First Order Dominance Techniques and Multidimensional Poverty Indices:An Empirical Comparison of Different Approaches

In this empirically driven paper we compare the performance of two techniques in the literature of poverty measurement with ordinal data: multidimensional poverty indices and first order dominance techniques (FOD). Combining multiple scenario simulated data with observed data from 48 Demographic and Health Surveys around the developing world, our empirical findings suggest that the FOD approach can be implemented as a useful robustness check for ordinal poverty indices like the multidimensional poverty index (MPI; the United Nations Development Program's flagship poverty indicator) to distinguish between those country comparisons that are sensitive to alternative specifications of basic measurement assumptions and those which are not. To the extent that the FOD approach is able to uncover the socio-economic gradient that exists between countries, it can be proposed as a viable complement to the MPI with the advantage of not having to rely on many of the normatively binding assumptions that underpin the construction of the index

Interspecific differences in the bioaccumulation of arsenic of three Patagonian top predator fish: Organ distribution and arsenic speciation

Interspecific differences in arsenic bioaccumulation and organ distribution (muscle, liver, kidney and gills) in three predator fish (creole perch, rainbow trout and brown trout) from a Patagonian lake impacted by volcanic eruptions were studied. Arsenic in fish organs were compared analyzing: 1) temporal (before and after volcanic eruption) and spatial (near and far from the volcano) influence of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex activity on arsenic concentrations; 2) the influence of growth (as total length), organ type and their interactions over arsenic accumulation; and 3) arsenic speciation and total arsenic relationship with carbon to nitrogen ratios (C:N), as a proxy of lipid presence, in fish muscle. In general, total arsenic concentrations in creole perch organs were 2–7 times higher than those recorded in the corresponding organs of salmonids. Arsenic was preferentially accumulated in liver and kidney in the three fish species. The influence of the volcanic activity over arsenic concentrations was more evident in creole perch: organs from creole perch captured closest to the volcano exhibited higher arsenic concentrations. Temporal variations were not so consistent. No clear relationship between arsenic and fish length was observed. Positive and linear relationship between arsenic in all pair of organs was found in creole perch, while rainbow trout showed a quadratic relationship between muscle and the remaining organs, indicating different arsenic assimilation-elimination relationships between organs and fish. The arsenic liver:muscle ratio in the three fish species was greater than 1, suggesting some level of arsenic stress. Arsenobetaine (AB) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) were the dominant arsenic species in muscle of these fish, having creole perch 3–4 times higher AB than rainbow trout. A positive relationship between C:N ratio and total arsenic concentrations was found, with higher C:N in creole perchs near the volcano. In terms of food safety, no inorganic arsenic compound were detected, therefore arsenic levels in fish from Lake Nahuel Huapi does not represent any health risk to consumers.Fil: Juncos, Romina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Arcagni, Marina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Squadrone, S.. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte; ItaliaFil: Rizzo, Andrea Paula. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Arribere, Maria Angelica. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Barriga, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Battini, Miguel Ángel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales; ArgentinaFil: Campbell, L.M.. Saint Mary's University; CanadáFil: Brizio, P.. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte; ItaliaFil: Abete, M.C.. Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte; ItaliaFil: Ribeiro Guevara, S.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentin

Dynamical phase diagrams of a love capacity constrained prey–predator model

One interesting question in love relationships is: finally, what and when is the end of this love relationship? Using a prey–predator Verhulst–Lotka–Volterra (VLV) model we imply cooperation and competition tendency between people in order to describe a “love dilemma game”. We select the most simple but immediately most complex case for studying the set of nonlinear differential equations, i.e. that implying three persons, being at the same time prey and predator. We describe four different scenarios in such a love game containing either a one-way love or a love triangle. Our results show that it is hard to love more than one person simultaneously. Moreover, to love several people simultaneously is an unstable state. We find some condition in which persons tend to have a friendly relationship and love someone in spite of their antagonistic interaction. We demonstrate the dynamics by displaying flow diagrams

Riscrivere lo spazio: pratiche e performance urbane

Ogni performance porta con sé il problema del punto di vista sull'azione: l'atto flagrante non si può negare, poiché è stato appena compiuto di fronte a testimoni, osservatori, giudici. Nella situazione in flagranza, allora, il punto di vista esterno autentifica l'azione, la referenzializza: ecco l'importanza della co-presenza dell'enunciatore e dell'enunciatario, del performer e del suo pubblico. Ma se lo filmo? Se filmo una performance, posso mantenere gli stessi (o simili) effetti di senso? Il numero parte da queste premesse e si confronta con la semiotica dello spazio e quella della corporeità, le teorie della performance, i cultural studies e i dance studies, mantendo i film studies di taglio semiotico e la teoria estetica sociosemiotica come basi del confronto

Efficacy and safety of a T-type calcium channel blocker in patients with neuropathic pain: A proof-of-concept, randomized, double-blind and controlled trial

International audienceBackgroundT‐type calcium channels have been shown to play an important role in the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain and represent a promising therapeutic target for new analgesic treatments. Ethosuximide (ETX), an anticonvulsant and a T‐type channel blocker has shown analgesic effect in several chronic pain models but has not yet been evaluated in patients with neuropathic pain.MethodsThis proof‐of‐concept, multicentre, double‐blind, controlled and randomized trial compared the efficacy and safety of ETX (given as add‐on therapy) to an inactive control (IC) in 114 patients with non‐diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. After a 7‐day run‐in period, eligible patients aged over 18 years were randomly assigned (1:1) to ETX or IC for 6 weeks. The primary outcome was the difference between groups in the pain intensity (% of change from the baseline to end of treatment) assessed in the intention‐to‐treat population. This study is registered with EudraCT (2013‐004801‐26) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02100046).ResultsThe study was stopped during the interim analysis due to the high number of adverse events in the active treatment group. ETX failed to reduce total pain and showed a poor tolerance in comparison to IC. In the per‐protocol analysis, ETX significantly reduced pain intensity by 15.6% (95% CI −25.8; −5.4) from baseline compared to IC (−7.8%, 95% CI −14.3; −1.3; p = 0.033), but this result must be interpreted with caution because of a small subgroup of patients.ConclusionEthosuximide did not reduce the severity of neuropathic pain and induces, at the doses used, many adverse events.SignificanceThis article shows that ETX is not effective to treat neuropathic pain. Nevertheless, per‐protocol analysis suggests a possible analgesic effect of ETX. Thus, our work adds significant knowledge to preclinical and clinical data on the benefits of T‐type calcium channel inhibition for the treatment of neuropathic pain