GDP per capita and the biological standard of living in contemporary developing countries

This paper investigates whether a divergence between the biological standard of living (commonly measured by some anthropometric indicator) and GDP per capita during the early phases of industrialization, as observed for many now-developed countries in the nineteenth century, can also be found for the current developing countries. The paper examines whether such a divergence exists and which factors might explain its possible existence. We conclude that there is not much evidence for such a divergence. However, there is considerable variance by such factors as the infant mortality rate in addition to GDP per capita.

Assessing the outcomes of anti-money laundering policies. Ambitions and reality

Slot, Brigitte Assessing the outcomes of anti-money laundering policies. Ambitions and reality / Brigitte Slot, Linette de Swart // Constructing and organising crime in Europe / Petrus C. van Duyne, Alexey Serdyuk, Georgios A. Antonopoulos, Jackie H. Harvey, Klaus von Lampe (Eds.); Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, Northumbria University, Teesside University, Utrecht University. – Chicago-Kharkiv : Eleven International Publishing, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, 2019. - P. 399-415. - DOI: https://doi.org/10.32631/ccc19.16.Боротьба з відмиванням грошей займає важливе місце в політичному порядку денному як на міжнародному рівні, так і в Нідерландах. Багато зусиль було направлено на запобігання відмиванню грошей, а також на виявлення і судове переслідування злочинців, які фактично витратили свої незаконно отримані гроші в легальній економіці. Міністерство юстиції Нідерландів замовило дослідження, щоб з'ясувати, наскільки діяльність і фактичні результати політики по боротьбі з відмиванням грошей в Нідерландах відповідають цілям політики по боротьбі з відмиванням грошей. В цьому розділі висвітлюються основні результати цього дослідження.Combatting money-laundering ranks highly on the political agenda, both internationally and in the Netherlands. Much effort has been put into the prevention of money laundering, as well as detecting and prosecuting criminals who actually have spent their ill-gotten money in the legal economy. Not only has the legal framework been strengthened, e.g. the implementation of the fourth anti-money laundering directive and fine-tuning of the Dutch Penal Code, several financial programs have been introduced in order to strengthen the position of both the police and special investigators as well as the public prosecution. In addition, cooperation between the public and private sector is encouraged and several informal and formal networks combatting money laundering have been established. Anti-money laundering policies are part of the political agenda and many resources have been made available – both in terms of public money and human capacity. However, it is unknown what the impacts of these actions are on money laundering in particular and on crime in general. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has recently set-up a framework for assessing the effectiveness of anti-money laundering policies. In their fourth round of mutual evaluations, this new framework is applied for the first time. The mutual evaluation of the Netherlands is planned for 2020. In preparation of the coming mutual evaluation, the Dutch Ministry of Justice commissioned a study to investigate the extent to which the activities and the actual outcomes of the anti-money laundering policies in the Netherlands comply with the objectives of the anti-money laundering policies as formulated by the FATF. This chapter highlights the main outcomes of this exercise.Борьба с отмыванием денег занимает важное место в политической повестке дня как на международном уровне, так и в Нидерландах. Много усилий было направлено на предотвращение отмывания денег, а также на выявление и судебное преследование преступников, которые фактически потратили свои незаконно полученные деньги в легальной экономике. Министерство юстиции Нидерландов заказало исследование, чтобы выяснить, насколько деятельность и фактические результаты политики по борьбе с отмыванием денег в Нидерландах соответствуют целям политики по борьбе с отмыванием денег. В этой главе освещаются основные результаты этого исследования

Proliferation of Acid-Secretory Cells in the Kidney during Adaptive Remodelling of the Collecting Duct

The renal collecting duct adapts to changes in acid-base metabolism by remodelling and altering the relative number of acid or alkali secreting cells, a phenomenon termed plasticity. Acid secretory A intercalated cells (A-IC) express apical H+-ATPases and basolateral bicarbonate exchanger AE1 whereas bicarbonate secretory B intercalated cells (B-IC) express basolateral (and apical) H+-ATPases and the apical bicarbonate exchanger pendrin. Intercalated cells were thought to be terminally differentiated and unable to proliferate. However, a recent report in mouse kidney suggested that intercalated cells may proliferate and that this process is in part dependent on GDF-15. Here we extend these observations to rat kidney and provide a detailed analysis of regional differences and demonstrate that differentiated A-IC proliferate massively during adaptation to systemic acidosis. We used markers of proliferation (PCNA, Ki67, BrdU incorporation) and cell-specific markers for A-IC (AE1) and B-IC (pendrin). Induction of remodelling in rats with metabolic acidosis (with NH4Cl for 12 hrs, 4 and 7 days) or treatment with acetazolamide for 10 days resulted in a larger fraction of AE1 positive cells in the cortical collecting duct. A large number of AE1 expressing A-IC was labelled with proliferative markers in the cortical and outer medullary collecting duct whereas no labeling was found in B-IC. In addition, chronic acidosis also increased the rate of proliferation of principal collecting duct cells. The fact that both NH4Cl as well as acetazolamide stimulated proliferation suggests that systemic but not urinary pH triggers this response. Thus, during chronic acidosis proliferation of AE1 containing acid-secretory cells occurs and may contribute to the remodelling of the collecting duct or replace A-IC due to a shortened life span under these conditions

GDP per capita and the biological standard of living in contemporary developing countries

This paper investigates whether a divergence between the biological standard of living (commonly measured by some anthropometric indicator) and GDP per capita during the early phases of industrialization, as observed for many now-developed countries in the nineteenth century, can also be found for the current developing countries. The paper examines whether such a divergence exists and which factors might explain its possible existence. We conclude that there is not much evidence for such a divergence. However, there is considerable variance by such factors as the infant mortality rate in addition to GDP per capita.

Height and income: A new method for the estimation of historical national income series

The median height of conscripts in The Netherlands between 1900 and 1940 can be estimated with remarkable precision from a linear combination of lagged scores of real national income per capita, by applying a polynomial distributed lag equation. The structure of the equation—although entirely based on macro data—is corroborated by patterns that were discovered earlier by scholars working from individual scores. Finally, the equation is rewritten in such a way that it can be used to estimate yearly figures of real per capita income for those years where data on income are lacking, but statistical information on the height of conscripts is not. These estimates of Dutch per capita income for the period 1845 up to 1900 display a pattern of growth and stagnation that is not immediately contradicted by historical evidence of a more traditional character

Genome-wide association scan in HIV-1-infected individuals identifying variants influencing disease course.

BACKGROUND: AIDS develops typically after 7-11 years of untreated HIV-1 infection, with extremes of very rapid disease progression (<2 years) and long-term non-progression (>15 years). To reveal additional host genetic factors that may impact on the clinical course of HIV-1 infection, we designed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 404 participants of the Amsterdam Cohort Studies on HIV-1 infection and AIDS. METHODS: The association of SNP genotypes with the clinical course of HIV-1 infection was tested in Cox regression survival analyses using AIDS-diagnosis and AIDS-related death as endpoints. RESULTS: Multiple, not previously identified SNPs, were identified to be strongly associated with disease progression after HIV-1 infection, albeit not genome-wide significant. However, three independent SNPs in the top ten associations between SNP genotypes and time between seroconversion and AIDS-diagnosis, and one from the top ten associations between SNP genotypes and time between seroconversion and AIDS-related death, had P-values smaller than 0.05 in the French Genomics of Resistance to Immunodeficiency Virus cohort on disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: Our study emphasizes that the use of different phenotypes in GWAS may be useful to unravel the full spectrum of host genetic factors that may be associated with the clinical course of HIV-1 infection