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Prof. Enrico Bracci
University of Ferrara (Italy), Department of Economics and Management

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0 Performance Management
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Earlycite article
Published: 30 June 2021 in International Journal of Public Sector Management
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Purpose This paper examines risk and risk management in public–private partnership and private finance initiatives (PPP/PFI). Despite growing interest in PPP/PFI, there are knowledge gaps in the literature. The authors’ aim is to analyse these knowledge gaps and define emerging themes to guide future research agendas. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct a systematic literature review from 1990 to 2018 using the Scopus database. Findings The authors define six emerging themes: risk definition and types of risks; value for money (VFM) and risk; risk sharing, allocation and transfer; financial risk; contractualisation and renegotiation of risk; and risk management and governance. They proposed a conceptualisation of potential development of PPP/PFI research through the three phases of risk management cycle, i.e. prospective, real time and retrospective. This paper revealed some new aspects that could help to analyse better risk and risk management in PPP/PFI to reach value for money (VFM) and to exploit the potential of PPP/PFI. Originality/value Despite the increasing attention to PPP/PFI, further researches are required in relation to operational and post-operational risk studies, risk management and control, the role of trust. The authors’ analysis underlines the difficulties in how risk is perceived and how to ascertain VFM. In addition, the authors highlight how the increase of contract renegotiation is changing the provisions with reference to risk assignment creating market distortion. Risk should be managed as a cycle; PPP/PFI would benefit by engaging more with the risk management literature.

ACS Style

Mouhcine Tallaki; Enrico Bracci. Risk allocation, transfer and management in public–private partnership and private finance initiatives: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Public Sector Management 2021, ahead-of-p, 1 .

AMA Style

Mouhcine Tallaki, Enrico Bracci. Risk allocation, transfer and management in public–private partnership and private finance initiatives: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Public Sector Management. 2021; ahead-of-p (ahead-of-p):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mouhcine Tallaki; Enrico Bracci. 2021. "Risk allocation, transfer and management in public–private partnership and private finance initiatives: a systematic literature review." International Journal of Public Sector Management ahead-of-p, no. ahead-of-p: 1.

Research article
Published: 03 June 2021 in Financial Accountability & Management
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In recent years, the urge to make public sector organizations accountable has resulted in a wide range of citizen-centered financial reporting tools that aim to overcome the limits of traditional financial reporting. To date, the debate on these public accountability innovations has mainly focused on the reasons underpinning their adoption from the users’ perspective, while how preparers affect accountability in the process of constructing such documents is empirically less investigated. By drawing on Callon's concept of translation, this paper aims to analyze how the preparers of citizens-centered financial reports perceive and translate public accountability into practice. In fact, localized translation of public accounting innovation may reveal divergences and ambiguity inherent in the public accountability principles shaped by concurring actors, events, and technologies. The research is qualitative and interpretative, through a longitudinal case study in a municipality, observing the process of construction of a citizen-centered financial reporting tool (i.e., Popular Financial Reporting—PFR). The originality of the paper lies in its contribution to the debate about how public accountability tools are translated into practice by providing evidence of the dynamics that lead an organization along the implementation path. Our findings confirm that the output of the process is the result of the interaction of different networks of interest. Consequently, the final document may vary consistently from the initial project and the general principles of the framework followed.

ACS Style

Enrico Bracci; Lucia Biondi; Gustaf Kastberg. Citizen‐centered financial reporting translation: The preparers’ perspective. Financial Accountability & Management 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Enrico Bracci, Lucia Biondi, Gustaf Kastberg. Citizen‐centered financial reporting translation: The preparers’ perspective. Financial Accountability & Management. 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enrico Bracci; Lucia Biondi; Gustaf Kastberg. 2021. "Citizen‐centered financial reporting translation: The preparers’ perspective." Financial Accountability & Management , no. : 1.

