP-labeled neurons had features of GABAergic neurons. Thus, sections were prepared for light microscopy to determine whether CGRP-containing neurons also had glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and other markers for GABAergic neurons, such as calcium binding proteins: calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR) and parvalbumin (PV). Electron microscopy of the DTN and LTN showed CGRP-labeled somata and dendrites that were postsynaptic to axon terminals forming asymmetric synapses. Many of these axon terminals degenerated following optic nerve transection indicating that retinal ganglion cells form synapses with CGRP-labeled neurons in the AON. In the DTN, LTN and MTN, CGRP-labeled axon terminals formed symmetric synapses with unlabeled somata as well as dendritic shafts and spines. Consistent with this type of synapse being GABAergic were the co-localization data showing that about 90% of the CGRP-labeled neurons co-localized GAD in the AON. Many CGRP-labeled neurons showed immunostaining for CR (40%) whereas only a few had labeling for CB (5%). No CGRP-labeled neurons had PV. These data show that CGRP-containing neurons receive direct retinal input and represent a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons which differentially co-express calcium-binding proteins

GABAergic neurons comprise a major cell type in rodent visual relay nuclei: an immunocytochemical study of pretectal and accessory optic nuclei.

The enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) has been localized in sections of rodent brains (gerbil, rat) using conventional immunocytochemical techniques. Our findings demonstrate that large numbers of GAD-positive neurons and axon terminals (puncta) are present in the visual relay nuclei of the pretectum and the accessory optic system. The areas of highest density of these neurons are in the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) of the pretectum, the dorsal and lateral terminal accessory optic nuclei (DTN, LTN), the ventral and dorsal subdivisions of the medial terminal accessory optic nucleus (MTNv, MTNd), and the interstitial nucleus of the posterior fibers of the superior fasciculus (inSFp). The findings indicate that 27% of the NOT neurons are GAD-positive and that these neurons are distributed over all of the NOT except the most superficial portion of the NOT caudally. The GAD-positive neurons of the NOT are statistically smaller (65.9 microns2) than the total population of neurons of the NOT (84.3 microns2) but are otherwise indistinguishable in shape from the total neuron population. The other visual relay nuclei that have been analyzed (DTN, LTN, MTNv, MTNd, inSFp) are similar in that from 21% to 31% of their neurons are GAD-positive; these neurons are smaller in diameter and are more spherical than the total populations of neurons. The data further show that a large proportion of the neurons in these visual relay nuclei are contacted by GAD-positive axon terminals. It is estimated that approximately one-half of the neurons of the NOT and the terminal accessory optic nuclei receive a strong GABAergic input and have been called "GAD-recipient neurons". Further, the morphology of the GAD-positive neurons combined with their similar distribution to the GAD-recipient neurons suggest that many of these neurons are acting as GABAergic, local circuit neurons. On the other hand, the large number of GAD-positive neurons in the NOT and MTN (20-30%) in relation to estimates of projection neurons (75%) presents the possibility that some may in fact be projection neurons. The overall findings provide morphological evidence which supports the general conclusion that GABAergic neurons play a significant role in modulating the output of the visually related NOT and terminal accessory optic nuclei

Diagnostic and therapeutic path of breast cancer: Effectiveness, appropriateness, and costs â Results from the DOCMa study

none8noopenGiovagnoli, Maria Rosaria; Bonifacino, Adriana; Neglia, Cosimo; Benvenuto, Marco; Sambati, Francesco Vincenzo; Giolli, Lorenzo; Giovagnoli, Alessandra; Piscitelli, PriscoGiovagnoli, Maria Rosaria; Bonifacino, Adriana; Neglia, Cosimo; Benvenuto, Marco; Sambati, Francesco Vincenzo; Giolli, Lorenzo; Giovagnoli, Alessandra; Piscitelli, Prisc