Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Income inequality and fiscal redistribution in 47 LIS-countries (1967-2014)

In most OECD countries the gap between rich and poor has widened over the past decades. This paper analyzes whether and to what extent taxes and social transfers have contributed to this trend. Has the redistributive power of different social programs changed over time? The paper contributes to the literature by disentangling several parts of fiscal redistribution in a comparative setting for the period 1967-2014. We use micro-data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) to examine household primary income inequality and disposable income inequality, redistribution from transfers and income taxes, and the underlying social programs that drive the changes. We offer detailed information of fiscal redistribution in 47 countries for the period 1967-2014, employing data that have been computed from LIS. LIS data are detailed enough to allow us to measure both overall redistribution, and the partial effects of redistribution by several taxes or transfers. We elaborate on the work of Jesuit and Mahler (2004) and Wang et al (2012 and 2014), and we refine, update and extend the Fiscal Redistribution approach. LIS data allow us to decompose the trajectory of the Gini coefficient from primary to disposable income inequality in several parts (i.e. 9 different benefits and income taxes and social contributions). The update and extension of the Leiden LIS Budget Incidence Fiscal Redistribution Dataset on Income Inequality (LLBIFR Dataset on Income Inequality 2017) allows researchers and public policy analysts to compare fiscal redistribution across developed countries and middle income countries over the last five decades. Research may employ these data in addressing several important research issues. Among the most commonly addressed questions in the empirical literature on the welfare state concerns the sources of variance across countries and over time in the extent and nature of fiscal redistribution. Changes (in the generosity) of welfare states can be linked to changes in the fiscal redistribution. Best-practice among countries can be identified and analyzed in more detail. In exploring the causes and effects of welfare state redistribution in the developed world, the literature has increasingly moved towards more disaggregated measures of social policy, an enterprise in which the LLBIFR on Income Inequality 2017, with its detailed data on taxes and a large number of individual social benefits, offers a rich source of information, which may be used by scholars and policy analysts to study the effects of different social programs on economic well-being.
Ultrathin (∼2nm) HfOx as the fundamental resistive switching element: Thickness scaling limit, stack engineering and 3D integration

This paper addresses the thickness scaling limit of HfOx-based RRAM through a combination of theoretical calculations of electron transport and experimental demonstration of 2nm-HfOx devices. The comparison of 2nm devices with thicker references and bilayer stacks confirm the switching thickness is less than 2nm. The 3D integration of 2nm-HfOx devices enables much larger array size and leads to superior performances compared to planar devices.
Quality of life and cost of illness in patients with psoriasis in Malaysia: a multicenter study

Background Psoriasis is an immune‐mediated, chronic, inflammatory skin disease which affects approximately 2% of the world’s population. It has a major impact on the patient’s quality of life (QoL), influencing career, social activities, family relationships, and all other aspects of life. Many studies have described the various ways in which psoriasis can affect a patient’s life. Very little is known, however, about the impact of psoriasis on the QoL of patients treated in Malaysia and the cost of illness in this region.
Lead yourself

Beginning with this issue of the new IEEE Engineering Management Review (EMR), I begin a recurring column on leadership. This supports one of our major TEMS themes, developing from engineer to leader. I'll be sharing experiences from my 40+ year journey as an engineer, manager, and leader that has recently brought me to the position of TEMS President-Elect. Four decades have allowed me time to make just about every mistake possible. Reflection on these mistakes has resulted in important lessons learned and maybe even some wisdom.
Hypertonic Saline is More Effective Than Normal Saline in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis in Children

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a very common childhood disease that is associated with a significant reduction in the patients' quality of life. Its treatment combines educating the patients and their parents, immunotherapy and drug administration. However, even the best approach does not relieve the symptoms of a number of patients. Alternative therapies are particularly needed for children because the fear of adverse events frequently reduces parental compliance to the prescribed drugs, and immunotherapy is less easy to administer than in adults. In this prospective investigator-blinded study we evaluated whether children, with a documented history of seasonal grass pollen-related AR, benefit from nasal irrigation by assessing the effects on nasal signs and symptoms, on middle ear effusion and on adenoidal hypertrophy. We randomized children aged 5 to 9 years (median age 82 months) to normal saline or hypertonic saline (a 2.7% sodium chloride solution), administered twice-daily using a disposable 20 ml syringe, or no treatment. Nasal symptoms (rhinorrhea, itching, sneezing, nasal obstruction), swelling of turbinates, adenoid hypertrophy or middle ear effusion were assessed at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment. Two hundred and twenty children (normal saline: 80; hypertonic saline: 80; no treatment: 60) completed the study. After four weeks, all the considered items were significantly reduced in the group receiving hypertonic saline (P <0.0001), whereas in the group receiving normal saline only rhinorrhea (P = 0.0002) and sneezing (P = 0.002) were significantly reduced. There was no significant change in any of the items in the control group. The duration of oral antihistamines was significantly lower in the children receiving hypertonic saline than in those treated with normal saline or in controls. No adverse events were reported and parental satisfaction and compliance with the procedure were globally very good, regardless of the solution used. Using our procedure, hypertonic saline is effective, inexpensive, safe, well tolerated and easily accepted by children with seasonal grass pollen-related AR and their parents. Our data suggest that nasal irrigation with hypertonic saline might be included in the wide spectrum of therapies recommended for grass-pollen AR.
Using mathematical models to understand the effect of nanoscale roughness on protein adsorption for improving medical devices

