Why Aren't Developed Countries Saving?

National saving rates differ enormously across developed countries. But these differences obscure a common trend, namely a dramatic decline over time. France and Italy, for example, saved over 17 percent of national income in 1970, but less than 7 percent in 2006. Japan saved 30 percent in 1970, but only 8 percent in 2006. And the U.S. saved 9 percent in 1970, but only 2 percent in 2006. What explains these international and intertemporal differences? Is it demographics, government spending, productivity growth or preferences? Our answer is preferences. Developed societies are placing increasing weight on the welfare of those currently alive, particularly contemporaneous older generations. This conclusion emerges from estimating two models in which society makes consumption and labor supply decisions in light of uncertainty over future government spending, productivity, and social preferences. The two models differ in terms of the nature of preference uncertainty and the extent to which current society can control future societies' spending and labor supply decisions.

Public perceptions of forests across Italy: An exploratory national survey

In a context of progressive expansion of the Italian forest area, we present the results of a national survey exploring public perception of forests across different geographical scales in Italy. Perceptions of forests are assessed in rela-tion to popular beliefs on relevant environmental issues such as countering climate change, protecting biodiversity, and promoting social cohesion and environmental education. Participants (N = 1059) living in five different regions of Northern (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Piemonte), Central (Lazio, Molise) and Southern Italy (Puglia), were recruited in the survey and completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Survey questions regarded the estimated percentage of forest cover, the perceived importance of different environmental issues and of different material and non-material forest products, as well as partici-pants’ perceptions regarding connectedness to nature. Results revealed a gen-eralized tendency to overestimate the extension of forest surface area in the participants’ region, in Italy, and in the European Union. Results also showed high scores for participants’ perceived importance of environmental issues, such as climate change and biodiversity protection, and in their belief that forests could play a positive role in addressing these issues and providing im-portant outcomes and benefits for the quality of human life, such as health and well-being or social cohesion

Inter-annual and decadal changes in teleconnections drive continental-scale synchronization of tree reproduction

Climate teleconnections drive highly variable and synchronous seed production (masting) over large scales. Disentangling the effect of high-frequency (inter-annual variation) from low-frequency (decadal trends) components of climate oscillations will improve our understanding of masting as an ecosystem process. Using century-long observations on masting (the MASTREE database) and data on the Northern Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), we show that in the last 60 years both high-frequency summer and spring NAO, and low-frequency winter NAO components are highly correlated to continent-wide masting in European beech and Norway spruce. Relationships are weaker (non-stationary) in the early twentieth century. This finding improves our understanding on how climate variation affects large-scale synchronization of tree masting. Moreover, it supports the connection between proximate and ultimate causes of masting: indeed, large-scale features of atmospheric circulation coherently drive cues and resources for masting, as well as its evolutionary drivers, such as pollination efficiency, abundance of seed dispersers, and natural disturbance regimes

Ocorrência de insetos em espécies de adubos verdes num sistema sob transição agroecológica, em Dourados, MS

bitstream/item/66245/1/31296.pdfOrganizado por: Alberto Feiden, Milton Parron Padovan, Adalgiza Inês Campolim, Aurélio Vinícius Borsato, Ivo de Sá Motta, João Batista Catto, Tércio Jacques Fehlauer

Finding and treating gaucher disease type 1 - The role of the haematologist

Gaucher disease (GD) type 1 is the most common lysosomal storage disease and the most common genetic disorder among Ashkenazi Jews. The majority of patients with GD present with unexplained splenomegaly and/or thrombocytopenia, and the disorder often affects children; consequently, haematologists and paediatricians are ideally placed to diagnose this condition. Prompt management of GD type 1 using enzyme-replacement therapy or substrate reduction therapy can reduce the risk of developing long-term GD complications and reverse many of the initial signs/symptoms, thereby improving both quality and duration of life. Treatment is most effective when initiated early; consequently, a prompt diagnosis is essential. Despite this, the average time to diagnosis following the onset of clinical symptoms is 4 years. Reasons for the delay include the heterogeneous nature of the disease, together with a lack of awareness of rare haematological disorders and the benefits of early treatment. Indeed, studies show that only 20% of haematologists consider GD type 1 in their differential diagnosis for patients presenting with splenomegaly and/or thrombocytopenia. To help raise awareness of GD, reduce the diagnostic delay and prevent unnecessary tissue biopsies, simple diagnostic algorithms and screening tools have been developed and validated, both in adults and in children

Avaliação de substratos de húmus de minhoca na produção de mudas de alface (Lactuca sativa) cultivar Lucy Brown.

bitstream/item/68817/1/020-nascimento-avaliacao.pdfPublicado também no Cadernos de Agroecologia, v. 7, n.2, 2012

Avaliação de substratos à base de húmus de minhoca e casca de arroz carbonizada para produção de mudas de mamoeiro.

bitstream/item/68816/1/019-silva-avaliacao.pdfPublicado também no Cadernos de Agroecologia, v. 7, n.2, 2012

Incidência de bicho-mineiro em diferentes cultivares de cafeeiro em sistema agroecológico.

bitstream/item/68482/1/061-Incidencia-de-bicho-mineiro-em-diferentes-cultivares-de-cafeeiro.pdfPublicado também no Cadernos de Agroecologia, v. 7, n. 2, 2012

Adição de fécula de mandioca no pão francês.

A Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura está divulgando a tecnologia que orienta a adição de fécula de mandioca (amido, polvilho ou goma) à farinha de trigo para a fabricação do tradicional pão francês. Resultados de trabalhos realizados pela Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos, em parceria com outros institutos de pesquisa, conduzidos em planta piloto, plantas comerciais e indústrias de panificação, indicam que a substituição da farinha de trigo por fécula de mandioca, na proporção de 10 a 15%, dependendo da qualidade da farinha de trigo usada, praticamente não afeta as características de cor, sabor e textura da casca e miolo do pão