La qualification ouvrière en Suisse : vers un système à deux vitesses ?

Depuis cinquante ans, la Suisse a opté pour un processus de qualification ouvrière de type professionnel, centré sur l’apprentissage. Que devient aujourd’hui ce processus confronté à l’augmentation des exigences qualitatives en matière de formation, à la pénurie de main-d’oeuvre qualifiée et au chômage persistant ? Cet article fait un état de la situation, des évolutions en cours, ainsi que des enjeux sous-jacents, en s’appuyant sur les études menées par l’auteur dans trois branches d’activités différentes : la restauration, l’horlogerie et la fabrication de machines.For the last fifty years, Switzerland has been applying a strongly occupational system of worker qualification focusing on apprenticeship. How is this process responding these days to the increasing qualitative requirements as far as vocational training, the shortage of skilled workers and the persistent unemployment figures are concerned? It is proposed here to take stock of the situation and to describe current trends as well as the challenges involved, based on surveys carried out by the author in the catering, clock-making and machine production sectors.Seit 50 Jahren hat sich die Schweiz bei der Fachausbildung von Arbeitern für ein System entschieden, das die Lehrausbildung in den Mittelpunkt stellt. Wie steht es heute mit diesem Verfahren gegenüber den immer höher werdenden Qualitätsanforderungen in der Ausbildung, dem Mangel an qualifizierten Arbeitskräften und der anhaltenden Arbeitslosigkeit? Vorliegender Artikel beschreibt die derzeitige Situation, die laufenden Entwicklungen und die unterschwelligen Herausforderungen anhand von Untersuchungen, die der Autor in drei verschiedenen Gewerbebereichen durchgeführt hat: im Hotel- und Gaststättengewerbe, in der Uhrenindustrie und der Maschinenherstellung

La qualification ouvrière en Suisse : vers un système à deux vitesses ?

Depuis cinquante ans, la Suisse a opté pour un processus de qualification ouvrière de type professionnel, centré sur l’apprentissage. Que devient aujourd’hui ce processus confronté à l’augmentation des exigences qualitatives en matière de formation, à la pénurie de main-d’oeuvre qualifiée et au chômage persistant ? Cet article fait un état de la situation, des évolutions en cours, ainsi que des enjeux sous-jacents, en s’appuyant sur les études menées par l’auteur dans trois branches d’activités différentes : la restauration, l’horlogerie et la fabrication de machines.For the last fifty years, Switzerland has been applying a strongly occupational system of worker qualification focusing on apprenticeship. How is this process responding these days to the increasing qualitative requirements as far as vocational training, the shortage of skilled workers and the persistent unemployment figures are concerned? It is proposed here to take stock of the situation and to describe current trends as well as the challenges involved, based on surveys carried out by the author in the catering, clock-making and machine production sectors.Seit 50 Jahren hat sich die Schweiz bei der Fachausbildung von Arbeitern für ein System entschieden, das die Lehrausbildung in den Mittelpunkt stellt. Wie steht es heute mit diesem Verfahren gegenüber den immer höher werdenden Qualitätsanforderungen in der Ausbildung, dem Mangel an qualifizierten Arbeitskräften und der anhaltenden Arbeitslosigkeit? Vorliegender Artikel beschreibt die derzeitige Situation, die laufenden Entwicklungen und die unterschwelligen Herausforderungen anhand von Untersuchungen, die der Autor in drei verschiedenen Gewerbebereichen durchgeführt hat: im Hotel- und Gaststättengewerbe, in der Uhrenindustrie und der Maschinenherstellung

Actividad del extracto etanólico de las hojas de Machaerium floribundum contra bacterias que inducen el acné y su efecto citoprotector y antioxidante sobre fibroblastos

Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus have been recognized as the bacteria that are involved in the inflammatory process of acne, while oxidants and antioxidants are involved in the repair of cutaneous tissue affected. In this study an evaluation was made of the antibacterial effect by the agar diffusion and broth dilution method, the cytoprotective and antioxidant effect on 3T3 dermic fibroblast cells, treated with hydrogen peroxide and the scavenging capacity of free radicals was determined by the 2, 2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method as well as the Reducing Power of the ethanolic extracts of the leaves of the Machaerium floribundum. Minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were obtained against Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus of 5 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL, respectively. A cytoprotective effect of 111% was observed over the cellular viability of the fibroblasts at 10 μg/mL and an antioxidant effect of 92% over the viability of the fibroblasts treated with hydrogen peroxide at 25 μg/mL. A stimulation of 24% growth of fibroblasts at 50 μg/mL was evidenced. On the other hand a 93% scavenging activity of the DPPH free radical was shown for 100 μg/mL with a CI50 of 34 μg/mL. The reducing power was evidenced to be dependent on the concentration. The results obtained indicated that the ethanolic extract of Machaerium floribundum shows a good antibacterial activity against bacteria that induce acne and a high potential for scavenging of free radicals at relatively low concentrations.Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis y Staphylococcus aureus han sido reconocidas como las bacterias involucradas en el proceso inflamatorio del acné, mientras que oxidantes y antioxidantes han sido implicados en la reparación del tejido cutáneo afectado. El presente estudio evaluó el efecto antibacteriano por el método de difusión en agar y dilución en caldo; el efecto citoprotector y antioxidante sobre células de fibroblastos dérmicos 3T3, tratadas con peróxido de hidrogeno; se determinó la capacidad secuestrante de radicales libres por el método del 2,2-difenil-2-picrihidracil (DPPH) y el poder reductor de los extractos etanólicos de las hojas de Machaerium floribundum. El extracto mostro una CMB de 5mg/mL y 2mg/mL para P. acnes y S. aureus, respectivamente. Se observó un efecto citoprotector sobre la viabilidad celular de los fibroblastos de 111% a 10 μg/mL y antioxidante mostrado sobre la viabilidad de los fibroblastos tratados con peróxido de hidrogeno de 92% a 25 μg/mL. Se evidencio estimulación del crecimiento de fibroblastos de 24% a 50 μg/mL. Por otra parte se mostró actividad secuestrante del radical libre DPPH de 93% a 100 μg/mL, con una CI50 34 μg/ mL. El poder reductor evidencio ser dependiente de la concentración. Los resultados indicaron que el extracto etanólico de Machaerium floribundum presenta una buena actividad antibacteriana contra las bacterias que inducen el acné y un alto potencial secuestrante de radicales libres a concentraciones relativamente bajas

The demand for money in developing countries: Assessing the role of financial innovation

Traditional specifications of money demand have been commonly plagU4:!d by persistent overprediction, implausible parameter estimates, and highly autocorrelated errors. This paper argues that some of those problems stem from the failure to account for the impact of financial innovation. We estimate money demand for ten developing countries employing various proxies for the innovation process and provide an assessment of the relative importance of this variable. We find that financial innovation plays an important role in determining money demand and its fluctuations, and that the importance of this role increases with the rate of inflation.

Assessment of pre-clinical liver models based on their ability to predict the liver-tropism of AAV vectors

The liver is a prime target for in vivo gene therapies using recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV). Multiple clinical trials have been undertaken for this target in the past 15 years, however we are still to see market approval of the first liver-targeted AAV-based gene therapy. Inefficient expression of the therapeutic transgene, vector-induced liver toxicity and capsid, and/or transgene-mediated immune responses reported at high vector doses are the main challenges to date. One of the contributing factors to the insufficient clinical outcomes, despite highly encouraging preclinical data, is the lack of robust, biologically- and clinically-predictive preclinical models. To this end, this study reports findings of a functional evaluation of six AAV vectors in twelve preclinical models of the human liver, with the aim to uncover which combination of models is the most relevant for the identification of AAV capsid variant for safe and efficient transgene delivery to primary human hepatocytes. The results, generated by studies in models ranging from immortalized cells, iPSC-derived and primary hepatocytes, and primary human hepatic organoids to in vivo models, increased our understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of each system. This should allow the development of novel gene therapies targeting the human liver

Tumor Growth Suppressive Effect of IL-4 Through p21-Mediated Activation of STAT6 in IL-4Rα Overexpressed Melanoma Models

To evaluate the significance of interleukin 4 (IL-4) in tumor development, we compared B16F10 melanoma growth in IL-4-overespressing transgenic mice (IL-4 mice) and non-transgenic mice. In IL-4 mice, reduced tumor volume and weight were observed when compared with those of non-transgenic mice. Significant activation of DNA binding activity of STAT6, phosphorylation of STAT6 as well as IL-4, IL-4Rα and p21 expression were found in the tumor tissues of IL-4 mice compared to non-transgenic mice. Higher expression of IL-4, STAT6 and p21 in human melanoma tissue compared to normal human skin tissue was also found. Higher expression of apoptotic protein such as cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8, cleaved caspase-9, Bax, p53 and p21, but lower expression levels of survival protein such as Bcl-2 were found in the tumor of IL-4 mice. In vitro study, we found that overexpression of IL-4 significantly inhibited SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cell and B16F10 murine melanoma cell growth via p21-mediated activation of STAT6 pathway as well as increased expression of apoptotic cell death proteins. Moreover, p21 knockdown with siRNA abolished IL-4 induced activation of STAT6 and expression of p53 and p21 accompanied with reduced IL-4 expression as well as melanoma cell growth inhibition. Therefore, these results showed that IL-4 overexpression suppressed tumor development through p21-mediated activation of STAT6 pathways in melanoma models

Particulate matter exposure during pregnancy is associated with birth weight, but not gestational age, 1962-1992: a cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exposure to air pollutants is suggested to adversely affect fetal growth, but the evidence remains inconsistent in relation to specific outcomes and exposure windows.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using birth records from the two major maternity hospitals in Newcastle upon Tyne in northern England between 1961 and 1992, we constructed a database of all births to mothers resident within the city. Weekly black smoke exposure levels from routine data recorded at 20 air pollution monitoring stations were obtained and individual exposures were estimated via a two-stage modeling strategy, incorporating temporally and spatially varying covariates. Regression analyses, including 88,679 births, assessed potential associations between exposure to black smoke and birth weight, gestational age and birth weight standardized for gestational age and sex.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Significant associations were seen between black smoke and both standardized and unstandardized birth weight, but not for gestational age when adjusted for potential confounders. Not all associations were linear. For an increase in whole pregnancy black smoke exposure, from the 1^st(7.4 μg/m³) to the 25^th(17.2 μg/m³), 50^th(33.8 μg/m³), 75^th(108.3 μg/m³), and 90^th(180.8 μg/m³) percentiles, the adjusted estimated decreases in birth weight were 33 g (SE 1.05), 62 g (1.63), 98 g (2.26) and 109 g (2.44) respectively. A significant interaction was observed between socio-economic deprivation and black smoke on both standardized and unstandardized birth weight with increasing effects of black smoke in reducing birth weight seen with increasing socio-economic disadvantage.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings of this study progress the hypothesis that the association between black smoke and birth weight may be mediated through intrauterine growth restriction. The associations between black smoke and birth weight were of the same order of magnitude as those reported for passive smoking. These findings add to the growing evidence of the harmful effects of air pollution on birth outcomes.</p

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

The downward spiral of mental disorders and educational attainment: a systematic review on early school leaving.

BACKGROUND: Most psychiatric disorders present symptom patterns that cause severe impairment on the emotional, cognitive and social level. Thus, adolescents who suffer from a mental disorder risk finding themselves in a downward spiral caused by the reciprocal association of psychological symptoms and negative school experiences that may culminate in early school leaving. In addition to previous collective work that mainly focused on school refusing behaviour among children and was presented as an expert's opinion, the following systematic review fills the knowledge gap by providing a structured overview of the bidirectional association between mental health and secondary school dropout based on a sound methodology and with a particular focus on mediating factors. METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched from January 1990 until June 2014. Selected references were assessed for study details, main results, mediating factors and methodological limitations. Standardized risk of bias assessment was conducted. RESULTS: Mood and anxiety disorders seemed to have a less consequential direct effect on early school leaving than substance use and disruptive behaviour disorders. The association between externalizing disorders and educational attainment was even stronger when the disorder occurred early in life. On the other hand, internalizing disorders were reported to develop as a consequence of school dropout. Only few studies had addressed gender differences, with discrepant results. Socio-economic background, academic achievement and family support were identified as significant mediating factors of the association between mental disorders and subsequent educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggested a strong association between mental health and education, in both directions. However, most studies focused on mediating factors that could not be targeted by intervention programs