Analysing welfare reform in a microsimulation-AGE model: the value of disaggregation

We present a combined, consistent microsimulation-AGE model that uses the labour market model PACE-L, data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and a discrete choice labour supply estimation. The model is used to analyse a reform that cuts the social assistance minimum income and lowers the transfer withdrawal rate in order to encourage labour force participation at the lower end of the wage distribution. We compare a disaggregated and an aggregated version of the model as well as a partial and a general equilibrium variant. It turns out that both disaggregation and general equilibrium feedback tend to mitigate the labour supply response to the reform proposal. While some labour supply indicators react quite sensitively to the level of aggregation, most macroeconomic variables are considerably more robust. --applied general equilibrium,discrete working time choice,labour market,wage bargaining,labour market reform,logit model,microsimulation

An exploration of the foundational provision model in first year mathematics in science and engineering programmes

The changes and transformation in South African higher education and the Mathematics FET curriculum have challenged first year lecturers to review curricular content. The review also comprises a reflection on teaching strategies, use of technology and interventions to support student learning and academic progress. The provision of grants to provide additional resources and interventions has provided opportunities to widen access and deliver tailor-made content in various fields of studies. The number of enrolments in the first year mathematics modules has increased in the past five years but the quality of foundational knowledge and skills has been a concern for all lecturers. Basic numeric skills and critical thinking ability have been identified as inefficient preparation for successful study in first year science modules and need to be addressed at entry level. The University of Johannesburg has designed a semester module in mathematics as a bridging component before students in the four year degree commence, with three semesters to complete the first year curriculum. This investigation compared the success of students in the two streams (three year programme in one module and four year programme in three modules) for the first semester Mathematics and their progress in the last first year modules when students from both streams share the same classes. Appropriate inferential statistics were employed in the comparison of the 2011 – 2013 cohorts. It will be shown that the interventions implemented in the four year degree can be considered as effective in developing the students’ academic competency in mathematics relative to mainstream students in Science and Engineering

Analysing Welfare Reform in a Microsimulation-AGE Model

We present a fully integrated microsimulation-AGE model that uses the labour market model PACE-L and data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. We use the model to analyse reform proposals designed to encourage labour force participation at the lower end of the wage distribution. A special focus of this paper is on comparing the fully disaggregated version of the model with more aggregated ones in order to pin down in which respects disaggregation can actually further our insights, and in which respects aggregation can be justifiedapplied general equilibrium, discrete working time choice, labour market, wage bargaining, labour market reform, logit model

Parental and Alloparental Care in a Polygynous Mammal

We studied maternal, paternal, and alloparental care in striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio), which nest and breed communally in the succulent karoo, South Africa. A total of 18 triads, each consisting of 2 adult female littermates and an unfamiliar adult male, were set up under natural weather conditions. We expected that relationships within captive triads that breed communally would be egalitarian, and that all individuals would participate in the rearing of offspring, but we assumed that the degree of caregiving behavior would vary between mothers, fathers, and alloparents, because individuals obtain different fitness benefits. Social interactions in the triads were predominantly amicable and in the majority of triads, both females produced litters in a communal nest. All 3 adults in a triad participated in care of the offspring, with mothers spending 43%, fathers 26%, and alloparents 24% of observations in caregiving activities. Our results indicate that sisters can form stable cooperative relationships, but members of a communal nest allocate their caregiving to individual offspring according to potential trade-offs between direct and indirect fitness benefits. Large amounts of paternal care can occur in a polygynous species, which contrasts with the common belief that paternal care is a characteristic of monogam

Auswirkungen der radikal operativen Therapie des Vulvakarzinoms auf die Lebensqualität

Die Arbeit befasst sich mit den Auswirkungen der radikal operativen Therapie des Vulvakarzinoms auf die Lebensqualität (LQ). Erfasst und verglichen wurde hierbei die Lebensqualität nach radikaler Vulvektomie und Wide Local Exzision (WLE), mit und ohne erfolgter Lymphonodektomie (LNE)

Analysing Welfare Reform in a Microsimulation-AGE Model: The Value of Disaggregation

We present a combined, consistent microsimulation-AGE model that uses the labour market model PACE-L, data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and a discrete choice labour supply estimation. The model is used to analyse a reform that cuts the social assistance minimum income and lowers the transfer withdrawal rate in order to encourage labour force participation at the lower end of the wage distribution. We compare a disaggregated and an aggregated version of the model as well as a partial and a general equilibrium variant. It turns out that both disaggregation and general equilibrium feedback tend to mitigate the labour supply response to the reform proposal. While some labour supply indicators react quite sensitively to the level of aggregation, most macroeconomic variables are considerably more robust

„Rapid Lump Examination“- eine neue Methode in der mikroskopisch kontrollierten Chirurgie im Vergleich zu Paraffinschnitten bei der 3D-Histologie von Basalzellkarzinomen

