Market Power and Patent Strategies: Evidence from Renaissance Venice

This paper exploits the introduction of the first regularized patent system, which appeared in the Venetian Republic in 1474, to examine the factors shaping inventors\u2019 propensity to use a new form of intellectual property. We combine detailed information on craft guilds and patents in Renaissance Venice and show a negative association between patenting activity and guild statutory norms that strongly restricted entry and price competition. Our analysis shows that the heterogeneity in patenting activity documented by the industrial organization literature is not a special feature of modern technologies, but is rather a persistent phenomenon affected by market power

Isolation and mapping of a C3'H gene (CYP98A49) from globe artichoke, and its expression upon UV-C stress

Globe artichoke represents a natural source of phenolic compounds with dicaffeoylquinic acids along with their biosynthetic precursor chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid) as the predominant molecules. We report the isolation and characterization of a full-length cDNA and promoter of a globe artichoke p-coumaroyl ester 3¿-hydroxylase (CYP98A49), which is involved in both chlorogenic acid and lignin biosynthesis. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that this gene belongs to the CYP98 family. CYP98A49 was also heterologously expressed in yeast, in order to perform an enzymatic assay with p-coumaroylshikimate and p-coumaroylquinate as substrates. Real Time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that CYP98A49 expression is induced upon exposure to UV-C radiation. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the CYP98A49 gene sequence of two globe artichoke varieties used for genetic mapping allowed the localization of this gene to linkage group 10 within the previously developed map

Role of rock fragment cover on runoff generation and sediment yield in tilled vineyards.

The soil in conventional Mediterranean vineyards is an active and non-sustainable source of sediment and water. Lack of vegetation cover, small soil organic matter content and intense ploughing result in large rates of erosion in a millennia-old tillage system. There is a need for soil conservation strategies that enable sustainability of wine and grape production; therefore, it is essential to measure the rates and to investigate the processes and factors of soil erosion. This study evaluated factors that can reduce soil losses in traditional Mediterranean vineyards. The investigation was carried out with 96 rainfall simulation experiments at the pedon scale (0.24m2) to measure soil detachment and runoff yield under low frequency-high magnitude rainfall events of 1 hour at 55mmhour−1. On average, runoff was 40.6% of the rainfall, and the rate of soil erosion (i.e. amount of soil lost) was 71.5 g m−2. The key factor controlling erosion was the rock fragment cover. There was a clear decrease in soil losses with increased rock fragment cover on the soil surface, but an increase in surface runoff. The results of our study showed that rock fragments at the pedon scale reduced soil erosion in Mediterranean vineyards, but when a layer of embedded rock fragments developed, large rates of runoff were triggered

An economic, perception and biophysical approach to the use of oat straw as mulch in Mediterranean rainfed agriculture land

Soil erosion is a key cause of land degradation in agriculture lands; and it is a worldwide threat that must be solved by means of nature-based strategies to be able to achieve sustainability. The use of mulches can be a solution, but there is a lack of information on long-term effects of the use of straw. Furthermore, little is known about the perception of farmers and the economic cost on the implantation of straw as a conservation measure. Eight paired plots were selected in Sierra de Enguera on an agriculture field to determine the effect of straw cover on soil erosion. Four plots were tilled three times per year (Control) and four plots were not ploughed and 0.125 kg m−2 y−1 of oat straw cover was applied yearly (Straw). The plots were established in 2002, and runoff and sediment was continuously collected after each rainfall event from 2004 till 2014 when the two managements were applied. The results show an immediate effect of the straw mulches as in these plots the runoff (from 7.7 till 5.9%) and soil erosion (from 47 till 26 Mg ha−1 y−1) was reduced already in the first year. The combined effect of the use of straw yearly and the no-tillage strategy resulted in a reduction of the sediment yield, and 11 years later soil erosion rates were two orders of magnitude lower than in the control plot. However, the perception of the farmers on the use of straw is very negative and they claim that subsidies need to be implemented, as the cost of straw mulch is 1.9 times more expensive than traditional tillage

Associations between rapid weight gain in infancy and weight status among urban Aboriginal children participating in the Gudaga study: nine-year results from a cohort study.

