Middle-income tax rates: trends and prospects

The federal tax liabilities of different income groups change constantly in response to new tax laws and shifting economic circumstances. For example, in recent years, Congress has lowered individual income tax rates, increased child and dependent care credits, and reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains. Much of the economic analysis and political debate about these federal tax changes concerns the impact on upper- or lower-income groups, while the impact on middle-income taxpayers sometimes gets forgotten. ; The trends in tax rates can be difficult for middle-income taxpayers, themselves, to discern. Modest revisions to the federal tax code may hardly be noticed in any given year; yet these revisions could build over time into a large change in the middle-income tax rate. Some taxpayers may also find it difficult to determine whether changes in their tax liability are due to legislated changes in the federal tax code or shifts in their own circumstances. ; Davig and Garner define the effective federal tax rate for middle-income households and discuss the problems in computing this measure. They find that the effective federal tax rate facing middle-income households has trended downward over the last 25 years and is currently low by historical standards. Moreover, the composition of middle-income tax liabilities over this period has shifted away from individual income taxes toward payroll taxes. Finally, they show that under current tax law middle-income taxes are projected to rise in the future.Taxation

Baraminological Analysis of Jurassic and Cretaceous Avialae

The baraminic status of Jurassic and Cretaceous Avialae was evaluated using statistical baraminology. Baraminic distance correlation (BDC) and three dimensional multidimensional scaling (MDS) was applied to six previously published character matrices. The results reveal discontinuities between most Avialae and the Deinonychosauria (Troodontidae + Dromaeosauridae) and little evidence of continuity between modern birds and dinosaurs, suggesting that recent claims that statistical baraminology supports the evolution of birds from dinosaurs are misplaced. Nevertheless, we did find positive BDC and MDS clustering of some Avialae and deinonychosaurs in four of our analyses, suggesting that at least some Jurassic and Cretaceous Avialae may be clustered with dinosaurs. This observation raises the interesting philosophical question: what is a bird

Blockchain Storage – Drive Configurations and Performance Analysis

This project will analyze the results of trials implementing various storage methods on Geth nodes to synchronize and maintain a full-archive state of the Ethereum blockchain. The purpose of these trials is to gain deeper insight to the process of lowering cost and increasing efficiency of blockchain storage using available technologies, analyzing results of various storage drives under similar conditions. It provides performance analysis and describes performance of each trial in relation to the others

Invasive North American bullfrogs transmit lethal fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infections to native amphibian host species

Invasive species can be a threat to native species in several ways, including transmitting lethal infections caused by the parasites they carry. However, invasive species may also be plagued by novel and lethal infections they acquire when invading, making inferences regarding the ability of an invasive host to vector disease difficult from field observations of infection and disease. This is the case for the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in Europe and one invasive host species, the North American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus, hypothesized to be responsible for vectoring lethal infection to European native amphibians. We tested this hypothesis experimentally using the alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris as our model native host. Our results show that infected bullfrog tadpoles are effective vectors of Bd. Native adult newts co-housed with experimentally infected bullfrog tadpoles became Bd infected (molecular and histological tests). Moreover, the exposed adult newts suffered mortality while the majority of infected bullfrog tadpoles survived until metamorphosis. Invasive species can be a threat to native species in several ways, including transmitting lethal infections caused by the parasites they carry. However, invasive species may also be plagued by novel and lethal infections they acquire when invading, making inferences regarding the ability of an invasive host to vector disease difficult from field observations of infection and disease. This is the case for the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in Europe and one invasive host species, the North American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus, hypothesized to be responsible for vectoring lethal infection to European native amphibians. We tested this hypothesis experimentally using the alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris as our model native host. Our results show that infected bullfrog tadpoles are effective vectors of Bd. Native adult newts co-housed with experimentally infected bullfrog tadpoles became Bd infected (molecular and histological tests). Moreover, the exposed adult newts suffered mortality while the majority of infected bullfrog tadpoles survived until metamorphosis. These results cannot resolve the historical role of alien species in establishing the distribution of Bd across Europe or other regions in the world where this species was introduced, but they show its potential role as a Bd reservoir capable of transmitting lethal infections to native amphibians. Finally, our results also suggest that the removal of infected bullfrogs from aquatic environments may serve to reduce the availability of Bd in European amphibian communities, offering another justification for bullfrog eradication programmes that are currently underway or may be considere

S-, P- and D-wave resonances in positronium-sodium and positronium-potassium scattering

Scattering of positronium (Ps) by sodium and potassium atoms has been investigated employing a three-Ps-state coupled-channel model with Ps(1s,2s,2p) states using a time-reversal-symmetric regularized electron-exchange model potential fitted to reproduce accurate theoretical results for PsNa and PsK binding energies. We find a narrow S-wave singlet resonance at 4.58 eV of width 0.002 eV in the Ps-Na system and at 4.77 eV of width 0.003 eV in the Ps-K system. Singlet P-wave resonances in both systems are found at 5.07 eV of width 0.3 eV. Singlet D-wave structures are found at 5.3 eV in both systems. We also report results for elastic and Ps-excitation cross sections for Ps scattering by Na and K.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, Accepted in Journal of Physics

The Care Programme Approach and the end of indefinitely renewable Leave of Absence in Scotland

ObjectiveTo consider the relationship between the restriction of leave of absence (LOA) to 12 months, the introduction of community care orders (CCOs) and the implementation of the Care Programme Approach (CPA).DesignMultiple methods were employed: scrutiny of Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWC) records; questionnaire to consultant psychiatrists and mental health officers (MHOs) regarding attitudes; survey of psychiatrists in respect of outcomes for named patients.SettingScotlandSubjectsTwo hundred and sixty six patients who were affected by the changes introduced by the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995.ResultsInformation was available for 195 (73%) patients in relation to CPA. Of these 113 (58%) were included on CPA and for 63/113 (56%) (63/195 (32%)) CPA was considered to have enhanced patient care.Where CPA was considered useful it was because it was seen as bringing people together, enhancing the patient’s role in treatment and managing difficult situations. Negative comments regarding CPA were that it was unnecessary as the patient’s needs were straightforward, it duplicated current practices or it was too bureaucratic.ConclusionsDespite concerns expressed by professionals about the restriction to LOA and the guidance that patients should be on CPA, for only a minority of patients was CPA described as enhancing care. Questions are raised about the low use of CCOs and CPA by psychiatrists for patients who reached the new limits of LOA

Chromosomal copy number variation, selection and uneven rates of recombination reveal cryptic genome diversity linked to pathogenicity

This project was funded by the UK Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) grant NE/E006701/1, the European Research Council (ERC) grant 260801-BIG_IDEA, the Swiss National Science Foundation grant 31-125099 and the Biodiversa project RACE: Risk Assessment of Chytridiomycosis to European Amphibian Biodiversity (http://www.bd-maps.eu). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD