The UK pay transparency regulations: apparent transparency without accountability?

The UK enacted its first legal measure to address gender pay inequity, the Equal Pay Act 1970, more than 50 years ago. Yet, in 2021, the Gender Pay Gap (GPG) still stood at 15.4%. Departing from the remedial and individual approach that characterises equal pay legislation, the 2017 Gender Pay Gap Information Regulations (‘the Regulations’) require private and voluntary sector organisations with 250+ employees to annually publish pay data broken down by gender. The long-term aspiration of the Regulations is to contribute to closing the GPG within a generation but it is also hoped that they will encourage employers to change workplace policies to reduce organisational GPG (immediate aims) and improve employers' accountability (underlying aim). This article considers if the Regulations have what it takes to meet those immediate and underlying aims. Our assessment framework is built on the premise that for public disclosure to be useful and for employers to tackle the causes of the GPG, the information reported must be of sufficient quality, meaningful and relevant. The article draws on both doctrinal analysis and empirical data reported by FTSE 100 Index companies to assess the Regulations and determine if they hold the potential to meet those aims

Multimodal analysis of advertising discourse during the lockdown due to COVID-19: Comparison of the communication strategies of financial services and automotive products in Spain

The goal of the following text is to analyze the changes in television advertising in the banking and automobile sectors, according to the social context. The hypothesis is that communication is significantly influenced by the situational context, causing differences between the advertising of the two sectors. A multimodal discourse analysis is used, comparing twenty commercials from the banking and automobile sectors in 2019 and 2020, the period during which the lockdown due to COVID-19 took place. Based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis tables were developed with which to analyze general data such as the value proposition or target audience of the advert, or other special data like the text (verb tenses, rhetorical figures…), the image and the sound used. The fact that context is decisive in communication is made evident, and since this is different in every sector, the communication strategy is clearly different as well. However, the points that the two sectors have in common are remarkable: these range from talking about brands and products, to speaking for and about people

First data of Neandertal bird and carnivore exploitation in the Cantabrian Region (Axlor; Barandiaran excavations; Dima, Biscay, Northern Iberian Peninsula)

Neandertals were top predators who basically relied on middle-to large-sized ungulates for dietary purposes, but there is growing evidence that supports their consumption of plants, leporids, tortoises, marine resources, carnivores and birds. The Iberian Peninsula has provided the most abundant record of bird exploitation for meat in Europe, starting in the Middle Pleistocene. However, the bird and carnivore exploitation record was hitherto limited to the Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula. Here we present the first evidence of bird and carnivore exploitation by Neandertals in the Cantabrian region. We have found cut-marks in two golden eagles, one raven, one Wolf and one lynx remain from the Mousterian levels of Axlor. The obtaining of meat was likely the primary purpose of the cut-marks on the golden eagle and lynx remains. Corvids, raptors, felids and canids in Axlor could have likely acted as commensals of the Neandertals, scavenging upon the carcasses left behind by these hunter-gatherers. This could have brought them closer to Neandertal groups who could have preyed upon them. These new results provide additional information on their dietary scope and indicate a more complex interaction between Neandertals and their environment

A Randomized Trial of Endovascular Embolization Treatment in Pelvic Congestion Syndrome: Fibered Platinum Coils versus Vascular Plugs with 1-Year Clinical Outcomes

Purpose: To compare safety and efficacy of vascular plugs (VPs) and fibered platinum coils (FPCs) for embolization in pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS). Materials and Methods A randomized, prospective, single-center study enrolled 100 women with PCS from January 2014 to January 2015. Patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups, and embolization was performed with FPCs (n = 50) or VPs (n = 50). Mean age of patients was 42.7 years ± 7.60, and mean visual analog scale (VAS) score for pelvic pain before treatment was 7.4 ± 7.60. Primary outcome (clinical success at 1 y using a VAS), number of devices, procedure and fluoroscopy times, radiation doses, costs, and complications were compared, and participants were followed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results: Clinical success and subjective improvement were not significantly different at 1-year follow-up (89.7% for FPCs vs 90.6% for VPs; P = .760). Mean number of devices per case was 18.2 ± 1.33 for FPCs and 4.1 ± 0.31 for VPs (P < .001). Three FPCs and 1 VP migrated to pulmonary vasculature approximately 3–6 months after the embolization procedure; all were retrieved without complications. The FPC group had a significantly longer fluoroscopy time (33.4 min ± 4.68 vs 19.5 min ± 6.14) and larger radiation dose (air kerma 948.0 mGy ± 248.45 vs 320.7 mGy ± 134.33) (all P < .001). Conclusions: Embolization for PCS resulted in pain relief in 90% of patients; clinical success was not affected by embolic device. VPs were associated with decreased fluoroscopy time and radiation dose

Computer vision-based analytical chemistry applied to determining iron in commercial pharmaceutical formulations

[EN] Two different computer vision-based analytical chemistry (CVAC) methods were developed to quantify iron in the commercial pharmaceutical formulations Ferbisol (R) and Ferro sanol (R). The methods involve using a digital camera or a desktop scanner to capture a digital image of a series of Fe2+ standard solutions and the unknown sample upon reaction with o-phenanthroline. The images are processed with appropriate software (e.g., the public domain programme ImageJ, from NIH) to obtain a numerical value (analytical signal) based on colour intensity. The fact that such a value is proportional to the analyte concentration allows one to construct a calibration graph from the standards and interpolate the value for the sample in order to determine its concentration. The results thus obtained were compared with those provided by a spectrophotometric method and the US Pharmacopoeia's recommended method. The differences never exceeded 2%. The two proposed methods are simple and inexpensive; also, they provide an effective instrumental alternative to spectrophotometric methods which can be especially beneficial in those cases where purchasing and maintaining a spectrophotometer is unaffordable.Solana-Altabella, A.; Sanchez-Iranzo, M.; Bueso-Bordils, J.; Lahuerta-Zamora, L.; Mellado Romero, AM. (2018). Computer vision-based analytical chemistry applied to determining iron in commercial pharmaceutical formulations. Talanta. 188:349-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2018.06.008S34935518

A simple approach to obtain hybrid Au-loaded polymeric nanoparticles with a tunable metal load

A new strategy to nanoengineer multi-functional polymer-metal hybrid nanostructures is reported. By using this protocol the hurdles of most of the current developments concerning covalent and non-covalent attachment of polymers to preformed inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) are overcome. The strategy is based on the in situ reduction of metal precursors using the polymeric nanoparticle as a nanoreactor. Gold nanoparticles and poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid), PLGA, are located in the core and shell, respectively. This novel technique enables the production of PLGA NPs smaller than 200 nm that bear either a single encapsulated Au NP or several smaller NPs with tunable sizes and a 100% loading efficiency. In situ reduction of Au ions inside the polymeric NPs was achieved on demand by using heat to activate the reductive effect of citrate ions. In addition, we show that the loading of the resulting Au NPs inside the PLGA NPs is highly dependent on the surfactant used. Electron microscopy, laser irradiation, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy characterization techniques confirm the location of Au nanoparticles. These promising results indicate that these hybrid nanomaterials could be used in theranostic applications or as contrast agents in dark-field imaging and computed tomography

Muscle thickness and echogenicity measured by ultrasound could detect local sarcopenia and malnutrition in older patients hospitalized for hip fracture

Background: The aim of this work was to assess whether the muscle thickness and echogenicity were associated with dysphagia, malnutrition, sarcopenia, and functional capacity in acute hospital admission for a hip fracture. Methods: Observational study that assessed nutritional status by Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, risk of dysphagia and sarcopenia by European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People and Barthel functional index. We measured muscle thickness and echogenicity of masseter, bicipital, and quadriceps rectus femoris (RF) and vastus intermedius (VI) by ultrasound. Results: One hundred and one patients were included in the study (29.7% sarcopenia and 43.8% malnutrition). Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index showed an inverse association of the masseter thickness with both sarcopenia (OR: 0.56) and malnutrition (OR: 0.38) and quadriceps with sarcopenia (OR: 0.74). In addition, patients at high risk of dysphagia had lower masseter thickness (p: 0.0001) while patients able to self-feeding had thicker biceps (p: 0.002) and individuals with mobility on level surfaces higher thickness of biceps (p: 0.008) and quadriceps (p: 0.04). Conclusion: Thickness of the masseter was associated with risk of dysphagia, biceps with the ability to self-feed, and that of the quadriceps RF-VI with mobility

Bayesian latent class estimation of sensitivity and specificity parameters of diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis in chronically infected herds in Northern Ireland

Publication history: Accepted - 26 April 2018; Published online - 1 May 2018.In the European Union, the recommended ante-mortem diagnostic methods for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) include the single intradermal cervical comparative tuberculin (SICCT) test and the interferon-gamma (IFN- g) test as an ancillary test. The SICCT test has a moderate sensitivity (Se) and high specificity (Sp), while the IFN-g test has good Se, but a lower Sp than the SICCT test. A retrospective Bayesian latent class analysis was conducted on 71,185 cattle from 806 herds chronically infected with bTB distributed across Northern Ireland (NI) to estimate the Se and Sp of the common ante-mortem tests and meat inspection. Analyses were also performed on data stratified by farming type and herd location to explore possible differences in test performance given the heterogeneity in the population. The mean estimates in chronically infected herds were: (1) ‘standard’ SICCT: Se 40.5–57.7%, Sp 96.3–99.7%; (2) ‘severe’ SICCT: Se 49.0%–60.6%, Sp 94.4–99.4%; (3) IFN-g(bovine–avian) using a NI optical density (OD) cut-off difference of 0.05: IFN-g(B–A)NI: Se 85.8– 93.0%, Sp 75.6–96.2%; (4) IFN-g(bovine–avian) using a standard ‘commercial’ OD cut-off difference of 0.1: IFN-g(B–A)0.1: Se 83.1–92.1%, Sp 83.1–97.3%; and (5) meat inspection: Se 49.0–57.1% Se, Sp 99.1–100%. Se estimates were lower in cattle from dairy farms than from beef farms. There were no notable differences in estimates by location of herds. Certain population characteristics, such as production type, might influence the ability of bTB tests to disclose truly infected cases.This study is part of a larger project on the evaluation of the performance characteristics of the test in chronic bTB herds in NI from 2004 to 2010. It was financed by DAERA (E&I grant code 11/ 03/10)