Firm ownership and rent sharing

We analyse - theoretically and empirically - how private versus public ownership of firms affects the degree of rent sharing between firms and their workers. Using a particularly rich linked employer-employee dataset from Portugal, covering a large number of corporate ownership changes across a wide spectrum of economic sectors over more than 20 years, we find a positive relationship between private ownership and rent sharing. Based on our theoretical analysis, this result cannot be explained by private firms being more profit oriented than public ones. However, the result is consistent with privatisation leading to less job security, implying stronger efficiency wage effects.rent sharing; private vs public ownership; panel data

A domain-specific language for parallel and grid computing

This paper overviews a Domain-Specific Language (DSL) for parallel and grid computing, layered on top of AspectJ. This DSL aims to bridge the gap between sequential code and parallel/grid applications, by avoiding invasive source code changes in scientific applications. Moreover, it aims to promote the localization of parallelization and gridification issues into well defined modules that can be (un)plugged (from)to existing scientific applications. This paper builds on previous work based on AspectJ and presents the main motivations for implementing a DSL in preference to a pure-AspectJ solution. The paper presents the DSL's design rationale, overviews current implementation and open research issues.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A concern visualization approach for improving MATLAB and octave program comprehension

The literature has pointed out the need for focusing efforts to better support comprehension of MATLAB and Octave programs. Despite being largely used in the industry and academia in the engineering domain, programs and routines written in those languages still require efforts to propose approaches and tools for its understanding. Considering the use of crosscutting concerns (CCCs) to support the comprehension of object-oriented programs, there is room of its use in the context of MATLAB and Octave programs. The literature has purpose and examples in this direction. Considering this scenario, we propose the use of visualization enriched with CCCs representation to support the comprehension of such programs. This paper discusses the use of a multiple view interactive environment called OctMiner in the context of two case studies to characterize how collected information relating to crosscutting concerns can foster the comprehension of MATLAB and GNU/Octave programs. As a result of the conducted case studies, we propose strategies based on OctMiner and tailored to support different comprehension activities of programs written in MATLAB and Octave.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Adding aspect-oriented features to MATLAB

This paper presents an approach to enrich MATLAB with aspect-oriented extensions to experiment different implementation features. The language we propose aims to configure the low-level data representation of real variables and expressions, to a specifically-tailored fixed-point data representation that benefits from a more efficient support by computing engines (e.g., DSPs, application-specific architectures, etc.) without specific hardware-based floating point units. Additionally, the approach aims to help developers to introduce handlers and monitoring features, and to configure a function with an optimized implementation.FCT under projects PPC-VM (POSI/CHS/47158/2002) and SOFTAS (POSI/EIA/ 60189/200

Towards a catalog of aspect-oriented refactorings

Comunicação aprovada à International Conference on Aspect-Oriented Software Development (AOSD), 4, Chicago, 2005.In this paper, we present a collection of aspect-oriented refactorings covering both the extraction of aspects from object-oriented legacy code and the subsequent tidying up of the resulting aspects. In some cases, this tidying up entails the replacement of the original implementation with a different, centralized design, made possible by modularization. The collection of refactorings includes the extraction of common code in various aspects into abstract superaspects. We review the traditional object-oriented code smells in the light of aspect-orientation and propose some new smells for the detection of crosscutting concerns. In addition, we propose a new code smell that is specific to aspects.(undefined

Enriching MATLAB with aspect-oriented features for developing embedded systems

This article presents an approach to enrich the MATLAB language with aspect-oriented modularity features, enabling developers to experiment different implementation characteristics and to acquire runtime data and traces without polluting their base MATLAB code. We propose a language through which programmers configure the low-level data representation of variables and expressions. Examples include specifically-tailored fixed-point data representations leading to more efficient support for the underlying hardware, e.g., digital signal processors and application-specific architectures, without built-in floating point units. This approach assists developers in adding handlers and monitoring features in a non-invasive way as well as configuring MATLAB functions with optimized implementations. Different aspect modules can be used to retarget common MATLAB code bases for different purposes and implementations. We validate the proposed approach with a set of representative examples where we attain a simple way to explore a number of properties. Experiment results and collected aspect-oriented software metrics lend support to the claims on its usefulness.This work was partially supported by FCT (Portuguese Science Foundation) under the project AMADEUS (POCTI, PTDC/EIA/70271/2006)

Adipose Tissue Epigenetic Profile in Obesity-Related Dysglycemia - A Systematic Review.

BackgroundObesity is a major risk factor for dysglycemic disorders, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, there is wide phenotypic variation in metabolic profiles. Tissue-specific epigenetic modifications could be partially accountable for the observed phenotypic variability.ScopeThe aim of this systematic review was to summarize the available data on epigenetic signatures in human adipose tissue (AT) that characterize overweight or obesity-related insulin resistance (IR) and dysglycemia states and to identify potential underlying mechanisms through the use of unbiased bioinformatics approaches.MethodsOriginal data published in the last decade concerning the comparison of epigenetic marks in human AT of individuals with metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity (MUHO) versus normal weight individuals or individuals with metabolically healthy overweight/obesity (MHO) was assessed. Furthermore, association of these epigenetic marks with IR/dysglycemic traits, including T2D, was compiled.ResultsWe catalogued more than two thousand differentially methylated regions (DMRs; above the cut-off of 5%) in the AT of individuals with MUHO compared to individuals with MHO. These DNA methylation changes were less likely to occur around the promoter regions and were enriched at loci implicated in intracellular signaling (signal transduction mediated by small GTPases, ERK1/2 signaling and intracellular trafficking). We also identified a network of seven transcription factors that may play an important role in targeting DNA methylation changes to specific genes in the AT of subjects with MUHO, contributing to the pathogeny of obesity-related IR/T2D. Furthermore, we found differentially methylated CpG sites at 8 genes that were present in AT and whole blood, suggesting that DMRs in whole blood could be potentially used as accessible biomarkers of MUHO.ConclusionsThe overall evidence linking epigenetic alterations in key tissues such AT to metabolic complications in human obesity is still very limited, highlighting the need for further studies, particularly those focusing on epigenetic marks other than DNA methylation. Our initial analysis suggests that DNA methylation patterns can potentially discriminate between MUHO from MHO and provide new clues into why some people with obesity are less susceptible to dysglycemia. Identifying AT-specific epigenetic targets could also lead to novel approaches to modify the progression of individuals with obesity towards metabolic disease.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO, identifier CRD42021227237

The African hind's (Cephalopholis taeniops, serranidae) use of artificial reefs off Sal Island (Cape Verde): a preliminary study based on acoustic telemetry

The African hind Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828) is one of the most important commercial demersal species caught in the Cape Verde archipelago. The species is closely associated with hard substrate and is one of the main attractions for SCUBA divers. In January 2006 a former Soviet fishing vessel - the Kwarcit - was sunk off Santa Maria Bay (Sal Island). Young C. taeniops are commonly observed in this artificial reef (AR). In order to investigate the species' use of the AR, 4 specimens were captured and surgically implanted underwater with Vemco brand acoustic transmitters. The fish were monitored daily with an active telemetry receiver for one week after release. Simultaneously, an array of 3 passive VR2 / VR2W receivers was set for 63 days, registering data that allowed an analysis of spatial, daily and short term temporal activity patterns. The results showed site fidelity to the AR, with no migrations to the nearby natural reef. The method used allowed to register a consistent higher activity during daytime and a preference for the area opposite the dominant current

A domain-specific aspect language for transforming MATLAB programs

Aspect-oriented programming provides powerful ways to augment programs with information out of the scope of the base language while avoiding harming code readability and thus portability. MATLAB is a popular modeling/programming language that will strongly benefit of aspect-oriented programming features. For instance, MATLAB programmers could use aspects to provide information such as restrictions on allowed data types and/or values, monitoring specific aspects of the execution such as the effective dataset sizes or if a given variable ever assumes a specific value, without “polluting” the code with “check code”. This paper describes the main concepts of a domain-specific aspect language (DSAL) for specifying transformations of MATLAB programs in view of supporting optimizations by facilitating the experimentation of alternative implementations. This DSAL specifies aspect modules structured in three sections: intersections equivalent to AspectJ poincuts, actions equivalent to AspectJ advice, and conditions that control triggering of actions. Support for aspect composition strategies and aspect parameterization of tokens from the base program are also supported. We believe the described features complement and enhance MATLAB programming in substantial and valuable ways