Identification of Sex and Female’s Reproductive Stage in Commercial Fish Species through the Quantification of Ribosomal Transcripts in Gonads

The estimation of maturity and sex of fish stocks in European waters is a requirement of the EU Data Collection Framework as part of the policy to improve fisheries management. On the other hand, research on fish biology is increasingly focused in molecular approaches, researchers needing correct identification of fish sex and reproductive stage without necessarily having in house the histological know-how necessary for the task. Taking advantage of the differential gene transcription occurring during fish sex differentiation and gametogenesis, the utility of 5S ribosomal RNA (5S rRNA) and General transcription factor IIIA (gtf3a) in the molecular identification of sex and gametogenic stage was tested in different economically-relevant fish species from the Bay of Biscay. Gonads of 9 fish species (, Atlantic, Atlantic-chub and horse mackerel, blue whiting, bogue, European anchovy, hake and pilchard and megrim), collected from local commercial fishing vessels were histologically sexed and 5S and 18S rRNA concentrations were quantified by capillary electrophoresis to calculate a 5S/18S rRNA index. Degenerate primers permitted cloning and sequencing of gtf3a fragments in 7 of the studied species. 5S rRNA and gtf3a transcript levels, together with 5S/18S rRNA index, distinguished clearly ovaries from testis in all of the studied species. The values were always higher in females than in males. 5S/18S rRNA index values in females were always highest when fish were captured in early phases of ovary development whilst, in later vitellogenic stages, the values decreased significantly. In megrim and European anchovy, where gonads in different oogenesis stages were obtained, the 5S/18S rRNA index identified clearly gametogenic stage. This approach, to the sexing and the quantitative non-subjective identification of the maturity stage of female fish, could have multiple applications in the study of fish stock dynamics, fish reproduction and fecundity and fish biology in general.

Wage differentials between Permanent and Temporal Contracts: Further Evidence

The main objective of this paper is to estimate wage differentials between permanent and temporal workers for different qualification levels and decompose such differentials to see which factors contribute more to explain them. The data we use is the "Encuesta de Estructura Salarial", a survey carried out in 1995 in all countries of the European Union, which contains very detailed information on wages and other characteristics for about 180.000 workers. The empirical results indicate that (a) the wage gap between permanent and temporal workers increases with qualification and it is smaller for females than for males, (b) when decomposing average wage differentials for each qualification level, we observe that the vast majority of such differential is explainedby differences in characteristics, and in particular by differences in tenure and occupation. With respect to differences in returns, our results indicate that the returns to tenure are higher for temporal workres relative to permanent workers for both males and females and for every qualification level. Returns to occupation are higher for permanent than for temporal workers, and the differenceis particularly high for females.

Decomposing the Gender Wage Gap: The effect of firms, occupations and Job Stratification

This paper presents new evidence on the role of segregation into firms, occupations within a firm and stratification into professional categories within firm-occupations in explaining the gender wage gap. I use a generalized earnings model that allows observed and unobserved group characteristics to have different impact on wages of men and women within the same group. The database is a large sample of individual wage data from the 1995 Spanish Wage Structure Survey. Results indicate that firm segregation in our sample accounts for around one-fifth of the raw gender wage gap. Occupational segregation within firms accounts for about one-third of the raw wage gap, and stratification into different professional categories within firms and occupations explains another one-third of it. The remaining one-fifth of the overall gap arises from better outcomes of men relative to women within professional categories. It is also found that rewards to both observable and unobservable skills, particularly those related to education, are higher for males than for females within the same group. Finally, mean wages in occupations or job categories with a higher fraction of female co-workers are lower, but the negative impact of femaleness in higher for women.

Career Planning in Spain: Do temporary contracts delay marriage and motherhood?

The aim of this paper is to find an empirical connection between the impressive increase in the use of temporary contracts in Spain and the observed increase in age at marriage and maternity. Using a pool of the six available waves of individual information from the European Household Panel for Spain, we find that holding temporary contracts rather than permanent ones delays marriage for males, but not for females. Concerning maternity, the labor market situation of both members of the household affects entry into motherhood. In particular, if woman has a temporary contract rather than a permanent one, motherhoods is delayed independently of the husband's contract. As expected, postponement of maternity is not found for non-working women. These results give strong support to the career planning, motive to delay maternity in Spain, given that an unstable labor market situation of female workers is found to be the main deterrent to entry into motherhood.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controled clinical trial of sublingual immunotherapy in natural rubber latex allergic patients

Trial registration number: CTRN12611000543987

Role of G protein coupled inwardly rectifier K+ channels (GIRK) on the neurobiology depression

353 págs.

Distribución de "coxiella burnetii" en los rumiantes domésticos y en la fauna silvestre de la Comunidad Atutónoma Vasca. Evaluacióndel efecto del tratamiento antibiótico y de la vacunación en el control de la fiebre Q en rebaños ovinos naturalmente infectados

243 p. : il.

Estudio comparativo del estado nutricional de dos muestras de jóvenes adultos

La revista permite a los autores reutilizar su fichero para depositarlo en su web o repositorio institucional, sin ánimo de lucro y mencionando la fuente original.

