900 research outputs found
Labor share as an "automatic stabilizer" of income inequality
We provide a new and unexplored explanation of the relationship between the functional and personal distribution of income. By proposing a simple theoretical framework, we show that, in the noncomprehensive personal income tax (PIT) hypothesis (i.e., when some or all capital income items are excluded from the PIT base), the correlation between disposable and market income inequality depends on the labor share level, which may influence the overall effectiveness of the tax-benefit system in addition to the PIT progressivity. We test our hypothesis using panel data on 33 OECD countries from 2000 to 2017 and find that a 10-pp increase in labor share is related to a 0.06 reduction in the correlation between market and disposable income inequality. This significant result obtained after controlling for country and year fixed effects, country-specific linear trends, and several confounders capturing the characteristics of the tax-benefit system suggests that labor share may act as an "automatic stabilizer" of market income inequality. Relevant implications for tax policy concern the role of the PIT's base for the public budget's overall redistributive effect
The effect of grinding on tremolite asbestos and anthophyllite asbestos
The six commercial asbestos minerals (chrysotile, fibrous actinolite, crocidolite, amosite, fibrous tremolite, and fibrous anthophyllite) are classified by the IARC as carcinogenic to humans. There are currently several lines of research dealing with the inertisation of asbestos minerals among which the dry grinding process has received considerable interest. The effects of dry grinding on tremolite asbestos and anthophyllite asbestos in eccentric vibration mills have not yet been investigated. Along the research line of the mechanical treatment of asbestos, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dry grinding in eccentric vibration mills on the structure, temperature stability, and fibre dimensions of tremolite asbestos from Val d\u2019Ala, (Italy) and UICC standard anthophyllite asbestos from Paakkila mine (Finland) by varying the grinding time (30 s, 5 min, and 10 min). After grinding for 30 s to 10 min, tremolite asbestos and anthophyllite asbestos showed a decrease in dehydroxylation and breakdown temperatures due to the increase in lattice strain and the decrease in crystallinity. Moreover, after grinding up to 10 min, tremolite and anthophyllite fibres were all below the limits defining a countable fibre according to WHO
Spectroscopic analysis of the binding of paraquat and diquat herbicides to biosubstrates
The study of the interaction of persistent organic pollutants with biosubstrates helps to unravel the pathways for toxicity, however, few mechanistic data are present in the literature for these systems. We analyzed the binding of paraquat (PQ) and diquat (DQ) herbicides to natural calf thymus DNA and a DNA G-quadruplex by spectrophotometric titrations, ethidium bromide exchange tests, viscometry, and melting experiments. The interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein was studied spectrofluorimetrically at different temperatures. The retention of the targets on positive, negative, and neutral micellar aggregates and liposomes was analyzed by ultrafiltration experiments. Despite some favorable features, PQ and DQ only externally bind natural DNA and do not interact with DNA oligonucleotides. Both herbicides bind bovine serum albumin (BSA). PQ binds BSA mainly according to an electrostatics-driven process. However, ultrafiltration data also show that some hydrophobic contribution participates in the features of these systems. The practical problems related to unfavorable spectroscopic signals and inner filter effects are also discussed. Overall, both herbicides show a low affinity for nucleic acids and weak penetration into liposomes; in addition, the equilibrium constants values found for BSA system suggest optimal conditions for transport in the body
Inequality and elections in Italy, 1994–2018
The increase in income and wealth inequality in Italy is well documented, but less attention has been devoted to its association with social and political outcomes. This article investigates the association between inequality and several variables on socio-economic conditions with the evolution of Italian politics over the 1994–2018 period. Voting in Italy’s regions for the centre-left and centre-right coalitions—with a focus on the Lega—is examined in seven rounds of general elections, before and after the 2008 crisis, which emerges as a key divide in these relationships. The centre-left vote is higher in the regions with an increase in mean wealth and employment rates and shows a reversal after 2008 in the support of part time employees. The centre-right vote is associated with impoverished middle classes and an increase in disparities of Southern regions. The associations shown by Lega voting are distinct from those of other centre-right forces. While political and cultural factors are important to understand political changes, our findings show that a more unequal and distressed society is clearly associated with changes in electoral behaviour
Avaliação da fertilidade dos solos do Distrito Federal.
