The Importance of Being in Control of Business: Work Satisfaction of Employers, Own-account Workers and Employees

__Abstract__ Self-employed workers can be own-account workers who control their own work or employers who not only are their own boss but also direct others (their employees). We expect both types of self-employed, i.e., own-account workers and employers, to enjoy more independence in determining their work content (type of work) and more flexibility in shaping their work context (e.g., working conditions) compared to paid employees and hence to be more satisfied with their work. Furthermore, we suspect that employers (who can delegate work to their employees and can help them to develop and grow) enjoy even higher levels of work satisfaction compared to both own-account workers (who are their own boss but do not give direction to others) and (non-supervisory) paid employees (who have to obey orders from others within organizational hierarchies). While prior studies typically broadly compare the work satisfaction of self-employed and paid employees, we distinguish employers from own-account workers within the group of self-employed using data from the ECHP for 14 European countries. Our findings indeed show that employers are significantly more satisfied with their work than both own-account workers and paid employees. Additionally, while employers as well as own-account workers enjoy greater procedural utility than (non-supervisory) paid employees stemming from the content and the context of their work, there also seems to be an additional work satisfaction premium for employers

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Cord Blood from Growth Restricted Fetuses with Doppler Alteration Compared to Adequate for Gestational Age Fetuses

Background and Objectives: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a severe obstetric disease characterized by a low fetal size entailing a set of undesired consequences. For instance, previous studies have noticed a worrisome association between FGR with an abnormal neurodevelopment. However, the precise link between FGR and neurodevelopmental alterations are not yet fully understood yet. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical neurotrophin strongly implicated in neurodevelopmental and other neurological processes. In addition, serum levels of BDNF appears to be an interesting indicator of pathological pregnancies, being correlated with the neonatal brain levels. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the blood levels of BDNF in the cord blood from fetuses with FGR in comparison to those with weight appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Materials and Methods: In this study, 130 subjects were recruited: 91 in group A (AGA fetuses); 39 in group B (16 FGR fetuses with exclusively middle cerebral artery (MCA) pulsatility index (PI) 95th percentile). Serum levels of BDNF were determined through ELISA reactions in these groups. Results: Our results show a significant decrease in cord blood levels of BDNF in FGR and more prominently in those with UA PI >95th percentile in comparison to AGA. FGR fetuses with exclusively decreased MCA PI below the 5th percentile also show reduced levels of BDNF than AGA, although this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Overall, our study reports a potential pathophysiological link between reduced levels of BDNF and neurodevelopmental alterations in fetuses with FGR. However, further studies should be conducted in those FGR subjects with MCA PI < 5th percentile in order to understand the possible implications of BDNF in this group.Depto. de Salud Pública y Materno - InfantilFac. de MedicinaTRUEUnión EuropeaComunidad de MadridInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIHalekulani S.LFundación Santiago Dexeus Fontpu

Influence of Cerebral Vasodilation on Blood Reelin Levels in Growth Restricted Fetuses

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is one of the most important obstetric pathologies. It is frequently caused by placental insufficiency. Previous studies have shown a relationship between FGR and impaired new-born neurodevelopment, although the molecular mechanisms involved in this association have not yet been completely clarified. Reelin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein involved in development of neocortex, hippocampus, cerebellum and spinal cord. Reelin has been demonstrated to play a key role in regulating perinatal neurodevelopment and to contribute to the emergence and development of various psychiatric pathologies, and its levels are highly influenced by pathological conditions of hypoxia. The purpose of this article is to study whether reelin levels in new-borns vary as a function of severity of fetal growth restriction by gestational age and sex. We sub-grouped fetuses in: normal weight group (Group 1, n = 17), FGR group with normal umbilical artery Doppler and cerebral redistribution at middle cerebral artery Doppler (Group 2, n = 9), and FGR with abnormal umbilical artery Doppler (Group 3, n = 8). Our results show a significant association of elevated Reelin levels in FGR fetuses with cerebral blood redistribution compared to the normal weight group and the FGR with abnormal umbilical artery group. Future research should focus on further expanding the knowledge of the relationship of reelin and its regulated products with neurodevelopment impairment in new-borns with FGR and should include larger and more homogeneous samples and the combined use of different in vivo techniques in neonates with impaired growth during their different adaptive phases

Association of gestational maternal hypothyroxinemia and increased autism risk

Objective Transient gestational hypothyroxinemia in rodents induces cortical neuronal migration brain lesions resembling those of autism. We investigated the association between maternal hypothyroxinemia (gestational weeks 6-18) and autistic symptoms in children. Methods The mother-and-child cohort of the Generation R Study (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) began prenatal enrollment between 2002 and 2006. At a mean gestational age of 13.4 weeks (standard deviation = 1.9, range = 5.9-17.9), maternal thyroid function tests (serum thyrotropin [TSH], free thyroxine [fT4], and thyroid peroxidase [TPO] antibodies) were assessed in 5,100 women. We defined severe maternal hypothyroxinemia as fT4 98th percentile and SRS score in the top 5% of the sample (n = 81, 2.0%). Results Severe maternal hypothyroxinemia (n = 136) was associated with an almost 4-fold increase in the odds of having a probable autistic child (adjusted odds ratio = 3.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.83-8.20, p < 0.001). Using PDP scores, children of mothers with severe hypothyroxinemia had higher scores of autistic symptoms by age 6 years (adjusted B = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.03-0.37); SRS results were similar. No risk was found for children of TPO-antibody-positive mothers (n = 308). Interpretation We found a consistent association between severe, early gestation maternal hypothyroxinemia and autistic symptoms in offspring. Findings are concordant with epidemiological, biological, and experimental data on autism. Although these findings cannot establish causality, they open the possibility of preventive interventions

Complement component C4 structural variation and quantitative traits contribute to sex-biased vulnerability in systemic sclerosis

Altres ajuts: Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), "A way of making Europe".Copy number (CN) polymorphisms of complement C4 play distinct roles in many conditions, including immune-mediated diseases. We investigated the association of C4 CN with systemic sclerosis (SSc) risk. Imputed total C4, C4A, C4B, and HERV-K CN were analyzed in 26,633 individuals and validated in an independent cohort. Our results showed that higher C4 CN confers protection to SSc, and deviations from CN parity of C4A and C4B augmented risk. The protection contributed per copy of C4A and C4B differed by sex. Stronger protection was afforded by C4A in men and by C4B in women. C4 CN correlated well with its gene expression and serum protein levels, and less C4 was detected for both in SSc patients. Conditioned analysis suggests that C4 genetics strongly contributes to the SSc association within the major histocompatibility complex locus and highlights classical alleles and amino acid variants of HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DPB1 as C4-independent signals

Impact of negative pressure wound therapy and nanocrystalline silver dressings on the quality of life of patients with chronic non-healing ulcers: a preliminary study

Therapeutic measures should be primarily directed to promote healing, but also to improve or at least to maintain HRQoL. This prospective randomized pilot study was conducted to assess the impact on HRQoL of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) combined with nanocrystalline silver dressings in outpatients with chronic nonhealing ulcers. A total of 17 patients were included in the study, 10 of which were treated with the combined method and 7 with NPWT only. Patients were followed for 6 weeks. The 36-item short-form (SF-36) questionnaire was administered to at baseline and at the end of treatment. Patients included in the study had multiple concomitant pathological conditions and a mean age of 70 years. Significant changes in different domains of the SF-36 questionnaire, including physical functioning, role limitations (physical), vitality, mental health, social functioning, bodily pain, and general health, before and after treatment were not found. The mean (standard deviation, SD) score of social functioning was 53.1 (31.8) before treatment and 66.3 (23.6) after treatment (P = 0.09). The application of NPWT with nanocrystalline silver dressings or NPWT alone for 6 weeks was effective in wound healing promotion. The impact on HRQoL was non-significant except for somewhat better benefits in the social domain in patients treated with NPWT and silver dressings. The present preliminary data could be the basis for the design of future, more robust clinical studies

Assessment of physiological traits of olive trees infected by Xylella fastidiosa subspecies

