323,517 research outputs found
Impatto degli investimenti in R&S sull’agricoltura europea
No full textLa crescita della produzione agricola a livello mondiale è stata spinta dall’adozione di innovazioni generate dai risultati della ricerca. A partire da Griliches (1958), gli economisti hanno cercato di capire in che modo il settore ricerca e sviluppo (R&S) contribuisce all’evoluzione della produttività del settore agricolo, con lo scopo finale di stimare la redditività degli investimenti pubblici in ricerca. A livello globale, nonostante diversi studi riportino tassi di rendimento (Tdr) degli investimenti in R&S in agricoltura molto elevati (Alston et al., 2000; Hurley et al., 2014), si assiste, nelle ultime decadi, ad una riduzione generalizzata nella spesa in R&S (Pardey et al., 2006; Piesse et al. 2010).
In questo quadro generale, tuttavia, i contributi in letteratura non riescono ancora a chiarire né a definire la dinamica delle ricadute degli investimenti in R&S sulla performance dell’agricoltura Europea, soprattutto se si tenta di esplorare il tema a livello di Paese membro. Tale limitazione è dovuta alla inapplicabilità al contesto europeo delle metodologie analitiche ritenute in letteratura maggiormente efficaci nello studio degli impatti della ricerca, le quali richiedono serie storiche di almeno 50 anni e dati affidabili (Alston et al., 2000).
Il presente articolo si pone l’obiettivo di studiare i dati disponibili su spesa in R&S e produttività agricola, a livello di Stato membro, al fine di selezionare elementi informativi (dati) utili alla definizione e allo studio della produttività della ricerca europea in agricoltura
Esplorazioni e viaggi scientifici nel Settecento
No full textRecensione a: Esplorazioni e viaggi scientifici nel Settecento, a cura di Marco Ciardi, Milano, Rizzoli, 200
Clinical pattern of pain in rheumatoid arthritis
No full textClinical pattern of pain in rheumatoid arthritis.
La Montagna G, Tirri R, Baruffo A, Preti B, Viaggi S.
Source
Insitute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a characteristic clinical pattern of pain which may be useful as a criterion to differentiate RA from other rheumatic diseases.
METHODS:
2300 patients from the ReumaLink data bank project with definite rheumatic diseases were studied. Of these 907 patients (39.5%) fulfilled the ARA/ACR revised criteria for RA, while 1393 had rheumatic diseases other than RA. The following diagnostic attributes of pain were considered: localization, symmetry, continuity, modulation, relationship with time and with loads/movements, tenderness.
RESULTS:
After a descriptive analysis, some pain characteristics were selected individually and others were combined. Only 8 variables were considered for a predictive analysis. Univariate analysis showed that symmetric pain is the most potent discriminating item, with 82.2% sensitivity, 69.2% specificity, a 61% positive predictive value and a 83.3% negative predictive value. A higher probability of RA was present in patients with symmetric pain than in those with asymmetric pain (odds ratio = 7.8). A multivariate analysis performed on 1627 patients showed that a specific clinical pattern of pain (symmetrical pain, pain following joint pressure, mainly present at night or in the morning, continuous) could predict RA patients with a 68.9% likelihood. The lack of these symptoms excluded RA with 92% probability.
CONCLUSION:
The clinical pattern of pain defined by us can predict RA with a 70% probability. This value reaches 86% when the variables "pain in a fixed joint" and "pain decreased by load/movements" are added. These results indicate that determining the clinical pattern of pain is a useful screening tool for suspected RA, in particular early in the disease cours
SPARD - Spatial Analysis of Rural Development Measures
No full textStronger accountability requirements and EU budget constraints will increase the pressure towards policies targeted on specific objectives such as the provision of public benefits (environmental, rural, social). For the EU`s rural development programmes 2007-2013 Member States are requested to collect indicators on characteristics, needs, expenditures and results. Additionally, managing authorities in some Member States have created GIS-based databases with a huge amount of data related to area-based measures. What is lacking is analysis in which these data sets are combined with other indicators at a high level of regional disaggregation. The FP7 EU project SPARD deals with this research question.
The main objectives of SPARD are •to provide a framework for organising the collection and the use of regional key baseline data and evaluation results of Rural Development Programmes other statistical and economic information in a systematic, clear and concise way;
•to explain the causal relationships between regional characteristics and needs, on the one hand, and the Rural Development Programmes implementation and success in their spatial dimension, on the other,
•to develop and apply a spatial econometric modelling approach
•to build a tool that will help policymakers, both at EU and Member States/ regional level, to design better targeted Rural Development Programme
Groundwater balance and conservation under different water pricing and agricultural policy scenarios: A case study of the Hamadan-Bahar plain
No full textGovernment subsidies for agricultural activities in recent decades have encouraged farmers of Hamadan-Bahar plain to extend the number of wells and irrigated farms, with no consideration of groundwater resource conservation. As a result, the level of the groundwater table has decreased continuously in this area, threatening the life of groundwater aquifer. The objective of the study is to analyze the impacts of irrigation water pricing and agricultural policy scenarios on aquifer conservation by considering the dynamic relations between aquifer groundwater balance and the agriculture sector. For this purpose a combination of simulation and optimization techniques is considered in a dynamic framework. Firstly, dynamic treatments of groundwater and the main factors affecting the balance of studied aquifer are simulated. Then, optimization behaviour of agriculture sector related to farmers' decision-making processes is defined on the time horizon. Thereafter all of the equations are used simultaneously by a non-linear dynamic programming method, which maximize present value of gross margins of agriculture sector subject to groundwater constrains and other input limitations. The analysis of the results indicates that water pricing by itself can considerably reduce the agricultural demand for aquifer groundwater in the Hamadan-Bahar plai
Facing decoupling: use of payments and investment reaction to decoupling in the EU
No full textThe main objective of this paper is to evaluate ex post the effects of 2003 reform (in particular decoupling) of the Common agricultural policy (CAP) in the European Union (EU), with a specific focus on farm investment behaviour. In the past years a number of studies have addressed the issue of the impact of EU policy reforms. However, long term effects of policy changes and related impacts on structural and investment behaviour received relatively little attention. This study is based on a survey of about 180 farm households in Italy, Germany and Poland. In the majority of cases, farmers stated they were indifferent to decoupling. Where any change occurred, the impact of decoupling was highly differentiated. Differences in reaction are better explained by different individual household/farm characteristics, rather than by association with a specific agricultural system
Induction of kinetochore positive and negative micronuclei in V79 cells by the alkylating agent diethylsulfate
No full text
Strumenti di analisi edi gestione e di supporto alle scelte aziendali nel nuovo contesto decisionale dell'impresa agricola
No full textCentral-Eastern European agriculture and the transition to bioeconomy
No full textThese articles provide insights on the nature and the evolution of the bioeconomy and the perceptions of scientists and consumers. Special emphasis is given to Central and Eastern European agriculture, where the growth of the bioeconomy is receiving increasing attention
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