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A molecular switch for repairing central nervous system disorders
by Susan Buckles, Mayo Clinic
Myelin sheath. Credit: Wikipedia.
A molecular switch has the ability to turn on a substance in animals that repairs neurological damage in disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Mayo Clinic researchers discovered. The early research in animal models could advance an already approved Food and Drug Administration therapy and also could lead to new strategies for treating diseases of the central nervous system.
Research by Isobel Scarisbrick, Ph.D., published in the Journal of Neuroscience finds that by genetically switching off a receptor activated by blood proteins, named Protease Activated Receptor 1 (PAR1), the body switches on regeneration of myelin, a fatty substance that coats and protects nerves.
"Myelin regeneration holds tremendous potential to improve function. We showed when we block the PAR1 receptor, neurological healing is much better and happens more quickly. In many cases, the nervous system does have a good capacity for innate repair," says Dr. Scarisbrick, principal investigator and senior author. "This sets the stage for development of new clinically relevant myelin regeneration strategies."
Myelin, Thrombin and the Nervous System
Myelin acts like a wire insulator that protects electrical signals sent through the nervous system. Demyelination, or injury to the myelin, slows electrical signals between brain cells, resulting in loss of sensory and motor function. Sometimes the damage is permanent. Demyelination is found in disorders such as MS, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, schizophrenia and spinal cord injury.
Thrombin is a protein in blood that aids in healing. However, too much thrombin triggers the PAR1 receptor found on the surface of cells, and this blocks myelin production. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells capable of myelin regeneration are often found at sites of myelin injury, including demyelinating injuries in multiple sclerosis.
"These oligodendroglia fail to differentiate into mature myelin regenerating cells for reasons that remain poorly understood," says Dr. Scarisbrick. "Our research identifies PAR1 as a molecular switch of myelin regeneration. In this study, we demonstrate that blocking the function of the PAR1, also referred to as the thrombin receptor, promotes myelin regeneration in two unique experimental models of demyelinating disease."
The research focused on two mouse models. One was an acute model of myelin injury and the other studied chronic demyelination, each modeling unique features of myelin loss present in MS, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. Researchers genetically blocked PAR1 to block the action of excess thrombin.
The research not only discovered a new molecular switch that turns on myelin regeneration, but also discovered a new interaction between the PAR1 receptor and a very powerful growth system called brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). BDNF is like a fertilizer for brain cells that keeps them healthy, functioning and growing.
Significantly, the researchers found that a current Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that inhibits the PAR1 receptor also showed ability to improve myelin production in cells tested in the laboratory.
"It is important to say that we have not and are not advocating that patients take this inhibitor at this time," says Dr. Scarisbrick. "We have not used the drug in animals yet, and it is not ready to put in patients for the purpose of myelin repair. Using cell culture systems, we are showing that this has the potential to improve myelin regeneration."
Additional research is needed to verify and advance the findings toward clinical practice.
First step to induce self-repair in the central nervous system
More information: Hyesook Yoon et al. Blocking the Thrombin Receptor Promotes Repair of Demyelinated Lesions in the Adult Brain, The Journal of Neuroscience (2020). DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2029-19.2019
Journal information: Journal of Neuroscience
Provided by Mayo Clinic
Citation: A molecular switch for repairing central nervous system disorders (2020, January 10) retrieved 22 January 2020 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-01-molecular-central-nervous-disorders.html
Astrocytes regulate signal speeds of neurons
Discovery reveals prolific ability of Schwann cells to generate myelin
Multiple sclerosis – helping cells to help themselves
What prevents remyelination? New stem cell research reveals a critical culprit
New drug target for remyelination in MS is identified
New roles found for Huntington's disease protein
Glutamate in the brain has unexpected qualities, researchers show with a new analysis method
Treatment for depression must also restore proper functioning of the blood-brain barrier


