Working Paper 123 - Labor Market Dynamics in Tunisia: The Issue of Youth Unemployment

This paper analyzes the dynamics of the youth labor market in Tunisia using unique labor force survey data from 2005 to 2007 that include a longitudinal component. It first shows that sustained economic growth will reduce youth unemployment over the next few years. Second, forecasts indicate that the growth of private sector services has the highest potential to reduce youth unemployment. Third, the analysis of labor market characteristics reveals that young graduates experience long unemployment as they cue for high-skill jobs. Moreover, the public sector remains the main provider of employment opportunities for many graduates, in particular for women.

Labor Market Dynamics in Tunisia: The Issue of Youth Unemployment

This paper analyzes the dynamics of the youth labor market in Tunisia using unique labor force survey data from 2005 to 2007 that include a longitudinal component. It first shows that sustained economic growth will reduce youth unemployment over the next few years. Second, forecasts indicate that the growth of private sector services has the highest potential to reduce youth unemployment. Third, the analysis of labor market characteristics reveals that young graduates experience long unemployment as they cue for high-skill jobs. Moreover, the public sector remains the main provider of employment opportunities for many graduates, in particular for women.labor market, Tunisia, unemployment, youth

Experimental Investigation on Static and Dynamic Bulk Moduli of Dry and Fluid-Saturated Porous Sandstones

Knowledge of pressure-dependent static and dynamic moduli of porous reservoir rocks is of key importance for evaluating geological setting of a reservoir in geo-energy applications. We examined experimentally the evolution of static and dynamic bulk moduli for porous Bentheim sandstone with increasing confining pressure up to about 190 MPa under dry and water-saturated conditions. The static bulk moduli (K-s) were estimated from stress-volumetric strain curves while dynamic bulk moduli (K-d) were derived from the changes in ultrasonic P- and S- wave velocities (similar to 1 MHz) along different traces, which were monitored simultaneously during the entire deformation. In conjunction with published data of other porous sandstones (Berea, Navajo and Weber sandstones), our results reveal that the ratio between dynamic and static bulk moduli (K-d/K-s) reduces rapidly from about 1.5 - 2.0 at ambient pressure to about 1.1 at high pressure under dry conditions and from about 2.0 - 4.0 to about 1.5 under water-saturated conditions, respectively. We interpret such a pressure-dependent reduction by closure of narrow (compliant) cracks, highlighting thatK(d)/K(s)is positively correlated with the amount of narrow cracks. Above the crack closure pressure, where equant (stiff) pores dominate the void space,K-d/K(s)is almost constant. The enhanced difference between dynamic and static bulk moduli under water saturation compared to dry conditions is possibly caused by high pore pressure that is locally maintained if measured using high-frequency ultrasonic wave velocities. In our experiments, the pressure dependence of dynamic bulk modulus of water-saturated Bentheim sandstone at effective pressures above 5 MPa can be roughly predicted by both the effective medium theory (Mori-Tanaka scheme) and the squirt-flow model. Static bulk moduli are found to be more sensitive to narrow cracks than dynamic bulk moduli for porous sandstones under dry and water-saturated conditions

Innovative applications of biomass gasification char in adsorption and catalysis

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It takes more than agency: Linking support from teaching staff, career engagement, and movement capital among university students

Introduction: Career self-management behaviours are key to overcoming the challenges of entry into the labour market. Combining the Conservation of Resources and Career Self-management theories, this study delves into the concept of Career Engagement among Italian University students by examining its relationship with Support from teaching Staff and Movement Capital. We hypothesised a mediation model in which Support from Teaching Staff predicts Career Engagement which, in turn, fosters Movement Capital. As the pandemic led to the adoption of online learning solutions, we also explored whether and how the interaction between teachers and students during online classes moderates the said mediation relationship. Methods and results: We collected data from 276 Italian University students through an online questionnaire. Results supported the mediation hypothesis, corroborating the mediating role of Career Engagement. We also observed that this relationship is stronger at medium and higher levels of online interaction between teachers and students. Discussion: Findings contribute to existing evidence about the role of Career Engagement in facilitating career resources’ acquisition and extend the understanding of its contextual antecedents in Higher Education contexts. Results also align with the importance attributed to interaction in online learning environments. This work suggests ways to encourage career behaviours in Higher Education and equip prospective labour market entrants with career resources

The 2016 Reactivations of Main-Belt Comets 238P/Read and 288P/(300163) 2006 VW139

We report observations of the reactivations of main-belt comets 238P/Read and 288P/(300163) 2006 VW139, that also track the evolution of each object's activity over several months in 2016 and 2017. We additionally identify and analyze archival SDSS data showing 288P to be active in 2000, meaning that both 238P and 288P have now each been confirmed to be active near perihelion on three separate occasions. From data obtained of 288P from 2012-2015 when it appeared inactive, we find best-fit R-band H,G phase function parameters of H_R=16.80+/-0.12 mag and G_R=0.18+/-0.11, corresponding to effective component radii of r_c=0.80+/-0.04 km, assuming a binary system with equally-sized components. Fitting linear functions to ejected dust masses inferred for 238P and 288P soon after their observed reactivations in 2016, we find an initial average net dust production rate of 0.7+/-0.3 kg/s and a best-fit start date of 2016 March 11 (when the object was at a true anomaly of -63 deg) for 238P, and an initial average net dust production rate of 5.6+/-0.7 kg/s and a best-fit start date of 2016 August 5 (when the object was at a true anomaly of -27 deg) for 288P. Applying similar analyses to archival data, we find similar start points for previous active episodes for both objects, suggesting that minimal mantle growth or ice recession occurred between the active episodes in question. Some changes in dust production rates between active episodes are detected, however. More detailed dust modeling is suggested to further clarify the process of activity evolution in main-belt comets.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted by A

Comparative evolution between privates gardens’ flora of a Luberon village (Lauris, Vaucluse) and Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône)

Durant les trente dernières années, l’attractivité de la région Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur a conduit à une forte urbanisation du littoral et récemment des communes de l’arrière-pays. Or l’urbanisation est une des causes majeures de l’homogénéisation biotique, processus de remplacement au cours du temps des espèces natives par des espèces exotiques. Ces changements de communautés amènent à se questionner sur l’évolution de la biodiversité dans les territoires urbanisés. À travers l’étude de deux sites aux histoires d’urbanisation similaires, Lauris (Vaucluse) et Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), nous avons évalué le processus d’homogénéisation taxonomique de la flore spontanée des jardins privatifs entre les sites et au sein de chaque site, selon un gradient d’urbanisation. Cette évaluation s’est basée sur l’utilisation d’indices d’homogénéisation intégrant la flore spontanée native et exotique. Si on observe à l’échelle régionale un processus de différenciation entre les jardins de Lauris et de Marseille, l’analyse selon le gradient met en évidence une homogénéisation de la flore spontanée des jardins dans les zones périurbaines et un processus de différenciation de la flore en centre urbain. À l’échelle locale, la flore spontanée des jardins de Marseille est dans un processus de différenciation plus avancé le long du gradient d’urbanisation par rapport à celle de Lauris. Les perturbations urbaines plus anciennes et plus fortes à Marseille pourraient expliquer en partie ce résultat. Par ailleurs, la similarité de la flore cultivée a été quantifiée afin de discuter de son éventuel impact sur les communautés végétales. Les espèces cultivées créent une similarité entre les jardins plus forte que la flore spontanée à l’échelle régionale participant ainsi à une standardisation visuelle de la flore des jardins des milieux urbains.During last 30 years, PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur) region attractiveness induce high coastal urbanization and recently in hinterland region. But urbanization is one of major cause of biotic homogenization, a process where native species are replaced through time by exotic species. These communities changes led to question the evolution in urban areas. The study of spontaneous garden flora in two sites under similar urbanization history, Lauris (Vaucluse) and Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), allowed us to assess homogenization taxonomic process that occur between and within two sites along an urbanization gradient. This evaluation based on homogenization index integrate exotic and native flora. At regional scale, differentiation process process was observed between gardens of Lauris and Marseille. Analysis along urbanization gradient highlights spontaneous flora homogenization in suburban area, and differentiation process in urban center. At local scale, spontaneous flora of Marseille ’s gardens was in diferenciation process more advance along urbanization gradient than Lauris. Older and stronger urban perturbations in Marseille could explain a part of these results. Moreover cultivated flora similarity was quantified to assess its impact on floral community. Because cultivated species induce higher similarity between gardens than spontaneous flora at regional scale, it creates a visual standardization of flora garden in urban area

Exercise training in group 2 pulmonary hypertension: which intensity and what modality

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left-sided heart disease (LSHD) is a common and disconcerting occurrence. For example, both heart failure (HF) with preserved and reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF and HFrEF) often lead to PH as a consequence of a chronic elevation in left atrial filling pressure. A wealth of literature demonstrates the value of exercise training (ET) in patients with LSHD, which is particularly robust in patients with HFrEF and growing in patients with HFpEF. While the effects of ET have not been specifically explored in the LSHD–PH phenotype (i.e., composite pathophysiologic characteristics of patients in this advanced disease state), the overall body of evidence supports clinical application in this subgroup. Moderate intensity aerobic ET significantly improves peak oxygen consumption, quality of life and prognosis in patients with HF. Resistance ET significantly improves muscle strength and endurance in patients with HF, which further enhance functional capacity. When warranted, inspiratory muscle training and neuromuscular electrical stimulation are becoming recognized as important components of a comprehensive rehabilitation program. This review will provide a detailed account of ET programing considerations in patients with LSHD with a particular focus on those concomitantly diagnosed with PH

Prise en compte de la diversité végétale arborée chez les paysagistes

Cet article vise à interroger la relation entre la diversité arborée et la pratique du projet de paysage à travers la littérature existante d’histoire des jardins publiée au cours des trois derniers siècles. La lecture de ces documents a permis d’identifier quatre grandes « ères » qui ont non seulement fait évoluer des manières de penser et de dessiner les projets, mais aussi d’intégrer et de conduire l’arbre dans les aménagements de grands parcs et domaines privés du xviie siècle à ceux d’aujourd’hui, rendus publics et urbains. Ainsi, du xviie au xxe siècle, de l’art des jardins classique à l’urbanisme fonctionnaliste, nous verrons comment il est déjà possible de dégager des paramètres d’organisation, de structure et de fonctionnement qui témoignent avant l’heure d’une dimension de la diversité arborée. Cela a pour objectif de replacer dans l’histoire cet élément de nature présent dans les villes comme un vecteur et/ou un support de biodiversité.This article focuses on the relation between arborescent plant diversity and the landscape project in the literature of the history of gardens published during the last three centuries. The study if these documents has made it possible to identify four major “eras” which not only contributed to changing the way of thinking about and designing projects, but also integrated and used the arborescent plant as a defining component in the development of major parks and private domains from the 17th century up until today, and which have now become public and urban spaces. Thus, from the 17th to the 20th century, spanning from the art of classic gardens to the trend of functional urbanism, the article shows how it is possible to identify the parameters relating to forms of organisation, structure and practise which point to the early presence of tree diversity. The objective is to place within the historical framework this natural element present in cities as a vector of and/or a support for biodiversity