Monetary-Fiscal Policy Interactions and the Price Level: Background and Beyond

The paper presents the fiscal theory of the price level in a variety of models, including endowment economies with lump-sum taxes and production economies with proportional income taxes. We offer a microeconomic perspective on the fiscal theory by computing a Slutsky-Hicks decomposition of the effects of tax changes into substitution, wealth, and revaluation effects. Revaluation effects arise whenever tax changes alter the value of outstanding nominal government liabilities by changing the price level. Under certain assumptions on monetary and fiscal behavior, the revaluation effect reflects the fiscal theory mechanism. When taxes distort, two Laffer curves arise, implying that a tax increase can lower or raise the price level and the revaluation effect can be positive or negative, depending on which side of a particular Laffer curve the economy resides.

The case for spatially-sensitive data: how data structures affect spatial measurement and substantive theory

Innovations in GIS and spatial statistics offer exciting opportunities to examine novel questions and to revisit established theory. Realizing this promise requires investment in spatially-sensitive data. Though convenient, widely-used administrative datasets are often spatially insensitive. They limit our ability to conceptualize and measure spatial relationships, leading to problems with ecological validity and the MAUP – with profound implications for substantive theory. I dramatize the stakes using the case of supermarket red-lining in 1970 Chicago. I compare the analytical value of a popular, spatially insensitive administrative dataset with that of a custom-built, spatially sensitive alternative. I show how the former constrains analysis to a single count measure and aspatial regression, while the latter’s point data support multiple measures and spatially-sensitive regression procedures; leading to starkly divergent results. In establishing the powerful impact that spatial measures can exert on our theoretical conclusions, I highlight the perils of relying on convenient, but insensitive datasets. Concomitantly, I demonstrate why investing in spatially sensitive data is essential for advancing sound knowledge of a broad array of historical and contemporary spatial phenomena

Structuring a short-term study abroad experience to foster professional identity growth in undergraduate education and social work students

This paper explores the emerging themes in the development and implementation of a short-term study abroad tour of Ireland and Northern Ireland by education and social work majors. The twenty-two student participants were invited to take part in a post-travel focus group process to discover how the experience impacted their developing professional identities. As the researchers reviewed the focus group transcripts and reflected on the experience, powerful ideas regarding the development of a successful study abroad experience emerged. The following four themes emerged: instructors need to purposefully schedule the experience to meet the social and learning needs of the students; instructors need to fully immerse students in the culture for a more effective, meaningful, and lasting experience; students must rigorously engage in the cultural and educational expectations while on the study tour; and the students need multiple spaces during the tour to discuss and debrief the experiences that challenge their preconceived expectations. Although it would be premature to say these themes rise to the level of “best practices” at this point, this research will help direct and strengthen future studies of faculty-led study abroad experiences

Ecological and evolutionary implications of spatial heterogeneity during the off-season for a wild plant pathogen

•While recent studies have elucidated many of the factors driving parasite dynamics during the growing season, the ecological and evolutionary dynamics during the off-season (i.e. the period between growing seasons) remain largely unexplored. •We combine large-scale surveys and detailed experiments to investigate the overwintering success of the specialist plant pathogen Podosphaera plantaginis on its patchily distributed host plant Plantago lanceolata on the Åland Islands. •Twelve years of epidemiological data establish the off-season as a crucial stage in pathogen metapopulation dynamics, with approximately forty percent of the populations going extinct during the off-season. At the end of the growing season, we observed environmentally-mediated variation in the production of resting structures, with major consequences for spring infection at spatial scales ranging from single individuals to populations within a metapopulation. Reciprocal transplant experiments further demonstrated that pathogen population of origin and overwintering site jointly shaped infection intensity in spring, with a weak signal of parasite adaptation to the local off-season environment. •We conclude that environmentally-mediated changes in the distribution and evolution of parasites during the off-season are crucial for our understanding of host-parasite dynamics, with applied implications for combating parasites and diseases in agriculture, wildlife and human disease systems.Peer reviewe

Reducing the burden of hypoglycaemia in people with diabetes through increased understanding:design of the Hypoglycaemia Redefining Solutions for Better Lives (Hypo-RESOLVE) project

Background Hypoglycaemia is the most frequent complication of treatment with insulin or insulin secretagogues in people with diabetes. Severe hypoglycaemia, i.e. an event requiring external help because of cognitive dysfunction, is associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes and all‐cause mortality, but underlying mechanism(s) are poorly understood. There is also a gap in the understanding of the clinical, psychological and health economic impact of ‘non‐severe’ hypoglycaemia and the glucose level below which hypoglycaemia causes harm. Aim To increase understanding of hypoglycaemia by addressing the above issues over a 4‐year period. Methods Hypo‐RESOLVE is structured across eight work packages, each with a distinct focus. We will construct a large, sustainable database including hypoglycaemia data from >100 clinical trials to examine predictors of hypoglycaemia and establish glucose threshold(s) below which hypoglycaemia constitutes a risk for adverse biomedical and psychological outcomes, and increases healthcare costs. We will also investigate the mechanism(s) underlying the antecedents and consequences of hypoglycaemia, the significance of glucose sensor‐detected hypoglycaemia, the impact of hypoglycaemia in families, and the costs of hypoglycaemia for healthcare systems. Results The outcomes of Hypo‐RESOLVE will inform evidence‐based definitions regarding the classification of hypoglycaemia in diabetes for use in daily clinical practice, future clinical trials and as a benchmark for comparing glucose‐lowering interventions and strategies across trials. Stakeholders will be engaged to achieve broadly adopted agreement. Conclusion Hypo‐RESOLVE will advance our understanding and refine the classification of hypoglycaemia, with the ultimate aim being to alleviate the burden and consequences of hypoglycaemia in people with diabetes

The impact of spatial scale and habitat configuration on patterns of trait variation and local adaptation in a wild plant parasite

Peer reviewe

Scheimpflug-based analysis of the reflectivity of the cornea in Marfan Syndrome

Purpose:We sought to investigate corneal reflectivity inMarfan syndrome (MFS) on the basis of Scheimpflug light intensity distribution. Methods: In a retrospective case-control analysis, the left eyes of 40 MFS patients and 40 age- and refraction-matched healthy controls were investigated. Patients with MFS meeting the Ghent II diagnostic criteria and with genetic confirmation of disease were included. Exclusion criteria were the following: Coexisting corneal, conjunctival, or scleral pathology, use of medication known to affect corneal transparency, history of ocular surgery, and insufficient data. Scheimpflug tomography images were exported to analyze corneal transparency in different corneal layers and regions. Each corneal image was automatically segmented, after which the corresponding pixel intensities in the defined regions of interest were statistically modeled using a Weibull probability density function from which parameters a (transparency) and ß (homogeneity) were derived. Results: The cornea in MFS showed significantly higher light reflectivity (overall cornea, a = 71 ± 17 arbitrary units (a.u.)) than in the control group (overall cornea, a = 59 ± 15 a.u.) (t test, P = 0.003). The a parameter was significantly higher in MFS eyes in all examined layers and regions (P 0.05). The difference in a did not correlate with ocular biometric properties (corneal thickness and curvature) or ectopia lentis (P> 0.05). Conclusions: The cornea in MFS shows significantly higher reflectivity than healthy controls with similar levels of homogeneity. Translational Relevance: The proposed methodology detects corneal reflectivity changes in MFS not available from regular slit-lamp examination