Institutions and Total Factor Productivity Convergence

The paper examines the effect that institutions have on Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth. This is done by creating a TFP gap between the leader and each of the following countries. The global leaders used are the USA and an average of OECD members. The coefficient on the gap measures each country's ability to learn or absorb new technology from the more advanced leader. The results show that institutions do not seem to have as significant a role in TFP growth as other literature has suggested. The most influential variables are country-specific factors: this would indicate that a one size fits all model will not help developing nations to catchup. When institution variables were added to the model they manage to only explain 31 per cent of TFP difference. This implies that there is still a large portion of TFP growth that is random and not explicable using current economic models.

The Distribution of Property Level Mortgage Arrears

This economic letter uses new micro loan-level data from Irish banks to gain a better understanding of the financial difficulties in the Irish mortgage sector. The availability of these data provide a more granular view of borrower distress and clarifies mortgage arrears within the participating institutions. The letter generates a two-by- two matrix of negative equity and arrears, to identify the distribution of mortgage distress. This analysis finds that the majority of borrowers are current on their principal mortgage repayments. It also finds that while a large portion of borrowers may be in negative equity only 7 per cent of these borrowers are also in arrears.

GENDER, PENSIONS AND INCOME IN RETIREMENT. ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 87 SEPTEMBER 2019

This report examines key dimensions of the policy debate around gender and pensions in Ireland, namely the gender pension gap, income poverty, and financial decision-making. The research summarises three studies carried out as part of a programme of research at the Economic and Social Research institute (ESRI) funded by the Pensions Council. Women may face a number of potential issues both before and during retirement that can have a cumulative impact resulting in significantly lower financial security in retirement than men. In retirement, pension income accounts for most of the income of men and women in Ireland (Central Statistics Office (CSO), 2013). A woman aged 65–79 in the EU-28 received a pension that was on average 38 per cent lower than her male counterpart in 2016; the corresponding figure for Ireland was 26 per cent (European Commission, 2018). Overall, the older population has fared better than other age groups in terms of the experience of income poverty in Ireland in recent years. However, there remains a proportion (currently just under 9 per cent) who live in income poverty (CSO, 2018), despite the fact that the level of older age state benefits should be sufficient to keep this group out of income poverty. Demographic trends mean that older women, who live longer than men, will make up a larger share of the population, and will be increasingly likely to live alone (European Commission, 2018). This means that older women will need to assume greater responsibility for their own financial security in older age. For any policy to tackle successfully gender differences in economic outcomes in older age, it is also important to understand how men and women may differ in terms of financial decision-making. Decisions about many aspects of economic life are shaped by attitudes to risk, time preferences and financial literacy skills, and there is evidence that men and women differ in some aspects of these key dimensions of decision making

Abrupt dietary changes between grass and hay alter faecal microbiota of ponies

Abrupt dietary changes, as can be common when managing horses, may lead to compositional changes in gut microbiota, which may result in digestive or metabolic disturbances. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the faecal microbiota of ponies abruptly changed from pasture grazing ad libitum to a restricted hay-only diet and vice versa. The experiment consisted of two, 14-day periods. Faecal samples were collected on day 0 and days 1–3,7,14 after abrupt dietary change from grass to hay and from hay to grass. Microbial populations were characterised by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene using the Illumina MiSeq platform, 4,777,315 sequences were obtained from 6 ponies. Further analyses were performed to characterise the microbiome as well as the relative abundance of microbiota present. The results of this study suggest that the faecal microbiota of mature ponies is highly diverse, and the relative abundances of individual taxa change in response to abrupt changes in diet. The faecal microbiota of ponies maintained on a restricted amount of hay-only was similar to that of the ponies fed solely grass ad libitum in terms of richness and phylogenetic diversity; however, it differed significantly in terms of the relative abundances at distinct taxonomic levels. Class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, family Lactobacillaceae, and genus Lactobacillus were presented in increased relative abundance on day 2 after an abrupt dietary change from hay to grass compared to all other experimental days (P <0.05). Abrupt changes from grass to hay and vice versa affect the faecal microbial community structure; moreover, the order of dietary change appears to have a profound effect in the first few days following the transition. An abrupt dietary change from hay to grass may represent a higher risk for gut disturbances compared to abrupt change from grass to hay

Blood type gene locus has no influence on ACE association with Alzheimer's disease

The ABO blood group locus was recently found to contribute independently as well as via interactions with ACE gene variation to plasma levels of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). Variation in ACE has also previously been implicated as conferring susceptibility for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but has also been proposed to confer risk via interactions with other as yet unknown genes. More recently, larger studies have not supported ACE as a risk factor for AD, while the role of ACE pathway in AD has come under increased levels of scrutiny with respect to various aspects of AD pathology and possible therapies. We explored the potential combined involvement of ABO and ACE variation in the genetic susceptibility of 2067 AD cases compared to 1376 non-demented elderly. Including the effects of ABO haplotype did not provide any evidence for the genetic association of ACE with AD

Socioeconomic position links circulatory microbiota differences with biological age

Imbalanced nutrition is associated with accelerated ageing, possibly mediated by microbiota. An analysis of the circulatory microbiota obtained from the leukocytes of participants in the MRC Twenty-07 general population cohort was performed. We now report that in this cohort, the most biologically aged exhibit a significantly higher abundance of circulatory pathogenic bacteria, including Neisseria, Rothia and Porphyromonas, while those less biologically aged possess more circulatory salutogenic (defined as being supportive of human health and wellbeing) bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae UCG-004 and Kocuria. The presence of these salutogenic bactreria is consistent with a capacity to metabolise and produce Nrf2 agonists. We also demonstrate that associated one carbon metabolism, notably betaine levels, did not vary with chronological age, but displayed a difference with socioeconomic position (SEP). Those at lower SEP possessed significantly lower betaine levels indicative of a poorer diet and poorer health span and consistent with reduced global DNA methylation levels in this group. Our data suggest a clear route to improving age related health and resilience based on dietary modulation of the microbiota

