Aggregate real exchange rate persistence through the lens of sectoral data

15 páginas, 2 figuras, 3 tablas.-- El pdf es la versión pre-print del artículo.-- Trabajo presentado a la conferencia "Microeconomic Sources of Real Exchange Rates" (Vanderbilt University-USA, 2010).A novel approach to analyzing real exchange rate (RER) persistence and its sources is presented. Using highly disaggregated data for a group of EU-15 countries, it is shown that the distribution of sectoral persistence is highly heterogeneous and skewed to the right, so that a limited number of sectors are responsible for the high levels of persistence observed at the aggregate level. Quantile regression has been employed to investigate whether traditional theories, such as the lack of arbitrage due to nontradability or imperfect competition combined with price stickiness, are able to account for the slow reversion to parity of RERs.Financial support from the Spanish Government CICYT projects SEJ2006-00369 and ECO2008-03040Peer reviewe

Methionine Restriction Increases Insulin Sensitivity in Type-2 Diabetes via miRNA Activation

Methionine Restriction (MR) causes a higher level of circulating and hepatic fibroblastic growth factor 21 (FGF21). This leads to metabolic phenotypes, including increased energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity, and extended lifespan. Previous studies on obese mice have concluded that dietary MR in a high-fat regimen prevents hyperglycemia and improves glucose homeostasis, thus preventing type-2 diabetes, a multifactorial metabolic disease characterized by high blood glucose levels and cell insulin resistance. Recent experiments have shown that cells’ response to dietary MR includes changes in methylation of DNA promoters that activate or repress microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small endogenous nucleotide sequences and contain 18-22 base pairs that control gene expression for lipid metabolism. Considering that the disruption of miRNA levels affects insulin resistance, miRNA potentially plays a role in MR to increase insulin sensitivity for type-2 diabetes. In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of MR influencing the expression level of miRNA-15b to promote insulin sensitivity in obese organisms. Using our in-vitro model, we measured the expression of miRNA-15b in adipocytes cultured in MR and control conditions. Additionally, we compared insulin sensitivity and free fatty acid (FFA) metabolite levels between obese mice on control and MR diets. Taken together, we were able to verify the positive effects of MR in reducing hepatic fatty acid production, decreasing blood glucose levels, and increasing insulin sensitivity. However, miRNA-15b downregulates cells’ insulin signaling pathway and insulin sensitivity. Therefore, we proposed potential influences of MR on other miRNAs in reducing lipid cell differentiation and enhancing insulin sensitivity for future investigation

Issues and challenges of reclaimed water usage: A case study of the Dragon-shaped River in the Beijing Olympic Park

Increased use of reclaimed water could be one of the solutions to Beijing’s growing water shortage, particularly for non-potable (e.g. landscaping) purposes. The ‘Dragon-shaped River’, a large artificial waterscape built on the site of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games, offers a useful case study of the issues and challenges attendant on wastewater reclamation and reuse. Of particular interest is the use of phytoremediation techniques for bioremediation of nutrient loads. This paper presents the results of ongoing monitoring which indicates that phytoremediation is succeeding in preventing eutrophication, though some challenges, notably management of aquatic biomass, remain

Poor awareness and attitudes to sanitation servicing can impede China's Rural Toilet Revolution: Evidence from Western China

The ongoing Toilet Revolution in China offers an opportunity to improve sanitation in rural areas by introducing new approaches, such as urine source separation, that can contribute to achieving SDG6. However, few studies have systematically assessed the social acceptability of managing human excreta collected in new sanitation systems. Therefore, in this study we performed face-to-face interviews with 414 local residents from 13 villages across three provinces in western China, to analyze the current situation and attitudes to possible changes in the rural sanitation service chain. We found that the sanitation chain was predominantly pit latrine-based, with 86.2% of households surveyed collecting their excreta in a simple pit, 82% manually emptying their pits, and 80.2% reusing excreta in agriculture without adequate pre-treatment. A majority (72%) of the households had a generally positive attitude to production of human excreta-derived fertilizer, but only 24% agreed that urine and feces should be collected separately. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that three factors (level of education, number of permanent household residents, perceived social acceptability) significantly influ-enced respondents' attitudes to reuse of excreta, although only perceived social acceptability had a high strength of association. Overall, our survey revealed that rural households often misuse toilet systems, fail to comply with government-specified sanitation guidelines, have low awareness of alternative solutions, and are over-reliant on the government to fix problems in the service chain. Thus while new sanitation technologies should be developed and implemented, information campaigns that encourage rural households to manage their excreta safely are also important. (c) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Quantum-Enhanced Diamond Molecular Tension Microscopy for Quantifying Cellular Forces

The constant interplay and information exchange between cells and their micro-environment are essential to their survival and ability to execute biological functions. To date, a few leading technologies such as traction force microscopy, have been broadly used in measuring cellular forces. However, the considerable limitations, regarding the sensitivity and ambiguities in data interpretation, are hindering our thorough understanding of mechanobiology. Herein, we propose an innovative approach, namely quantum-enhanced diamond molecular tension microscopy (QDMTM), to precisely quantify the integrin-based cell adhesive forces. Specifically, we construct a force sensing platform by conjugating the magnetic nanotags labeled, force-responsive polymer to the surface of diamond membrane containing nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers. Thus, the coupled mechanical information can be quantified through optical readout of spin relaxation of NV centers modulated by those magnetic nanotags. To validate QDMTM, we have carefully performed corresponding measurements both in control and real cell samples. Particularly, we have obtained the quantitative cellular adhesion force mapping by correlating the measurement with established theoretical model. We anticipate that our method can be routinely used in studying important issues like cell-cell or cell-material interactions and mechanotransduction.Comment: 51 pages, 20 figure

Mixed comparison of interventions for different exercise types on students with Internet addiction: a network meta-analysis

BackgroundInternet addiction (IA) has a significant negative impact on students. The condition of students with IA can be improved by exercise, which has been identified as an effective intervention strategy. However, the relative effectiveness of different exercise types and the most effective ones remains unknown. This study presents a network meta-analysis to compare six exercise types (team sport, double sport, single sport, team + double sport, team + single sport, and team + double + single sport) based on their effectiveness in reducing Internet addiction and maintaining mental health.MethodsSystematic searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wan Fang, CQVIP, Web of Science, CBM, EBSCO, APA PsycNet, and Scopus, and all relevant studies from the beginning to 15 July 2022 were included on. According to the Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 Methodological Quality Evaluation Criteria, the listed studies' bias risk was assessed, while the network meta-analysis was performed using STATA 16.0.ResultsA total of 39 randomized controlled trials that met all inclusion criteria including 2,408 students with IA were examined. The meta-analysis results showed that compared with the control group, exercising significantly improved loneliness, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal sensitivity (p < 0.05). Specifically, the network meta-analysis discovered that the single sport, team sport, double sport, team + double sport, and team + double + single sport had significant effects on improving Internet addiction as compared to the respective control group (p < 0.05); the single sport, team sport, and double sport tend to be effective compared with controls in improving mental health (p < 0.05). Compared with the other five types of sports, the double sport was ranked first and showed the greatest potential to be the best choice (cluster ranking value = 3699.73) in improving Internet addiction (SUCRA = 85.5) and mental health (SUCRA = 93.1).ConclusionExercise could be suggested as the best alternative when treating IA in students, based on the extensive positive effects of exercise on IA, anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, loneliness, and mental health in IA students. Double sport may be the best type of exercise for Internet-addicted students. However, to further examine the benefits of exercise for IA students, more research is required.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=377035, identifier: CRD42022377035

Combination of Walnut Peptide and Casein Peptide alleviates anxiety and improves memory in anxiety mices

IntroductionAnxiety disorders continue to prevail as the most prevalent cluster of mental disorders following the COVID-19 pandemic, exhibiting substantial detrimental effects on individuals’ overall well-being and functioning. Even after a search spanning over a decade for novel anxiolytic compounds, none have been approved, resulting in the current anxiolytic medications being effective only for a specific subset of patients. Consequently, researchers are investigating everyday nutrients as potential alternatives to conventional medicines. Our prior study analyzed the antianxiety and memory-enhancing properties of the combination of Walnut Peptide (WP) and Casein Peptide (CP) in zebrafish.Methods and ResultsBased on this work, our current research further validates their effects in mice models exhibiting elevated anxiety levels through a combination of gavage oral administration. Our results demonstrated that at 170 + 300 mg human dose, the WP + CP combination significantly improved performances in relevant behavioral assessments related to anxiety and memory. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that the combination restores neurotransmitter dysfunction observed while monitoring Serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), and acetylcholine (ACh) levels. This supplementation also elevated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA, indicating protective effects against the neurological stresses of anxiety. Additionally, there were strong correlations among behavioral indicators, BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and numerous neurotransmitters.ConclusionHence, our findings propose that the WP + CP combination holds promise as a treatment for anxiety disorder. Besides, supplementary applications are feasible when produced as powdered dietary supplements or added to common foods like powder, yogurt, or milk