The EU budget – how much scope for institutional reform?

This paper reviews current discussions on reforming the European Union (EU) budgetary procedure and assesses the main reform proposals that have been suggested thus far. It argues that prospects for reforms are presently hampered by the complex interplay between supranational and intergovernmental decision modes and the requirement of any budgetary procedure to strike a balance between efficiency and legitimacy. The paper reviews the main criticisms of the present budgetary procedure and the related reform proposals, which are assessed on the basis of relevant theoretical literature as well as brief comparisons with the federal budget of the United States. The paper argues that the current EU budgetary procedure matches by-and-large the current equilibrium between all actors involved, given the present state of political integration in the EU. Significant modifications to the budgetary procedure would depart from that equilibrium.European Union, EU budget, budget process

The EU budget – how much scope for institutional reform?

This paper reviews current discussions on reforming the European Union (EU) budgetary procedure and assesses the main reform proposals that have been suggested thus far. It argues that prospects for reforms are presently hampered by the complex interplay between supranational and intergovernmental decision modes and the requirement of any budgetary procedure to strike a balance between efficiency and legitimacy. The paper reviews the main criticisms of the present budgetary procedure and the related reform proposals, which are assessed on the basis of relevant theoretical literature as well as brief comparisons with the federal budget of the United States. The paper argues that the current EU budgetary procedure maximises efficiency and legitimacy, given the present state of political integration in the EU. Significant modifications to the budgetary procedure would depart from that equilibrium.

Remediación electrodialítica de suelo contaminado con cobre

Hoy en día existe preocupación por la gran cantidad de desechos que genera la actividad minera, dentro de los cuales se encuentran los metales pesados. El presente trabajo consiste en la realizaciónde un total de 6 experiencias de remediación electrodialítica, considerando variables operacionales como duración del tratamiento, intensidad de la corriente aplicada y aplicación de pulsos eléctricos, a fin de evaluar la aplicabilidad de la técnica de remediación electrodialítica en un suelo proveniente de la ExMinera Montecarmelo, 5 Región, Chile, que se encuentra contaminado con metales pesados. Al comparar los resultados, se concluyó que la mejor opción para realizar un tratamiento electrodialítico al tipo de suelo estudiado, es por medio de pulsos con un régimen bajo; si bien esta experiencia en este trabajo no fue la que obtuvo la mayor remoción, fue la segunda mejor, con un valor de remoción decobre del 24,7 % muy cercana a la mejor y por otro lado tubo la mejor eficiencia de corriente eléctrica, con un valor del 2,3 %

Pre-recorded sound file versus human coach: Investigating auditory guidance effects on elite rowers

Presented at the 27th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD 2022) 24-27 June 2022, Virtual conference.We report on an experiment in which nine Norwegian national team rowers (one female) were tested on a rowing ergometer in a motion capture lab. After the warm-up, all participants rowed in a neutral condition for three minutes, without any instructions. Then they rowed in two conditions (three minutes each), with a counterbalanced order: (1) a coaching condition, during which they received oral instructions from a national team coach, and (2) a sound condition, during which they listened to a pre-recorded sound file that was produced to promote good rowing technique. Performance was measured in terms of distance traveled, and subjective responses were measured via a questionnaire inquiring participants about how useful the two interventions were for rowing efficiency. The results showed no significant difference between the two conditions of main interest–the pre-recorded sound file and traditional coaching–on any measure. Our study indicates that auditory guidance can be a cost-efficient supplement to athletes’ training, even at higher levels

Serratia marcescens prosthetic joint infection: two case reports and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Despite some studies on Gram-negative bacteria as difficult to treat pathogens in periprosthetic joint infections, there are no detailed analyses on Serratia periprosthetic joint infections. As such, we present two cases of Serratia periprosthetic joint infections and summarize all known cases to date in the course of a PRISMA criteria-based systematic review. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1: a 72-year-old Caucasian female with Parkinson's disease and treated breast cancer developed periprosthetic joint infection caused by Serratia marcescens and Bacillus cereus, following multiple prior revisions for recurrent dislocations of her total hip arthroplasty. Two-stage exchange was performed, and the patient remained free of Serratia periprosthetic joint infection recurrence at 3 years. Case 2: an 82-year-old Caucasian female with diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presented with a chronic parapatellar knee fistula after undergoing multiple failed infection treatments at external clinics. After performing two-stage exchange and gastrocnemius flap plastic for combined Serratia marcescens and Proteus mirabilis periprosthetic joint infection, the patient was released without any signs of infection, but was subsequently lost to follow-up. REVIEW: a total of 12 additional Serratia periprosthetic joint infections were identified. Merged with our two cases, the mean age of 14 patients was 66 years and 75% were males. Mean length of antibiotic therapy was 10 weeks with ciprofloxacin most commonly used (50%). Mean follow-up was 23 months. There was a total of four reinfections (29%), including one case of Serratia reinfection (7%). CONCLUSIONS: Serratia is a rare cause of periprosthetic joint infection affecting elderly with secondary diseases. While the overall reinfection rate was high, the risk of Serratia periprosthetic joint infection persistence was low. Treatment failure in patients may be attributable to the host, rather than the Serratia periprosthetic joint infection itself, thus challenging current concepts on Gram-negatives as a uniform class of difficult-to-treat pathogens. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic level IV

Collaborative archaeology: Conservation and análisis of an funerary urn: Traslasierra, Córdoba, Argentina

El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar las tareas de intervención y conservación de una vasija utilizada como urna funeraria, hallada en una propiedad privada de la localidad de La Población, Departamento San Javier, Provincia de Córdoba, Argentina y con ello visibilizar la importancia de la articulación de nuestros trabajos científicos con los museos y las comunidades locales. La intervención fue solicitada por el Área de Arqueología de la Agencia Córdoba Cultura SE y el Museo Histórico Popular “Carlos Ferreyra” de San JavierYacanto. El hallazgo consiste en una urna cerámica de morfología globular sin decoración que en su interior contenía los restos de un individuo infantil, hallazgo poco frecuente en el área serrana de la provincia de Córdoba. Las tareas consistieron en la limpieza mecánica de la urna y la exhumación de los restos humanos, posteriormente se procedió a la conservación preventiva del conjunto, la estabilización y la construcción de un soporte adecuado para contención y evitar mayores daños. Se realizó el análisis de los restos para estimar el perfil biológico, sexo, edad, patologías entre otros. Se tomaron muestras de sedimentos para análisis de macro y microrrestos vegetales y se iniciaron los procesos con la comunidad local y el museo para la inclusión de la información obtenida en una futura exhibición. La aparición de esta urna funeraria nos motiva a iniciar un trabajo en conjunto con el museo local y los vecinos en relación con la preservación de estos hallazgos tan sensibles para las comunidades y en actividades relacionadas con la conservación del patrimonio, museología, y la arqueología pública.The aim of this research is to present an interdisciplinary study of a ceramic vessel, used as a funerary urn, together with the bioarchaeological analysis of an infant found inside, as well as the archaeobotanical study of the associated sediments, and the intervention and conservation of the urn, which was found in a private property in the village of La Población, Department of San Javier, Córdoba province, Argentina, and thus highlight the importance of articulating scientific work with museums and local communities. The archaeological intervention was requested by the Área de Arqueología of the Agencia Córdoba Cultura SE and the local museum, Museo Histórico Popular “Carlos Ferreyra’’ (San Javier-Yacanto). The find consists of an undecorated ceramic urn of globular morphology containing the remains of an infant child, which is infrequent find in the mountainous area of the province of Córdoba. The tasks consisted of the mechanical cleaning of the urn and the exhumation of the human remains, followed by the preventive conservation of both artifact and human remains, stabilization and construction of a suitable support for storage in order to avoid further damage. During these tasks, the analysis of the human remains was carried out to estimate the biological profile, sex, age, pathologies, among others. Samples of the associated sediments were taken in order to analyse macro- and micro-plant remains. The finding of this funerary urn prompted us to work together with the local museum and community on the preservation of such sensitive finds and to engage in activities related to heritage conservation, museum and public archaeology.Fil: Lindskoug, Henrik Bernhard. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Centro de Investigaciones María Saleme Burnichón; ArgentinaFil: Amuedo, Claudia Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Claudina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentin

Two Nothofagus Species in Southernmost South America Are Recording Divergent Climate Signals

Recent climatic trends, such as warming temperatures, decrease in rainfall, and extreme weather events (e.g., heatwaves), are negatively affecting the performance of forests. In northern Patagonia, such conditions have caused tree growth reduction, crown dieback, and massive die-back events. However, studies looking at these consequences in the southernmost temperate forest (Nothofagus betuloides and Nothofagus pumilio) are much scarcer, especially in southernmost South America (SSA). These forests are also under the influence of the positive phase of Antarctic Oscillation (AAO, also known as Southern Annular Mode, SAM) that has been associated with increasing trends in temperature, drought, and extreme events in the last decades. This study evaluated the growth patterns and the climatic response of eight new tree-ring chronologies from Nothofagus species located at the upper treeline along different environmental gradients in three study areas: Punta Arenas, Yendegaia National Park, and Navarino Island in SSA. The main modes of the ring-width index (RWI) variation were studied using principal component analysis (PCA). We found that PC1 has the higher loadings for sites with precipitation values over 600 mm/yr, PC2 with N. betuloides sites, and PC3 with higher loadings for sites with precipitation values below 600 mm/yr. Our best growth-climate relationships are between N. betuloides and AAO and the most northeastern site of N. pumilio with relative humidity (which coincides with heatwaves and extreme drought). The climatic signals imprinted in the southernmost forests are sensitive to climatic variability, the climate forcing AAO, and the effects of climate change in the last decades.Fil: Soto-Rogel, Pamela. Universidad de Magallanes; Chile. Universitat Erlangen-Nuremberg; Alemania. Cape Horn International Center; ChileFil: Aravena, Juan Carlos. Universidad de Magallanes; Chile. Cape Horn International Center; ChileFil: Villalba, Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Bringas, Christian. Universidad de Magallanes; ChileFil: Meier, Wolfgang Jens-Henrik. Universitat Erlangen-Nuremberg; AlemaniaFil: Gonzalez Reyes, Álvaro. Centro Fondap de Investigación En Dinámica de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes; Chile. Universidad Mayor; ChileFil: Grießinger, Jussi. Universitat Erlangen-Nuremberg; Alemani

Diagnostic value of serum versus plasma phospho-tau for Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND: Blood phosphorylated tau (p-tau) forms are promising Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers, but validation in matrices other than ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) plasma is limited. Firstly, we assessed the diagnostic potential of p-tau231 and p-tau181 in paired plasma and serum samples. Secondly, we compared serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from biomarker-positive AD and biomarker-negative control participants. METHODS: We studied three independent cohorts (n=115 total): cohorts 1 and 2 included individuals with paired plasma and serum, while cohort 3 included paired serum and CSF. Blood-based p-tau231 and p-tau181 were measured using in-house or commercial single molecule array (Simoa) methods. RESULTS: Serum and plasma p-tau231 and p-tau181 were two- to three-fold increased in biomarker-positive AD versus biomarker-negative controls (P≤0.0008). Serum p-tau231 separated diagnostic groups with area under the curve (AUC) of 82.2% (cohort 3) to 88.2% (cohort 1) compared with 90.2% (cohort 1) for plasma. Similarly, p-tau181 showed AUC of 89.6% (cohort 1) to 89.8% (cohort 3) in serum versus 85.4% in plasma (cohort 1). P-tau231 and p-tau181 correlated slightly better in serum (rho=0.92 for cohort 1, 0.93 for cohort 3) than in plasma (rho=0.88, cohort 1). Within-individual p-tau181 (Quanterix) and p-tau231 concentrations were twice higher in plasma versus serum, but p-tau181 (in-house, Gothenburg) levels were not statistically different. Bland-Altman plots revealed that the relative difference between serum/plasma was larger in the lower range. P-tau levels in paired plasma and serum correlated strongly with each other (rho=0.75-0.93) as well as with CSF Aβ42 (rho= -0.56 to -0.59), p-tau and total-tau (rho=0.53-0.73). Based on the results, it seems possible that serum p-tau reflects the same pool of brain-secreted p-tau as in CSF; we estimated that less than 2% of CSF p-tau is found in serum, being same for both controls and AD. CONCLUSIONS: Comparable diagnostic performances and strong correlations between serum versus plasma pairs suggest that p-tau analyses can be expanded to research cohorts and hospital systems that prefer serum to other blood matrices. However, absolute biomarker concentrations may not be interchangeable, indicating that plasma and serum samples should be used independently. These results should be validated in independent cohorts

Sensor-based gait analyses of the six-minute walk test identify qualitative improvement in gait parameters of people with multiple sclerosis after rehabilitation

The aim of this work was to determine whether wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) could detect gait improvements across different disability groups of people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) by the six-minute walk test (6MWT) during a rehabilitation stay in a specialized rehabilitation center. Forty-six pwMS and 20 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. They performed the 6MWT with two inertial measurement units (IMUs) placed on the feet. Thirty-two of the pwMS were retested at the end of the stay. PwMS were divided in a mild-disability and a moderate-disability group. The 6MWT was divided in six sections of 1 min each for technical analysis, and linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses. The comparison between the two disability groups and HC highlighted significant differences for each gait parameter (all p < 0.001). The crossing effect between the test–retest and the two disability groups showed greater improvement for the moderate-disability group. Finally, the gait parameter with the higher effect size, allowing the best differentiation between the disability groups, was the foot flat ratio (R2 = 0.53). Gait analyses from wearable sensors identified different evolutions of gait patterns during the 6MWT in pwMS with different physical disability. The measured effect of a short-time rehabilitation on gait with 6MWT was higher for pwMS with higher degree of disability. Using IMUs in a clinical setting allowed to identify significant changes in inter-stride gait patterns. Wearable sensors and key parameters have the potential as useful clinical tools for focusing on gait in pwMS.publishedVersio