A Shrinking Slice of the Pie: The Labour Income Share in Australia

The ‘wages breakout’ has been a recurring theme in the Australian public policy debate in recent years. Political conservatives, media commentators and some business groups have warned that Australian wages growth is unsustainable, or threatens to become unsustainable. This paper critically examines such claims and finds that they are not supported by the evidence. This paper shows that Australia has experienced the opposite of a ‘wages breakout’ since 2000. Over this period Australian real wages have not kept pace with productivity growth. This means that labour’s share of total income has fallen and capital’s share has risen. This paper also shows that many other OECD countries have experienced a falling labour share in recent years, but the fall in Australia’s labour share has been relatively large. The fall in the Australian labour share has been broadly-based – the labour share has fallen within a broad range of industries. Only a small portion of the fall can be ascribed to structural change in the economy towards low-labour share industries such as mining

The Influence of Intuitive Thinking Styles Versus Analytical Thinking Styles on the Use of Stereotypes in Judgments

Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of two instruction sets, one which encouraged them to rely on their intuitions and another which encouraged a more analytical thinking style. Participants were also randomly assigned to read one of two reports in order to decide whether an elementary school student who exhibited some ambiguously aggressive behaviors should be recommended for a program designed for children with behavioral problems. The otherwise identical reports were either concerning a student named “Eric” or a student named “Tyrone.” I predicted that participants would be more likely overall to recommend Tyrone for the behavioral program than Eric, but that this effect will be more pronounced for participants in the condition that encouraged an intuitive thinking style. This hypothesis was not confirmed. Participants in the condition that encouraged an intuitive thinking style were more confident in their judgments and less ambivalent about their judgments than participants who were encouraged to use an analytical thinking style.No embarg

Validation of a Clinical Scoring System for Outcome Prediction in Dogs with Acute Kidney Injury Managed by Hemodialysis.

BackgroundA scoring system for outcome prediction in dogs with acute kidney injury (AKI) recently has been developed but has not been validated.HypothesisThe scoring system previously developed for outcome prediction will accurately predict outcome in a validation cohort of dogs with AKI managed with hemodialysis.AnimalsOne hundred fifteen client-owned dogs with AKI.MethodsMedical records of dogs with AKI treated by hemodialysis between 2011 and 2015 were reviewed. Dogs were included only if all variables required to calculate the final predictive score were available, and the 30-day outcome was known. A predictive score for 3 models was calculated for each dog. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of the final predictive score with each model's outcome. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses were performed to determine sensitivity and specificity for each model based on previously established cut-off values.ResultsHigher scores for each model were associated with decreased survival probability (P < .001). Based on previously established cut-off values, 3 models (models A, B, C) were associated with sensitivities/specificities of 73/75%, 71/80%, and 75/86%, respectively, and correctly classified 74-80% of the dogs.Conclusions and clinical relevanceAll models were simple to apply and allowed outcome prediction that closely corresponded with actual outcome in an independent cohort. As expected, accuracies were slightly lower compared with those from the previously reported cohort used initially to develop the models

Tidal Variation in Nitrogen Cycling in Oregon Sponges

As filter feeders, marine sponges are closely integrated with their environment. Sponges also host many diverse species of bacteria that carry out a gamut of metabolic processes, including several nitrogen transformations. The variable nature of tidal exchanges can influence the biogeochemicals available for the sponge and its associated microbes to obtain from the environment. As ambient nutrient concentrations change, it is suggested that the pumping rates of the sponge will change, thus altering the activity of the symbionts. To explore these hypotheses, ambient and exhalent water samples were collected at both high tide and low tide in Netarts Bay, Oregon. To assess pumping rates, transect images between tides were analyzed for changes in oscula diameter within species. Nitrate, ammonia, and total nitrogen concentrations were analyzed via spectroscopy. Transect results demonstrated decreased oscula diameter and therefore decreased pumping rates during high tide and inverse results at low tide. Significant variation was found between inhalant and exhalent nitrate, ammonia, and total nitrogen values between species and between tides. This suggests that ambient nitrogen concentrations influence internal nitrogen cycling, but varies between species. These results suggest that sponges and their associated microbial communities adjust their metabolism based on tidal influences

CryoTran user's manual, version 1.0

The development of cryogenic fluid management systems for space operation is a major portion of the efforts of the Cryogenic Fluids Technology Office (CFTO) at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Analytical models are a necessary part of experimental programs which are used to verify the results of experiments and are also used as a predictor for parametric studies. The CryoTran computer program is a bridge to obtain analytical results. The object of CryoTran is to coordinate these separate analyses into an integrated framework with a user-friendly interface and a common cryogenic property database. CryoTran is an integrated software system designed to help solve a diverse set of problems involving cryogenic fluid storage and transfer in both ground and low-g environments

Life analysis of restored and refurbished bearings

An analysis of the potential life of refurbished and restored bearings was performed. The sensitivity of 10-percent life and mean-time-between-failure to the effects of cumulative fatigue damage and the amount of stressed volume removed in the restoration process were examined. A modified Lundberg-Palmgren theory was used to predict that the expected 10-percent life of a restored bearing, which is dependent on the previous service time and the volume of material removed from the race surfaces, can be between 74 and 100 percent of the new bearing life. Using renewal theory, it is found that the mean time between failure ranged from 90 to 100 percent of that for a new bearing

Evaluation of Canine Pancreas-Specific Lipase Activity, Lipase Activity, and Trypsin-Like Immunoreactivity in an Experimental Model of Acute Kidney Injury in Dogs.

