The LP Model to Optimize the Biofuel Supply Chain

The heavy dependence of the EU countries from the imported oil, a growing economic vulnerability caused by wider and almost unforeseeable price changes of the crude oil commodity, the global warming are some of the reasons that have induced the policy makers to incentive the production of domestic biofuels derived from agricultural biomasses. This paper analyzes the supply chain model of biofuel production by focussing the economic and environment potential benefits that production and use of these biofuels might have for the primary sector and the society. The suggestions are that biofuels can be a promising renewable sources of energy; the positive perceived advantages are: less dependence on turbulent exporting countries, higher security from diversified domestic sources of energy, some environmental benefits derived from the capture of GHG emission. This paper is structured as follows: paragraphs 1 and 2 describe the scenario and the theoretical background; paragraphs 3 and 4 illustrates the problem specification and the algebraic formulation of the LP model addressed to test the sustainability of the supply chain named Biorefinery under the three assumptions hypothesized at the beginning, paragraph 5 reports some of the experimental results with comments and paragraphs 6 describes the main conclusions. This model of cogeneration is more efficient in terms of energy compared to other biofuel chains, and is more socially acceptable because fuel and food productions are complementary each others. The partial energy balance of the fuel and biogas are positive while the livestock energy balance is heavily energy consuming, the total energy balance is neutral.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Industrial Organization,

Structuring Consumer Preferences with the SEM Method

Structuring preferences has been developed with econometric models using functional flexible parametric form and the exploring the perceptions about expressed and latent needs using different multivariate approaches. Purpose of this research is to explore the demand for a new drink using the mean-end chain (MEC) theory and multivariate SEM procedure. The first part is dedicated to description of specialty foods for their capacity to create new niche markets. The MEC theory is introduced to explain the relations between attributes and consumers' perceptions of secondary needs revealed as benefit and values. The second part is dedicated to the empirical investigation of demand of a drink obtained from the "Olivello spinoso" a spontaneous plant. Empirical data were collected with "face to face sensorial test", and used to test the consumer perceptions for the product's attributes and preferences using the SEM approach. Conclusive remarks are in terms of suggestions about the modification of the product's attributes to increase the demand.Demand, Mean-End Chain, multivariate analysis, Specialty products, Niche market, customer satisfaction, SEM, Consumer/Household Economics,

Planning of the Agrifood supply chain: a case study for the FVG region

The aim of this paper is to discuss the planning of regional Agri-food supply chain using an integrated database territorial information. The objective is to optimize the chain performance using alternative solutions. Evidences are obtained with a case study performed in FVG region applied to maize-crop. Firstly it is explored the chain network composed by farms, collection points and processing plants; then territorial, agronomic and climate information are integrated to simulate realistic production forecast model applied to maize crop. Finally a program from graph analysis is used to allocate the production through the chain. The economic performance is evaluated using the net revenues varying with the intensification of maize production and adoption of different organization solutions (independent and cooperative). Conclusions are that the chain performance is influenced by a combination of technology and organization decisions and the policy maker can use these results to orient their targets about regional planning.data integration, supply chain, decision support system, crop simulation, regional policy., Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Labor and Human Capital,

Urban Development and Urban Deforestation

Forests can play a major role in climate regulation by reducing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Forests also provide a range of other ecological goods and services such as biodiversity and watershed protection and amenity benefits. On the other hand, deforestation and suburban sprawl have substantially changed and fragmented our landscape. While the economic importance of open space and forest amenities and the implications of nontimber benefits for harvesting within the traditional Faustmann framework are well understood, the feedback effects between urban development and forest land changes are not. However, the development of a framework to fully exploit the interplay between urban development and deforestation may reinforce the workings of emission reduction programs if co-benefits from land-based mitigation are realized. The purpose of this paper is to offer a first step towards such framework. In particular, this paper has developed a model of a single forest owner operating with perfect foresight in a dynamic open-city environment that allows for switching between alternative competing land uses (forest and urban use) at some point in the future. The model also incorporates external values of an even-aged standing forest in addition to the value of timber when it is harvested. Timber is exploited based on a multiple rotation model a la Faustmann with clear-cut harvesting. In contrast to previous models, our alternative land use to forest land is endogenous. Within this framework, we study the problem of the private owner as well as that of the social planner, when choosing the time to harvest, the time to convert land and the intensity of development. We also examine the extent to which the two-way linkage between urban development and forest management practices (timber production and provision of forest amenities) contributes to economic efficiency and improvements in non-market forest benefits. Finally, we consider policy options available to a regulator seeking to achieve improvements in efficiency including anti-sprawl policies (impact fees and density controls) and forest policies such a yield tax. Numerical simulations illustrate our analytical results.

State of the issue and new challenges of Social Work: reflections of recently graduated professionals from Peru and Spain

Currently the primacy of the market economy in most of the nations is constituted as a global phenomenon, which has direct consequences on the structure of the different states socio-political systems. In this framework, the way in which the relations between the market and each nation-state are materialized, including their intervention strategies, generate differential contexts with relevant implications in various areas, including education. These relationships deeply affect the social protection systems and especially the Public System of Social Services, traditionally associated with the most vulnerable and less economically solvent population. The discipline of Social Work is no stranger to this situation, living in recent years convulsive moments both in terms of the construction of own knowledge and in the practice of the profession. Given this situation, it is intended to obtain the discourse that social workers have on aspects as important as the relevance of the training model, the significance given to research, the social imaginary around the discipline or the adequacy of the available resources for the exercise of the profession.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Strategies for the Agro-food Sector

 The agro-food sector is receiving a great deal of attention for topics of general interest as the food quality, security and safety, alternative uses of crops in food/feed/fuel, growing concern for GHG (Green House Gas) emission, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), energy consumption. In the EU policies directed to implement sustainable local agro-food systems, the AFSC (agro-food supply chain) is emerging as the central issue in planning integrated farm-food activities performed in a space-time dimension. In this paper it is presented a methodology of regional planning the AFSC supported by empirical evidences about the region FVG (Friuli Venezia Giulia). The reference product is the Mais a crop largely cultivated in the region. A composite information system is used to simulate the evolution of complex scenarios and predict the consequences of food policies and suggest measures to be introduced in the RDP (Regional Development Plan).The integration of technical and economic disciplines allowed to approach the strategy of regional planning in a broader rural development framework to simulate the achievement of macro-micro targets

Short Chain in FVG Region: An Evaluation of the Customer Satisfaction at the "Farmer's Shopping Points"

Farmer market, farmer shops, milk dispenser, 0  ‐Km are some of the new born initiatives for trading agricultural products at (or near) the farm gate, now spreading in EU‐USA; their purpose is to offer to the farmers the chance to trade directly their products, and offer to the consumers new shopping opportunities alternatives to conventional food marketing outlets. This study was addressed to test the customer satisfaction at the farmers’ shops created by a farmer cooperative. The experiment was performed in Friuli VG a North‐East region of Italy, with a survey using a questionnaire submitted to a number of customers randomly selected at the end of their shopping. The customer satisfaction (CS) was evaluated with the SERQUAL procedure consisting in measuring the discrepancy between consumer’s perception and expectation of their shopping experience. The results suggested the following observations: the majority of customers was over 50’s, with an income less than 20 thousand €; they appreciated the variety and origin of the products and criticized the scarcity of space inside the shopping, parking and payment facilities. The frequency of shopping varied from once or twice a week to once a month while the average expenditure at farmers’ shops varied between 20‐25 € per visit. The usual food shopping was made at different market stores (from two to four) but most of the food budget was spent at the LD (Large distribution). Eight different consumer’s profiles were elaborated based on the results of the CS using the cluster analysis. Compared to other retailing facilities, consumers generally expected to find a better food quality, lower prices and were not strongly concerned about brand and packaging strategies, more important at the LD shopping. Quality, freshness and courtesy were the mostly appreciated attributes of this shopping experience, while critics were addressed to the scarcity of space inside the shops, difficulties in parking, payment facilities and market visibility

Precondicionamiento isquémico es una estrategia quirúrgica útil en el trasplante hepático con injerto de tamaño reducido, El

