Introducción de la perspectiva de género en econometría en la USC

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo fundamental compartir la experiencia llevada a cabo por el GID-EBA (Grupo de Innovación docente de Econometría Básica Aplicada de la Universidade de Santiago de Compostela) de la implementación de una actividad sobre perspectiva de género en varios grupos de la asignatura de Econometría en la USC. Concretamente, se trata de un trabajo colaborativo en grupo para el análisis de la discriminación salarial por género, mediante la introducción de variables ficticias y con datos reales procedentes de la Encuesta de Estructura Salarial del INE. Dicha actividad se desarrolló, simultáneamente, en dos grupos de la materia Econometría uno de la Licenciatura de ADE y otro del Grado de Economía de la USC, en el curso académico 2010-11. Representa los primeros pasos acometidos para la introducción de la perspectiva de género en la disciplina de Econometría en la USC habiendo teniendo una buena acogida y resultados por parte del alumnado

Deciphering the stack, a novel bacterial structure, by (cryo-) transmission electron microscopy and (cryo-) electron tomography

Podeu consultar el llibre complet a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/12071

Securitization in Spain and the wealth effect for shareholders

This is an accepted manuscript of the article: López-Penabad, M., López-Andión, C., Iglesias-Casal, A., & Maside-Sanfiz, J. (2015). Securitization in Spain and the wealth effect for shareholders. International Review Of Economics & Finance, 37, 308-323. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.iref.2014.12.003. © 2015. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/This paper examines the relationship between securitization, the issuing bank's overall exposure to risk and the response of the shareholder. Spanish securitization transactions are analyzed using event study methodology which reveals that securitization drains banks' wealth, was most pernicious immediately prior to the subprime crisis and affects small and medium-sized banks most with respect to mortgage collateral transactions. The indirect effect of securitization on originator risk does not affect share value, while the direct effect gives a positive relationship. This effect becomes non-significant in the years prior to the crisis and the shareholders no longer perceive this risk transferS

Specific Relapse Predictors: Could Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Smoking Cessation Be Improved?

Relapse remains a frequent and complex phenomenon that is not yet well understood. An under-researched area of study that may provide relevant information concerns the assessment of specific post-treatment variables, rather than the composite measures commonly used to predict smoking relapse. The current study sought to examine the effects of post-treatment smoking-related variables, including withdrawal symptomatology, abstinence self-efficacy, and smoking urgency in negative-affect situations and smoking relapse at the 3 month follow-up. The sample comprised 130 participants who achieved abstinence for at least 24 h through a cognitive-behavioral smoking cessation treatment. Regression analysis was conducted for both composite measures and specific subscales and items. Data showed that composite measures of tobacco withdrawal, self-efficacy, and smoking urgency in negative-affect situations were not significant predictors of smoking relapse. However, the analysis including subscales, and specific items showed that lower self-efficacy in negative-affect-related situations (OR = 1.36) and three withdrawal symptoms—irritability/frustration/anger (OR = 2.99), restlessness/impatience (OR = 1.87), and craving (OR = 2.31)—were significant predictors of relapse. These findings offer new insights into the role of different smoking-related post-treatment variables in short-term relapse. Considering and specifically targeting these variables after achieving abstinence may potentially contribute to reducing smoking relapseThis research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project reference: PSI2015–66755-R) and co-financed by FEDER (European Regional Development Fund; pluri-annual plan 2014–2020)S

Brooding rumination and anxiety sensitivity: associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms in treatment-seeking smokers

