How resilient was trade to COVID-19?

We provide stylized facts on the short-run resilience of exports to the COVID-19 pandemic across product characteristics. Relying on global monthly product-level exports to the United States, Japan, and 27 European Union countries from January 2018 to December 2021, we show that products with a higher reliance on China or few countries as input suppliers saw stronger declines in exports as a result of the COVID-19 shock while those with more automated production processes saw exports increase. Our analysis also shows that product characteristics played different roles mediating export responses at different stages of the 2020-2021 COVID-19 crisis. We document rapid reductions in vulnerabilities for exports of unskilled-intensive production. Reliance on diversified inputs from abroad progressively contributed to resilience following an initial negative role when trade was severely disrupted globally.

Predicting habitat use by the Argentine hake Merluccius hubbsi in a warmer world: inferences from the Middle Holocene.

Fish skeletal remains recovered from two archaeological sites dated in the Middle Holocene of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina) were analysed to describe habitat use patterns by hake in the past and predict changes in a warmer world. Mitochondrial DNA was successfully extracted and amplified from 42 out of 45 first vertebra from ancient hake and phylogenetic analysis assigned all haplotypes to Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi). According to osteometry, the Argentine hake recovered from the archaeological site were likely adults ranging 37.2-58.1 cm in standard length. C and N stable isotope analysis showed that currently Argentine hake use foraging grounds deeper than those of Patagonian blenny and pink cusk-eel. Argentine hake, however, had a much broader isotopic niche during the Middle Holocene, when a large part of the population foraged much shallower than contemporary pink cusk-eel. The overall evidence suggests the presence of large numbers of Argentine hake onshore Tierra del Fuego during the Middle Holocene, which allowed exploitation by hunter-gatherer-fisher groups devoid of fishing technology. Interestingly, average SST off Tierra del Fuego during the Middle Holocene was higher than currently (11 °C vs 7 °C) and matched SST in the current southernmost onshore spawning aggregations, at latitude 47 °S. This indicates that increasing SST resulting from global warming will likely result into an increased abundance of adult Argentine hake onshore Tierra del Fuego, as during the Middle Holocene. Furthermore, stable isotope ratios from mollusc shells confirmed a much higher marine primary productivity during the Middle Holocene off Tierra del Fuego.

Back to the future? Late Holocene marine food web structure in a warm climatic phase as a predictor of trophodynamics in a warmer South-Western Atlantic Ocean.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in the skeletal elements of both ancient and modern marine species from the Beagle Channel were used to compare the structure of Late Holocene and modern food webs, and predict potential changes as a result of a Sea Surface Temperature (SST) increase in the region. Complementary, ancient and modern shells of limpets and mussels were isotopically analysed to explore changes in the isotopic baseline and compare marine food webs through time after an appropriate correction for baseline shifts. Results confirmed a declining pattern of marine primary productivity during the Late Holocene in the Beagle Channel. In general, the isotopic niches overlapped largely in the ancient food web in comparison to the current marine one, with the exception of that of cormorants (Phalacrocorax sp.). Our data suggest that all the species that have undergone intense human exploitation (Arctocephalus australis, Otaria flavescens and Merluccius sp.) significantly increased their trophic levels. The most important finding of this work was the very high isotopic overlap between snoek (Thyrsites atun) and hake (Merluccius sp.) during the Late Holocene. Increasing SST as a result of global warming could favour the recolonization of the southern South-Western Atlantic Ocean by snoek from the South-Eastern Pacific Ocean, with a potential impact on the landings of the economically important Argentine and Austral hake. These findings highlight the relevance of using zooarchaeological remains for providing predictions about marine food webs changes in the near future.

Analysis of the evolution of gross alpha and gross beta activities in airborne samples in Valencia (Spain).

Gross alpha (Aα) and gross beta activities (Aß) were measured weekly in the airborne of the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia campus (in the east of Spain) during the period 2009-2015 (7 years). The geometric mean values of weekly Aα and Aß were 0.53·10-4 Bq m-3 and 5.77·10-4 Bq m-3, respectively; with an average ratio Aα/Aß of 0.097. This study highlights the heterogeneity of gross alpha and gross beta activities depending on the different periods of the year. Data show seasonal variations with the highest activity in summer months and the lowest one in winter months. Several atmospheric factors were considered in order to explain this intra-annual variation (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, precipitations, dust content and prevailing wind directions). Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were performed in order to obtain information on significant atmospheric factors that affect gross α and gross ß variability, which could be useful in identifying meteorological or atmospheric changes that could cause deviations in gross α and gross ß activity depending on the seasons considered. Models obtained explain more than 60% of variability for global data, and also for winter and spring-autumn months. However, more research is needed to explain gross α and gross ß variability in summer months, because the atmospheric factors considered in the MLR explain less than 35% of variability.

Effect of Trichoderma-enriched organic charcoal in the integrated wood protection strategy.

