Inequality, poverty, and material deprivation in new and old members of the European Union

Aim

To analyze the main indicators of income inequality, objective and subjective poverty, material deprivation, and the role of public social transfers in the reduction of poverty in 15 old and 10 new member states of the European Union (EU), undergoing post-communist socio-economic transition, as well as in Croatia, a candidate EU country.

Method

Objective poverty rates, poverty reduction rates, poverty thresholds in purchasing power standards (PPS), total social expenditure, inequality indicators, and risks of poverty according to demographics were calculated using the data from the Eurostat databases (in particular, Household Budget Survey). For Croatia, Central Bureau of Statistics first releases on poverty indicators were used, as well as database of the Ministry of Finance (social expenditure). Subjective poverty rates and non-monetary deprivation index were calculated using the European Quality of Life Survey, which was carried out in 2003 in EU countries and in 2006 in Croatia.

Results

According to the indicators of income inequality and objective poverty, there was a divide among old EU member states (EU15), with UK, Ireland and South European countries having higher and Continental and Nordic countries lower indicators of inequality and poverty. Among new member states (NMS10), Baltic countries and Poland had the highest and Slovenia and the Czech Republic the lowest indicators of inequality and poverty. In all EU15 countries, except Greece, subjective poverty rates were lower than objective ones, whereas in all NMS10 countries the levels of subjective poverty were much higher than those of objective poverty. With some exceptions, NMS10 countries had low or even decreasing social expenditures. The share of respondents who were deprived of more than 50% of items was 6 times higher in the NMS10 than in the EU15 countries. When standard of living was measured by income inequality, relative poverty rates, poverty reduction rates, total social protection expenditures, and non-monetary deprivation, only Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, out of the NMS10, were in the upper half of the distribution, while Croatia had a medium position among NMS10 states.

Conclusion

Our analysis demonstrated that poverty in countries undergoing post-socialist socioeconomic transition is widespread and could seriously limit human development. Continual research and monitoring of different aspects of poverty is needed for setting appropriate policies across the EU to effectively combat poverty and social exclusion and to promote convergence process.Poverty exists in all societies, but its magnitude and depth are very different in different countries. There is also a lack of agreement on the scope of poverty within society, which is influenced by the fact that poverty itself is an ambiguous and controversial notion. Poverty is a “social construct” (1,2) and may be defined in an absolute or relative sense. The absolute poverty is commonly defined as the lack of material or financial resources necessary for survival or meeting basic needs, while the relative poverty implies exclusion from a way of life deemed to be minimally decent or acceptable in a society in which someone lives (3-7). Also, we should differentiate between objective and subjective approaches in measuring poverty. The objective poverty approach refers to objective aspects of one’s well-being, most often measured in terms of available resources, such as income and consumption (8). Subjective poverty is the result of people’s views, perceptions, or feelings about their situation or well-being. As many politicians have argued that absolute poverty has been eliminated in affluent western countries, it is not surprising that the European Union (EU) and Eurostat (Statistical Office of the EU) embraced the concept of relative poverty. Relative poverty is closely connected with the issue of income inequalities. As a matter of fact, relative poverty is a consequence of the distribution of income.There are many different indicators of poverty. Most research studies on poverty provide information about a poverty profile (9), which allows an insight into the scope of poverty, groups exposed to the risk of poverty, and the dynamics of poverty during a certain period of time. In most developed EU countries poverty has been studied for more than a century. In contrast to this, poverty research in Croatia and former communist countries, many of them now EU member states, started much later, in the 1980s. The first national research on poverty in Croatia was carried out only in the late 1990s (10,11).The scope of poverty is correlated with the level of economic prosperity in a society, but it does not depend only on the level of national wealth. Research studies have shown that tax and public social transfer systems have influenced considerably the reduction of poverty and inequality (12,13). Thus, countries with higher social protection expenditures have, as a rule, lower poverty rates and less severe inequalities (14,15).Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon. Being poor is not only associated with lack of resources, but also with unsatisfied housing conditions, poor education, or ill-health. However, the connection between poverty and health is complex in terms of causal relationships. However, our analysis was restricted only to poverty and inequality indicators.This paper aims to analyze main indicators of income inequalities, objective and subjective poverty rates, the composition of the poor, material deprivation, social protection expenditures, and the role of public social transfers in combating poverty in EU countries and Croatia. We aimed to identify the dynamics of poverty and inequality in the 5-year period after 2000 and identify country groups with similar characteristics with regard to the above-mentioned dimensions. In identifying country groups, our aim was also to assess the position of Croatia and new EU member states with regard to the theory of welfare states model, which on the one hand still heavily influences the research on welfare state changes in Western European countries, but on the other hand demonstrates the inability to fully capture all different welfare trends (16-18). In addition, the history and particular post-communist experience, coupled with large differences among different countries, have shown that it is necessary to analyze new emerging social-policy strategies, and not simply to extend Western welfare state models to the new EU member states (19).     

阿克拉霉素A聚氰基丙烯酸异丁酯毫微粒冻干针剂体内外抗肝癌活性

阿克拉霉素A聚氰基丙烯酸异丁酯毫微粒的冻干针剂,能明显抑制体外培养人肝癌细胞株7703的生长,IC50为0.28μg·ml^-1。在0.8μg·ml^-1浓度时,克隆形成抑制率为90%,抑制作用有明显剂量依赖关系而未见明显时间依赖关系。静脉给药后,对常位移植人肝癌模型裸小鼠的抑瘤率为86.84%,肿瘤细胞增殖活性阳性率为20.83%。体内外均显示明显的抗肝癌活性,且体内抗肝癌活性比阿克拉霉素A冻干针剂强。     

Detection of the hemoglobin E mutation using the color complementation assay: application to complex genotyping

The color complementation assay (CCA) is a method of allele-specific DNA amplification by which competitive priming and extension of fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide primers determine the color of DNA amplification product. This diagnostic method precludes the need for radioisotopes, electrophoresis, and multiple high-stringency reaction conditions. The multiplicity of mutant globin genes present in Southeast Asians complicates clinical diagnosis and underscores the importance of DNA-based diagnostic methods. We have applied CCA to distinguish beta A and beta E alleles. Competing 15mer primers were a fluorescein-labeled complement to beta A and a rhodamine-labeled complement to beta E, identical except for their central nucleotides. A common unlabeled primer was used to amplify DNA product, the color of which was determined by the perfectly complementary primer. Color photography and spectrofluorometry, as well as a method of black-white photography that we developed to distinguish fluorescein- and rhodamine- labeled DNA, were used to record results. We applied CCA to define the complex genotype of a Thai woman with thalassemia intermedia, 96% HbE, and 4% HbF whose possible genotypes included several permutations of alpha-thalassemia, beta-thalassemia, and beta E genes. zeta-Globin gene mapping of DNA doubly digested with Bg/II and Asp 718 showed the -alpha 3.7/--SEA genotype, and CCA confirmed homozygous beta E/beta E. The CCA is useful for diagnosing the compound hemoglobin genotypes of Southeast Asians and could be applied also to prenatal diagnosis in this population.     

Restorative role of persimmon leaf (Diospyros kaki) to gamma irradiation-induced oxidative stress and tissue injury in rats

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of persimmon leaf extract (PL (as a rich plant source) in modulation of radiation-induced liver injury and some metabolic variations in gamma-irradiated rats.

Materials and methods: PL at a dose of 1000?mg/kg body weight (P₁₀₀₀) was administered to male albino rats via gastric intubation for 15 days after whole body γ-irradiation (6?Gy).

Results: Irradiated rats showed significant decreases in hepatic glutathione content (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) activities with significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) level and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity designating oxidative stress. In parallel significant increases in serum aspartate and alanine transaminase (AST, ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) activities and bilirubin content were recorded indicating liver injury. In addition, hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia and dyslipidemia (elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and Atherogenic Index and decreased high density lipoprotein-cholesterol) were recorded. PL treatment has significantly attenuated radiation-induced oxidative stress in hepatic tissues concomitant with significant amelioration of liver function and metabolic disturbances.

Conclusion: It is concluded that PL may have therapeutic potential to alleviate the severity of radiation-induced liver injury, hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia and dyslipidemia.     

Kinematic alignment is a possible alternative to mechanical alignment in total knee arthroplasty

Purpose

A systematic review was conducted to answer the following questions: (1) Does kinematically aligned (KA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) achieve clinical outcomes comparable to those of mechanically aligned (MA) TKA? (2) How do the limb, knee, and component alignments differ between KA and MA TKA? (3) How is joint line orientation angle (JLOA) changed from the native knee in KA TKA compared to that in MA TKA?

Methods

Nine full-text articles in English that reported the clinical and radiological outcomes of KA TKA were included. Five studies had a control group of patients who underwent MA TKA. Data on patient demographics, clinical scores, and radiological results were extracted. There were two level I, one level II, three level III, and three level IV studies. Six of the nine studies used patient-specific instrumentation, one study used computer navigation, and two studies used manual instrumentation.

Results

The clinical outcomes of KA TKA were comparable or superior to those of MA TKA with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Limb and knee alignment in KA TKA was similar to those in MA TKA, and component alignment showed slightly more varus in the tibial component and slightly more valgus in the femoral component. The JLOA in KA TKA was relatively parallel to the floor compared to that in the native knee and not oblique (medial side up and lateral side down) compared to that in MA TKA. The implant survivorship and complication rate of the KA TKA were similar to those of the MA TKA.

Conclusion

Similar or better clinical outcomes were produced by using a KA TKA at early-term follow-up and the component alignment differed from that of MA TKA. KA TKA seemed to restore function without catastrophic failure regardless of the alignment category up to midterm follow-up. The JLOA in KA TKA was relatively parallel to the floor similar to the native knee compared to that in MA TKA. The present review of nine published studies suggests that relatively new kinematic alignment is an acceptable and alternative alignment to mechanical alignment, which is better understood. Further validation of these findings requires more randomized clinical trials with longer follow-up.

Level of evidence

Level II.

     

Terminal differentiation surface antigens of myelomonocytic cells are expressed in human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL60) treated with chemical inducers

The expression of two surface antigens present on the cell membrane of both human granulocytes and monocytes was studied during the process of myelomonocytic differentiation using two monoclonal antibodies (B9.8.1 and B13.4.1). These surface antigens are not present on immature myeloid cells nor on nonmyeloid hematopoietic cells, but can be detected when the cells are terminally differentiated. Among the bone marrow cells, B13.4.1 binds to metamyelocytes and B9.8.1 to metamyelocytes and a fraction (30%) of myelocytes. HL60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells did not react with such monoclonal antibodies. However, when such cells were induced to differentiate in vitro into mature myeloid elements by treatment with retinoic acid or dimethyl sulfoxide, 70%--90% of the differentiated cells expressed both surface antigens. Cell sorting studies on these treated HL60 cells indicated that myelocytes and metamyelocytes were the most immature cells expressing such markers. Expression of the two surface antigens was also observed when HL60 cells were induced to differentiate into monocyte/macrophage cells by treatment with the tumor promoter 12-O- tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate. Thus, human promyelocytic leukemia cells induced to differentiate in vitro by treatment with specific chemical agents express membrane antigens in the same pattern as normal bone marrow myeloid cells at the corresponding stage of differentiation.     

Effect of menstrual cycle phase on dopamine D2 receptor availability in female cynomolgus monkeys

Sex differences have been reported in a variety of affective and neurodegenerative disorders that involve dysfunctional dopamine (DA) neurotransmission. In addition, there is evidence for differences in sensitivity to the abuse-related effects of psychostimulants across the menstrual cycle which may result from effects of ovarian hormones on DA function. The goal of the present study was to extend previous work examining menstrual cycle-related changes in DA D2 receptor availability in humans to drug-naive female cynomolgus monkeys (n=7) using the selective D2-like receptor ligand [(18)F]fluoroclebopride (FCP) and a high-resolution microPET P4 scanner. Menstrual cycle phase was characterized by daily vaginal swabs and measurements of serum progesterone levels. PET studies were conducted once during the luteal phase and once during the follicular phase. Regions of interest in the caudate nucleus, putamen, and cerebellum were defined on coregistered MRIs. Distribution volumes were calculated for FCP in each structure and the distribution volume ratio (DVR) for both brain regions relative to the cerebellum was used as a measure of D2 receptor availability. FCP DVRs were significantly higher in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase in both the caudate nucleus (11.7% difference, p=0.02) and putamen (11.6% difference, p=0.03). These findings extend earlier work in humans and suggest that changes in DA receptor availability may be involved in the variation in symptoms of various neuropsychiatric disorders across the menstrual cycle, including differences in sensitivity to the abuse-related effects of stimulants.     

The Impact of Diabetes on Patient Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty in an Asian Population

Background

Diabetes is implicated with poorer outcomes and more complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We aim to determine whether diabetes affects infection risk, functional outcomes, patient-reported outcome measures, and patient satisfaction in Asian patients after TKA.

Image-directed percutaneous biopsies with a biopsy gun

Core tissue for histologic study is believed by many pathologists to be more diagnostic than material from needle aspiration. Recently, a biopsy "gun" has been introduced, which simplifies core biopsies. With this device, 182 biopsies of multiple anatomic sites were performed with ultrasonic, computed tomographic, and fluoroscopic guidance and 18-gauge needles. High-quality histopathologic specimens were obtained in 177 of the biopsies, and diagnostic target tissue was obtained in 167. Only three significant complications occurred: one bleeding complication that required transfusion and two cases of pneumothorax that necessitated placement of chest tubes. The biopsy gun eliminated the disjointed movements of conventional "skinny" needle biopsies, and none of the samples demonstrated significant "crush" artifact or obscuring blood, problems that are commonly associated with manual biopsy techniques. Patient discomfort was decreased with this system compared with that of manual biopsies, and the total procedure time was reduced. Because of these distinct advantages, the authors now use the biopsy gun exclusively for all percutaneous biopsies and recommend that other institutions consider the use of this biopsy method.