This study explores the shared and specific associations of brooding rumination and anxiety sensitivity to depression and anxiety symptomatology in a sample of treatment-seeking smokers. Methods: The sample was composed of 275 treatment-seeking adult smokers. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relations of both variables with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results: Greater brooding rumination and anxiety sensitivity predicted higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. A specific relationship emerged after controlling for comorbid symptoms (depressive or anxiety symptoms) where brooding rumination was associated with depressive symptoms and anxiety sensitivity with anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: The findings showed that the variables examined are transdiagnostically related to emotional symptoms, but this relationship was symptomatology specific when controlling for comorbid symptoms (depressive or anxiety symptoms). Due to the impact of affective symptoms on abstinence outcomes, these findings have relevant clinical implications. In the context of smoking cessation treatment, identifying shared and specific vulnerabilities might contribute to tailoring and designing more precise and effective interventions for quitting smokingAntecedentes: este estudio explora las asociaciones compartidas y específicas entre el factor reproches de la rumiación y la sensibilidad a la ansiedad con la sintomatología depresiva y ansiosa en una muestra de fumadores. Método: la muestra estaba formada por 275 fumadores adultos que demandaron tratamiento para dejar de fumar. Se realizó un análisis de regresión lineal jerárquica para examinar las relaciones de ambas variables con los síntomas depresivos y ansiosos. Resultados: mayores puntuaciones en rumiación-reproches y en sensibilidad a la ansiedad predijeron niveles más elevados de síntomas depresivos y ansiosos. Sin embargo, cuando se controlaron los síntomas comórbidos (depresivos o ansiosos), emergieron relaciones específicas entre la rumiación-reproches y los síntomas depresivos y entre la sensibilidad a la ansiedad y los síntomas ansiosos. Conclusiones: las variables examinadas se relacionan transdiagnósticamente con la sintomatología emocional, pero esta relación pasa a ser específica cuando se controlan los síntomas comórbidos (depresivos o ansiosos). Debido al impacto negativo que tienen los síntomas emocionales en la abstinencia, estos resultados pueden aportar implicaciones clínicas relevantes. La identificación de vulnerabilidades compartidas y específicas podría contribuir a adaptar y diseñar intervenciones más precisas y eficaces para dejar de fumarThis research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness (Project reference: PSI2015-66755-R) and co-fi nanced by FEDER (European Regional Development Fund; pluri-annual plan 2014-2020)S

Securitization and financial solvency: empirical evidence from Portugal

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in The European Journal of Finance on 2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1351847X.2018.1492948This paper analyses the effect of securitization issues on the solvency of Portuguese financial institutions. For this purpose, we use an unbalanced panel model estimated using GMM methods and find that securitization has a slightly positive impact on the soundness of the issuing entity. We study 35 financial entities and 60 traditional securitizations issued by 9 originators between 2001 and 2013. The analysis reveals that the financial entities’ soundness improved slightly, showing that securitization enhanced the quality of the originators’ portfolios and increased the regulatory capital requirements. We also found that efficiency and profitability improve the risk-adjusted ROAA and that efficiency increases regulatory capital requirements. The robustness analysis confirms the positive effect of securitization on solvency, where both credit quality and liquidity are shown to be significant variablesS

The Stacks: a new bacterial structure analyzed in the Antarctic bacterium Pseudomonas deceptionensis M1T by transmission electron microscopy and tomography

In recent years, improvements in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques and the use of tomography have provided a more accurate view of the complexity of the ultrastructure of prokaryotic cells. Cryoimmobilization of specimens by rapid cooling followed by freeze substitution (FS) and sectioning, freeze fracture (FF) and observation of replica, or cryoelectron microscopy of vitreous sections (CEMOVIS) now allow visualization of biological samples close to their native state, enabling us to refine our knowledge of already known bacterial structures and to discover new ones. Application of these techniques to the new Antarctic cold-adapted bacterium Pseudomonas deceptionensis M1T has demonstrated the existence of a previously undescribed cytoplasmic structure that does not correspond to known bacterial inclusion bodies or membranous formations. This structure, which we term a "stack", was mainly visualized in slow growing cultures of P. deceptionensis M1T and can be described as a set of stacked membranous discs usually arranged perpendicularly to the cell membrane, but not continuous with it, and found in variable number in different locations within the cell. Regardless of their position, stacks were mostly observed very close to DNA fibers. Stacks are not exclusive to P. deceptionensis M1T and were also visualized in slow-growing cultures of other bacteria. This new structure deserves further study using cryoelectron tomography to refine its configuration and to establish whether its function could be related to chromosome dynamics

Caveolin-1 loss of function accelerates glucose transporter 4 and insulin receptor degradation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Caveolae are a specialized type of lipid rafts that are stabilized by oligomers of caveolin protein. Caveolae are particularly enriched in adipocytes. Here we analyzed the effects of caveolin-1 knockdown and caveolae ablation on adipocyte function. To this end, we obtained several multiclonal mouse 3T3-L1 cell lines with a reduced expression of caveolin-1 (95% reduction) by a small interfering RNA approach using lentiviral vectors. Control cell lines were obtained by lentiviral infection with lentiviral vectors encoding appropriate scrambled RNAs. Caveolin-1 knockdown adipocytes showed a drastic reduction in the number of caveolae (95% decrease) and cholera toxin labeling was reorganized in dynamic plasma membrane microdomains. Caveolin-1 depletion caused a specific decrease in glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and insulin receptor protein levels. This reduction was not the result of a generalized defect in adipocyte differentiation or altered gene expression but was explained by faster degradation of these proteins. Caveolin-1 knockdown adipocytes showed reductions in insulin-stimulated glucose transport, insulin-triggered GLUT4 recruitment to the cell surface, and insulin receptor activation. In all, our data indicate that caveolin-1 loss of function reduces maximal insulin response through lowered stability and diminished expression of insulin receptors and GLUT4. We propose that caveolin-1/caveolae control insulin action in adipose cells. Copyright © 2009 by The Endocrine Society.E.G.-M. was a Formación de Profesorado Universitario fellow from Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia (MEC), Spain; M.C. was a Ramón y Cajal researcher from the MEC. This study was supported by research grants from the MEC (BMC2003-07279; BFU2006-13466/BMC; GEN2003-20662-C07), the Generalitat de Catalunya (2005SGR00947), and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas).Peer Reviewe

Loose Morphology and High Dynamism of OSER Structures Induced by the Membrane Domain of HMG-CoA Reductase

The membrane domain of eukaryotic HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) has the conserved capacity to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proliferation and membrane association into Organized Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (OSER) structures. These formations develop in response to overexpression of particular proteins, but also occur naturally in cells of the three eukaryotic kingdoms. Here, we characterize OSER structures induced by the membrane domain of Arabidopsis HMGR (1S domain). Immunochemical confocal and electron microscopy studies demonstrate that the 1S:GFP chimera co-localizes with high levels of endogenous HMGR in several ER compartments, such as the ER network, the nuclear envelope, the outer and internal membranes of HMGR vesicles and the OSER structures, which we name ER-HMGR domains. After highpressure freezing, ER-HMGR domains show typical crystalloid, whorled and lamellar ultrastructural patterns, but with wide heterogeneous luminal spaces, indicating that the native OSER is looser and more flexible than previously reported. The formation of ER-HMGR domains is reversible. OSER structures grow by incorporation of ER membranes on their periphery and progressive compaction to the inside. The ER-HMGR domains are highly dynamic in their formation versus their disassembly, their variable spherical-ovoid shape, their fluctuating borders and their rapid intracellular movement, indicating that they are not mere ER membrane aggregates, but active components of the eukaryotic cell

Treatment completion and anxiety sensitivity effects on smoking cessation outcomes

Introduction: Treatment completion is associated with abstinence outcomes in smoking cessation interventions. Previous research has stated that anxiety sensitivity (AS) is associated with smoking-related variables and smoking-cessation outcomes. To date, research has not examined the interaction between AS and treatment completion on smoking-cessation outcomes over time. This study aims to examine the main and the interactive effects of treatment completion and AS (total score and specific dimensions) on smoking-cessation outcomes at 3- , 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Method: The sample consisted of 210 smokers enrolled in an eight-session smoking-cessation cognitivebehavioral treatment (62.1% women; Mage = 45.2, SD = 11.0). Participants were classified as completers (attended the eight treatment sessions) and non-completers (attended ≤ 7 sessions). Abstinence was biochemically confirmed. Results: Main effects indicated that completers had a higher likelihood of being abstinent over time when compared to non-completers. Regarding AS, those with greater AS-Physical Concerns had lower abstinence rates. Besides, a significant interaction between treatment completion, time and AS-Physical Concerns was found. Particularly, completers with greater AS-Physical Concerns had a higher likelihood of being abstainers than noncompleters over time, while no significant differences were found for those with lower AS-Physical Concerns. Conclusion: These data highlight the relevance of AS-Physical levels and smoking-cessation treatment completion on abstinence outcomes over time among treatment-seeking smokersRuben Rodriguez-Cano is supported by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Prevention (RP 170259, Drs. Chang and Shete, PIs) and by MD Anderson’s Cancer Center Support Grant (CA016672) funded by the National Cancer InstituteS