The gradual elimination of chromium from wood preservative formulations results in higher Cu leaching and increased susceptibility to wood decay fungi. Finding a sustainable strategy in wood protection has become of great interest among researchers. The objective of these in vitro studies was to demonstrate the effect of T-720-enriched organic charcoal (biochar) against five wood decay basidiomycetes isolated from strongly damaged poles. For this purpose, the antagonistic potential of Trichoderma harzianum (strain T-720) was confirmed among other four Trichoderma spp. against five brown-rot basidiomycetes in dual culture tests. T-720 was genetically transformed and tagged with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) in order to study its antagonistic mechanism against wood decay basidiomycetes. It was also demonstrated that T-720 inhibits the oxalic acid production by basidiomycetes, a well-known mechanism used by brown-rot fungi to detoxify Cu from impregnated wood. Additionally, this study evaluated the effect of biochar, alone or in combination with T-720, on Cu leaching by different preservatives, pH stabilization and prevention of wood decay caused by five basidiomycetes. Addition of biochar resulted in a significant Cu binding released from impregnated wood specimens. T-720-enriched biochar showed a significant reduction of wood decay caused by four basidiomycetes. The addition of T-720-enriched biochar to the soil into which utility poles are placed may improve the efficiency of Cr-free wood preservatives.

Integrated control of wood destroying basidiomycetes combining Cu-based wood preservatives and Trichoderma spp.

The production of new generation of wood preservatives (without addition of a co-biocide) in combination with an exchange of wood poles on identical sites with high fungal inoculum, has resulted in an increase of premature failures of wood utility poles in the last decades. Wood destroying basidiomycetes inhabiting sites where poles have been installed, have developed resistance against wood preservatives. The objective of the in vitro studies was to identify a Trichoderma spp. with a highly antagonistic potential against wood destroying basidiomycetes that is capable of colonizing Cu-rich environments. For this purpose, the activity of five Trichoderma spp. on Cu-rich medium was evaluated according to its growth and sporulation rates. The influence of the selected Trichoderma spp. on wood colonization and degradation by five wood destroying basidiomycetes was quantitatively analyzed by means of dry weight loss of wood specimens. Furthermore, the preventative effect of the selected Trichoderma spp. in combination with four Cu-based preservatives was also examined by mass loss and histological changes in the wood specimens. Trichoderma harzianum (T-720) was considered the biocontrol agent with higher antagonistic potential to colonize Cu-rich environments (up to 0.1% CuSO4 amended medium). T. harzianum demonstrated significant preventative effect on wood specimens against four wood destroying basidiomycetes. The combined effect of T. harzianum and Cu-based wood preservatives demonstrated that after 9 months incubation with two wood destroying basidiomycetes, wood specimens treated with 3.8 kg m-3 copper-chromium had weight losses between 55-65%, whereas containers previously treated with T. harzianum had significantly lower weight losses (0-25%). Histological studies on one of the wood destroying basidiomycetes revealed typical decomposition of wood cells by brown-rot fungi in Cu-impregnated samples, that were notably absent in wood specimens previously exposed to T. harzianum. It is concluded that carefully selected Trichoderma isolates can be used for integrated wood protection against a range of wood destroying basidiomycetes and may have potential for integrated wood protection in the field.

Assessing the adequacy of workload measurement tools using a quality-based methodology. / Adecuación de escalas para medir cargas de trabajo mediante metodología de calidad.

OBJECTIVE:: determine which tool (NEMS and NAS) is most suitable for use in intensive care units using a quality-based methodology. METHOD:: after identifying the opportunity for improvement "Inadequacy of the NEMS for determining nursing workload in the intensive care unit (ICU)", we assessed the NEMS and the NAS, as a proposed improvement to the NEMS, using quality improvement cycles methodology based on the following criteria: measurement of daily nursing workload on a daily and shift basis; the tool encompasses all nursing activities undertaken in the ICU; and workload assessed per patient and unit. RESULTS:: there was no significant difference in level of compliance for the NEMS (67%). The comparison NEMS-NAS showed that there was a statistically significant improvement for all criteria except criterion 1. The NEMS only assesses criterion 1 (64.22%); while the NAS assessed all four criteria, obtaining a compliance rate of 64.74% for criteria 1, 2, and 4, and 100% for criterion 3. CONCLUSION:: the NAS is more suitable for measuring nursing workload in UCIs.

Bone-Eating Worms Spread: Insights into Shallow-Water Osedax (Annelida, Siboglinidae) from Antarctic, Subantarctic, and Mediterranean Waters.

