Competition and performance in the Hungarian second pillar

The performance of the Hungarian second pillar since inception has been mixed. This is partly due to a less than satisfactory support for the 1997 pension reform, conservative fund portfolio distributions, the hybrid nature of the mandatory pension fund system, the segmented nature of the market in terms of costs, and a less than aggressive commitment on the part of the Hungarian Financial Supervisory Authority to a low-cost, transparent, and competitive equilibrium. In the accumulation phase, the authorities would need to further promote transparency and comparability of information on costs and investment performance, facilitate migration to lower cost funds, and more generally promote competition. The regulatory framework of the payout phase needs to be overhauled before the first cohort of workers retires.Investment and Investment Climate,Economic Theory&Research,Economic Stabilization,Financial Intermediation,Settlement of Investment Disputes

Hunting Levels of Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) at Sites Where Food Is Provided: Implications for Sustainable Harvesting

[EN] The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is an important gamebird in south-western Europe, and in some areas a significant proportion of hunting grounds conduct targeted management aiming to increase its breeding densities and hunting opportunities, mainly through food provision. Using harvest data from managed grounds, we estimated the productivity (juvenile/adult ratio), the harvesting levels and the local turtle dove abundance before the hunting season, the latter being compared to the number of birds observed by hunters in food plots. Our research found high values of productivity and significant differences between the estimated abundance and the number of birds observed by hunters, which suggests that in a high proportion of grounds, the latter method may have led to bird overestimation and overharvesting. As managed grounds for the turtle dove may increase the productivity and recruitment of the species, it is crucial to ensure sustainable harvesting through (1) bird monitoring based on transects to calculate abundance and (2) promoting regulations to adjust the number of hunting days.SIThis study was funded by Junta de Extremadura and core funds from Fundación Artemisan

Descripción de las cápsulas ovígeras de Voluta ebraea Linnaeus, 1758 (Gastropoda: Neogastropoda)

Voluta ebraea Linnaeus, 1758 es un volútido endémico del norte y nordeste de Brasil. Ovicápsulas características de la familia Volutidae fueron encontradas adheridas al alga Udotia occidentalis en praderas de fanerógamas marinas. La morfología y tamaño de las ovicápsulas y embriones, así como la rádula y protoconcha de juveniles y adultos confirman que las puestas encontradas corresponden a V. ebraea. Las ovicápsulas son circulares y aplanadas con un diámetro medio de 18,2 mm, presentando morfología y tamaños similares a las ovicápsulas de Voluta musica, endémica de Venezuela. Las ovicápsulas presentan una apertura en el centro (por donde emergen los juveniles) y una sutura desde ésta hasta la base. En promedio eclosionaron tres juveniles por ovicápsula, con un largo promedio de 7,8 mm. Las técnicas histoquimicas realizadas demostraron que la pared de las ovicápsulas está compuesta por tres capas, conteniendo proteínas, carbohidratos y glicoproteínas. La identificación y protección de las ovicápsulas de V. ebraea encontradas en el campo podría ayudar a conservar esta especie endémica y amenazada.Voluta ebraea Linnaeus, 1758 is an endemic volutid from north and northeast Brazil. Characteristic volutid egg capsules were found attached to the alga Udotia occidentalis in sea grass beds. Morphology and size of those egg capsules and embryos as well as protoconch and radulae of juvenile and adults confirm that all the spawns found belong to V. ebraea. Egg capsules, are circular and flattened with a mean diameter of 18.2 mm, presenting analogous morphology and size to those of Voluta musica, endemic from Venezuela. An opening through which crawling juveniles emerge is located at the center of the egg capsules with a suture from the base to the central opening. The average number of hatchlings was three and the mean shell length of juveniles 7.8 mm. Histochemical techniques showed that egg capsules wall is composed of three layers, containing protein, carbohydrates and glycoprotein. Identifying and protecting V. ebraea egg capsules in the wild could help to conserve this endemic and endangered species.Fil: Matthews-Cascon, Helena. Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará; BrasilFil: Rocha-Barreira, Cristina. Instituto de Ciências do Mar (Labomar) Universidade Federal do Ceará; BrasilFil: Penchaszadeh, Pablo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; ArgentinaFil: Bigatti, Gregorio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

Evolutionary history and molecular epidemiology of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in the Iberian Peninsula and Western Europe

10 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 tabla.[Background]: Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is a highly virulent calicivirus, first described in domestic rabbits in China in 1984. RHDV appears to be a mutant form of a benign virus that existed in Europe long before the first outbreak. In the Iberian Peninsula, the first epidemic in 1988 severely reduced the populations of autochthonous European wild rabbit. To examine the evolutionary history of RHDV in the Iberian Peninsula, we collected virus samples from wild rabbits and sequenced a fragment of the capsid protein gene VP60. These data together with available sequences from other Western European countries, were analyzed following Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to infer their phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary rates and demographic history. [Results]: Evolutionary relationships of RHDV revealed three main lineages with significant phylogeographic structure. All lineages seem to have emerged at a common period of time, between ~1875 and ~1976. The Iberian Peninsula showed evidences of genetic isolation, probably due to geographic barriers to gene flow, and was also the region with the youngest MRCA. Overall, demographic analyses showed an initial increase and stabilization of the relative genetic diversity of RHDV, and a subsequent reduction in genetic diversity after the first epidemic breakout in 1984, which is compatible with a decline in effective population size. [Conclusions]: Results were consistent with the hypothesis that the current Iberian RHDV arose from a single infection between 1869 and 1955 (95% HPD), and rendered a temporal pattern of appearance and extinction of lineages. We propose that the rising positive selection pressure observed throughout the history of RHDV is likely mediated by the host immune system as a consequence of the genetic changes that rendered the virus virulent. Consequently, this relationship is suggested to condition RHDV demographic history.FA benefitted from a FPU pre-doctoral grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. This study was funded by projects MAM/2484/2002-65/2002 and 010203030003.Peer reviewe

Pesquisa e desenvolvimento e a qualidade no fornecimento de energia elétrica

<div align="justify">No Brasil os serviços de fornecimento de energia elétrica, salvo raras exceções, são prestados com exclusividade por empresas públicas e privadas, em operações regulamentadas por dispositivos legais específicos e contratos de concessão ou permissão. Pela legislação em vigor tais empresas são obrigadas ainvestir em P&D (pesquisa e desenvolvimento). De outro lado, essas empresas também têm que cumprir metas relacionadas à qualidade dos seus serviços. Tais aspectos motivaram a realização de uma pesquisa, objeto do presente artigo, visando avaliar a existência, ou não, de relação entre esses investimentos e a qualidade dos serviços. Para tal finalidade foram levantados dados que foram analisados pelo método estatístico da correlação. Os resultados obtidos indicaramuma baixa correlação entre os indicadores utilizados, permitindo concluir que, até o momento, os investimentos em P&D podem não estar apresentando nenhum impacto significativo na qualidade dos serviços.<br><br>Abstract In Brazil the services of electricity supply, with few exceptions, are provided exclusively by public and private companies, in operations regulated by specific legal provisions and concession contracts or permits. By existing legislation suchcompanies are required to invest in P&D (research and development). On the other hand, these companies also have to meet targets related to the quality of their services. These aspects motivated the implementation of a research objective of this article, to evaluate the existence or not of a relation between the investment andservice quality. For this purpose data was collected were analyzed by statistical method of correlation. The results indicated a low correlation between the indicators used, allowing to conclude that so far, the investments in P&D may not be showing any significant impact on service quality.</div

PHYTOCHEMICAL PROFILE WITH ANTI-TUMOR ACTIVITY ESTIMATION OF CRUDE EXTRACT, ESSENTIAL OIL AND D-LIMONENE FROM CITRUS AURANTIUM L. AGAINST EHRLICH CARCINOMA