There is one summary for H.R.5525. Bill summaries are authored by CRS.
Political Intelligence Transparency Act of 2014 - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA) to require the disclosure of political intelligence activities, particularly relating to information useful for analyzing securities or commodities markets.
Requires political intelligence consultants or their employing organizations to register with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and make quarterly reports on political intelligence activities.
Requires any person or entity that makes an oral or written political intelligence contact with a covered legislative branch or executive branch official on the official's request to: (1) state whether such person or entity is registered under the LDA, (2) identify the client on behalf of whom the contact is made, and (3) state whether such client is a foreign entity, and make any related disclosures.
Amends the federal criminal code to subject to a fine or imprisonment, or both, certain former officers, employees, and elected officials of the executive and legislative branches who knowingly make any communication to or appearance before any officer or employee of a federal or District of Columbia agency or court in violation of certain permanent or temporary restrictions, and with the intent to gain information for use in analyzing securities or commodities markets, or in informing investment decisions in these markets.
Excludes from such prohibition any communication made by a representative of a media organization to gather and disseminate news and information to the public.


Our industry leading window reveals provided the perfect answer to Hull Royal Infirmary as a bespoke solution to enhance their ongoing refurbishment.
They provide a solution that can be installed relatively quickly but also cater for all the various window configurations found in large buildings. Ward down time is a key factor in Hospital refurbishment, we spent a great deal of effort to come up with a system that we felt would greatly lessen any disturbance to the general running of the Hospital. Seamless window boards wrapped in Kydex® not only look good but also provide a hard wearing anti-bacterial finish.
Visitors from America and New Zealand will shortly be flying in to see how one of their products has gone from aeroplane fixture to hospital fixture.
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust will welcome representatives from Kydex LLC, a global manufacturer of thermoplastic sheeting, to show how their product is being used in the Emergency Department to create a durable and welcoming environment for patients.
Kydex® is perhaps best known as the product out of which aeroplane seats and overhead lockers are made, but this versatile material can be used for a range of purposes and hospital bosses have not been afraid to push the boundaries.
Trust Director of Estates and Development, Duncan Taylor, led the ED refurbishment scheme and will be amongst those welcoming the global visitors tomorrow.
"Our Emergency Departments are very busy places, so during the refurbishment it was important for us to choose fixtures and fittings which are strong, durable and resistant to damage. Given it's the material of choice for aeroplane interiors, which also go through a lot of wear and tear, Kydex® seemed the perfect solution for this.
"We do try to use local companies and suppliers wherever possible, and so we were thrilled to find Leisure Technique on our doorstep, in Brough, supplying and manufacturing the product. Since then, we've worked with Leisure Technique to create all sorts of fittings for the ED in Kydex®, from seats to signage and partitions to pictures.
Leisure Technique is one of only a handful of companies in the UK which are licensed to supply and manufacture using Kydex®.
"Leisure Technique prides itself on being a problem solving company and we push the boundaries to supply a long lasting, durable and quality product.
"The Hull Royal Infirmary project has certainly given Leisure Technique the chance to show how versatile and inventive the Kydex® material can be. A wide range of products were provided from nurse stations to attractive bespoke partitions and unique wall protection solutions.
And when they do finally wear out, the Kydex® fittings can simply be recycled to create new products.


Why do we pray, "in Jesus' name"?
The phrase gets tacked onto the end of many prayers, but I think it has about as much meaning to us as "amen." Amen does not mean, "That's it . . . I'm done now," the little period at the end of my prayer. Amen (ah-mane) is an ancient Hebrew word that was transliterated (kept virtually intact) into New Testament Greek. It is a pronouncement, firm and authoritative: "Yes! So be it! Let this be done!" Amen is a declaration; in that sense, it is like a command. Or it once was; now it has the emotional force of "talk to you later" at the end of a phone call.
"In Jesus' name" is even more of a command—far, far more declarative and final, like the drop of a judge's gavel. We are using the authority of the ruler of all galaxies and realms to enforce the power of what we have just prayed. We have been exploring the way things work in effective prayer; as we look deeper into the spiritual realm, we discover that the whole thing runs on authority. It is the secret to the kingdom of God, and one of the essential secrets to prayer that works.
Remember—there is a way things work.