BACKGROUND:Rapid weight gain (RWG) in infants is associated with overweight and obesity in childhood and beyond, highlighting the need for early intervention. METHODS:Data from a birth cohort of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in an urban area were analysed to determine the prevalence of RWG in infancy and the association between RWG and overweight and obesity, categorised using both body mass index and waist to height ratio from birth to 9 years. RESULTS:The prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher in this cohort (at 47%) than the population average. The Australian population as a whole has seen steady increases. In this cohort although the prevalence of combined overweight and obesity remained relatively stable between 2 and 9 years, the proportion of children categorized as obese using BMI has increased. 42% of children who were overweight or obese at 9 years had experienced RWG in infancy. Children were 2.7 and 3.9 times more likely to be overweight at 9 years if they experienced RWG or were overweight at 2 years, respectively. CONCLUSION:RWG was common in this cohort and the strongest predictor of excess weight at 2 years and at 9 years. Early intervention is crucial in the first year of life across the whole population to prevent obesity in children. Culturally appropriate interventions developed with the community are required for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies and their parents

The November 2017 Mw 5.5 Pohang earthquake: a possible case of induced seismicity in South Korea

The Mw 5.5 earthquake that struck South Korea in November 2017 was one of the largest and most damaging events in this country over the last century. Its proximity to an Enhanced Geothermal Systems site, where high pressure hydraulic injection had been performed during the previous two years, raises the possibility that this earthquake was anthropogenic. We have combined seismological and geodetic analyses to characterize the mainshock and its largest aftershocks, constrain the geometry of this seismic sequence and shed light on its casual factors. According to our analysis it seems plausible that the occurrence of this earthquake was influenced by these industrial activities. Finally we found that the earthquake transferred static stress to larger nearby faults, potentially increasing the seismic hazard in the area

La agricultura ecológica a largo plazo en plantaciones de cítricos permite la recuperación del carbono orgánico del suelo

[ES] Se ha demostrado que el manejo del suelo bajo agricultura ecológica puede aumentar el contenido de carbono orgánico en el suelo moderando el incremento de los gases de efecto invernadero, pero hasta la fecha las evaluaciones cuantitativas basadas en mediciones a largo plazo han sido escasas, especialmente bajo condiciones mediterráneas. En esta investigación se examinaron los cambios en el contenido de carbono orgánico como respuesta a la agricultura ecológica con cobertura vegetal en una plantación de cítricos en el área mediterránea, utilizando una base de datos de 21 años. El incremento de contenido de carbono orgánico en el suelo fue más evidente tras cinco años desde el cambio del manejo del suelo, sugiriendo que, para plantaciones de cítricos en ambientes mediterráneos, los estudios deberían tener una duración superior a cinco años. La sata de secuestro de carbono orgánico no cambió significativamente durante los 21 años de observaciones, con valores que oscilaron entre -1.10 Mg C ha-1 a-1 y 1.89 Mg C ha-1 a-1. Tras 21 años, un total de 61 t CO2 ha-1 fueron secuestradas en las áreas de acumulación de carbono en el suelo. Estos resultados demuestran que la agricultura ecológica es una estrategia efectiva para restaurar o incrementar los niveles de carbono orgánico en el suelo en los sistemas de cítricos mediterráneos.[EN] It has been shown that soil management under organic farming can enhance soil organic carbon, thereby mitigating atmospheric greenhouse gas increases, but until now quantitative evaluations based on long term experiments are scarce, especially under Mediterranean conditions. Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) content were examined in response to organic management with cover crops in a Mediterranean citrus plantation using 21 years of survey data. Soil organic carbon increase was more apparent 5 years after a land management change suggesting that, for citrus plantations on Mediterranean conditions, studies should be longer than five years in duration. Soil organic carbon sequestration rate did not significantly change during the 21 years of observation, with values ranging from -1.10 Mg C ha(-1) y(-1) to 1.89 Mg C ha(-1) y(-1). After 21 years, 61 Mg CO2 ha(-1) were sequestered in long-lived soil C pools. These findings demonstrate that organic management is an effective strategy to restore or increase SOC content in Mediterranean citrus systems.This research was funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant no. 603498 (RECARE Project) and the research projects GL2008-02879/BTE and LEDDRA 243857.Novara, A.; Pulido, M.; Rodrigo-Comino, J.; Di Prima, S.; Smith, P.; Gristina, L.; Giménez Morera, A.... (2019). Long-term organic farming on a citrus plantation results in soil organic carbon recovery. Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica. 45(1):271-286. https://doi.org/10.18172/cig.3794S27128645

Policies can help to apply successful strategies to control soil and water losses. The case of chipped pruned branches (CPB) in Mediterranean citrus plantations

