Macroeconomics the Latin American Way: Sunkel and the Quest for a Structuralist Model

The paper provides a narrative of the effort to develop a structuralist macroeconomic model in Latin America, as seen through the eyes of Chilean economist Osvaldo Sunkel (b. 1929). Sunkel faced the problem of how to model structuralism, an indigenous Latin American contribution to economics and to stabilization and development policies, put forward in the 1950s-1960s. It is shown how Sunkel deployed Schumpeter's 1954 distinction between "vision" and "scientific models", and how he took the Keynesian multiplier and Domar's growth equations as starting-points for his own formulations, instead of Lewis's 1954 model of a dual economy. Sunkel regretted the difficulties in formalizing the concept of "structure" and "structural" changes. Eventually, Sunkel became a co-founder of Latin American neo-structuralism in the 1990s, which is now regarded part of international heterodox economics in general

Exploring perspectives of stigma and discrimination among people with lived experience of mental health conditions: a co-produced qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Efforts to understand the mechanisms and consequences of mental health-related stigma and discrimination need to center the perspectives of people affected by these negative impacts, through research efforts that are led or co-led by people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health conditions. METHODS: This study used co-production principles to explore global perspectives of stigma and discrimination among people meeting the inclusion criteria of identifying as PWLEs and being willing to share their experiences of stigma and discrimination resulting from a diagnosis of a mental health condition, and who had also participated in anti-stigma activities. Participants were recruited online via a self-selecting snowball sampling method. Qualitative data were collected from respondents via an anonymous global online survey conducted between 12/01/2021 and 02/28/2022. The main outcomes assessed were open-ended, qualitative responses to questions exploring experiences of stigma and discrimination, experiences regarding diagnoses, language/terminology related to mental health, impact of stigma and discrimination, and involvement with anti-stigma interventions. Data were synthesised through digital text network analysis and thematic content analysis. FINDINGS: A total of 198 respondents from over 30 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia/Oceania were included in the study. The results reflected five themes: 1) the role of language and words; 2) the role of media in perpetuating and reducing stigma; 3) societal reactions to mental health conditions and strategies to cope with these; 4) knowledge about activities to reduce stigma and discrimination and their impact; and 5) personal involvement in activities to reduce stigma and discrimination. INTERPRETATION: The findings highlight that people with mental health conditions are aware of and experience stigma and discrimination across core domains of daily life. The importance of recognising the key role PWLEs can play in efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination was highlighted, and how they can be appropriately supported to contribute and have their experiential expertise recognised. Meaningful and authentic collaborations between PWLEs and other stakeholders can enhance the quality and relevance of strategies to reduce stigma and discrimination. This is, to our knowledge, the first study of its kind to use a co-production approach to explore experiences and reflections of stigma and discrimination related to mental health from a global perspective. However, the results are not broadly representative of the general PWLE population or suggestive of globally uniform experiences of stigma and discrimination

Esperanto for histones : CENP-A, not CenH3, is the centromeric histone H3 variant

The first centromeric protein identified in any species was CENP-A, a divergent member of the histone H3 family that was recognised by autoantibodies from patients with scleroderma-spectrum disease. It has recently been suggested to rename this protein CenH3. Here, we argue that the original name should be maintained both because it is the basis of a long established nomenclature for centromere proteins and because it avoids confusion due to the presence of canonical histone H3 at centromeres

Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of non-hepatotoxic acetaminophen analogs

A series of acetaminophen (APAP) analogs, 2-(1,1-dioxido-3-oxo-1,2-benzisothiazol-2(3H)-yl)-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)alkanecarboxamides, bearing a heterocyclic moiety linked to the p-acylaminophenol fragment, were prepared in a general project to develop APAP analogs with modulated pharmacokinetic profiles. Unexpectedly, the products described maintained the in vivo analgesic profile, while the characteristic hepatotoxicity of APAP was consistently reduced. One of the products, 5a, was studied in vivo in comparison with APAP. Compound 5a displayed an analgesic efficacy comparable to that of APAP. A relatively high acute oral dose of 5a (6 mmol/kg) produced no measurable toxicity, whereas the equimolar dose of APAP increased transaminase activity, depleted hepatic and renal glutathione, and resulted in mortality. In human hepatocytes (HEPG-2) and in human primary cultures of normal liver cells, APAP, but not 5a, was associated with apoptotic cell death, Fas-ligand up-regulation, and CAR (constitutive androstane receptor) activation, contributing to a favorable safety profile of 5a as an orally delivered analgesic.MDA972-03-C-010 (Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency-DARPA)Neurobiotechnology Program of Louisian

Esperanto for histones: CENP-A, not CenH3, is the centromeric histone H3 variant

The first centromeric protein identified in any species was CENP-A, a divergent member of the histone H3 family that was recognised by autoantibodies from patients with scleroderma-spectrum disease. It has recently been suggested to rename this protein CenH3. Here, we argue that the original name should be maintained both because it is the basis of a long established nomenclature for centromere proteins and because it avoids confusion due to the presence of canonical histone H3 at centromeres

Recent evolutions of gender, state feminism and care models in Latin America and Europe

Production of INCASI Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015 GA 691004This chapter presents and characterises the way in which, in the twenty-first century, after years of feminist struggles inside and outside of institutions, gender relations are organised in the different countries of the INCASI project (on the European side, Spain, Italy, Finland, France and the United Kingdom, on the side of the South American Southern Cone, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay). It pays special attention to the implementation of feminist issues on political agendas, and in particular the assignment of women to unpaid care work-an aspect of the power continuum that we look to relate to other aspects. Gradually and for almost a century all countries in both continents have granted women the status of subjects, citizens and employees. However, the conditions, challenges and timelines of this process differ considerably from one continent to another, so they need to be addressed separately. The neoliberal era did not have the same impact in Europe as it did in South America (nor was it exactly the same between particular European countries or among South American ones)

Drosophila Genes That Affect Meiosis Duration Are among the Meiosis Related Genes That Are More Often Found Duplicated

Using a phylogenetic approach, the examination of 33 meiosis/meiosis-related genes in 12 Drosophila species, revealed nine independent gene duplications, involving the genes cav, mre11, meiS332, polo and mtrm. Evidence is provided that at least eight out of the nine gene duplicates are functional. Therefore, the rate at which Drosophila meiosis/meiosis-related genes are duplicated and retained is estimated to be 0.0012 per gene per million years, a value that is similar to the average for all Drosophila genes. It should be noted that by using a phylogenetic approach the confounding effect of concerted evolution, that is known to lead to overestimation of the duplication and retention rate, is avoided. This is an important issue, since even in our moderate size sample, evidence for long-term concerted evolution (lasting for more than 30 million years) was found for the meiS332 gene pair in species of the Drosophila subgenus. Most striking, in contrast to theoretical expectations, is the finding that genes that encode proteins that must follow a close stoichiometric balance, such as polo, mtrm and meiS332 have been found duplicated. The duplicated genes may be examples of gene neofunctionalization. It is speculated that meiosis duration may be a trait that is under selection in Drosophila and that it has different optimal values in different species

PLK1 facilitates chromosome biorientation by suppressing centromere disintegration driven by BLM-mediated unwinding and spindle pulling

Centromeres provide a pivotal function for faithful chromosome segregation. They serve as a foundation for the assembly of the kinetochore complex and spindle connection, which is essential for chromosome biorientation. Cells lacking Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) activity suffer severe chromosome alignment defects, which is believed primarily due to unstable kinetochore-microtubule attachment. Here, we reveal a previously undescribed mechanism named ‘centromere disintegration’ that drives chromosome misalignment in PLK1-inactivated cells. We find that PLK1 inhibition does not necessarily compromise metaphase establishment, but instead its maintenance. We demonstrate that this is caused by unlawful unwinding of DNA by BLM helicase at a specific centromere domain underneath kinetochores. Under bipolar spindle pulling, the distorted centromeres are promptly decompacted into DNA threadlike molecules, leading to centromere rupture and whole-chromosome arm splitting. Consequently, chromosome alignment collapses. Our study unveils an unexpected role of PLK1 as a chromosome guardian to maintain centromere integrity for chromosome biorientation