Surface roughness and energy significantly influence protein adsorption on to biomaterials, which, in turn, controls select cellular adhesion to determine the success and longevity of an implant. To understand these relationships at a fundamental level, a model was originally proposed by Khang et al to correlate nanoscale surface properties (specifically, nanoscale roughness and energy) to protein adsorption, which explained the greater cellular responses on nanostructured surfaces commonly reported in the literature today. To test this model for different surfaces from what was previously used to develop that model, in this study we synthesized highly ordered poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) surfaces of identical chemistry but altered nanoscale surface roughness and energy using poly(dimethylsiloxane) molds of polystyrene beads. Fibronectin and collagen type IV adsorption studies showed a linear adsorption behavior as the surface nanoroughness increased. This supported the general trends observed by Khang et al. However, when fitting such data to the mathematical model established by Khang et al, a strong correlation did not result. Thus, this study demonstrated that the equation proposed by Khang et al to predict protein adsorption should be modified to accommodate for additional nanoscale surface property contributions (ie, surface charge) to make the model more accurate. In summary, results from this study provided an important step in developing future mathematical models that can correlate surface properties (such as nanoscale roughness and surface energy) to initial protein adsorption events important to promote select cellular adhesion. These criteria are critical for the fundamental understanding of the now well-documented increased tissue growth on nanoscale materials.
Origin and interstate spread of a New York City multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis clone family.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from New York and elsewhere that are resistant to four or more primary antimicrobial agents and responsible for widespread disease in the 1990s represent a newly emerged clone or a heterogeneous array of unrelated organisms. SETTING New York City area and selected locations in the United States. PATIENTS M tuberculosis isolates from 1953 patients in New York and multidrug-resistant isolates from six patients from other US communities. DESIGN Convenience sample of all M tuberculosis strains (M tuberculosis isolates resistant to rifampin, streptomycin, isoniazid, and ethambutol, and sometimes ethionamide, kanamycin, capreomycin, or ciprofloxacin) submitted to the Public Health Research Institute Tuberculosis Center since 1991 and samples submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from throughout the United States. The samples submitted were representative of the New York City strains of M tuberculosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Characterization of resistant M tuberculosis strains studied by IS6110 and polymorphic GC-rich repetitive sequence (PGRS) hybridization patterns, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, and automated DNA sequencing of genes containing mutations associated with resistance to rifampin (rpoB), isoniazid (katG and inhA locus), and streptomycin (strA and rrs). RESULTS Multidrug-resistant M tuberculosis isolates were recovered from 253 New York City patients and had the same or closely allied IS6110 and PGRS patterns, multiplex PCR type, and gene mutations associated with resistance to rifampin, isoniazid, and streptomycin. Isolates with these same molecular characteristics were recovered from patients in Florida and Nevada, health care workers in Atlanta, Ga, and Miami, Fla, and an individual who recently moved from New York City to Denver, Colo, and caused disease or skin test conversion in at least 12 people in a nursing home environment. CONCLUSIONS The results document the molecular origin and spread of progeny of a closely related family of multidrug-resistant M tuberculosis strains that have recently shared a common ancestor and undergone clonal expansion. The multidrug-resistant phenotype in these organisms arose by sequential acquisition of resistance-conferring mutations in several genes, most likely as a consequence of antibiotic selection of randomly occurring mutants in concert with inadequately treated infections. Dissemination of these difficult-to-treat bacteria throughout New York City and to at least four additional US cities has adverse implications for tuberculosis control in the 21st century.
A Downlink SDM-JT Scheme for TD-SCDMA System

Based on the burst structure of TD-SCDMA system, a novel downlink SDM-JT model is put forward using the channel correlation between the uplink and downlink in TDD system. Meanwhile, by analyzing the features of wireless fading channel, the basic and improved SDM-JT algorithms are proposed. Simulation results show that the SDM-JT scheme can significantly improve the capacity and performance of TD-SCDMA system while the complexity of mobile station (MS) is sharply reduced
Evaluation Of Selected Sidewalk Pavement Surfaces For Vibration Experienced By Users Of Manual AndPowered Wheelchairs

Abstract Background: Obstades such as bumps, curb descents, and uneven driving surfaces cause vibrations that affect the wheelchair, and in turn, the wheelchair user. Chronic exposure can cause low-back pain, disk degeneration, and other harmful effects. Little research has been conducted to assess the vibrations experienced by wheelchair users. Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct an evaluation of the vibration exposure du ring electric-powered wheelchair driving and mechanical energy requirements for manual wheelchair propulsion over selected sidewalk surfaces. The goal was to determine the criteria for a wheelchair-pedestrian access route that does not require excessive propulsive work or expose wheelchair users to potentially harmful vibrations. Methods: Ten unimpaired individuals participated in this study. Six sidewalk surfaces were tested. Measured variables included power of the acceleration per octave, mechanical work to propel over surfaces, peak acceleration, and frequency at which peak acceleration occurs. Results: For both the manual and electric-powered wheelchair, at 1 m/s, significant differences were found in peak accelerations between the seat and footrest (P < 0.0001) and between the sidewalk surfaces (P = 0.004 ). The greatest risk for injury caused by shock and vibration exposure occurs at frequ encies near the natural frequency of seated humans (4-15 Hz). The values for work required to propel over the surfaces tested were not stat istically significantly different. Besides appearance and construction, the only distinguishing characteristic was surface roughness caused by the joints. Conclusion: When treating the poured concrete sidewalk as the standard, surfaces 2, 3, 5, and 6 compared most favorably in t erms of vibration exposure, whereas surface 4 produced mixed results. Surfaces 2, 3, 5, and 6 yielded results that were similar to the poured concrete sidewalk and could be considered acceptable for wheelchair users. in conclusion, surfaces other than the t raditional poured concrete can be used for pedestrian access routes without adding vibration exposure or reducing propulsion efficiency.
Phase III study of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and fluorouracil (CAF) plus leucovorin versus CAF for metastatic breast cancer: Cancer and Leukemia Group B 9140.

PURPOSE To determine whether biochemical modulation with LV (leucovorin) enhances the efficacy of CAF (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and fluorouracil) against metastatic breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women with histologically confirmed stage IV breast cancer, Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) performance status 0 to 2, and no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease were randomly assigned to receive CAF (cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 day 1, doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 day 1, and fluorouracil [FU] 200 mg/m2 intravenous bolus days 1 to 5) with or without LV (LV 200 mg/m2 over 30 minutes days 1 to 5 given 1 hour before FU). RESULTS Two hundred forty-two patients were randomly assigned to treatment; 124 patients had visceral crisis and 40 patients had a CALGB performance status score of 2. The median follow-up was 6 years. The two study arms were similar with regard to serious adverse events; four patients died from treatment-related causes, two patients on each study arm. Predictive variables for time to treatment failure and survival were visceral disease and performance status. The overall response rate was 29% for CAF versus 28% for CAF plus LV. The median time to treatment failure (9 months) and median survival (1.7 years) did not differ by treatment arm. CONCLUSION Modulation of CAF with LV improved neither response rates nor survival among women with metastatic breast cancer, compared with CAF alone. Multivariate analyses confirmed the prognostic importance of performance status and visceral crisis. However, the overall and complete response rates, response durations, time to treatment failure, and survival were the same in the two treatment arms.
Combination Therapy Using IL-2/IL-2 Monoclonal Antibody Complexes, Rapamycin, and Islet Autoantigen Peptides Increases Regulatory T Cell Frequency and Protects against Spontaneous and Induced Type 1 Diabetes in Nonobese Diabetic Mice

Regulatory T cells (Treg) play a crucial role in the maintenance of self-tolerance. In this study, we sought to expand Ag-specific Tregs in vivo and investigate whether the expanded Tregs can prevent or delay the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the NOD mouse model. NOD mice were treated with a combination of IL-2/anti–IL-2 Ab complex, islet Ag peptide, and rapamycin. After the combined treatment, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs were significantly expanded in vivo, they expressed classical Treg markers, exerted enhanced suppressive functions in vitro, and protected against spontaneous development of T1D in NOD mice. Moreover, treated mice were almost completely protected from the adoptively transferred, aggressive form of T1D caused by in vitro–activated cytotoxic islet Ag-specific CD8 T cells. Protection from T1D was transferrable by Tregs and could be attributed to reduced islet infiltration of immune cells as well as the skewing of the immune response toward a Th2 cytokine profile. This new method of peripheral immune regulation could potentially contribute to development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies to prevent the development of T1D or to promote tolerance to islet transplants without using immunosuppressive drugs for long terms.
Osh Proteins Regulate Membrane Sterol Organization but Are Not Required for Sterol Movement Between the ER and PM

