Building Support for Taxation in Developing Countries: Experimental Evidence from Mexico

In spite of the importance of taxation for political and economic development, we know relatively little about the conditions under which citizens might not exact a political cost on leaders for adopting a particular tax. Drawing on insights from the literature on institutional design, this article examines how certain features of taxes – such as allowing for civil society oversight, sunset provisions that make the duration of taxes finite, and earmark mechanisms that direct tax revenue for a specific purpose – affect political support behind them. It also evaluates the role of three important aspects of the fiscal exchange, namely trust in government, perceptions of the public good, and level of income. Based on an original survey experiment focusing on the provision of public safety in Mexico, I find that these design features increase political support for taxation, especially among those with low trust in government, perceptions of high quality of the public good, and low income. These findings have important implications for Mexico, as well as a number of other countries that have both low levels of extraction and increased public spending imperatives

Combined model-based and machine learning approach for damage identification in bridge type structures

In this work, we propose a combined approach of model-based and machine learning techniques for damage identification in bridge structures. First, a finite element model is calibrated with real data from experimental vibration modes for the undamaged or baseline state. Second, generic synthetic damage scenarios based on modal parameters are automatically generated with the model to train machine learning algorithms for damage classification (Support Vector Machine, SVM) and damage location and quantification (Neural Network, NN). For an initial validation of the method we use a lab scale truss bridge model, proving that specific damage scenarios can be assessed by the Supervised Machine Learning algorithms trained with generic damage scenarios including a certain variability. The NN provides an assessment in terms of damage location and quantification, whereas the SVM provides a damage severity classification with graphical indication of the damage location and quantification through a reduced dimension plot

Pelvic floor rehabilitation in patients with levator ani muscle avulsion

Objective: To determine if physiotherapy treatment applied to patients with levator ani muscle (LAM) avulsion identified after a vaginal delivery, reduces the LAM hiatus area. Material and Methods: A prospective observational study of 52 nulliparous (26 in the experimental and 26 in the control group). We included patients with LAM avulsion, diagnosed by 3-4D/transperineal ultrasound performed 3 months after delivery. Patients in the experimental group underwent a program of pelvic floor exercises, assisted by biofeedback and lumbopelvic stabilization exercises. Assessment of LAM was carried out at 6 and 9 months postpartum, using 3-4D/transperineal ultrasound, and taking the following measurements: levator hiatus area at rest, during Valsalva and at maximum contraction; LAM area, and thickness of right and left LAM. Results: Patients in the experimental group presented a reduction in the levator hiatus area at rest (17.0, 15.7, 15.9 cm2 ), during Valsalva (23.0, 20.8, 19.9 cm2 ) and at maximum contraction (15.6, 14.4 and 13.5 cm2 ), in comparison with patients in the control group, who presented a levator hiatus area at rest of 17.4, 17.2 and 16.8 cm2 , during Valsalva of 21.0, 20.8 and 20.3 cm2 , and at maximum contraction of 16.6, 16.1 and 15.6 cm2 , at 1, 6 and 9 months postpartum respectively (P < 0.05). However, no changes were appreciated in the successive examinations regarding LAM area between study groups: experimental 9.5, 8.9, 9.6 cm2 versus 8.9, 9.0, 9.2 cm2 in the control group. Conclusions: Physiotherapy treatment based on pelvic floor exercises with lumbopelvic stabilization exercises in patients with LAM avulsion reduces the levator hiatus area at rest, during Valsalva and at maximum contraction

UGT2B7_-161C>T polymorphism is associated with lamotrigine concentration-to-dose ratio in a multivariate study