As the new semester begins, I quickly can feel a panic surge over me. Homework, deadlines, exams, and quizzes, and that doesn't even scratch the surface of working during the semester and extra-curricular activities. Yet, despite this restless panic, I also feel an electrifying excitement for life as I set my intentions and goals for the New Year and spring semester.
I intend to keep myself intellectually stimulated, not just try to make good grades.
I intend to allow myself to be creative and take the time out of my busy week to paint.
I intend to stay active. Whether this be yoga, a dance class, or a hike, I intend to take care of my health this semester.
I intend to start taking steps in creating the opportunity of travel. I intend to do this by saving money this semester and look into studying abroad.
I intend to live every day in every single situation as my most authentic self, flaws and all.
I intend to give myself permission to be flawed, make mistakes, and forgive myself and grow from them.
I intend to dream further than I have ever before, and free myself of all mental limitations and social pressures.
I intend to focus on the spirit of generosity.
I intend on taking every and any opportunity to dance. Weddings, concerts, or just a quick jam sesh with my headphones on, you name it, I will be dancing.
I intend on spending less time on my phone and using that time to read and expand my mind and understanding of the world.


text:
Q: Django-Haystack: How to limit search within entries that have a specific value for a given field? Say I have a model Person for which there is a PersonIndex class in search_indexes.py that makes all fields of it searchable. How can I make a search within only those entries where say the has_title field is True?
I tried the following, but it just searches among all entries, not just the ones where has_title is True:
srch = request.GET.get('search', "")
sqs = SearchQuerySet().filter(has_title=True)
clean_query = sqs.query.clean(srch)
results = sqs.raw_search(clean_query)

I am using Whoosh 2.4.1, Django-haystack 1.2.7 and Django 1.4.

A: Use filter(content=clean_query) instead of raw_search(clean_query). See here for more details.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Alzheimer's research conducted out of the Cambridge Department of Chemistry has potentially isolated a cause for what triggers the neurological disease in humans. The neurodegenerative condition is believed to be caused by abnormal proteins which develop "misfolded" causing the death of neurons in the brain leading to dementia and other neurological conditions. The discovery of these proteins has the potential to allow doctors to diagnose the condition at a much earlier state than currently is possible, which could lead to early treatment to slow or stop the disease from spreading. In addition to Alzheimer's, it is believed that the same types of proteins are the cause of Parkinson's.
Professor Christopher Dobson from Cambridge University published an article about this discovery in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" and has been investigating the causes of these deformed protein molecules for over 15 years along with his colleagues. Dementia and Alzheimer's have both become more prevalent in recent generations as human life expectancy gradually increases, thus leading to a greater chance of "genetic malfunctions" in humans.
Alzheimer's disease and dementia are considered to be one of the most costly (in terms of healthcare costs) in the UK trumping that of both heart disease and cancer combined. At the moment there are no treatment options available for patients to influence the disease, however the discovery of this molecular trigger is considered to be the first step to developing a drug to suppress the spread of the proteins associated with neuron cell death.
How is Alzheimer's disease triggered?
In cellular biology, protein molecules are synthesized from ribosomes (cellular assembly lines) which then get joined together to form amino acids that encodes DNA to send messages throughout the body. During this process protein molecules are typically generated in long strands then folded and compressed to generate the amino acids. It is during this process that deformities can occur in the protein molecules which creates abnormal structures called amyloid fibrils. These amyloid fibrils tend to clump together and become protein deposits which was once thought what caused the disease to set in patients with Alzheimers.
The recent discoveries have shown that these amyloid fibrils cause a chain reaction which compounds exponentially creating new areas of focus in a process called "nucleation". These areas of focus begin creating new tendrils which contain less protein molecules which is what is believed to cause the "toxic oligomers" that kill neurons causing neurological disease such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinsons. With the death of neurons in the patient's brain memory loss sets in causing symptoms of dementia.
Although the process of treatment is one which is still expected to be many years in the working, chemists and biologists are working together to map out the framework of how this process occurs in order to discover a biomolecular solution to treat disease caused by toxic oligomers. Using this research it could become possible in the near future to figure out a way to turn off this process of toxic agent generation preventing neurological disease like dementia from setting in.


