Economic structure and key sectors analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in Uruguay

This paper identifies the key sectors in greenhouse gas emissions of the Uruguayan economy through input-output analysis. This allows to precisely determine the role played by the different productive sectors and their relationship with other sectors in the relation between the Uruguayan productive structure and atmospheric pollution. In order to guide policy design for GHG reduction, we decompose sectors liability between the pollution generated through their own production processes and the pollution indirectly generated in the production processes of other sectors. The results show that all the key polluting sectors for the different contaminants considered are relevant because of their own emissions, except for the sector Motor vehicles and oil retail trade, which is relevant in CO2 emissions because of its pure, both backward and forward, linkages. Finally, the best policy channels for controlling and reducing GHGs emissions are identified, and compared with the National Climate Change Response Plan (NCCRP) lines of action.

Fine-scale genetic structure and marginal processes in an expanding population of Biscutella laevigata L. (Brassicaceae).

Evolutionary processes acting at the expanding margins of a species' range are still poorly understood. Genetic drift is considered prevalent in marginal populations, and the maintenance of genetic diversity during recolonization might seem puzzling. To investigate such processes, a fine-scale investigation of 219 individuals was performed within a population of Biscutella laevigata (Brassicaceae), located at the leading edge of its range. The survey used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). As commonly reported across the whole species distribution range, individual density and genetic diversity decreased along the local axis of recolonization of this expanding population, highlighting the enduring effect of the historical colonization on present-day diversity. The self-incompatibility system of the plant may have prevented local inbreeding in newly found patches and sustained genetic diversity by ensuring gene flow from established populations. Within the more continuously populated region, spatial analysis of genetic structure revealed restricted gene flow among individuals. The distribution of genotypes formed a mosaic of relatively homogenous patches within the continuous population. This pattern could be explained by a history of expansion by long-distance dispersal followed by fine-scale diffusion (that is, a stratified dispersal combination). The secondary contact among expanding patches apparently led to admixture among differentiated genotypes where they met (that is, a reshuffling effect). This type of dynamics could explain the maintenance of genetic diversity during recolonization.

THE ADULA NAPPE: STRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE AND KINEMATICS OF AN EXHUMED HIGH-PRESSURE NAPPE