Trabajo presentado en la 9th Meeting of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group "Integrated Protection of Olive Crops", celebrado en Lisboa del 26 al 29 de octubre de 2021.The detection of the diseases caused by the plant pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is difficulted by the occurrence of asymptomatic infections, its long incubation period and non-specific and diagnostic symptoms. Early detection of infected plants based on the assessment of changes in physiological plant traits due to bacterial infection might be an important tool for pathogen detection, disease management and breeding for resistance to Xf in woody crops. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the susceptibility to four Spanish Xf strains and the response to infection of three olive cultivars widely grown in Spain by measuring plant physiological traits with different leaf-level sensors and Xf-specific molecular diagnostic assays. Leaf measurements and petiole samplings were taken at the inoculation point, and at 5, 10, 15 and 20 cm above the inoculation points at 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months post-inoculation. Additionally, sampling of wood tissue was performed at 8 month post inoculation at the same plant sections of leaf sampling. Molecular diagnosis based on two qPCR tests was used to determine the presence and colonization level of the bacteria into the olive xylem tissues. The Dualex Scientific leaf clip sensor and two spectrometers (PolyPen RP400 and DLP NIRscan nano) covering the range of the electromagnetic spectrum from 340 and 1700 nm were used for leaf measurements to detect physiological changes. The Spanish strain XYL1961 from Xf subsp. pauca ST80 showed the highest colonization in the different olive cultivars as compared to strains from Xf subsp. multiplex from ST81 and ST6 from Spain and the Italian strain ‘DeDonno’ from Xf subsp. pauca ST53. On the other hand, from a total of 70 vegetation indices calculated related with chlorophyll, carotenoid and flavonoids content and structural related indexes a set was selected to discriminate between olive plants infected by Xf from those non-inoculated even in the absence of visible disease symptoms.This work has received funding from 727987 XF-ACTORS (H2020-UE), E-RTA2017-00004-C06-02 (AEI-INIA Spain and FEDER), and the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional. Project ITS2017-095 Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Agricultura y Pesca de las Islas Baleares, Spain

Unión Ibero-Americana, Año XXIX, Núm. 1

46 páginasGRABADOS: Bogotá (Colonia): Ejercicios en la Escuela Militar.- Excmo. Sr. D. José Batlle y Ordóñez, Presidente de la República del Uruguay.- México: El Papocatepec.- Buenos Aires: Plaza de Mayo y Banco de la Nación.- Colombia: Relieve del artista antioqueño Cano, que obtuvo la Municipalidad de Medellín para obsequiarlo a la de Bogotá.- Brasil: Calle del Ouridor en Río de Janeiro. -Asunción (Paraguay): Hotel Hispano-Americano. TEXTO: La lengua clásica y el espíritu moderno, por Ricardo León y Román.- Monroízmo e imperialismo, por Ulises Picón-Rivas.- lniciativas de la mujer argentina: La Asociación Nacional “Pro Patria” y su fundadora, por Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer.- Don Juan Prichard, Encargado de negocios, de Guatemala.- El warrant en España, por César Cervera Cerezuela.- Los grandes estadistas: D. José Batlle y Ordóñez, por Juan Rodríguez López.- La Fiesta de la Raza, por Tomás G. Porrín.- Al comercio hispano-americano, por Carlos A. Molina.- Episodios históricos salvadoreños (La primera firma del Rey Víctor Manuel I como Soberano de Italia, y la última del Conde de Cavour como Canciller del reino.- El juramento del Clero en El Salvador), por Franco C. Funes.- Anales de la escena española desde 1701 a 1750 (continuación), por Narciso Díaz de Escovar.- Por España y para España: Memorándum oficioso de Pedro Muñoz Gil, Cónsul de Chile en Logroño, al Excmo. Sr. Presidente de la Junta de lniciativas.- En los Estados Unidos de Norte América: Linchamientos durante el año de 1913, por Booker T. Washington.- Literatura argentina: Juan Bautista Alberdi, por Emilio Alonso Criado.- España y América, por Jorge Wills Pradilla.- Libros nacionales y extranjeros, por Antonio Balbín de Unquera y Manuel Valdemoro.- Unión Ibero-Americana: Memoria correspondiente al año de 1914.- Índice de sumarios de los números aparecidos en el año anterior.- Anuncios

Analyzing Mobility in Peripheral Regions of the European Union: The Case of Canarias-Madeira-Azores

Mobility, Stated preference (SP), Willingness to pay, Service quality,