[spa] El trasplante hepático es la solución para personas que sufren enfermedades hepática terminales o insuficiencia hepática aguda. La principal limitación para la aplicación del trasplante es la falta de órganos respecto a la demanda. El trasplante hepático con injerto de tamaño reducido se desarrolló para aumentar el número de órganos disponibles y así disminuir la lista de espera. Además del síndrome de isquemia/reperfusión (I/R) asociado al proceso de trasplante, es necesario un proceso de regeneración para la viabilidad del injerto. El síndrome de I/R también tiene efectos sistémicos nocivos en el pulmón. El precondicionamiento isquémico (PC) es una estrategia quirúrgica útil frente a la lesión por I/R en modelos de I/R normotérmica y trasplante hepático con 8 y 16 horas de isquemia, con buenos resultados en la clínica, en resección de tumores, pero se desconoce su efecto en el modelo de trasplante hepático con injerto de tamaño reducido en la rata. En la presente tesis se ha demostrado que el PC es una estrategia útil frente a la lesión por I/R y que favorece la regeneración asociada al modelo de trasplante hepático de tamaño reducido en la rata, modulando factores de crecimiento, como el factor de crecimiento hepatocitario (HGF) y el factor de crecimiento transformante-beta (TGF-beta), modulando la producción de radicales libres (RLO) (por parte de las células de kupffer) y todo esto cursa a través de la disminución de la IL-alfa y con una implicación del óxido nítrico (NO). Sin embargo, el PC no ejerce su papel protector mediante cambios en el sistema productor de RLO xantina/xantina oxidasa, cambios en los niveles de las citoquinas TNF-alfa y IL-6, ni mediante la preservación del metabolismo energético. Por otra vía independiente del NO, el PC estimula la expresión de la Heat shock protein (HSP) 70 y HO-1, estimulando la regeneración en el caso de la HSP70 y disminuyendo la lesión y estimulando la regeneración en el caso de la HO-1. Por otro lado, el PC fue capaz de conferir protección a nivel pulmonar, así la disminución de la IL-1alfa se tradujo en una disminución en los niveles de TNF-alfa plasmáticos y un aumento del receptor soluble de TNF-alfa de tipo 2 (sTNFR2), que es capaz de inactivar el TNF-alfa libre en la circulación sanguínea, evitando los efectos nocivos del TNF-alfa a nivel pulmonar.[eng] Reduced-size liver transplantation (RSLT) was developed to arise the number of available liver grafts In addition to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury associated to liver transplantation, the reduced grafts have to overcome a necessary regeneration process. I/R injury has deleterious systemic effects, leading to pulmonary complications. Ischemic preconditioning (IP) is able to protect liver against I/R injury and lung damage in conventional rat liver transplantation. Recently, has been published its clinical application in tumour resections. In the present thesis work, it has been demonstrated the IP is able to reduce I/R injury and stimulate regeneration associated to RSLT. IP modulated growth factors, as hepatocyte growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta and the stress oxidative production, and it was related to the reduction of IL-1alpha levels . Nitric oxide (NO) was implicated in the benefits of IP. However, PC has not any effect on xanthine/xanthine oxidase system, neither on IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels and energetic metabolism. By another pathway independent of NO, IP induced heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and haem-oxygenase-1 (HO-1). HO-1 protected against I/R injury and liver regeneration, whereas the benefits resulting from HSP70 were mainly related to hepatocyte proliferation. On the other hand, IP was able to confer lung protection. In this line, reduction of IL.-1alpha levels was associated with lower TNF-alpha and higher soluble receptor TNF-alpha type 2 (sTNFR2) plasma levels

Resource allocation of the human brain : a competitive equilibrium approach

A novel model to study the resource allocation of a functioning brain is proposed. The mechanism is based on the theory of competitive equilibrium (CE), where users (cortical areas of the brain) are competing for a finite resource such as oxygenated blood. Concepts of CE are mathematically adjusted to be used with functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) data. The current study uses imaging data were subjects are requested to selectively attend and respond to either a visual or auditory metronome in the presence of asynchronous cross-modal distractors. Two studies with distinct patient populations (patients with schizophrenia patients with mild traumatic brain injuries) are used to asses the applicability of the proposed method. Comparisons to traditionally used methods to analyze simulated and real FMRI data are also provided. Results indicate that it is possible to mathematically formulate an underlying resource allocation mechanism of a human brain. Additionally, when comparing to traditional analysis methods, the proposed model increases the sensitivity of these data when examining different stimuli conditions and also increases the classification accuracy between the patient group versus normal controls