Price transmission analysis: A flexible methodological approach applied to European hog markets

The study of spatial price relationships contributes to explain markets performance, their degree of integration or isolation, and the speed at which information is transmitted. A great deal of methods have been used to analyze this issue, being the most important: causality tests, impulse- response functions and cointegration. Normally, these techniques have been individually applied. However, a more rich knowledge of the functioning of markets can be extracted when they are jointly applied. In this paper, we try to conjugate these three techniques in a common econometric model. First, Johansen(1988) multivariate cointegration tests are used to determine the number of long-run equilibrium relationships. Cointegration is considered not only as informative about long-run price transmission but also as an essential step in the correct specification of a vector error correction model (VECM) used in the subsequent analysis. Second, Dolado and Lutkepohl(1996) causality tests are used to investigate the lead-lag behaviour among markets. Finally, impulse-response functions are calculated from the VECM estimated in the first stage for evaluating dynamic price linkages. The method exposed is applied to study spatial pork prices relationships among seven countries in the EU from 1988 to 1995. Weekly prices at farm level published by EUROSTAT: "Agricultural Markets" are used.

Personality and mental health: the moderator role of emotional intelligence

This study analyze the role of emotional intelligence (EI) [attention to feelings (AF), emotional clarity (EC) and emotional repair (ER)] in the relationship between personality and mental health. The sample is composed of a total of 232 students of degree in early childhood and elementary education. The results show that neuroticism (N), agreeableness (A), attention to feeling (AF) and emotional repair (ER) are key to preventing stress, anxiety and depression. Emotional Clarity (EC) in stress and depression, and extraversion (E) and consciousness (C) in depression. Moreover, when the moderating role of EI in the relationship between personality traits and mental health was analysed, the results showed that he role of EI by itself does not buffer the detrimental effects of neuroticism (N) on mental health. EI might be more beneficial to the mental health of women with personality traits of extraversion (E), openness (O) and consciousness (C), and men with agreeableness (A) personality trait. Although these data are inconclusive, and more studies are needed to examine these relationships

A new approach to enantiopure β-endo-substituted azabicyclic proline analogues by base induced epimerization of a formyl derivative

13 pages, 6 schemes, 1 figure.The β-epimer of methyl (1S,2R,4R)-N-benzoyl-2-formyl-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-1- carboxylate, (1S, 2S, 4R)-7, has been obtained by treatment of the exo-formyl derivative with triethylamine in methanol. The development of this epimerization procedure has further increased the already wide possibilities offered by our methodology and solves the problem of access to the endo derivatives that would result from the Diels–Alder reaction of Danishefsky’s diene and the C-4 unsaturated E-oxazolones, whose preparation frequently proves to be problematic.This work was carried out with the financial support of Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología and FEDER (project CTQ2004-5358) and Gobierno de Aragón (Grupo Consolidado E40).Peer reviewe

Metabolic aspects of palladium(II) potential anti-cancer drugs

This mini-review reports on the existing knowledge of the metabolic effects of palladium [Pd(II)] complexes with potential anticancer activity, on cell lines and murine models. Most studies have addressed mononuclear Pd(II) complexes, although increasing interest has been noted in bidentate complexes, as polynuclear structures. In addition, the majority of records have reported in vitro studies on cancer cell lines, some including the impact on healthy cells, as potentially informative in relation to side effects. Generally, these studies address metabolic effects related to the mechanisms of induced cell death and antioxidant defense, often involving the measurement of gene and protein expression patterns, and evaluation of the levels of reactive oxygen species or specific metabolites, such as ATP and glutathione, in relation to mitochondrial respiration and antioxidant mechanisms. An important tendency is noted toward the use of more untargeted approaches, such as the use of omic sciences e.g., proteomics and metabolomics. In the discussion section of this mini-review, the developments carried out so far are summarized and suggestions of possible future developments are advanced, aiming at recognizing that metabolites and metabolic pathways make up an important part of cell response and adaptation to therapeutic agents, their further study potentially contributing valuably for a more complete understanding of processes such as biotoxicity or development of drug resistance.AG acknowledges funding from the CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials project, with references UIDB/50011/2020 & UIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. MM acknowledges financial support from POCentro, COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and European Community through the FEDER and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (UIDB/00070/2020). TC and AM are grateful to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for grants SFRH/BD/145920/2019 and SFRH/BD/111576/2015, respectively.publishe

Attractors in almost periodic Nicholson systems and some numerical simulations

Producción CientíficaThe existence of a global attractor is proved for the skew-product semiflow induced by almost periodic Nicholson systems and new conditions are given for the existence of a unique almost periodic positive solution which exponentially attracts every other positive solution. Besides, some numerical simulations are included to illustrate our results in some concrete Nicholson systems.Ana M. Sanz: MICIIN/FEDER under project PID2021-125446NB-I00 and by Universidad de Valladolid under project PIP-TCESC-2020Víctor M. Villarragut: MICIIN/FEDER under project PID2021- 125446NB-I0

The transition towards sustainable diets should encourage pulse consumption in children’s diets: insights for policies in food systems

Pulses play a central role in food system sustainability and can be the starting point toward sustainable diets. For a sustainable future, the promotion of pulses’ consumption should begin early on, during infancy. This work’s objective is to review and compile food policies that can support pulses promotion in children’s diets and provide an overview of the role of pulses in sustainable diets. A search was performed in Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sites and Medline database of technical reports and papers from the last 10 years (2011-2021) using the following terms: “Legume”, “pulse”, “sustainability”, “environment”, “food system”, “nutrition”, “children”, and “policies”. Subsequently, actions that could support children’s pulse consumption were selected and organized into the UNICEF´s Innocenti Framework on Food Systems for Children and Adolescents. Finally, the identified actions were discussed according to the Framework’s determinants (food supply chains, external food environments, personal food environment, and behaviors of caregivers and children). Considering the impact and feasibility of the compiled actions, reformulation of infant products with pulses and activities in school food environments seem to be priority measures because they are relatively simple to operate and have a high impact potential.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pulses’ benefits in children’s diets: a narrative review

Pulses are affordable, environmentally friendly, nutritious foods with a long shelf-life. In particular, they are excellent sources of protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phenolic compounds and can prevent and control chronic diseases. Due to their high nutritional density, consumption of pulses may be significant for children’s development. However, pulses also provide non-nutritional components that have beneficial health effects but that may have a few negative side effects if consumed improperly. The presence of such compounds, and the lack of a clear message about their potential benefits or drawbacks has, historically, influenced the consumption of legumes. The present study aims to provide a literature review of pulses’ benefits in children’s diets. For this purpose, we performed a search in PubMed and ScienceDirect databases of documents from the last 20 years (from 2000-2020), using the following search terms: “legume”, “pulse”, “consumption”, “benefits”, “health”, “nutrition”, “recommendations”, and “children”. Pulses help meet micro-nutrient demands in childhood and should be part of children’s diets since the stage of complementary feed. Also, regular pulses’ consumption may help to reduce childhood obesity and be an effective alternative to control glycemic response in diabetic children. The non-nutrients present in pulses do not represent a risk for Children’s growth, as they are considerably reduced during the usual processing and cooking procedures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Algunas afecciones del cambio climático en áreas turísticas insulares. Cuba como caso de estudio

Tourist areas may be especially sensitive to consequences raised in different climate change scenarios analyzed by the IPCC. This article outlines some of these problems and challenges in an area whose main economic activity is derived from tourism, linked to climatic and environmental conditions, the Caribbean. To check if the changes in the pluviometric variable are determined by Climate Change and how these processes are affecting tourism in a Caribbean destination in particular, the island of Cuba.Las áreas turísticas pueden ser especialmente sensibles a las consecuencias planteadas en los distintos escenarios de cambio climático analizados por el IPCC. Este artículo esboza algunos de estos problemas y desafíos en un área cuya principal actividad económica se deriva del turismo, el Caribe, vinculado a condiciones climáticas y ambientales. Se va a comprobar si los cambios en la variable pluviométrica vienen determinados por el cambio climático y de qué forma dichos procesos están afectando a la actividad turística en un destino caribeño en concreto, la isla de Cuba

Production and characterization of a new dextrin based hydrogel

Dextrin is a polymer composed of α-(1→4) D-glucose units produced by partial hydrolysis of starch. In this work, the transesterification of the soluble polysaccharide with vinyl acrylate (VA) was carried out in anhydrous dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The effect of the water activity and of the enzyme Proleather, on the reaction rates, was analysed. Different degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from ca. 10% to 70% were obtained by controlling the molar ratio of VA to dextrin. Gels were obtained by free radical polymerization of dextrin-VA, with different degrees of substitution and monomer concentration, in water. A comprehensive solid state-NMR analysis of the hydrogels was performed. These hydrogels are being developed as scaffold materials for bioactive molecule and cell delivery, tissue engineering and a variety of other biomedical applications

Benzothiadiazine dioxide human cytomegalovirus inhibitors: Synthesis and antiviral evaluation of main heterocycle modified derivatives

The benzothiadiazine dioxide derivatives are potent non-nucleoside human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) inhibitors. As part of our comprehensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of these compounds, we have now proposed structural modifications on the heterocyclic moiety both on the number and the nature of the fused heterocycle and on the kind of heteroatoms present on it. Synthesis of these new compounds (benzyl derivatives of thiadiazines, thienothiadiazines, benzothienothiadiazines and quinazolines) and the antiviral evaluation against HCMV has been performed. SAR investigation on this class of compounds has defined the structural requirements for potency and toxicity. They have revealed two important clues: i) a fused ring to the thiadiazine framework is necessary to maintain the anti-HCMV action, and ii) the sulfamido moiety in the main heterocycle is crucial to avoid cytotoxicity.Peer Reviewe