Is there a signalling role for public wages? : evidence for the euro area based on macro data

Do public sector wages exert presures on private sector wages, or has private sector a leadership role in wage setting?. This paper tries to isolate the pure signalling effect that one sector might exert on the other by controlling for other determinants of wages (prices, productivity, institutions) for the main euro area economies (Germany, France, Italy and Spain) and the periods 1980-2007 and 1991-2007. It exploits avilable quarterly information not yet used in the literature, and combine different data sources in the framework of mixedfrecuencies time series models. The quarterly frequency of our data allows us to check the existence of strong evidence of public wages’ leadership, either in conjunction with bidirectional links from the private sector (Germany and Spain) or pure public wage leadership (France in the sample 1991-2007, Italy for within-the-year linkages)

A toolkit to strengthen government budget surveillance

En este trabajo presentamos una herramienta para el seguimiento en tiempo real de la ejecución presupuestaria de las Administraciones Públicas en España. La herramienta incorpora un conjunto amplio de modelos estadísticos, con diferentes niveles de agregación entre partidas presupuestarias y subsectores de las Administraciones Públicas, que permiten procesar de manera efi ciente la sustancial información mensual y trimestral publicada actualmente por las autoridades estadísticas en España. La principal utilidad de la herramienta es complementar el análisis habitualmente realizado para detectar de manera anticipada posibles riesgos de desviación con respecto a los objetivos fi scales ofi cialesIn this paper we develop a comprehensive short-term fiscal forecasting system of use for the real-time monitoring of the Spanish government’s borrowing requirement. Spain has been at the centre of the recent European sovereign debt crisis, not least because of sizeable failures in meeting public defi cit targets. The system comprises a suite of models, with different levels of disaggregation (bottom-up vs top-downgeneral government vs sub-sectors), which are suitable for the automatic processing of the large amount of monthly/quarterly fi scal data currently published by the Spanish statistical authorities. Our tools are instrumental in the ex-ante detection of risks to offi cial projections, and can thus help reduce the ex-post reputational costs of budgetary slippage. On the basis of our results, we discuss how offi cial monitoring bodies could expand, on one hand, their toolkit to evaluate regular adherence to targets (moving beyond a legalistic approach) and, on the other, their communication policies as regards sources of risks to (ex-ante) compliance with budgetary target

Presence of palm oil in foodstuffs: consumers' perception

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to determine the presence of palm oil in food products on sale, and to study and compare consumers' opinions about this oil type in Spain (importing country) and Peru (producing country). Design/methodology/approach - Recent news published in both countries, which could influence consumer perceptions, were analysed. A study on the labelling of foodstuffs in Spain was carried out, as was a survey with Spanish and Peruvian consumers. Findings - Palm oil was found in a large number of products and in a wide range of foods, especially those from the bakery sector. The percentages of saturated fats varied substantially within the same product type. Spanish consumers showed much more interest in the labelling and information on nutritional properties, especially energy values, saturated fats and sugars, while Peruvians focused more on energy values, and protein, vitamin and mineral contents. In Spain, palm oil was considered the worst quality fat/oil and had a clearly negative effect on both health and the environment. In Peru, palm oil was neither perceived by the majority of respondents as low quality oil nor associated with negative health effects. However, they were aware of the environmental problems that could result from its production. Originality/value - These results confirm that the food industry should make efforts to reduce or replace palm oil in foods, mainly in Spain, as most consumers believe that palm oil negatively affects their health and the environmen

Texturas evolutivas en la introducción de nuevos alimentos: un acercamiento teórico

Nowadays, there is a debate about the best method to choose to start feeding the infant. The models analyzed to carry out the feeding are: the modified textured feeding directed by the parents or caregivers and the feeding with minimally modified texture directed by the baby such as the baby-led weaning (BLW) and baby lead introduction to solids (BLISS) methods. The purpose of this document is to help, from a theoretical point of view, in the debate on the possible textures to be used at any time, taking into account different factors, such as: digestive development, dentition rhythm, chewing evolution, psychomotor skills and prevention of suffocation or choking. In the text, the textures that are used in all the methods are classified, according to the items that have been studied, so that later they can be used as an orientation guide according to ages in healthy babies and with a growth within the percentiles. Based on the most current scientific evidence found and prioritizing the precautionary principle, the theoretical approach to the problem adds nuances to be taken into account in the empirical evaluation. More studies and higher quality are required to identify differences in the impact of the use of different textures and food practices.En la actualidad, existe un debate sobre el mejor método a elegir para iniciar la alimentación del lactante. Los modelos analizados para llevar a cabo la alimentación son: la alimentación con textura modificada dirigida por los padres o cuidadores y la alimentación con textura mínimamente modificada y dirigida por el bebé como los métodos baby-led weaning (BLW) y baby lead introduction to solids (BLISS). Este documento, tiene como finalidad ayudar, desde el punto de vista teórico, en el debate sobre las posibles texturas a utilizar en cada momento, atendiendo a diferentes factores, como son: el desarrollo digestivo, el ritmo de dentición, la evolución de la masticación, las habilidades psicomotoras y la prevención de asfixia o atragantamiento. En el texto, se clasifican las texturas que se usan en todos los métodos, según los ítems que se han estudiado, para que posteriormente puedan ser usadas como una guía orientativa según edades en bebés sanos y con un crecimiento dentro de los percentiles. Teniendo como base la evidencia científica más actual encontrada y primando el principio de precaución, el acercamiento teórico al problema añade matices a tener en cuenta en la evaluación empírica. Se requieren más estudios y de mayor calidad para identificar diferencias en el impacto del uso de diferentes texturas y prácticas alimentarias

