Animal health services in sub-Saharan Africa: Initial experience with new approaches

Outlines the types of reforms introduced in animal health services over the past decade, summarises past experiences, provides a preliminary assessment of their impact, and indicates what lessons need to be taken into account in future policy adjustments and project investments. The discussion concentrates on World Bank- supported accessibility of the data to the authors

Who pays the taxes?

The European Union is legally entitled to the revenue from (1) agricultural and sugar levies, (2) customs duties, (3) a 1 percent rate on each Member States' value added tax base, and (4) a resource on the basis of GNP. Currently, the Union is actively involved in the search for a fifth own revenue source. Therefore, the European Commission (DG XIX) has invited the authors to trace 'who pays the taxes'. As requested, our report gives a general account of methods to investigate impacts of taxation. More specifically, we have estimated the incidence of national tax systems (Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom), and the incidence of present own resources and prospective new (tax) resources of the European Union. Up till now, such information was not (readily) available.tax incidence in the European Union, prospective new EU tax resources

Motion compensated De-interlacing with Film Mode Adaptation.

The invention relates to a method for de-interlacing a hybrid video sequence using at least one estimated motion vector for interpolating pixels. Field for petition patents, typically occurring in film originated video material, disturb the function of de-interlacing algorithm designed to convert interlaced video single into progressively scanned video. Therefore a mode decision has to be applied for local adaptation to the film/video mode, which is possible by defining values for a first motion vector and a second motion vector, calculating at least one first pixel using at least one pixel of previous image and one first motion vector, calculating at least one second pixel using at least one pixel of a next image and one second motion vector, calculating a reliability of said first and the second motion vector by comparing at least said first pixel with at least said second pixel the first and said second motion vectors being pre-defined for said calculation of reliability, and estimation an actual value for a motion vector, which turned out to be most reliable for de-interlacing said image

Motion compensated De-interlacing with Film Mode Adaptation.

The invention relates to a method for de-interlacing a hybrid video sequence using at least one estimated motion vector for interpolating pixels. Field for petition patents, typically occurring in film originated video material, disturb the function of de-interlacing algorithm designed to convert interlaced video single into progressively scanned video. Therefore a mode decision has to be applied for local adaptation to the film/video mode, which is possible by defining values for a first motion vector and a second motion vector, calculating at least one first pixel using at least one pixel of previous image and one first motion vector, calculating at least one second pixel using at least one pixel of a next image and one second motion vector, calculating a reliability of said first and the second motion vector by comparing at least said first pixel with at least said second pixel the first and said second motion vectors being pre-defined for said calculation of reliability, and estimation an actual value for a motion vector, which turned out to be most reliable for de-interlacing said image

Who pays the taxes?

The European Union is legally entitled to the revenue from (1) agricultural and sugar levies, (2) customs duties, (3) a 1 percent rate on each Member States' value added tax base, and (4) a resource on the basis of GNP. Currently, the Union is actively involved in the search for a fifth own revenue source. Therefore, the European Commission (DG XIX) has invited the authors to trace 'who pays the taxes'. As requested, our report gives a general account of methods to investigate impacts of taxation. More specifically, we have estimated the incidence of national tax systems (Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom), and the incidence of present own resources and prospective new (tax) resources of the European Union. Up till now, such information was not (readily) available.tax incidence in the European Union, prospective new EU tax resources

Epigenetic Changes as a Target in Aging Haematopoietic Stem Cells and Age-Related Malignancies

Aging is associated with multiple molecular and functional changes in haematopoietic cells. Most notably, the self-renewal and differentiation potential of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are compromised, resulting in myeloid skewing, reduced output of red blood cells and decreased generation of immune cells. These changes result in anaemia, increased susceptibility for infections and higher prevalence of haematopoietic malignancies. In HSCs, age-associated global epigenetic changes have been identified. These epigenetic alterations in aged HSCs can occur randomly (epigenetic drift) or are the result of somatic mutations in genes encoding for epigenetic proteins. Mutations in loci that encode epigenetic modifiers occur frequently in patients with haematological malignancies, but also in healthy elderly individuals at risk to develop these. It may be possible to pharmacologically intervene in the aberrant epigenetic program of derailed HSCs to enforce normal haematopoiesis or treat age-related haematopoietic diseases. Over the past decade our molecular understanding of epigenetic regulation has rapidly increased and drugs targeting epigenetic modifications are increasingly part of treatment protocols. The reversibility of epigenetic modifications renders these targets for novel therapeutics. In this review we provide an overview of epigenetic changes that occur in aging HSCs and age-related malignancies and discuss related epigenetic drugs

The distribution of effective tax burdens in four EU countries

National policymakers are increasingly aware that their tax policy options are constrained by international tax competition. Important features of national tax systems - notably the tax mix, tax rates and rules which define the tax base - will influence decisions of firms and individuals regarding the location and (re)structuring of economic activities. The aim of the present paper is twofold: Firstly, we detail the tax mix of four member states of the European Union (Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom). Secondly, the paper aims to trace the distribution of the tax burden over rich and poor households in these four countries. Although tax mix and tax rates differ considerably among the four countries included in the study, the distribution of tax burdens proves to be amazingly similar.Distribution of tax burden, European Union; tax mix of Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom

Participatory varietal selection of potato using the mother & baby trial design: A gender-responsive trainer’s guide.

This guide aims to provide step-by-step guidance on facilitating and documenting the PVS dynamics using the MBT design to select, and eventually release, potato varieties preferred by end-users that suit male and female farmers ’different needs, diverse agro-systems, and management practices, as well as traders ’and consumers’ preferences