Reemployment and substitution effects from increased activation: Evidence from times of crisis

Although activation services such as monitoring, training, or job subsidies have been shown to increase exits from unemployment, there is little comprehensive evidence about the effects of activation during recessions. Here we evaluate a large activation programme introduced in Portugal in 2012, a time of very high unemployment. This programme required specific unemployment benefit recipients to meet jobcentre caseworkers and then participate in active labour market policies. Our analysis draws on rich longitudinal data, the programme’s focus on those unemployed for at least six months, and fuzzy regression discontinuity methods. We find that, despite the weak labour market, the programme is very successful as it doubles the monthly reemployment probability. The results are robust to a number of checks, including a falsification exercise based on pre-programme data and an analysis of non-employment and income effects. Moreover, in a novel IV approach using information on all unemployed, we find no evidence of substitution effects such as decreased transitions to employment amongst non-eligible individuals.N/

A historical cohort study

OK Funding Information: Catarina R. Palma dos Reis acknowledges support from a Clarendon Fund Scholarship. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).Introduction: The velocity of fetal deterioration in fetal growth restriction is extremely variable, which makes monitoring and counseling very challenging. The soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase to placental growth factor (sFlt1/PlGF) ratio provides a readout of the vasoactive environment that correlates with preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction and that could be useful to predict fetal deterioration. Previous studies showed a correlation between higher sFlt1/PlGF ratios and lower gestational ages at birth, although it is unclear whether this is due to the increased incidence of preeclampsia. Our goal was to evaluate whether the sFlt1/PlGF ratio predicts faster fetal deterioration in early fetal growth restriction. Material and methods: This was a historical cohort study in a tertiary maternity hospital. Data from singleton pregnancies with early fetal growth restriction (diagnosed before 32 gestational weeks) confirmed after birth monitored between January 2016 and December 2020 were retrieved from clinical files. Cases of chromosomal/fetal abnormalities, infection and medical terminations of pregnancy were excluded. The sFlt1/PlGF ratio was acquired at diagnosis of early fetal growth restriction in our unit. The correlation of log10 sFlt1/PlGF with latency to delivery/fetal demise was assessed with linear, logistic (positive sFlt1/PlGF if >85) and Cox regression excluding deliveries for maternal conditions and controlling for preeclampsia, gestational age at time of ratio test, maternal age and smoking during pregnancy. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis tested the performance of sFlt1/PlGF ratio in predicting delivery for fetal reasons in the following week. Results: 125 patients were included. Mean sFlt1/PlGF ratio was 91.2 (SD 148.7) and 28% of patients had a positive ratio. A higher log10 sFlt1/PlGF ratio predicted shorter latency for delivery/fetal demise in linear regression after controlling for confounders, β = −3.001, (−3.713 to −2.288). Logistic regression with ratio positivity confirmed these findings (latency for delivery 5.7 ± 3.32 weeks for ratios ≤85 vs 1.9 ± 1.52 weeks for ratios >85); β = −0.698 (−1.064 to −0.332). Adjusted Cox regression showed that a positive ratio confers a significantly positive hazard ratio (HR) for earlier delivery/fetal demise, HR 9.869 (5.061–19.243). ROC analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.847 (SE ± 0.06). Conclusions: sFlt1/PlGF ratio is correlated with faster fetal deterioration in early fetal growth restriction, independently of preeclampsia.publishersversionepub_ahead_of_prin

Children's exposure to indoor air in schools: Impact on wheezing

Wheezing is a common symptom in childhood and has been associated with air pollution. Children spend a large part of their time in school, this being the most important indoor environment apart from home. However, studies on the impact of children's indoor air pollution exposure at schools on respiratory health are scarce. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of children's exposure to indoor air pollution in a total of five urban nursery and primary schools on active wheezing. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations, adjusted for sex, age group (pre-school/primary school) and parental history of asthma. A microenvironmental modelling approach was used to estimate indoor air pollution exposure to each of the pollutants exceeding legislation limit values (CO2, formaldehyde and PM2.5), as the sum of the product of time spent by the child in different indoor school microenvironments and the time-averaged concentration measured in each microenvironment. Measurements were performed in 11 classrooms, two bedrooms and two canteens in Porto, Portugal. A total of 164 completed parent-reported questionnaires derived from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood allowed to identify active wheezing (at least one wheeze episode in the previous 12 months) in 16.5% of the studied children. Although not statistically significant, the studied children's exposure to indoor air pollution in nursery and primary schools seemed to be associated with an increase in the odds of having active wheezing especially for PM2.5 (OR = 1.57, p-value = 0.675). These results highlight the importance of applying indoor air pollution mitigation measures in nursery and primary schools. The impacts of those measures, on both indoor air quality and children's respiratory health, should be evaluated in future studies. (c) 2019 WIT Pres

Integrative analysis reveals the divergence and speciation between sister Sooty Copper butterflies Lycaena bleusei and L. tityrus

The comparison of closely related taxa is cornerstone in biology, as understanding mechanisms leading up to differentiation in relation to extant shared characters are powerful tools in interpreting the evolutionary process. Hotspots of biodiversity such as the west-Mediterranean, where many lineages meet are ideal grounds to study these processes. We set to explore the interesting example of Sooty Copper butterflies: widespread Eurasian Lycaena tityrus (Poda, 1761) comes into contact in Iberia with closely related and local endemic, L. bleusei (Oberthür, 1884), which hasn’t always been considered a distinct species. An integrative analysis was designed, combining the use of extensive molecular data (five genes), geometric morphometrics analyses, verified and up-to-date distribution data, and environmental niche modelling, aimed at deciphering their true relationship, their placement within European Lycaena and trace their evolutionary history. We revealed several levels of differentiation: L. bleusei and L. tityrus appear to be reciprocally monophyletic independent gene-pools, distinct in all genes analysed, having mutually diverged 4.8 Ma ago. L. tityrus but not L. bleusei, further displays a genetic structure compatible with several glacial refugia, where populations assignable to infraspecific taxa surface. Conversely, L. bleusei shows a loss in mtDNA diversity in relation to nuDNA. Morphological analyses differentiate both species according to size and shape but also discriminate strong seasonal and sexual traits and a geographical phenotype segregation in L. tityrus. Finally, updated distribution and its modelling for current and glacial timeframes reveal both species respond differently to environmental variables, defining a mostly parapatric distribution and an overlapping belt where sympatry was recovered. During the last glacial maximum, a wider expansion in L. bleusei distribution explains current isolated populations. Our study highlights the importance of gathering several lines of evidence when deciphering the relationships between closely related populations in the fringe of cryptic species realm.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Real-Time Demonstration of Low-Complexity Time-Domain Chromatic Dispersion Equalization

We demonstrate real-time CD equalization (CDE) for coherent optical transmission systems using a low complexity time-domain (TD) multiplierless finite-impulse response (FIR)-based equalizer, based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation. The real-time operation is performed for a single-channel 2.5 Gb/s QPSK optical signal with a performance penalty of only 0.15 dB with respect to the maximum performance. The hardware complexity is also evaluated in terms of occupation in a Virtex-6 FPGA-XC6VLX240T, revealing the high efficiency of the proposed CDE algorithm

XRD Identification of Ore Minerals during Cruises: Refinement of Extraction Procedure with Sodium Acetate Buffer

The on-board identification of ore minerals during a cruise is often postponed until long after the cruise is over. During the M127 cruise, 21 cores with deep-seafloor sediments were recovered in the Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse (TAG) field along the Mid Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Sediments were analyzed on-board for physicochemical properties such as lightness (L*), pH and Eh. Selected samples were studied for mineral composition by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Based on XRD data, sediment samples were separated into high-, low- and non-carbonated. Removal of carbonates is a common technique in mineralogical studies in which HCl is used as the extraction agent. In the present study, sequential extraction was performed with sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.0) to remove carbonates. The ratio between the highest calcite XRD reflection in the original samples (Iorig) vs its XRD-reflection in samples after their treatment with the buffer (Itreat) was used as a quantitative parameter of calcite removal, as well as to identify minor minerals in carbonated samples (when Iorig/Itreat > 24). It was found that the lightness parameter (L*) showed a positive correlation with calcite XRD reflection in selected TAG samples, and this could be applied to the preliminary on-board determination of extraction steps with acetate buffer (pH 5.0) in carbonated sediment samples. The most abundant minerals detected in carbonated samples were quartz and Al- and Fe-rich clays. Other silicates were also detected (e.g., calcic plagioclase, montmorillonite, nontronite). In non-carbonated samples, Fe oxides and hydroxides (goethite and hematite, respectively) were detected. Pyrite was the dominant hydrothermal mineral and Cu sulfides (chalcopyrite, covellite) and hydrothermal Mn oxides (birnessite and todorokite) were mineral phases identified in few samples, whereas paratacamite was detected in the top 20 cm of the core. The present study demonstrates that portable XRD analysis makes it possible to characterize mineralogy at cored sites, in particular in both low- and high-carbonated samples, before the end of most cruises, thus enabling the quick modification of exploration strategies in light of new information as it becomes available in near-real time

