Stylised features of price setting behaviour in Portugal: 1992-2001

This paper identifies the empirical stylized features of price setting behaviour in Portugal using the micro-datasets underlying the consumer and the producer price indexes. The main conclusions are the following: 1 in every 4 prices change each month; there is a considerable degree of heterogeneity in price setting practices; consumer prices of goods change more often than consumer prices of services; producer prices of consumption goods vary more often than producer prices of intermediate goods; for comparable commodities, consumer prices change more often than producer prices; price reductions are common, as they account for around 40 per cent of total price changes; price changes are, in general, sizeable; finally, the price setting patterns at the consumer level seem to depend on the level of inflation as well as on the type of outlet. JEL Classification: E31, E32, L11consumer prices, frequency of price changes, price setting, producer prices

Active citizenship: participatory patterns of European youth

Purpose: Treating Active Citizenship as a sum of behavioural indicators requires certain prerequisites that can be difficult to meet in practice (e.g. structural validity and measurement invariance). We explore a different approach, in which we treat Active Citizenship as a categorical, rather than a linear, construct. Design: Based on longitudinal data from eight European countries, we discovered the patterns’ structure based on the first-year data and then replicated the analysis on the second-year sample to confirm it. Next, we explored the change between the years and its’ trajectories. We compared countries profiles and their change. Finally, we used multinomial logistic regression to explore the most common trajectories. Findings: We describe six patterns: fighter, activist, volunteer, backer, online and indifferent. The pattern structure is replicable and 41.8% of respondents preserve their pattern. For those respondents who changed their pattern, we identified political interest, religiosity, gender and age as the main factors behind this change. Research implications: The study contributes to the understanding of youth Active Citizenship and the factors that support and promote it

Analysis of the dynamic air conditioning loads, fuel consumption and emissions of heavy-duty trucks with different glazing and paint optical properties

The European transportation sector employs 10 million people and accounts for 4.6% of the European Union GDP. Due to climate change, this workforce is increasingly affected by high temperatures and radiant loads, particularly during summer. They rely on air conditioning (AC) to minimize heat inside the truck cabins, increasing fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. Because sustainable transportation is crucial for climate change mitigation, we developed a numerical investigation on the dynamic thermal exchanges of cabins of heavy-duty trucks in realistic conditions of a summer workday, to quantify the potential impact of interventions in the glazing and paint optical properties, over the truck AC loads. We observed that the changes in air temperature and solar irradiation throughout the workday imply substantial variations in the truck's AC loads and, consequently, in its fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. Furthermore, windshields and side windows with transmissivity of 0.33 instead of typical 0.79 and 0.84, respectively, can reduce AC loads by up to 16%. External paints with reflectivity of 0.70 instead of 0.04 can reduce the AC loads by up to 30%, whereas cumulative changes to glazing and paint can reduce the AC load by up to 40%. These interventions can lower fuel consumption and emissions by up to 0.4%. These results show that important improvements in fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions are possible, if the research community, policy makers and industry stakeholders successfully promote the adaptation of the European transportation fleet

Long-Term weight loss and metabolic syndrome remission after bariatric surgery: The effect of sex, age, metabolic parameters and surgical technique-a 4-year follow-up study

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for morbid obesity and its metabolic related comorbidities. However, the literature reports inconsistent results regarding weight loss (WL) and the resolution of comorbidities associated with obesity. Objective: We aim to evaluate long-Term differences in WL between different surgical techniques and the impact of each surgical technique on metabolic parameters (type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM], dyslipidemia,hypertension, and metabolic syndrome). We also aim to evaluate the effect of baseline clinical characteristics in WL and in the evolution of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components. Our hypothesis is that different types of surgery have different effects on WL and the prevalence of comorbidities over time. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated WL and metabolic parameter remission (T2DM, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and MetS) during 4 years in 1,837 morbidly obese patients (females, 85%; age, 42.5 ± 10.6 years; BMI, 44.0 ± 5.8) who underwent bariatric surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB], laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy [LSG], and laparoscopic adjustable gastric band [LAGB]). Results: The mean percentage of WL for RYGB, LSG, and LAGB was, respectively, 32.9 ± 8.7, 29.8 ± 9.8, and 16.2 ± 9.6 at 12 months and 30.6 ± 9.1, 22.7 ± 10.0, and 15.8 ± 10.8 at 48 months (p < 0.001), even after adjustment for baseline weight, BMI, age, and sex (p < 0.001). Women had more WL during the first 36 months (p = 0.013 and 0.007 at 12 and 36 months, respectively) and older patients had less WL compared to younger ones (p <0.001), except at 48 months. Patients with T2DM had less WL than those without diabetes after adjustment (sex, age, and surgical technique) during the same period. Patients with hypertension had less WL at 12 months (p = 0.009) and MetS at 24 months (p = 0.020) compared to those without these comorbidities. There was no significant difference regarding the presence of dyslipidemia in WL. The RYGB group showed better results for MetS resolution. Conclusion:During the 4-year follow-up, RYGB was the surgical procedure that caused the highest WL and MetS resolution

Variability of olive oil cultivar on stability during storage

The fatty acid composition and stability of three Portuguese monovarietal olive oils, Cobrancosa, Macanilha and Verdeal, was studied, maintaining the olive oils at 60 degrees C for 75 and 102 days, respectively. Oleic acid was the main fatty acid (64-69%) in three olive oils cultivars, followed by palmitic acid (15-18%). The highest percentages of palmitic acid were observed in Macanilha olive oil (17-18%). Linolenic acid content was 3%, on average. Storing the oils at 60 degrees C over 75 days did not affect the levels of fatty acids. Cobrancosa and Macanilha olive oils were more resistant to hydroperoxide formation than Verdeal olive oil, whereas this oil and that of Macanilha were more resistant to the degradation of those peroxides. Cobrancosa olive oil possessed higher levels of phenols and higher ability for scavenging free radicals than the remaining oils. a-Tocopherol content was higher in Cobrancosa and Macanilha oils than in Verdeal, but a similar high degradation of this vitamin was observed in all oils, disappearing after 5 to 8 days of storage at 60 degrees C

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

HTLV-1 proviral load in infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 does not increase after the development of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis and does not decrease after IDH remission

Introduction Infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-1 (IDH) is a recurrent eczema which affects children vertically infected with HTLV-1. In Bahia, Brazil, we recently reported that 47% of IDH patients also develop juvenile HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP), a progressive disabling disorder which is typically reported in adult HTLV-1 carriers. IDH may also predispose to adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, a neoplasm associated with HTLV-1. The factors relating to the development of HTLV-1-associated juvenile diseases have not yet been defined. HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) is one of the main parameters related to the development of HTLV-1 associated diseases in adults. In the current study, we investigated the role of PVL in IDH and juvenile HAM/TSP. Methodology/Principal findings This is a cohort study that included fifty-nine HTLV-1 infected children and adolescents, comprising 16 asymptomatic carriers, 18 IDH patients, 20 patients with IDH and HAM/TSP (IDH/HAM/TSP) and five with HAM/TSP. These patients were followed-up for up to 14 years (median of 8 years). We found that PVL in IDH and IDH/HAM/TSP patients were similarly higher than PVL in juvenile asymptomatic carriers (p<0.0001). In those IDH patients who developed HAM/TSP during follow-up, PVL levels did not vary significantly. HAM/TSP development did not occur in those IDH patients who presented high levels of PVL. IDH remission was associated with an increase of PVL. Inter-individual differences in PVL were observed within all groups. However, intra-individual PVL did not fluctuate significantly during follow-up. Conclusions/Significance High PVL in IDH patients was not necessary indicative of progression to HAM/TSP. PVL did not decrease after IDH remission. The maintenance of high PVL after remission could favor early development of ATL. Therefore, IDH patients would have to be followed-up even after remission of IDH and for a long period of time.This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia (FAPESB, www.fapesb.ba.gov.br) [Grant number RED0028/2012 to L.F.], Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, www.cnpq.br)[Grant number 409985/ 2016-3 to A.L.B.]. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska Marie Curie grant (https://ec.europa.eu) [agreement number 799850 to L.F.] The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Hydrological Modeling in temporary streams: A case study in Pardiela basin, Southern Portugal

The project “Conservation and rehabilitation strategies for temporary Mediterranean river corridors: a case study on Pardiela basin, southern Portugal (Guadiana basin)", is being carried out,with the collaboration of researchers from diverse scientific areas, in order to increase the knowledge on temporary streams. The project includes different approaches at reach and basin scales, regarding the study of temporal interactions among different ecological components such as climate, morphology of stream corridor and hydrology. The obtained results were integrated in basin models: Mohid Land, an integrant part of the software Mohid River Network and in SWAT model. The outputs from Mohid Land model defined that there is 10% average of probability of total annual runoff occurrence in headwater reaches. This means that, in headwaters reaches,which represent the major area of the river basin, the percentage of time without runoff is close to 90%, exposing the ephemerality of temporary headwater reaches, the most fragile areas. The main issue related to temporary rivers is regarding water scarcity since rainfall is concentrated in small temporal events which makes water availability management a complex issue. The sustainable development at local and regional levels requires the improvement of conservation and rehabilitation strategies for this ecosystem