Can corruption erode confidence in political institutions smong European countries? comparing the effects of different measures of perceived corruption

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of corruption on institutional confidence through testing alternative perceptions-based indexes of corruption. Scholars who have investigated this topic have often employed only indicators of corruption based on experts\u2019 surveys. In this article we also consider a new index of corruption developed aggregating citizens\u2019 perceptions. The first part of the paper explores the levels of corruption perceived by the citizens of EU member states, stressing the differences with the experts\u2019 opinions. The second part tests, through a multivariate analysis, the impact of citizens\u2019 and experts\u2019 perceptions-based indexes of corruption on institutional confidence. The main results show that experts and citizens tend to express similar opinions on the extent of corruption in EU member states though, especially in some countries, these actors present some noticeable differences. Nevertheless, irrespective of the indexes used, more corrupt countries are characterized by lower levels of confidence in parliament and government. This relationship holds even controlling for the presence of reverse causality between corruption and confidence

Plant cover and management practices as drivers of soil quality

Human activities intensively modify soil properties and quality according to land-use and management practices. In Mediterranean areas, pollution and fires may directly alter some soil abiotic properties as well as the steady-state condition of soil microbiota. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the chemical and biological characteristics of two kinds of soil, Arenosols and Andosols, of a natural reserve and an urban park respectively, were affected by the same or different plant covers (trees and grasses). At each site, five sub-samples of surface soils (0–10 cm) were collected under maquis (trees) and gap of grasses. The soils were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters (organic matter and water contents, pH, C, N, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations) and biological parameters (microbial and fungal biomass, respiration, metabolic quotient and coefficient of endogenous mineralization). The soil quality was evaluated through an integrated index, calculated taken into account all the investigated parameters. The results highlighted that soils under trees inside the urban park, with the highest amount of organic matter, showed higher microbial biomass and activity as compared to soils under grasses. The high concentration of Cu and Pb in these latter soils inhibited the microbial biomass and activity that were not exclusively affected by litter quality. Soil quality would seem to be strongly affected by the pedogenetic derivation and the management practices more than plant covers

Preliminary Feasibility Study of a Water Space Reactor with an Innovative Reactivity Control System

Power limitation represents a major issue within space applications aimed to human settlements on solar system planets. Among these planets, Mars is considered the most attractive because of its nearness to the Earth and the probable presence of minerals which can be used by the settlers to live off the land. In this frame, small size nuclear power plants can be an interesting solution to overcome the energy supply problem. This paper presents a preliminary feasibility study of a 100 kWe self-pressurized water space reactor, with the aim to design a system characterized by compactness, intrinsic safety and simplicity of the main reactor control components. To this end an innovative reactivity control system, based on the control of the primary coolant mass flow rate, was adopted. The introduction of this system in the reactor design required a comprehensive core neutronics analysis in order to properly quantify the effect of the coolant on the reactor behaviour also as a function of the fuel burn-up. Here only the main results of this analysis, concerning neutron flux profiles and multiplication factors, are discussed. Moreover preliminary results on long term reactivity control are presented, showing the possibility to operate the reactor for as long as 7 years with no need of human intervention

Variation of the chemical and biological properties of a Technosol during seven years after a single application of compost

Technosols are composed of natural soils mixed with artificial materials and can be an inhospitable environment for the soil microbial community. The main goal of the current research was to evaluate temporal variations of Technosol quality through an integrated approach, considering all of the evaluated chemical, physical and biological characteristics for a period of seven years after a single application of compost. The soil samples were evaluated using the following parameters: pH; water content; water holding capacity; bulk density; porosity; organic matter and N contents; C/N ratio; fungal biomass; microbial biomass; respiration; metabolic quotient (qCO 2 ); and endogenous mineralisation coefficient (CEM). The overall evaluation showed that a single application of compost improved the soil quality in the short term. A decrease in Technosol quality over the long term appears to be due to deterioration of the physical and chemical properties, rather than a change in biological properties

Combined effects of wildfire and vegetation cover type on volcanic soil (Functions and properties) in a mediterranean region: Comparison of two soil quality indices

