Business Models for Sustainable Finance: The Case Study of Social Impact Bonds

Business models for sustainability (BMfS) are relevant topics on research agendas, given their orientation toward sustainability issues. However, traditional versions of these models are often ill-equipped at solving complex social problems. Cross-sector partnerships for sustainability (CSPfS) have been recognized as a new paradigm that mitigates the failure of traditional models. Impact investing, and social impact bonds (SIBs) in particular, represent an interesting field of research in innovative business models for sustainable finance, even though the literature does not consider SIBs within this broader field. We propose an exploratory study based on qualitative methods aimed at conceptualizing SIBs within the framework of BMfS and understanding how SIB collaboration varies across social sectors and geographical areas. Our study identifies three different models of SIBs characterized by the different degrees of collaboration between actors: (i) SIB as a fully collaborative partnership; (ii) SIB as a low-collaborative partnership; and (iii) SIB as a partially collaborative partnership. Our findings are useful to policy makers and practitioners involved in the SIB design, suggesting that a fully collaborative SIB model may stand a better chance of achieving the expected social impacts

Análise estrutural dos diques e brechas tectônicas da região leste do Gráben da Guanabara, Estado do Rio de Janeiro

O Gráben da Guanabara, localizado no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, é uma feição geológico-estrutural topográfica deprimida em relação à Serra do Mar, gerada durante o Paleoceno. A sua evolução tectônica ao longo do Paleógeno é caracterizada por uma deformação rúptil que afetou os diques de diabásio associados ao magmatismo toleítico eocretácico, e de rochas alcalinas, associados ao magmatismo alcalino que atuou do Cretáceo Superior ao Eoceno Inferior-Médio. Esse último evento deformacional gerou também falhas acompanhadas de brechação e silicificação, em um estágio final do magmatismo alcalino. A compreensão do controle estrutural exercido sobre os eventos de magmatismo toleítico e alcalino exige uma análise da deformação imposta sobre os diques e brechas da região leste do Gráben da Guanabara. Para isso, dados estruturais como direção dos diques/brechas, planos de falha, estrias de falha e fraturas foram levantados nas regiões de Saquarema, Araruama, Macaé, Carapebus e Conceição de Macabú. A análise estrutural e cinemática desses dados estruturais permitiu a determinação de campos de paleotensões locais no interior do Gráben que controlaram a intrusão e deformação desses corpos. Adicionalmente, foram coletadas amostras dos diques e brechas tectônicas, visando a sua caracterização e classificação petrográfica. Com base na composição modal, os diques foram classificados em diques de diabásio/basalto e de norito. Uma única brecha foi descrita, sendo considerada um cataclasito devido à proporção de matriz em relação aos clastos, que são formados essencialmente por quartzo e calcedônia. A deformação imposta sobre a área estudada foi dividida em dois conjuntos temporais distintos, sendo que o mais velho, de idade eocretácica, controlou o intrusionamento dos diques de diabásio e norito, enquanto o mais novo, de idade eocênica, foi acompanhado pela formação das brechas tectônicas silicificadas. Quanto aos diques de diabásio e norito, a análise cinemática dos dados geométricos de Macaé e Conceição de Macabú indicou a atuação de um regime de esforços direcional, com SHmáx, equivalente a σ1, alinhado NE-SW, e SHmin, perpendicular ao primeiro tensor. Já em Saquarema, os dados pareados indicaram a vigência de um campo de paleotensões extensivo puro, com SHmin, representado por σ3, horizontal e alinhado WSW-ENE, e σ2 também horizontal, alinhado N-S. 10 A formação das brechas tectônicas silicificadas de Araruama e Macaé foram controladas por um campo de paleotensões direcional, com SHmáx, representado por σ1, segundo a direção NE-SW, e SHmin, segundo a direção NW-SE. Já a brecha tectônica de Carapebus parece ter sido controlada por um regime de esforços extensivo, com σ1 alinhado N40E, paralelo à zona de falha onde está encaixada. As direções de SHmáx e SHmín de cada região investigada indicam a persistência desde o Eocretáceo, de uma distensão NW-SE, com uma componente compressional NE-SW. Em Macaé, o mesmo campo de paleotensões controlou tanto a intrusão dos diques de diabásio, no Cretáceo, quanto a formação da brecha tectônica, no Eoceno

Digital Topology Java Applet

We present here a java applet, accessible through the World Wide Web, which allows to apply to a binary digital image a series of topological algorithms for image processing

Dissecting the role of the elongation factor 1A isoforms in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by liposome-mediated delivery of siRNAs

Eukaryotic elongation factor 1A (eEF1A), a protein involved in protein synthesis, has two major isoforms, eEF1A1 and eEF1A2. Despite the evidences of their involvement in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the quantitative contribution of each of the two isoforms to the disease is unknown. We depleted the two isoforms by means of siRNAs and studied the effects in three different HCC cell lines. Particular care was dedicated to select siRNAs able to target each of the two isoform without affecting the other one. This is not a trivial aspect due to the high sequence homology between eEF1A1 and eEF1A2. The selected siRNAs can specifically deplete either eEF1A1 or eEF1A2. This, in turn, results in an impairment of cell vitality, growth and arrest in the G1/G0 phase of the cell cycle. Notably, these effects are quantitatively superior following eEF1A1 than eEF1A2 depletion. Moreover, functional tests revealed that the G1/G0 block induced by eEF1A1 depletion depends on the down-regulation of the transcription factor E2F1, a known player in HCC. In conclusion, our data indicate that the independent targeting of the two eEF1A isoforms is effective in reducing HCC cell growth and that eEF1A1 depletion may result in a more evident effect

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies in Alzheimer's Disease

Although motor deficits affect patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) only at later stages, recent studies demonstrated that primary motor cortex is precociously affected by neuronal degeneration. It is conceivable that neuronal loss is compensated by reorganization of the neural circuitries, thereby maintaining motor performances in daily living. Effectively several transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have demonstrated that cortical excitability is enhanced in AD and primary motor cortex presents functional reorganization. Although the best hypothesis for the pathogenesis of AD remains the degeneration of cholinergic neurons in specific regions of the basal forebrain, the application of specific TMS protocols pointed out a role of other neurotransmitters. The present paper provides a perspective of the TMS techniques used to study neurophysiological aspects of AD showing also that, based on different patterns of cortical excitability, TMS may be useful in discriminating between physiological and pathological brain aging at least at the group level. Moreover repetitive TMS might become useful in the rehabilitation of AD patients. Finally integrated approaches utilizing TMS together with others neuro-physiological techniques, such as high-density EEG, and structural and functional imaging as well as biological markers are proposed as promising tool for large-scale, low-cost, and noninvasive evaluation of at-risk populations

IPO-V2: A prospective, multicenter, randomized, comparative clinical investigation of the effects of sulodexide in preventing cardiovascular accidents in the first year after acute myocardial infarction

AbstractObjectives. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of sulodexide, a glycosaminoglycan compound with antithrombotic properties, in preventing death and thromboembotic events after acute myocardial infarction.Background. Antithrombotic therapy has been found to play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular events and death after acute myocardial infarction. Glycosaminoglycan-containing compounds, including sulodexide, show profibrinolytic and antithrombotic properties that render them suitable for use in patients after infarction.Methods. A total of 3,986 patients who had recovered from acute myocardial infarction were randomized to receive either the standard therapy routinely administered at each study center, excluding antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs (control group, 1,970 patients), or the standard therapy plus sulodexide (treated group, 2,016 patients). Between 7 and 10 days after the episode of acute myocardial infarction, sulodexide was administered as a single daily 600-lipoprotein-lipase-releasing unit (LRU) intramuscular injection for the 1st month, followed by oral capsules of 500 LRU twice daily. Patients were evaluated for ≥12 months.Results. At the end of the study, 140 (7.1%) were recorded in the control group and 97 (4.8%) in the sulodexide group (32% risk reduction, p = 0.0022, chi-square test). A total of 90 patients (4.6%) in the control group had a further infarction, compared with 66 (33%) in the sulodexide group (28% risk reduction, p = 0.035). Furthermore, a reduction in left ventricular thrombus formation (evaluated by echocardiography) was observed in the sulodeside group (n = 12; 0.6%), compared with values in the control group (n = 25; 1.3%) (53% risk reduction, p = 0.027). Sulodexide was well tolerated and devoid of significant adverse events. All significant results were confirmed by “actual treatment” analyses.Conclusions. The study provides evidence that long-term therapy with sulodexide started early after an episode of acute myocardial infarction is associated with reductions in total mortality, rate of reinfarction and mural thrombus formation

cytauxzoon sp infection in two free ranging young cats clinicopathological findings therapy and follow up

Two young brother male free-ranging domestic shorthair cats were evaluated for diarrhea. They presented with intraerythrocytic piroplasms on blood smear evaluation. Only the first cat was anemic (mild non-regenerative anemia). A partial segment of the 18S rRNA was amplified and sequenced, revealing a homology of 99% with Cytauxzoon sp. and of 93% with Cytauxzoon felis. The first cat was treated with doxycycline and imidocarb dipropionate and monitored by serial laboratory exams, resulting negative for Cytauxzoon sp. infection after the end of the therapy (follow-up period of 175 days). The second cat received the same therapy, but doxycycline was discontinued by the owner after 1 week. He was monitored for 130 days, remaining erythroparasitemic and asymptomatic. We described cases of Cytauxzoon sp. infection in domestic cats with detailed clinical data, description of two therapeutic protocols, and follow-up after treatment with opposite parasitological responses (parasitological cure versus persistence of infection). (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2014; 38: 185-9

Angiotensin receptor/Neprilysin inhibitor effects in CRTd non-responders: From epigenetic to clinical beside

We evaluated whether Angiotensin receptor/Neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI) reduce heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and deaths in cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRTd) non-responders patients at 12 months of follow-up, modulating microRNAs (miRs) implied in adverse cardiac remodeling

Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is safe during phase 2-3 of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: A multicenter, prospective, observational study

Background: Sars-Cov-2 epidemic in Italy caused one of the greatest 2020 European outbreaks, with suspension of elective bariatric/metabolic surgery (BMS). From May 2020 a significant decline of the epidemic has been observed (phase 2); National Health Service protocols permitted elective BMS' resumption. A new, more severe COVID-19 surge, the "second wave", started on October 2020 (phase 3).Aim: The primary end point was to analyze the outcomes of any Sars-Cov-2 infection and related morbidity/mortality within 30 POD after laparoscopic BMS during phase 2-3; secondary end points were readmission and reoperation rates.Methods: Study design prospective, multicenter, observational.Setting: Eight Italian high-volume bariatric centers. All patients undergoing BMS from July 2020 through January 2021 were enrolled according to the following criteria: no Sars-Cov-2 infection; primary procedures; no concomitant procedure; age > 18 < 60 years; compensated comorbidities; informed consent including COVID-19 addendum; adherence to specific admission, in-hospital and follow-up protocols. Data were collected in a prospective database. Patients undergone BMS during July-December 2019 were considered a control group.Results: 1258 patients were enrolled and compared with 1451 operated on in 2019, with no differences for demographics, complications, readmission, and reintervention rates. Eight patients (0.6%) tested positive for Sars-Cov-2 infection after discharge, as well as and 15 healthcare professionals, with no related complications or mortality.Conclusions: Introduction of strict COVID-19 protocols concerning the protection of patients and health-care professionals guaranteed a safe resumption of elective BMS in Italy. The safety profile was, also, maintained during the second wave of outbreak, thus allowing access to a cure for the obese population. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved