First Triassic tetrapod (Sauropterygia, Nothosauridae) from Castilla y León: evidence of an unknown taxon for the Spanish record

Several vertebrae of a sauropterygian specimen have been recovered in Fuencaliente de Medinaceli (Soria Province, Castilla y León, Spain). The remains come from Middle–Upper Triassic Muschelkalk Facies. This finding represents the first documented evidence of a Triassic tetrapod in Castilla y León. The vertebrae belong to Nothosaurus, a sauropterygian genus found in Europe, Middle East, North of Africa and China. This genus is poorly-known in the Iberian record. The new remains constitute the first evidence of the species Nothosaurus giganteus, or a related taxon, in the Iberian Peninsula. This study reveals the occurrence of at least two species of the sauropterygian Nothosaurus in the Spanish record.

Does digital competence and occupational setting influence MOOC participation? Evidence from a cross-course survey.

While MOOCs are recognized nowadays as a potential format for professional development and lifelong learning, little research has been conducted on the factors that influence MOOC participation of professionals and unemployed in MOOCs. Based on a framework developed earlier, we conducted a study, which focused on the influence of background variables such us digital competence, age, gender and educational level on MOOC participation. Occupational setting was considered as a moderator in the analysis of the impact of digital skills. Results of the study showed that MOOCs were an important tool for unemployed participants who were more likely to enroll in MOOCs than employed learners. MOOCs were also a way for workers who do not received employer support for other training activities to get professional development training. Results of the regression analysis showed that a person’s level of digital competence was an important predictor for enrolment in MOOCs and that specifically interaction skills were more important than information skills for participating in the MOOC context.

Energy transfer and energy level decay processes in Tmsup(3+)-doped tellurite glass

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Internal Control application : Empirical evidence from Sweden

Aim The aim of this study is to explore based on internationally recognised frameworks: 1. how internal control structures are applied in Sweden among different sectors; 2. how organizational size and environment affect internal control structures; and 3. the impact of internal control structures on organizational performance. Methods A quantitative method was used in the data collection and analysis. The sample consisted of 1117 organizations operating in Sweden. A mean analysis was conducted to measure the level of internal control structures among different industries, organizational sizes, and different choices of listing in the stock exchange market. Person’s correlation analysis was then used to explore possible correlations between external environmental factors and internal control structures, and internal control structures and organizational performance. Lastly, a structural model was built to measure the impact of internal control structures on organizational performance. The measurements of internal control structures and organizational performance are based on COSO framework’s principles and objectives. Results This study gives an insight on how internal control structures are applied across industrial sectors in Sweden, with financial institutions and manufacturing organizations having notably higher levels of internal control structures. Additionally, it provides evidence of the impact external environmental factors have on internal control structures. Furthermore, it shows that organizations that are listed in the Swedish stock exchange market have an equivalent level of internal control structures to those registered in the American stock exchange market. In contrast, organisations that are not listed in the stock exchange market have a notably lower level of internal control structures. Lastly, it illustrates the positive impact the presence of internal control structures has on organizational performance. 3 | P a g e Conclusion The results highlight a crucial role the supervisory authority Finansinspektionen (FI) has in regulating the Swedish financial market. They also show that the stability of the Swedish business environment has had a positive impact on the level of internal control structures.

Grain size, morphometry and mineralogy of airborne input in the Canary basin: evidence of iron particle retention in the mixed layer

[EN]Aeolian dust plays an important role in climate and ocean processes. Particularly, Saharan dust deposition is of importance in the Canary Current due to its content of iron minerals, which are fertilizers of the ocean. In this work, dust particles are characterized mainly by granulometry, morphometry and mineralogy, using image processing and scanning northern Mauritania and the Western Sahara. The concentration of terrigenous material was measured in three environments: the atmosphere (300 m above sea level), the mixed layer at 10 m depth, and 150 m depth. Samples were collected before and during the dust events, thus allowing the effect of Saharan dust inputs in the water column to be assessed. The dominant grain size was coarse silt

Grain size, morphometry and mineralogy of airborne input in the Canary basin: evidence of iron particle retention in the mixed layer

[EN] Aeolian dust plays an important role in climate and ocean processes. Particularly, Saharan dust deposition is of importance in the Canary Current due to its content of iron minerals, which are fertilizers of the ocean. In this work, dust particles are characterized mainly by granulometry, morphometry and mineralogy, using image processing and scanning northern Mauritania and the Western Sahara. The concentration of terrigenous material was measured in three environments: the atmosphere (300 m above sea level), the mixed layer at 10 m depth, and 150 m depth. Samples were collected before and during the dust events, thus allowing the effect of Saharan dust inputs in the water column to be assessed.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I (IGF-1), IGF-Binding Protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and mammographic features

Introduction. The IGF system has recently been shown to play an important role in the regulation of breast tumor cell proliferation. However, also breast density is currently considered as the strongest breast cancer risk factor. It is not yet clear whether these factors are interrelated and if and how they are influenced by menopausal status. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible effects of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 molar ratio on mammographic density stratified by menopausal status. Patients and methods. A group of 341 Italian women were interviewed to collect the following data: family history of breast cancer, reproductive and menstrual factors, breast biopsies, previous administration of hormonal contraceptive therapy, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopause and lifestyle information. A blood sample was drawn for determination of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 levels. IGF-1/ IGFBP-3 molar ratio was then calculated. On the basis of recent mammograms the women were divided into two groups: dense breast (DB) and non-dense breast (NDB). Student’s t-test was employed to assess the association between breast density and plasma level of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and molar ratio. To assess if this relationship was similar in subgroups of pre- and postmenopausal women, the study population was stratified by menopausal status and Student’s t-test was performed. Finally, multivariate analysis was employed to evaluate if there were confounding factors that might influence the relationship between growth factors and breast density. Results. The analysis of the relationship between mammographic density and plasma level of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and IGF-1/ IGFBP-3 molar ratio showed that IGF-1 levels and molar ratio varied in the two groups resulting in higher mean values in the DB group (IGF-1: 109.6 versus 96.6 ng/ml; p= 0.001 and molar ratio 29.4 versus 25.5 ng/ml; p= 0.001) whereas IGFBP-3 showed similar values in both groups (DB and NDB). Analysis of plasma level of IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 molar ratio compared to breast density after stratification of the study population by menopausal status (premenopausal and postmenopausal) showed that there was no association between the plasma of growth factors and breast density, neither in premenopausal nor in postmenopausal patients. Multivariate analysis showed that only nulliparity, premenopausal status and body mass index (BMI) are determinants of breast density. Conclusions. Our study provides a strong evidence of a crude association between breast density and plasma levels of IGF-1 and molar ratio. On the basis of our results, it is reasonable to assume that the role of IGF-1 and molar ratio in the pathogenesis of breast cancer might be mediated through mammographic density. IGF-1 and molar ratio might thus increase the risk of cancer by increasing mammographic density.

ESSAYS ON THE WTO ACCESSION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA

In the course of integrating into the global market, especially since China’s WTO accession, China has achieved remarkable GDP growth and has become the second largest economy in the world. These economic achievements have substantially increased Chinese incomes and have generated more government revenue for social progress. However, China’s economic progress, in itself, is neither sufficient for achieving desirable development outcomes nor a guarantee for expanding peoples’ capabilities. In fact, a narrow emphasis on GDP growth proves to be unsustainable, and may eventually harm the life quality of Chinese citizens. Without the right set of policies, a deepening trade-openness policy in China may enlarge social disparities and some people may further be deprived of basic public services and opportunities. To address these concerns, this dissertation, a set of three essays in Chapters 2-4, examines the impact of China's WTO accession on income distribution, compares China’s income and multidimensional poverty reduction and investigates the factors, including the WTO accession, that predict multidimensional poverty. By exploiting the exogenous variation in exposure to tariff changes across provinces and over time, Chapter 2 (Essay 1) estimates the causal effects of trade shocks and finds that China’s WTO accession has led to an increase in average household income, but its impacts are not evenly distributed. Households in urban areas have benefited more significantly than those in rural areas. Households with members working in the private sector have benefited more significantly than those in the public sector. However, the WTO accession has contributed to reducing income inequality between higher and lower income groups. Chapter 3 (Essay 2) explains and applies the Alkire and Foster Method (AF Method), examines multidimensional poverty in China and compares it with income poverty. It finds that China’s multidimensional poverty has declined dramatically during the period from 1989-2011. Reduction rates and patterns, however, vary by dimensions: multidimensional poverty reduction exhibits unbalanced regional progress as well as varies by province and between rural and urban areas. In comparison with income poverty, multidimensional poverty reduction does not always coincide with economic growth. Moreover, if one applies a single measure ─ either that of income or multidimensional poverty ─ a certain proportion of those who are poor remain unrecognized. By applying a logistic regression model, Chapter 4 (Essay 3) examines factors that predict multidimensional poverty and finds that the major factors predicting multidimensional poverty in China include household size, education level of the household head, health insurance coverage, geographic location, and the openness of the local economy. In order to alleviate multidimensional poverty, efforts should be targeted to (i) expand education opportunities for the household heads with low levels of education, (ii) develop appropriate geographic policies to narrow regional gaps and (iii) make macroeconomic policies work for the poor.

Sedimentary evidence for a mid-Holocene iceberg-generated tsunami in a coastal lake, west Greenland

We report sedimentological evidence for a tsunami from a coastal lake at Innaarsuit, Disko Bugt (west Greenland), which was most likely generated by a rolling iceberg. The tsunami invaded the lake c. 6000 years ago, during a period of time when relative sea level (RSL) was falling quickly because of isostatic rebound. We use the background rate of RSL fall, together with an age model for the sediment sequence, to infer a minimum wave run-up during the event of c. 3.3 m. The stratigraphic signature of the event bears similarities to that described from studies of the early-Holocene Storegga slide tsunami in Norwegian coastal basins. Conditions conducive to iceberg tsunami include a supply of icebergs, deep water close to the shore, a depositional setting protected from storms or landslide tsunami, and a coastal configuration that has the potential to amplify the height of tsunami waves as water depths shallow and the waves approach and impact the coast. Future warming of polar regions will lead to increased calving and iceberg production, at a time when human use of polar coasts will also grow. We predict, therefore, that iceberg-generated tsunami will become a growing hazard in polar coastal waters, especially in areas adjacent to large, fast-flowing, marine-terminating ice streams that are close to human populations or infrastructure.

Relationships between tissue levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), mRNAs and toxicity in the developing male Wistar(Han) rat

We compared the effects of a single acute dose, or chronic fetal exposure, to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the male reproductive system of the Wistar(Han) rat. Tissue samples were taken from dams on GD16 and GD21, and from offspring on PND70 and 120. Steady state concentration of TCDD was demonstrated in the chronic study: body burdens were comparable in both studies. Fetal TCDD concentrations were comparable after acute and chronic exposure, and demonstrate more potent toxicity after chronic versus acute dosing. In maternal liver, cytochrome P450 (CYP)1A1 and CYP1A2 RNA were induced. In fetus, there was induction of both CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 RNA at medium and high doses, but inadequate evidence for induction at low dose in either study. The low level induction of CYP1A1 RNA at low dose in fetus argues against AhR activation in fetus as a mechanism of toxicity of TCDD in causing delay in balanopreputial separation, and the greater induction of CYP1A1 RNA in PND70 offspring liver suggests that lactational transfer of TCDD is crucial to this toxicity. These data characterise the maternal and fetal disposition of TCDD, induction of CYP1A1 RNA as a measure of AhR activation, and suggest that lactational transfer of TCDD determines the difference in delay in balanopreputial separation between the two studies.

How epidemiology has challenged 3 prevailing concepts about atopic dermatitis

We challenge 3 prevailing concepts in understanding atopic dermatitis using data from epidemiologic studies. First, we show that although atopy is associated with atopic dermatitis to some degree, its importance is not likely to be a simple causeand- effect relationship, especially at a population level. Our epidemiologic data do not exclude a contributory role for IgEmediated immunologic processes, especially in those with existing and severe disease. Second, evidence is presented that does not support a straightforward inverse relationship between infections and atopic dermatitis risk. A link, if present, is likely to be more complex, depending critically on the timing and type of infectious exposure. Third, recent evidence suggests that the risk of subsequent childhood asthma is not increased in children with early atopic dermatitis who are not also early wheezers, suggesting a comanifestation of phenotypes rather than a progressive atopic march. Collectively, these observations underline the importance of epidemiologic studies conducted at a population level to gain a more balanced understanding of the enigma of atopic dermatitis.

Green supply chain management practices and firm performance: evidence from Finland

In order to address the increasing stakeholder requirements for environmentally sustainable products and processes, firms often need the participation of their supply chain partners. Green supply chain management has emerged as a set of managerial practices that integrate environmental issues into supply chain management. If implemented successfully, green supply chain management can be a way to achieve competitive advantage while enhancing the environmental sustainability of the firm. The overall purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the discussion on green supply chain management practices from the perspective of their drivers and performance implications. The theoretical background arises from the literature on competitive strategy, firm performance and green supply chain management. The research questions are addressed by analysing firm-level data from manufacturing, trading and logistics firms operating in Finland. The empirical data comes from two consecutive Finland State of Logistics surveys in 2012 and 2014, combined with financial reporting data from external databases. The data is analysed with multiple statistical methods. First, the thesis contributes to the discussion of the drivers of GSCM practices. To enhance the understanding of the relationship between competitive strategy and GSCM practices, a conceptual tool to describe generic competitive strategy approaches was developed. The findings suggest that firms pursuing marketing differentiation are more likely to be able to compete by having only small environmental effects and by adopting a more advanced form of external green supply chain management, such as a combination of strong environmental collaboration and the increased environmental monitoring of suppliers. Furthermore, customer requirements for environmental sustainability are found to be an important driver in the implementation of internal GSCM practices. Firms can respond to this customer pressure by passing environmental requirements on to their suppliers, either through environmental collaboration or environmental monitoring. Second, this thesis adds value to the existing literature on the effects of green supply chain management practices on firm performance. The thesis provides support for the idea that there is a positive relationship between GSCM practices and firm performance and enhances the understanding of how different types of GSCM practices are related to 1) financial, 2) operational and 3) environmental performance in manufacturing and logistics. The empirical results suggest that while internal GSCM practices have the strongest effect on environmentalperformance, environmental collaboration with customers seems to be the most effective way to improve financial performance. In terms of operational performance, the findings were more mixed, suggesting that the operational performance of firms is more likely to be affected by firm characteristics than by the choices they make regarding their environmental collaboration. This thesis is also one of the first attempts to empirically analyse the relationship between GSCM practices and performance among logistics service providers. The findings also have managerial relevance. Management, especially in manufacturing and logistics industries, may benefit by gaining knowledge about which types of GSCM practice could provide the largest benefits in terms of different performance dimensions. This thesis also has implications for policy-makers and regulators regarding how to promote environmentally friendly activities among 1) manufacturing; 2) trading; and 3) logistics firms.