Objective: Plant based drugs have been a solution in the search for more cost-effective and less harmful drugs for the treatment of neoplasia. Citrus aurantium L. (Rutaceae) is abundant in Brazil and D-limonene, a monoterpene used in the prevention and treatment of neoplasia, was identified as a major compound in the oil of this specie. Objective of current study includes estimation of anti-tumor activity of Citrus aurantium L. (Rutaceae) (crude extract, essential oil and D-limonene) against Ehrlich carcinoma, as well as their phytochemical evaluation (D-limonene and essential oil). Methods: There was a randomized non-clinical trial in which were used adult male mice (Balb-C). Four groups of animals were used having 6 numbers of animal in each group. All groups were inoculated with the Ehrlich tumor and then received the treatment (control, crude extract, essential oil and D-limonene) by oral route daily (28 day treatment). Essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by the means of GC (Gas Chromatography) that was attached to mass spectrometry. In last of the observations&nbsp; hemogram was obtained. Results: Animals treated with the essential oil has shown no significant difference compared to the group treated with D-limonene. The group treated with crude extract had a growth inhibition close to the essential oil and D-limonene groups. Conclusion: It´s concluded that the essential oil and the crude extract of Citrus aurantium, L. (Rutaceae) can become therapeutic agents because of their anti-tumor activity with no toxicity to the blood cells and have low cost of production. Further studies are necessary, so they can be used in the treatment of neoplasia in humans. The chromatographic and spectrometric analyzes indicated the presence of other components in smaller amounts in the essential oil, which suggests that they could have a synergic activity to the D-limonene. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Review History: Received 2 June 2020; Revised 25 June; Accepted 4 July, Available online 15 July 2020 Academic Editor: Dr. Muhammad Zahid Iqbal, AIMST University, Malaysia, [email protected] UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 8.0/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Makassar, Indonesia, [email protected] Dr. Mohamed Said Fathy Al-Refaey, University of Sadat City, Menofia, Egypt, [email protected] &nbsp;Similar Articles: CYTOTOXIC EFFECT AND PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF PETROLEUM ETHER EXTRACT OF TILIA CORDATA MIL

Molecular evolution of aphids and their primary (buchnera sp.) and secondary endosymbionts: implications for the role of symbiosis in insect evolution

Aphids maintain an obligate, endosymbiotic association with Buchnera sp., a bacterium closely related to Escherichia coli. Bacteria are housed in specialized cells of organ-like structures called bacteriomes in the hemocoel of the aphid and are maternally transmitted. Phylogenetic studies have shown that the association had a single origin, dated about 200-250 million years ago, and that host and endosymbiont lineages have evolved in parallel since then. However, the pattern of deepest branching within the aphid family remains unsolved, which thereby hampers an appraisal of, for example, the role played by horizontal gene transfer in the early evolution of Buchnera. The main role of Buchnera in this association is the biosynthesis and provisioning of essential amino acids to its aphid host. Physiological and metabolic studies have recently substantiated such nutritional role. In addition, genetic studies of Buchnera from several aphids have shown additional modifications, such as strong genome reduction, high A+T content compared to free-living bacteria, differential evolutionary rates, a relative increase in the number of non-synonymous substitutions, and gene amplification mediated by plasmids. Symbiosis is an active process in insect evolution as revealed by the intermediate values of the previous characteristics showed by secondary symbionts compared to free-living bacteria and Buchnera.The authors thank the Servicio Central de Soporte a la Investigación Científica (Universitat de València) for bioinformatics and sequencing facilities. The work has been supported by grants GV-3216/95 from Generalitat Valenciana (Spain), BFM2000-1383 from MEC (Spain) and FEDER 2FD1997-1006 (Spain).Peer reviewe

Gonadotropin actions in European sea bass: endocrine roles and biotechnological applications

Comunicación presentada en el 10th International Symposium on Reproductive Physiology of Fish, celebrado en Olhao, Portugal, del 25 al 30 de mayo de 2014The follicle stimulating hormone (Fsh) and the luteinizing hormone (Lh) are central endocrine regulators of gonad function in vertebrates. These gonadotropins act by binding and activating their specific receptors that are located in certain cell types of the gonads. In fish, the differential roles of these hormones are being progressively elucidated with the development of different tools for their study. In the case of European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, the isolation of the genes coding for the gonadotropin subunits and receptors allowed in first instance for expression studies. Later, to overcome the limitation of native hormones, recombinant dimeric gonadotropins have been generated, which show different functional characteristics depending on the cell system and DNA construct. In addition, single gonadotropin beta-subunits have been produced and used as antigens for antibody production. This last approach has allowed the development of detection methods for native gonadotropins being the European sea bass one of the few species where both gonadotropins can be detected in their native form. The generation of antibodies has also allowed for their cellular localization and co-localization with other factors, helping to a better understanding of their function. By administration of the recombinant gonadotropins to gonad tissues cultured in vitro we have studied their effects on steroidogenesis, the activated intracellular pathways and their target genes. Their administration in vivo has also been tested both for basic studies and as a biotechnological approach. In this frame, it is known from different studies in mammals that exogenous administration of native hormones in cases of deficiency, including assisted reproduction, can be unsatisfactory due to their rapid clearance from circulation or limited availability. Other than the production of recombinant hormones gene-based therapies by using somatic gene transfer are offered as an alternative. Such an approach has been tested in sea bass for gonadotropin delivery in vivo. The hormones produced by the injected genes were functional and have allowed for different studies on gonadotropin action in spermatogenesis. All together, the use of gene therapy for hormone replacement in fish is a real alternative to the production of recombinant gonadotropins for in vivo use, due to the low cost of production and the high persistence of the injected DNA, and has a broad range of potential applications such as its use in out-of-season breeding programs or reproductive dysfunctions in fish species.Supported by MINECO (AGL2011-28890) and GV (ACOMP/2013/085).Peer Reviewe

A eficiencia da auriculoterapia no tratamento de estresse/ Efficiency of auriculotherapy in stress treatment

Introdução: O estresse é caracterizado como uma reação natural do organismo que ocorre quando o indivíduo vivencia situações de perigo ou ameaça, onde são acionados mecanismos de alerta ou alarme, provocando alterações físicas e emocionais.  O resultante são sintomas como medo, mal-estar; desgaste físico; hipertensão arterial; gastrite dentre outros. Quando crônico pode desencadear outras doenças mais graves. Devido à proporção desse malefício nos dias atuais, questionam-se a eficácia da auriculoterapia para tratamento de estresse. Objetivos: Verificar a eficácia da terapia da auriculoterapia para tratamento de estresse. Métodos: O estudo foi embasado em pesquisa bibliográfica, de caráter exploratório e qualitativo. A obtenção de dados foi realizada em banco de teses e dissertações acadêmicas e científicos, como PudMed e Lilacs entre outros, assim como e Portal de Periódicos da CAPES, SCielo e publicações similares, tendo seu texto preferencialmente em português e inglês. Resultados: Foram selecionados inicialmente 20 artigos que tratam especificamente do escopo do estudo, destes, oito foram desconsiderados pelos critérios de exclusão. foram dados prioridade aos estudos com metodologia de revisão integrativa (bibliográfica) e ensaios clínicos, visto que uma proporciona rever conceitos consagrados pela literatura e a outra fornece dados obtidos em estudos aplicados. Neste sentido, foram examinados estudos que englobam de duas vertentes metodológicas: revisão bibliográfica e ensaios clínicos. Assim, obtemos para análise os dados de 806 participantes submetido a auriculoterapia e 4 revisões literárias. Conclusão: Os dados obtidos, em especial nos artigos de ensaios clínicos, a auriculoterapia demonstrou alto nível de eficiência em todos os estudos realizados.

Inhibitory action of Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil on pathogenic bacteria and its effects as a growth promoter on quail

Aim of the study: To examine the in vitro sensitivity of Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli strains to the microbial activity of Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil (LGSEO) and to determine the optimal level of LGSEO as a growth promoter in diets for Japanese quail up to 35 days of age.Area of study: São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil.Material and methods: A total of 504 female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at an initial average body weights of 6.80±0.10 g was allotted to one of six treatments (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 mg/kg of LGSEO and a diet containing 500 mg/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate) in 7 replicates, using 12 birds per experimental unit.Main results: In the age period of 21 to 35 days, feed intake declined linearly (p=0.04) and feed efficiency improved (p&lt;0.01), whereas no changes were observed in production performance (p&gt;0.05). The estimated (p=0.01) maximum relative weights of proventriculus and pancreas were obtained at the LGSEO inclusion levels of 196.5 and 251 mg/kg, respectively. Inclusion of 100 to 300 mg/kg of LGSEO in the diet reduced the total Salmonella sp. bacterial count.Research highlights: The use of 196.5 mg/kg of LGSEO in the diet of Japanese quail improved production performance and organ development and demonstrated potential antimicrobial capacity against Salmonella sp. bacteria. Due its pharmacological composition, LGSEO can potentially substitute to antimicrobials, because contains thymol and carvacrol as main active constituents