Earlycite article
Published: 01 March 2021 in Personnel Review
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of performance management systems (PMSs) and their perceived accuracy on job crafting behaviors via motivation. Design/methodology/approach By adopting a research design based on three waves, a mediation model was tested using survey data from 12 municipalities in Italy. Findings Perceived PMS accuracy positively influences “approach” job crafting behaviors through intrinsic motivation and “avoidance” job crafting behaviors through extrinsic motivation. Practical implications Organizations interested in promoting job crafting should ensure that PMSs are designed and implemented in a way that increases perceived PMS accuracy among employees. Originality/value The results of this study enrich the literature on job crafting by underlining the role of PMSs as an antecedent of job crafting and by clarifying how different motivational processes may intervene in this relationship.

ACS Style

Domenico Berdicchia; Enrico Bracci; Giovanni Masino. Performance management systems promote job crafting: the role of employees' motivation. Personnel Review 2021, ahead-of-p, 1 .

AMA Style

Domenico Berdicchia, Enrico Bracci, Giovanni Masino. Performance management systems promote job crafting: the role of employees' motivation. Personnel Review. 2021; ahead-of-p (ahead-of-p):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Domenico Berdicchia; Enrico Bracci; Giovanni Masino. 2021. "Performance management systems promote job crafting: the role of employees' motivation." Personnel Review ahead-of-p, no. ahead-of-p: 1.

Journal article
Published: 24 December 2020 in Journal of Risk and Financial Management
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There are various factors that can affect an organization’s ability to overcome a crisis and the uncertainties that arise thereafter. Little is known about the process of organizational resilience and the factors that can help or prevent it. In this paper, we analyzed how public sector organizations build resilience/traits of risks awareness, and in doing that, we derived some elements that could affect the process of resilience. In particular, drawing on the conceptual framework proposed by Mallak we analyzed an in-depth case study in a public sector organization (PSO) identifying some contextual dimensions implicated in the process of building resilience. In our analysis, we identified two main elements that affect resilience: Risk perception and the use of accounting. Results shown how risk perception is perceived as a trigger, while accounting is considered as an enforcer in the process of building resilience capacity. The results also show the way accounting is implicated in the management of austerity programs and supporting the creation of a resilient public sector organization. In our case, the risk has become an opportunity for change. In the face of these budget cuts, management began refocusing the company’s mission from infrastructure maintenance to providing services with a market-based logic.

ACS Style

Mouhcine Tallaki; Enrico Bracci. Risk Perception, Accounting, and Resilience in Public Sector Organizations: A Case Study Analysis. Journal of Risk and Financial Management 2020, 14, 4 .

AMA Style

Mouhcine Tallaki, Enrico Bracci. Risk Perception, Accounting, and Resilience in Public Sector Organizations: A Case Study Analysis. Journal of Risk and Financial Management. 2020; 14 (1):4.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mouhcine Tallaki; Enrico Bracci. 2020. "Risk Perception, Accounting, and Resilience in Public Sector Organizations: A Case Study Analysis." Journal of Risk and Financial Management 14, no. 1: 4.

Journal article
Published: 02 June 2020 in Sustainability
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In recent decades, non-financial reporting has been widely debated in the literature relating to both public and private sectors. Non-financial reporting is used to increase accountability and transparency, and to adapt to external pressures and stakeholder expectations. The focus on external factors, i.e., transparency and stakeholders, has largely precluded research into the quality of non-financial reporting. Nevertheless, the quality and reliability of sustainability reports have been widely questioned in the literature. Non-financial reporting may provide purely symbolic actions to manage expectations. This paper analyzes the level of diffusion and quality of non-financial reporting tools in the public utility sector. We use the principles of the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) framework to measure quality, i.e., clarity and accuracy, timeliness and stakeholder engagement, comparability, and reliability. We use a qualitative exploratory approach with a mix of primary and secondary sources. The results show that despite the increasing use of non-financial reporting in organizational life, it is not diffused within public utilities. We address the issue of quality, and find that, overall, the accuracy/clarity and comparability of non-financial reporting is satisfactory; timeliness and stakeholder engagement appear to be acceptable, while reliability does not appear to be acceptable.

ACS Style

Francesco Badia; Enrico Bracci; Mouhcine Tallaki. Quality and Diffusion of Social and Sustainability Reporting in Italian Public Utility Companies. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4525 .

AMA Style

Francesco Badia, Enrico Bracci, Mouhcine Tallaki. Quality and Diffusion of Social and Sustainability Reporting in Italian Public Utility Companies. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (11):4525.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesco Badia; Enrico Bracci; Mouhcine Tallaki. 2020. "Quality and Diffusion of Social and Sustainability Reporting in Italian Public Utility Companies." Sustainability 12, no. 11: 4525.

Research article
Published: 31 March 2020 in Financial Accountability & Management
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This study examines, through the case of Personal Budgets in England, the role of accounting in transforming the subjectivities of social workers through a Foucauldian lens. The findings show how accounting can reshape the subjectivities of social workers serving as intermediaries responsible for the frontline implementation of neoliberal reforms. It does so through an empirical demonstration on how accounting harnesses an individual's autonomy and responsibility to nurture “productive” relationships between citizens and the state. Furthermore, the findings also highlight the vulnerability of social workers’ subjectivities from the installation of an accounting infrastructure with multiple capabilities. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how neoliberal policies transform subjectivities in social work and adds to the literature on accounting's biopolitical role in the reconstitution of such subjectivities. It also addresses the relative neglect of studies examining the role of accounting in neoliberal transformations of social work that, despite its significance for an ageing society and its attendant consequences for public finances, receives far less attention than healthcare reforms.

ACS Style

Danny Chow; Enrico Bracci. Neoliberalism, accounting, and the transformation of subjectivities in social work: A study on the implementation of personal budgets. Financial Accountability & Management 2020, 36, 151 -170.

AMA Style

Danny Chow, Enrico Bracci. Neoliberalism, accounting, and the transformation of subjectivities in social work: A study on the implementation of personal budgets. Financial Accountability & Management. 2020; 36 (2):151-170.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Danny Chow; Enrico Bracci. 2020. "Neoliberalism, accounting, and the transformation of subjectivities in social work: A study on the implementation of personal budgets." Financial Accountability & Management 36, no. 2: 151-170.

Journal article
Published: 20 November 2019 in Cerebral Cortex
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Inhibitory interneurons can evoke vasodilation and vasoconstriction, making them potential cellular drivers of neurovascular coupling. However, the specific regulatory roles played by particular interneuron subpopulations remain unclear. Our purpose was therefore to adopt a cell-specific optogenetic approach to investigate how somatostatin (SST) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-expressing interneurons might influence the neurovascular relationship. In mice, specific activation of SST- or nNOS-interneurons was sufficient to evoke hemodynamic changes. In the case of nNOS-interneurons, robust hemodynamic changes occurred with minimal changes in neural activity, suggesting that the ability of blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI) to reliably reflect changes in neuronal activity may be dependent on type of neuron recruited. Conversely, activation of SST-interneurons produced robust changes in evoked neural activity with shallow cortical excitation and pronounced deep layer cortical inhibition. Prolonged activation of SST-interneurons often resulted in an increase in blood volume in the centrally activated area with an accompanying decrease in blood volume in the surrounding brain regions, analogous to the negative BOLD signal. These results demonstrate the role of specific populations of cortical interneurons in the active control of neurovascular function.

ACS Style

L Lee; L Boorman; E Glendenning; C Christmas; P Sharp; P Redgrave; O Shabir; E Bracci; J Berwick; C Howarth. Key Aspects of Neurovascular Control Mediated by Specific Populations of Inhibitory Cortical Interneurons. Cerebral Cortex 2019, 30, 2452 -2464.

