Distributional effects of price reforms in the Italian utility markets

In this paper we analyse some distributional effects of the reforms of water and energy services in Italy. We first document the new regulation setting in these services, illustrating the dynamics of utility prices and of household expenditure in the period 1998-2005. We then propose a way to measure the affordability of public utilities, in order to investigate how many households would incur a potentially excessive burden, if they consumed a minimum quantity of utility services. Finally, we calculate this index on data from the ‘Survey on Family Budgets’. Our results show how the affordability of utility bills varies from region to region depending on climate, income, family endowment and size. The analysis – also based on a counterfactual exercise – finds that so far, utility reforms do not seem to have produced any negative effects on weaker households.Affordability, Public Utilities, Regulation, Gas, Electricity, Water

Restructuring Italian Utility Markets: Household Distributional Effects

Competition in public utility sectors has been encouraged in recent years throughout Europe. In this paper we try and analyse the welfare effects of these reforms in Italy, with particular attention to water and energy goods. The first step is to introduce a sensible measure of affordability of public utilities and to see how many households fall below a critical threshold. This issue is analysed stressing how climatic conditions dramatically affect households’ expenditure and how the affordability of utility bills varies a lot from region to region. So far, utilities’ reforms do not seem to have produced negative effects on the weaker group of households.Consumer behaviour, Public utilities, Regulation, Gas, Electricity, Water

Toward defining and measuring the affordability of public utility services

This paper reviews the progress made in the literature toward defining and measuring the affordability of utilities. It highlights the relative merits of alternate affordability metrics; the practical challenges to their operationalization, including the underlying data requirements; and their implications for the design, evaluation, and implementation of appropriate affordability programs.Access to Finance,Economic Theory&Research,Town Water Supply and Sanitation,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Rural Poverty Reduction

HACK Modular On-Board Computer for Edge Computing in Micro-Satellites

Argotec HACK OBC offers unprecedent flexibility thanks to its design developed from scratch to be modular and easily reconfigurable. Different standard modules, based on both state-of-the-art SoCs and FPGAs, can be assembled without the need of external harness to face a wide variety of applications, from spacecraft management to hardware acceleration. The design leverages a mix of rad-hard, defense-grade and automotive components carefully selected to enable the execution of demanding edge-computing tasks while ensuring a reliability level significantly higher than standard CubeSat avionics. Each HACK module is designed to be powered by a single +5V DC rail and has standardized thermal and mechanical interfaces, allowing the installation both as single unit or as part of a complex OBC subsystem. The standard configuration, which includes one Core Board and one aXelerator Module, has a volume of about 0.5U and offers unmatched performance and interfaces

Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 supplementation reduces gastrointestinal dysfunction in an animal model of IBS

We evaluated the effect of Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 on intestinal neuromuscular anomalies in an IBS-type mouse model of gastrointestinal motor dysfunctions elicited by Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) exposure.Mice were inoculated intranasally with HSV-1 (102 PFU) or vehicle at time 0 and 4 weeks later by the intragastric (IG) route (108 PFU). Six weeks after IG inoculum, mice were randomly allocated to receive oral gavage with either S. boulardii (107 CFU/day) or vehicle. After 4 weeks the following were determined: a) intestinal motility using fluorescein-isothiocyanate dextran distribution in the gut, fecal pellet expulsion, stool water content, and distal colonic transit of glass beads; b) integrity of the enteric nervous system (ENS) by immunohistochemistry on ileal whole-mount preparations and western blot of protein lysates from ileal longitudinal muscle and myenteric plexus; c) isometric muscle tension with electric field and pharmacological (carbachol) stimulation of ileal segments; and d) intestinal inflammation by levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-10 and IL-4.S. boulardii CNCM I-745 improved HSV-1 induced intestinal dysmotility and alteration of intestinal transit observed ten weeks after IG inoculum of the virus. Also, the probiotic yeast ameliorated the structural alterations of the ENS induced by HSV-1 (i.e., reduced peripherin immunoreactivity and expression, increased glial S100β protein immunoreactivity and neuronal nitric oxide synthase level, reduced substance P-positive fibers). Moreover, S. boulardii CNCM I-745 diminished the production of HSV-1 associated pro-inflammatory cytokines in the myenteric plexus and increased levels of anti-inflammatory interleukins.S. boulardii CNCM I-745 ameliorated gastrointestinal neuromuscular anomalies in a mouse model of gut dysfunctions typically observed with irritable bowel syndrome

¿Por que já não coletam os coletores? Processos de estigmatização do consumo de plantas selvagens entre os indígenas Chorote da região do Chaco argentino