O SNLCS tem procurado ampliar o alcance e a utilização prática, dos dados obtidos através dos levantamentos de solos que realiza. Prosseguindo as pesquisas que objetivam a elaboração do mapa de solos do Brasil a nÃvel de reconhecimento, esta entidade vem complementando seus trabalhos com mapas de aptidão agrÃcola das terras, em relação com diferentes tipos de manejo e culturas. Dentro dos parâmetros usados para definir a aptidão agrÃcola dos solos, a fertilidade e o mais facilmente controlável e aquele cuja alteração modifica mais sensivelmente a produtividade das terras. Por outro lado, os mapas de aptidão, pela sua natureza, não mostram claramente as limitações de uso devido unicamente ao nÃvel de fertilidade das terras. Tal informação é de grande importância ao estudo de viabilidade econômica de projetos agropecuários, por permitir estimar a necessidade de fertilizantes e corretivos para determinada área. A análise conjunta dos mapas de classificação e aptidão agrÃcola e ainda de uma avaliação da fertilidade dos solos, daria aos usuários dos trabalhos de levantamento uma visão mais completa dos recursos disponÃveis, facilitando as decisões quanto ao tipo de exploração agrÃcola e ao sistema de manejo mais adequado em cada caso. O presente projeto propõe a complementação de cada trabalho de levantamento com uma avaliação e quantificação da fertilidade, cuja precisão e confiabilidade serão tanto maiores quanto maior for o nÃvel de detalhe do levantamento de solos em que seja baseado.bitstream/item/62835/1/CNPS-BOL.-TEC.-74-80.pdf; bitstream/item/125962/1/Avaliacao-da-Fertilidade-dos-Solos-do-Distrito-Federal.pdfAcompanha 1 mapa, color. Escala 1:100.000
Metastatic melanoma patients treated with Braf and Mek inhibitors: Patterns of progression. An Italian Melanoma Intergroup study
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CYP17A1 polymorphism c.-362T>C predicts clinical outcome in metastatic castration-resistance prostate cancer patients treated with abiraterone
Background: Abiraterone became a standard hormonal therapy for patients with metastatic castration-resistance prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, patients may experience primary resistance to treatment. To date, few predictive biomarkers of efficacy have been identified. Our aim was to investigate the association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) c.-362T>C in the CYP17A1 gene, and clinical outcome in mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone. Patients and methods: mCRPC patients candidate to receive abiraterone were enrolled in the present retrospective pharmacogenetic study. Based on a literature selection, CYP17A1 rs2486758 (c.-362T > C) was selected and analysed by real-time PCR on genomic DNA extracted from whole blood. Univariate analysis was performed to test the association between the SNP and treatment-related clinical outcomes. Results: Sixty mCRPC patients were enrolled in the present study. Patients carrying the mutant CYP17A1 c.-362CT/CC genotypes showed a shorter median progression-free survival (PFS) and prostate-specific antigen-PFS (PSA-PFS) compared to patients carrying the TT genotype (10.7 vs 14.2 months and 8 vs 16 months, respectively; p = 0.04). No association between the selected SNP and the overall survival was found. Conclusions: These findings suggest an association between CYP17A1 c.-362T>C polymorphism and poorer clinical outcome with abiraterone for mCRPC patients. However, further validations on larger cohort of patients are needed to confirm its role as a predictive biomarker for abiraterone resistance
High-statistics study of the low-energy cosmic-muons angular distribution - Results from MICRO
We present results from MICRO, a muon telescope with good angular resolution, which has collected more than 31·106 cosmic muons. Upper limits are given for the flux coming from point sources and for the periodic component from Cygnus X3
Cytotoxicity induced by exposure t o natural and synthetic tremolite asbestos: An in vitro pilot study.
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