There is a need to devise management strategies that control soil and water losses in agriculture land to allow the design of proper policies to achieve sustainability. It is the responsibility of scientists to work with other actors to co-construct strategies that will lead to sustainable land-use policies. Using chipped pruned branches (CPB) as mulch can be a viable option because they represent local (in situ) organic material that can restore soil nutrients and organic matter. This research assesses: i) the perception of farmers towards different types of management strategies and CPB's costs; ii) the biomass yield of citrus branches and the impact of CPB on soil properties; iii) how CPB affects soil erosion and runoff generation in citrus plantations; and, iv) a discussion about how to favour the use of CPB thought successful policies. To achieve those goals we carried out: i) one-hundred interviews to assess the perception of farmers and twelve interviews to assess the economic balance of twelve land owners; ii) soil was sampled at 0-2 and 4-6 cm depths; iii) pruned material was surveyed for 40 trees; and iv) forty rainfall simulation experiments (55mmh−1) were carried out in two citrus plantations at paired sites (Control versus CPB), in La Costera District in Eastern Spain. Forty circular (0.25m2) plots were installed in four rows (4×5=20 plots) in control (CON) and CPB plots (20+20=40 plots) to perform the rainfall simulations over one hour. The cost of chipping ranged from 102 to 253 ha−1, and was related to the size of the farm. The soil quality, runoff and erosion assessment showed that CPB is a suitable strategy. CPB increased organic matter from 1.3% to 2.9% after 10 years in the 0-2 cm depth layer, while the 4-6 cm layer was largely not affected (OM moved from 1.1 to 1.3% after 10 years), and soil bulk density showed a similar trend: a decrease from 1.36 to 1.16 g cm−3 in the surface layer with no change in the subsurface layer. The hydrological and erosional responses were different between CON and CPB. The CON plots initiated ponding (40 s) and runoff (107 s) earlier than the CPB plots (169 and 254 s, respectively); and runoff discharge was 60% in CON vs 43% in CPB plots. Sediment concentration was four times larger in the CON plots than in the CPB (11.3 g l−1 vs 3 g l−1), and soil erosion was 3.8 Mg ha−1 h-1 vs 0.7 Mg ha−1 h−1. CPB mulches were effective at controlling soil and water losses in Mediterranean citrus plantations as they showed the relationship between vegetation/litter cover and soil erosion rates. However, the farmer's perception survey showed that the use of CPB was not welcomed nor accepted by the farmers. Policies that aim to promote CPB as soil conservation mulch need to be promoted by subsidies as the farmers requested, and by education to demonstrate the positive effects of CPB to of the farming community

FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A TOMATO GLUTHATHIONE S TRANSFERASE GENE AND ITS IMPLICATION IN THE PLANT RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES

Mitigating the negative effects of abiotic stresses on crop productivity is pivotal in order to meet the global demand for food and other agricultural commodities. Abiotic stresses caused by deficiencies or excesses in environmental factors such as water, salt, light, and temperature can substantially reduce plant growth and productivity and even survival. Abiotic stresses were estimated to cause an overall yield loss of ~70% in key agricultural crops and global warming is even expected to further worsen food security. Abiotic stresses induce in plant cells increasing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are critical for stress signaling and mainly affect chloroplast protein synthesis and photosystem II repair. A plethora of antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes protect plant cells from oxidative stresses caused by an excess of ROS accumulation, thus engineering the cell redox cycle for enhancing the ROS-scavenging capacity might contribute to empower plant stress tolerance. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) is a multigene superfamily with diverse cellular mechanisms and metabolic functions and has been considered as one of the key members of plant stress modulation pathways. Our goal is to investigates the role of a tomato glutathione S-transferase (GST - Solyc07g056420) gene in controlling plant stress response. Tobacco lines overexpressing the Solyc07g056420 coding sequence (OE) accumulated significantly higher levels of hydrogen peroxide in leaves and decreased leaf levels of flavonoids, chlorophyll A and antioxidant capacity compared with control plants. OE 40 days old plants underwent differential watering treatments, i.e. full reintegration of water lost by evapo transpiration (FWR) and restitution of 50% of lost water (HWR). Under HWR conditions, OE plants showed a reduced occurrence of leaf injuries and responded to drought with a significantly higher increase in leaf chlorophyll A, chlorophyll B, hydrogen peroxide and antioxidant capacity compared to control plants. These results suggested that the hyper-accumulation of H2O2 induced in leaves by the overexpression of the Solyc07g056420 coding sequence and compensated by the adjusting the antioxidant capacity might lead to an enhancement of plant responsiveness to drought. Ongoing experiments will further investigate the functional role of the tomato Solyc07g056420 within the stress signaling network and its possible involvement in the modulation of plant response to other environmental stresses