Is Gender Inequality a Barrier to Economic Growth? A Panel Data Analysis of Developing Countries

This study provides empirical evidence about the effects of various dimensions of gender inequalities (education, labour market and institutional representation) on economic growth. We use data from the World Bank Development Indicators database for the period 1990–2017. We initially use a large panel of 105 developing countries. Subsequently we study a panel with the sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries since this region is one of the poorest regions in the world. We estimate cross-country and panel regressions. The results suggest that gender equality in education contributes to economic growth and this is a common feature in developing countries. The contribution of equality in education to growth seems to be greater in the SSA countries than in the entire sample of developing countries. The female–male ratio of labour market participation is not statistically significant. We also find a significant link between the presence of women in parliaments and growth in the sample of all developing countries, while this relationship is negative for the SSA countries. It is likely that despite the increased participation of women in the political arena in these countries, women may still encounter major obstacles to altering political priorities and affecting economic growth.The research was funded from the Research Group by the Basque Government «Institutions, Regulation and Economic Policy» (IT1052-16)

Repositioning through Culture: Testing Change in Connectivity Patterns

Symbolic knowledge-driven innovations can play an important role in the economic development of cities and regions. Cultural events and infrastructures can act as powerful connectivity engines, generating new connections, rewiring links, and repositioning institutions/cities/regions on the Internet map. Within this framework, this paper aims to contribute to the analytical understanding of culture-led repositioning. For this purpose we perform regression analysis with cultural networks (observational cross-sectional network data) from digital media for a specific cultural case study: the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), a higher education faculty of haute cuisine promoted by the University of Mondragon along with a group of Michelin-starred chefs. Results show that a cultural sector, such as haute cuisine, can contribute to structural changes in connectivity patterns, putting an institution/city/region on the media map. It is the connection (in the online press) of the BCC to the influential Michelin-starred chefs that can fuel the accumulation of press articles (media items) on the BCC; and it is precisely this accumulation of press articles that can impact BCC revenues. Put differently, the co-branding between the influential Michelin chefs and the BCC may have put the BCC on the press map, promoting new student registrations and fostering Basque haute cuisine. The main contribution of this article is a prototype of regression analysis to test repositioning with network data.The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECOR 2015 CREA-NETWORK CSO2015-65265-C4-3-R MINECOR-FEDER). The Art4pax Foundation (Guernica) and the Basque Government (SAIOTEK) provided support for this project. We are grateful to BASQUETOUR (Basque Agency of Tourism) and to Silke Haarich (Germany) who kindly read an early draft of the article. They are not responsible for our interpretations

Plan de Compensación e Incentivos Laborales para mejorar la Motivación del Personal Permanente de Cruz Roja Salvadoreña, ubicada en el municipio de San Salvador.

El capital humano ha tomado una gran importancia para las organizaciones, por lo tanto, éstas requieren atraer, retener y motivar talentos que las ayuden a lograr los objetivos. Las personas requieren de motivación laboral que es la fuerza que los impulsa a realizar de mejor manera su trabajo y por consecuencia a tener un mejor desempeño, los planes de compensaciones e incentivos laborales son programas en los cuales se han estudiado y planificado cuales son los incentivos idóneos para la empresa y el tipo de empleados, estos se han convertido en una de las formas más eficientes para generar un alto grado de motivación en los trabajadores, por lo que cada empresa debe ser capaz de planificar un plan que permita mantener motivados todos los empleados y dar a conocerlo para que estos puedan consultar toda la información y poder hacer uso de todos los beneficios que las empresas les ofrecen. Cruz Roja Salvadoreña es una entidad humanitaria que ofrece servicios de atención prehospitalaria, odontología, capacitaciones en primeros auxilios y seguridad industrial, además de la asistencia en eventos ya sean estos acuáticos o terrestres a través de miembros Voluntarios Guardavidas o Socorristas, y la cual cuenta con más de 130 años de brindar asistencia humanitaria en los cuales a través del pasar del tiempo ha implementado diversas compensaciones e incentivos laborales para brindar al personal, sin embargo, no cuentan con un documento formal donde se haya establecido su plan de compensaciones e incentivos laborales, por lo que también el personal de la institución mostró no tener mucho conocimiento de los incentivos que la institución otorga ni donde poder consultar. El trabajo de investigación por lo tanto tiene como objetivo elaborar para la institución un plan de compensaciones e incentivos laborales, donde se reflejan todas las compensaciones e incentivos que Cruz Roja Salvadoreña ofrece con el fin de proporcionar una herramienta donde el personal pueda conocer y consultar sobre los beneficios que la institución le otorga y de esa manera también estos puedan tener un mayor impacto en la motivación y su desempeño en las actividades que realizan dentro de sus puestos de trabajo. ii Para conocer la situación actual de la institución en relación a las compensaciones e incentivos laborales se realizó una encuesta al personal de la institución, así una entrevista al jefe del área de talento humano y a través de los resultados obtenidos se realizó un diagnóstico donde se concluyó que la institución, proporciona diversos incentivos a su personal, sin embargo, no cuenta con un plan de compensaciones e incentivos laborales elaborado donde el personal pueda consultar y que no está muy relacionado con el tema de las compensaciones e incentivos laborales por lo que desconocen incluso los que la institución otorga

Melatonin as a Coadjuvant in the Treatment of Patients with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic widespread pain syndrome that is accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, and neurocognitive impairment. As the currently available drugs are not completely successful against these symptoms and frequently have several side effects, many scientists have taken on the task of looking for nonpharmacological remedies. Many of the FMS-related symptoms have been suggested to be associated with an altered pattern of endogenous melatonin. Melatonin is involved in the regulation of several physiological processes, including circadian rhythms, pain, mood, and oxidative as well as immunomodulatory balance. Preliminary clinical studies have propounded that the administration of different doses of melatonin to patients with FMS can reduce pain levels and ameliorate mood and sleep disturbances. Moreover, the total antioxidant capacity, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and urinary cortisol levels, and other biological parameters improve after the ingestion of melatonin. Recent investigations have proposed a pathophysiological relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and FMS by looking at certain proteins involved in mitochondrial homeostasis according to the etiopathogenesis of this syndrome. These improvements exert positive effects on the quality of life of FMS patients, suggesting that the use of melatonin as a coadjuvant may be a successful strategy for the management of this syndrome

Diferencias de género en la distribución del tiempo de trabajo en las regiones españolas

This study examines, from a regional perspective, the relationship between the patterns of time allocation to paid and domestic work within heterosexual couples and the socio-economic and institutional characteristics of regions. The hypothesis of this work is that, in regions with an institutional system characterized by generous social and family policies, greater participation of women in the labor market, greater wealth and higher educational level, the distribution of paid and domestic work between men and women is more egalitarian. Regarding domestic work, we distinguish between time devoted to housework and childcare. Using the 2009- 2010 Spanish Time Use Survey, we applied Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis. We identified five groups of regions or patterns of time allocation between men and women. Heterogeneity among these patterns can be associated to regional differences in the economic, social and institutional settings.Este trabajo examina la relación entre los patrones de distribución del tiempo dedicado al trabajo remunerado y al doméstico de las parejas heterosexuales y las características socioeconómicas e institucionales de las regiones españolas. La hipótesis que contrastamos es que las regiones con un sistema institucional amplio de políticas sociales y familiares, mayor riqueza, nivel educativo y participación femenina en el mercado laboral, tienen una distribución del trabajo remunerado y doméstico entre géneros más igualitaria. Distinguimos, dentro del trabajo doméstico, entre el tiempo dedicado a las tareas del hogar y al cuidado de los niños. Los datos utilizados provienen de la última Encuesta de Empleo de Tiempo española (2009-2010). La metodología utilizada es el Análisis en Componentes Principales (ACP) y el Análisis Clúster. Los resultados permiten identificar cinco grupos de regiones o patrones de distribución del tiempo entre hombres y mujeres que se asocian con contextos socioeconómicos e institucionales diferente

Vision Sidéreo system.

Este proyecto tiene la finalidad de generar energía limpia mediante el sol, lo innovador de este proyecto es que el panel no estará estático, sino que el panel solar girara conforme gire el sol, esto para aprovechar a un 100% la energía solar y no solo a medias como sucede con los paneles tradicionales. Dicho giro se realizara mediante la hora del día la cual será la encargada de buscar el ángulo en que está posicionado el sol con la tierra y estas mandaran la información al Arduino que a su vez se la mandara al servomotor (previamente programado) el cual está encargado de realizar los giros por ángulos. Ya encontrado el ángulo del sol y que el panel este en posición este empezara a generar la energía la cual entra a un controlador de carga el cual mantendrá la energía en 12V DC, la cual ira a un acumulador, que en este caso será una batería de carro, que está conectado a un inversor de voltaje para que la salida nos la arroje a 110V AC y se pueda utilizar en casa sin ningún problema

Internal dynamics within primary care teams in two Spanish regions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Background: Pandemics and epidemics have represented public health emergencies with severe consequences at a global level. Primary care teams have played a crucial role in disease surveillance and monitoring during the COVID-19 pandemic through early detection, contact tracing, and isolation of positive cases. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams regarding their internal dynamics and their professional performance. Methods: Qualitative study carried out between July and December 2020 in two large central and southern Spanish regions (Castilla la Mancha and Madrid). Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with primary care workers. Data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Participants were accessed using purposive sampling. Results: A total of 53 primary care workers participated in the study, of which 38 were individually interviewed, and 15 participated in three focus groups.The analysis of their experiences revealed two main themes regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams: 1) The need to reorganise traditional roles: Primary care settings closed their doors to the public and their workers restructured their roles to ensure the delivery of essential services; 2) The need to implement a new primary care delivery model: Each primary care team had to self-organise, making sure their reference population was cared for and developing resource optimisation strategies. Conclusions: Primary care teams have quickly adapted their roles and internal dynamics to respond to the demands generated by COVID-19. In the new delivery model, some positive aspects could be highlighted – such as increased communication between professionals and the use of telemedicine for some cases. However, it is important to address the negative impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on of the main functions of primary care. These measures are necessary to promote well-being in primary care teams, and to provide quality care that addresses the complex and individual needs of each person and reduces inequalities in healthcare deliveryThis work was supported by the FONDO SUPERA COVID-19, organised by Santander Bank, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE). It aims to fund programs, collaborative projects, and support activities to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 crisis in the health, education, and social sector

Moxifloxacin versus Clindamycin/Ceftriaxone in the management of odontogenic maxillofacial infectious processes: a preliminary, intrahospital, controlled clinical trial

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the days of hospitalization length between patients treated with Moxifloxacin with that of patients treated with a Clindamycin/Ceftriaxone combination and additionally, to isolate and identify the oral pathogens involved in orofacial odontogenic infections. Material and Methods: A pilot-controlled-clinical-trial was carried out on hospitalized patients with cervicofacial odontogenic abscesses or cellulitis, who were randomly asigned to two study groups: 1) patients who received Moxifloxacin, and 2) patients receiving Clindamycin/Ceftriaxone combination. Infiltrate samples were collected through transdermic or transmucosal punction and later cultured on a media specific for aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms. Mean hospitalization duration in days until hospital discharge and susceptibility assessment in rates were established. Results: Mean hospitalization time in days of patients treated with Moxifloxacin was 7.0 ± 1.6 days, while in the Clindamycin/Ceftriaxone group, this was 8.4 ± 1.8 days, although significant difference could not be demonstrated ( p =0.074). A total of 43 strains were isolated, all of these Gram-positive. These strains appeared to be highly sen - sitive to Moxifloxacin (97.5%) and Ceftriaxone (92.5%). Conclusions: Moxifloxacin and Ceftriaxone appear to be potential convenient and rational alternatives to traditional antibiotics, for treating severe odontogenic infections, in conjunction with surgical extraoral incision, debridement, and drainage

Detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core-specific antibody suggests occult HCV infection among blood donors

Background: Blood transfusion safety is based on reliable donor screening for transmissible infections such as the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Study design and methods: A novel HCV core-specific antibody was assayed on random single donations from 2007 first-time blood donors who tested negative for anti-HCV and HCV RNA on routine screening. Sample collection broke the code between donations and donors for ethical reasons. Results: Forty-two donations (2.1%) displayed reactivity in the novel test. The specificity of the reactivity was evaluated by a peptide inhibition assay, and testing against additional nonoverlapping HCV core peptide epitopes and other HCV antigens was performed on these samples. Six donations (14.3%; 0.30% from the total) were considered to contain anti-HCV after such supplemental testing. HCV RNA detection was also performed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) and serum or plasma samples from reactive donors after virus concentration by ultracentrifugation. HCV RNA tested negative in all PBMNCs samples, and a very low amount of viral genome was detected in serum or plasma concentrates from three anti-HCV core-reactive donors (7.1%) but not among concentrates from 100 randomly selected nonreactive donors. Sequencing of these polymerase chain reaction products revealed differences between the isolates that excluded partially sample contamination from a common source. Conclusion: These findings argue in favor of an ongoing occult HCV infection among these blood donors and account for some rather low, but perhaps not negligible, infection risk for such donations. Future studies involving larger samples of donations from traceable donors would enlighten the significance of these findings for the viral safety of the blood supply.This work was supported by research grants from DIATERS.A., Madrid, Spain.S