Program for computing partial pressures from residual gas analyzer data

A computer program for determining the partial pressures of various gases from residual-gas-analyzer data is given. The analysis of the ion currents of 18 m/e spectrometer peaks allows the determination of 12 gases simultaneously. Comparison is made to ion-gage readings along with certain other control information. The output data are presented in both tabular and graphical form

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

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

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

Ensuring high standards of British Society for Rheumatology clinical guidelines: reflections from the coalface

Clinical guideline development by the Standards Audit Guidelines Working Group (SAGWG) is one of the most valued activities of the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR). In this article, based on a webinar [1], we reflect on our experiences of involvement in guidelines from working group membership to leadership of SAGWG to explain the process and highlight reasons why anyone can and should get involved. This editorial represents the opinion of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, National Institute for Health Research or Department of Healt

Transient adrenal insufficiency following treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with intramuscular methylprednisolone acetate

An 82-year-old woman presented with dizziness, a fall, and pubic fractures. She had resting severe hypertension, with marked orthostatic hypotension. She was recently diagnosed with cyclic citrullinated peptide (+) rheumatoid arthritis. She had received 120 mg intramuscular methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrone®) eight months prior, and a second dose a day preceding hospitalisation.  Two days into the admission, her Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score dropped acutely from 15/15 (E4;V5;M6) to 3/15 (E1;V1;M1). The initial differential diagnoses were: an acute stroke (a total anterior circulation syndrome-TACS or brainstem stroke), opiate toxicity (fracture pains), and possible unwitnessed seizure (in a post-ictal state). Urgent computerised tomography (CT) brain was unremarkable. She had an acute-on-chronic hyponatraemia (nadir 121 mmol/L) while on long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy, and hyperkalaemia (peak 5.8 mmol/L). Initial management included intravenous (IV) naloxone, fluids and diazepam with poor clinical response. Due to persistent low GCS, the admitting team were concerned about a potentially guarded prognosis. However, based on the history of recent high dose steroid injections, plus the evolving clinical picture and abnormal biochemistry, empirical treatment was started (IV hydrocortisone 100 mg QDS and 0.9% saline infusion) for possible adrenal insufficiency. An ‘add-on’ request for random serum cortisol was made to her admission bloods, and returned low (33 nmol/L). With treatment, her GCS improved rapidly from 3/15 to 15/15. A subsequent planned short synacthen test was abnormal (cortisol level pre-synacthen 100; 30min post-synacthen 340), suggestive of adrenal insufficiency. Following consultation with endocrinology, she was maintained on oral hydrocortisone 10 mg (am)/5 mg(teatime) with sustained clinical improvement.

Optimal randomized multilevel algorithms for infinite-dimensional integration on function spaces with ANOVA-type decomposition

In this paper, we consider the infinite-dimensional integration problem on weighted reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces with norms induced by an underlying function space decomposition of ANOVA-type. The weights model the relative importance of different groups of variables. We present new randomized multilevel algorithms to tackle this integration problem and prove upper bounds for their randomized error. Furthermore, we provide in this setting the first non-trivial lower error bounds for general randomized algorithms, which, in particular, may be adaptive or non-linear. These lower bounds show that our multilevel algorithms are optimal. Our analysis refines and extends the analysis provided in [F. J. Hickernell, T. M\"uller-Gronbach, B. Niu, K. Ritter, J. Complexity 26 (2010), 229-254], and our error bounds improve substantially on the error bounds presented there. As an illustrative example, we discuss the unanchored Sobolev space and employ randomized quasi-Monte Carlo multilevel algorithms based on scrambled polynomial lattice rules.Comment: 31 pages, 0 figure

Non-covalent Functionalization of Graphene to Tune Its Band Gap and Stabilize Metal Nanoparticles on Its Surface

Support from the Spanish Government (project no. RTI2018101558-B-C21), Autonomous Regional Government (Junta de Andalucia ', group nos. PAIDI FQM273 and RMN342), and University of Jaen (no. EI_FQM6-2019) is gratefully acknowledged. Technical and human support provided by SCAI of the University of Jaen (UJA, MINECO, Junta de Andalucia ', and FEDER) is also acknowledged.Controlling graphene conductivity is crucial for its potential applications. With this focus, this paper shows the effect of the non-covalent bonding of a pyrimidine derivative (HIS) on the electronic properties of graphene (G). Several G-HIS hybrids are prepared through mild treatments keeping unaltered the structures of both G and HIS. The attachment of HIS to G occurs by π−π stacking of the HIS-aromatic residue with the G surface. This partially blocks the pz electrons of G, giving rise to the splitting of both the valence and conduction bands. Moreover, the width of the splitting is directly related to the HIS content. This fact allows the fine-tuning of the band gap of G-HIS hybrids. Furthermore, HIS keeps its metal-complexing ability in the G-HIS hybrids. Taking advantage of this, a G-HIS−Cu(0) composite was prepared by H2 plasma reduction of a precursor of the G-HIS−Cu(II) type. GHIS− Cu(0) contains Cu(0) clusters stabilized on the G surface due to interactions with the COO− functions of HIS. In an analogous hybrid, G-HIS−Au(0), the Au(0) NPs are also stabilized by COO− functions. This material, consisting of the coupling of Au(0) NPs and G-HIS, photocatalyzed water reduction under visible light radiation producing 12.5 μmol·g−1·h−1of hydrogen.Spanish Government RTI2018101558-B-C21Junta de Andalucia PAIDI FQM273 RMN342University of Jaen EI_FQM6-201

On the structure of the space of generalized connections

We give a modern account of the construction and structure of the space of generalized connections, an extension of the space of connections that plays a central role in loop quantum gravity.Comment: 30 pages, added references, minor changes. To appear in International Journal of Geometric Methods in Modern Physic