BackgroundDiagnosis of pancreatitis in dogs is complicated by extrapancreatic disorders that can alter the results of laboratory tests. Extrapancreatic disorders can also affect the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). The effects of acute kidney injury (AKI) on pancreas-specific lipase activity (Spec cPL(®) Test), serum lipase activity and trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) in dogs have not been evaluated.Hypothesis/objectivesSerum Spec cPL, lipase activity, and TLI concentrations will increase secondary to decreased kidney function.AnimalsFive purpose-bred dogs.MethodsExperimental prospective study. Gentamicin was used to induce AKI in 5 purpose-bred dogs. Serum samples were collected for measurement of creatinine, Spec cPL, lipase activity and TLI over 60 days, during both induction of, and recovery from, AKI.ResultsAll dogs developed and recovered from AKI. Six of 52 (12%) serum Spec cPL concentrations were increased (2 in the equivocal zone and 4 consistent with pancreatitis) in 2 of 5 (40%) dogs. Two of 51 (4%) serum lipase activity values were increased in 2 of 5 dogs. Serum TLI was increased above the reference range in 17 of 50 (34%) samples in 3 of 5 dogs. For all biomarkers, there was no consistent correlation with increases in serum creatinine concentration.Conclusions and clinical importanceDecreased renal excretion during experimental AKI did not cause consistent and correlated increases in serum Spec cPL, lipase activity, or TLI in this cohort of dogs

Assessment of Canine Pancreas-Specific Lipase and Outcomes in Dogs with Hemodialysis-Dependent Acute Kidney Injury.

BackgroundRenal replacement therapies can be life-saving for dogs with severe acute kidney injury (AKI), however, comorbidities including pancreatitis might affect outcome.Hypothesis/objectivesTo investigate the prevalence of pancreas-specific lipase (Spec cPL) measurements consistent with pancreatitis (≥400 μg/L) in dogs undergoing intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) for treatment of AKI and to determine whether there were associations between 30-days outcomes and Spec cPL measurements.AnimalsFifty-three client-owned dogs presented to teaching hospitals between November 2008 and September 2016 that underwent IHD.MethodsRetrospective medical record review from dogs that received IHD for management of AKI and also had a Spec cPL measurement. Association between survival, dialysis-dependency, and Spec cPL measurements was assessed.ResultsForty of 53 (76%) dogs were alive at 30-days and 33/53(62%) had a Spec cPL result ≥400 μg/L. Spec cPL was not significantly different either between surviving (635.5 μg/L, range 29-1,001) and nonsurviving dogs (860 μg/L, range 56-1,001; P = 0.75) or between dialysis-dependent (1,001 μg/L, range 177-1,001) and nondialysis-dependent dogs (520 μg/L, range 29-1,001; P = 0.08). Spec cPL ≥400 μg/L was not significantly associated either with survival (P = 0.74) or dialysis-dependency (P = 0.33).Conclusions and clinical importanceResults revealed a high prevalence of Spec cPL ≥400 μg/L in dogs with AKI treated with IHD. No significant associations between Spec cPL and survival or dialysis-dependency in dogs with AKI at 30 days were identified in the current study, however, the latter could be due to lack of power in this study

Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin as a Marker for Identification of Acute Kidney Injury and Recovery in Dogs with Gentamicin-induced Nephrotoxicity.

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high mortality rates in dogs, which may be a consequence of late recognition using traditional diagnostic tests. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein-induced during kidney injury that may identify AKI earlier than traditional tests.Objectives/hypothesisTo evaluate urinary NGAL (uNGAL) and uNGAL-to-urinary creatinine ratio (UNCR) as early markers of kidney injury and recovery in an AKI model in dogs. It was hypothesized that these markers would document AKI earlier than serum creatinine concentration.AnimalsFive purpose-bred dogs.MethodsProspective study. Acute kidney injury, defined as a > 50% increase in serum creatinine concentration above baseline, was induced in dogs by gentamicin administration (8-10 mg/kg SC q8h). Blood and urine collected for biochemical analyses and uNGAL and urinary creatinine concentrations, respectively, during AKI induction and recovery.ResultsAcute kidney injury was diagnosed significantly earlier based on a 7-fold increase in UNCR compared to a > 50% increase in serum creatinine concentration (day 8; range, 2-10 mg/dl vs day 16; range, 14-19 mg/dl; P = .009). During recovery, the initial decrease in UNCR preceded the decrease in serum creatinine concentration by a median of 2 days. The uNGAL changes paralleled UNCR changes, but the increase in uNGAL was triphasic; the initial peak occurred earlier than UNCR (median, day 11 versus median, day 19).Conclusions and clinical importanceThe UNCR was early marker of gentamicin-induced AKI and its decrease documented onset of renal recovery. Additional studies are needed to validate this marker in dogs with naturally occurring renal injury

Does online trade live up to the promise of a borderless world? Evidence from the EU Digital Single Market

An important EU Digital Single Market policy objective is to achieve an open and integrated market for online e-commerce in the EU, to make it easy for consumers to go outside their domestic market and shop online in other EU Member States. This study applies a standard gravity model of international trade to Google e-commerce data to estimate the prevalence of home bias in online shopping in the EU. It compares how much EU Member States trade domestically and with other Member States, and how much the EU trades with itself and with the rest of the world. The research confirms the findings of the (offline) international trade literature, according to which there is strong home bias. There is no unambiguous evidence about the strengths or weaknesses of the EU Digital Single Market. Strong intra-EU home bias suggests that online consumers have a tendency to stay in their home country market. Equally strong extra-EU home bias suggests that online consumers who do decide to shop abroad have a tendency to stay in the EU however, rather than going to a non-EU country. There are indications that online home bias is lower in a comparable cross-border trade setting in North America. Data and methodological limitations do not allow a more detailed analysis.JRC.J.3-Information Societ