Taxation Policy in EMU - Julian Alworth and Giampaolo Arachi

This paper proposes to examine whether and how the introduction of the euro changed the impact of taxes on the economy or influenced the direction of tax policy. The paper surveys potential theoretical channels through which tax policy and exchange rate regimes are interrelated (capital mobility, strategic tax setting and trade policy). It is difficult to find strong empirical evidence of major, unique changes in the impact or determination of tax policy following the introduction of the euro owing. The internal market has had by far a greater impact and it has affected all European Union countries. Nevertheless, we highlight that going forward certain specific aspects deserve attention. The most important concerns the use of tax policy by individual EMU countries to improve competitiveness by changing the mix of taxes and thereby achieving an internal devaluation.  A second issue deserving attention concerns tax competition particularly in the area of corporation tax. We provide some tentative evidence that capital movements to and from euro area countries have become more responsive to the levels of corporate taxation.  Alworth, Arachi, EMU, corporate taxation, value-added tax, trade, VAT

Analysis of signal to noise enhancement using a highly selective modulation tracking filter

Experiments are reported which utilize photodielectric effects in semiconductor loaded superconducting resonant circuits for suppressing noise in RF communication systems. The superconducting tunable cavity acts as a narrow band tracking filter for detecting conventional RF signals. Analytical techniques were developed which lead to prediction of signal-to-noise improvements. Progress is reported in optimization of the experimental variables. These include improved Q, new semiconductors, improved optics, and simplification of the electronics. Information bearing signals were passed through the system, and noise was introduced into the computer model

Effect of Occlusion, Directionality and Age on Horizontal Localization

Localization acuity of a given listener is dependent upon the ability discriminate between interaural time and level disparities. Interaural time differences are encoded by low frequency information whereas interaural level differences are encoded by high frequency information. Much research has examined effects of hearing aid microphone technologies and occlusion separately and prior studies have not evaluated age as a factor in localization acuity. Open-fit hearing instruments provide new earmold technologies and varying microphone capabilities; however, these instruments have yet to be evaluated with regard to horizontal localization acuity. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of microphone configuration, type of dome in open-fit hearing instruments, and age on the horizontal localization ability of a given listener. Thirty adults participated in this study and were grouped based upon hearing sensitivity and age (young normal hearing, \u3e50 years normal hearing, \u3e50 hearing impaired). Each normal hearing participant completed one localization experiment (unaided/unamplified) where they listened to the stimulus Baseball and selected the point of origin. Hearing impaired listeners were fit with the same two receiver-in-the-ear hearing aids and same dome types, thus controlling for microphone technologies, type of dome, and fitting between trials. Hearing impaired listeners completed a total of 7 localization experiments (unaided/unamplified; open dome: omnidirectional, adaptive directional, fixed directional; micromold: omnidirectional, adaptive directional, fixed directional). Overall, results of this study indicate that age significantly affects horizontal localization ability as younger adult listeners with normal hearing made significantly fewer localization errors than older adult listeners with normal hearing. Also, results revealed a significant difference in performance between dome type; however, upon further examination was not significant. Therefore, results examining type of dome should be viewed with caution. Results examining microphone configuration and microphone configuration by dome type were not significant. Moreover, results evaluating performance relative to unaided (unamplified) were not significant. Taken together, these results suggest open-fit hearing instruments, regardless of microphone or dome type, do not degrade horizontal localization acuity within a given listener relative to their \u27older aged\u27 normal hearing counterparts in quiet environments

Gender and Political Candidacy in Hampton Roads, Virginia

Although they comprise half of the United States population, women are underrepresented as candidates and officeholders in state legislatures and Congress. This is particularly true of legislatures in southern states where women\u27s representation is acutely low, and these states typically fall in the bottom quintile of women’s representation as tracked by the Center for American Women in Politics. Research on political efficacy by Stauffer (2021) suggests that women’s presence in elected office garners greater trust, confidence, and satisfaction in political institutions and increases their legitimacy. In the retelling of Virginia’s political history, women are often absent, despite their continued presence and significant work in the political arena. When looking at women’s presence in the Virginia General Assembly and its congressional delegation over the last several decades, it is evident that women officeholders primarily come from three areas of the state – Northern Virginia, Richmond, and the Hampton Roads area. As a diverse, growing region of southern Virginia, this research explores Hampton Roads and the women legislators it produces. I examine women’s candidacies for the Virginia General Assembly in Hampton Roads and Norfolk and the corresponding Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District from 2005 to 2023. I find that women from both parties have sought and won legislative seats in the Virginia General Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives. The party competitiveness of this region provides important opportunities to increase women’s representation and incentives for Virginia Democratic and Republican parties to support their candidates

4-Hydroxy-3-Methoxybenzoic Acid Methyl Ester: A Curcumin Derivative Targets Akt/NFκB Cell Survival Signaling Pathway: Potential for Prostate Cancer Management

AbstractTranscription factor NFKB and the serine/threonine kinase Akt play critical roles in mammalian cell survival signaling and have been shown to be activated in various malignancies including prostate cancer (PCA). We have developed an analogue of curcumin called 4hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid methyl ester (HMBME) that targets the Akt/NFκB signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate the ability of this novel compound to inhibit the proliferation of human and mouse PCA cells. HMBME-induced apoptosis in these cells was tested by using multiple biochemical approaches, in addition to morphological analysis. Overexpression of constitutively active Akt reversed the HMBME-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis, illustrating the direct role of Akt signaling in HMBME-mediated growth inhibition and apoptosis. Further, investigation of the molecular events associated with its action in LNCaP cells shows that: 1) HMBME reduces the level of activated form of Akt (phosphorylated Akt); and 2) inhibits the Akt kinase activity. Further, the transcriptional activity of NFκB, the DNA-binding activity of NFκB, and levels of p65 were all significantly reduced following treatment with HMBME. Overexpression of constitutively active Akt, but not the kinase dead mutant of Akt, activated the basal NFκB transcriptional activity. HMBME treatment had no influence on this constitutively active Aktaugmented NFκB transcriptional activity. These data indicate that HMBME-mediated inhibition of Akt kinase activity may have a potential in suppressing/decreasing the activity of major survival/antiapoptotic pathways. The potential use of HMBME as an agent that targets survival mechanisms in PCA cells is discussed

Cuba as Sustainability Lab: Observations on Agriculture, Food, Health and Community in a Time of Change (2015-05-06)

Dr. Handel Hanson Professor, UMD Geography Department Director, UMD Sustainable Agricultural Project speaks on Cuba as Sustainability Lab: Observations on Agriculture, Food, Health and Community in a Time of Chang

Afro-Indigenous Hondurans in Resistance: U.S. Drug War, Violent Displacement, and Migration (2015-10-15)

Lecture by Alfredo Lopez, Ofraneh, The Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras, titled Afro-Indigenous Hondurans in Resistance: U.S. Drug War, Violent Displacement, and Migratio