Mechanical pruning and soil organic amendments in vineyards of Syrah: effects on wine mineral composition

The interaction of mechanized pruning systems and soil organic amendment can affect vine vegetative and reproductive growth. However, since organic amendments supply several mineral elements, namely heavy metals, this study aimed to understand the effects of the interaction between these two practices on the mineral composition of wine. Two field trials were implemented in ‘Syrah’ vineyards in two Portuguese wine regions (Lisboa and Tejo). Mechanical hedge pruning was compared with hand spur pruning and four different organic amendments were tested: biochar, municipal solid waste compost, cattle manure and sewage sludge. The nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) wine contents were significantly reduced by mechanical pruning while calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) contents were tendentially higher in this pruning system. Mechanical pruning also reduced the content of some minor elements, such as arsenic (As), molybdenum (Mo) and nickel (Ni). In 2014, the year with the higher reproductive growth, some other elements also decreased as a consequence of the mechanical pruning (gallium - Ga; lithium – Li; rubidium - Rb, thallium – Tl; yttrium - Y). Concerning the organic amendments, sewage sludge was associated with the wines with the lowest P and iron (Fe) content. Ca content was tendentially higher in municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge treatments. Mechanical pruning and organic amendments had different effects on the mineral composition of wine, according to each specific element. However, the legal limits, recommended by OIV and established by European Union, as well as the technical limits, adopted by winemakers, were never exceeded and the interaction of both practices does not seem to be a problem in what concerns to the mineral composition of the produced winesA interação entre a poda mecânica e a aplicação de corretivos orgânicos ao solo pode afetar o crescimento vegetativo e reprodutivo da videira. No entanto, uma vez que os corretivos orgânicos fornecem vários elementos minerais, nomeadamente metais pesados, este estudo teve como objetivo compreender os efeitos da interação entre estas duas práticas na composição mineral do vinho. Foram implementados dois ensaios em vinhas de ‘Syrah’, em duas regiões vitivinícolas Portuguesas (Lisboa e Tejo). A poda mecânica em sebe foi comparada com a poda manual e quatro diferentes corretivos orgânicos foram testados: biochar, resíduos sólidos urbanos compostados, estrume de bovino e lamas de uma estação de tratamento de águas residuais. Os teores de azoto (N), fósforo (P) e potássio (K) no vinho foram significativamente reduzidos pela poda mecânica, enquanto os teores de cálcio (Ca) e magnésio (Mg) foram tendencialmente maiores neste sistema de poda. A poda mecânica também reduziu o teor de alguns elementos minoritários, como arsénio (As), molibdénio (Mo) e níquel (Ni). Em 2014, o ano de maior crescimento vegetativo e reprodutivo, alguns outros elementos também foram reduzidos pela poda mecânica (gálio - Ga; lítio – Li; rubídio – Rb; tálio – Tl; ítrio Y). No que diz respeito aos corretivos orgânicos, as lamas de depuração produziram os vinhos com os menores teores de P e ferro (Fe). O teor de Ca foi tendencialmente mais elevado na modalidade com resíduos sólidos urbanos compostados e lamas de estação de tratamento de águas residuais. A poda mecânica e os corretivos orgânicos tiveram efeitos diferentes na composição mineral do vinho, de acordo com cada elemento específico. No entanto, os limites legais, recomendados pela OIV e estabelecidos pela legislação da União Europeia, e os limites técnicos adotados pelos enólogos nunca foram ultrapassados, pelo que a interação de ambas as práticas não parece ser um problema no que diz respeito à composição mineral dos vinhos produzidosinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Upregulation of tRNA-Ser-AGA-2-1 promotes malignant behavior in normal bronchial cells