AMA Style

L Lee, L Boorman, E Glendenning, C Christmas, P Sharp, P Redgrave, O Shabir, E Bracci, J Berwick, C Howarth. Key Aspects of Neurovascular Control Mediated by Specific Populations of Inhibitory Cortical Interneurons. Cerebral Cortex. 2019; 30 (4):2452-2464.

Chicago/Turabian Style

L Lee; L Boorman; E Glendenning; C Christmas; P Sharp; P Redgrave; O Shabir; E Bracci; J Berwick; C Howarth. 2019. "Key Aspects of Neurovascular Control Mediated by Specific Populations of Inhibitory Cortical Interneurons." Cerebral Cortex 30, no. 4: 2452-2464.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2019 in The British Accounting Review
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ACS Style

Kristin Reichborn-Kjennerud; Belén González-Díaz; Enrico Bracci; Thomas Carrington; James Hathaway; Kim Klarskov Jeppesen; Ileana Steccolini. Sais work against corruption in Scandinavian, South-European and African countries: An institutional analysis. The British Accounting Review 2019, 51, 1 .

AMA Style

Kristin Reichborn-Kjennerud, Belén González-Díaz, Enrico Bracci, Thomas Carrington, James Hathaway, Kim Klarskov Jeppesen, Ileana Steccolini. Sais work against corruption in Scandinavian, South-European and African countries: An institutional analysis. The British Accounting Review. 2019; 51 (5):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kristin Reichborn-Kjennerud; Belén González-Díaz; Enrico Bracci; Thomas Carrington; James Hathaway; Kim Klarskov Jeppesen; Ileana Steccolini. 2019. "Sais work against corruption in Scandinavian, South-European and African countries: An institutional analysis." The British Accounting Review 51, no. 5: 1.

Preprint content
Published: 14 February 2019
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Inhibitory interneurons can evoke vasodilation and vasoconstriction, making them potential cellular drivers of neurovascular coupling. However, the specific regulatory roles played by particular interneuron subpopulations remain unclear. Our purpose was therefore to adopt a cell-specific optogenetic approach to investigate how somatostatin (SST) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1)-expressing interneurons might influence neurovascular relationships. In mice, specific activation of SST- or NOS1-interneurons was sufficient to evoke haemodynamic changes similar to those evoked by physiological whisker stimulation. In the case of NOS1-interneurons, robust haemodynamic changes occurred with minimal changes in neural activity. Conversely, activation of SST-interneurons produced robust changes in evoked neural activity with shallow cortical excitation and pronounced deep layer cortical inhibition. This often resulted in a central increase in blood volume with corresponding surround decrease, analogous to the negative BOLD signal. These results demonstrate the role of specific populations of cortical interneurons in the active control of neurovascular function.

ACS Style

Llywelyn Mt Lee; Luke Boorman; Emily Glendenning; Claire Christmas; Paul Sharp; Peter Redgrave; Osman Shabir; Enrico Bracci; Jason Berwick; Clare Howarth. Key aspects of neurovascular control mediated by specific populations of inhibitory cortical interneurons. 2019, 550269 .

AMA Style

Llywelyn Mt Lee, Luke Boorman, Emily Glendenning, Claire Christmas, Paul Sharp, Peter Redgrave, Osman Shabir, Enrico Bracci, Jason Berwick, Clare Howarth. Key aspects of neurovascular control mediated by specific populations of inhibitory cortical interneurons. . 2019; ():550269.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Llywelyn Mt Lee; Luke Boorman; Emily Glendenning; Claire Christmas; Paul Sharp; Peter Redgrave; Osman Shabir; Enrico Bracci; Jason Berwick; Clare Howarth. 2019. "Key aspects of neurovascular control mediated by specific populations of inhibitory cortical interneurons." , no. : 550269.

Journal article
Published: 04 February 2019 in Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the institutional factors affecting the reform of public sector in Morocco. In particular, this study focuses on the adoption path of one such reform, in which Moroccan municipalities had to adopt economic and development plans (EDPs).Design/methodology/approachThe paper’s methodology adopts a qualitative approach. In particular, the paper adopts a mix of primary and secondary sources to analyze the historical development of the EDP reform in the Moroccan context, and the institutional factors involved in the implementation process. It contributes to the existing literature in two ways: it defines a tentative model that combines two approaches (new and old institutional theories); and it contextualizes the proposed model in the Moroccan context by examining the institutional process of implementing the reforms.FindingsThe reform that introduced EDPs in Morocco was the result of a collaboration between the Moroccan government and international donors. The introduction of EDPs was impeded by institutional features of Moroccan society. Therefore, the implementation of EDPs in Morocco did not change taken-for-granted ways of thinking, nor did it remove institutional restrictions and barriers. Municipalities were not affected by the modernizing effects of the reform. They are managed as traditional administrative structures, with very little capacity for organizational and management innovation.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the debate on the adequacy of new public management (NPM) in less developed countries (LDCs), and in particular with regards to the use of strategic plans in Moroccan municipalities. In doing so, the paper attempts to define a tentative framework that combines new institutional and old institutional theory. The framework proposed helps to explain how NPM in LDCs was diffused and how institutional characteristics could hamper or foster the implementation of NPM reform.

ACS Style

Mouhcine Tallaki; Enrico Bracci. NPM reforms and institutional characteristics in developing countries. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies 2019, 9, 126 -147.

AMA Style

Mouhcine Tallaki, Enrico Bracci. NPM reforms and institutional characteristics in developing countries. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies. 2019; 9 (1):126-147.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mouhcine Tallaki; Enrico Bracci. 2019. "NPM reforms and institutional characteristics in developing countries." Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies 9, no. 1: 126-147.

Journal article
Published: 31 August 2018 in Sustainability
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This paper provides a comparative analysis of different public accountability means used in the public sector - namely sustainability reporting, popular financial reporting and integrated reporting - in order to highlight their similarities and differences, and reflect on their development, with specific reference to the Italian context. In particular, we speculate about the practical and research implications of their emergence, through the lenses of accountability and managerial fad and fashion literature. The main novelty of the paper is that it is one of the first studies providing a comparative analysis of the three reporting tools debated both in practice and in research. We argue about their diffusion patterns, the commonalities and differences, which suggests different stages of evolution, different actors and forces at play. We provide some preliminary evidence on the risk that accountability innovations may end up just in a fad and fashion uptake, creating inefficiencies and not achieving the aims they are intended for. We also show how the available frameworks and standards have more in common than not, and that there is a risk of creating only new labels, without real innovation or improvement of public accountability.

ACS Style

Lucia Biondi; Enrico Bracci. Sustainability, Popular and Integrated Reporting in the Public Sector: A Fad and Fashion Perspective. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3112 .

AMA Style

Lucia Biondi, Enrico Bracci. Sustainability, Popular and Integrated Reporting in the Public Sector: A Fad and Fashion Perspective. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (9):3112.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lucia Biondi; Enrico Bracci. 2018. "Sustainability, Popular and Integrated Reporting in the Public Sector: A Fad and Fashion Perspective." Sustainability 10, no. 9: 3112.

