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This paper aims at understanding what affects farmers’ choices to buy insurance against biotic threats. Using a survey-based dataset with 1187 observations on Veneto wine grapes farms, we regress a probit model with endogenous variables with a maximum likelihood (ML) routine. The results corroborate the microeconomic theory according to which risk-adverse individuals are more propense to insure. In our framework, the farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics are treated as endogenous variables, which exist/are predetermined before the choice to insure (or not). This paper discusses the results in a policy perspective.

The full comprehension of the impact with which each force is involved in kayak propulsion is very difficult. The measure of the force on the paddle or the stroke rate only is often not enough for the coach to identify the best actions useful to improve the performances of a kayaker. To this purpose, the synchronous measurement of all parameters involved in the kayak propulsion, both dynamic (force acting on paddle and foot brace) and kinematic (stroke frequency, displacement, velocity, acceleration, roll, yaw, and pitch of the boat) could suggest to the coach more appropriate strategies for better understanding of the paddler’s motion and the relevant effects on the kayak behavior. Some simulation models, as well as measurement systems of increasing complexity, have been proposed in the recent years. In this paper, we present the e-Kayak system: A multichannel Digital Acquisition (DAQ) system specifically customized for flatwater kayaking. The system will be described in depth and its capability investigated through specific measurement results.

Praziquantel (PZQ) is an anthelmintic drug used in humans and animals against Platyhelminthes and in aquaculture in the Far East. Medicated feed is one of the most convenient forms of oral administration of drugs in aquaculture because it allows to treat a large population of fish in an easy way. However, this treatment may lead to residues in fish intended for human consumption. In this study, a liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed in order to verify the presence of PZQ in samples of Sparus aurata after oral administration of feed treated with PZQ. The method was validated according to international guidelines. It showed good recoveries, selectivity and sensitivity (LOD and LOQ were 3.0 and 9.3 ng/g, respectively), with precision and matrix effect values ≤ 15%. This method could also be applied to determine PZQ residue in other fish species and thus to evaluate the appropriate withdrawal time in treated fish intended for human consumption.

OBJETIVO: Identificar as espécies predominantes e o papel dos parceiros sexuais na manutenção das vulvovaginites recorrentes por Candida spp. MÉTODOS: Entre agosto de 2007 e março de 2012, foi efetuado estudo prospectivo de 830 pacientes com idades variáveis entre 18 e 65 anos e vaginites fúngicas. Foram excluídos pacientes com diabetes mellitus, síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS), em uso de corticoterapia, antibioticoterapia, hormonoterapia, imunossupressão, duchas vaginais, dispositivos intrauterinos (DIUs) ou espermicidas. A identificação das espécies de Candida foi feita por métodos fenotípicos e genotípicos. O teste do χ2 foi usado para correlacionar a Candida spp. nos parceiros masculinos e a recorrência nas vaginites. RESULTADOS: O agente fúngico foi isolado em um total de 40 mulheres, sendo 24 com vaginites recorrentes, e em 15 dos seus parceiros sexuais, dos quais 10 eram assintomáticos, e 5, sintomáticos. Houve concordância das espécies encontradas no casal em 100% das recorrências. C. albicans (62,4 e 60%), C. glabrata (29,1 e 33,3%) e C. guilliermondii foram as espécies identificadas. Candida tropicalis (4,1%) foi isolada de apenas uma paciente. Nas 16 mulheres restantes que tinham vaginites não complicadas, C. albicans foi isolada em todas. C. glabrata foi isolada em apenas dois de seus parceiros assintomáticos. CONCLUSÃO: Houve predominância de C. albicans; parceiros sintomáticos ou assintomáticos podem ter papel importante como reservatório e fonte de transmissão de leveduras, principalmente nos quadros de vulvovaginites recorrentes.

Ketorolac is a powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), with a great analgesic activity, present on the Italian market since 1991. Despite the excellent therapeutic activity, the chronic use of ketorolac has long been limited owing to the high incidence of gastrointestinal and kidney side events. In our previous study, we demonstrated that ketorolac–galactose conjugate (ketogal), synthesized and tested in a single-dose study, was able to reduce ulcerogenicity, while preserving the high pharmacological efficacy of its parent drug. In this paper, in order to verify the suitability of this compound, for repeated administration, ex vivo experiments on naïve mice were performed. Mice were treated for 5 or 7 days with the highest doses of two drugs (ketorolac 10 mg/kg and ketogal 16.3 mg/kg), and the expression of both gastric COX-1 and PGsyn was evaluated. Results showed that oral ketorolac treatment significantly reduced both enzymes; surprisingly, oral treatment with ketogal did not produce significant variation in the expression of the two constitutive enzymes. Moreover, histological experiments on stomach and kidneys clearly indicated that repeated administration of ketogal induced lower toxicity than ketorolac. At same time, in vivo results clearly showed that both ketorolac and ketogal had a similar therapeutic activity in a model of inflammation and in pain perception. These effects were accompanied by the reduction of enzyme expression such as COX-2 and iNOS, and by the modulation of levels of nuclear NF-κB and cytosolic IκB-α in the inflamed paws. These very encouraging results demonstrate for the first time that ketogal could represent a valid and novel therapeutic alternative to the ketorolac and might pave the way for clinical studies.

In viticulture, the management of water resources is a relevant issue in the profiles of a socio – economic, environmental sustainability policy turned to the development of the vine-growing territories with Designation of Origin. The paper has set itself the goal of an economic assessment on business decisions related to a drought risk in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, using the Bayesian methodology. The results showed the importance of an investment strategy that provides for the systematic introduction of emergency drought irrigation in the area DOCG’s vineyards which will guarantee the quality and the supply of the raw material, taking into account both the current evolution in marketing the product and the climate change scenarios.

As a consequence of the rapid and significative decrease in domestic demand, to avoid structural surplus traditional wine producing countries have been forced to export a growing share of their wine production. This article empirically investigates Argentinean trade policy on the wine sector over the last years, in order to understand its effect on export flows. An expanded gravity model was estimated through a Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood estimator, in order to account for heteroskedasticity. The data used refer to Argentinean exports of bottled wine to all main world importers during the period 1997-2010, and account for more than 90% of total trade flows. Our results show that Mercosur membership has promoted Argentinean wine exports to other Latin American countries, but may as a whole have been counter-productive. A more open trade policy could increase Argentinean bottled wine exports by more than 5.8%. In addition, given the rise in wine importation and consumption in countries with high tariff barriers, such as China, the small number of free trade agreements could penalize Argentinean exports even more in the future.

Protected Denominations of Origin (PDO) DOC/DOCG labelling is a key factor in qualifying wines for premium positioning and requires a batch-level institutional approval based on chemical and physical analyses and a gustative assay by a commission of experts. The highly standardised products required by international markets requires a critical assessment of the quality of the process generating the assaying commission counsel so that well-known denominated wine products, hold and possibly expand, their market position. The present study was carried out to investigate the relations between electronic nose analysis and judge- based sensory analysis and the assaying commission counsel to address possible ways to ‘inject’ quality assurance tools and concepts in the pipeline of the ‘institutional filter’ of the Prosecco-area DOC/DOCG. Chemical analysis and of chemometrics proved good predictors of the assaying commission counsel, while significant deviations between the outcomes of the panel and commission evaluations. The role of the electronic nose detection and of chemical/physical analyses in helping resolve such discrepancies is discussed.

In this paper we study part of the dynamics of a circular restricted $ (N+2) $-body problem on the sphere $ \mathbb{S}^2 $ and considering the logarithmic potential, where $ N $ primaries remain in a ring type configuration (identical masses placed at the vertices of a regular polygon in a fixed parallel and rotating uniformly with respect to the $ Z $-axis) and a $ (N+1) $-th primary of mass $ M\in \mathbb{R} $ fixed at the south pole of $ \mathbb{S}^2 $. Such a particular configuration will be called ring-pole configuration (RP). An infinitesimal mass particle has an equilibrium position at the north pole for any value of $ M $, any parallel where the ring has been fixed (we use as parameter $ z = \cos\theta $, where $ \theta $ is the polar angle of the ring) and any number $ N\geq 2 $ of masses forming the ring. We study the non-linear stability of the north pole in terms of the parameters $ (z, M, N) $ and some bifurcations near the north pole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosis and intervention to avoid Brett taints in the product can be a time-consuming task for the enologist in large production facilities and an instrumental and automated detection systems assisting the local expert technician would be desirable. This paper investigates whether electronic noses, which have been tested in other wine making and classification tasks, can be of use in detecting Brett taints in Valpolicella wines.

En este trabajo se analizan algunas relaciones entre cambio conceptual y creencias motivacionales, con el propósito central de considerar los aportes de estos conceptos para orientar el aprendizaje a partir de la lectura en la universidad. Se presentan, en primer lugar, los enfoques teóricos que desde la psicología constructiva intentan explicar el cambio conceptual y las creencias motivacionales, fundamentando la relación entre estos conceptos a través de los postulados de Pintrich (2006), acerca de los factores motivacionales que se configuran como facilitadores del cambio conceptual. Retomando estos planteos, se consideran luego las contribuciones que estas propuestas teóricas pueden hacer en la orientación de prácticas de enseñanza que favorezcan los aprendizajes a partir de la lectura de textos académicos, fundamentalmente en el primer año de asistencia a la universidad, considerando a la lectura de textos como un componente intrínseco e ineludible de los aprendizajes en el nivel superior. Se realiza entonces una propuesta descriptiva y reflexiva acerca de cómo podría configurarse la relación entre cambio conceptual y creencias motivacionales en los alumnos que ingresan al nivel de educación superior y cuál es el rol del docente en esta relación dialéctica, para promover en los futuros profesionales aprendizajes más genuinos.