Serine tRNAs (tRNASer) are frequently overexpressed in tumors and associated with poor prognosis and increased risk of recurrence in breast cancer. Impairment of tRNA biogenesis and abundance also impacts proteome homeostasis, and activates protein quality control systems. Herein, we aimed at testing whether increasing tRNASer abundance could foster tumor establishment through activation of the UPR. In order to do so, firstly we confirmed that the expression of tRNA-Ser-AGA-2-1 [hereafter tRNASer(AGA)] was upregulated by 1.79-fold in Stage I NSCLC tumors when compared to normal adjacent tissue. To study the impact of tRNASer(AGA) in early stage tumorigenesis, we induced its upregulation in a non-tumoral bronchial cell line, BEAS-2B. Upregulation of this tRNA increased cellular proliferation and protein synthesis rate, driven by eIF2α dephosphorylation and ATF4 activation downstream of PERK signaling. Futhermore, tRNASer(AGA) enhanced transformation potential in vitro, and promoted the establishment of slow growing tumors with aggressive features in nude mice. Our work highlights the importance of studying tRNA deregulation on early stage tumorigenesis, as they may be potential malignancy and aggressiveness biomarkers.publishe

Structural differences on cell wall polysaccharides of brewer's spent Saccharomyces and microarray binding profiles with immune receptors

Funding Information: This work was financial supported by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia , I.P. within the project “Yeast4FoodMed” ( POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030936 and PTDC/BAA-AGR/30936/2017 ) and LAQV/REQUIMTE ( UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020 ) through national funds and, where applicable, co-financed by the FEDER , within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. This work was also financed by national funds from FCT , in the scope of the project UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences - UCIBIO and the project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy - i4HB. Rita Bastos ( PD/BD/114579/2016 ), Viviana G. Correia ( PD/BD/105727/2014 ) and Angelina S. Palma ( PTDC/BIA-MIB/31730/2017 ) were supported by FCT . Elisabete Coelho (CDL-CTTRI-88-ARH/2018 - REF. 049-88-ARH/2018 ) and Benedita Pinheiro thank the research contracts funded by FCT through program DL 57/2016 – Norma transitória. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The AuthorsBrewing practice uses the same yeast to inoculate the following fermentation (repitching). Saccharomyces pastorianus, used to produce Lager beer, is widely reused, not changing its fermentation performance. However, S. cerevisiae, used to produce Ale beer, is partial or not even reused, due to its poor performance. It is hypothesized that cells modulate their wall polysaccharides to increase the cell-wall strength. In this work industrial S. cerevisiae and S. pastorianus brewer's spent yeasts with different repitching numbers were studied. Glucans were the main component of S. cerevisiae whereas mannoproteins were abundant in S. pastorianus. The major changes were noticed on glucans of both species, β1,3-glucans decrease more pronounced in S. cerevisiae. The increase of α1,4-Glc, related with osmotolerance, was higher in S. cerevisiae while β1,4-Glc, related with cell-wall strength, had a small increase. In addition, these structural details showed different binding profiles to immune receptors, important to develop tailored bioactive applications.publishersversionpublishe

Population genomics of Bombus terrestris reveals high but unstructured genetic diversity in a potential glacial refugium

Ongoing climate change is expected to cause an increase in temperature and a reduction of precipitation levels in the Mediterranean region, which might cause changes in many species distributions. These effects negatively influence species gene pools, decreasing genetic variability and adaptive potential. Here, we use mitochondrial DNA and RADseq to analyse population genetic structure and genetic diversity of the bumblebee species Bombus terrestris (subspecies Bombus terrestris lusitanicus), in the Iberian Peninsula. Although this subspecies shows a panmictic pattern of population structure across Iberia and beyond, we found differentiation between subspecies B. t. lusitanicus and B. t. africanus, probably caused by the existence of barriers to gene flow between Iberia and North Africa. Furthermore, the results revealed that the Iberian Peninsula harbours a large fraction of B. terrestris intraspecific genetic variation, with the highest number of mitochondrial haplotypes found when compared with any other region in Europe studied so far, suggesting a potential role for the Iberian Peninsula as a glacial refugium. Our findings strengthen the idea that Iberia is a very important source of diversity for the global genetic pool of this species, because rare alleles might play a role in population resilience against human- or climate-mediated changes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio