Intragenerational Redistribution in Unfunded Pension Systems

This paper studies the intracohort redistributive aspects of the United States social security system in the context of a computable general equilibrium model. It determines how the well-being of individuals who differ by gender, race, and education is affected by government social security policy. Differences in life expectancy and labor productivity translate into differences in capital accumulation and labor supply distortions that are responsible for the observed welfare difference between individuals of the same age cohort. Copyright 2000, International Monetary Fund

Natural Right, Providence, and Order: Frédéric Bastiat's Laissez-Faire

The paper suggests that Bastiat’s theory of interests, harmony, and the State is rooted in a particular conception of Natural Right, in which the Lockeans and thomistic streams of thought meet. But it also suggests that Bastiat’s interpretation of the role that Providence plays in human events is not able to give a sustainable theory of liberal order. The paper also considers the criticisms to Bastiat’s economic and political theory coming from exponents of classical liberalism, from the Austrians, and from Catholic thinkers of that time, such as L. Taparelli d’Azeglio and M. Liberatore. The conclusion is that although the economic theory of Bastiat is by now obsolete from the conceptual point of view, his political theory and his criticism of the state do remain extraordinarily topical. Cet article suggère que les théories des intérêts, de l’harmonie et de l’Etat de Bastiat sont ancrées dans une conception particulière du droit naturel au confluent des pensées lockéenne et thomiste. Cependant, il suggère aussi que l’interprétation que donne Bastiat du rôle de la Providence dans les affaires humaines ne débouche pas sur une théorie recevable de l’ordre libéral. L’article examine aussi les critiques qu’adressent les partisans du libéralisme classique-tels que les économistes autrichiens, les penseurs catholiques de l’époque comme L. Taparelli d’Azeglio et M. Liberatore-à l’égard des théories économiques et politiques de Bastiat. L’article conclut que le caractère obsolète des théories de Bastiat d’un point de vue conceptuel ne remet pas en cause la singulière actualité de sa théorie politique et de sa critique de l’Etat

"Ileal bag modificato" e riduzione del rischio di ileo post-operatorio nella chirurgia del carcinoma ovarico. Studio caso-controllo

L’ileo post-operatorio è una condizione clinica frequente nei pazienti sottoposti a intervento chirurgico e consiste nell’arresto transitorio della motilità intestinale nell’immediato decorso post-operatorio, soprattutto dopo interventi di chirurgia addominale. I sintomi che caratterizzano l’ileo postoperatorio sono nausea, vomito, dolore e distensione addominale e generalmente si risolvono spontaneamente con la ripresa della peristalsi e della canalizzazione. Il prolungamento per più giorni di questa condizione ha un forte impatto negativo sulla morbilità, sulla durata e sui costi della degenza ospedaliera; inoltre influisce negativamente sulla percezione da parte del paziente del successo del trattamento chirurgico ricevuto. L’eziopatogenesi dell’ileo postoperatorio è multifattoriale ma principalmente sembra dipendere da meccanismi di tipo neurogeno e infiammatorio attivati in seguito alla manipolazione viscerale in sede intraoperatoria. Il carcinoma ovarico e il carcinoma primitivo del peritoneo sono patologie tumorali molto aggressive spesso diagnosticate in stadio avanzato; il trattamento chirurgico, in entrambi i casi, comporta una complessità chirurgica di medio-alta entità con conseguente aumento del rischio d’ileo post-operatorio. Sulla base di ciò abbiamo quindi valutato se fosse possibile attuare, in fase intraoperatoria, delle manovre protettive a livello intestinale per ridurre la manipolazione chirurgica e l’esposizione delle anse intestinali all’ambiente esterno. L’obiettivo primario dello studio è valutare l’efficacia dell’utilizzo intraoperatorio del dispositivo “Ileal bag modificato” sulla ripresa della peristalsi e canalizzazione nel decorso post-operatorio delle pazienti affette da carcinoma ovarico e carcinoma primitivo del peritoneo, sottoposte a intervento di staging intensivo e citoriduzione primaria. Obiettivo secondario dello studio è valutare l’influenza dell’utilizzo di tale dispositivo sulla durata della degenza postoperatoria. Studio caso controllo. Nel periodo 2014-2015 sono state selezionate 20 soggetti tra le pazienti ricoverate presso la UO di ginecologia ed ostetricia II dell’AOUP di Pisa con la diagnosi di carcinoma epiteliale dell’ovaio e carcinoma primitivo del peritoneo con indicazione al trattamento chirurgico laparotomico di staging e citoriduzione primaria. Durante l’intervento chirurgico è stato utilizzato il dispositivo “Ileal bag modificato” come rivestimento da disporre sulle anse prima dell’allestimento del campo operatorio. Un secondo gruppo di controllo comprende 33 pazienti con la medesima diagnosi sottoposte ad intervento chirurgico nel periodo 2012-2013 senza utilizzo del dispositivo. Nessuna delle pazienti di entrambi i gruppi è stata sottoposta a resezione intestinale. Nessuna differenza significativa tra i due gruppi per quanto riguarda l’età media delle pazienti, body mass index, la tipologia e la durata media dell’intervento chirurgico. Sono stati analizzati i seguenti parametri: peristalsi, ripresa della canalizzazione, giorni di degenza postoperatoria. L’analisi statistica dei dati ha evidenziato che l’utilizzo dell’“Ileal bag modificato” ha un effetto positivo sull’outcome postchirurgico delle pazienti sottoposte ad intervento per carcinoma ovarico riducendo significativamente i tempi di canalizzazione (OR 0.12; p<0.0011) e la durata del ricovero post-operatorio (OR 0.11; p<0.0005). Possiamo quindi concludere che l’utilizzo dell’“Ileal bag modificato”, riducendo i tempi di ileo post-operatorio, possa avere un effetto protettivo sulle anse intestinali in fase intraoperatoria, riducendo quindi la morbilità del trattamento chirurgico e i tempi di recupero post-operatori della paziente

The structure of an LIM-only protein 4 (LMO4) and deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (DEAF1) complex reveals a common mode of binding to LMO4

LIM-domain only protein 4 (LMO4) is a widely expressed protein with important roles in embryonic development and breast cancer. It has been reported to bind many partners, including the transcription factor Deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 (DEAF1), with which LMO4 shares many biological parallels. We used yeast two-hybrid assays to show that DEAF1 binds both LIM domains of LMO4 and that DEAF1 binds the same face on LMO4 as two other LMO4-binding partners, namely LIM domain binding protein 1 (LDB1) and C-terminal binding protein interacting protein (CtIP/RBBP8). Mutagenic screening analysed by the same method, indicates that the key residues in the interaction lie in LMO4LIM2 and the N-terminal half of the LMO4-binding domain in DEAF1. We generated a stable LMO4LIM2-DEAF1 complex and determined the solution structure of that complex. Although the LMO4-binding domain from DEAF1 is intrinsically disordered, it becomes structured on binding. The structure confirms that LDB1, CtIP and DEAF1 all bind to the same face on LMO4. LMO4 appears to form a hub in protein-protein interaction networks, linking numerous pathways within cells. Competitive binding for LMO4 therefore most likely provides a level of regulation between those different pathways.SJ was funded by an Australian Postgraduate Award (education.gov.au/australian-postgraduate-awards). JPM and JMM were awarded Senior Research Fellowships from the Australian National and Medical Research Council (www.nhmrc.gov.au). This project was funded by an Australian Research Council (www. arc.gov.au) Discovery Project Grant (DP110104332) to JMM and LC

Review of optical breast imaging and spectroscopy

Diffuse optical imaging and spectroscopy of the female breast is an area of active research. We review the present status of this field and discuss the broad range of methodologies and applications. Starting with a brief overview on breast physiology, the remodeling of vasculature and extracellular matrix caused by solid tumors is highlighted that is relevant for contrast in optical imaging. Then, the various instrumental techniques and the related methods of data analysis and image generation are described and compared including multimodality instrumentation, fluorescence mammography, broadband spectroscopy, and diffuse correlation spectroscopy. We review the clinical results on functional properties of malignant and benign breast lesions compared to host tissue and discuss the various methods to improve contrast between healthy and diseased tissue, such as enhanced spectroscopic information, dynamic variations of functional properties, pharmacokinetics of extrinsic contrast agents, including the enhanced permeability and retention effect. We discuss research on monitoring neoadjuvant chemotherapy and on breast cancer risk assessment as potential clinical applications of optical breast imaging and spectroscopy. Moreover, we consider new experimental approaches, such as photoacoustic imaging and long-wavelength tissue spectroscopy

Marital risk and capital accumulation

Between the sixties and the late eighties the percentages of low-saving single-parent households and people living alone have grown dramatically at the expense of high-saving married households, while the household saving rate has declined equally dramatically. A preliminary analysis of population composition and savings by household type seems to indicate that about half of the decline in savings is due to demographic change. We construct a model with agents changing marital status, but where the saving behavior of the households can adjust to the properties of the demographic process. We find that the demographic changes that reduce the number of married households (mainly higher divorce and higher illegitimacy) induce all household types to save more and that the effect on the aggregate saving rate is minuscule. We conclude that the drop in savings since the sixties is not due to changes in household composition.Saving and investment

Detection of internal quality in kiwi with time-domain diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

Time-domain diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (TRS), a medical sensing technique, was used to evaluate internal kiwi fruit quality. The application of this pulsed laser spectroscopic technique was studied as a new, possible non-destructive, method to detect optically different quality parameters: firmness, sugar content, and acidity. The main difference with other spectroscopic techniques is that TRS estimates separately and at the same time absorbed light and scattering inside the sample, at each wavelength, allowing simultaneous estimations of firmness and chemical contents. Standard tests (flesh puncture, compression with ball, .Brix, total acidity, skin color) have been used as references to build estimative models, using a multivariate statistical approach. Classification functions of the fruits into three groups achieved a performance of 75% correctly classified fruits for firmness, 60% for sugar content, and 97% for acidity. Results demonstrate good potential for this technique to be used in the development of new sensors for non-destructive quality assessment