This study analyses the stratigraphy, structure and kinematics of the northern part of the Adula nappe of the Central Alps. The Adula nappe is one of the highest basement nappes in the Lower Penninic nappe stack of the Lepontine Dome. This structural position makes possible the investigation of the transition between the Helvetic and North Penninic paleogeographic domains. The Adula nappe is principally composed of crystalline basement rocks. The investigation of the pre-Triassic basement shows that it contains several Palaeozoic detrital metasedimentary formations dated from the Cambrian to the Ordovician. These formations contain also some volcanic or intrusive magmatic rocks. Ordovician metagranites dated at ~450 Ma are also a common rock-type of the Adula basement. These formations underwent Alpine and Variscan deformation and metamorphism. Permian granites (Zervreila orthogneiss, dated at ~290 Ma) have intruded this pre-structured basement in a post-orogenic geodynamic context. Due to their age, the Zervreila orthogneiss are good markers for alpine deformation. The stratigraphy of the Mesozoic and Paleogene sedimentary cover of the Adula nappe is essential to unraveling its pre- orogenic history. The autochthonous cover is assigned to a North Penninic Triassic series that testifies for a transition between the Helvetic and Briançonnais Triassic domains. The Adula domain goes through an emersion during the Middle Jurassic, and is part of a topographic high during the first phase of the Alpine rift. The sediments of the late Middle Jurassic show a drowning phase associated with a tectonic activity and a breccia formation. In the neighbouring domains, coeval with the drowning phase in the Adula domain, a strong extensional crustal delamination and a scattered magmatic activity is associated with the main opening of the North Penninic domain. The Upper Jurassic of the Adula nappe is characterized by a carbonate formation comparable with those in the Helvetic or Subbriaçonnais domains. Flysch s.l. deposition starts probably at the end of the Cretaceous. These sediments are deposited on a large unconformity testifying for a Cretaceous sedimentary gap. The Adula nappe exhibits a very complex structure. This structure is formed by several deformation phases. Two ductile deformations are responsible for the nappe emplacement. The first deformation phase is associated with a folding compatible with a top-to-south movement at the top of the nappe. The second phase is dominant and pervasive throughout the whole nappe. It goes with a strong north vergent folding and the main nappe emplacement. These two phases cause the exhumation and emplacement of a coherent, although pre-structured, piece of continental crust. Two further deformation phases postdate the nappe emplacement. - Ce travail concerne l'étude géologique de la partie nord de la nappe de l'Adula dans les Alpes centrales. La nappe de l'Adula est l'une des nappes cristallines la plus élevée dans la pile des nappes du Pennique inférieur des Alpes lepontines. Cette position particulière permet d'étudier la transition entre les nappes des domaines helvétique et pennique inférieur. La nappe de l'Adula est principalement composée de socle cristallin : l'étude de l'histoire géologique du socle est donc l'un des thèmes de cette recherche. Ce socle contient plusieurs formations métasédimentaires paléozoïques du Cambrien à I'Ordovicien. Ces métasédiments sont issus de formations clastiques comprenant souvent des roches magmatiques volcaniques et intrusives. Ces métasédiments ont subi les cycles orogéniques varisque et alpin. La nappe de l'Adula contient plusieurs corps magmatiques granitiques métamorphisés. Les premiers métagranites sont Ordovicien et témoignent d'un environnement de marge active. Ces granites sont aussi polymétamorphiques. Les deuxièmes métagranites sont représentés par les orthogneiss de type Zervreila. Ce métagranite est d'âge permien (-290 Ma). Il est mis en place dans un contexte tectonique post-orogénique. Ce granite est un maqueur de la déformation alpine car il n'est pas affecté par les orogenèses précédentes, flippy Le contenu stratigraphique des roches mésozoïques et cénozoiques de la couverture sédimentaire de la nappe de l'Adula est'important pour en étudier son histoire pré-alpine. La couverture autochtone est composée d'une série d'âge triasique d'affinité nord-pennique, un faciès qui marque la transition entre les domaines helvétiques et briançonnais au Trias. Le domaine paléogéographique représenté dans la nappe de l'Adula connaît une émersion pendant le Jurassique moyen. Cette émersion marque le commencement du rift dans le domaine alpin. La sédimentation de la fin du Jurassique moyen est marquée par une transgression marine accompagnée par des mouvements tectoniques et la formation d'une brèche. Cette transgression est contemporaine des importants mouvements tectoniques et des manifestations magmatiques dans les unités voisines qui marquent la phase principale d'ouverture du bassin nord-pennique. Le Jurassique supérieur est caractérisé par l'instauration d'une sédimentation carbonatée comparable à celle du domaine helvétique ou subbriançonnais. Une sédimentation flyschoïde, probablement du Crétacé à Tertiaire, est déposée sur une importante discordance qui témoigne d'une lacune au Crétacé. La structure complexe de la nappe de l'Adula témoigne de nombreuses phases de déformation. Ces phases de déformation sont en partie issues de la mise en place de la nappe et de déformations plus tardives. La mise en place de la nappe produit deux phases de déformation ductile : la première produit un plissement compatible avec un cisaillement top-vers-le sud dans la partie supérieure de la nappe; la deuxième produit un intense plissement qui accompagne la mise en place de la nappe vers le nord. Ces deux phases de déformation témoignent d'un mécanisme d'exhumation par déformation ductile d'un bloc cohérent.

Structure and expression profile of the Arabidopsis PHO1 gene family indicates a broad role in inorganic phosphate homeostasis.

