The Role of Reclamation Research in Re-Establishing Functional Ecosystems in the Oil Sands Region of Northeastern Alberta

Carmela Arevalo 한국토양비료학회 2014 한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2014 No.6

The Trade Impact of the Integration of the Central and Eastern European Countries on the European Union

( Carmela Martin ),( Jaime Turrion ) 세종대학교 경제통합연구소 (구 세종대학교 국제경제연구소) 2003 Journal of Economic Integration Vol.18 No.2

This paper analyses the determinants of trade patterns between the CEECs and the OECD countries since the latter began their processes of transition and opening-up within the framework of the Association Agreements with the EU, with the ultimate aim of helping to anticipate the trade impact of their accession to the EU. To this end, we estimate an empirical model for a set of countries formed by the EU states, the CEECs and -by way of a control area- the other members of the OECD. Thus, we obtain new evidence about the determinants of the trade shares of the countries analysed. In addition, by using the corresponding dummies, we confirm that the Association Agreements have led to a preferential expansion of the exchanges between the EU and CEECs.

Combination of Soy Isoflavones, 8-Prenylnaringenin and Melatonin Improves Hot Flashes and Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in Postmenopausal Women: Flavie Study

Carmela Puchol Estrugo,Miriam Trujillo Rodríguez,Nicolás Mendoza-Ladrón de Guevara,Joaquín Grande Gómez,Francisca Ridocci,Maria Teresa Moro-Martín,Misericordia Guinot,Paula Saz-Leal,Concepción Nieto M 대한폐경학회 2023 대한폐경학회지 Vol.29 No.2

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effects of a combination of soy isoflavones, 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), and melatonin in postmenopausal women suffering from moderate-to-severe hot flashes (HFs).Methods: A multicenter, prospective, open-label study enrolled 44 postmenopausal women suffering from moderate-to-severe HFs (≥ 5 daily or ≥ 35 weekly) to receive 54.4 mg standardized soy isoflavones (including 24.5 mg genistein and 16.3 mg daidzein), 100 µg 8-PN, and 1 mg melatonin once daily for 12 weeks. The primary clinical outcomes included changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores (Menopause-Specific QoL questionnaire [MENQoL] and Cervantes Scale) and HFs following 4 and 12 weeks of treatment. Other analyses included treatment adherence, acceptability, tolerability, and safety.Results: All of the four domains of MENQoL questionnaire significantly improved at 4 weeks (P < 0.05) and 12 weeks (P < 0.001), affecting significantly the vasomotor, psychosocial, and physical spheres (41.2%, 26.3%, and 25.0%; 12 weeks improvements, respectively). Similarly, in the menopause (39.3%) and psychic (51.7%) domains (both P < 0.05 at 12 weeks), the global score of the Cervantes Scale significantly increased at 4 weeks (18.6%) and 12 weeks (35.4%). Accordingly, moderate-to-severe HFs significantly decreased at 4 weeks compared to baseline (41.7% reduction) and further reduced at 12 weeks (76.5%), including the total number of episodes.Conclusions: Food supplements containing soy isoflavones, 8-PN, and melatonin showed an early and progressive benefit for reducing clinically significant HFs and for improving HRQoL across all domains, favorably affecting postmenopausal women’s overall well-being.

Flexible distributed Bragg reflectors as optical outcouplers for OLEDs based on a polymeric anode

Prontera Carmela Tania,Pugliese Marco,Giannuzzi Roberto,Carallo Sonia,Esposito Marco,Gigli Giuseppe,Maiorano Vincenzo 한국정보디스플레이학회 2021 Journal of information display Vol.22 No.1

Top-emitting OLEDs (TOLEDs) represent a promising technology for the development of nextgeneration flexible and rollable displays, thanks to their improved light outcoupling and their compatibility with opaque substrates. Metal thin films are the most used electrodes for the manufacturing of TOLEDs, but they show poor resistance to mechanical deformation, which compromises the long-term durability of flexible devices. This paper reports the exploitation of a dielectric mirror (DBR) based on seven pairs of TiO2 and SiO2 combined with a polymeric electrode as an alternative to the bottom metal electrode in flexible TOLEDs. The DBR showed a maximum reflectivity of 99.9% at about 550 nm, and a stop-band width of about 200 nm. The reflectivity remained unchanged after bending and treatment with water and solvents. Green TOLED devices were fabricated on top of DBRs, and demonstrated good stability in terms of electro-optical and colorimetric characteristics, according to varying viewing angles. These results demonstrate that the combination of the flexible DBR with the polymeric anode is an interesting strategy for improving the durability of flexible TOLEDs for display applications, implemented on different kinds of free-standing ultra-thin substrates.

The Trade Impact of the Integration of the Central and Eastern European Countries on the European Union

Martin, Carmela,Turrion, Jaime 세종대학교 국제경제연구소 2003 Journal of Economic Integration Vol.18 No.2

This paper analyses the determinants of trade patterns between the CEECs and the OECD countries since the latter began their processes of transition and opening-up within the framework of the Association Agreements wiht the EU, with the ultimate aim of helping to anticipare the trade impact of their accession to the EU. To this end, we estimate an empirical model for a set of countries formed by the EU states, the CEESCs and-by way of a control area-the other memvers of the OECD. Thus, we ovitain new evidence about the determinants of the trade shares of the countries analysed. In addition, by using the corresponding dummies, we confirm that the Association Agreements have led to a preferential expansion of the exchanges between the EU and CEECs.

Extravascular lung water index, pulmonary vascular permeability index, and global end-diastolic volume index in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients requiring prone position ventilation: a preliminary retrospective study

De Rosa Rosanna Carmela,Romanelli Antonio,Gallifuoco Michele,Messina Giovanni,Di Costanzo Marianne,Corcione Antonio 대한중환자의학회 2022 Acute and Critical Care Vol.37 No.4

Background: There is a lack of data on extravascular lung water index (EVLWi), pulmonary vascular permeability index (PVPi), and global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVi) during prone position ventilation (PPV) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The objectives of this study were to analyze trends in EVLWi, PVPi, and GEDVi during PPV and the relationships between these parameters and PaO2/FiO2.Methods: In this preliminary retrospective observational study, we performed transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) in seven mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients without cardiac and pulmonary comorbidities requiring PPV for 18 hours, at specific times (30 minutes pre-PPV, 18 hours after PPV, and 3 hours after supination). EVLWi, PVPi and GEDVi were measured. The relationships between PaO2/FiO2 and EVLWi, and PVPi and GEDVi values, in the supine position were analyzed by linear regression. Correlation and determination coefficients were calculated.Results: EVLWi was significantly different between three time points (analysis of variance, P=0.004). After 18 hours in PPV, EVLWi was lower compared with values before PPV (12.70.9 ml kg–1 vs. 15.31.5 ml kg–1, P=0.002). Linear regression showed that only EVLWi was correlated with PaO2/FiO2 (β =–5.757; 95% confidence interval, –10.835 to –0.679; r=–0.58; R2=0.34; F-test P=0.029).Conclusions: EVLWi was significantly reduced after 18 hours in PPV and values measured in supine positions were correlated with PaO2/FiO2. This relationship can help clinicians discriminate whether deterioration in gas exchange is related to fluid overload or disease progression. Further clinical research should evaluate the role of TPTD parameters as markers to stratify disease severity and guide clinical management.

BRAND AUTHENTICITY AND CORPORATE MUSEUMS: AN EXPLORATIVE RESEARCH OF GUCCI MUSEUM

Giuseppe Bertoli,Bruno Busacca,Maria Carmela Ostillio,Silvia Di Vito 글로벌지식마케팅경영학회 2015 Global Fashion Management Conference Vol.2015 No.06

Among the current trends that set the social and cultural scenario pertinent to marketing, the search for authenticity by consumers has taken the highlights, to the point that it is considered “one of the cornerstones of contemporary marketing” (Brown et al. 2003, p. 21).This trend is normally interpreted as a reaction to the traits of current post modern society, characterized by hyper materialism, globalization, virtualization and commercialization of experiences (Arnould e Price 2000). In this context, individuals turn with growing interest towards what is “genuine”, “real” , “faithful to the original” or “of undisputed origins” (Boyle 2004). In our paper we propose, under a consumer-based perspective, to explore the role played by corporate museums in the search for authenticity by individuals. Based upon this, the museum -- in the quality of “ bearer” of the corporate identity and image -- would consent to offer its visitors a holistic view of the brand’s original culture and values, in a synthesis that integrates past and present. From this point of view, the experience offered to visitors would reinforce their connection to the brand (Mitchell e Mitchell 2001), consolidating their involvement and loyalty towards it (Mitchell e Orwing 2002). The corporate museum would therefore arise as a vehicle to create and consolidate a profound relationship between brand and consumers. However, only a few of the research efforts sustained so far have tried to explore empirically the museum’s potential as a platform to enrich and strengthen brand authenticity. Our attention is focused on a museum created by a well known luxury brand (Gucci Museum, located in Florence) for the purpose of investigating its role as a tool for authentication, capable of strategically connecting past, present and future. After a synthetic literature review and a brief introduction of the museum under research, the methodology of the explorative research will be explained and finally, the main results obtained will be presented. Literature review According to Beverland (2009, p. 16), brand authenticity must be interpreted as “subjective, socially constructed, and given to an object by consumers, marketers and others”. Overcoming the modernist concept, authenticity is redirected towards individual valuations that are socially negotiated, more than towards objective attributes (Beverland e Farrelly 2010). The extant literature has identified the multidimensional and multi attribute aspect of the construct. In regards to the former aspect, the seminal work of Beverland (2005), theoretically identifies three dimensions that are conceptually relevant for brand authenticity: - objective, connected to the object and its artistic, historical or qualitative veracity; - subjective, deriving from the individual attribution of an authentic status to the objects, understood as expressive of formal harmony, equilibrium or of a connection with a determined time and location; - self expressive, connected to the genuine manifestation of individuality which is conveyed by the consumption of certain objects. Once the multidimensional nature of the construct is ascertained, it is possible to outline the various attributes that define it (Beverland 2006; Gundlach e Neville 2012; Brown et al. 2012; Grayson, Radam, 2004; Napoli et al. 2014). In view of the objective dimension, the perceptions of authenticity appear to be rooted in the brand’s tangible reality, which can be evaluated based on its observable characteristics: the corporate exponents; the geographical roots; the longevity; production characteristics; the product attributes. As to the subjective dimension, a brand can be interpreted as authentic if it is capable of conveying certain associations. These may initially regard the connection of the brand with individual history, as well as its evolution over time (in terms of continuity of positioning, style, aesthetics and image coherence). Also, the commitment towards quality, which expresses the brand’s responsibility towards its own products and the promises conveyed to the market (credibility, reliability) come together to induce the image of authenticity. In the same direction, there are also several perceptions in operation which are connected to the brand’s peculiarities, such as originality, pioneering and exclusivity. Furthermore, brand authenticity is also fuelled by an ensemble of value associations, connected to the pursuit of non purely commercial objectives, to its genuine priority of artisanal objectives or, more generally, to its integrity, naturalness or sincerity. Finally, for the self expressive dimension, brand authenticity may derive from its capacity to connect to the image and concept that customers have of themselves. The perception of authenticity can result from the fact that it suscitates in individuals sensations of self effectiveness, problem solving capabilities and therefore perceptions of having reached performance related objectives. A brand can then be understood as authentic also by its capacity to make consumers feel that they are part of a social or territorial community to which they feel linked. Furthermore, for people who attribute a particular value to moral principles, authenticity is associated to ideals and virtues which the brand continuously follows by means of ethical standards which allow individuals to feel truer to themselves. In conclusion, brand authenticity can be interpreted as the result of the interaction between objective factors, subjective constructs and existentialist motivations. Beverland and Farrelly (2010) observe that consumers seek different forms of authenticity, based on their own personal objectives. The understanding of how consumers associate a variety of authenticity attributes to brands and the ways in which those components reciprocally influence each other appears to be an extremely useful from the point of view of brand management. In fact, the brands that propose to refer to uniqueness in their strategies, must find leverage on the dimensions that are reputedly relevant for consumers and, for each one, identify the most critical attributes. Research methodology To investigate the capacity that brand museums of fashion luxury brands have to contribute towards the perception of brand authenticity, we conducted an esplorative research on the Gucci Museum’s visitors. The survey was held based on content analysis of the reviews posped on Tripadvisor by the visitors themselves. The research was therefore based upon 79 reviews, heterogeneous in terms of the geographic provenance of the commentators, date of visit and overall evaluation. Of these, 45 were published in English, 26 in Italian, 4 in Portuguese, two in French and two in Russian. Considering the evaluation, that is the rating expressed by visitors on a scale of 1 to 5, the most part (77,22%) of comments expresses a medium-high rating (corresponding to ratings 4 and 5). Finally, more than half of the comments were published during the same month as the visit and less than 5% within the following six months or more. Those reviews underwent a content analysis, a methodology considered appropriate in the extant literature (Pan et al. 2007; Banyai 2010; Volo 2010; Li e Wang 2011) for the purpose of investigating the perceptions, impressions and general feeling associated to a certain tourism destination, or a visitation experience. Discussion In trying to understand how the museum structure might add value to the brand’s meanings, in strengthening the perceptions of authenticity, we attempted to insert the brand authentication process into the broader museum visit experience, investigating how the brand’s authentication tools may have been influenced (positively and negatively) by the perceptions of authenticity of objects and experiences. The Gucci Museum acquires a real museum legitimacy, standing on the same level as other Florentine cultural sites; it was interpreted as a memory site, where the brand’s history and fashion history are connected thanks to the remembrance of past events, people or periods, effectively “dignifying” the museum and the visit as a fundamental part of Florentine tourism. Some visitors “authenticate” corporate structures as true cultural institutions. As such, they are legitimized in the righteous pursuit of preserving and being custodians not only of brand history but also of the precious testimonials of Italian fashion. Concerning the contents, that is, the objects displayed at the museum, several reviews attributed to these a real and proper museum aura, bearing artistic worth and interpreted as true masterworks. The process by which these visitors project their own perceptions of authenticity to the objects observed, seems to be tied as a conceptualization of constructivist nature to several elements that go from stylistic-aesthetic value and quality of the products, a result of knowledgeable artisanal mastery, to the refinement and creativity of the objects themselves. For some visitors, the objects collected in museums acquire authenticity in view of their antiquity and rarity. What is relevant is the indexical authenticity of objects. It is conceivable that this process for the authentication of objects may be susceptible of influencing the brand image perceived by visitors. For some visitors, the products displayed in commercial venues acquire, by the end of the visit, an aura that brings them closer to museum pieces, expressive of the same creativity, artisanal mastery or symbolic connection with the past. The same visit to the maison’s points of sale is lived by some as an occasion to observe up close the brand’s masterworks, showcased but distant and untouchable during the museum visit. Most reviews, when describing the museum visit, made reference not so much to impressions and evaluations regarding the museum structure or the objects it contains, but instead, to the visiting experience as a whole. For these reviewers, the corporate museum represents a platform on which to experiment authentic moments. From this viewpoint, the notion of existential authenticity seems more relevant than the authenticity of the objects, as postulated in a post modern approach. In reference to the dimensions of authenticity that can be imbued in an experience, it was possible to conceptualize the role of the corporate museum as a vector for the experimentation of different types of authentic experiences. In the first place, the corporate museum – thanks to its setting and content displayed – was identified as a medium capable of conveying a surreal experience. As such, it allows an authentic experience from the intrapersonal point of view, offering the opportunity for immersion into an atmosphere, a world far from reality, feeling transported into the past or into a world of imagery, thus departing from the commonplace. The museum was also understood as an occasion to live an evasive experience in regards to traditional Florentine museums.. Finally, the museum visit is lived by some as an opportunity to consolidate existing personal connections and/or to establish new ones. Deepening the analysis, it is possible to verify that the exhibition spaces are interpreted as a frame for the consolidation of personal relations with the individuals that share the visit experience. The visit to the museum distinguishes itself because it is a collective experience, an opportunity to spend time with other people that allows for the sharing of common passions towards the brand and its history.

