The inequality effect in the well-being of European OECD countries: a new perspective on data addressing the multidimensionality of the concepts

Social inequality refers to the uneven distribution of resources in a society that can lead to systematically and unfair advantages/disadvantages in peoples’ life circumstances and opportunities. In populations all over the world, people with fewer resources have worse chances in life, health and well-being. Additionally, inequality hinders not only the people on the bottom of the social rank, but also the general population: in more unequal societies there is a higher incidence of a wide range of health and social problems such as criminality and poverty, fewer chances of economic growth, and higher unbalances in political representation, that can seriously undermine the fairness of political and economic institutions. Despite the consistence of its implications, social inequality is not a one-dimensional construct. Addressing social inequalities, implies not only addressing the degree of concentration or dispersion of valued goods, but also the correlation among these valuable features, and their plural implications in peoples' life circumstances – a multidimensional approach of social inequality is therefore advised. We explore the well-being inequalities in Europe building upon the OECD Framework For Measuring Well-Being And Progress. In this scope, well-being is understood as a multidimensional concept, framed by material conditions, quality of life and sustainability, and expressed by eleven well-being dimensions – income and wealth, jobs and earnings, housing, health, education, work-life balance, environment, social connections, civic engagement, safety and subjective well-being. Taking European Social Survey as the main empirical source, the interplay between key distributional (education, income) and categorical (gender, social class) dimensions of social inequalities in well-being and well-being profiles was studied, under two levels of analysis of the OECD European social space – transnational (across individuals) and national (across countries). Social inequalities on well-being scores and well-being profiles were identified. Higher education, higher income, and belonging to a more privileged social class positively influence well-being; men tend to present higher well-being than women. The four well-being profiles identified among Europeans were shown to be clearly structured by social inequalities, opposing higher- and lower- qualified socio-occupations, and males and females' life circumstances (Low-wage earners well-being profile, Elite well-being profile, Female well-being profile, Male well-being profile). At a country level, profiles are mostly defined in terms of volume of well-being, expressing regional affiliations (with a exception of one profile) and asymmetries of income, education, and class structures (Nordic high-rank well-being profile; Central Europe medium-rank well-being profile; Southern Europe medium-rank well-being profile; Eastern Europe low-rank well-being profile; Social disengagement low-rank well-being profile). The developed analysis confirms the existence of multidimensional intersections between well-being and categorical and distributive social structuring variables.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The left and right hands of the Portuguese state: Welfare retrenchment of public employment

This article focuses on welfare retrenchment in Portugal by analysing the evolution of public sector employment up until 2013. A multidimensional analysis of the structure of public employment in the Portuguese state was developed, theoretically guided by the ‘hands of the state’ model proposed by Bourdieu, which divides the main functions of contemporary states between its left hand (more redistributive) and its right hand (more rational economic-oriented). Bourdieu’s approach is especially useful in addressing the transformations of the Portuguese public employment between 1979 and 2013, characterized by specific economic, social and political changes. In 2013 – a year in which the adjustment measures agreed by the Portuguese government, the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund during the global crisis were especially intense – we observed the tendency towards the disqualification of public employment and the shrinking of the left hand of the Portuguese state. Public policy orientations in the areas of education and science were particularly troubling, considering the structural backwardness the country faces in these fields in the context of the European Union.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Supercritical fluid processing of natural based polymers doped with ionic liquids

