Revisiting the Glick-Rogoff Current Account Model: An Application to the Current Accounts of BRICS Countries

Understanding what drives the changes in current accounts is one of the most important macroeconomic issues for developing countries. Excessive surpluses in current accounts can trigger trade wars, and excessive deficits in current accounts can, on the other hand, induce currency crises. The Glick-Rogoff (1995, Journal of Monetary Economics) model, which emphasizes productivity shocks at home and in the world, fit well with developed economies in the 1970s and 1980s. However, the Glick-Rogoff model fits poorly when it is applied to fast-growing BRICS countries for the period including the global financial crisis. We conclude that different mechanisms of current accounts work for developed and developing countries

Development of selective inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase C2α

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase type 2α (PI3KC2α) and related class II PI3K isoforms are of increasing biomedical interest because of their crucial roles in endocytic membrane dynamics, cell division and signaling, angiogenesis, and platelet morphology and function. Herein we report the development and characterization of PhosphatidylInositol Three-kinase Class twO INhibitors (PITCOINs), potent and highly selective small-molecule inhibitors of PI3KC2α catalytic activity. PITCOIN compounds exhibit strong selectivity toward PI3KC2α due to their unique mode of interaction with the ATP-binding site of the enzyme. We demonstrate that acute inhibition of PI3KC2α-mediated synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphates by PITCOINs impairs endocytic membrane dynamics and membrane remodeling during platelet-dependent thrombus formation. PITCOINs are potent and selective cell-permeable inhibitors of PI3KC2α function with potential biomedical applications ranging from thrombosis to diabetes and cancer

Ocena zanieczyszczenia metalami osadów i tkanek cefala pospolitego (Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758) ze wschodniego wybrzeża Algierii

The present work was designed to assess the contamination level in the coastal of Annaba, following the spectrophotometric determination of the level of some metallic elements (Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cd) in the sediments along an increasing bathymetric gradient (10 m and 20 m), as well as in the biological indicator grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) muscle. During the winter period (2014), 12 surface sediment samples, and a total of 24 fish were collected. Once the samples are dried, crushed and sieved, 0.5 g dry weight of each sample was added to concentrated acids. The results showed that the levels of some metals are superior to the recommended guideline values, and consequently the sediment of this bay is contaminated by iron, lead and copper. The contamination index (CI) showed a general tendency in the concentration of the studied metals as follows: Fe > Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd, since the most studied metals occurred at higher concentration in depth (20 m). However, the average concentrations of metals in fishes were found to be as the following order: Fe > Zn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. The consumption of fish from some contaminated sites can be dangerous because concentrations of lead, cadmium and zinc exceed the international standards. Moreover, the strong positive correlation observed between the metallic elements of sediments and fishes confirm that these metals resulted from the similar sources of the anthropic activities, such as domestic, port, industrial and agricultural waste discharges. This is confirmed by the determined of pollution load index (PLI) parameter. Conclusively, a regular monitoring program of heavy metal is recommended for protecting these organisms, and to reduce the environmental risks.W pracy oceniono poziom zanieczyszczenia strefy przybrzeżnej w okolicach Annaby na podstawie spektrofotometrycznych analiz metali (Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cd) w osadach na różnej głębokości (10 i 20 m) i w mięśniach cefala pospolitego (Mugil cephalus) jako organizmu wskaźnikowego. W okresie zimowym (2014 r.) zebrano 12 próbek osadów powierzchniowych i łącznie 24 ryby. Po wysuszeniu, pokruszeniu i przesianiu próbek do stężonych kwasów dodano 0,5 g suchej masy każdej próbki. Wyniki dowodzą, że stężenie niektórych metali przekracza dopuszczalne normy, a osady w zatoce są zanieczyszczone żelazem, ołowiem i miedzią. Wskaźnik zanieczyszczenia (CI) kształtował się następująco: Fe > Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd, przy czym większe stężenie większości metali notowano na głębokości 20 m. Średnie stężenie metali w mięśniach ryb układało się natomiast w porządku: Fe > Zn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd. Konsumpcja ryb z niektórych skażonych stanowisk może być niebezpieczna, ponieważ stężenie ołowiu, kadmu i cynku przekracza międzynarodowe standardy. Ponadto, silna dodatnia korelacja między stężeniem metali w osadach i w rybach dowodzi, że metale te pochodzą z tych samych antropogenicznych źródeł takich jak zrzuty ścieków bytowych, portowych, przemysłowych i rolniczych. Potwierdza to oznaczony wskaźnik ładunku zanieczyszczeń (PLI). W podsumowaniu zaleca się wdrożenie regularnego programu monitoringu w celu ochrony organizmów wodnych i ograniczenia ryzyka środowiskowego

Le personnel à risque d'accidents d'exposition au sang dans un CHU de l'Ouest algérien

Les accidents d’exposition au sang (AES) constituent un risque de transmission des virus de l’hépatite B ou C et du VIH chez les personnels exposés. Une enquête a été réalisée auprès du personnel du CHU de Sidi Bel-Abbes (Algérie) afin de déterminer l’incidence, les catégories professionnelles à risque ainsi que les circonstances de survenue des AES déclarés sur une période de 2 ans. Les données personnelles et professionnelles, le statut vaccinal, les circonstances de l’accident, la conduite immédiate post AES, et le suivi sérologique ont été recueillis. 108 AES chez 70 femmes et 38 hommes ont été enregistrés. Quarante-quatre ont été déclarés en 2005 et 64 en 2006. Les piqûres représentaient 81,5 % des cas. La sérologie du patient « source » était inconnue dans 80,6 % des cas et positive dans 10,2 % des cas. Le suivi sérologique des victimes a été réalisé chez 62 % des sujets le premier jour, 12 % à 3 mois et 36 % à 6 mois. Aucune séroconversion n’a été notée. Le personnel d’entretien, à l’origine de plus du tiers des déclarations d’AES, représente une catégorie très exposée. Ces AES sont directement liés à la mauvaise gestion des déchets du fait d’un manque de collecteur rigide adapté, mais aussi du manque de sensibilisation des personnels soignants au risque. Aussi, 41,7 % des AES auraient pu être évités si les objets piquants ou tranchants étaient correctement éliminés. Il est urgent de renforcer la sensibilisation du personnel soignant vis-à-vis du respect des précautions universelles et de mettre à leur disposition des conteneurs adaptés pour la collecte des objets piquants ou tranchants

Development of selective inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase C2 alpha

Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase type 2 amp; 945; PI3KC2 amp; 945; and related class II PI3K isoforms are of increasing biomedical interest because of their crucial roles in endocytic membrane dynamics, cell division and signaling, angiogenesis, and platelet morphology and function. Herein we report the development and characterization of PhosphatidylInositol Three kinase Class twO INhibitors PITCOINs , potent and highly selective small molecule inhibitors of PI3KC2 amp; 945; catalytic activity. PITCOIN compounds exhibit strong selectivity toward PI3KC2 amp; 945; due to their unique mode of interaction with the ATP binding site of the enzyme. We demonstrate that acute inhibition of PI3KC2 amp; 945; mediated synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 3 phosphates by PITCOINs impairs endocytic membrane dynamics and membrane remodeling during platelet dependent thrombus formation. PITCOINs are potent and selective cell permeable inhibitors of PI3KC2 amp; 945; function with potential biomedical applications ranging from thrombosis to diabetes and cance

A pharmacological master key mechanism that unlocks the selectivity filter gate in K⁺ channels.

Potassium (K+) channels have been evolutionarily tuned for activation by diverse biological stimuli, and pharmacological activation is thought to target these specific gating mechanisms. Here we report a class of negatively charged activators (NCAs) that bypass the specific mechanisms but act as master keys to open K+ channels gated at their selectivity filter (SF), including many two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels, voltage-gated hERG (human ether-à-go-go-related gene) channels and calcium (Ca2+)-activated big-conductance potassium (BK)-type channels. Functional analysis, x-ray crystallography, and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the NCAs bind to similar sites below the SF, increase pore and SF K+ occupancy, and open the filter gate. These results uncover an unrecognized polypharmacology among K+ channel activators and highlight a filter gating machinery that is conserved across different families of K+ channels with implications for rational drug design

A pharmacological master key mechanism that unlocks the selectivity filter gate in K+ channels

Potassium (K+) channels have been evolutionarily tuned for activation by diverse biological stimuli, and pharmacological activation is thought to target these specific gating mechanisms. Here we report a class of negatively charged activators (NCAs) that bypass the specific mechanisms but act as master keys to open K+ channels gated at their selectivity filter (SF), including many two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels, voltage-gated hERG (human ether-à-go-go–related gene) channels and calcium (Ca2+)–activated big-conductance potassium (BK)–type channels. Functional analysis, x-ray crystallography, and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the NCAs bind to similar sites below the SF, increase pore and SF K+ occupancy, and open the filter gate. These results uncover an unrecognized polypharmacology among K+ channel activators and highlight a filter gating machinery that is conserved across different families of K+ channels with implications for rational drug design.</jats:p