How concentrated are global infrastructure markets?

In infrastructure, the possibility of a positive relationship between operators'profitability and the degree of concentration is a major political issue in view of the wide diversity of feelings about the potential role of the private sector. This is particularly important in view of (i) the large residual degree of monopolies, (ii) the protection they are granted through exclusivity clauses built in service delivery contracts and (iii) the widespread sense that the same operators tend to be present in most of the privatized operations. The main purpose of this paper is to provide a first set of quantitative assessments of the degree of concentration in infrastructure at the global and at the regional level. Concentration issues were identified in only about 20 percent of the cases studied, a presumption of concentration was found in another 30 percent of the cases. We find no correlation between the degree of concentration and the degree of reform adopted by a region or a sector. In more general terms, we find no scope for simple encompassing regional or sectoral statements because issues are region- and sector-specific. We conclude by arguing that there are a few cases and regions in which it would make sense for a supranational competition or regulation agency to ensure that the interests of the users are protected more effectively against the risks of collusion and other types of anti-competitive behaviors local regulators would not be equipped to address.Earth Sciences&GIS,Environmental Economics&Policies,Health Economics&Finance,Markets and Market Access,Decentralization,Markets and Market Access,Access to Markets,Environmental Economics&Policies,Earth Sciences&GIS,Health Economics&Finance

Relational conflict is not too bad for employees when they have developed their emotional intelligence skills

Team conflict constitutes one of the most prevalent team processes in the workplace (Benítez et al., 2011; De Dreu, 2010), especially in competitive organizational contexts, such as, university organizations (Matthiesen & Einarsen, 2007). De Wit, Greer, & Jehn (2012) 's methanalysis showed that, team conflict is not always negative for employees well-being. Its effects are depending on the conflict type and conflict contexts. In this sense, research has shown that, task conflict could be positive for job satisfaction and, relationship conflict consequences of well-being could be buffer when team members have good skills to solve conflicts (De Dreu et al., 2004; Seong & Choi, 2014). Emotional intelligence has come to be seen as a key concept for the development of organizations. Especially in professions that require continuous management of interpersonal relationships, such as, teachers (Extremera & Fernández-Berrocal, 2004, Jiménez & López-Zafra, 2007). When individuals are in a conflict situation, whatever the type, they face the same ones influenced by their emotional state (Barry & Fulmer, 2004; Montes 2014). Therefore, employees with high emotional intelligence may be better able to cope with conflict-induced stress than people who do not have such a skill (Armstrong et al., 2011). However, despite the existence of empirical evidence on the influence of emotional intelligence on the adequate management of conflict, there are few studies that have analyzed the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between both types of conflict (task and relationship conflict) and burnout. This study extends the conflict literature by examining the moderating role of emotional intelligent on the relationship between two conflict types (task conflict and relationship conflict) and burnout core (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization)

Dealing with politics for money and power in infrastructure

Policy recommendations for infrastructure provision usually build on a well-established understanding of best practice for sector governance. Too rarely are they adapted to the country-specific political environment even if this is an area where policy choices are likely to be subject to private agendas in politics. The fact that such private agendas are often ignored goes a long way toward explaining why infrastructure policies fail and why best practice can be counterproductive. While non-benevolence and rent-seeking are well described in the literature and anecdotes abound, there is only limited consideration of how the different incentive problems in politics impede policy improvements in infrastructure. This paper addresses why politics in infrastructure cannot be ignored, drawing on theoretical results and a systematic review of experiences. It reviews how different private agendas in politics will have different impacts for sector-governance decisions -- and hence service delivery. The concept of best practice in policy recommendations should be reconsidered in a wide perspective and allow for tailored solutions based on an understanding of the given incentive problems. Policy recommendations should take into account how coordination trade-offs may complicate efforts to reduce the possible impact of private agendas on infrastructure policy decisions. Although more transparency linked to service delivery indicators is a"safe"recommendation, it is also clear that the demand for good governance will not be sufficient to secure political accountability in a sector with huge vested interests combined with complicated funding schemes and complex contracts.Public Sector Corruption&Anticorruption Measures,National Governance,Governance Indicators,Environmental Economics&Policies,Transport Economics Policy&Planning

Can the Gains from Argentina's Utilities Reform Offset Credit Shocks?

Computable general equilibrium, Regulation

Are cost models useful for telecoms regulators in developing countries?

Worldwide privatization of the telecommunications industry, and the introduction of competition in the sector, together with the ever-increasing rate of technological advance in telecommunications, raise new and critical challenges for regulation. Fo matters of pricing, universal service obligations, and the like, one question to be answered is this: What is the efficient cost of providing the service to a certain area or type of customer? As developing countries build up their capacity to regulate their privatized infrastructure monopolies, cost models are likely to prove increasingly important in answering this question. Cost models deliver a number of benefits to a regulator willing to apply them, but they also ask for something in advance: information. Without information, the question cannot be answered. The authors introduce cost models and establish their applicability when different degrees of information are available to the regulator. They do no by running a cost model with different sets of actual data form Argentina's second largest city, and comparing results. Reliable, detailed information is generally scarce in developing countries. The authors establish the minimum information requirements for a regulator implementing a cost proxy model approach, showing that this data constraint need not be that binding.ICT Policy and Strategies,Decentralization,Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Business Environment,ICT Policy and Strategies,Environmental Economics&Policies,Geographical Information Systems,Economic Theory&Research,Educational Technology and Distance Education

www.ecares.org Dealing with Politics for Money and Power in Infrastructure

Policy recommendations for infrastructure provision usually build on a well-established understanding of best practice for sector governance. Too rarely are they adapted to the country-specific political environment even if this is an area where policy choices are likely to be subject to private agendas in politics. The fact that such private agendas are often ignored goes a long way toward explaining why infrastructure policies fail and why best practice can be counterproductive. While non-benevolence and rent-seeking are well described in the literature and anecdotes abound, there is only limited consideration of how the different incentive problems in politics impede policy improvements in infrastructure. This paper addresses why politics in infrastructure cannot be ignored, drawing on theoretical results and a systematic review of experiences. It reviews how different private agendas in politics will have different impact for sector-governance decisions – and hence service delivery. The concept of best practice in policy recommendations should be reconsidered in a wide perspective and allow for tailored solutions based on an understanding of the given incentive problems. Policy recommendations should take into account how coordination trade-offs may complicate efforts to reduce the possible impact of private agendas on infrastructure policy decisions. While more transparency linked to service delivery indicators is a “safe ” recommendation, it is also clear that the demand for good governanc

Axial-azimuthal, high-frequency modes from global linear-stability model of a Hall thruster

Axial-azimuthal instabilities of a Hall-thruster plasma discharge are investigated using fluid model and a linear global stability approach, appropriate to the large axial inhomogeneity of the equilibrium solution. Electron pressure and electron inertia are considered in both the equilibrium and perturbed solutions. Fourier transform in time and azimuth are taken and the dispersion relation, for the resultant Sturm&-Liouville problem governing the axial behavior of the modes, is numerically obtained. The analysis, focused in mid-to-high frequencies and large wavenumbers identifies two main instability types. The dominant mode develops in the near plume at 1-5 MHz and azimuthal mode numbers ∼10–50, has a weak ion response and seems to be triggered by negative gradients of the magnetic field. The subdominant mode develops near the anode at 10-300 kHz and azimuthal mode numbers ∼1–10, and seems of the rotating-spoke type. Both instabilities are well characterized by investigating their oblique propagation, the influence of design and operation parameters, and the effects of anode–cathode electric connection, electron inertia, and temperature perturbations. The possible impact of these instabilities on electron cross-field transport is estimated through a quasilinear approach, which yields a spatially-rippled turbulent force.This research was funded by the Comunidad de Madrid (Spain), under PROMETEO-CM project, with Grant No.Y2018/NMT-4750. Enrique Bello-Benítez is supported by Spain’s Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovaci´on y Universidades, under Grant FPU18/03686

Participatory Approach to Optimizing Cabbage Fertilization System for Improved Yield, Quality and Shelf Life

Cabbage fertilization system was optimized following the participatory approach by factoring in farmers’ practices, conducting optimization trials on farmers’ field, and employing farmer-researcher co-management of on-farm trials. Five different rates of fertilizer application were documented in the survey of farmers in a vegetable-growing area in Central Philippines. They served as basis for the fertilizer treatments (2 organic fertilizer levels using chicken dung or CD and 5 inorganic fertilizer levels using complete fertilizer 14-14-14 and urea 46-0-0) tested in on-farm trials in the dry season (December to May) and wet season (June to November). Other cultural practices were those employed by farmers with some good practices introduced. Optimum fertilization rate was 2.3 tons CD/ha + 112-47-47 (336 kg 14-14-14 and 141 kg 46-0-0 per hectare) for both dry and wet season crops, giving yields of 29.5 and 10.7 tons/ha, respectively, with net profit-cost ratio of 4.41 and 2.14, respectively, or more than 2-3 times higher than that of unfertilized crops. In addition, the heads produced were flatter and more compact and had longer shelf life due to lower weight loss and trimming loss, particularly for dry-season crop, compared to other fertilizer treatments. The participatory approach equipped farmers with first-hand knowledge and skills on how to improve existing cultural practices to generate high quality yields and farm profits

Detecting hydroxyl radical with a new two-photon fluorescent probe in living cells

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to be involved in the onset and development of multiple diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes among others. Generation of ROS is a phenomenon that results from normal cell metabolism as well as from the response to certain pathologic stimuli like certain cytokines, xenobiotics and bacterial infection. These ROS are highly reactive, short-lived molecules that play critical roles in the living cell and it is well accepted that cellular oxidative stress results from the imbalance between generation and elimination of ROS in cells. In this work, we describe the design and synthesis of a two photon (TP) organelle-targeting activatable fluorescent probe. This probe is a naphthalene-indoline compound that targets specifically lysosomes, reaching these organelles in the fluorescence “off” state and minimizing background reactions. Upon arrival at the lysosomes, the probe is triggered and a fluorescence “on” signal is observed that can be combined with TP microscopy to image the lysosomal •OH in living cells.Real Sociedad Española de Química y Grupo Especializado de Química Orgánica de la RSEQ•Universidade de Santiago de Compostela • CIQUS • Lilly • Mestrelab Research •Thieme •Scharlab • Acros • ABCR • AMSLab • GalChimia • Elsevier • The Journal of the American Chemical Society • ACS Omega • Organic Letters • The Journal of Organic Chemistry • Accounts of Chemical Research. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec