Trends in productivity: the case of capital shortage

Abstract This paper analyses the effect of rising wage rates and real interest rates on labour productivity and capital productivity in a situation of capital shortage. Furthermore, it shows the effect of rising wage rates and real interest rates on the capital intensity of the production process. This latter effect can not be determined unambiguously.

Trends in productivity: the case of capital shortage

This paper analyses the effect of rising wage rates and real interest rates on labour productivity and capital productivity in a situation of capital shortage. Furthermore, it shows the effect of rising wage rates and real interest rates on the capital intensity of the production process. This latter effect can not be determined unambiguously.

Single molecule analysis reveals monomeric XPA bends DNA and undergoes episodic linear diffusion during damage search

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) removes a wide range of DNA lesions, including UV-induced photoproducts and bulky base adducts. XPA is an essential protein in eukaryotic NER, although reports about its stoichiometry and role in damage recognition are controversial. Here, by PeakForce Tapping atomic force microscopy, we show that human XPA binds and bends DNA by similar to 60 degrees as a monomer. Furthermore, we observe XPA specificity for the helix-distorting base adduct N-(2'-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-acetylaminofluorene over non-damaged dsDNA. Moreover, single molecule fluorescence microscopy reveals that DNA-bound XPA exhibits multiple modes of linear diffusion between paused phases. The presence of DNA damage increases the frequency of pausing. Truncated XPA, lacking the intrinsically disordered N- and C-termini, loses specificity for DNA lesions and shows less pausing on damaged DNA. Our data are consistent with a working model in which monomeric XPA bends DNA, displays episodic phases of linear diffusion along DNA, and pauses in response to DNA damage. It is not fully understood how XPA interacts with a DNA lesion during nucleotide excision repair. Here, the authors use single molecule analysis to study XPA-DNA interactions, including the DNA bend angle, protein stoichiometry, and diffusive properties during damage search

Perspectives from those involved in healthy stadia

Healthy stadia is a growing agenda across industry and in turn academia. In this era of growth, much of the research literature is primarily sourced from academics with little contribution from applied and industry stakeholders. As such, the editors have sought to offer practitioners a platform to share novel projects, perspectives and preliminary intervention evaluation findings. This applied article intends to share evaluation and insight from applied practice, to encourage closer debate between the academic community and applied industry

International Migration of Doctors, and Its Impact on Availability of Psychiatrists in Low and Middle Income Countries

Background:Migration of health professionals from low and middle income countries to rich countries is a large scale and long-standing phenomenon, which is detrimental to the health systems in the donor countries. We sought to explore the extent of psychiatric migration. Methods: In our study, we use the respective professional databases in each country to establish the numbers of psychiatrists currently registered in the UK, US, New Zealand, and Australia who originate from other countries. We also estimate the impact of this migration on the psychiatrist population ratios in the donor countries. Findings: We document large numbers of psychiatrists currently registered in the UK, US, New Zealand and Australia originating from India (4687 psychiatrists), Pakistan (1158), Bangladesh (149) , Nigeria (384) , Egypt (484), Sri Lanka (142), Philippines (1593). For some countries of origin, the numbers of psychiatrists currently registered within high-income countries' professional databases are very small (e.g., 5 psychiatrists of Tanzanian origin registered in the 4 high-income countries we studied), but this number is very significant compared to the 15 psychiatrists currently registered in Tanzania). Without such emigration, many countries would have more than double the number of psychiatrists per 100, 000 population (e.g. Bangladesh, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon); and some countries would have had five to eight times more psychiatrists per 100,000 (e.g. Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Nigeria and Zambia). Conclusions: Large numbers of psychiatrists originating from key low and middle income countries are currently registered in the UK, US, New Zealand and Australia, with concomitant impact on the psychiatrist/ population ratio n the originating countries. We suggest that creative international policy approaches are needed to ensure the individual migration rights of health professionals do not compromise societal population rights to health, and that there are public and fair agreements between countries within an internationally agreed framework. © 2010 Jenkins et al

Identification of Escherichia coli ygaQ and rpmG as novel mitomycin C resistance factors implicated in DNA repair

Using the ASKA (A Complete Set of E. coli K-12 ORF Archive) library for genome-wide screening of E. coli proteins we identified that expression of ygaQ and rpmG promotemitomycin C resistance (MMCR). YgaQ mediated MMCR was independent of homologous recombination involving RecA or RuvABC, but required UvrD. YgaQ is an uncharacterized protein homologous to a-amylases that we identified to have nuclease activity directed to single stranded DNA of 5’ flaps. Nuclease activity was inactivated by mutation of two amino acid motifs, which also abolished MMCR. RpmG is frequently annotated as a bacterial ribosomal protein, although forms an operon with MutM glycosylase and a putative deubiquitinating enzyme, YicR. RpmG associated MMCR was dependent on MutM. MMCR from RpmG resembles DNA repair phenotypes reported for ‘idiosyncratic ribosomal proteins’ in eukaryotes

Interactions between Global Health Initiatives and Country Health Systems: The Case of a Neglected Tropical Diseases Control Program in Mali

Prevention of neglected tropical diseases was recently significantly scaled up in sub-Saharan Africa, protecting entire populations with mass distribution of drugs: five different diseases are now addressed simultaneously with a package of four drugs. Some argue however that, similarly to other major control programs dealing with specific diseases, this NTD campaign fails to strengthen health systems and might even negatively affect regular care provision. In 2007, we conducted an exploratory field study in Mali, observing how the program was implemented in two rural areas and how it affected the health system. At the local level, we found that the campaign effects of care delivery differed across health services. In robust and well staffed health centres, the personnel successfully facilitated mass drug distribution while running routine consultations, and overall service functioning benefitted from programme resources. In more fragile health centres however, additional program workload severely disturbed access to regular care, and we observed operational problems affecting the quality of mass drug distribution. Strong health services appeared to be profitable to the NTD control program as well as to general care

Job Strain, Health and Sickness Absence: Results from the Hordaland Health Study

MW and SBH are funded by NSW Health. M. Henderson and M. Hotopf were supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. AM and SO were funded by the Norwegian Research Council