Political Business Cycles in Local Employment

Using employment data for municipalities, we find strong evidence of political business cycles. Employment increases shortly before elections mainly in municipalities where the mayor´s party has a majority of deputies in the municipal assembly and where she is running for reelection. Classification-JEL: D72, H7.Political business cycles, local governments, employment, Portugal.

Aplicando direito internacional humanitário em tribunais de direitos humanos : o caso da corte interamericana de direitos humanos

Direito Internacional Humanitário (DIH) e Direito Internacional de Direitos Humanos (DIDH) convergem para a proteção da pessoa humana. É sabido que, por ser lex specialis, uma parte considerável do DIH precede à aplicação do DIDH em situações de conflito armado. No entanto, atualmente é amplamente reconhecido que as obrigações de direitos humanos continuam a ser aplicadas no contexto de guerra. Nesse sentido, tribunais de direitos humanos, a exemplo da Corte Interamericana de Direitos Humanos (Corte IDH), são extremamente valiosos, pois podem servir como um fórum alternativo para implementar o direito do conflito armado. O atual entendimento da Corte IDH é no sentido de que esta é apenas competente para interpretar a Convenção Americana de Direitos Humanos (CADH) à luz do DIH, destacando, dessa forma, a distinção entre interpretar e aplicar o direito do conflito armado. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo investigar se, do ponto de vista da proteção da pessoa humana, é desejável que a Corte IDH aplique Direito Internacional Humanitário. A hipótese é de que pode ser desejável o uso de tribunais de direitos humanos, como a Corte IDH, para responsabilizar os Estados e reparar as vítimas de violações de DIH. Inicialmente, são apresentados, a partir de literatura nacional e estrangeira, aspectos sobre a relação e interseção entre DIH e DIDH. Posteriormente, realiza-se estudo de caso da Corte IDH a partir de uma análise empírica de suas decisões que tratam sobre conflito armado e DIH. O teste empírico demonstrou que existe uma aplicação indireta do DIH, pela Corte IDH, com vistas a uma melhor e mais adequada aplicação das normas da CADH e proteção dos direitos humanos em situações de conflito armado. Portanto, é desejável que a Corte IDH aplique Direito Internacional Humanitário, uma vez que esta tem se mostrado um fórum emergente para implementação e desenvolvimento do DIH.International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) converge on the protection of the human person. It is well known that, as a lex specialis, a considerable part of IHL precedes the application of IHRL in armed conflict situations. However, it is now widely recognized that human rights obligations continue applying in the context of war. In this regard, human rights courts, such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), are extremely valuable as they can serve as an alternative forum for implementing the law of armed conflict. The current understanding of the IACtHR is that it is only competent to interpret the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR) in light of IHL, thus highlighting the distinction between interpreting and applying the law of armed conflict. This paper aims to investigate whether, from the point of view of the protection of the human person, it is desirable for the IACtHR to apply International Humanitarian Law. The hypothesis is that it may be desirable to use human rights courts, such as the IACtHR, to hold States accountable and to compensate victims of violations of IHL. Initially, based on national and foreign literature, aspects concerning the relationship and intersection between IHL and IHRL are presented. Subsequently, a case study of the IACtHR is conducted based on an empirical analysis of its decisions dealing with armed conflict and IHL. The empirical test demonstrated there is an indirect application of IHL by the IACtHR, with a view to a better and more appropriate application of the ACHR provisions and protection of human rights in armed conflict situations. It is therefore desirable for the IACtHR to apply International Humanitarian law, as the Court has proven to be an emerging forum for the implementation and development of IHL

Coping as a mediator and moderator between psychological distress and disordered eating behaviors and weight changes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Previous research has already shown the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students’ well-being and mental health. Eating problems and weight gain due to changes in eating habits and physical activity experienced during this period have also been noticed. However, few studies have explored the role of students’ resources as used during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as coping strategies. This study aimed to (1) explore the associations among psychological distress, disordered eating, coping strategies, and weight changes; (2) examine the moderating role of coping strategies in the process of weight gain and weight loss; and (3) study the mediating role of coping strategies in the process of weight gain and weight loss. The participants in this study were 772 students at a Portuguese university. The data collected included sociodemographic data and three self-reported questionnaires (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire; Brief COPE) during the first few months of the pandemic, which included a 72-day full national lockdown. The results showed that depression, anxiety, stress, and disordered eating were related to increased weight. Guilt, denial, self-distraction, use of substances, and behavior disinvestment were also related to increased weight. Behavioral disinvestment had a strong mediating effect on weight gain. Additionally, planning, positive reframing, and acceptance all showed a moderating effect between psychological distress and weight changes. In conclusion, coping strategies allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms by which psychological distress and disordered eating were related to weight changes during the pandemic.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Detecção da infecção pelo parvovírus B19 em placenta e tecidos fetais fixados em formalina e embebidos em parafina

Parvovirus B19 infection was first discovered in 1975 and it is implicated in fetal death from hydrops fetalis the world over. Diagnosis is usually made through histological identification of the intranuclear inclusion in placenta and fetal organs. However, these cells may be scarce or uncharacteristic, making definitive diagnosis difficult. We analyzed histologically placentas and fetal organs from 34 cases of non-immune hydrops fetalis, stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) and submitted to immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of 34 tissue samples, two (5.9%) presented typical intranuclear inclusion in circulating normoblasts seen in Hematoxylin and Eosin stained sections, confirmed by immunohistochemistry and PCR. However, PCR of fetal organs was negative in one case in which the placenta PCR was positive. We concluded that parvovirus B19 infection frequency is similar to the literature and that immunohistochemistry was the best detection method. It is highly specific and sensitive, preserves the morphology and reveals a larger number of positive cells than does HE with the advantage of showing cytoplasmic and nuclear positivity, making it more reliable. Although PCR is more specific and sensitive in fresh or ideally fixed material it is not so in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, frequently the only one available in such cases.O parvovírus B19 foi detectado em 1975 e desde sua descoberta tem se mostrado um agente infeccioso importante em seres humanos, cujo diagnóstico pode ser feito pelo exame histológico através do encontro de inclusão nuclear em tecidos fetais ou placentários. No entanto, estas células podem ser escassas ou não apresentarem características típicas, dificultando o diagnóstico. Analisamos placentas e órgãos fetais de 34 casos de hidropisia fetal não-imune corados com Hematoxilina e Eosina (HE) e submetidos à reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) e imuno-histoquímica (IH). Em dois casos (5,9%) houve positividade na placenta pelo HE, IH e PCR. No entanto, PCR dos órgãos fetais foi negativa em um destes casos enquanto que a identificação pôde ser feita por IH e histologia. Concluímos que a freqüência do parvovírus B19 é similar à literatura e a reação IH foi o melhor método de detecção, com identificação mais específica e segura, permitindo identificação citoplasmática, o que não é possível pelo exame histopatológico. A PCR pode apresentar falsa negatividade, provavelmente pela fixação, não identifica as células e é mais dispendiosa. Embora mais específica e sensível em material a fresco ou idealmente fixado isto não ocorre com tecidos fixados em formalina e embebidos em parafina, freqüentemente os únicos disponíveis

The natural history of cardiovascular risk factors in health professionals: 20-year follow-up

Background The knowledge of the presence and evolution of cardiovascular risk factors in young people may significantly contribute to actions to modify the natural history of these risks and prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease. Objectives To assess the presence and evolution of cardiovascular risk factors in health professionals over a 20-year period. Methods A group of individuals was evaluated when they first started graduate programs in medicine, nursing, nutrition, dentistry, and pharmacy, and 20 years later. Data obtained in the two phases were compared. Questionnaires about hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, family history of early-onset cardiovascular disease, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyle were administered. Cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Results Of the 281 individuals (62.9 % women; mean age 19.7 years) initially analyzed, 215 (59.07 % women; mean age 39.8 years) were analyzed 20 years later. An increase in mean values of systolic (111.6 vs 118.7 mmHg- p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (71vs 77.1 mmHg - p < 0.001), cholesterol (150.1 vs 182.4 mg/dL - p < 0.001), blood glucose (74.3 vs 81.4 mg/dL - p < 0.001) and BMI (20.7 vs 23.7 kg/m2 - p = 0.017) was observed. Despite the decrease of sedentarism (50.2 vs 38.1 % - p = 0.015), the prevalence of hypertension (4.6 vs 18.6 % - p < 0.001), excessive weight (8.2 vs 32.1 % - p < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (7.8 vs 24.2 % - p < 0.001), and alcohol consumption (32.7 vs 34.9 % - p = 0.037) increased. There was no change in the prevalence of smoking. Conclusion Health professionals presented an increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose, body mass index, and cholesterol over the 20-year study period. Regarding the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, increased blood pressure, overweight, hypercholesterolemia and alcohol consumption, and a decrease in sedentary lifestyle were observed

Including coronary ostia in patient-specific 3D models of the whole aortic valve apparatus, derived from TEE, for biomechanical simulations

There is an increasing interest in the numerical modeling and simulation of the aortic valve behavior and functioning, on the different stages involved as healthy, stenotic or replacement procedure. As echocardiography is a ubiquitous and economic modality, the geometric model construction based on such images is therefore of major interest. In this paper, a new patient-specific approach for modeling the complete aortic valve apparatus - derived from parameters extracted from 3D transesophageal echocardiographs -that includes for the first time the left ventricle outflow tract and the coronary ostia, both crucial for proper assessment of valve biomechanical behavior, is presented. An innovative method for characterizing coronary pressures from patient-specific clinical data, to be used as boundary conditions for the numerical simulation is also described. Results from experiments were presented to evaluate the novel aspects of the model, that permits to compare the existing models (non-coronary model NCM) and the proposed new coronary model (CM). Variations of displacement and stress on each leaflet prove the need of considering leaflet asymmetry. Computed quantities in the results sections are within the range of physiological data. This permits to conclude that the proposed aortic valve apparatus model of the aortic valve apparatus improves on previous ones by considering this extremely complex structure in greater detail.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. IN606A-2017/02

MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF THE DIAPHRAGM. CASE REPORT

The diaphragm is the most important muscle of respiration. The aim of this study was to analyze the cell types that constitute the human diaphragm at different ages. For this purpose, it was collected human tissue samples cadaveric fetal diaphragm, adult and elder. The material was processed and analyzed by optical microscopy and transmission electron. The results of the diaphragm suggest that the structure is altered conformation and distribution in the surface of collagen fibrils in the fundamental extracellular substance of the amount and diameter of the muscle fibers at the ages studied