Effects of Aggregation and Model Structure on Model Linkages

Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Environmental Economics and Policy,

LOKALNE SOCIJALNE NAKNADE U HRVATSKOJ: KOLIKO POKRIVAJU RIZIK OD SIROMAŠTVA I POTREBE OBITELJI S DJECOM?

Family policies and their impact on the well-being of families are a frequent topic of research. However, local social benefits are the least researched of such policies. This paper aims to explore the extent to which the most important cash and in-kind local social benefits offered by the Croatian capital Zagreb and by the country’s three largest cities (Split, Rijeka and Osijek) cover the costs of child-rearing and reduce child poverty. Using microsimulation techniques, the support provided to families with children is estimated, and the distributional impact of these policies is assessed. The results reveal that local benefits greatly complement central government policies and substantially increase support for families but with differences among cities; the policies of Zagreb and Rijeka prove to be the most generous and effective, followed by those of Split and Osijek. The main limitations of this study come from the use of microsimulation models: the assumption of full benefit take-up for some policies and the lack of simulation for other policies due to a lack of data. This is the first comprehensive study of family benefits at the central and local government levels in Croatia.Obiteljska politika i njen utjecaj na dobrobit obitelji česta su tema istraživanja. Međutim, lokalne socijalne naknade obično se u tim istraživanjima zanemaruju. Ovaj rad istražuje koliko najvažnije novčane naknade i naknade u naravi lokalne samouprave, koje pružaju glavni grad Hrvatske (Zagreb) i tri najveća grada (Split, Rijeka i Osijek), pokrivaju troškove brige o djeci i zaista smanjuju njihovo siromaštvo. Korištenjem mikrosimulacijskih tehnika procjenjuju se potpore obiteljima s djecom i njihovi distribucijski učinci. Rezultati pokazuju kako su lokalne naknade komplementarne naknadama središnje države i da značajno povećavaju potporu obiteljima, ali postoje razlike između gradova. Naknade Zagreba i Rijeke su najveće i najučinkovitije, a slijede ih naknade Splita i Osijeka. Glavna ograničenja ovog istraživanja proizlaze iz upotrebe mikrosimulacijskog modela. Naime, pretpostavlja se da svi potencijalni korisnici ostvaruju pravo na naknade, a određene naknade nije moguće simulirati zbog nedostatka podataka. Ovaj je rad prva sveobuhvatna studija o obiteljskim naknadama na razini središnje i lokalne države u Hrvatskoj

A Polyclonal Immune Function Assay Allows Dose-Dependent Characterization of Immunosuppressive Drug Effects but Has Limited Clinical Utility for Predicting Infection on an Individual Basis

Dosage of immunosuppressive drugs after transplantation critically determines rejection and infection episodes. In this study, a global immune function assay was characterized among controls, dialysis-patients, and transplant-recipients to evaluate its utility for pharmacodynamic monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs and for predicting infections. Whole-blood samples were stimulated with anti-CD3/toll-like-receptor (TLR7/8)-agonist in the presence or absence of drugs and IFN-γ secretion was measured by ELISA. Additional stimulation-induced cytokines were characterized among T-, B-, and NK-cells using flow-cytometry. Cytokine-secretion was dominated by IFN-γ, and mainly observed in CD4, CD8, and NK-cells. Intra-assay variability was low (CV = 10.4 ± 6.2%), whereas variability over time was high, even in the absence of clinical events (CV = 65.0 ± 35.7%). Cyclosporine A, tacrolimus and steroids dose-dependently inhibited IFN-γ secretion, and reactivity was further reduced when calcineurin inhibitors were combined with steroids. Moreover, IFN-γ levels significantly differed between controls, dialysis-patients, and transplant-recipients, with lowest IFN-γ levels early after transplantation (p < 0.001). However, a single test had limited ability to predict infectious episodes. In conclusion, the assay may have potential for basic pharmacodynamic characterization of immunosuppressive drugs and their combinations, and for assessing loss of global immunocompetence after transplantation, but its application to guide drug-dosing and to predict infectious on an individual basis is limited

Relation of chlorophyll fluorescence sensitive reflectance ratios to carbon flux measurements of Montanne grassland and Norway spruce forest ecosystems in the temperate zone

We explored ability of reflectance vegetation indexes (VIs) related to chlorophyll fluorescence emission (R686/R630, R 740/R800) and de-epoxidation state of xanthophyll cycle pigments (PRI, calculated as (R531 - R570) (R 531 - R570)) to track changes in the CO2 assimilation rate and Light Use Efficiency (LUE) in montane grassland and Norway spruce forest ecosystems, both at leaf and also canopy level. VIs were measured at two research plots using a ground-based high spatial/spectral resolution imaging spectroscopy technique. No significant relationship between VIs and leaf light-saturated CO2 assimilation (AMAX) was detected in instantaneous measurements of grassland under steady-state irradiance conditions. Once the temporal dimension and daily irradiance variation were included into the experimental setup, statistically significant changes in VIs related to tested physiological parameters were revealed. ΔPRI and Δ(R686 R630) of grassland plant leaves under dark-to-full sunlight transition in the scale of minutes were significantly related to AMAX (R2 = 0.51). In the daily course, the variation of VIs measured in one-hour intervals correlated well with the variation of Gross Primary Production (GPP), Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE), and LUE estimated via the eddy-covariance flux tower. Statistical results were weaker in the case of the grassland ecosystem, with the strongest statistical relation of the index R686 R630 with NEE and GPP

