An Anthology of London in Literature, 1558-1914

The General Introduction addresses the unique role of London in English national consciousness and in English literature, given their tendency to represent London as somehow larger than life, as escaping the merely naturalistic and entering the realm of the symbolic or fantastic, with parallels in the great mythopoeic cities of Western culture—Rome, Jerusalem, Athens, Babylon, Troy. It looks at the idea of the City in Classical and Christian culture, as well as London’s development, in the nineteenth-century, into that unprecedented phenomenon, a megalopolis (the Great Wen) that had begun not just to astonish visitors with its size and complexity but to seem alien to its own inhabitants

Computer memories: the history of computer form

This paper looks at the computer as a truly global form. The similar beige boxes found in offices across the world are analysed from the perspective of design history rather than that of the history of science and technology. Through the exploration of an archive of computer manufacturer's catalogues and concurrent design texts, this paper examines the changes that have occurred in the production and consumption of the computer in the context of the workplace, from its inception as a room-sized mainframe operated through a console of flashing lights, to the personal computer as a 'universal' form, reproduced by many manufacturers. It shows how the computer in the past has been as diverse as any other product, and asks how and why it now appears as a standardised, sanitised object. In doing so our relationship with the office computer, past and present is explored, revealing a complex history of vicissitude.</p

An Investigation of the Pay-As-You-Go Financing Method Using a Contingency Fund and Optimal Control Techniques

In many countries, aging populations are expected to lead to substantial rises in the cost of public pension systems financed by the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) method. These systems will need to be adapted to cope with these changes. This paper considers one approach to reform, described in the literature as “parametric” (see, e.g., Disney 2000), and develops a model for adapting the PAYGO method using a contingency fund and optimal control techniques. The solution of the original model is investigated within two different frameworks: a deterministic-continuous one and a stochastic-discrete one. Finally, a case study applied to Greece is discussed, leading to a potentially acceptable proposal of a smooth path for contribution rates and the age of eligibility for the normal retirement pension

Human blood autoantibodies in the detection of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common malignancy in the western world. Early detection and diagnosis of all cancer types is vital to improved prognosis by enabling early treatment when tumours should be both resectable and curable. Sera from 3 different cohorts; 42 sera (21 CRC and 21 matched controls) from New York, USA, 200 sera from Pittsburgh, USA (100 CRC and 100 controls) and 20 sera from Dundee, UK (10 CRC and 10 controls) were tested against a panel of multiple tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) using an optimised multiplex microarray system. TAA specific IgG responses were interpo- lated against the internal IgG standard curve for each sample. Individual TAA specific responses were examined in each cohort to determine cutoffs for a robust initial scoring method to establish sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity and specificity of combinations of TAAs provided good discrimination between cancer-positive and normal serum. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the sample sets tested against a panel of 32 TAAs were 61.1% and 80.9% respectively for 6 antigens; p53, AFP, K RAS, Annexin, RAF1 and NY-CO16. Furthermore, the observed sensitivity in Pittsburgh sample set in different clinical stages of CRC;stageI(n=19),stageII(n=40),stageIII(n=34)andstageIV(n=6)wassimilar (73.6%, 75.0%, 73.5% and 83.3%, respectively), with similar levels of sensitivity for right and left sided CRC. We identified an antigen panel of sufficient sensitivity and specificity for early detection of CRC, based upon serum profiling of autoantibody response using a robust multiplex antigen microarray technology. This opens the possibility of a blood test for screening and detection of early colorectal cancer. However this panel will require further validation studies before they can be proposed for clinical practice

Tax relief and partnership pensions

Government support of private (occupational and personal) pensions through the system of tax reliefs is large: between one quarter and one third that of direct support of state pensions through public expenditure. However, it is regressive, lacks transparency and is difficult to control. This paper argues that it should be replaced by a cost-neutral matching grant or tax-credit scheme. Such a scheme would embody the ‘partnership’ idea implicit in much government policy in this area, but would be much more progressive, more open, and more accountable than existing arrangements. The argument is illustrated by statistical comparisons of the distributional impact of the present system and three alternative versions of the tax-credit scheme. An appendix discusses the methodology for calculating the cost of pension tax reliefs over time

Tax credits for dependent children and child benefits: what do we learn from the Italian experience?

This paper assesses the relative merits of tax credits for dependent children and child benefits in redistributing income and alleviating poverty in Italy. The main result is that the great emphasis put by Italian policy-makers in designing tax credits in the last 15 years has been mostly misplaced if the aim was that of supporting low-income households. On the other hand, child benefits - potentially a more effective tool - have not proven to be a growing source of redistribution in the same period. Overall, the Italian experience shows a rather uncertain path in helping families with children, with comparable results achieved by very complex and much simpler tax/benefit systems.child benefits, tax credits, redistribution, poverty, Italy,