Public-private sector wage differentials by type of contract: evidence from Spain

The article examines public-private sector wage differentials in Spain using microdata from the Structure of Earnings Survey (Encuesta de Estructura Salarial). When applying various decomposition techniques, we find that it is important to distinguish by gender and type of contract. Our results also highlight the presence of a positive wage premium for public sector workers that can be partially explained by their better endowment of characteristics, in particular by the characteristics of the establishment where they work. The wage premium is greater for female and fixed-term employees and falls across the wage distribution, being negative for more highly skilled workers.

Public-private sector wage differentials by type of contract: evidence from Spain

The article examines public-private sector wage differentials in Spain using microdata from the Structure of Earnings Survey (Encuesta de Estructura Salarial). When applying various decomposition techniques, we find that it is important to distinguish by gender and type of contract. Our results also highlight the presence of a positive wage premium for public sector workers that can be partially explained by their better endowment of characteristics, in particular by the characteristics of the establishment where they work. The wage premium is greater for female and fixed-term employees and falls across the wage distribution, being negative for more highly skilled workers.

Caracterització i conservació d’una població de tortuga de rierol (Mauremys Leprosa) a l’ein del riu Llobregat al terme d’Abrera

S'ha estudiat una població de tortuga de rierol (Mauremys leprosa) present al curs principal del riu Llobregat, al seu pas pel municipi d'Abrera (Baix Llobregat). El tram té una longitud de 4.140 metres de recorregut sinuós, inclòs a l'EIN Riu Llobregat, amb predomini d'albaredes i pollancredes. S'ha caracteritzat el tram de riu segons el tipus de secció que presenta al llarg de l'àrea d'estudi. L'activitat de les tortugues comprèn de mitjans de febrer a mitjans de novembre, sense que s'hagi detectat una disminució a l'estiu. L'ús de l'espai no és uniforme amb una marcada preferència per trams del riu amb una certa fondària i velocitat de l'aigua alentida. S’han capturat 68 tortugues de rierol mitjançant nanses de pesca adaptades i, un cop marcades, s'han alliberat al mateix lloc. Per a cada animal es van obtenir les dades biomètriques i es va determinar el sexe. Mitjançant el mètode de captura-recaptura s'ha estimat la mida de la població en 100 ± 11 individus. La ràtio de sexes de la població és de 2:1 a favor dels mascles. La distribució de classes d'edats permet comprovar que la població està ben estructurada. No s'ha comprovat la reproducció, tot i que el nombre de femelles reproductores és elevat. La falta de captures de nounats i d’individus d'un hivern d’edat, i el baix nombre de juvenils capturats fa pensar que la taxa de reclutament és baixa. La mobilitat dels animals aigües amunt està limitada per la presència de dos assuts a l'àrea d'estudi, la qual cosa compromet la connectivitat de la població dins i fora de l'àrea d'estudi. També s'ha detectat la presència de tortuga de Florida (Trachemys scripta spp.) sense que s'hagi observat cap interacció entre ambdues espècies. Es proposen un seguit de mesures per afavorir la conservació de la tortuga de rierol.

BuscoEntrenador.com

Es presenta com un projecte que pretén cobrir les necessitats d’un sector com el dels entrenadors per promocionar-se en el món d’Internet i les noves tecnologies, i facilitar als possibles clients poder posar-se amb contacte amb ells. Per aquest motiu, els requeriments estan basats per una part en les necessitats que podria tenir aquest sector per tal de captar clients via internet, i també, per part de les persones que puguin estar interessades en buscar entrenadors d’alguna activitat i localitat en particular. Així doncs, el desenvolupament és un pàgina web que permet als entrenadors de qualsevol modalitat esportiva registrar el detall dels entrenaments que realitza i facilitar a les persones interessades en realitzar aquests tipus d’entrenament posar-se amb contacte amb ells.

Effectiveness of pharmacist care in the improvement of adherence to antidepressants: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists can play a decisive role in the management of ambulatory patients with depression who have poor adherence to antidepressant drugs. OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacist care in improving adherence of depressed outpatients to antidepressants. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted. RCTs were identified through electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge, and Spanish National Research Council) from inception to April 2010, reference lists were checked, and experts were consulted. RCTs that evaluated the impact of pharmacist interventions on improving adherence to antidepressants in depressed patients in an outpatient setting (community pharmacy or pharmacy service) were included. Methodologic quality was assessed and methodologic details and outcomes were extracted in duplicate. RESULTS: Six RCTs were identified. A total of 887 patients with an established diagnosis of depression who were initiating or maintaining pharmacologic treatment with antidepressant drugs and who received pharmacist care (459 patients) or usual care (428 patients) were included in the review. The most commonly reported interventions were patient education and monitoring, monitoring and management of toxicity and adverse effects, adherence promotion, provision of written or visual information, and recommendation or implementation of changes or adjustments in medication. Overall, no statistical heterogeneity or publication bias was detected. The pooled odds ratio, using a random effects model, was 1.64 (95% CI 1.24 to 2.17). Subgroup analysis showed no statistically significant differences in results by type of pharmacist involved, adherence measure, diagnostic tool, or analysis strategy. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that pharmacist intervention is effective in the improvement of patient adherence to antidepressants. However, data are still limited and we would recommend more research in this area, specifically outside of the US.

Circumsolar energetic particle distribution on 2011 November 3

Late on 2011 November 3, STEREO-A, STEREO-B, MESSENGER, and near-Earth spacecraft observed an energetic particle flux enhancement. Based on the analysis of in situ plasma and particle observations, their correlation with remote sensing observations, and an interplanetary transport model, we conclude that the particle increases observed at multiple locations had a common single source active region and the energetic particles filled a very broad region around the Sun. The active region was located at the solar backside (as seen from Earth) and was the source of a large flare, a fast and wide coronal mass ejection, and an EIT wave, accompanied by type II and type III radio-emission. In contrast to previous solar energetic particle events showing broad longitudinal spread, this event showed clear particle anisotropies at three widely separated observation points at 1AU, suggesting direct particle injection close to the magnetic footpoint of each spacecraft, lasting for several hours.We discuss these observations and the possible scenarios explaining the extremely broad particle spread for this event.

Vitamin E but not 17B-estradiol protect against vascular toxicity induced by B-amyloid wild type and the Dutch amyploid variant

Amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) fibril deposition on cerebral vessels produces cerebral amyloid angiopathy that appears in the majority of Alzheimer's disease patients. An early onset of a cerebral amyloid angiopathy variant called hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type is caused by a point mutation in Aβ yielding AβGlu22→Gln. The present study addresses the effect of amyloid fibrils from both wild-type and mutated Aβ on vascular cells, as well as the putative protective role of antioxidants on amyloid angiopathy. For this purpose, we studied the cytotoxicity induced by Aβ1–40 Glu22→Gln and Aβ1–40 wild-type fibrils on human venule endothelial cells and rat aorta smooth muscle cells. We observed that AβGlu22→Gln fibrils are more toxic for vascular cells than the wild-type fibrils. We also evaluated the cytotoxicity of Aβ fibrils bound with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a common component of amyloid deposits. Aβ1–40 wild-type–AChE fibrillar complexes, similar to neuronal cells, resulted in an increased toxicity on vascular cells. Previous reports showing that antioxidants are able to reduce the toxicity of Aβ fibrils on neuronal cells prompted us to test the effect of vitamin E, vitamin C, and 17β-estradiol on vascular damage induced by Aβwild-type and AβGlu22→Gln. Our data indicate that vitamin E attenuated significantly the Aβ-mediated cytotoxicity on vascular cells, although 17β-estradiol and vitamin C failed to inhibit the cytotoxicity induced by Aβ fibrils.

Botulinum neurotoxin type A blocks the morphological changes induced by chemical stimulation on the presynaptic membrane of Torpedo synaptosomes.

The action of botulinum neurotoxin on acetylcholine release, and on the structural changes at the presynaptic membrane associated with the transmitter release,was studied by using a subcellular fraction of cholinergic nerve terminals (synaptosomes) isolated from the Torpedo electric organ. Acetylcholine and ATP release were continuously monitored by chemiluminescent methods.To catch the membrane morphological changes, the quick-freezing method was applied. Our results show that botulinum neurotoxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine from these isolated nerve terminals in a dose-dependent manner, whereas ATP release is not affected. The maximal inhibition (70%) is achieved at neurotoxin concentrations as low as 125 pM with an incubation time of 6 min. This effect is not linked to an alteration of the integrity of the synaptosomes since, after poisoning by botulinum neurotoxin type A, they show a nonmodified occluded lactate dehydrogenase activity. Moreover, membrane potential is not altered by the toxin with respect to the control, either in resting condition or after potassium depolarization. In addition to acetylcholine release inhibition, botulinum neurotoxin blocks the rearrangement of the presynaptic intramembrane particles induced by potassium stimulation. The action of botulinum neurotoxin suggests that the intramembrane particle rearrangement is related to the acetylcholine secretion induced by potassium stimulation in synaptosomes isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata.