Transforming the study of organisms: Phenomic data models and knowledge bases

The rapidly decreasing cost of gene sequencing has resulted in a deluge of genomic data from across the tree of life; however, outside a few model organism databases, genomic data are limited in their scientific impact because they are not accompanied by computable phenomic data. The majority of phenomic data are contained in countless small, heterogeneous phenotypic data sets that are very difficult or impossible to integrate at scale because of variable formats, lack of digitization, and linguistic problems. One powerful solution is to represent phenotypic data using data models with precise, computable semantics, but adoption of semantic standards for representing phenotypic data has been slow, especially in biodiversity and ecology. Some phenotypic and trait data are available in a semantic language from knowledge bases, but these are often not interoperable. In this review, we will compare and contrast existing ontology and data models, focusing on nonhuman phenotypes and traits. We discuss barriers to integration of phenotypic data and make recommendations for developing an operationally useful, semantically interoperable phenotypic data ecosystem

Treatment interventions to maintain abstinence from alcohol in primary care:Systematic review and network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: To determine the most effective interventions in recently detoxified, alcohol dependent patients for implementation in primary care. DESIGN: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials comparing two or more interventions that could be used in primary care. The population was patients with alcohol dependency diagnosed by standardised clinical tools and who became detoxified within four weeks. DATA EXTRACTION: Outcomes of interest were continuous abstinence from alcohol (effectiveness) and all cause dropouts (as a proxy for acceptability) at least 12 weeks after start of intervention. RESULTS: 64 trials (43 interventions) were included. The median probability of abstinence across placebo arms was 25%. Compared with placebo, the only intervention associated with increased probability of abstinence and moderate certainty evidence was acamprosate (odds ratio 1.86, 95% confidence interval 1.49 to 2.33, corresponding to an absolute probability of 38%). Of the 62 included trials that reported all cause dropouts, interventions associated with a reduced number of dropouts compared with placebo (probability 50%) and moderate certainty of evidence were acamprosate (0.73, 0.62 to 0.86; 42%), naltrexone (0.70, 0.50 to 0.98; 41%), and acamprosate-naltrexone (0.30, 0.13 to 0.67; 17%). Acamprosate was the only intervention associated with moderate confidence in the evidence of effectiveness and acceptability up to 12 months. It is uncertain whether other interventions can help maintain abstinence and reduce dropouts because of low confidence in the evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence is lacking for benefit from interventions that could be implemented in primary care settings for alcohol abstinence, other than for acamprosate. More evidence from high quality randomised controlled trials is needed, as are strategies using combined interventions (combinations of drug interventions or drug and psychosocial interventions) to improve treatment of alcohol dependency in primary care. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016049779

Improvements in depression and changes in quality of life among HIV-infected adults

Improving QOL for HIV-infected individuals is an important objective of HIV care, given the considerable physical and emotional burden associated with living with HIV. Although worse QOL has been associated with depression, no research has quantified the potential of improvement in depression to prospectively improve QOL among HIV-infected adults. We analyzed data from 115 HIV-infected adults with depression enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of improved depression care on antiretroviral drug adherence. Improvement in depression, the exposure of interest, was defined as the relative change in depression at 6 months compared to baseline and categorized as full response (≥50% improvement), partial response (25%–49% improvement) and no response (<25% improvement). Multivariable linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between improvement in depression and four continuous measures of QOL at 6 months: physical QOL, mental QOL, HIV symptoms, and fatigue intensity. In multivariable analyses, physical QOL was higher among partial responders (MD=2.51, 95% CI −1.51, 6.54) and full responders (MD=3.68, 95% CI −0.36, 7.72) compared to individuals who did not respond. Mental QOL was an average of 4.01 points higher (95% CI −1.01, 9.03) among partial responders and 14.34 points higher (95% CI 9.42, 19.25) among full responders. HIV symptoms were lower for partial responders (MD=−0.69; 95% CI −1.69, 0.30) and full responders (MD=−1.51; 95% CI −2.50, −0.53). Fatigue intensity was also lower for partial responders (MD=−0.94; 95% CI −1.94, 0.07) and full responders (MD=−3.00; 95% CI −3.98, −2.02). Among HIV-infected adults with depression, improving access to high-quality depression treatment may also improve important QOL outcomes

Mental Health Inequities Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From Three Rounds of a Cross-Sectional Monitoring Survey of Canadian Adults

Objectives: Adverse mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are well documented; however, there remains limited data detailing trends in mental health at different points in time and across population sub-groups most impacted. This paper draws on data from three rounds of a nationally representative cross-sectional monitoring survey to characterize the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on adults living in Canada (N = 9,061).Methods: Descriptive statistics were used to examine the mental health impacts of the pandemic using a range of self-reported measures. Multivariate logistic regression models were then used to quantify the independent risks of experiencing adverse mental health outcomes for priority population sub-groups, adjusting for age, gender, and survey round.Results: Data illustrate significant disparities in the mental health consequences of the pandemic, with inequitable impacts for sub-groups who experience structural vulnerability related to pre-existing mental health conditions, disability, LGBTQ2+ identity, and Indigenous identity.Conclusion: There is immediate need for population-based approaches to support mental health in Canada and globally. Approaches should attend to the root causes of mental health inequities through promotion and prevention, in addition to treatment