1,643 research outputs found

    Assessing the impact of future CAP reforms on the demand of production factors

    Get PDF
    The CAP reform process has been a central issue for agricultural economics research in recent years, and is gaining further attention in view of the post-2013 perspectives. The objective of this paper is to assess ex-ante the effect of different post-2013 CAP and market scenarios on the demand of productions factors. The paper is based on the use of farm household dynamic programming models maximising the net present value with a time horizon until 2030. A representative model has been implemented for 18 different farming systems in 8 EU countries. Changes in marginal values of selected resource constraints (land, labour and capital) are used to assess the potential effect of different scenarios on farm-household demand of production factors. Results highlight that both policy and market conditions change strongly the demand of productive factors

    Interplay between intrinsic plasma rotation and magnetic island evolution in disruptive discharges

    Get PDF
    The behavior of the intrinsic toroidal rotation of the plasma column during the growth and eventualsaturation of m/n = 2/1 magnetic islands, triggered by programmed density rise, has been carefully investigatedin disruptive discharges in TCABR. The results show that, as the island starts to grow and rotate at aspeed larger than that of the plasma column, the angular frequency of the intrinsic toroidal rotation increasesand that of the island decreases, following the expectation of synchronization. As the island saturates at alarge size, just before a major disruption, the angular speed of the intrinsic rotation decreases quite rapidly,even though the island keeps still rotating at a reduced speed. This decrease of the toroidal rotation is quitereproducible and can be considered as an indicative of disruption

    Increased Susceptibility Of Gracilinanus Microtarsus Liver Mitochondria To Ca2+-induced Permeability Transition Is Associated With A More Oxidized State Of Nad(p)

    Get PDF
    Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)In addition to be the cell's powerhouse, mitochondria also contain a cell death machinery that includes highly regulated processes such as the membrane permeability transition pore (PTP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In this context, the results presented here provide evidence that liver mitochondria isolated from Gracilinanus microtarsus, a small and short life span (one year) marsupial, when compared to mice, are much more susceptible to PTP opening in association with a poor NADPH dependent antioxidant capacity. Liver mitochondria isolated from the marsupial are well coupled and take up Ca2+ but exhibited a much lower Ca2+ retention capacity than mouse mitochondria. Although the known PTP inhibitors cyclosporin A, ADP, and ATP significantly increased themarsupial mitochondria capacity to retain Ca2+, their effects we remuch larger in mice than in marsupial mitochondria. Both fluorescence and HPLC analysis of mitochondrial nicotinamide nucleotides showed that both content and state of reduction (mainly of NADPH) were lower in the marsupial mitochondria than in mice mitochondria despite the similarity in the activity of the glutathione peroxidase/reductase system. Overall, these data suggest that PTP opening is an important event in processes of Ca2+ signalling to cell death mediated by mitochondrial redox imbalance in G. microtarsus .Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FAPESP [2011/50400-0

    How Does SARS-CoV-2 Affect the Central Nervous System? A Working Hypothesis

    Get PDF
    Interstitial pneumonia was the first manifestation to be recognized as caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); however, in just a few weeks, it became clear that the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) overrun tissues and more body organs than just the lungs, so much so that it could be considered a systemic pathology. Several studies reported the involvement of the conjunctiva, the gut, the heart and its pace, and vascular injuries such as thromboembolic complications and Kawasaki disease in children and toddlers were also described. More recently, it was reported that in a sample of 214 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients, 36.4% complained of neurological symptoms ranging from non-specific manifestations (dizziness, headache, and seizures), to more specific symptoms such hyposmia or hypogeusia, and stroke. Older individuals, especially males with comorbidities, appear to be at the highest risk of developing such severe complications related to the Central Nervous System (CNS) involvement. Neuropsychiatric manifestations in COVID-19 appear to develop in patients with and without pre-existing neurological disorders. Growing evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 binds to the human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) for the attachment and entrance inside host cells. By describing ACE2 and the whole Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS) we may better understand whether specific cell types may be affected by SARS-CoV-2 and whether their functioning can be disrupted in case of an infection. Since clear evidences of neurological interest have already been shown, by clarifying the topographical distribution and density of ACE2, we will be able to speculate how SARS-CoV-2 may affect the CNS and what is the pathogenetic mechanism by which it contributes to the specific clinical manifestations of the disease. Based on such evidences, we finally hypothesize the process of SARS-CoV-2 invasion of the CNS and provide a possible explanation for the onset or the exacerbation of some common neuropsychiatric disorders in the elderly including cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease

    Pregnancy experiences of Western Australian women attending a specialist childbirth and mental illness antenatal clinic

    Get PDF
    Our purpose was to explore the pregnancy experiences of Australian women attending a specialized Childbirth and Mental Illness (CAMI) antenatal clinic. A qualitative exploratory design was selected to give voice to women with a severe mental illness receiving antenatal care. Telephone interviews with 41 women, 24 primiparous and 17 multiparous, were analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: ‘Building relationships’, ‘Acknowledged me as a person with special needs’ and ‘Respect and understanding without stigma’. Findings offer insight into care experiences possible within a multidisciplinary model developed to addresses psychiatric and obstetric needs of pregnant women with severe mental illness

    Management of the mother-infant dyad with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in a highly epidemic context

    Get PDF
    In the context of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the hospital management of mother-infant pairs poses to obstetricians and neonatologists previously unmet challenges. In Lombardy, Northern Italy, 59 maternity wards networked to organise the medical assistance of mothers and neonates with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Six "COVID-19 maternity centres" were identified, the architecture and activity of obstetric and neonatal wards of each centre was reorganised, and common assistance protocols for the management of suspected and proven cases were formulated. Here, we present the key features of this reorganization effort, and our current management of the mother-infant dyad before and after birth, including our approach to rooming-in practice, breastfeeding and neonatal follow-up, based on the currently available scientific evidence. Considered the rapid diffusion of COVID-19 all over the world, we believe that preparedness is fundamental to assist mother-infant dyads, minimising the risk of propagation of the infection through maternity and neonatal wards
    • …
    corecore