Calidad de la dieta, sobrepeso y obesidad en estudiantes universitarios

Este trabajo se encuentra bajo la licencia Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

Valoración de la composición corporal y de la percepción de la imagen en un grupo de mujeres universitarias del País Vasco

Este trabajo se encuentra bajo la licencia Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

Cheese consumption and prevalence of overweight and obesity in a Basque adult population: a crosssectional study

[EN] Studies have reported a negative association between dairy product consumption and weight status. However, not as much research has focused on cheese; therefore, the aim of this study was to study the association between cheese intake and overweight and obesity in a representative Basque adult population. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was obtained from a random sample of 1081 adults (530 males and 551 females, 17–96 years old). Cheese consumption data were expressed as g/1000 kcal/day. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was higher in men (55.1%) than in women (35.4%) (p50.001). Participants with low or moderate intake of fresh and processed cheese demonstrated a higher prevalence of excess weight, compared with those with higher consumption. The confounding variables selected in multivariate analysis were occupational status and age in both genders; and place of residence in men. In conclusion, negative associations were found between consumption of some types of cheese and overweight and obesity in this population.

Avances metodológicos para el análisis y la comprensión de la desventaja social femenina

[ESP]En las siguientes páginas pretendemos profundizar en el tratamiento dado a la cuestión del género en los análisis empíricos y teóricos referentes a la pobreza y la exclusión social. Para ello, justificaremos la pertinencia de incorporar la perspectiva de género al análisis de la desventaja social, analizando después las potencialidades y limitaciones de los diferentes enfoques sobre pobreza y exclusión social para estudiar el origen y las dimensiones de la desventaja social femenina. Por último, examinaremos bajo la óptica de género algunas estadísticas sobre pobreza y exclusión social, con el objetivo de mostrar los avances metodológicos presentes en algunas de ellas, y también las posibles líneas de mejora.

Is inbreeding avoidance driving female mate choice in Verreaux's sifaka lemurs?

Females of different species might exert female mate choice for different reasons, one of them the aim of avoiding inbreeding. In this study I examine the implication of inbreeding avoidance as a mechanism driving female mate choice in Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs (Propithecus verreauxi). In fact, in this species females are dominant and appear to be able to choose certain males to mate with, while observations indicate that rank, body size, canine size and proportions of fights won are not factors influencing female mate choice. So I hypothesized that females mate choice is driven by inbreeding avoidance in Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs. Tissue and fecal samples were collected in the Kirindy Mitea National Park in western Madagascar as a source of DNA. Parentage was assigned for a sample of the population and relatedness coefficients between dams and sires were estimated and compared to those of between random female and male pairs, dams and other candidate sires within the population and within the groups were the offspring were conceived. I found that there were no significant differences in none of the comparisons which means that Verreaux’s sifaka females do not mate more with males that are more distantly related to them. I concluded that inbreeding avoidance does not appear to be the main force driving female mate choice in Verreaux’s sifaka lemurs and I addressed explanations for these findings. With this study I contribute to our knowledge of female mate choice in lemurs.

The impact of the great recession on employment polarization in Spain

This article analyzes changes in the occupational employment share in Spain for the period 1997-2012 and the way particular sociodemographic groups adapt to those changes. There seems to be clear evidence of employment polarization between 1997 and 2012 that accelerates over the recession. Changes in the composition of the labour supply cannot explain the increase in the share of occupations at the low end of the wage distribution. Sector reallocation may have partially contributed to explain the polarization process in Spain during the years of expansion (1997-2007) but it is a minor factor during the recession. The polarization of occupations within sectors observed, especially during the recession, appears to be related to a decline in routine tasks which is compensated by an increase in occupations with non-routine service contents, which are found both in the low and high end of the wage distribution. Instead, jobs with a higher degree of abstract contents do not appear to increase their share in total employment during these 15 years. The paper finds that this process has affected males more strongly than females because of their higher concentration in occupations more focused on routine tasks. Among males, for workers under 30 years old, we find a decrease in the share of occupations with more routine tasks which turns into increases in those with more abstract content and particularly with more non-routine service content. Instead, male workers over 30 years old seem to remain in declining occupations to a greater extent. Females of different ages are not affected by the abovementioned changes.

Kyokushin karatean gaitasun fisikoetan pisaketa eta gero egiten den bazkari motaren eragina

[EUS] Elikadura oso garrantzitsua da errendimendurako txapelketa batean. Horrez gain, lehiaketa batzuetan, kirolariak kategoria ezberdinetan sailkatzen dira beren pisuaren arabera, kyokushin karatean bezala. Arte martzial honetako lehiakide askok txapelketaren aurreko egunetan dieta gogorra egin behar dute, ahalik eta kategoria baxuen egoteko asmoz. Batzuetan, barauan edo afaldu gabe joaten dira hori lortzeko. Horregatik, ikerketa honetan pisua hartu eta gero eta lehiatu aurretik elikadurazko estrategia ezberdinak aztertu ziren. Kontrola egin baino lehen, karbohidratoak eta proteinak hartu behar izan zituzten partaideek, eta indarra, erresistentzia, bizkortasuna eta potentzia baloratu egin zen. Kancho Oyama gimnasioan egin ziren frogak. Horietan 12 karatekak hartu zuten parte, batzuk emakumezkoak (4) eta beste batzuk gizonezkoak (8), 18 urte baino gehiagokoak izanda. Ikerketaren emaitzak, partaide gehienak indarrean, erresistentzia eta bizkortasunean karbohidratoekin eta potentzian proteinekin hobetu egin zutela markatu zuten. Ere esan dezakegu, errendimenduan mutilek neskek baino gehiago hobetzen dutela. Goizean arratsaldean baino errendimendu hobea nabarmentzen da, kontuan izanda, pisua hartu baino ordu batzuk lehenago jan barik daudela. Iraupen gutxiko eta intentsitate altuko kontaktuko kiroletan, txapelketa baino lehen ohiturak funtsezkoak dira, hala nola, ondo deskantsatzea, aurre entrenamenduak eta elikadura adibidez, horretaz gain, karbohidratoak hartzen baditugu pisua hartu eta gero normalean errendimendu gehiago lortzen da proteinekin baino, ondorio aipagarriena izanik.