Write a 5 – 6 page paper on the following topic. Papers should meet all requirements outlined in the course syllabus, and should be submitted via hard copy and Turnitin on Blackboard.
What does Lewis mean by this, and what is his argument for the claim? What are the implications of his view for criminal justice institutions and officials within those institutions? Does his argument show what it intends to show, and what conclusions should we draw from his points?
Otherwise asked, critically assess Lewis's view, as developed in the above mentioned article.


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Scott Sio has endorsed Stephen Larkham's credentials as Test coach, after the Brumbies coach officially announced a move to become a full-time Wallabies assistant.
The front rower has played much of his career under Larkham at the Brumbies and said he could see him make the transition to Test coach.
Larkham last week announced a three-year deal with the Wallabies, in which he will focus solely on his national duties after the 2017 Super Rugby season, stepping aside from his from a Club where he won two Super Rugby titles, and was 127 times.
The move sparked more speculation that the former Wallabies flyhalf would be next in line for the job, earmarked as Michael Cheika's successor.
Sio said Larkham's shift into the head role at the Brumbies showed his potential as a national coach.
"I think he'd be great, he could definitely step up in the head coach role, though obviously Cheik's our guy now," he said.
"He stepped into that in the brumbies after Jake [White} left and Laurie [Fisher] moved on, we've had some success there.
Sio said the announcement was a good one for everyone and he backed Larkham to give his full attention to the Brumbies in his final season.
"It's the right decision for himself and his family, I'm all for that," he said.
Sio is heading on his first Spring Tour, kicking off with Saturday's clash against Wales, looking to finish his year on a high.
"I'm really looking forward to the atmospheres, playing at all the home countries in their respective stadiums," he said.


Pilates is a form of exercise that rebalances and strengthens the muscles, creates space in the joints and promotes healthy movement. The positions are not held but the body is taught to move through all its planes of motion with ease and control. It is enormously effective for rehabilitation from injury and for general body-conditioning for everyone from the first time exerciser to the athlete.
I am a Level 3 Advanced Instructor (UK National Standard) having trained with the Body Control Pilates Association where I also gained a REPs level 3 certificate. The BCPA is renowned as a world leading education provider for pilates teaching. I have been teaching for fourteen years and have had access to detailed scientific and biomechanical research.
The BCPA courses are ratified by the Qualification Curriculum Authority (QCA) and overseen by Skills Active and the Register of Exercise Professionals.


Fill out the form for Lunch and we will reach out to you!
We recommend that you make a lunch reservation in advance. If you prefer to call the restaurant our number is (203) 655-9453. We also welcome walk-ins, and will do our best to accommodate you for lunch on a first-come, first-served basis as our reservations permit.
* To make reservations once lunch has started please call the restaurant directly.


If you're going to be performing gymnastics for whatever reason and at any skill level Decathlon can help get you started. Decathlon has gymnastics clothes in a range of sizes all designed to be flexible and comfortable for all intensities. We also offer the accessories you might need including batons and hoops or ribbons. Make sure you're prepared for your next session with the gymnastics range from Decathlon.


Visual flow indicators with window and external return "W" are flow indicators for the visual control of liquids in industrial processes and for the external mechanical detection of very dirty liquids. They are produced in different materials, with a free-flow mobile blade pointer. The connections can be threaded axial or flanged. Maximal thermal endurance with sealing NBR is up to 100 °C, with teflon sealing up to 250 °C. Flowmeters can be mounted on the horizontal pipe only. On request, flowmeters can be produced for PN16, PN25, PN40.
Maximal thermal endurance: 250 °C.
Maximal working pressure: 10 bar, PN16, PN25, PN40.


Description: The washroom is located on the ground level. Enter the building go straight as if you go to the small office. The washroom is on the left before the office. Pretty quiet 2 open urinals and 1 stall. Just be careful for the people who work in the building.


After a couple of days off, induced by my icy fall, I took this nice and steady on a still sore back and leg. We had fun! Duke met some lovely doggy friends and it was nice to let him play off lead with them. Now to attack the day!