Wind energy into the future: The challenge of deep-water wind farms

Francesco Ricciardelli,Carmela Maienza,Mustafa Vardaroglu,Alberto Maria Avossa 한국풍공학회 2021 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.32 No.4

In 2019, 5.6% of the total energy produced worldwide came from wind. Offshore wind generation is still a small portion of the total wind generation, yet its growth is exponential. Higher availability of sites, larger producibility and potentially lower environmental impacts make offshore wind generation attractive. On the other hand, as the water depth increases, fixed foundations are no more viable, and the new frontier is that of floating foundations. This paper brings an overview of why and how offshore wind energy should move deep water; it contains material from the Keynote Lecture given by the first author at the ACEM20/Structures20 Conference, held in Seoul in August 2020. The paper is organized into four sections: the first giving general concepts about wind generation especially offshore, the second and the third considering economic and technical aspects, respectively, of offshore deep-water wind generation, in the fourth, some challenges of floating offshore wind generation are presented and some conclusions are drawn.

Work engagement in public hospitals: a social exchange approach

Alessandro Ancarani,Carmela Di Mauro,Maria Daniela Giammanco,Giuseppe Giammanco 한국행정학회 2018 International Review of Public Administration Vol.23 No.1

We develop and test a model that envisages work engagement in public services as determined by interactions with supervisor and co-workers. Specifically, we apply the framework of Social Exchange Theory to explore the impact of Leader–Member exchange (LMX) and Team–Member exchange (TMX) on Work Engagement in the provision of health care in public hospitals. Our investigation suggests that both LMX and TMX represent significant factors associated with work engagement among the hospital medical staff.

Rice Peptide Deformylase PDF1B is Crucial for Development of Chloroplasts

Moon, Sunok,Giglione, Carmela,Lee, Dong-Yeon,An, Suyoung,Jeong, Dong-Hoon,Meinnel, Thierry,An, Gynheung Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists 2008 Plant & cell physiology Vol.49 No.10

Because protein synthesis begins with N-formylmethionine in plant endosymbiotic organelles, removal of the formyl group by peptide deformylase (PDF) is essential to allowing the excision of the first methionine. Rice contains three copies (OsPDF1A, OsPDF1B and OsPDF1B2) of the PDF genes. Unlike OsPDF1A and OsPDF1B, OsPDF1B2 is apparently non-functional, with several deleterious substitutions and deletions. OsPDF1A is more strongly expressed in the roots, while OsPDF1B is expressed at higher levels in mature leaves. Transient expression of PDF?green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins in the protoplasts demonstrates that, unlike OsPDF1A, OsPDF1B is localized in both the chloroplasts and the mitochondria. We used T-DNA insertional alleles to elucidate functional roles associated with OsPDF1B. Homozygous plants of pdf1b/pdf1b exhibited the phenotypes of chlorina and growth retardation. Histochemical analysis showed that the length of their mesophyll cells was increased 4- to 5-fold, resulting in a reduction in the total number of cells. Transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that chloroplasts were severely damaged and mitochondria appeared to be mildly altered in the pdf1b mutants. Expression of genes encoded in the chloroplasts and mitochondria was altered in the mutants. Based on these results, we conclude that OsPDF1B is essential for the development of chloroplast and perhaps mitochondria.