Relation between plaque type, plaque thickness, blood shear stress, and plaque stress in coronary arteries assessed by X-ray Angiography and Intravascular Ultrasound

Purpose: Atheromatic plaque progression is affected, among others phenomena, by biomechanical, biochemical, and physiological factors. In this paper, the authors introduce a novel framework able to provide both morphological (vessel radius, plaque thickness, and type) and biomechanical (wall shear stress and Von Mises stress) indices of coronary arteries. Methods: First, the approach reconstructs the three-dimensional morphology of the vessel from intravascular ultrasound(IVUS) and Angiographic sequences, requiring minimal user interaction. Then, a computational pipeline allows to automatically assess fluid-dynamic and mechanical indices. Ten coronary arteries are analyzed illustrating the capabilities of the tool and confirming previous technical and clinical observations. Results: The relations between the arterial indices obtained by IVUS measurement and simulations have been quantitatively analyzed along the whole surface of the artery, extending the analysis of the coronary arteries shown in previous state of the art studies. Additionally, for the first time in the literature, the framework allows the computation of the membrane stresses using a simplified mechanical model of the arterial wall. Conclusions: Circumferentially (within a given frame), statistical analysis shows an inverse relation between the wall shear stress and the plaque thickness. At the global level (comparing a frame within the entire vessel), it is observed that heavy plaque accumulations are in general calcified and are located in the areas of the vessel having high wall shear stress. Finally, in their experiments the inverse proportionality between fluid and structural stresses is observed.

Relation between plaque type, plaque thickness, blood shear stress, and plaque stress in coronary arteries assessed by X-ray Angiography and Intravascular Ultrasound

Purpose: Atheromatic plaque progression is affected, among others phenomena, by biomechanical, biochemical, and physiological factors. In this paper, the authors introduce a novel framework able to provide both morphological (vessel radius, plaque thickness, and type) and biomechanical (wall shear stress and Von Mises stress) indices of coronary arteries. Methods: First, the approach reconstructs the three-dimensional morphology of the vessel from intravascular ultrasound(IVUS) and Angiographic sequences, requiring minimal user interaction. Then, a computational pipeline allows to automatically assess fluid-dynamic and mechanical indices. Ten coronary arteries are analyzed illustrating the capabilities of the tool and confirming previous technical and clinical observations. Results: The relations between the arterial indices obtained by IVUS measurement and simulations have been quantitatively analyzed along the whole surface of the artery, extending the analysis of the coronary arteries shown in previous state of the art studies. Additionally, for the first time in the literature, the framework allows the computation of the membrane stresses using a simplified mechanical model of the arterial wall. Conclusions: Circumferentially (within a given frame), statistical analysis shows an inverse relation between the wall shear stress and the plaque thickness. At the global level (comparing a frame within the entire vessel), it is observed that heavy plaque accumulations are in general calcified and are located in the areas of the vessel having high wall shear stress. Finally, in their experiments the inverse proportionality between fluid and structural stresses is observed.

Botulinum neurotoxin type A blocks the morphological changes induced by chemical stimulation on the presynaptic membrane of Torpedo synaptosomes.

The action of botulinum neurotoxin on acetylcholine release, and on the structural changes at the presynaptic membrane associated with the transmitter release,was studied by using a subcellular fraction of cholinergic nerve terminals (synaptosomes) isolated from the Torpedo electric organ. Acetylcholine and ATP release were continuously monitored by chemiluminescent methods.To catch the membrane morphological changes, the quick-freezing method was applied. Our results show that botulinum neurotoxin inhibits the release of acetylcholine from these isolated nerve terminals in a dose-dependent manner, whereas ATP release is not affected. The maximal inhibition (70%) is achieved at neurotoxin concentrations as low as 125 pM with an incubation time of 6 min. This effect is not linked to an alteration of the integrity of the synaptosomes since, after poisoning by botulinum neurotoxin type A, they show a nonmodified occluded lactate dehydrogenase activity. Moreover, membrane potential is not altered by the toxin with respect to the control, either in resting condition or after potassium depolarization. In addition to acetylcholine release inhibition, botulinum neurotoxin blocks the rearrangement of the presynaptic intramembrane particles induced by potassium stimulation. The action of botulinum neurotoxin suggests that the intramembrane particle rearrangement is related to the acetylcholine secretion induced by potassium stimulation in synaptosomes isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata.