Price regulation of pluralistic markets subject to provider collusion

We analyse incentives for collusive behaviour when heterogeneous providers are faced with regulated prices under two forms of yardstick competition, namely discriminatory and uniform schemes. Providers are heterogeneous in the degree to which their interests correspond to those of the regulator, with close correspondence labelled altruism. Deviation of interests may arise as a result of de-nationalisation or when private providers enter predominantly public markets. We assess how provider strategies and incentives to collude relate to provider characteristics and across different market structures. We differentiate between “pure” markets with either only self-interested providers or with only altruistic providers and “pluralistic” markets with a mix of provider type. We find that the incentive for collusion under a discriminatory scheme increases in the degree to which markets are self-interested whereas under a uniform scheme the likelihood increases in the degree of provider homogeneity. Providers’ choice of cost also depends on the yardstick scheme and market structure. In general, costs are higher under the uniform scheme, reflecting its weaker incentives. In a pluralistic market under the discriminatory scheme each provider’s choice of cost is decreasing in the degree of the other provider’s altruism, so a self-interested provider will operate at a lower cost than an altruistic provider. Under the uniform scheme providers always choose to operate at the same cost. The prospect of defection serves to moderate the chosen level of operating cost.

Percepção dos familiares sobre o processo de doação de órgãos

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Curso de Medicina. Departamento de Clinica Medica

Bumblebees in natural and agro-ecosystems at different altitudes from Mount Etna, Sicily (Hymenoptera Apidae Bombinae): long-term faunistic and ecological observations.

The results of a ten-years study on bumblebee species of Mount Etna in eastern Sicily are given. The observations were carried out in natural and anthropized ecosystems at different altitudes in the Mediterranean Basal plan (0-1450 m a.s.l.) and Mountain-Mediterranean plan (1450-2100 m a.s.l.). Twelve species belonging to Bombus (2 spp.), Melanobombus (1 sp.), Megabombus (2 spp.), Thoracobombus (3 spp.) and Psithyrus (4 spp.) subgenera are recorded. In the Mountain-Mediterranean plan, rich in endemic plants from Etna and Sicily, 11 species have been recorded on plants characterised by the highest honey potential like Astragalus, Rubus, and Senecio. The most abundant species in this level are B. lapidarius decipiens and B. lucorum lucorum. In the Mediterranean Basal plan 12 species have been recorded. Among them, Bombus terrestris terrestris is always present, and B. terrestris calabricus has been recorded only at 1900 m a.s.l.  Data are given on surveyed bumblebee species and subspecies, their presence in Italy, the spread in Sicily, and the plants on which the bees were observed. These data are placed in relation to the altitudinal levels and the ecological quality of the areas where the specimens were found

Changes in membrane lipids drive increased endocytosis following Fas ligation

Once activated, some surface receptors promote membrane movements that open new portals of endocytosis, in part to facilitate the internalization of their activated complexes. The prototypic death receptor Fas (CD95/Apo1) promotes a wave of enhanced endocytosis that induces a transient intermixing of endosomes with mitochondria in cells that require mitochondria to amplify death signaling. This initiates a global alteration in membrane traffic that originates from changes in key membrane lipids occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We have focused the current study on specific lipid changes occurring early after Fas ligation. We analyzed the interaction between endosomes and mitochondria in Jurkat T cells by nanospray-Time-of-flight (ToF) Mass Spectrometry. Immediately after Fas ligation, we found a transient wave of lipid changes that drives a subpopulation of early endosomes to merge with mitochondria. The earliest event appears to be a decrease of phosphatidylcholine (PC), linked to a metabolic switch enhancing phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphoinositides, which are crucial for the formation of vacuolar membranes and endocytosis. Lipid changes occur independently of caspase activation and appear to be exacerbated by caspase inhibition. Conversely, inhibition or compensation of PC deficiency attenuates endocytosis, endosome-mitochondria mixing and the induction of cell death. Deficiency of receptor interacting protein, RIP, also limits the specific changes in membrane lipids that are induced by Fas activation, with parallel reduction of endocytosis. Thus, Fas activation rapidly changes the interconversion of PC and PI, which then drives enhanced endocytosis, thus likely propagating death signaling from the cell surface to mitochondria and other organelles

Torrefaction Upgrading of Heterogenous Wastes Containing Cork and Chlorinated Polymers

Funding Information: The authors would like to acknowledge financial support by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within the R&D Units MEtRICs (UIDB/04077/2020-2023 and UIDP/04077/2020-2023), CEF (UIDB/00239/2020), and VALORIZA (UIDB/05064/2020). Andrei Longo acknowledges the project AmbWTE–POCI 01-247-FEDER-039838 for the research grant and Ali Sen acknowledges support from FCT through a research contract (DL 57/2016). Funding Information: This work was supported by national funds through the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P.P (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) by the project (UIDB/04077/2020-2023 and UIDP/04077/2020-2023) of Mechanical Engineering and Resource Sustainability Center—MEtRICs, by the project UIDB/00239/2020 of Forest Research Centre—CEF, and by the project UIDB/05064/2020 of VALORIZA—Research Centre for Endogenous Resource Valorization. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.Torrefaction of two mixed wastes composed of cork and chlorinated polymers was studied at temperatures from 200 to 350 °C, for residence times of 30 and 60 min. These wastes were recovered from sandwich panels with cork core, have different contents of cork biomass and chlorinated polymers and present poor fuel properties for energy recovery applications. The raw wastes and the produced biochars were characterized for proximate and ultimate analysis, chlorine content, mineral composition, calorific value, mass yield, energy density, particle size distribution, and adsorption capacity towards cationic and anionic dyes. Torrefaction enabled the production of biochars with mass yields from 97.2 to 54.5%, with an increase in 12.1 to 37.9% in apparent density relative to the raw wastes, and HHV from 18.2 to 20.7 MJ/kg. Nevertheless, the chlorine content of the biochars was increased to values higher than 5%, inadequate for solid fuels. Dechlorination of the biochars by washing with hot water enabled 84 to 91% removal of the chlorine species achieving final concentrations lower than 1%, without significant reduction in the biochars calorific values. For the waste with higher polymer and ash content, the torrefaction process reduced the heating value; therefore, energy valorization was not adequate. Both the raw wastes and the biochars were tested as adsorbents for cationic and anionic dyes. After activation with KOH, both the raw materials and the biochars had removal efficiencies higher than 90% for methylene blue, a cationic dye often found in industrial effluents. The results showed that torrefaction combined with hot water washing converted these wastes to biochars with the potential for energy or material valorization contributing to a circular economy in the cork industrial sector.publishersversionpublishe

Circular economy and life cycle thinking applied to the biomass supply chain: A review

The adoption of circular economy and life cycle thinking (LCT) tools plays an important role in implementing and evaluating sustainable development strategies of companies. However, until now there is no review paper on the application of these concepts in the biomass supply chain (BSC). This paper aims to review the application of circular economy and LCT in BSC. PRISMA method was used for the review. The analysis was conducted to examine case studies focusing on (1) approaches and practices of applying circularity economy concepts such as circular economy principles, strategies, indicators, business models, (2) application of LCT tools and sustainable concepts. Besides, benefits, limitations, and discussion of applying these concepts and tools were conducted. The review results show that four circular economy principles are applied (reuse, recycle, reduction and recovery), in forms of three strategies: use innovative technologies, improving operational activities and extending the BSC. Regarding LCT, most of the studies focus on environmental assessment, with some extension to economic and social impacts. Most of the exiting literature studied circular economy and LCT separately; therefore, it is recommended that comprehensive, life cycle-based tools should be developed for businesses and decision-makers to thoroughly assess and improve circularity and sustainability of bioenergy

Primary congenital glaucoma surgery: outcomes and visual function

Purpose: To assess the long-term visual outcomes of children with PCG, irrespective of the type of surgical procedure, and to create visual acuity curves to help in predicting the development of visual function in these patients. The secondary aim is to identify associated factors for visual decline or loss, highlighting differences between neonatal and infantile subgroups. Methods: The medical records of pediatric glaucoma patients from 1996 to 2017 at the University Hospital of Verona (Verona, Italy) were retrospectively reviewed. Visual acuities, surgeries, PCG subtype and etiology of vision impairment were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed to detect factors associated with vision decline. Results: Sixty-seven eyes (40 patients) were included in the study. Developmental predictive curves of visual acuity showed that children with infantile PCG had a better visual outcome than children with neonatal PCG at each step of follow-up. A good-to-moderate VA (< 1 LogMAR) was achieved in 56 eyes (83.6%), while 11 eyes (16.4%) had poor VA ( 65 1 LogMAR). The age at onset, sex, number of surgeries, intraocular pressure (IOP) control (with or without antiglaucoma drugs), axial length (AL) and corneal opacities were statistically associated with vision impairment (p < 0.01). The main cause of visual impairment was amblyopia. Conclusions: Visual outcomes of PCG significantly correlate with the age at diagnosis. Although a good long-term IOP control can often be achieved in PCG, often the visual acuity remains below the lower limits of the normal range. Poor vision in childhood is related to global developmental problems, and referral to third-level services should not be delayed to prevent vision impairment. In this regard, visual acuity curves can be a useful tool for the consultant ophthalmologist to define the visual development of children affected by PCG

Biofouling Role in Mariculture Environment Restoration: An Example in the Mar Grande of Taranto (Mediterranean Sea)

none7The biodiversity of macrobenthic invertebrates of two artificial hard substrates close to a mariculture plant was assessed in order to understand the effect on the fouling community of an innovative Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system. The examined hard substrates were (i) vertical bare collectors that are placed around the cages as new colonizable substrates, which were investigated from the early colonization and (ii) artificial hard substrates already present under the cages analyzed over time to observe changes due to the action on the water column by filter feeder organisms colonizing the above vertical collectors. Overall, 186 taxa were collected (both the substrates), of which 99 as sessile habitat-former or structuring macroinvertebrates and 87 as associated fauna, mostly vagile forms. On the vertical collectors 121 taxa were collected, among which 44 sessile structuring species and 77 vagile-associated taxa; on the artificial hard substrates under the cages, 124 taxa were identified, 95 belong to the first category and 29 as associated taxa. The two analyzed substrates shared 43% of sessile species (40) and 22% of associated species (19). At the end of the first year of experimentation, the study revealed Sabella spallanzanii and mussels as the most abundant taxa. Lastly, the communities under the cages showed an increase in biodiversity after the placement of collectors. The changes were attributed to the decrease in particulate matter originating as wastes from the breeding cage, which was intercepted by the filter feeder community developed on the vertical collectors.openDaniele Arduini, Jacopo Borghese, Maria Flavia Gravina, Roberta Trani, Caterina Longo, Cataldo Pierri, Adriana GiangrandeArduini, Daniele; Borghese, Jacopo; Flavia Gravina, Maria; Trani, Roberta; Longo, Caterina; Pierri, Cataldo; Giangrande, Adrian

Clinical and dermoscopic characteristics of congenital and non-congenital nevus-associated melanomas

No specific features of nevus-associated melanoma (NAM) are currently defined