Sterol transport between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membrane (PM) occurs by an ATP‐dependent, non‐vesicular mechanism that is presumed to require sterol transport proteins (STPs). In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, homologs of the mammalian oxysterol‐binding protein (Osh1‐7) have been proposed to function as STPs. To evaluate this proposal we took two approaches. First we used dehydroergosterol (DHE) to visualize sterol movement in living cells by fluorescence microscopy. DHE was introduced into the PM under hypoxic conditions and observed to redistribute to lipid droplets on growing the cells aerobically. Redistribution required ATP and the sterol acyltransferase Are2, but did not require PM‐derived transport vesicles. DHE redistribution occurred robustly in a conditional yeast mutant (oshΔosh4‐1ts) that lacks all functional Osh proteins at 37°C. In a second approach we used a pulse‐chase protocol to analyze the movement of metabolically radiolabeled ergosterol from the ER to the PM. Arrival of radiolabeled ergosterol at the PM was assessed in isolated PM‐enriched fractions as well as by extracting sterols from intact cells with methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin. These experiments revealed that whereas ergosterol is transported effectively from the ER to the PM in Osh‐deficient cells, the rate at which it moves within the PM to equilibrate with the methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin extractable sterol pool is slowed. We conclude (i) that the role of Osh proteins in non‐vesicular sterol transport between the PM, ER and lipid droplets is either minimal, or subsumed by other mechanisms and (ii) that Osh proteins regulate the organization of sterols at the PM.
The Study of Phenolic Compounds as Natural Antioxidants in Wine

Plant phenolics present in fruit and vegetables, and that are particularly rich in red wine, have received considerable attention because of their potential antioxidant activity. Human consumption of antioxidants has many alleged health benefits, including protection against cardiovascular diseases, and, most recently, cancer. Red wines contain a variety of polyphenolic antioxidants. Five samples of commercial red wines from Spain and four phenolic compounds of red wine: gallic acid, trans-resveratrol, quercetin and rutin, have been studied. The total phenolics content and the total antioxidant activity (TAA) of wines was determined. The total phenolic content, determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method, varied from 1800 to 2300 mg/L, expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). The antioxidative effects of wine phenolics were determined using a system based on the inhibition by antioxidants of the absorbance of the radical cation. The relationship between antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds, as hydrogen donating free radical scavengers, and their chemical structures was studied. Furthermore, the total antioxidant activity of the wines investigated was well correlated with phenol content. Thus, the results confirm that red wine polyphenols are, in vitro, significant antioxidants.
QUALIDADE EM SERVIÇOS: UM LEVANTAMENTO EM UMA EMPRESA DE MANUTENÇÃO DE BICICLETAS DE MARECHAL CÂNDIDO RONDON.

Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar as dimensoes da qualidade dos servicos dos clientes de uma empresa do ramo de manutencao de bicicletas, localizada em Marechal Cândido Rondon, no Oeste do Parana. Para o mesmo, optou-se por uma abordagem quantitativa do problema, dando enfase aos itens relacionados a satisfacao dos clientes e a qualidade dos servicos prestados pela empresa. O objetivo deste estudo e mensurar a percepcao dos clientes em relacao ao que foi ofertado pelos servicos prestados, utilizando um modelo descritivo de analise. A pesquisa foi realizada atraves da aplicacao de 249 (duzentos e quarenta e nove) questionarios com o modelo SERVQUAL, levando em consideracao a visao do cliente em relacao ao desempenho esperado e percebido nas diversas dimensoes, evidenciando os pontos caracteristicos fortes e/ou fracos, bem como as sugestoes de melhorias e, por conseguinte, tendo o intuito de atingir novos publicos e melhorar o desempenho atual da empresa. Constatou-se que a qualidade geral e a satisfacao geral apresentaram-se em um nivel bom, pois as medias encontradas para as duas avaliacoes da pesquisa estao consideravelmente proximas do limite estabelecido, avaliado como 5. Evidencia-se, com isso, um bom nivel em relacao aos produtos comercializados e servicos prestados. Por meio das analises de dados, observa-se que a empresa atende as expectativas dos seus consumidores em certos aspectos, como tambem, concluiu-se que a mesma necessita melhorar em alguns pontos, como: no preco, no aumento do espaco e na organizacao do ambiente, fatores que, certamente, contribuirao para o desenvolvimento da organizacao.