Some approaches have been developed in our group to investigate the role of ionic liquids as process and property modifiers of natural-based polymers. In our previous work, we proposed the use of ionic liquids as plasticizing agents for the creation of porous structures from a semi-crystalline natural-based polymer. The current work intended to complement the previous studies, evaluating the ability of ionic liquid (IL) to plasticize blends of starch with poly (lactic) acid, with different ratios of starch and PLA of 50:50 and 30:70, and its effect on supercritical fluid foaming process (SCF) and providing more insights on the mechanisms involved. For this purpose, SPLA blends were modified and processed using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([bmim]Cl). Supercritical fluid foaming was studied at different soaking times (1, 3 and 6 h) using carbon dioxide at 20.0 MPa and 40 oC. The blends were characterized by different techniques, such as infra-red spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and compression and tensile mechanical analysis. The morphology of the foamed structures was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography. The results suggest that after 3h of soaking time an equilibrium state of carbon dioxide into the bulk samples is attained, yielding structures with 6% and 15% of porosity, for SPLA70 and SPLA50 respectively. The solubility of carbon dioxide withinthe matrices was studied for the same conditions and the results demonstrate a higher sorption degree in the samples doped with ionic liquid. Sorption and desorption diffusion coefficients of supercritical CO2 in the SPLA matrix were determined for the raw polymer and for the SPLA doped with [bmim]Cl. It was found that the lower desorption diffusion coefficients are related with the higher porosity obtained by the foaming process.The research leading to these results has received funding from Fundacao da Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) through the project ENIG-MA - PTDC/EQU-EPR/121491/2010 and from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement No. REGPOT-CT2012-316331-POLARIS. Marta Martins and Rita Craveiro are grateful for financial support from Fundacao da Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) through the Grants BIM/PTDC/EQUEPR/121491/2010/ENIGMA and PTDC/EQUEPR/12191/2010/ENIGMA

Behavioural change box? Applying the COM-B model to understand behavioural triggers that support consumption of fruits and vegetable among subscribers of a fruit and vegetable box scheme

OBJECTIVE: To understand the key mechanisms that support healthy dietary habits promoted by fruit and vegetable (F&V) box schemes, testing relevant behaviour change triggers identified under the COM-B model in an evaluation research study of a Portuguese F&V box scheme (PROVE). DESIGN: Correlation study with a post-test-only non-equivalent group design based on survey data. The mechanisms underpinning the differences between subscribers and non-subscribers are operationalised as mediation effects. Data availability, theoretical relevance and empirical validation supported the selection and testing of four potential mediators for the effects of subscribing to the box scheme on F&V consumption. These estimations derive from the coefficients of a structural equation model combined with the product coefficient approach and Sobel test. SETTING: The study is part of a wider evaluation study on the impact of the PROVE box scheme on sustainability, health and equity. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of PROVE box subscribers (n 294) was compared with a matched subsample of non-subscribers (n 571) in a nationally representative survey. RESULTS: Subscribing to the PROVE box correlates with an increased probability of eating at least five portions of F&V, irrespective of differences in age, education and perceived economic difficulties. Diet quality perceptions, and more robustly, the strength of meal habits and household availability were identified as relevant mediators. CONCLUSIONS: The subscription to an F&V box scheme is connected with proximal context that enables the consumption of F&V by ensuring more readily available F&V and better situational conditions associated with healthier meal habits

An Uncommon Cause of Recurrent Dysphagia and Chest Pain in an Adolescent Boy

An 11-year-old boy was brought to the emergency department with a week-long history of widespread pain in his upper abdomen that worsened with deep breathing and eating, sialorrhea, food impaction sensation, and a recent fever. Ten months prior, he had similar symptoms and was diagnosed with a pharyngeal phlegmon. He was treated with antibiotics and dexamethasone. In the current episode, he presented with mild elevation of inflammatory markers, a slight deviation of the trachea on chest X-ray, and a tubular esophageal duplication was identified on a thoracic CT, with its opening observed during the endoscopic study. The patient was admitted for further treatment with fluids, analgesia, and antibiotics, and showed improvement over the next seven days with no significant incidents. Esophageal duplications are a rare congenital anomaly and their exact cause is unknown. Typically found in the posterior mediastinum and lower esophagus, they can cause symptoms such as pain, dysphagia, regurgitation, and malnutrition. Surgical or endoscopic resection can be a treatment option for these malformations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevalence and Factors Related to Anaemia in Children Aged 6–59 Months Attending a Quaternary Health Facility in Maputo, Mozambique

Globally, anaemia prevails as a public health issue, being also a concern in Mozambique, where about two-thirds of children 6-59 months of age are affected by this condition. We carried out this study to estimate anaemia prevalence and evaluate structural determinants and haematological parameters association among children aged 6-59 months attending pediatric inpatient and outpatient services in a Quaternary Health Facility in Maputo City Province, Mozambique. We collected data from 637 inpatients or outpatients who attended pediatric consultations at the Maputo Central Hospital. The overall rate of anaemia in children aged 6-59 months was 62.2% (396/637), with 30.9% moderate anaemia (197/637), 23.9% mild anaemia (152/637), and 7.4% severe anaemia (47/637). Among our study participants, critical factors for anaemia were those concerning the age group, child´s caregiver schooling, malaria and size of the liver.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of natural deep eutectic systems in water thermal behavior and their applications in cryopreservation

Natural deep eutectic systems (NADES), which have applications as solvents for both engineering and life sci-ences, are mainly composed of sugars, aminoacids or organic acids. In this work NADES composed by glucose,urea and proline (G:U:P in a molar ratio of 1:1:1) and proline and glucose (P:G 5:3) were prepared and addedin different mass fractions to water.By differential scanning calorimetry it was verified as the crystallization tendency of water is modified even forlow fraction of NADES added. This is also observed by polarized optical microscopy which allowed followingthe formation of crystals with different crystalline morphologies as bulk water. Calorimetric data also shown asthe crystallization temperature decreases for all P:G mixtures and this shift is more accentuated for weight frac-tion of NADES higher than 0.5. Crystallization is totally suppressed for NADES fraction higher than 0.7.NADES/water mixtures cytotoxicity was evaluated in vitro, revealing that they are less toxic as compared withthe commonly used cryoprotective additives as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Additionally, cell viability testswith cell lines cryopreserved using DMSO and both the prepared NADES showed comparable viability.This work combines thermophysical data on NADES and evaluates itâ s in vitro performance, providing cues fortheir use in cryopreservation applications.European Union Horizon 2020 Program under the agreement number ERC-2016-CoG 725034 (ERC Consolidator Grant Des.solve). This research was also funded by PTDC/EQU-EQU/29851/2017. A. Paiva acknowledges the financial support from project IF/01146/2015 attributed within the 2015 FCT researcher program. This work was supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry - LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020

Deep eutectic systems for carbonic anhydrase extraction from microalgae biomass to improve carbon dioxide solubilization

This work was supported by the project “DESalgae – Capturing and re-using CO2 using deep eutectic solvents and microalgae” funded by Dutch national fund NWO Open Competition Domain Science – XS [ OCENW.XS4.162 ]; Special thanks to AlGreen B.V. (Wageningen) for providing Spirulina sp. biomass. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors.This work is the first proof-of-concept of the use of carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme from microalgae biomass, extracted with deep eutectic systems (DES), with the goal of engineering a solution that will lead to a breakthrough in the Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) strategy. Three distinct microalgae were processed-Tisochrysis lutea, Chlorella vulgaris, and Spirulina sp.-with three DES-Choline chloride-Urea (ChCl-U), Choline chloride-Poly(ethylene glycol) (ChCl-PEG), and Poly(ethylene glycol)-Urea (PEG-U). To evaluate the most promising microalgae-DES, CA activity was evaluated with a specific enzymatic activity kit and through CO2 solubility assays. Preliminary results indicate that: DES is a suitable solvent medium for CA extraction from microalgal biomass, preserving its activity (specific CA activity up to 0.70 mU.mg-1); CA extraction efficiency differs between DES and microalgal species, indicating the potential for further research; from the tested DES, the ones containing PEG were favorable to maintain CA activity (CO2 solubility up to 4 g CO2.g-1 DES). This work paves the way towards a disruptive CCU approach.publishersversionpublishe