Should the Rich be Taxed More? The Fiscal Inequality Coefficient

This paper holistically addresses the effective (relative) income tax contribution of a given income (or, wealth) group. The widely acclaimed standard in public policy is the absolute benefaction of a given income group in filling up the fiscal coffers. Instead, we focus on the ratio of the average income tax rate of an income group divided by the percentage of national income (or wealth) appropriated by the same income group. In turn, we develop the Fiscal Inequality Coefficient which compares the effective percentage income tax payments of pairs of income (or wealth) groups. Using data for the US, we concentrate on pairs such as the Bottom 90% versus Top 10%, Bottom 99% versus Top 1%, and Bottom 99.9% versus Top 0.1%. We conclude that policy makers with a strong social conscience should re-evaluate the progressivity of the income tax system and make the richest echelons of the income and wealth distributions pay a fairer and higher tax

A European multi-language initiative to make the general population aware of independent clinical research: the European Communication on Research Awareness Need project

BACKGROUND: The ECRAN (European Communication on Research Awareness Needs) project was initiated in 2012, with support from the European Commission, to improve public knowledge about the importance of independent, multinational, clinical trials in Europe. METHODS: Participants in the ECRAN consortium included clinicians and methodologists directly involved in clinical trials; researchers working in partnership with the public and patients; representatives of patients; and experts in science communication. We searched for, and evaluated, relevant existing materials and developed additional materials and tools, making them freely available under a Creative Commons licence. RESULTS: The principal communication materials developed were: 1. A website ( http://ecranproject.eu ) in six languages, including a Media centre section to help journalists to disseminate information about the ECRAN project 2. An animated film about clinical trials, dubbed in the 23 official languages of the European Community, and an interactive tutorial 3. An inventory of resources, available in 23 languages, searchable by topic, author, and media type 4. Two educational games for young people, developed in six languages 5. Testing Treatments interactive in a dozen languages, including five official European Community languages 6. An interactive tutorial slide presentation testing viewers' knowledge about clinical trials CONCLUSIONS: Over a 2-year project, our multidisciplinary and multinational consortium was able to produce, and make freely available in many languages, new materials to promote public knowledge about the importance of independent and international clinical trials. Sustained funding for the ECRAN information platform could help to promote successful recruitment to independent clinical trials supported through the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network

Caring for People With Dementia: Mapping the Experience and Journey From Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Family care partners of people with dementia are not typically the focus of health care and aged care providers. They experience unmet needs, missed opportunities for support, and barriers to wellbeing that impact the dyad. This longitudinal study aimed to understand the experience of care partners, mapping their journey as they navigate health care and aged care systems as well as other supports. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifteen family care partners participated in this longitudinal, qualitative study. For 6 months they recorded details (provider, date, purpose, outcome, and satisfaction rating) of interactions with health and aged care services. Monthly semistructured interviews reviewed experiences, prompted by logbooks. Thematic analysis identified factors that influenced care partners' experiences and mapped the typical journey. RESULTS: Data indicated that participants' needs fluctuated, with 3 key time points of heightened need: dementia diagnosis, in-home care, and transition into residential care. Thematic analysis identified 3 corresponding themes of carer need and risk: "psychological support/distress," "social connection/social isolation," and "knowledge/disempowerment." DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings suggest a critical role of time in dementia care journeys, impacting the support that care partners need from health care and aged care systems. The potentially foreseeable, time-based nature of unmet needs suggests that education and training of practitioners can highlight the needs of carers for knowledge, support, and connection, and the importance of prioritizing them differentially according to the stages of the carer journey

Receptor Activation and Inositol Lipid Hydrolysis in Neural Tissues

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66228/1/j.1471-4159.1987.tb05618.x.pd

Wide angle diffusers with passive boundary-layer control

AbstractExperiments were made on a two-dimensional low speed diffuser with passive control. The passive control consisted of porous surfaces made of holes/slots connected by a breather passage. Passive control postpones the stall and reduces buffet levels in the diffuser. This test confirms that passive controls to prevent flow separation are not restricted to transonic speeds.</jats:p