Mediterranean regions are the most impacted by fire in Europe. The effects of fire on soil greatly vary according to several factors such as vegetation cover type, but they are scarcely studied. Therefore, this research aimed at evaluating the combined impacts of fire and vegetation on single soil characteristics and on the overall soil quality and functionality through two soil quality indices, simple additive (SQI) and a weighted function (SQIFUNCT). In order to reach the aims, burnt and unburnt soils were collected under different vegetation cover types (herbs and shrubs, black locust, pine and holm oak) within the Vesuvius National Park. The soils were analyzed for the main abiotic (water and organic matter content, total C, N, Ca, K, Cu and Pb concentrations, C/N ratio) and biotic (microbial and fungal biomasses, basal respiration, β-glucosidase activity) characteristics. On the basis of the investigated soil characteristics, several soil functions (water retention, nutrient supply, contamination content, microorganism habitat and activities), and the soil quality indices were calculated. The results showed that the impact of fire on soil quality and functionality was mediated by the vegetation cover type. In fact, fire occurrence led to a decrease in water and C/N ratio under herbs, a decrease in C concentration under holm oak and a decrease in Cu and Pb concentrations under pine. Although the soil characteristics showed significant changes according to vegetation cover types and fire occurrence, both the additive and weighted function soil quality indices did not significantly vary according to both fire occurrence and the vegetation cover type. Among the different vegetation cover types, pine was the most impacted one

Impact of anthropic activities on soil quality under different land uses

Anthropization often leads to land use transformation, causing deep changes to soil properties and its quality. Land use change could be an environmental and socioeconomic problem, as it impacts soil quality and ecosystem services. There is an urgent need to understand the pressures affecting soil quality. The aim of the work is to quantify the impact of different land uses on soil abiotic and biotic properties and on its quality. To achieve the aims, soils from different land uses (forest, urban and agricultural) were collected in the surroundings of Naples and analyzed for pH, water content, contents of C and N, C/N ratio and total and available concentrations of Cu, Ni and Pb, microbial and fungal biomasses, basal respiration and metabolic quotient. Then, a soil quality index (SQI) was calculated for each land use. The results showed that soil abiotic and biotic properties of the agricultural sites differed from those of forest and urban sites. At agricultural sites, microbial abundances decreased due to low amount of C and N and to high amount of Cu and Pb. This caused low use efficiency of energetic substrates and a reduced soil quality of agricultural sites as compared to forest and urban sites

N cycle in burnt and unburnt soils under different vegetation covers in the Mediterranean region

The Mediterranean area is a fragile semi-arid ecosystem, characterized by a high level of biodiversity. Due to its climatic conditions, fires are frequent. Fires strongly impact the microbial community of the soil and the biogeochemical cycles of the ecosystem. Although the N cycle is crucial, limited data is available about the effects of fires on the microbial community involved in this cycle in these types of environments. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects that fire has on the amount of microbial populations involved in the different steps of the N cycle in soils under different vegetation cover. To achieve this, surface soils were ollected from unburnt and burnt soil of four plant species (holm oak, pine, black locust, and herbs) from inside the Vesuvius National Park that are typical of the Mediterranean maquis. The soils were analyzed for their main abiotic proprieties (pH, water content, concentrations of organic C, total C, total N, NH4+, NO2–, and NO3–). They were also analyzed for their amount of total DNA (DNA yield), eubacterial DNA (16S rDNA), N2-fixer, ammonia oxidizer, archaea ammonia oxidizer, and denitrifier DNA. The largest amount of microbial populations involved in the N cycle of the unburnt soil was observed in the holm oak soil. Fires slightly affected the soil abiotic properties and the DNA yield of the unburnt soil, but significantly increased the amount of eubacteria, nitrifiers, and denitrifiers. The conditions of the pine and holm oak soil encouraged a faster recovery of the amount of microbial populations involved in the N cycle

A cross-sectional study of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among healthcare workers and residents of long-term facilities in Italy, January 2021

Long‐term care facilities (LTCFs) are high‐risk settings for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. This study aimed to describe SARS‐CoV‐2 seropositivity among residents of LTCFs and health‐care workers (HCWs). Subjects were recruited in January 2021 among unvaccinated HCWs of LTCFs and hospitals and residents of LTCFs in Northern Italy. Information concerning previous SARS‐CoV‐2 infections and a sample of peripheral blood were collected. Anti‐S SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG antibodies were measured using the EUROIMMUN Anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 QuantiVac ELISA kit (EUROIMMUN Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG). For subjects with previous COVID‐19 infection, gender, age, type of subject (HCW or resident), and time between last positive swab and blood draw were considered as possible determinants of two outcomes: the probability to obtain a positive serological result and antibody titer. Six hundred and fifty‐eight subjects were enrolled. 56.1% of all subjects and 65% of residents presented positive results (overall median antibody titer: 31.0 RU/ml). Multivariable models identified a statistically significant 4% decrease in the estimated antibody level for each 30‐day increase from the last positive swab. HCWs were associated with significant odds for seroreversion over time (OR: 0.926 for every 30 days, 95% CI: 0.860–0.998), contrary to residents (OR: 1.059, 95% CI: 0.919–1.22). Age and gender were not factors predicting seropositivity over time. Residents could have a higher probability of maintaining a seropositive status over time compared to HCWs

Myocardial fibrosis and diastolic dysfunction in patients on chronic haemodialysis

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