Lack of understanding about how taxes work often leads physicians to be paranoid about them. So they rush into "investments" like cash-value life insurance (whole life, universal life, variable life etc) or variable annuities in order to protect themselves from those awful taxes. But the truth of the matter is that accounts like that cost you so much that the costs outweigh the tax benefits. Most doctors would be far better using a good old taxable account. Now, nobody actually calls it a "taxable account", and you can see why. Who would want a taxable account? But that's what any brokerage or mutual fund account is that isn't in some type of retirement plan. It is "fully taxable." But what does that mean? It turns out there are a lot of advantages of a taxable account, including tax advantages. They definitely should not be ruled out as a good way to invest for retirement and other expenses, especially once you've maxed out IRAs, 401Ks etc for the year.
You can get at the money anytime you choose and spend it on anything you want, with no restrictions. You don't have to wait until you're 59 1/2, you don't have to spend it only on education, and you don't have to borrow from it to access the funds. If you change your mind about saving it, and decide you just want to blow it on a boat, you can!
You can buy stock/ETFs at many brokerages for basically no commission. If you go directly to a mutual fund company, particularly a low-cost one like Vanguard, you can buy their lowest expense index funds. Your investment expenses could be as low as 0.07% of your stash, or $7 for every $10,000 invested. That's pretty darn cheap. Remember, in investing, you get what you DON'T pay for.
You probably shouldn't but if you wanted to you can get a "margin" account, which allows you to use leverage to magnify the upswings (and, unfortunately, the downswings) of your investments.
When your investments pay you qualified dividends (most stock and stock mutual fund dividends), you get to pay taxes on it at a lower rate than usual. In fact, if you are in a federal tax bracket lower than the 25% bracket (think resident or military doctor) your tax rate on dividends is 0%. Can't beat that with a stick. For the rest of us, the rate is 15%. Far better than the 28-35% bracket most of us are in.
When you sell an investment that has appreciated in value, you have to pay taxes on the increase in value. But if you held the investment for at least a year, you get a reduced tax rate on them. Again, if you are in the 10% or 15% bracket, your rate is 0%. If in the 25-35% brackets, your rate is 15%. Of course, if you sell in less time than a year, you have a short-term capital gain, which is taxed at your regular tax rate.
At a mutual fund company such as Vanguard, you can buy investments that are naturally tax-efficient such as tax-managed funds and index, especially total market index, stock funds. These funds pay out relatively low amounts of capital gains and dividends each year, instead of using those funds to increase the value of your shares-which you don't pay taxes on until you sell. Stocks that don't pay dividends are also extremely tax-efficient. Microsoft, for instance, didn't pay out dividends for years. Warren Buffett's company, Berkshire-Hathaway, also doesn't pay a dividend. So you don't pay taxes until you sell. You can defer your taxes until you are in lower brackets in retirement. That sounds a bit like an IRA. Of course, an IRA gives you a tax break up front (which a taxable account obviously doesn't.) However, the IRA also makes you pay taxes at your regular income tax rates, rather than the lower capital gains rates when you cash out. You can also buy "munis" or bonds issued by municipal governments. The interest on these bonds isn't taxed by the federal government or by the state they are issued in. These bonds generally pay a lower rate of interest than regular bonds, but if you're in a high tax bracket, the after-tax rate is usually higher for the municipal bonds. Even bonds issued by the US treasury offer a tax break when held in a taxable account-you don't have to pay state taxes on their interest.
This concept takes a bit to wrap your head around the first time you hear of it. But if you persist, it will be worth your while. We already mentioned how Uncle Sam will tax you if you make money investing. But Sam is also generous, in that he will share in your investment losses, at least within a taxable account. If you LOSE money on an investment, you can deduct your losses on your taxes. Each year you can deduct up to $3000 of your investment losses from your regular income. If you're in the 33% bracket or so like most docs, that's an extra $1000 in your pocket. Sure, you lost $3000 to get $1000, but at least you get something, right? Now, here's the fun part. Nobody likes to sell a good investment just because it is down. With tax-loss harvesting, you exchange one investment in which you have a loss, for another which is similar, but not identical. For instance, if you took a loss on Fidelity's Spartan Total Stock Market Index Fund, you could immediately exchange the money into Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index Fund. These two investments essentially behave identically, but the government views them as substantially different, allowing you to stay in the market and yet still "harvest" the loss. So you didn't sell low, and you still get the tax deduction. Each year you can use capital losses to cancel out all your capital gains, plus $3000 of regular income. If you can't use all your losses in one year, you can roll them over to the next until you use them all up. Just be careful to avoid violating the wash sale rule, which says that if you buy a stock (or fund) again within 30 days of selling it that you don't get to deduct the loss.
Stocks and stock mutual funds in a taxable account are awesome estate planning tools. Here's how it works. You buy a stock when you are young. You hold onto it your whole life and it appreciates and appreciates in value. If you sold it the day before you died, you would pay a huge capital gains tax. If your heirs sell it the day after you die, no taxes are owed. Pretty cool trick, huh? Their basis, or as far as the IRS is concerned, the amount they "bought it" for, is reset on the day of your death. So even if you bought it at $10 a share, if it is $500 a share the day you die, that's what the IRS thinks your heirs bought it for.
This is another cool trick, especially if you regularly give to charity. When you give an investment directly to a charity (most large charities are set up to do this), three interesting tax benefits show up. First, you don't have to pay taxes on the gains. Second, neither does the charity. And third, you get to deduct the entire gift on your taxes. So instead of increasing your taxes, your taxes actually went down. It is far better for you to give appreciated stock to a charity than cash. So, if you're really slick, you buy investments in a taxable account, and if the value goes down you tax loss harvest it. Then, when the value goes back up, you give it to charity. You were planning to give the money anyway, so no loss there, but you get to donate not only the loss but also the entire value of the donation. This allows you to either keep more money or give more money to charity. Who says Uncle Sam never does anything nice?
If you hold an investment in a foreign country, such as an international stock fund, the fund has to pay taxes to the foreign country on some of its gains. You can deduct these taxes on YOUR taxes, but only if you hold the investment in a taxable account. If you hold it in a 401K or IRA you're just out the money used to pay those taxes.


