Privatisation and cross-border electricity trade: from internal market to European Supergrid?

he perspective European Supergrid would consist of an integrated power system network, where electricity demands from one country could be met by generation from another country. This paper makes use of a bi-linear fixed-effects model to analyse the determinants for trading electricity across borders among 34 countries connected by the European Supergrid. The key question that this paper aims to address is the extent to which the privatisation of European electricity markets has brought about higher cross-border trade of electricity. The analysis makes use of distance, price ratios, gate closure times, size of peaks and aggregate demand as standard determinants. Controlling for other standard determinants, it is concluded that privatisation in most cases led to higher power exchange and that the benefits are more significant where privatisation measures have been in place for a longer period.

Fair trade and European public procurement: legal principles and governance dynamics

Purpose The article examines principles of Fair Trade in public procurement in Europe, focusing on legal dimensions related to the European Public Procurement Directives. Design/methodology/approach The article situates public procurement of Fair Trade products in relation to the rise of non-state regulatory initiatives, highlighting how they have entered into new governance dynamics in the public sector and play a part in changing practices in sustainable procurement. A review of legal position on Fair Trade in procurement law is informed by academic research and campaigning experience from the Fair Trade Advocacy Office. Findings Key findings are that the introduction of Fair Trade products into European public procurement has been marked by legal ambiguity, having developed outside comprehensive policy or legal guidelines. Following a 2012 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, it is suggested that the legal position for Fair Trade in procurement has become clearer, and that forthcoming change to the Public Procurement Directives may facilitate the uptake of fair trade products by public authorities. However potential for future expansion of the public sector ‘market’ for Fair Trade is approached with caution: purchasing Fair Trade products as a marker of sustainability, which started to be embedded within procurement practice in the 2000s, is challenged by current European public austerity measures. Research limitations/implications Suggestions for future research include the need for systematic cross-institutional and multi-country comparison of the legal and governance dimensions of procurement practice with regard to Fair Trade. Practical implications A clarification of current state-of-play with regard to legal aspects of fair trade in public procurement of utility for policy and advocacy discussion. Originality/value The article provides needed elaboration on an under researched topic area of value to academia and policy makers.

Indicators of nitrate in wetland surface and soil-waters: interactions of vegetation and environmental factors

This paper describes a new bio-indicator method for assessing wetland ecosystem health: as such, the study is particularly relevant to current legislation such as the EU Water Framework Directive, which provides a baseline of the current status Of Surface waters. Seven wetland sites were monitored across northern Britain, with model construction data for predicting, eco-hydroloplical relationships collected from five sites during 1999, Two new sites and one repeat site were monitored during 2000 to provide model test data. The main growing season for the vegetation, and hence the sampling period, was May-August during both years. Seasonal mean concentrations of nitrate (NO3-) in surface and soil water samples during 1999 ranged from 0.01 to 14.07 mg N 1(-1), with a mean value of 1.01 mg N 1(-1). During 2000, concentrations ranged from trace level (<0.01 m- N 1(-1)) to 9.43 mg N 1(-1), with a mean of 2.73 mg N 1(.)(-1) Surface and soil-water nitrate concentrations did not influence plant species composition significantly across representative tall herb fen and mire communities. Predictive relationships were found between nitrate concentrations and structural characteristics of the wetland vegetation, and a model was developed which predicted nitrate concentrations from measures of plant diversity, canopy structure and density of reproductive structures. Two further models, which predicted stem density and density of reproductive structures respectively, utilised nitrate concentration as one of the independent predictor variables. Where appropriate, the models were tested using data collected during 2000. This approach is complementary to species-based monitoring, representing a useful and simple too] to assess ecological status in target wetland systems and has potential for bio-indication purposes.

A healable supramolecular polymer blend based on aromatic π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions

An elastomeric, supramolecular healable polymer blend, comprising a chain-folding polyimide and a telechelic polyurethane with pyrenyl endgroups, is compatibilised by aromatic π−π stacking between the π-electron-deficient diimide groups and the π-electron-rich pyrenyl units. This inter-polymer interaction is key to forming a tough, healable, elastomeric material. Variable temperature FTIR analysis of the bulk material also conclusively demonstrates the presence of hydrogen bonding, which complements the π–π stacking interactions. Variable temperature SAXS analysis shows that the healable polymeric blend has a nanophase-separated morphology, and that the X-ray contrast between the two types of domain increases with increasing temperature, a feature that is repeatable over several heating and cooling cycles. A fractured sample of this material reproducibly regains more than 95% of the tensile modulus, 91% of the elongation to break, and 77% of the modulus of toughness of the pristine material.

