Measuring inequality and dependences between income sources with administrative data and survey data

Producción CientíficaThis paper aims at analyzing the effects of changing from survey to administrative data on inequality and its structure. Taking advantage of the Spanish Survey on Income and Living Conditions (ECV) that continued asking households for their income despite assigning them the income data provided by the Tax Agency and the Social Security administration, different analyses are carried out. By using copula functions we pay special attention to the effect on the dependences between income sources. We find a significant growth in the disposable income of households when using administrative data. The incomes of both tails of the distribution increase considerably more than middle incomes, and administrative data produce significantly lower levels of inequality. Using administrative instead of survey data also gives rise to changes in the structure of inequality by income sources, rising the contribution of capital income. Both methods of data collection also produce significant differences in the observed dependences between income sources.Economía Aplicad

Adaptation through chromosomal inversions in Anopheles

Chromosomal inversions have been repeatedly involved in local adaptation in a large number of animals and plants. The ecological and behavioral plasticity of Anopheles species—human malaria vectors—is mirrored by high amounts of polymorphic inversions. The adaptive significance of chromosomal inversions has been consistently attested by strong and significant correlations between their frequencies and a number of phenotypic traits. Here, we provide an extensive literature review of the different adaptive traits associated with chromosomal inversions in the genus Anopheles. Traits having important consequences for the success of present and future vector control measures, such as insecticide resistance and behavioral changes, are discussed.Anna Ullastres is an FPI fellow (BES-2012-052999) and Josefa González is a Ramón y Cajal fellow (RYC-2010-07306). This work was supported with startup funds from IRD-MIVEGEC awarded to Diego Ayala, and with grants from the European Commission (Marie Curie CIG PCIG-GA-2011-293860) and the Spanish Government (Fundamental Research Projects Grant BFU-2011-24397) awarded to Josefa González.Peer reviewe

The impact of different data sources on the level and structure of income inequality

This paper aims to analyze the effect on measured inequality and its structure of using administrative data instead of survey data. Different analyses are carried out based on the Spanish Survey on Income and Living Conditions (ECV) that continued to ask households for their income despite assigning their income data as provided by the Tax Agency and the Social Security Administration. Our main finding is that the largest discrepancies between administrative and survey data are in the tails of the distribution. In addition to that, there are clear differences in the level and structure of inequality across data sources. These differences matter, and our results should be a wake-up call to interpret the results based on only one source of income data with caution

Diagnosis of the infection of sunflower by Orobanche cumana using multicolour fluorescence imaging

Orobanche cumana is an holoparasite and thus totally dependent on sunflower for fixed carbon. Initial stages of the infection occur in the first weeks after sowing and are critical for the establishment of a continuum between the host and the parasite vascular system. From that moment the parasite obtains its supply of water, mineral nutrients, and assimilates from the host plant. Alterations of plant metabolism can be detected using remote sensing techniques for detection of fluorescence emitted by plants. One of these indirect techniques is multicolour fluorescence imaging. In this work, we assessed the early infection of sunflower by O. cumana using multicolour fluorescence imaging and we inferred physiological processes affected in sunflower plants infected by the parasite. Ten germinated seeds of the inbred line NR5 were inoculated with population LP2013 of O. cumana. The same number of not inoculated seeds was used as control. Sunflower was planted in pots with soil mixture and grown in greenhouse at 12–22°C for 6 weeks. Multicolour fluorescence imaging was conducted 3, 4, and 5 weeks after inoculation. The two first pairs of fully expanded leaves of each sunflower plant were imaged, and, for each measure date, five fluorescence variables in inoculated plants were compared to those in the control. Three weeks after inoculation, when symptoms of infection were still not observed, decreased levels of blue and green fluorescence and increased far-red fluorescence were observed in leaves of the inoculated plants. At 4 and 5 weeks after inoculation, when inoculated plants displayed symptoms of infection by O. cumana, differences in fluorescence between inoculated plants and the controls were the same and statistically supported. These results are consistent with an increase in total chlorophyll content of sunflower plants infected by O. cumana, and a decrease in the accumulation of secondary metabolites, both related to the need of higher photosynthetic activity to supply the parasite with photosynthate. Biochemical mechanisms underlying alterations in photosynthesis must be further investigated. The results obtained showed that multicolour fluorescence imaging can be used to detect fluorescence differences in inoculated sunflower as early as 3 weeks after inoculation. Therefore, this technique can be used as a diagnostic tool for early detection of genotypes of sunflower which are susceptible or resistant to O. cumana.Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (AGL2010-17909), Junta de Andalucía (P12-AGR370 and P12-AGR1281) and Spanish National Research Council (20134R060).Peer Reviewe

Does Progressive Introduction of Benznidazole Reduce the Chance of Adverse Events in the Treatment of Chagas Disease?

In this retrospective cohort study, we aimed to assess whether introducing benznidazole at escalating doses reduces the probability of adverse events or treatment discontinuation compared with a full-dose scheme. We collected data from patients who had chronic " - " infection and underwent treatment from July 2008 to January 2017 in a referral center in Madrid. Dose was adjusted to body weight (5 mg/kg/day), with treatment introduction with full dose or escalating dose according to local consensus and protocols. Among the 62 patients treated, benznidazole was introduced at full dose in 28 patients and on escalating dose in the remaining 34. We found no statistical differences in the number of adverse events, treatment discontinuations, days of treatment, or sociodemographic profiles. There is insufficient evidence to support escalating dose as a strategy for reducing the adverse effects of benznidazole. Further research is needed to evaluate this strategy

Contenido esencial de los derechos fundamentales: fundamentación teórica y criterios de razonabilidad en el ordenamiento jurídico ecuatoriano

El presente estudio valora las diferentes teorías que abordan el contenido esencial de los derechos fundamentales. Se analiza desde una perspectiva constitucional, esencialmente, visto como una garantía que opera frente al legislador. La investigación realiza un análisis de derecho comparado examinando jurisprudencia de países como España, Perú, Colombia, para finalmente, concatenar el desarrollo de estas proposiciones en el Ecuador.  El objetivo fundamental se centra en abordar de manera crítica el desarrollo jurisprudencial ecuatoriano en cuanto a la determinación del núcleo duro, como también se le conoce a esta parte inquebrantable de los derechos, y propone la aplicación de nuevos criterios de razonabilidad para establecer su contenido y alcance. Se implementa el método cualitativo de investigación científica, esencialmente en lo referente a la recolección de información sobre aspectos relacionados con los enfoques teóricos que giran entorno a la determinación de esta zona infranqueable de los derechos fundamentales. Finalmente con el artículo se concluye que la principal dificultad que se presenta en el ordenamiento jurídico constitucional ecuatoriano es precisamente el hecho de que no se instituye una jerarquización de los derechos, es decir que, es realmente perentorio para el Ecuador  desarrollar desde el punto de vista normativo estándares claros que permitan a los jueces que esta teoría del contenido esencial sea una herramienta valiosa al momento de emitir sus juicios de valor; teniendo en observancia elementos fundamentales como  lo es la naturaleza jurídica, el bien protegido, su finalidad y su ejercicio funcional, a ello se suma la propuesta de la aplicación de criterios de razonabilidad para optimizar dicha valoración sobre todo cuando existen derecho fundamentales en contradicción

Visceral Larva Migrans in Immigrants from Latin America

To determine whether increased migration is associated with an increase in incidence of toxocariasis (visceral larva migrans), we analyzed clinical data obtained from immigrants from Latin America. Although infection with Toxocara sp. roundworm larvae is distributed worldwide, seroprevalence is highest in tropical and subtropical areas