Adaptation Funding and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Halo Effect or Complacency?

This paper contributes to the debate surrounding the impact of adaptation to climate change on the incentives to abate greenhouse gases emissions. Using data from the World Development Indicators and various adaptation funds under the UNFCCC framework, this paper provides an empirical analysis of the relation between adaptation and emissions. We specifically test whether adaptation measures to climate change affect emissions of greenhouse gases in a world where adaptation funds are available. Using a staggered difference-in-differences approach and an event study analysis, we find that receiving adaptation funding significantly and negatively affects several CO2 emissions measures, providing preliminary evidence of the presence of a halo effect of adaptation funding. We do not find evidence of a significant change in the emissions of methane, nitrous dioxide and other greenhouse gases

Environmental awareness and firm creation

Purpose This study tests whether environmental awareness affects firm creation by using Google Trends data and a novel region-level data set from Italy. Design/methodology/approach Forward-looking entrepreneurs drive firm creation. The authors hypothesize that more environmentally conscious entrepreneurs will emerge as environmental awareness rises, increasing the number of green and energy firms. The authors test the prediction using Google Trends data and a novel region-level data set from Italy. Findings The authors find that not only the number of green and energy-innovative firms but also that of all innovative start-ups increases with rising environmental consciousness. The results imply some “innovation spillover” effects from green sectors to other industries with rising environmental awareness. Originality/value The paper hypothesizes that as environmental awareness rises, more environmental-conscious entrepreneurs will emerge, which would increase the number of green and energy firms. Robustness and falsification tests are also offered

Identification, Genotyping and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Brucella spp. Isolated from Livestock in Egypt

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis worldwide with economic and public health impacts. The aim of the present study was to identify Brucella (B.) spp. isolated from animal populations located in different districts of Egypt and to determine their antimicrobial resistance. In total, 34-suspected Brucella isolates were recovered from lymph nodes, milk, and fetal abomasal contents of infected cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats from nine districts in Egypt. The isolates were identified by microbiological methods and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Differentiation and genotyping were confirmed using multiplex PCR for B. abortus, Brucella melitensis, Brucella ovis, and Brucella suis (AMOS) and Bruce-ladder PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against clinically used antimicrobial agents (chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamicin, imipenem, rifampicin, streptomycin, and tetracycline) was performed using E-Test. The antimicrobial resistance-associated genes and mutations in Brucella isolates were confirmed using molecular tools. In total, 29 Brucella isolates (eight B. abortus biovar 1 and 21 B. melitensis biovar 3) were identified and typed. The resistance of B. melitensis to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, imipenem, rifampicin, and streptomycin were 76.2%, 19.0%, 76.2%, 66.7%, and 4.8%, respectively. Whereas, 25.0%, 87.5%, 25.0%, and 37.5% of B. abortus were resistant to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, imipenem, and rifampicin, respectively. Mutations in the rpoB gene associated with rifampicin resistance were identified in all phenotypically resistant isolates. Mutations in gyrA and gyrB genes associated with ciprofloxacin resistance were identified in four phenotypically resistant isolates of B. melitensis. This is the first study highlighting the antimicrobial resistance in Brucella isolated from different animal species in Egypt. Mutations detected in genes associated with antimicrobial resistance unravel the molecular mechanisms of resistance in Brucella isolates from Egypt. The mutations in the rpoB gene in phenotypically resistant B. abortus isolates in this study were reported for the first time in Egypt

A new potentiometric sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer for analysis of a veterinary drug imidocarb dipropionate

A new potentiometric sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was fabricated for the recognition and determination of imidocarb dipropionate. The MIP was synthesized using imidocarb as the template material, methacrylic acid as a functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross linking agent. The sensor showed a high selectivity and a sensitive response to the template molecule in aqueous solution. The MIP-electrode exhibited a near-Nernstian response in a wide concentration range 10-5 - 10-2 M with a lower detection limit of 2×10-6 M. The potentiometric conditions were carefully studied and all measuring parameters were optimized including pH, buffer type, plasticizer type, response time and stability. The applicability of the sensor was tested through potentiometric determination of imidocarb dipropionate in pure drug as well as in pharmaceutical formulation. The proposed method was statistically compared with a reported one showing no significant difference regarding accuracy and precision, which assured a good reliable novel sensor for imidocarb estimation

Early Results of a Novel Mitral Valve Repair Procedure: The Interpapillary Polytetrafluoroethylene Bridge Formation

BACKGROUND: Surgical repair of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) associated with chordal rupture in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy is challenging as it aims to correct several structural pathologies at once. There are ongoing studies evaluating multiple approaches, however long term results are still scarce. METHODS AND RESULTS: 19 patients with IMR underwent mitral valve repair with interpapillary polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bridge and neochordae formation at the Zala County Teaching Hospital. Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in all patients. Post-procedural Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) showed no mitral regurgitation (MR) in eighteen (94.7%) patients, with a leaflet coaptation mean height of 8 ± 3 mm. No operative mortality was observed. At the follow up (mean 17.7 ± 4.6 months; range 9 to 24 months), 17 (89%) patients showed no leakage and 2 had regurgitation grade ≤1, with documented NYHA functional class I or II in all patients. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study presents the first results of a novel surgical approach to treating ischemic mitral regurgitation. The interpapillary PTFE bridge formation is a safe and feasible surgical procedure that is reproducible, time sparing and effectively eliminates mitral valve regurgitation with promising long-term results

Pharmacological preconditioning with gemfibrozil preserves cardiac function after heart transplantation

While heart transplantation (HTX) is the definitive therapy of heart failure, donor shortage is emerging. Pharmacological activation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and increased cGMP-signalling have been reported to have cardioprotective properties. Gemfibrozil has recently been shown to exert sGC activating effects in vitro. We aimed to investigate whether pharmacological preconditioning of donor hearts with gemfibrozil could protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury and preserve myocardial function in a heterotopic rat HTX model. Donor Lewis rats received p.o. gemfibrozil (150 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle for 2 days. The hearts were explanted, stored for 1 h in cold preservation solution, and heterotopically transplanted. 1 h after starting reperfusion, left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume relations and coronary blood flow (CBF) were assessed to evaluate early post-transplant graft function. After 1 h reperfusion, LV contractility, active relaxation and CBF were significantly (p < 0.05) improved in the gemfibrozil pretreated hearts compared to that of controls. Additionally, gemfibrozil treatment reduced nitro-oxidative stress and apoptosis, and improved cGMP-signalling in HTX. Pharmacological preconditioning with gemfibrozil reduces ischemia/reperfusion injury and preserves graft function in a rat HTX model, which could be the consequence of enhanced myocardial cGMP-signalling. Gemfibrozil might represent a useful tool for cardioprotection in the clinical setting of HTX surgery soon