Se ensaya un análisis de la transformación cultural operada respecto al consumo de alimentos vegetales silvestres entre los chorote del Chaco salteño. Se entiende como tal a un proceso de construcción de prejuicios acerca de tales prácticas expresados bajo la forma de símbolos de desprestigio social y/o religioso, lo cual habría culminado con su estigmatización y desprecio concomitante. Se identifican y analizan las influencias de los agentes hegemónicos en la conceptualización de los alimentos vegetales silvestres y de las prácticas asociadas a su utilización desde una perspectiva observacional, exegética e interpretativa. Se discute si el abandono del consumo de alimentos vegetales silvestres obedece a razones vinculadas a un determinismo ecológico, a un mero reemplazo por nuevas prácticas culturales y/o a una estigmatización socio-religiosa de antiguas normas alimentarias entre indígenas chorote del Chaco argentino.The article analyzes cultural change related to the consumption of wild edible plants among Chorote Indians from Argentine Chaco, especially the process of construction of prejudices regarding such practices, expressed in the form of symbols of social or religious discredit which has led to their concomitant stigmatization and contempt. The influence of hegemonic agents in the conceptualization of wild edible plants and their utilization practices is here identified and analyzed from observational, exegetical and interpretative points of view. The article specifically discusses if the abandonment of wild edible plant consumption is due to reasons  linked to environmental determinism, to the mere acquisition of new cultural practices, or to socio-religious stigmatization of old food rules among Chorote Indians from Argentine Chaco.Ensaia-se um análise da transformaçao cultural acontecida com respeito ao Ensaia-se uma análise da transformação cultural com respeito ao consumo de alimentos vegetais selvagens entre os Chorote da região do Chaco na província de Salta. Entende-se como tal, um processo de construção de preconceitos sobre tais práticas, que se expressa na forma de símbolos de descrédito social e religioso que culminam com o seu concomitante desprezo e estigmatização. Esta dinâmica se identifica e analisa desde o ponto de vista exegético, observacional e interpretativo, apensando na influência dos agentes hegemônicos na conceptualização dos alimentos vegetais selvagens e das práticas associadas à sua utilização. Discutimos, especialmente, se o abandono do consumo de plantas selvagens é devido a razões ligadas a um determinismo ambiental, a uma mera aquisição de novos ítems culturais ou a uma estigmatizãçao sócio-religiosa de normas alimentares antigas entre os indigenas chorote do Chaco argentino

Pain-related Somato Sensory Evoked Potentials: A potential new tool to improve the prognostic prediction of coma after cardiac arrest

INTRODUCTION: Early prediction of a good outcome in comatose patients after cardiac arrest still remains an unsolved problem. The main aim of the present study was to examine the accuracy of middle-latency SSEP triggered by a painful electrical stimulation on median nerves to predict a favorable outcome. METHODS: No- and low-flow times, pupillary reflex, Glasgow motor score and biochemical data were evaluated at ICU admission. The following were considered within 72 h of cardiac arrest: highest creatinine value, hyperthermia occurrence, EEG, SSEP at low- (10 mA) and high-intensity (50 mA) stimulation, and blood pressure reactivity to 50 mA. Intensive care treatments were also considered. Data were compared to survival, consciousness recovery and 6-month CPC (Cerebral Performance Category). RESULTS: Pupillary reflex and EEG were statistically significant in predicting survival; the absence of blood pressure reactivity seems to predict brain death within 7 days of cardiac arrest. Middle- and short-latency SSEP were statistically significant in predicting consciousness recovery, and middle-latency SSEP was statistically significant in predicting 6-month CPC outcome. The prognostic capability of 50 mA middle-latency-SSEP was demonstrated to occur earlier than that of EEG reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Neurophysiological evaluation constitutes the key to early information about the neurological prognostication of postanoxic coma. In particular, the presence of 50 mA middle-latency SSEP seems to be an early and reliable predictor of good neurological outcome, and its absence constitutes a marker of poor prognosis. Moreover, the absence 50 mA blood pressure reactivity seems to identify patients evolving towards the brain death

Chromosome 3p alterations in pancreatic endocrine neoplasia

Pancreatic endocrine tumors (PET) are rare neoplasms classified as functioning (F-PET) or non-functioning (NF-PET) according to the presence of a clinical syndrome due to hormonal hypersecretion. PETs show variable degrees of clinical aggressiveness and loss of chromosome 3p has been suggested to be associated with an advanced stage of disease. We assessed chromosome 3p copy number in 113 primary PETs and 32 metastases by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using tissue microarrays. The series included 56 well-differentiated endocrine tumors (WDET), 62 well-differentiated endocrine carcinomas (WDEC), and 6 poorly differentiated endocrine carcinomas (PDEC). Chromosome 3p alterations were found in 23/113 (20%) primary tumors, with losses being predominant over gains (14% vs. 6%). Loss of 3p was found in 5/55 (9%) WDET, 11/52 (21%) WDEC, and never in PDEC. Gains of 3p were detected in 4/55 (7%) WDET, no WDEC, but notably in 3/6 (50%) PDEC (OR 23.6; P = 0.003). Metastases were more frequently monosomic for 3p compared to primary tumors (OR 3.6; P = 0.005). Monosomy was significantly associated with larger tumor size, more advanced tumor stage, and metastasis. No association was found with survival. Chromosome 3p copy number alterations are frequent events in advanced stage PET, with gains prevailing in PDEC while losses are more frequent in WDEC, supporting the view that a specific pattern of alterations are involved in these diverse disease subtypes

Citron kinase controls abscission through RhoA and Anillin.

The small GTPase RhoA plays a crucial role in the different stages of cytokinesis, including contractile ring formation, cleavage furrow ingression, and midbody abscission. Citron kinase (CIT-K), a protein required for cytokinesis and conserved from insects to mammals, is currently considered a cytokinesis-specific effector of active RhoA. In agreement with previous observations, we show here that, as in Drosophila cells, CIT-K is specifically required for abscission in mammalian cells. However, in contrast with the current view, we provide evidence that CIT-K is an upstream regulator rather than a downstream effector of RhoA during late cytokinesis. In addition, we show that CIT-K is capable of physically and functionally interacting with the actin-binding protein anillin. Active RhoA and anillin are displaced from the midbody in CIT-K-depleted cells, while only anillin, but not CIT-K, is affected if RhoA is inactivated in late cytokinesis. The overexpression of CIT-K and of anillin leads to abscission delay. However, the delay produced by CIT-K overexpression can be reversed by RhoA inactivation, while the delay produced by anillin overexpression is RhoA-independent. Altogether, these results indicate that CIT-K is a crucial abscission regulator that may promote midbody stability through active RhoA and anillin