Hepatitis C virus glycoprotein E2 contains 18 conserved cysteines predicted to form nine disulfide pairs. In this study, a comprehensive cysteine-alanine mutagenesis scan of all 18 cysteine residues was performed in E1E2-pseudotyped retroviruses (HCVpp) and recombinant E2 receptor-binding domain (E2 residues 384 to 661 [E2(661)]). All 18 cysteine residues were absolutely required for HCVpp entr...

This paper aims to propose a social protection system that "decommodifies" labour and fulfills the properties of a Social Protection Floor satisfying revenue-neutrality. To this end, firstly, a Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme is explored. Secondly, the UBI is transformed into a Negative Income Tax (NIT) scheme, providing universal protection instead of universal benefits. Finally, the NIT i...

Unemployment is at a low and stable level in Denmark. This achievement is often attributed to the so-called flexicurity model combining flexible hiring and firing rules for employers with income security for employees. Whatever virtues this model may have, a low and stable unemployment rate is not automatically among them since the basic flexicurity properties were also in place during the 1970...

Should We Extend the Role of Private Social Expenditure? Some people make great claims about the advantages to be gained from greater reliance on the private sector for the provision of social protection. Many of the claims for great macroeconomic advantages do not stand up to scrutiny. However, there is some reason to hope that private provision might promote microeconomic efficiency and servi...

Human Galectin-8 (Gal-8) is a member of the galectin family which shares an affinity for β-galactosides. The tandem-repeat Gal-8 consists of a N- and a C-terminal carbohydrate recognition domain (N- and C-CRD) joined by a linker peptide of various length. Despite their structural similarity both CRDs recognize different oligosaccharides. While the molecular requirements of the N-CRD for high bi...

The recent reform of the federal welfare system was meant to encourage recipients to leave welfare and enter the workforce. If the reform is successful there are likely to be effects felt throughout the low–skilled end of the labor market. As former welfare recipients enter the labor market, they may exert downward pressure on wages or displace employment of others already in the labor market. ...

To assess the impact of tax-bene…t policy changes on income distribution over time, we suggest a methodology based on counterfactual simulations. We start by decomposing changes in inequality/poverty indices into three contributions: reforms of the tax-bene…t structure (rules, rates, etc.), changes in nominal levels of market incomes and tax-bene…t parameters (bene…t amounts, tax bands, etc.), ...

n Address correspondence to: Roberto Cañete Villafranca, Council of Scientific Societies of Health and Parasitology, University of Medical Sciences and Centre of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Microbiology, Calle Milanes Esquina a Buena Vista, Matanzas, Matanzas 40100 Cuba. To the Editor: Parasites are widely distributed throughout the world and represent an important cause of morbidity and mortali...

Despite extensive public health efforts, there are presently 200 to 400 million malaria infections and 1 to 2 million deaths each year due to the Plasmodium parasite. A prime target for malaria vaccine development is the circumsporozoite (CS) protein, which is expressed on the extracellular sporozoite and the intracellular hepatic stages of the parasite. Previous studies in rodent malaria model...