Global cities and local challenges. Booms and busts in the London real estate market

In this paper we investigate the dynamic features of house prices in London. Using a generalized smooth transition model (GSTAR) we show that dynamic symmetry in price cycles in the London housing market is strongly rejected. We also show that the GSTAR model is able to replicate the features of the observed cycle in the simulated data. Further, our results show that the proposed model performs well when compared to other linear and nonlinear specifications in a out-of-sample forecasting exercise

Characterization of Sea Urchin Transglutaminase, a Protein Regulated by Guanine/Adenine Nucleotides

Transglutaminases (TGs) are calcium-dependent enzymes that catalyze the transamidation of glutamine residues to form intermolecular isopeptide bonds. Nine distinct TGs have been identified in mammals, and three of them (types 2, 3, and 5) are regulated by GTP/ATP and are able to hydrolyze GTP, working as bifunctional enzymes. We have isolated a cDNA clone encoding a TG from a cDNA library prepared from the blastula stage of sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (PlTG). The cDNA sequence has an open reading frame coding for a protein of 738 amino acids, including a Cys active site and two other residues critical for catalytic activity, His and Asp. We have studied its expression pattern by in situ hybridization and have also demonstrated that the in vitro expressed PlTG had GTP- and ATP-hydrolyzing activity; moreover, GTP inhibited the transamidating activity of this enzyme as it does that of human TG2, TG3, and TG5

Service performance monitoring and control Toolset

As service sectors in manufacturing companies become more and more important, Performance Indicators (PIs) will need to be taken into further consideration in order to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of service performances. Hence, PIs are designed to help the organizations and decision makers to better understand how well they are performing in relation to their strategic, tactical and operational goals. While keeping in mind that services are contributing more and more to rise an enterprise turnover, measuring and controlling their performances plays an important role in turning company strategic objectives and goals to reality. It is essential for a company to determine the most significant indicators, how they are related to the formulated company goals and how they depend on performed activities. In this respect, the purpose of this paper is to lay out a method for generating and selecting the PIs related to particular service system requirements. This paper defines an overall PI Toolset which has been developed specifically for Virtual Manufacturing Enterprise (VME) but could also be used for a single enterprise and for a wider set of enterprises in cooperation with additional bodies (e.g. Labs, Industrial associations, universities, etc...). Especially, PI Toolset could be adopted by VMEs in order to improve the management of the service system they want to create through the specification and classification of precised use case objectives. After analyzing the state of the art in literature, a new approach has been developed which provides both a governance methodology and a list of relevant PIs for services. Actually, the proposed PI Toolset may help enterprises in selecting the activity to be monitored, controlled and measured through appropriate PIs. The proposed method essentially consists of a guideline to design, implement and classify effective PIs related to an enterprise’s goals and objectives

Interaction between <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>, <i>Mycobacterium bovis</i>, <i>Mycobacterium avium</i> subspecies <i>paratuberculosis</i> with the enteric glia and microglial cells

Background We investigated the interaction of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, M. bovis and M. tuberculosis and different glial cells (enteric glial and microglial cells) in order to evaluate the infecting ability of these microorganisms and the effects produced on these cells, such as the evaluation of cytokines expression. Results Our experiments demonstrated the adhesion of M. paratuberculosis to the enteroglial cells and the induction of IL-1A and IL-6 expression; M. tuberculosis and M. bovis showed a good adhesive capability to the enteric cell line with the expression of the following cytokines: IL-1A and IL-1B, TNF-α, G-CSF and GM-CSF; M. bovis induced the expression of IL-6 too. The experiment performed with the microglial cells confirmed the results obtained with the enteroglial cells after the infection with M. tuberculosis and M. bovis, whereas M. paratuberculosis stimulated the production of IL-1A and IL-1B. Conclusion Enteroglial and microglial cells, could be the target of pathogenic mycobacteria and, even if present in different locations (Enteric Nervous System and Central Nervous System), show to have similar mechanism of immunomodulation

VIOLÊNCIA DOMÉSTICA: (INA)PLICABILIDADE DA MEDIDA PROTETIVA DE URGÊNCIA PARA VÍTIMAS DO GÊNERO MASCULINO.