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The Pros and Cons of Delaying Breast Reconstruction Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ryan McDonald
There are advantages and disadvantages to delaying elective reconstructive breast surgery, according to one expert.
The development and spread of the novel coronavirus has forced all elective medical procedures to take a backseat to care that is deemed essential — or lifesaving – to keep people from contracting COVID-19.
One of those procedures, reconstructive surgery following breast cancer, has all but come to a screeching halt.
In an interview with CURE®, Dr. Jonathan Bank, a board-certified plastic surgeon at New York Breast Reconstruction and Aesthetic (NYBRA) Plastic Surgery, discussed the pros and cons of delaying breast reconstruction surgery for an unknown period due to COVID-19.
"In terms of the reconstruction, there are pros and cons to doing reconstruction in different time sets," Bank, who specializes in breast reconstruction after cancer, said. "For instance, in the case of mastectomy or a bilateral mastectomy there are many benefits to performing an immediate reconstruction."
The advantages of an immediate reconstruction, according to Bank, include preserving the natural skin envelope, the skin remains soft and has its natural shape.
"Psychologically, there's huge advantage in performing an immediate reconstruction," he said. "Now, that's not to say delayed reconstruction is not an option. It's absolutely an option. But you're starting off with a slight disadvantage."
Although there are advantages to having reconstructive surgery immediately, there are also benefits to waiting and spacing out surgeries in patients who may have already started the reconstruction process before the spread of COVID-19.
"That includes the tissue that was operated on, the skin, the fat underneath the skin, everything goes through a healing sequence that just takes time to calm down," he said. "Actually, the longer you wait the better off you are in terms of the palette that you are now working on. If you operate too soon, things may still be swollen, they may not be as supple and easily managed surgically."
Bank assures patients not to worry about having to push off those follow-up reconstructive surgeries. The tissue expanders that may have been originally placed can stay in the body for years, he said.
"It's not the most comfortable thing in the world, it definitely throws a wrench in life planning, but again in a risk-benefit balance, there is no problem to wait just to be safe," Bank concluded.
CURE TV | Breast Cancer
Communication is Key When Navigating Cancer and a Marriage
Adding Copiktra to Standard of Care Chemotherapy Combination in CLL Could Improve Outcomes, But Not Without Toxicities

