Crafting Coherent Policy Responses to the Crisis in the Philippines

The onslaught of the global economic crisis has thrown many workers in different parts of the world out of their jobs and many in the developing economies have fallen into situations of poverty. In search for the proper response to the crisis, various governments have turned to stimulus spending as a strategy to preserve and create jobs for their affected citizenry. The ILO tripartite constituents – government, workers and employers – designed a Global Jobs Pact (GJP) during the International Labour Conference in 2009. The GJP serves as a guiding framework to national and international policies aimed at stimulating economic recovery, generating jobs and providing protection to working people and their families. It seeks to promote a job-intensive recovery from the crisis. The Pact is built around the principles of the ILO’s Decent Work agenda. It looks at the issues of employment generation and sustainable enterprises. It emphasizes the need for a basic social protection floor. It calls attention to the importance of protecting and promoting rights at work in a crisis situation. It encourages the practice of social dialogue and collective bargaining as critical tools to identify priorities and assist in policy design and implementation. It calls for implementing measures quickly in a coordinated manner, and for integrating gender concerns throughout. The GJP is the response of the ILO and its tripartite constituency to the global crisis. The Pact contains a package of crisis-response and recovery measures. It is not a one-size-fitsall solution, but a portfolio of policy options that countries can adapt to their specific needs and situation. Indeed, a coherent and credible agenda for a rich-job recovery can only result from an in-depth national policy debate and consultation among policy makers and key stakeholders. Since 2001, the Philippines has adopted the Decent Work Common Agenda outlining projects and activities that will help workers, employers and government, achieve the major objectives of Decent Work. The current global crisis could be seen as an opportunity to craft stronger short term and long term responses that can incorporate key elements from the framework of the Global Jobs Pact and help the country restore viable economic growth, employment generation and poverty eradication

Los corticoides epidurales en el tratamiento de la hernia discal

Se presenta una serie de 233 pacientes diagnosticados de hernia discal lumbar y tratados mediante infiltraciones epidurales de corticoides, asociadas a un programa de rehabilitación realizado a continuación de las inyecciones. Los resultados con dicho tratamiento fueron satisfactorios en un 75% de los casos. Se observó una mejor evolución en pacientes varones, en pacientes cuya profesión conlleva esfuerzo físico, en hernias discales L5-S1, y en aquellos que han seguido un programa de rehabilitación tras las infiltraciones.An study on 233 patients with lumbar disc herniation, treated by means of epidural injections of steroids, added to a physical therapy programme is presented. The results obtained were fully satisfactory in 75% of the cases. Better results were observed in male patients, in patients subject to heavy physical activity in their laboral life, in disc herniations at L5-S1 level, and finally in those patients following a physical therapy programme after injections

Collision of protostellar jets in the star-forming region IC 1396N: Analysis of knot proper motions

Context. The bright-rimmed cloud IC 1396N is believed to host one of the few known cases where two bipolar CO outflows driven by young stellar objects collide. The CO outflows are traced by chains of knots of H2 emission, with enhanced emission at the position of the possible collision. Aims. The aim of this work is to use the proper motions of the H2 knots to confirm the collision scenario. Methods. A second-epoch H2 image was obtained, and the proper motions of the knots were determined with a time baseline of ∼11 yr. We also performed differential photometry on the images to check the flux variability of the knots. Results. For each outflow (N and S), we classified the knots as pre-collision or post-collision. The axes of the pre-collision knots, the position of the possible collision point, and the axes of the post-collision knots were estimated. The difference between the proper motion direction of the post-collision knots and the position angle from the collision point was also calculated. For some of the knots, we obtained the 3D velocity using the radial velocity derived from H2 spectra. Conclusions. The velocity pattern of the H2 knots in the area of interaction (post-collision knots) shows a deviation from that of the pre-collision knots, consistent with being a consequence of the interaction between the two outflows. This favours the interpretation of the IC 1396N outflows as a true collision between two protostellar jets instead of a projection effect