PHO1 has been recently identified as a protein involved in the loading of inorganic phosphate into the xylem of roots in Arabidopsis. The genome of Arabidopsis contains 11 members of the PHO1 gene family. The cDNAs of all PHO1 homologs have been cloned and sequenced. All proteins have the same topology and harbor a SPX tripartite domain in the N-terminal hydrophilic portion and an EXS domain in the C-terminal hydrophobic portion. The SPX and EXS domains have been identified in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) proteins involved in either phosphate transport or sensing or in sorting proteins to endomembranes. The Arabidopsis genome contains additional proteins of unknown function containing either a SPX or an EXS domain. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the PHO1 family is subdivided into at least three clusters. Reverse transcription-PCR revealed a broad pattern of expression in leaves, roots, stems, and flowers for most genes, although two genes are expressed exclusively in flowers. Analysis of the activity of the promoter of all PHO1 homologs using promoter-beta-glucuronidase fusions revealed a predominant expression in the vascular tissues of roots, leaves, stems, or flowers. beta-Glucuronidase expression is also detected for several promoters in nonvascular tissue, including hydathodes, trichomes, root tip, root cortical/epidermal cells, and pollen grains. The expression pattern of PHO1 homologs indicates a likely role of the PHO1 proteins not only in the transfer of phosphate to the vascular cylinder of various tissues but also in the acquisition of phosphate into cells, such as pollen or root epidermal/cortical cells.

The interaction of ownership structure and customer satisfaction as determinants of brand equity

In this paper we study the interaction between ownership structure and customer satisfaction, and their impact on a firm's brand equity. We find that customer satisfaction has a positive direct effect on brand equity but an indirect negative one, through reductions in ownership concentration. This latter effect emerges when managers are focused mainly on satisfying customers. It gives out a warning signal that highlights the perverse effect of implementing policies focused excessively on satisfying customers at the expense of shareholders, on a firm's brand equity. We demonstrate our theoretical contention, empirically, making use of an incomplete panel data comprising 69 firms from 11 different nations for the period 2002-2005.

Dispersal strategies, few dominating or many coexisting: the effect of environmental spatial structure and multiple sources of mortality.

Interspecific competition, life history traits, environmental heterogeneity and spatial structure as well as disturbance are known to impact the successful dispersal strategies in metacommunities. However, studies on the direction of impact of those factors on dispersal have yielded contradictory results and often considered only few competing dispersal strategies at the same time. We used a unifying modeling approach to contrast the combined effects of species traits (adult survival, specialization), environmental heterogeneity and structure (spatial autocorrelation, habitat availability) and disturbance on the selected, maintained and coexisting dispersal strategies in heterogeneous metacommunities. Using a negative exponential dispersal kernel, we allowed for variation of both species dispersal distance and dispersal rate. We showed that strong disturbance promotes species with high dispersal abilities, while low local adult survival and habitat availability select against them. Spatial autocorrelation favors species with higher dispersal ability when adult survival and disturbance rate are low, and selects against them in the opposite situation. Interestingly, several dispersal strategies coexist when disturbance and adult survival act in opposition, as for example when strong disturbance regime favors species with high dispersal abilities while low adult survival selects species with low dispersal. Our results unify apparently contradictory previous results and demonstrate that spatial structure, disturbance and adult survival determine the success and diversity of coexisting dispersal strategies in competing metacommunities.

Occurrence, morphology and ultrastructure of the Dufour gland in Melipona bicolor Lepeletier (Hymenoptera, Meliponini)

The occurrence, morphology and ultrastructure of the Dufour gland in Melipona bicolor Lepeletier, 1836 are presented. The Dufour gland is not present in workers. In virgin queens the gland cells show characteristics of low activity, which are described in the text. In physogastric queens the gland epithelium is higher and the cells more active than in virgin queens, showing numerous basal plasmic membrane invaginations impregnated by an electrondense material, increased apical invaginations and accumulation of substances that will be released to the gland lumen in the subcuticular space. Therefore, the data show that the Dufour gland is more developed in physogastric than in virgin queens, indicating a possible involvement of the Dufour gland in the reproduction of this species.

Heritability of left ventricular structure and function in Caucasian families.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the heritability as well as genetic and environmental correlations of left ventricular (LV) structural and functional traits in complex pedigrees of a Caucasian population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We randomly recruited 459 white European subjects from 52 families (50% women; mean age 45 years). LV structure was measured by M-mode and 2D echocardiography and LV function was measured by conventional Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Other measurements included blood pressure, anthropometric, and biochemical measurements. We estimated the heritability of LV traits while adjusting for covariables, including sex, age, body height and weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and heart rate. With full adjustment, heritability of LV mass was 0.23 (P= 0.025). The TDI-derived mitral annular velocities Ea and Aa showed moderate heritability (h(2)= 0.36 and 0.53, respectively), whereas the mitral inflow A peak had weak heritability (h(2) = 0.25) and the E peak was not heritable (h(2) = 0.11). We partitioned the total phenotypic correlation when it reached significance, into a genetic and an environmental component. The genetic correlations were 0.61 between the E and Ea peaks and 0.90 between the A and Aa peaks. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated moderate heritability for LV mass as well as the mitral annular Ea and Aa peaks. We also found significant genetic correlations between the E and Ea peaks and between the A and Aa peaks. Our current findings support the ongoing research to map and detect genetic variants that contribute to the variation in LV mass and other LV structural and functional phenotypes.

Nest structure and occurrence of three species of Azteca (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) in non-floodable and floodable pantanal areas

Thirty Cecropia pachystachya trees were examined in non-floodable and floodable areas to investigate the association between C. pachystachya and Azteca ants in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The species Azteca ovaticeps, Azteca isthmica, and Azteca alfari were found nesting inside domatia of C. pachystachya. A. ovaticeps was the most frequent species in the trees in the floodable area, while A. isthmica and A. alfari, in the non-floodable area. A. ovaticeps and A. isthmica maintained more entrance/exit holes in comparison to A. alfari. All Azteca species maintained entrance/exit holes in the closest domatia to the apical area of the branch, due to proximity to Müllerian and pearl bodies, suggesting that these species of Azteca were influenced by their environment during evolution and became specialized. All internodal septa of each examined branch were perforated by ants, indicating the branches were inhabited by a single colony.

Market structure and hospital efficiency: Evaluating potential effects of deregulation in a national health service

In this article we examine the potential effect of market structureon hospital technical efficiency as a measure of performance controlled byownership and regulation. This study is relevant to provide an evaluationof the potential effects of recommended and initiated deregulation policiesin order to promote market reforms in the context of a European NationalHealth Service. Our goal was reached through three main empirical stages.Firstly, using patient origin data from hospitals in the region of Cataloniain 1990, we estimated geographic hospital markets through the Elzinga--Hogartyapproach, based on patient flows. Then we measured the market level ofconcentration using the Herfindahl--Hirschman index. Secondly, technicaland scale efficiency scores for each hospital was obtained specifying aData Envelopment Analysis. According to the data nearly two--thirds of thehospitals operate under the production frontier with an average efficiencyscore of 0.841. Finally, the determinants of the efficiency scores wereinvestigated using a censored regression model. Special attention waspaid to test the hypothesis that there is an efficiency improvement in morecompetitive markets. The results suggest that the number of competitors inthe market contributes positively to technical efficiency and there is someevidence that the differences in efficiency scores are attributed toseveral environmental factors such as ownership, market structure andregulation effects.

Testing the response of macroinvertebrate functional structure and biodiversity to flooding and confinement

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relative importance of flooding- and confinement-related environmentalfeatures in explaining macroinvertebrate trait structure and diversity in a pool of wetlands located in a Mediterranean riverfloodplain. To test hypothesized trait-environment relationships, we employed a recently implemented statistical procedure, thefourth-corner method. We found that flooding-related variables, mainly pH and turbidity, were related to traits that confer an abilityof the organism to resist flooding (e.g., small body-shape, protection of eggs) or recuperate faster after flooding (e.g., short life-span, asexual reproduction). In contrast, confinement-related variables, mainly temperature and organic matter, enhanced traits that allow organisms to interact and compete with other organisms (e.g., large size, sexual reproduction) and to efficiently use habitat and resources (e.g., diverse locomotion and feeding strategies). These results are in agreement with predictions made under the River Habitat Templet for lotic ecosystems, and demonstrate the ability of the fourth-corner method to test hypothesis that posit traitenvironment relationships. Trait diversity was slightly higher in flooded than in confined sites, whereas trait richness was not significantly different. This suggests that although trait structure may change in response to the main environmental factors, as evidenced by the fourth-corner method, the number of life-history strategies needed to persist in the face of such constraints remains more or less constant; only their relative dominance differs