Einleitung: Aufgrund steigender Inzidenzraten von Hautkrebs besteht die dringende Notwendigkeit für eine schnelle, zuverlässige und kosteneffiziente Therapie. In der mikroskopisch kontrollierten Chirurgie (MKC) werden die lückenlosen Exzisatschnittränder an Gefrier- oder Paraffinschnitten untersucht. Neuere Verfahren sind die ex vivo CLSM und OCT, welche im Prinzip optische Schnitte erstellen. Im Gegensatz dazu wird bei der „Rapid Lump Examination“ (RLE) das native Tumorgewebe bzw. werden die Tumorränder unmittelbar mikroskopisch betrachtet. Material und Methoden: 382 Präparate aus 118 Tumoren von 86 Patienten der Praxisklinik Tübingen und der Universitäts-Hautklinik Tübingen wurden untersucht. Das Tumorgewebe wurde makroskopisch als „Tübinger Torte“ oder in der „Muffin-Technik“ zugeschnitten. Die nativen Proben wurden nach einem standardisierten, 60 sek. dauernden Färbeprotokoll direkt mit einem Stereomikroskop unter polarisiertem Licht mikroskopisch untersucht. Beim anschließenden Paraffinschnittverfahren konnten die HE-gefärbten Schnitte nach frühestens 20 Stunden mikroskopisch beurteilt werden. Ergebnisse: Die RLE-Methode verbrauchte kein Gewebe und führte zu keiner Beeinträchtigung der Qualität der nachfolgenden Paraffinschnitte. Im Vergleich zu Paraffinschnitten zeigte die RLE eine untersucherunabhängige hohe Spezifität (91%) und Sensitivität (76%); der PPV betrug 72% und der NPV 92%. Ein erfahrener Untersucher erzielte eine Sensitivität und Spezifität von 88 bzw. 97% sowie einen PPV und NPV von 88% und 97%. Schlussfolgerung: Die RLE ist ein neues reproduzierbares und zuverlässiges Verfahren, welches die MKC von BZK deutlich beschleunigen kann. Sie bietet sowohl dem niedergelassenen als auch dem in der Klinik tätigen Arzt eine neue Möglichkeit, BZK schnell und sicher zu diagnostizieren und operative Eingriffe auf ein Minimum zu beschränken. HE-gefärbte Gefrier- oder Paraffinschnitte sollten aus forensischen Gründen als Goldstandard weiterhin erstellt werden

Glutamic Acid Residues in HIV-1 p6 Regulate Virus Budding and Membrane Association of Gag

The HIV-1 Gag p6 protein regulates the final abscission step of nascent virions from the cell membrane by the action of its two late (l-) domains, which recruit Tsg101 and ALIX, components of the ESCRT system. Even though p6 consists of only 52 amino acids, it is encoded by one of the most polymorphic regions of the HIV-1 gag gene and undergoes various posttranslational modifications including sumoylation, ubiquitination, and phosphorylation. In addition, it mediates the incorporation of the HIV-1 accessory protein Vpr into budding virions. Despite its small size, p6 exhibits an unusually high charge density. In this study, we show that mutation of the conserved glutamic acids within p6 increases the membrane association of Pr55 Gag followed by enhanced polyubiquitination and MHC-I antigen presentation of Gag-derived epitopes, possibly due to prolonged exposure to membrane bound E3 ligases. The replication capacity of the total glutamic acid mutant E0A was almost completely impaired, which was accompanied by defective virus release that could not be rescued by ALIX overexpression. Altogether, our data indicate that the glutamic acids within p6 contribute to the late steps of viral replication and may contribute to the interaction of Gag with the plasma membrane

The SCLtTAxBCR-ABL transgenic mouse model closely reflects the differential effects of dasatinib on normal and malignant hematopoiesis in chronic phase-CML patients

The second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) dasatinib is a clinically approved drug for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) as well as Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In addition to its antileukemic effects, dasatinib was shown to impact on normal hematopoiesis and cells of the immune system. Due to the fact that the murine in vivo studies so far have not been performed in a chronic-phase CML model under steady-state conditions, our aim was to study the hematopoietic effects of dasatinib (20 mg/kg p.o.) in BCR-ABL expressing SCLtTAxBCR-ABL double transgenic (dtg) mice. Dasatinib robustly antagonized the CML phenotype in vivo in our transgenic mouse model, and this effect included both mature and immature cell populations. However, similar to patients with CML, the fraction of Lin(neg)Sca-1(+)KIT(+)CD48(neg)CD150(+) hematopoietic stem cells was not reduced by dasatinib treatment, suggesting that these cells are not oncogene-addicted. Moreover, we observed differential effects of dasatinib in these animals as compared to wild-type (wt) animals: while granulocytes were significantly reduced in dtg animals, they were increased in wt mice. And Ter119(+) erythrocytic and B220(+) B cells were increased in dtg mice but decreased in wt mice. Finally, while dasatinib induced a shift from CD49b/NK1.1 positive NK cells from the bone marrow to the spleen in wt animals, there was no change in dtg mice. In conclusion, the present mouse model provides a useful tool to study mechanisms of TKI resistance and dasatinib-associated beneficial effects and adverse events.Peer reviewe