Comparative Genomics and Phylogenomic Analysis of the Genus Salinivibrio

In the genomic era phylogenetic relationship among prokaryotes can be inferred from the core orthologous genes (OGs) or proteins in order to elucidate their evolutionary history and current taxonomy should benefits of that. The genus Salinivibrio belongs to the family Vibrionaceae and currently includes only five halophilic species, in spite the fact that new strains are very frequently isolated from hypersaline environments. Species belonging to this genus have undergone several reclassifications and, moreover, there are many strains of Salinivibrio with available genomes which have not been affiliated to the existing species or have been wrongly designated. Therefore, a phylogenetic study using the available genomic information is necessary to clarify the relationships of existing strains within this genus and to review their taxonomic affiliation. For that purpose, we have also sequenced the first complete genome of a Salinivibrio species, Salinivibrio kushneri AL184T, which was employed as a reference to order the contigs of the draft genomes of the type strains of the current species of this genus, as well as to perform a comparative analysis with all the other available Salinivibrio sp. genomes. The genome of S. kushneri AL184T was assembled in two circular chromosomes (with sizes of 2.84 Mb and 0.60 Mb, respectively), as typically occurs in members of the family Vibrionaceae, with nine complete ribosomal operons, which might explain the fast growing rate of salinivibrios cultured under laboratory conditions. Synteny analysis among the type strains of the genus revealed a high level of genomic conservation in both chromosomes, which allow us to hypothesize a slow speciation process or homogenization events taking place in this group of microorganisms to be tested experimentally in the future. Phylogenomic and orthologous average nucleotide identity (OrthoANI)/average amino acid identity (AAI) analyses also evidenced the elevated level of genetic relatedness within members of this genus and allowed to group all the Salinivibrio strains with available genomes in seven separated species. Genome-scale attribute study of the salinivibrios identified traits related to polar flagellum, facultatively anaerobic growth and osmotic response, in accordance to the phenotypic features described for species of this genus.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness Project CGL2017- 83385-PEspaña Junta de Andalucía BIO-213Spanish, University of Seville VIPPIT-US-201

Restricted by borders: trade-offs in transboundary conservation planning for large river systems

Effective conservation of freshwater biodiversity requires accounting for connectivity and the propagation of threats along river networks. With this in mind, the selection of areas to conserve freshwater biodiversity is challenging when rivers cross multiple jurisdictional boundaries. We used systematic conservation planning to identify priority conservation areas for freshwater fish conservation in Hungary (Central Europe). We evaluated the importance of transboundary rivers to achieve conservation goals by systematically deleting some rivers from the prioritization procedure in Marxan and assessing the trade-offs between complexity of conservation recommendations (e.g., conservation areas located exclusively within Hungary vs. transboundary) and cost (area required). We found that including the segments of the largest transboundary rivers (i.e. Danube, Tisza) in the area selection procedure yielded smaller total area compared with the scenarios which considered only smaller national and transboundary rivers. However, analyses which did not consider these large river segments still showed that fish diversity in Hungary can be effectively protected within the country’s borders in a relatively small total area (less than 20 % of the country’s size). Since the protection of large river segments is an unfeasible task, we suggest that transboundary cooperation should focus on the protection of highland riverine habitats (especially Dráva and Ipoly Rivers) and their valuable fish fauna, in addition to the protection of smaller national rivers and streams. Our approach highlights the necessity of examining different options for selecting priority areas for conservation in countries where transboundary river systems form the major part of water resources.Full Tex

La doble orientación cardinal y solar (solsticial) en la planificación de los complejos funerarios del Reino Medio en Qubbet el-Hawa

The Qubbet el-Hawa necropolis, located on the west bank of the Nile, was the burial site chosen by the elite of Elephantine, from the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom, and became one of the most important provincial cemeteries in the country. The hill affects the course of the River Nile and determines the disposition of the hypogea distributed between its two slopes (southeast and northeast). Therefore, the topography (and the river) determined the alignments of most of the tombs. During the Middle Kingdom, although only six large funerary complexes were built, there was a very significant change in the architecture of the necropolis in terms of the design of the burial chapels (which were planned as if they were a funerary temple), as well as the accuracy of the construction methods. In addition, they stand out because they were planned (and built) with a strongly symbolic double orientation, which is the subject of this study. The astronomical alignments of these funerary complexes, normally associated with royal temples and burials, appear to have been appropriated by the governors of Elephantine, lower-level officials, which has implications for our understanding of both Egyptian governance and Egyptian astronomy; undoubtedly, the architects had to possess knowledge of astronomy. The result is that these funerary complexes represent a clear example of “cultured” architecture carried out in a provincial cemetery. This article examines in detail the alignments of four of these funeral complexes: QH36, QH32, QH31 and QH33, building on the work of Belmonte and his collaborators in Qubbet el-Hawa, who are primarily responsible for increasing our data of Egyptian astronomical alignments.La necrópolis de Qubbet el-Hawa, situada en la orilla occidental del Nilo, fue el lugar de enterramiento elegido por la élite elefantina, desde el Reino Antiguo hasta el Reino Medio, convirtiéndose en uno de los cementerios provinciales más importantes del país. La colina condiciona el curso del río Nilo y determina la disposición de los hipogeos que se distribuyen entre sus dos vertientes (sureste y noreste), adaptándose a su topografía. Por tanto, la topografía (y el Nilo) determinaron las alineaciones de la mayoría de las tumbas. Durante el Reino Medio, aunque solo se construyeron seis grandes complejos funerarios, se produjo un cambio muy significativo en la arquitectura de la necrópolis tanto en el diseño de las capillas funerarias (planificadas como si fueran un templo funerario) como la exactitud de los métodos constructivos; además, destacan porque fueron planificados (y construidos) con una doble orientación cargada de fuerte carácter simbólico, que es el objeto de este estudio. Los alineamientos astronómicos de estos complejos funerarios, normalmente asociados con templos y tumbas reales, parecen haber sido apropiados por los gobernadores de Elefantina, funcionarios de nivel inferior, lo que nos dice algo interesante sobre el gobierno egipcio y la astronomía egipcia. Sin duda, sus arquitectos debían manejar los conocimientos que los antiguos egipcios tenían de astronomía. El resultado es que estos complejos funerarios representan un claro ejemplo de arquitectura “culta” realizada en un cementerio provincial. En este artículo se examinan en detalle las alineaciones de cuatro de estos complejos funerarios: QH36, QH32, QH31 y QH33, extendiendo en Qubbet el-Hawa el trabajo de Belmonte y sus colaboradores, los principales responsables de ampliar los datos de las alineaciones astronómicas egipcias

Metalloproteinase-dependent TLR2 ectodomain shedding is involved in soluble toll-like receptor 2 (sTLR2) production

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, a type I membrane receptor that plays a key role in innate immunity, recognizes conserved molecules in pathogens, and triggering an inflammatory response. It has been associated with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Soluble TLR2 (sTLR2) variants have been identified in human body fluids, and the TLR2 ectodomain can negatively regulate TLR2 activation by behaving as a decoy receptor. sTLR2 generation does not involve alternative splicing mechanisms, indicating that this process might involve a post-translational modification of the full-length receptor; however, the specific mechanism has not been studied. Using CD14+ peripheral human monocytes and the THP-1 monocytic leukemia-derived cell line, we confirm that sTLR2 generation increases upon treatment with pro-inflammatory agents and requires a post-translational mechanism. We also find that the constitutive and ligand-induced release of sTLR2 is sensitive to pharmacological metalloproteinase activator and inhibitors leading us to conclude that metalloproteinase TLR2 shedding contributes to soluble receptor production. By expressing human TLR2 in ADAM10- or ADAM17-deficient MEF cells, we find both enzymes to be implicated in TLR2 ectodomain shedding. Moreover, using a deletion mutant of the TLR2 juxtamembrane region, we demonstrate that this domain is required for sTLR2 generation. Functional analysis suggests that sTLR2 generated by metalloproteinase activation inhibitsTLR2-induced cytokine production by this monocytic leukemia-derived cell line. The identification of the mechanisms involved in regulating the availability of soluble TLR2 ectodomain and cell surface receptors may contribute further research on TLR2-mediated processes in innate immunity and inflammatory disorders

Pneumococcal phosphoglycerate kinase interacts with plasminogen and its tissue activator

18 pags, 8 figs, 1 tabStreptococcus pneumoniae is not only a commensal of the nasopharyngeal epithelium, but may also cause life-threatening diseases. Immune- electron microscopy studies revealed that the bacterial glycolytic enzyme, phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), is localised on the pneumococcal surface of both capsulated and non-capsulated strains and colocalises with plasminogen. Since pneumococci may concentrate host plasminogen (PLG) together with its activators on the bacterial cell surface to facilitate the formation of plasmin, the involvement of PGK in this process was studied. Specific binding of human or murine PLG to strain-independent PGK was documented, and surface plasmon resonance analyses indicated a high affinity interaction with the kringle domains 1-4 of PLG. Crystal structure determination of pneumococcal PGK together with peptide array analysis revealed localisation of PLG-binding site in the N-terminal region and provided structural motifs for the interaction with PLG. Based on structural analysis data, a potential interaction of PGK with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was proposed and experimentally confirmed by binding studies, plasmin activity assays and thrombus degradation analyses. © Schattauer 2014.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Program under Grant Agreement no. HEALTH-F3–2009–223111. This work was also supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BFU2011–25326) and Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (CAM) S2010-BMD-2457 (BIPEDD2). J.K. is funded by a grant from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (BFU2011–24595). A.M. also acknowledges CAM for financial support to the Fundación Severo Ochoa through the AMAROUTO progra

Safeguarding freshwater life beyond 2020: Recommendations for the new global biodiversity framework from the European experience

Plans are currently being drafted for the next decade of action on biodiversity-both the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Biodiversity Strategy of the European Union (EU). Freshwater biodiversity is disproportionately threatened and underprioritized relative to the marine and terrestrial biota, despite supporting a richness of species and ecosystems with their own intrinsic value and providing multiple essential ecosystem services. Future policies and strategies must have a greater focus on the unique ecology of freshwater life and its multiple threats, and now is a critical time to reflect on how this may be achieved. We identify priority topics including environmental flows, water quality, invasive species, integrated water resources management, strategic conservation planning, and emerging technologies for freshwater ecosystem monitoring. We synthesize these topics with decades of first-hand experience and recent literature into 14 special recommendations for global freshwater biodiversity conservation based on the successes and setbacks of European policy, management, and research. Applying and following these recommendations will inform and enhance the ability of global and European post-2020 biodiversity agreements to halt and reverse the rapid global decline of freshwater biodiversity