Recurrent NOMO1 gene deletion is a potential clinical marker in early-onset colorectal cancer and is involved in the regulation of cell migration

The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC; age younger than 50 years) has been progressively increasing over the last decades globally, with causes unexplained. A distinct molecular feature of EOCRC is that compared with cases of late-onset colorectal cancer, in EOCRC cases, there is a higher incidence of Nodal Modulator 1 (NOMO1) somatic deletions. However, the mechanisms of NOMO1 in early-onset colorectal carcinogenesis are currently unknown. In this study, we show that in 30% of EOCRCs with heterozygous deletion of NOMO1, there were pathogenic mutations in this gene, suggesting that NOMO1 can be inactivated by deletion or mutation in EOCRC. To study the role of NOMO1 in EOCRC, CRISPR/cas9 technology was employed to generate NOMO1 knockout HCT-116 (EOCRC) and HS-5 (bone marrow) cell lines. NOMO1 loss in these cell lines did not perturb Nodal pathway signaling nor cell proliferation. Expression microarrays, RNA sequencing, and protein expression analysis by LC–IMS/MS showed that NOMO1 inactivation deregulates other signaling pathways independent of the Nodal pathway, such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition and cell migration. Significantly, NOMO1 loss increased the migration capacity of CRC cells. Additionally, a gut-specific conditional NOMO1 KO mouse model revealed no subsequent tumor development in mice. Overall, these findings suggest that NOMO1 could play a secondary role in early-onset colorectal carcinogenesis because its loss increases the migration capacity of CRC cells. Therefore, further study is warranted to explore other signalling pathways deregulated by NOMO1 loss that may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the disease.This study was supported by the health research program of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, PI20/01569 and PI20/0974), co-funded by FEDER funds, and Mutua Madrileña Foundation (FMM20/001). A.M.-M was supported by a predoctoral research grant from the Dr. Moraza Fundation (FMoraza18/001). P.G.V and N.G.-U were supported by a predoctoral research grant from the Consejería de Educación—Junta de Castilla y León. A.N.H. was supported by the National Institutes of Health K12 HD043483 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Direct Polyphenol Attachment on the Surfaces of Magnetite Nanoparticles, Using Vitis vinifera, Vaccinium corymbosum, or Punica granatum

This study presents an alternative approach to directly synthesizing magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) in the presence of Vitis vinifera, Vaccinium corymbosum, and Punica granatum derived from natural sources (grapes, blueberries, and pomegranates, respectively). A modified co-precipitation method that combines phytochemical techniques was developed to produce semispherical MNPs that range in size from 7.7 to 8.8 nm and are coated with a ~1.5 nm thick layer of polyphenols. The observed structure, composition, and surface properties of the MNPs@polyphenols demonstrated the dual functionality of the phenolic groups as both reducing agents and capping molecules that are bonding with Fe ions on the surfaces of the MNPs via –OH groups. Magnetic force microscopy images revealed the uniaxial orientation of single magnetic domains (SMDs) associated with the inverse spinel structure of the magnetite (Fe3O4). The samples’ inductive heating (H0 = 28.9 kA/m, f = 764 kHz), measured via the specific loss power (SLP) of the samples, yielded values of up to 187.2 W/g and showed the influence of the average particle size. A cell viability assessment was conducted via the MTT and NRu tests to estimate the metabolic and lysosomal activities of the MNPs@polyphenols in K562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia, ATCC) cells

Frequency and Clinicopathological Profile Associated with Braf Mutations in Patients with Advanced Melanoma in Spain

Real-world data on BRAF mutation frequency in advanced melanoma are lacking in Spain. Moreover, data available on clinicopathological profile of patients with advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma are currently limited. This study aimed to assess the frequency of BRAF V600 mutations in Spanish patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma and to identify clinical and histopathological features associated with BRAF-mutated tumors. A multicenter, cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in 33 Spanish hospitals in adult patients with stage IIIc/IV melanoma. A total of 264 patients were included. The median age was 68 years and 57% were male. Melanoma mainly involved skin with intermittent (40.4%) and low or no sun exposure (43.5%). Most patients (85.6%) had stage IV disease (M1a: 19.3%; M1b: 13.3%; M1c: 22.7%). Serum lactate dehydrogenase levels were elevated in 20% of patients. Superficial spreading melanoma was the most frequent histological type (29.9%). Samples were predominantly obtained from metastases (62.7%), mostly from skin and soft tissues (80%). BRAF mutation analysis was primarily performed using the Cobas 4800 BRAF V600 Mutation Test (92.8%) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (95.8%). BRAF mutations were detected in 41.3% of samples. Multivariate analysis identified age (odd ratio [OR] 0.975) and stage IV M1a (OR 2.716) as independent factors associated with BRAF mutation. The frequency of BRAF mutations in tumor samples from patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma in Spain was 41.3%. BRAF mutations seem to be more frequent in younger patients and stage M1a patients. This study provides the basis for further investigation regarding BRAF-mutated advanced melanoma in larger cohorts.This study was sponsored by Roche Farma S.A

Design and evaluation of a treatment programme for Spanish adolescents with overweight and obesity. The EVASYON Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence of overweight and obesity (OW/OB) among adolescents worldwide has increased since the 60 s. Spain has reached one of the highest OW/OB prevalence rates among adolescents from European countries. The aim of this methodological paper is to describe the design and evaluation in the EVASYON study (Development, implementation and evaluation of the efficacy of a therapeutic programme for adolescents with OW/OB: integral education on nutrition and physical activity).</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The EVASYON was planned by a multidisciplinary team to treat OW/OB in Spanish adolescents. The EVASYON is a multi-centre study conducted in 5 hospitals in 5 Spanish cities (Granada, Madrid, Pamplona, Santander and Zaragoza) and two hundred and four OW/OB Spanish adolescents were recruited for this intervention. The treatment was implemented for approximately one-year follow-up. The adolescents were treated in groups of a maximum of 10 subjects; each group had 20 visits during the treatment period in two phases: intensive during the first 2 months (1^stto 9^thvisits), and extensive during the last 11 months (10^thto 20^thvisits). In order to assess the efficacy of the treatment, 8 dimensions were measured: diet; physical activity and fitness; eating behaviour; body composition; haematological profile; metabolic profile; minerals and vitamins; immuno-inflammatory markers. Moreover, genetic polymorphisms were also determined.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The treatment programme developed in the EVASYON study was designed as a national pilot study to be implemented as an effective treatment for adolescents with OW/OB into the Spanish Health Care Service.</p

Neuroprotective properties of queen bee acid by autophagy induction

Autophagy is a conserved intracellular catabolic pathway that removes cytoplasmic components to contribute to neuronal homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has increasingly shown that the induction of autophagy improves neuronal health and extends longevity in several animal models. Therefore, there is a great interest in the identification of effective autophagy enhancers with potential nutraceutical or pharmaceutical properties to ameliorate age-related diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, and/or promote longevity. Queen bee acid (QBA, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid) is the major fatty acid component of, and is found exclusively in, royal jelly, which has beneficial properties for human health. It is reported that QBA has antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities and promotes neurogenesis and neuronal health; however, the mechanism by which QBA exerts these effects has not been fully elucidated. The present study investigated the role of the autophagic process in the protective effect of QBA. We found that QBA is a novel autophagy inducer that triggers autophagy in various neuronal cell lines and mouse and fly models. The beclin-1 (BECN1) and mTOR pathways participate in the regulation of QBA-induced autophagy. Moreover, our results showed that QBA stimulates sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), which promotes autophagy by the deacetylation of critical ATG proteins. Finally, QBA-mediated autophagy promotes neuroprotection in Parkinson’s disease in vitro and in a mouse model and extends the lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster. This study provides detailed evidences showing that autophagy induction plays a critical role in the beneficial health effects of QBA.This research was supported by a grant (IB18048) from Junta de Extremadura, Spain, and a grant (RTI2018-099259-A-I00) from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain. This work was also partially supported by “Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional” (FEDER) from the European Union. Part of the equipment employed in this work has been funded by Generalitat Valeciana and co-financed with ERDF funds (OP EDRF of Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020). G.M-C is supported by University of Extremadura (ONCE Foundation). M.P-B is a recipient of a fellowship from the “Plan Propio de Iniciación a la Investigación, Desarrollo Tecnológico e Innovación (University of Extremadura).” S.M.S.Y-D is supported by CIBERNED. E.U-C was supported by an FPU predoctoral fellowship FPU16/00684 from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. A.B. was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship (APOSTD2017/077). M.S.A. was supported by a predoctoral fellowship (ACIF/2018/071) both from the Conselleria d’Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport (Generalitat Valenciana). E.A-C was supported by a grant (IB18048) from Junta de Extremadura, Spain. S.C-C was supported by an FPU predoctoral fellowship FPU19/04435 from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. J.M.B-S. P was funded by the “Ramón y Cajal” program (RYC-2018-025099). J.M.F. received research support from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERNED (CB06/05/004). M.N-S was funded by the “Ramon y Cajal” Program (RYC-2016-20883) Spain