Lamotrigine (LTG) is metabolized by UGT1A4 but UGT2B7 also contributes to its glucuronidation. The aim of this study was to determine whether UGT2B7_− 161C>T and UGT2B7_372A>G polymorphisms contribute to the intersubject variability in LTG concentration-to-dose ratio (LTG-CDR) in epileptic patients. Fifty-three white epileptic patients attending the Neuropediatric and Neurology Services at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, in whom LTG serum concentration was to be measured for pharmacokinetic monitoring, were selected according to predefined criteria for LTG-CDR evaluation. All patients had at least one steady-state LTG serum concentration obtained before the first dose in the morning. Patients were classified in 3 groups of comedication: (1) LTG in combination with metabolism-inducer anticonvulsants (n = 22), (2) LTG in combination with valproate (n = 13), and (3) LTG as monotherapy (n = 16) or in combination with valproate and inducers (n = 2). Genotypes were determined by Applied Biosystems Genotyping Assays with TaqMan probes. A significant association was found between LTG-CDR and UGT2B7_−161C>T polymorphism (P = 0.021) when patient age and concomitant antiepileptic drugs were taken into account. Comedication explained 70% of the LTG-CDR variability, patient age 24%, and UGT2B7_−161C>T 12%. In contrast, a significant association between LTG-CDR and this polymorphism was not found in the bivariate study when age and comedication groups were not considered. A significant association between UGT2B7_372A>G and LTG-CDR was not found in the bivariate or the multivariate studies. UGT2B7_−161C>T polymorphism is significantly associated with LTG-CDR when comedication with other antiepileptic drugs and patient age are taken into account in a multivariate analysis.Peer reviewe

ABCB1_3435C>T AND ABCB1_2677G>T polymorphisms and pharmacoresistance of epilepsy: differences between children and adults

Trabajo presentado al 9th Congress of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therepeutics celebrado en edimburgo del 12 al 15 de julio de 2009.Children and adults differ in the kind of epilepsy and in the anticonvulsants used. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between ABCB1_3435C>T and ABCB1_2677G>T polymorphisms and pharmacorresistance in epileptic patients stratified into children and adults groups. Two hundred and eighty-nine caucasian epileptic patients, 80 children (£12 years) and 209 adults (>12 years), attending Neuropediatrics and Neurology Services at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital were selected when they had either drug resistance (occurrence of at least four seizures over the year before recruitment with trials of more than three appropriate antiepileptic drugs at appropriate doses) or drug responsiveness (complete freedom from seizures for at least a year). Samples were genotyped by Applied Biosystems Genotyping Assays with TaqMan probes. Association was evaluated by stratified bivariate analysis using contingency tables. The pharmacoresistance risk in patients with the ABCB1_3435TT genotype was lower than in those with the CC genotipe in adults (OR: 0.40, 95%CI: 0.19-0.86, P = 0.019) but higher in children (OR: 4.22, 95%CI: 0.98-18.12), with a significant interaction between age and polymorphism (P = 0.015). Furthermore, the pharmacoresistance risk in patients with the ABCB1_2677TT genotype was lower than in those with the GG genotipe in adults (OR: 0.41, 95%CI: 0.18-0.92) but higher in children (OR: 4.17, 95%CI: 1.13-15.33), with a significant interaction between age and polymorphism (P = 0.006). ABCB1_3435TT and ABCB1_2677TT genotypes are associated with lower risk of pharmacoresistance than CC or GG genotypes in epileptic adults but with a higher risk in children.Peer Reviewe

Methodology for the transperineal ultrasound imaging of the pelvic floor

Las técnicas de imagen cada vez son más utilizadas dentro de la medicina en general y de la ginecología en particular. La ecografía de suelo pélvico, a diferencia de la aplicación ecográfica en las otras subespecialidades ginecológicas, se encuentra bastante estandarizada y con planos de estudios definidos. Dependiendo del transductor utilizado y del modo de aplicación, se han descrito diferentes métodos ecográficos de valoración del suelo pélvico. De todos estos, el estudio transperineal es el más documentado para el diagnóstico de las disfunciones del suelo pélvico. Por ello, el objetivo de esta revisión es describir el método aplicado para realizar un estudio transperineal 2 D y 3-4D del suelo pélvico, describiendo los planos ecográficos necesarios.Imaging techniques are increasingly used within medicine in general, and in gynaecology in particular. Pelvic floor ultrasound, unlike ultrasound application in the other gynaecological subspecialties, is fairly standardised and with defined study plans. Depending on the transducer used, and the mode of application, different ultrasound methods for evaluating the pelvic floor have been described. Of all these methods, the transperineal study is the most documented for the diagnosis of pelvic floor dysfunctions. Therefore, the objective of this review is to describe the method applied to perform a 2 D and 3-4D transperineal study of the pelvic floor, describing the necessary ultrasound planes