Osedax, commonly known as bone-eating worms, are unusual marine annelids belonging to Siboglinidae and represent a remarkable example of evolutionary adaptation to a specialized habitat, namely sunken vertebrate bones. Usually, females of these animals live anchored inside bone owing to a ramified root system from an ovisac, and obtain nutrition via symbiosis with Oceanospirillales gamma-proteobacteria. Since their discovery, 26 Osedax operational taxonomic units (OTUs) have been reported from a wide bathymetric range in the Pacific, the North Atlantic, and the Southern Ocean. Using experimentally deployed and naturally occurring bones we report here the presence of Osedax deceptionensis at very shallow-waters in Deception Island (type locality; Antarctica) and at moderate depths near South Georgia Island (Subantarctic). We present molecular evidence in a new phylogenetic analysis based on five concatenated genes (28S rDNA, Histone H3, 18S rDNA, 16S rDNA, and cytochrome c oxidase I-COI-), using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference, supporting the placement of O. deceptionensis as a separate lineage (Clade VI) although its position still remains uncertain. This phylogenetic analysis includes a new unnamed species (O. 'mediterranea') recently discovered in the shallow-water Mediterranean Sea belonging to Osedax Clade I. A timeframe of the diversification of Osedax inferred using a Bayesian framework further suggests that Osedax diverged from other siboglinids during the Middle Cretaceous (ca. 108 Ma) and also indicates that the most recent common ancestor of Osedax extant lineages dates to the Late Cretaceous (ca. 74.8 Ma) concomitantly with large marine reptiles and teleost fishes. We also provide a phylogenetic framework that assigns newly-sequenced Osedax endosymbionts of O. deceptionensis and O. 'mediterranea' to ribospecies Rs1. Molecular analysis for O. deceptionensis also includes a COI-based haplotype network indicating that individuals from Deception Island and the South Georgia Island (ca. 1,600 km apart) are clearly the same species, confirming the well-developed dispersal capabilities reported in other congeneric taxa. In addition, we include a complete description of living features and morphological characters (including scanning and transmission electron microscopy) of O. deceptionensis, a species originally described from a single mature female, and compare it to information available for other congeneric OTUs.

Adecuación de escalas para medir cargas de trabajo mediante metodología de calidad / Adequação de escores para medir cargas horárias através de uma metodologia de qualidade / Assessing the adequacy of workload measurement tools using a quality-based methodology

RESUMEN Objetivo: Determinar cuál de las escalas evaluadas (NEMS y NAS), es más adecuada para Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos aplicando metodología de calidad. Método: Tras identificar como oportunidad de mejora la no adecuación de la escala NEMS para determinar cargas de trabajo de enfermería en UCI, se aplica metodología de los ciclos de mejora a dicha escala y a la NAS, como propuesta de mejora, evaluando los criterios: medición de cargas de trabajo al día y por turno, inclusión de todas las actividades enfermeras, y análisis por paciente y unidad. Resultados: Escala NEMS no muestra diferencias significativas en el cumplimiento (67%). Comparación NEMS-NAS, todos los criterios excepto el 1º, obtienen mejora significativa. NEMS sólo valora el criterio 1 (64,22%), y NAS todos con un cumplimiento para el 1º, 2º y 4º del 64,74%, y el 3º del 100%. Conclusión: La escala NAS es más adecuada para medir cargas de trabajo de enfermería en UCI.

RESUMO Objetivo: determinar qual dos escores avaliados (NEMS e NAS), é o apropriado para as Unidades de Tratamento Intensivo aplicando a metodologia da qualidade. Método: após identificar como uma oportunidade de demonstrar a não adequação do escore NEMS para determinar as cargas de trabalho dos enfermeiros na UTI, aplicou-se a metodologia dos ciclos de melhoria para esse escore e para o NAS como propostas de melhorias, avaliando os critérios: medição da carga horária por dia e por turnos, incluindo todas as atividades de enfermagem e análise por paciente-unidade. Resultados: o escore NEMS não demonstrou diferenças significativas na efetividade (67%). Comparando o NEMS-NAS, todos os critérios, exceto o 1º, obtiveram uma melhora significativa. O NEMS valoriza apenas o critério 1º (64,22%) e o NAS, todos, com efetividade de 64,74% para o 1º, 2º e 4º de e de 100% para o 3º. Conclusão: o escore NAS é o mais apropriado para medir a carga de trabalho de enfermagem na UTI.

ABSTRACT Objective: determine which tool (NEMS and NAS) is most suitable for use in intensive care units using a quality-based methodology. Method: after identifying the opportunity for improvement "Inadequacy of the NEMS for determining nursing workload in the intensive care unit (ICU)", we assessed the NEMS and the NAS, as a proposed improvement to the NEMS, using quality improvement cycles methodology based on the following criteria: measurement of daily nursing workload on a daily and shift basis; the tool encompasses all nursing activities undertaken in the ICU; and workload assessed per patient and unit. Results: there was no significant difference in level of compliance for the NEMS (67%). The comparison NEMS-NAS showed that there was a statistically significant improvement for all criteria except criterion 1. The NEMS only assesses criterion 1 (64.22%); while the NAS assessed all four criteria, obtaining a compliance rate of 64.74% for criteria 1, 2, and 4, and 100% for criterion 3. Conclusion: the NAS is more suitable for measuring nursing workload in UCIs.