I Piani di zona e l’azione collettiva: innovazioni e criticità

Quali sono gli esiti dei processi programmatori dei Piani di Zona in merito alla capacità di attivare competenze e partecipazione ed attivare risorse? Presentiamo qui una sintesi della ricerca “Programmare i territori del welfare. Attori, meccanismi ed effetti” relativa ai Piani di Zona della Provincia di Milan

Optimization of PV power plant operation through energy storage providing ancillary services

Renewables are gaining importance in electrical grids and markets nowadays, and in parallel, they are subjected to more and more stringent requirements for their grid integration. One tool for this kind of energy sources to be integrated is the field of energy storage. This project proposes a methodology for the economic optimization of the sizing of a battery bank, which enhance s the participation of a PV power plant in network primary frequency support. Moreover, the energy storage system is used as a mea n to minimise penalization s due to forecasting errors, made by the producer in the schedule of the energy that will be sold in the day - ahead mark et (DM). The methodology consists in the formulation and the resolution of a Linear Programming (LP) problem, implemented in GAMS, applied to a 5 MW PV power plant, equipped with Nickel - Manganese - Cobalt (NMC) batteries , in the Spanish energy market. However, the primary frequency control analysis, is performed considering real data extrapolated from the UK market regulation, since in Spain, this type of service is mandatory, but not remunerated. The project aim is, therefore, the study of a near future scenario in which renewable producers are totally integrated in the electricity market and they cou ld receive adequate remunerations for ancillary services support (as it is already enabled in the UK electricity market). For the forecasting error adjustment, instead, t he Spanish deviations management market is taken into account, following its current l egislations. Finally, data for solar power generation and batteries costs are estimated from literature. Results suggest that the implementation of a battery bank represents a profitable solution for the provision of frequency response support, since the p ower plant can work near its maximum power point, increasing its total income of around 2.08 M € (24 % more) within 15 years (life time of the storage device) . In order to enhance this service, the energy storage system should be sized at 345 kWh . The energy forecasting correction, instead, expects a battery bank of around 332 kWh, sinc e the provision of both services make the battery charging and discharging at the same time, decreasing the final energy managed. With this configuration, the power plant produ cer is increasi ng the profits of about 280 000 € (3% more) , comparing with the case in which the power plant is not equipped with energy storage and the forecasting errors are not managed. In conclusion, the implementation of batteries generates an economic improvement , increasing in both configura tions the power plant income, thus considering the related initial investment totally warranted. Moreover, the use of an optimization software as GAMS avoids the risk of batteries over - dimensioning, which let be worth nothing the economic advantages obtain ed with ancillary services provisio

Atual arranjo institucional da política externa brasileira

In this research we assess the legislation on the basis of the horizontalization process, or horizontal decentralization, undergone by foreign policy decision making within the realm of the Brazilian federal Executive Power. This process entails a new institutional arrangement among the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other domestic ministries, the dynamics of which will be scrutinized in a future research. While such horizontal decentralization is manifest from a normative standpoint, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs apparently seeks to regain the nuclear position it once enjoyed in foreign policy making in Brazil by specializing and increasing complexity of its bureaucratic structure - the consequences thereof being its own decentralization

Set of Classical PCRs for Detection of Mutations in Candida glabrata FKS Genes Linked with Echinocandin Resistance

Clinical echinocandin resistance among Candida glabrata strains is increasing, especially in the United States. Antifungal susceptibility testing is considered mandatory to guide therapeutic decisions. However, these methodologies are not routinely performed in the hospital setting due to their complexity and the time needed to obtain reliable results. Echinocandin failure in C. glabrata is linked exclusively to Fks1p and Fks2p amino acid substitutions, and detection of such substitutions would serve as a surrogate marker to identify resistant isolates. In this work, we report an inexpensive, simple, and quick classical PCR set able to objectively detect the most common mechanisms of echinocandin resistance in C. glabrata within 4 h. The usefulness of this assay was assessed using a blind collection of 50 C. glabrata strains, including 16 FKS1 and/or FKS2 mutants.Fil: Dudiuk, Catiana Beatriz. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Gamarra, Maria Soledad. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Leonardelli, Florencia. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Jimenez Ortigoza, Cristina. State University of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Vitale, Roxana Gabriela. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Afeltra, Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Perlin, David S.. State University of New Jersey; Estados UnidosFil: Garcia, Guillermo Manuel. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentin

Deterrence in competition law

This paper provides a comprehensive discussion of the deterrence properties of a competition policy regime. On the basis of the economic theory of law enforcement we identify several factors that are likely to affect its degree of deterrence: 1) sanctions and damages; 2) financial and human resources; 3) powers during the investigation; 4) quality of the law; 5) independence and 6) separation of power. We then discuss how to measure deterrence. We review the literature that uses surveys to solicit direct information on changes in the behavior of firms due to the threats posed by the enforcement of antitrust rules, and the literature based on the analysis of hard data. We finally argue that the most challenging task, both theoretically and empirically, is how to distinguish between 'good' deterrence and "bad" deterrence." (author's abstract)"Dieser Beitrag bietet eine umfassende Diskussion über die Abschreckungseigenschaften eines wettbewerbspolitischen Systems. Auf der Grundlage der ökonomischen Theorie der Rechtsdurchsetzung werden mehrere Faktoren identifizier, welche den Abschreckungsgrad des Systems am ehesten beeinflussen können. Diese sind: 1) Sanktionen und Schadensersatzforderungen, 2) finanzielle Ressourcen und Personal der Wettbewerbsbehörde, 3) die Befugnisse der wettbewerbspolitischen Autorität im Rahmen der Untersuchung, 4) die Qualität des Rechtsrahmens, 5) die Unabhängigkeit der Behörde und 6) die Gewaltenteilung. Anschließend wird diskutiert, wie man den Abschreckungsgrad eines wettbewerbspolitischen Systems empirisch messen kann. Zuerst wird die Literatur besprochen, die auf Befragungen beruht. Die Befragungen sollten Aufschluss darüber geben, wie sich das Unternehmensverhalten angesichts der Durchsetzung von wettbewerbspolitischen Maßnahmen ändert. Dem gegenüber wird die Literatur dargestellt, die 'harte' Daten nutzt. Schließlich wird argumentiert, dass die anspruchsvollste Aufgabe sowohl theoretisch als auch empirisch darin bestehen wird, zwischen 'guter' und 'schlechter' Abschreckung durch Wettbewerbspolitik zu unterscheiden." (Autorenreferat

Postharvest biocontrol ability of Pseudomonas synxantha against Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia fructigena on stone fruit

The biocontrol properties of the endophyte Pseudomonas synxantha DLS65 were tested in vitro and in vivo against Monilinia fructicola and Monilinia fructigena, causal agents of postharvest brown rot of stone fruit. P. synxantha cells significantly reduced the mycelial growth of both pathogens on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), and strongly inhibited the Monilinia fructicola growth on Peach Extract Agar (PEA). Cell-free culture filtrates inhibited the pathogens on PDA and PEA to lesser extent. The production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with in vitro inhibitory effects on mycelial growth, was also observed. P. synxantha significantly reduced brown rot incidence and severity on peach fruit artificially inoculated with M. fructicola after 5 d at 25 °C. Moreover, P. synxantha more significantly reduced incidence and severity after 10 d at 10 °C and after 20 d in cold storage at 0 °C in comparison to control fruit, even if its activity was never comparable to that of the synthetic fungicide Scholar® (fludioxonil). Similarly, P. synxantha exhibited an excellent antagonistic activity against M. fructigena on fruit at 10 and at 0 °C, and a weak biocontrol activity at 25 °C. Competition for nutrients and space, production of diffusible toxic metabolites and VOCs may play a role in the antagonism of P. synxantha toward M. fructicola and M. fructigena, especially at the lowest temperatures of storage. For that reason, this strain of P. synxantha could be suggested as active ingredient for the setting up of bioformulates against Monilinia species representing a limiting factor for stone fruit production

Discovery of a Remarkable Methyl Shift Effect in the Vanilloid Activity of Triterpene Amides

As part of a study on triterpenoid conjugates, the dietary pentacyclic triterpenoids oleanolic (2a) and ursolic acids (3a) were coupled with vanillamine, and the resulting amides (2b and 3b, respectively) were assayed for activity on the vanilloid receptor TRPV1. Despite a structural difference limited to the location of a methyl group in their conformationally rigid pentacyclic core, oleanoloyl vanillamide dramatically outperformed ursoloyl vanillamide in terms of potency (EC50 = 35 ± 2 nM for 2b and 5.4 ± 2.3 μM for 3b). Using molecular docking and dynamics, this difference was translated into distinct accommodation modes at the TRPV1 vanillyl ligand pocket, suggesting a critical role of a C-H πphenyl interaction between the triterpenoid C-29 methyl and Phe591 of TRPV1. Because the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation process of transient receptor channels (TRPs) remain to be fully elucidated, the observation of spatially restricted structure-activity information is of significant relevance to identify the molecular detail of TRPV1 ligand gating

Effect of tyrosin kinase inhibitors on NK Cell and ILC3 development and function

Tyrosin kinase inhibitors (TKI) sharply improved the prognosis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and of Philadelphia+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph+ALL) patients. However, TKI are not curative because of the development of resistance and lack of complete molecular remission in the majority of patients. Clinical evidences would support the notion that patient's immune system may play a key role in preventing relapses. In particular, increased proportions of terminally differentiated CD56+CD16+CD57+ NK cells have been reported to be associated with successful Imatinib therapy discontinuation or with a deep molecular response in Dasatinib-treated patients. In view of the potential role of NK cells in immune-response against CML, it is important to study whether any TKI have an effect on the NK cell development and identify possible molecular mechanism(s) by which continuous exposure to in vitro TKI may influence NK cell development and repertoire. To this end, CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) were cultured in the absence or in the presence of Imatinib, Nilotinib, or Dasatinib. We show that all compounds exert an inhibitory effect on CD56+ cell recovery. In addition, Dasatinib sharply skewed the repertoire of CD56+ cell population, leading to an impaired recovery of CD56+CD117-CD16+CD94/NKG2A+EOMES+ mature cytotoxic NK cells, while the recovery of CD56+CD117+CD94/NKG2A ROR\u3b3t+ IL-22-producing ILC3 was not affected. This effect appears to involve the Dasatinib-mediated inhibition of Src kinases and, indirectly, of STAT5-signaling activation in CD34+ cells during first days of culture. Our studies, reveal a possible mechanism by which Dasatinib may interfere with the proliferation and maturation of fully competent NK cells, i.e., by targeting signaling pathways required for differentiation and survival of NK cells but not of ILC3