UGT2B7_-161C>T polymorphism associated with lamotrigine concentration-to-dose ratio

Trabajo presentado al 9th Congress of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therepeutics celebrado en edimburgo del 12 al 15 de julio de 2009.UGT2B7 contributes to lamotrigine metabolism. The aim of this study was to analyze if there was an association between UGT2B7_-161C>T polymorphism and lamotrigine concentration-to-dose ratio (CDR) in epileptic patients. Fifty-four caucasian epileptic patients attending Neuropediatrics and Neurology Services at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, in whom lamotrigine serum concentration was to be measured for pharmacokinetic monitoring, were selected according to predefined pharmacokinetic criteria. All patients had at least one steady-state lamotrigine serum concentration obtained before the first dose in the morning. Patients were classified in three groups of co-treatment: (i) lamotrigine in combination with metabolism-inducer anticonvulsants (n = 22), (ii) lamotrigine in combination with valproate (n = 13) and (iii) lamotrigine in monotherapy or in combination with valproate and inducers (n = 16). Genotypes were determined by Applied Biosystems Genotyping Assays with TaqMan probes. The association between lamotrigine CDR and UGT2B7_-161C>T was evaluated by analysis of covariance considering the group of co-treatment and the patient age. A significant association was found between lamotrigine CDR and UGT2B7_-161C>T polymorphism (P = 0.006); lamotrigine CDR was also associated with co-treatment group (P T polymorphism might explain, at least in part, inter-patient variability in lamotrigine CDR and it should be considered besides co-treatment and patient age in the individualization of lamotrigine dose. They also show that multivariable study may be necessary in order to unmask the influence of genetic factors.Peer Reviewe

ABCB1_3435C>T polymorphism and pharmacoresistance of epilepsy: differences related with the etiology of epilepsy

Trabajo presentado al 13th Congress of the EFNS celebrado en Florencia del 12 al 15 de septiembre de 2009.The etiology of epilepsy is a factor associated with differences in response to anticonvulsants and control of epilepsy. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between ABCB1_3435C>T and ABCB1_2677G>T polymorphisms and pharmacoresistance in patients stratified by epilepsy etiology. Caucasian epileptic patients (n=289) attending Neuropaediatrics and Neurology Services at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital were selected when they had either drug resistance (occurrence of at least four seizures over the year before recruitment with trials of more than three appropriate antiepileptic drugs at appropriate dosages) or drug responsiveness (complete freedom from seizures for at least a year). Samples were genotyped by Applied Biosystems Genotyping Assays with TaqMan probes. Association was evaluated by stratified bivariate analysis using contingency tables. A significant association was found between ABCB1_3435C>T polymorphism and pharmacoresistance in symptomatic epilepsies (n=69, p=0.008), but not in idiopathic (n=97) or in cryptogenic (n= 123) ones. Patients with ABCB1_3435TT genotype had a lower risk of pharmacoresistance than those with ABCB1_CC genotype in symptomatic epilepsies (OR: 0.20, 95%CI: 0.07-0.58). In contrast, the risk was higher in idiopathic epilepsies (OR: 11.0, 95%CI: 1.1-106.8). The interaction between the etiology and the polymorphism was significant (p=0.002). Pharmacoresistance risk in patients with ABCB1_2677TT genotype was also lower than in those with ABCB1_2677CC genotype in symptomatic epilepsies and higher in idiopathic epilepsies but ORs were not significant. ABCB1_3435TT genotype is associated with a lower risk of pharmacoresistance than ABCB1_3435CC genotype in patients with symptomatic epilepsies, but not in idiopathic or cryptogenic epilepsies.Peer Reviewe

A Open One-Step RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 detection

&lt;p&gt;Sequences of the plasmids needed to purify the required enzymes for a standardized One-Step open RT-qPCR protocol to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical samples. Supplementary Information&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Filetype GB&lt;/p&gt