This article discusses the applicability of urgent protective measures to the male victim based on Law nº 11.340 of August 7, 2006, better known as Maria da Penha Law. The general objective is to understand the problem of domestic violence and maintain equality of rights between the genders. In order to do so, bibliographic research was used to substantiate aspects of violence, its forms of manifestation and consequences, as well as to make a study of the Maria da Penha Law and its implications for the aggressor and the victim. The possibility of applying this law to men who are also subject to this type of crime is analyzed, based mainly on the constitutional principle of equality between men and women.Este artículo discute la aplicabilidad de las medidas urgentes de protección a la víctima masculina con base en la Ley nº 11.340, de 7 de agosto de 2006, más conocida como Ley Maria da Penha. El objetivo general es comprender el problema de la violencia doméstica y mantener la igualdad de derechos entre los géneros. Para ello, se utilizó una investigación bibliográfica para fundamentar aspectos de la violencia, sus formas de manifestación y consecuencias, así como para hacer un estudio de la Ley Maria da Penha y sus implicaciones para el agresor y la víctima. Se analiza la posibilidad de aplicar esta ley a los hombres que también son sujetos de este tipo de delitos, basándose principalmente en el principio constitucional de igualdad entre hombres y mujeres.O presente artigo aborda a aplicabilidade das medidas protetivas de urgência à vítima do gênero masculino tendo como base a Lei nº 11.340 de 07 de agosto de 2006, mais conhecida como Lei Maria da Penha. O objetivo geral visa entender o problema da violência doméstica e manter a igualdade de direito entre os gêneros. Para tanto, utilizou-se a pesquisa bibliográfica para fundamentar os aspectos da violência, suas formas de manifestação e consequências bem como, fazer um estudo da Lei Maria da Penha e suas implicações para o agressor e a vítima. Analisa-se a possibilidade de se aplicar a referida lei aos homens que também estão sujeitos a esse tipo de crime, fundamentando-se, principalmente, no princípio constitucional da igualdade entre homens e mulheres

Tuberculosis in Sardinia: An investigation into the relationship between natives and immigrants

AbstractObjective/background: Tuberculosis (TB) has had a recrudescence in the last few decades in Italy as a result of many factors, among which migration from countries where TB is endemic is one of them. In Sardinia, a major island of Italy, there was no knowledge of the mechanisms of transmission of TB in the immigrant subpopulation and the impact it may have on the native subpopulation and on the community as a whole. Therefore, a molecular epidemiological study was carried out to get a clearer picture of the number and genetic features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from immigrants and from natives in Sardinia. Methods: Two groups of clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, one collected from immigrants and the other one from Sardinians, were analyzed in this study. The genotyping was executed through the variable number tandem repeat-mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units technique and a first-line antimycobacterial drug-susceptibility test was also carried out. Results: Thirty-six clinical isolates from immigrants and 25 from Sardinians were analyzed. Variable number tandem repeat-mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units technique showed that all of them belonged to different strains and there was a quite high allelic diversity among them. Moreover, data collected allowed the finding of, with a good approximation, the phylogenetic relations among the strains isolated and the best-known phylogenetic groups. Conclusion: The study pointed out that since every strain is different, there was no TB transmission in any of the subpopulations and between immigrants and natives. This showed that the presence of immigrants was not a risk factor for contracting TB in the community

Epidemic of tuberculosis in a high school in Northern Sardinia

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission among high school student and teacher populations in a high school in Northern Sardinia. Tuberculin skin-test screening, chest-X-rays, QuantiFERON-TB Gold, microbiological examination, spoligotyping and variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis of M. tuberculosis isolates were performed. This study indicates the effectiveness of the epidemiological investigation