Bayes estimates of distance-to-market: Transactions costs, cooperatives and milk-market development in the Ethiopian highlands

Rationalizing non-participation as a resource deficiency in the household, this paper identifies strategies for milk-market development in the Ethiopian highlands. The additional amounts of covariates required for Positive marketable surplus -'distances-to market'-are computed from a model in which production and sales are correlated; sales are left-censored at some Unobserved thresholds production efficiencies are heterogeneous: and the data are in the form of a panel. Incorporating these features into the modeling exercise ant because they are fundamental to the data-generating environment. There are four reasons. First, because production and sales decisions are enacted within the same household, both decisions are affected by the same exogenous shocks, and production and sales are therefore likely to be correlated. Second. because selling, involves time and time is arguably the most important resource available to a subsistence household, the minimum Sales amount is not zero but, rather, some unobserved threshold that lies beyond zero. Third. the Potential existence of heterogeneous abilities in management, ones that lie latent from the econometrician's perspective, suggest that production efficiencies should be permitted to vary across households. Fourth, we observe a single set of households during multiple visits in a single production year. The results convey clearly that institutional and production) innovations alone are insufficient to encourage participation. Market-precipitating innovation requires complementary inputs, especially improvements in human capital and reductions in risk. Copyright (c) 20 08 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Anion-pi, Lone-Pair-pi, pi-pi and Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions in a Cu-II Complex of 2-Picolinate and Protonated 4,4 '-Bipyridine: Crystal Structure and Theoretical Studies

A Cu-II complex of protonated 4,4'-bipyridine (Hbyp) and 2-picolinate (pic), [Cu-2(pic)(3)(Hbyp)(H2O)(ClO4)(2)], has been synthesised and characterised by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The structure consists of two copper atoms that have different environments, bridged by a carboxylate group. The equatorial plane is formed by the two bidentate picolinate groups in one Cu-II, and one picolinate, one monodentate 4,4'-bipyridyl ligand and a water molecule in the other. Each copper atom is also weakly bonded to a perchlorate anion in an axial position. One of the coordinated perchlorate groups displays anion-pi interaction with the coordinated pyridine ring. The noncoordinated carboxylate oxygen is involved in lone-pair (l.p.)-pi interaction with the protonated pyridine ring. In addition there are pi-pi and H-bonding interactions in the structure. Bader's theory of "atoms in molecules" (AIM) is used to characterise the anion-pi and l.p.-pi interactions observed in the solid state. A high-level ab initio study (RI-MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory) has been performed to analyse the anion-pi binding affinity of the pyridine ring when it is coordinated to a transition metal and also when the other pyridine ring of the 4,4'-bipyridine moiety is protonated. Theoretical investigations support the experimental findings of an intricate network of intermolecular interactions, which is characterised in the studied complex, and also indicate that protonation as well as coordination to the transition metal have important roles in influencing the pi-binding properties of the aromatic ring. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

ACC2 gene polymorphisms, metabolic syndrome, and gene-nutrient interactions with dietary fat.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase β (ACC2) plays a key role in fatty acid synthesis and oxidation pathways. Disturbance of these pathways is associated with impaired insulin responsiveness and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Gene-nutrient interactions may affect MetS risk. This study determined the relationship between ACC2 polymorphisms (rs2075263, rs2268387, rs2284685, rs2284689, rs2300453, rs3742023, rs3742026, rs4766587, and rs6606697) and MetS risk, and whether dietary fatty acids modulate this in the LIPGENE-SU.VI.MAX study of MetS cases and matched controls (n = 1754). Minor A allele carriers of rs4766587 had increased MetS risk (OR 1.29 [CI 1.08, 1.58], P = 0.0064) compared with the GG homozygotes, which may in part be explained by their increased body mass index (BMI), abdominal obesity, and impaired insulin sensitivity (P < 0.05). MetS risk was modulated by dietary fat intake (P = 0.04 for gene-nutrient interaction), where risk conferred by the A allele was exacerbated among individuals with a high-fat intake (>35% energy) (OR 1.62 [CI 1.05, 2.50], P = 0.027), particularly a high intake (>5.5% energy) of n-6 polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) (OR 1.82 [CI 1.14, 2.94], P = 0.01; P = 0.05 for gene-nutrient interaction). Saturated and monounsaturated fat intake did not modulate MetS risk. Importantly, we replicated some of these findings in an independent cohort. In conclusion, the ACC2 rs4766587 polymorphism influences MetS risk, which was modulated by dietary fat, suggesting novel gene-nutrient interactions.