Calcineurin inhibitors differentially alter the circadian rhythm of T-cell functionality in transplant recipients

Background: Graft survival in transplant recipients depends on pharmacokinetics and on individual susceptibility towards immunosuppressive drugs. Nevertheless, pharmacodynamic changes in T-cell functionality in response to drugs and in relation to pharmacokinetics are poorly characterized. We therefore investigated the immunosuppressive effect of calcineurin inhibitors and steroids on general T-cell functionality after polyclonal stimulation of whole blood samples. Methods: General T-cell functionality in the absence or presence of immunosuppressive drugs was determined in vitro directly from whole blood based on cytokine induction after stimulation with the polyclonal stimulus Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B. In addition, diurnal changes in leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets, and on T-cell function after intake of immunosuppressive drugs were analyzed in 19 patients during one day and compared to respective kinetics in six immunocompetent controls. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric and parametric tests. Results: Susceptibility towards calcineurin inhibitors showed interindividual differences. When combined with steroids, tacrolimus led to more pronounced increase in the inhibitory activity as compared to cyclosporine A. While circadian alterations in leukocyte subpopulations and T-cell function in controls were related to endogenous cortisol levels, T-cell functionality in transplant recipients decreased after intake of the morning medication, which was more pronounced in patients with higher drug-dosages. Interestingly, calcineurin inhibitors differentially affected circadian rhythm of T-cell function, as patients on cyclosporine A showed a biphasic decrease in T-cell reactivity after drug-intake in the morning and evening, whereas T-cell reactivity in patients on tacrolimus remained rather stable. Conclusions: The whole blood assay allows assessment of the inhibitory activity of immunosuppressive drugs in clinically relevant concentrations. Circadian alterations in T-cell function are determined by dose and type of immunosuppressive drugs and show distinct differences between cyclosporine A and tacrolimus. In future these findings may have practical implications to estimate the net immunosuppressive effect of a given drug-regimen that daily acts in an individual patient, and may contribute to individualize immunosuppressio

Calcineurin inhibitors differentially alter the circadian rhythm of T-cell functionality in transplant recipients

Background: Graft survival in transplant recipients depends on pharmacokinetics and on individual susceptibility towards immunosuppressive drugs. Nevertheless, pharmacodynamic changes in T-cell functionality in response to drugs and in relation to pharmacokinetics are poorly characterized. We therefore investigated the immunosuppressive effect of calcineurin inhibitors and steroids on general T-cell functionality after polyclonal stimulation of whole blood samples. Methods: General T-cell functionality in the absence or presence of immunosuppressive drugs was determined in vitro directly from whole blood based on cytokine induction after stimulation with the polyclonal stimulus Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B. In addition, diurnal changes in leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets, and on T-cell function after intake of immunosuppressive drugs were analyzed in 19 patients during one day and compared to respective kinetics in six immunocompetent controls. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric and parametric tests. Results: Susceptibility towards calcineurin inhibitors showed interindividual differences. When combined with steroids, tacrolimus led to more pronounced increase in the inhibitory activity as compared to cyclosporine A. While circadian alterations in leukocyte subpopulations and T-cell function in controls were related to endogenous cortisol levels, T-cell functionality in transplant recipients decreased after intake of the morning medication, which was more pronounced in patients with higher drug-dosages. Interestingly, calcineurin inhibitors differentially affected circadian rhythm of T-cell function, as patients on cyclosporine A showed a biphasic decrease in T-cell reactivity after drug-intake in the morning and evening, whereas T-cell reactivity in patients on tacrolimus remained rather stable. Conclusions: The whole blood assay allows assessment of the inhibitory activity of immunosuppressive drugs in clinically relevant concentrations. Circadian alterations in T-cell function are determined by dose and type of immunosuppressive drugs and show distinct differences between cyclosporine A and tacrolimus. In future these findings may have practical implications to estimate the net immunosuppressive effect of a given drug-regimen that daily acts in an individual patient, and may contribute to individualize immunosuppressio

Speaker Attitude and Sexual Orientation Affect Phonetic Imitation

Numerous studies have documented the phenomenon of phonetic convergence: the process by which speakers alter their productions to become more similar on some phonetic or acoustic dimension to those of their interlocutor. Though social factors have been suggested as a motivator for imitation, few studies have established a tight connection between these extralinguistic factors and a speaker’s likelihood to imitate. The present study explores the effects of perceived sexual orientation and speaker attitude toward the interlocutor on the likelihood of imitation for extended VOT. Experimental results show that the extent of phonetic convergence (and divergence) depends on the perceived sexual orientation of the talker as well as whether the speaker is positively disposed to the interlocutor