3,211 research outputs found
The value of collective reputation for environmentally-friendly production methods: The case of Val di Gresta
No full textIn this paper we investigate consumers' preferences for various environment-friendly production systems for carrots. We use discrete-choice multi-attribute stated-preference data to explore the effect of collective reputations from growers of an Alpine valley known for its environment-friendly production: Val di Gresta 'the valley of organic orchards'. Data analysis of the panel of discrete responses identifies unobserved taste heterogeneity for organic, bio-dynamic and place of origin, while observed heterogeneity for income is addressed by a piece-wise linear function. The implied sample distributions of individual-specific WTP for each of these random attributes are then compared. Results indicate that Integrated Pest Management is preferred to biodynamic as an emerging method. The presence of a premium for Val di Gresta produce is confirmed. The use of an experimental design to identify the relevant second order effects reveals the presence of a reputation effect which can be decomposed into a generic effect from place of origin and a specific one for each EFPMs. Farmers operating in geographically limited marginal areas, such as mountain valleys, may find it useful to invest in collective reputation through high quality standard to achieve higher returns. This strategy may compensate for the dwindling public support to farm income from EU programmes
Using Flexible Taste Distributions to Value Collective Reputation for Environmentally Friendly Production Methods
No full text"In this paper, we investigate consumer preferences for various environmentally friendly production systems for carrots. We use discrete choice multi-attribute stated preference data to explore the effect of the collective reputation of growers from an Alpine valley with an established reputation for its environmentally friendly production: Val di Gresta 'the valley of organic orchards.' Data analysis of the panel of discrete responses identifies unobserved taste heterogeneity for organic, biodynamic, and place of origin along with extra variance associated with experimentally designed alternatives. The assumed parametric taste distributions are each tested using the semi-nonparametric specification proposed by Fosgerau and Bierlaire, while the null of normality cannot be rejected for organic and biodynamic production methods, though it is for the place of origin. The latter is found to be bi-modal, with modes at each side of zero. The use of a flexible taste distribution increases the plausibility of this form of heterogeneity and it appears promising for future applied studies." Copyright (c)2008 Canadian Agricultural Economics Society.
Evaluation of the antiviral activity of psoralens. G. Miolo, R. Tomanin, A. De Rossi, F. Dall'Acqua, F. Zacchello, M. Scarpa.
No full textAbdominoplasty with “Scarpa Fascia” preservation: Case Report
No full textIntroduction: Abdominoplasty is one of the most performed operations in Plastic Surgery in the world. Postoperative seroma is one of the most frequently cited complications in literature. The aim of this study is to propose our experience with abdominoplasty with Scarpa Fascia preservationand compare it with recent scientific literature. Presentation of case: We present the case of a 55-year-old woman underwent bariatric surgery in 2014, after which she lost 55 kg of weight. We decided to perform an abdominoplasty with transposition of the umbilicus and preservation of the Scarpa Fascia. In fact, this technique seems to have a positive impact on reducing seroma formation, reducing the amount of drained fluids and the drainage time. Discussion: The saving of the adipose-fascial layer according to different Authors would allow the reduction of the volume of drained fluid, of the time spent by the drains and the average hospital stay. Conclusion: The abdominoplasty with the Scarpa Fascia preservation is a safe, repeatable technique with good aesthetic results. The saving of deep adipose tissue allows to reduce the time and the quantity of drained liquids. In our experience patient undergoing this technique has shorter hospital stays with no complications
Fast super-resolution of 20 m Sentinel-2 bands using convolutional neural networks
No full textImages provided by the ESA Sentinel-2 mission are rapidly becoming the main source of information for the entire remote sensing community, thanks to their unprecedented combination of spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, as well as their associated open access policy. Due to a sensor design trade-off, images are acquired (and delivered) at different spatial resolutions (10, 20 and 60 m) according to specific sets of wavelengths, with only the four visible and near infrared bands provided at the highest resolution (10 m). Although this is not a limiting factor in general, many applications seem to emerge in which the resolution enhancement of 20 m bands may be beneficial, motivating the development of specific super-resolution methods. In this work, we propose to leverage Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to provide a fast, upscalable method for the single-sensor fusion of Sentinel-2 (S2) data, whose aim is to provide a 10 m super-resolution of the original 20 m bands. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed solution can achieve better performance with respect to most of the state-of-the-art methods, including other deep learning based ones with a considerable saving of computational burden
Benefit estimates for landscape improvements: sequential Bayesian design and respondents’ rationality in a choice experiment
No full textA multi-attribute, stated-preference approach is used to value low and high impact actions on four major landscape components addressed by the Rural Environment Protection Scheme in Ireland. Several methodological issues are addressed: the use of prior beliefs on the relative magnitudes of parameters, standardized description of different levels of landscape improvements via image manipulation software, adoption of efficiency-increasing sequential experimental design, and sensitivity of benefit estimates to inclusion of responses from "irrational" respondents. Results suggest that Bayesian design updating delivers significant efficiency gains without loss in respondent efficiency, and estimates are upward-biased when irrational respondents are included
Valuing animal genetic resources: a choice modeling application to indigenous cattle in Kenya
No full textIn an effort to improve productivity and profits, many farmers have replaced traditional livestock breeds with higher yielding alternatives. While such changes may bring about short-term economic gains, the loss of traditional livestock breeds could result in the loss of an important genetic resource as a variety of important genetic traits adapted to local conditions gradually become less common in the population. This is a particular problem in Africa, where livestock make a substantial contribution to human livelihoods. Using the example of cattle in Kenya's pastoral livestock markets this study uses a choice experiment approach to investigate buyers' preferences for indigenous breeds such as the Maasai Zebu. The analysis employs a latent class approach to characterize heterogeneity in valuations both within and across respondents buying cattle for breeding, slaughter, or resale. The results show that there are at least three classes of buyers with distinct preferences for cattle traits and that most buyers favor exotic rather than indigenous breeds. Such preferences have implications for the conservation of indigenous cattle in Kenya and in other developing countries and suggest that some form of intervention may be required to ensure the preservation of this important animal genetic resource. Copyright 2008 International Association of Agricultural Economists.
Quality of Life After Restorative Proctocolectomy for Ulcerative Colitis
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Quality of life after restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis - Different questionnaires lead to different interpretations
Author(s): Scarpa, M (Scarpa, Marco); Ruffolo, C (Ruffolo, Cesare); Polese, L (Polese, Lino); Martin, A (Martin, Alessandro); D'Inca, R (D'Inca, Renata); Sturniolo, GC (Sturniolo, Giacomo C.); D'Amico, DF (D'Amico, Davide F.); Angriman, I (Angriman, Imerio)
Source: ARCHIVES OF SURGERY Volume: 142 Issue: 2 Pages: 158-165 DOI: 10.1001/archsurg.142.2.158 Published: FEB 2007
Times Cited: 15 (from Web of Science)
Cited References: 34 [ view related records ] Citation Map
Abstract: Background: According to some researchers, health-related quality-of-life scores for patients who undergo restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) for ulcerative colitis (UC) are comparable to those of healthy control subjects. Other studies show evidence that patients who undergo RPC experience a health-related quality of life similar to patients with mild UC or UC in remission.
Hypothesis: The discrepancy in health-related quality of-life scores among studies may be due to different health-related quality-of-life analyses.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: Outpatient clinic of a tertiary care center.
Patients: In the first phase of the study, we consecutively enrolled 24 patients with UC, 24 patients with Crohn disease, and 24 healthy controls. In the second phase of the study, 40 patients who underwent RPC, 43 patients with UC, and 44 controls were consecutively enrolled.
Interventions: We administered an Italian version of the Cleveland Global Quality of Life (CGQL) instrument, the Padova Inflammatory Bowel Disease Quality of Life instrument, and the Italian 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey.
Main Outcome Measures: We evaluated the construct. validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, sensitivity to change, and discriminant ability of the Italian CGQL instrument. We compared its discriminative ability with that of the Padova Inflammatory Bowel Disease Quality of Life instrument.
Results: The Italian CGQL instrument obtained good construct validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and sensitivity to change. The Italian CGQL score did not distinguish patients who underwent RPC from healthy controls and those with mild UC or UC in remission, while the Padova Inflammatory Bowel Disease Quality of Life instrument reported similar scores for patients who underwent RPC and those with mild UC or UC in remission, and showed a difference vs healthy controls.
Conclusions: We validated an Italian version of the CGQL score. The different results obtained with the CGQL and the Padova Inflammatory Bowel Disease Quality of Life instruments can be attributed to the different discriminative ability of the 2 questionnaires
Destination choice models for rock climbing in the Northeastern Alps: a latent-class approach based on intensity of preference
No full textRock climbers are likely to exhibit
preference heterogeneity dictating the way with
which such sport is practiced. This has a reflection
on the population’s structure of recreational values
of rock-climbing destinations, their attributes, and
to land management policies. We test this hypothesis
on a panel of destination choices by a sample
of members of the Italian Alpine Club. Using a
latent-class, random utility approach we find evidence
in support of the hypothesis that there are
at least four classes in the sample, thereby revealing
a considerable richness in the structure of preference,
which would otherwise be unobservable with
more conventional approaches
Incorporating Discontinuous Preferences into the Analysis of Discrete Choice Experiments
No full textDiscontinuous preferences, Discrete choice experiments, Multinomial error component logit model, Rural environmental landscapes, Willingness to pay,
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