Fear of Hazards in Commodity Futures Markets

We examine the commodity futures pricing role of active attention to weather, disease,geopolitical or economic threats or “hazard fear” as proxied by the volume of internet searches by 149 query terms. A long-short portfolio strategy that sorts the cross-section of commodity futures contracts according to a hazard fear signal captures a significant premium. This commodity hazard fear premium reflects compensation for extant fundamental, tail, volatility and liquidity risks factors, but it is not subsumed by them. Exposure to hazard-fear is strongly priced in the cross-section of commodity portfolios. The hazard fear premium exacerbates during periods of adverse sentiment or pessimism in financial markets

Relations entre l'estime de soi, le rôle relié au genre et les attitudes envers la ménopause de femmes rurales espagnoles

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal

Identifikacija vinskih kvasaca postupkom PCR-RFLP bez prethodne izolacije na ploči

The population of wine yeasts during spontaneous must fermentation was characterized by direct 5.8S-ITS rDNA region amplification without previous plate isolation or enrichment. RFLP analysis was applied to each of the amplification products detected, and the corresponding yeast identifications were made. The method provides a fast and direct way of determining yeast population present during wine fermentation.Populacija vinskih kvasaca tijekom spontane fermentacije mošta karakterizirana je izravnom amplifikacijom regije 5,8S-ITS rDNA bez prethodne izolacije na ploči ili povećavanja količine. Primijenjena je RFLP analiza na svakom utvr|enom amplifikacijskom produktu te je provedena odgovarajuća identifikacija kvasca. Postupak omogućava brz i izravan put utvrđivanja populacije kvasca prisutnog u fermentaciji vina

Digital Video Manipulation Detection Technique Based on Compression Algorithms

Digital images and videos play a very important role in everyday life. Nowadays, people have access the affordable mobile devices equipped with advanced integrated cameras and powerful image processing applications. Technological development facilitates not only the generation of multimedia content, but also the intentional modification of it, either with recreational or malicious purposes. This is where forensic techniques to detect manipulation of images and videos become essential. This paper proposes a forensic technique by analysing compression algorithms used by the H.264 coding. The presence of recompression uses information of macroblocks, a characteristic of the H.264-MPEG4 standard, and motion vectors. A Vector Support Machine is used to create the model that allows to accurately detect if a video has been recompressed

Emprego da administração pública na Argentina: Características e mudanças entre 2003 e 2018

En este artículo se analizan cambios y características del empleo público en Argentina desde 2003, con el objetivo de estudiar su evolución en relación con la dinámica del empleo privado y dar un marco al análisis de los cambios ocurridos recientemente -que incluyeron despidos y finalizaciones de contratos masivos- así como limitaciones a las nuevas contrataciones. Para ello se refiere a la evolución del régimen normativo que lo regula y a las transformaciones que sufrió en la década de 1990, contextualizando los cambios en función de lo ocurrido en el mercado de trabajo en general. Para estudiar la evolución del empleo público y caracterizar su composición en función de las formas de contratación, se realizó un análisis cuantitativo descriptivo a partir de la utilización de diferentes fuentes de información con distintos niveles de cobertura. Se reconstruyó una serie de datos referida al empleo asalariado registrado en los sectores público y privado y se completó la caracterización con datos del Boletín Fiscal. Luego de la introducción se recorren los principales cambios normativos en las formas de contratación en el sector público. En la siguiente sección se describen las modificaciones recientes en la estructura del PEN para luego analizar la evolución del empleo público y privado y algunas características del empleo público.In this article we will analyse the changes and characteristics of the public sector employment in Argentina since 2003, with the goal of studying its evolution with regards to the dynamic of private sector employment and giving a framework for the analysis of recent changes, which included layoffs and massive terminations of contracts, as well as limitations in new hirings. This situation in the public employment sector cannot be analysed without mentioning the evolution of the policy framework which regulates it and the transformations that took place in the decade of 1990. Besides, the changes we observed must be put in a context taking into account what happened in the labour market in general. In order to study the evolution of the public employment and characterize its composition with regards to the hiring methods, different sources of information were used with different coverage levels. A series of data referring to registered wage earners in both public and private sectors was rebuilt, and the characterization was completed using data from the Fiscal Bulletin. After the introduction, the main normative changes in the hiring methods are explained. In the following section recent changes in the structure of the sector are described and lastly the evolution employment in the public and private sectors and some characteristics of public employment are analysed.No presente artigo vamos analisar os câmbios e características do emprego da administração pública na Argentina desde 2003. Nosso propósito é estudar sua evolução conforme a dinâmica do emprego da administração pública e outorgar um enquadramento analítico das mudanças recentes, que incluem despedimentos e finalização dos acordos e também as restrições nas novas contratações. A situação no sector emprego da administração pública não pode ser analisada sem mencionar a evolução do regime regulamentar que o regula e as transformações que ocorreram em 1990. Também, os câmbios que observamos devem ser ter em contexto considerando o acontecido no mercado laboral em geral. A evidência mostra que o emprego da administração pública tive, no período, um comportamento anticíclico e destaca a importante diferença nas condições de contratação e a precariedade nos vínculos laborais em a maioria dos trabalhadores. Para poder estudar a evolução do emprego da administração pública e poder caracterizar sua composição em relação aos métodos de contratação, utilizamos diferentes fontes de informação com distintos níveis de cobertura. Uma série de informação com referência a emprego assalariado registrado na administração pública y no setor privado foi reconstituída e a caracterização completa utilizando informação do Boletim Fiscal. Após a introdução, são explicadas as principais mudanças normativas nos métodos de contratação no setor público. Na seção seguinte, são descritas as mudanças recentes na estrutura do setor. Por fim, a evolução do emprego nos setores público e privado e algumas características do emprego público são analisadas.Fil: Gonzalez, Mariana Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina. - Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Ana Laura. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales; Argentin

The labor market in the agro-export model in Argentina: The role of immigration

En la segunda mitad del siglo XIX Argentina se incorporó plenamente al mercado mundial como país proveedor de materias primas de origen agropecuario, alcanzando su economía elevadas tasas de crecimiento económico. Dicha expansión fue acompañada por un aumento en la demanda de mano de obra, la cual fue cubierta centralmente a través de la inmigración. El objetivo del trabajo es determinar las consecuencias que tuvo la política migratoria llevada adelante por el Estado argentino en el período comprendido entre los años 1870 y 1930 sobre el mercado de trabajo local, en particular sobre los salarios reales. A partir de la caracterización del mercado laboral y del análisis de las migraciones, se concluye que los flujos migratorios determinaron a inicios del siglo XX un exceso de oferta de trabajo que repercutió negativamente sobre los salarios reales, provocando un desmejoramiento de la estructura distributiva.In the second half of the 19th century, Argentina’s economy was fully incorporated to the world market as a supplier of raw materials of agricultural origin achieving high economic growth rates. This expansion was accompanied by an increase in the demand for labor, which was centrally covered through immigration. The aim of this work is to assess the consequences of the migration policy carried out between 1870 and 1930 on the local labor market, particularly on real wages. Based on the characterization of the labor market and the analysis of migrations, it is concluded that migratory flows at the beginning of the twentieth century led to an excess labor supply that lowered real wages, thus worsening in the income distribution.Fil: Arceo, Nicolás Marcelo. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Ana Laura. Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento. Instituto de Ciencias; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Mariana Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina. - Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina; Argentin

Sub-micro- and nano-sized polyethylene terephthalate deconstruction with engineered protein nanopores

The identification or design of biocatalysts to mitigate the accumulation of plastics, including sub-micro- and nano-sized polyethylene terephthalate (nPET), is becoming a global challenge. Here we computationally incorporated two hydrolytic active sites with geometries similar to that of Idionella sakaiensis PET hydrolase, to fragaceatoxin C (FraC), a membrane pore-forming protein. FraCm1/m2 could be assembled into octameric nanopores (7.0 nm high × 1.6–6.0 nm entry), which deconstructed (40 °C, pH 7.0) nPET from GoodFellow, commodities and plastic bottles. FraCm1 and FraCm2 degrade nPET by endo- and exo-type chain scission. While FraCm1 produces bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate as the main product, FraCm2 yields a high diversity of oligomers and terephthalic acid. Mechanistic and biochemical differences with benchmark PET hydrolases, along with pore and nPET dynamics, suggest that these pore-forming protein catalytic nanoreactors do not deconstruct macro-PET but are promising in nanotechnology for filtering, capturing and breaking down nPET, for example, in wastewater treatment plants.This study was conducted under the auspices of the FuturEnzyme Project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the auspices of the FuturEnzyme Project (grant agreement no. 101000327) and the PlasticsFatE project (grant agreement no. 95921), and Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement no. GA101060625 (Nymphe project). We also acknowledge financial support under grants PID2020-112758RB-I00 (M.F.), PDC2021-121534-I00 (M.F.), TED2021-130544B-I00 (M.F.), PID2019-106370RB-I00 (V.G.) and PID2019-105838RB-C31 (F.J.P.) from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) (Digital Object Identifier MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033), Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (ERDF) A way of making Europe and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR, UCM-Banco Santander Grants PR87/19-22556 and PR108/20-26896 and UnaEuropa (Unano) SF2106 (to A.M.P.). S.G.-L. was supported by a Real Colegio Complutense Postdoctoral Fellowship for Distinguished Junior Scholars. S.R. thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for a PhD fellowship (FPU19/00608). D.H.-M. thanks Complutense University of Madrid and Banco Santander for a PhD fellowship (CT82/20/CT83/20). A.R.-M. thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for a PhD fellowship (PRE2020-091825) and the project PID2019-106370RB-I00. We thank M. J. Vicente for the ESI–MS analysis, performed at the Servicio Interdepartamental de Investigación (SIDI) from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain.Peer Reviewed"Article signat per 16 autors/es: Ana Robles-Martín, Rafael Amigot-Sánchez, Laura Fernandez-Lopez, Jose L. Gonzalez-Alfonso, Sergi Roda, Víctor Alcolea-Rodriguez, Diego Heras-Márquez, David Almendral, Cristina Coscolín, Francisco J. Plou, Raquel Portela, Miguel A. Bañares, Álvaro Martínez-del-Pozo, Sara García-Linares, Manuel Ferrer & Víctor Guallar"Postprint (published version

Comparison of knowledge, attitudes and hand hygiene behavioral intention in medical and nursing students.

Introduction: Hand hygiene is crucial to prevent cross infection. Healthcare students are in a prime position to learn hand hygiene skills. The aim of this study was to analyze hand hygiene behavioral intentions of healthcare students before and after contact with the patient and to compare the knowledge of and attitude towards hand hygiene between medical and nursing students. Methods: In a descriptive survey research design, convenience selection of a sample of medical students (n=657) and nursing students (n=303) was done from modules taught by the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health in both Medicine and Nursing undergraduate degrees in four Spanish universities. The hand hygiene Questionnaire, a validated instrument to evaluate behavior, knowledge, and attitudes, was used. Results: A significantly lower percentage of students reported always or almost always carrying out hand hygiene before contact with the patient or invasive procedures in comparison to the percentage complying after contact with secretions or with the patient. Although hand hygiene knowledge appears acceptable, its importance is not sufficiently valued.Conclusions: There are deficiencies in behavioral intention, knowledge, and attitudes related to hand hygiene in medical and nursing students. Better results are observed among nursing students, especially those who have received specific training

Interlaboratory evaluation of quality control methods for circulating cell-free DNA extraction

: Analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) isolated from liquid biopsies is rapidly being implemented into clinical practice. However, diagnostic accuracy is significantly impacted by sample quality and standardised approaches for assessing the quality of ccfDNA are not yet established. In this study we evaluated the application of nucleic acid "spike-in" control materials to aid quality control (QC) and standardisation of cfDNA isolation for use in in vitro diagnostic assays. We describe an approach for the design and characterisation of in-process QC materials, illustrating it with a spike-in material containing an exogenous Arabidopsis sequence and DNA fragments approximating to ccfDNA and genomic DNA lengths. Protocols for inclusion of the spike-in material in plasma ccfDNA extraction and quantification of its recovery by digital PCR (dPCR) were assessed for their suitability for process QC in an inter-laboratory study between five expert laboratories, using a range of blood collection devices and ccfDNA extraction methods. The results successfully demonstrated that spiking plasmid-derived material into plasma did not deleteriously interfere with endogenous ccfDNA recovery. The approach performed consistently across a range of commonly-used extraction protocols and was able to highlight differences in efficiency and variability between the methods, with the dPCR quantification assay performing with good repeatability (generally CV <5%). We conclude that initial findings demonstrate that this approach appears "fit for purpose" and spike-in recovery can be combined with other extraction QC metrics for monitoring the performance of a process over time, or in the context of external quality assessment. AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIALS: Processed data is available in Supplementary File 4. Raw data available upon request. Declaration of Competing Interest