Original research article
Published: 22 August 2018 in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
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The ventral pallidum (VP) is crucially involved in reward processing. Dopaminergic afferents reach the VP from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Recent in vivo studies suggest dopamine application increase the firing in the VP. However, little is known about the cellular effects of dopamine within the VP. We aimed to address this paucity of data using brain slices containing the VP and multi-electrode array recordings. Dopamine significantly affected firing in 86% of spontaneously active VP neurons. Among the affected neurons, 84% were excited, while 16% were inhibited. The selective D1-like receptor agonist SKF81297 also had modulatory effects on the majority of VP neurons, but its effects were universally excitatory. On the other hand, the D2-like receptor agonist quinpirole had modulatory effects on 87% of VP neurons studied. It caused significant inhibitory effects in 33% of the cases and excitatory effects in the remaining 67%. The effects of D1-like receptor activation were presynaptic as blocking synaptic transmission with low Ca2+ abolished the effects of SKF81297 application. Furthermore, SKF81297 effects were abolished by blocking ionotropic glutamate receptors, suggesting that D1-like receptors boost glutamate release, which in turn excites VP neurons through postsynaptic glutamate receptors. Effects caused by D2-like receptor activation were found to involve pre and postsynaptic mechanisms, as low Ca2+ abolished the excitatory effects of quinpirole but not the inhibitory ones. Increases in firing frequency (ff) to quinpirole application were abolished by a group 2/3 mGluR antagonist, suggesting that D2-like receptors cause presynaptic inhibition of glutamate release, resulting in reduced postsynaptic activation of inhibitory mGluRs. Conversely, the inhibitory effects of quinpirole persisted in low Ca2+ and therefore can be attributed to postsynaptic D2-like receptor activation. VP neurons excited by dopamine had shorter spike half-widths and are excited by D1-like receptors (presynaptically) and by D2-like receptors (postsynaptically). VP neurons inhibited by dopamine have longer spike half-widths and while D1-like receptor activation has a presynaptic excitatory influence on them, D2-like receptor activation has a postsynaptic inhibitory effect that prevails, on balance. These data provide novel insights into the cellular mechanisms by which dopamine controls information processing within the VP.

ACS Style

Martin Clark; Enrico Bracci. Dichotomous Dopaminergic Control of Ventral Pallidum Neurons. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 2018, 12, 1 .

AMA Style

Martin Clark, Enrico Bracci. Dichotomous Dopaminergic Control of Ventral Pallidum Neurons. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 2018; 12 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martin Clark; Enrico Bracci. 2018. "Dichotomous Dopaminergic Control of Ventral Pallidum Neurons." Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 12, no. : 1.

Book chapter
Published: 16 June 2018 in Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance
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ACS Style

Enrico Bracci. Accounting of Hybrid Organizations. Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance 2018, 113 -119.

AMA Style

Enrico Bracci. Accounting of Hybrid Organizations. Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. 2018; ():113-119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enrico Bracci. 2018. "Accounting of Hybrid Organizations." Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance , no. : 113-119.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2018 in The British Accounting Review
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ACS Style

Laura Maran; Enrico Bracci; Robert Inglis. Performance management systems' stability: Unfolding the human factor – A case from the Italian public sector. The British Accounting Review 2018, 50, 324 -339.

AMA Style

Laura Maran, Enrico Bracci, Robert Inglis. Performance management systems' stability: Unfolding the human factor – A case from the Italian public sector. The British Accounting Review. 2018; 50 (3):324-339.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Maran; Enrico Bracci; Robert Inglis. 2018. "Performance management systems' stability: Unfolding the human factor – A case from the Italian public sector." The British Accounting Review 50, no. 3: 324-339.

Original research article
Published: 05 December 2017 in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
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Striatal low-threshold spike interneurons (LTSIs) are tonically active neurons that express GABA and nitric oxide synthase and are involved in information processing as well as neurovascular coupling. While mu opioid receptors (MORs) and their ligand encephalin are prominent in the striatum, their action on LTSIs has not been investigated. We addressed this issue carrying out whole-cell recordings in transgenic mice in which the NPY-expressing neurons are marked with green fluorescent protein (GFP). The MOR agonist (D-Ala(2), N-MePhe(4), Gly-ol)-enkephalin (DAMGO) produced dual effects on subpopulations of LTSIs. DAMGO caused inhibitory effects, accompanied by decreases of spontaneous firing, in 62% of LTSIs, while depolarizing effects (accompanied by an increase in spontaneous firing) were observed in 23% of LTSIs tested. The dual effects of DAMGO persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX), a sodium channel blocker or in the presence of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist mecamylamine. However, in the presence of either the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin or the muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist atropine, DAMGO only elicited inhibitory effects on LTSIs. Furthermore, we found that DAMGO decreased the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous GABAergic events. Unexpectedly, these effects of DAMGO on spontaneous GABAergic events disappeared after blocking of the muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic blockers, showing that GABA inputs to LTSIs are not directly modulated by presynaptic MORs. These finding suggest that activation of MORs affect LTSIs both directly and indirectly, through modulation of GABAergic and cholinergic tones. The complex balance between direct and indirect effects determines the net effect of DAMGO on LTSIs.

ACS Style

Rasha Elghaba; Enrico Bracci. Dichotomous Effects of Mu Opioid Receptor Activation on Striatal Low-Threshold Spike Interneurons. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 2017, 11, 385 .

AMA Style

Rasha Elghaba, Enrico Bracci. Dichotomous Effects of Mu Opioid Receptor Activation on Striatal Low-Threshold Spike Interneurons. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 2017; 11 ():385.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rasha Elghaba; Enrico Bracci. 2017. "Dichotomous Effects of Mu Opioid Receptor Activation on Striatal Low-Threshold Spike Interneurons." Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 11, no. : 385.

Journal article
Published: 29 September 2017 in Revista de Contabilidade e Organizações
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A relevância prática da pesquisa em contabilidade é uma das questões mais presentes atualmente no debate na área. O engajamento dos acadêmicos e o impacto da pesquisa em contabilidade são mais que necessários nos dias atuais. A pesquisa intervencionista (IVR, sigla para Interventionist Research) é considerada uma metodologia que em potencial permitiria pesquisadores contribuírem com o avanço tanto das práticas quando da teoria. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar uma análise das características da IVR, oferecendo um guia em esta metodologia pode ser útil para construir a ponte entre acadêmicos e praticantes no contexto da pesquisa no setor público.

ACS Style

Enrico Bracci. The practical relevance of public sector research: the potential contributions of the interventionist approach. Revista de Contabilidade e Organizações 2017, 11, 4 -13.

AMA Style

Enrico Bracci. The practical relevance of public sector research: the potential contributions of the interventionist approach. Revista de Contabilidade e Organizações. 2017; 11 (30):4-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enrico Bracci. 2017. "The practical relevance of public sector research: the potential contributions of the interventionist approach." Revista de Contabilidade e Organizações 11, no. 30: 4-13.

Book chapter
Published: 28 June 2016 in Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications
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Co-production is an umbrella term whose meaning has been widely debated on and whose practical consequences for public service delivery are an open research issue. This introductory chapter attempts to define what co-production is and what it is not, by an overview of the up-to-date literature. The chapter concludes by presenting the aims of the book and the main contents, and its relevance and contributions.

ACS Style

Enrico Bracci; Mariagrazia Fugini; MariaFrancesca Sicilia. Co-production of Public Services: Meaning and Motivations. Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications 2016, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Enrico Bracci, Mariagrazia Fugini, MariaFrancesca Sicilia. Co-production of Public Services: Meaning and Motivations. Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications. 2016; ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enrico Bracci; Mariagrazia Fugini; MariaFrancesca Sicilia. 2016. "Co-production of Public Services: Meaning and Motivations." Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications , no. : 1-11.

Book chapter
Published: 28 June 2016 in Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications
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In recent times, co-production has become an all-embracing term applied in different contexts and with several meanings. Broadly speaking, co-production can be considered any “regular, long-term relationships between professionalized service providers and service users” (Bovaird in Public Adm Rev 67:847, 2007). Osborne and Strokosch (Br J Manag 24:S31–S47, 2013) differentiated co-production into three categories: operational, strategy and service. Although some of these categories may overlap, the focus of the present chapter is on the operational model of co-production.

ACS Style

Enrico Bracci; Danny Chow. When is Personalisation Considered a Form of Co-production? The Case of Personal Budgets Reform in English Social Care. Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications 2016, 41 -57.

AMA Style

Enrico Bracci, Danny Chow. When is Personalisation Considered a Form of Co-production? The Case of Personal Budgets Reform in English Social Care. Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications. 2016; ():41-57.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enrico Bracci; Danny Chow. 2016. "When is Personalisation Considered a Form of Co-production? The Case of Personal Budgets Reform in English Social Care." Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications , no. : 41-57.

Book chapter
Published: 11 May 2016 in Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance
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Public service reforms; Hybrid organization The concept of hybrid organization is widely used and discussed in several fields of research, such as economics, organization studies, management, public administration, law, and political science. More recently, the accounting studies increased the attention and the number of papers. Despite the interdisciplinary interest, the concept does not seem to have a unique agreed definition. It is therefore relevant to make a clear distinction on its meaning, as well as consequences, problems, and solutions in the context of public organizations. In doing so, the focus here will be brought to how accounting is involved in the process of hybridization and the management of hybrid organizations. Hybridity is a multidimensional concept and can be referred to multiple levels. It is possible to observe hybrid forms either at the macro level (national or supranational), meso level (organization), or mi ...

ACS Style

Enrico Bracci. Accounting of Hybrid Organizations. Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance 2016, 1 -7.

AMA Style

Enrico Bracci. Accounting of Hybrid Organizations. Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. 2016; ():1-7.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enrico Bracci. 2016. "Accounting of Hybrid Organizations." Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance , no. : 1-7.

Original research article
Published: 29 April 2016 in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
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The striatum is the largest nucleus of the basal ganglia and is crucially involved in action selection and reward processing. Cortical and thalamic inputs to the striatum are processed by local networks in which several classes of interneurons play an important, but still poorly understood role. Here we investigated the interactions between cholinergic and low-threshold spike (LTS) interneurons. LTS interneurons were hyperpolarised by co-application of muscarinic and nicotinic receptor antagonists (atropine and mecamylamine, respectively). Mecamylamine alone also caused hyperpolarisations, while atropine alone caused depolarisations and increased firing. LTS interneurons were also under control of tonic GABA, as application of the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin caused depolarisations and increased firing. Frequency of spontaneous GABAergic events in LTS interneurons was increased by co-application of atropine and mecamylamine or by atropine alone, but reduced by mecamylamine alone. In the presence of picrotoxin and tetrodotoxin, atropine and mecamylamine depolarised the LTS interneurons. We concluded that part of the excitatory effects of tonic acetylcholine (ACh) on LTS interneurons were due to cholinergic modulation of tonic GABA. We then studied the influence of LTS interneurons on cholinergic interneurons. Application of antagonists of somatostatin or neuropeptide Y receptors or of an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (L-NAME) did not cause detectable effects in cholinergic interneurons. However, prolonged synchronised depolarisations of LTS interneurons (elicited with optogenetics tools) caused slow-onset depolarisations in cholinergic interneurons, which were often accompanied by strong action potential firing and were fully abolished by L-NAME. Thus, a mutual excitatory influence exists between LTS and cholinergic interneurons in the striatum, providing an opportunity for sustained activation of the two cell types. This activation may endow the striatal microcircuits with the ability to enter a high acetylcholine/high nitric oxide regime when adequately triggered by external excitatory stimuli to these interneurons.

ACS Style

Rasha Eelghaba; Nicolas Evautrelle; Enrico Ebracci. Mutual Control of Cholinergic and Low-Threshold Spike Interneurons in the Striatum. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 2016, 10, 111 .

AMA Style

Rasha Eelghaba, Nicolas Evautrelle, Enrico Ebracci. Mutual Control of Cholinergic and Low-Threshold Spike Interneurons in the Striatum. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 2016; 10 ():111.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rasha Eelghaba; Nicolas Evautrelle; Enrico Ebracci. 2016. "Mutual Control of Cholinergic and Low-Threshold Spike Interneurons in the Striatum." Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 10, no. : 111.