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Prof Uses Media To Help Explain Macroeconomics
Simon Fraser University economist Peter Kennedy turned to journalism for help when he decided to write a radically different kind of textbook which would explain the mysteries of macroeconomics to new students.
Kennedy rejected the traditional encyclopaedic approach of algebraic derivations, graphical analysis, technical detail and intimidating complexity.
Instead, he started with a handful of key macroeconomic principles - ranging from the discouraged/encouraged worker phenomenon to the relationship between money supply growth and inflation. After explaining these concepts concisely and simply, Kennedy drives home their real-world linkage by presenting more than 500 newspaper quotes and posing related questions.
Macroeconomic Essentials for Media Interpretation (The MIT Press, $25 U.S.) first rolled off the presses only four months ago, but it's already gone to reprint.
Kennedy says he was motivated to re-invent the standard macroeconomics text because of his dissatisfaction with their obsession with theoretical detail and lack of practical application.
"This new textbook will help instructors produce, at the end of the day, students able to relate what they are learning in economic principles to the real world," he explains.
With a host of one and two-sentence newspaper excerpts triggering analysis, the book grabs the attention of students and forces them to explore key macroeconomic concepts in a practical way, according to Kennedy.
A sample newspaper quote: "Pretty sluggish job growth during the rest of the year is likely to keep the unemployment rate stagnant, particularly as the recent increase in employment will probably encourage more people to join the labor force." Kennedy follows this with questions probing why the employment increase might encourage more people to join the labor force, how the unemployment rate will be affected and what economists call this phenomenon.
Kennedy says his book is aimed at students who don't plan to specialize in economics and have no need for chapter and verse on esoteric theorizing and graphs. Business students, for example, really only need to understand basic macroeconomics in a way which will help them do their jobs and make money.
"To force theoretical details on these students is to miss what might be the one and only opportunity we have to impress on them the principles they'll need to know in the business world," he argues.
Most professional economists view business and economics journalists as having "second-class" credentials, according to Kennedy. He disagrees: "On the whole I'm very impressed with the quality of reporting and the way that quality has improved as journalists have moved along with new ways of thinking in economics."
Taking the complexity out of learning economics is something that Kennedy has always emphasized in his academic life. His 1978 book, A Guide to Econometrics, is now into a fourth edition and has become something of an "underground classic" over the years for students entering graduate programs in economics.
As with his newest book, Kennedy was determined to strip away needless complexity with his econometrics text. At first, instructors were uniformly unimpressed, but students thought otherwise and the word soon spread.
The result has been phenomenal and, now almost 20 years later, his econometrics books sells close to 3,000 copies annually in a very limited market. Regardless of where he goes in the world, the book and its author are known.
Recently, Kennedy met a young economist working for the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank. After confirming that, indeed, he was the same Peter Kennedy who wrote "the" book, she told him that America's central banking authority annually gives each of its 100 newly hired apprentices a selection of key job-related books, one of which is Kennedy's A Guide to Econometrics.
Related Economics Articles from Brightsurf:
A century of misunderstanding of a key tool in the economics of natural resources
In the past few weeks, oil prices have fallen to record lows.
What comes after COVID-19? Special issue in the journal Population and Economics
At this alarming time, when the COVID-19 pandemic is on everyone's mind, a new special issue in the open-access peer-reviewed journal Population and Economics provides a platform for discussion on the impact of the pandemic on the population and economics, both in Russia and worldwide.
Challenges for Russia's agriculture: new special issue in Russian Journal of Economics
While Russia seems to have tackled its historic problem: food shortage -- with the agri-food sector becoming one of the most steadily developing of the national economy in the last decade -- there is a new set of challenges.
Brief entrance test can predict academic success within first year of study in economics
German researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin found that even a short test can reliably predict students' success within their first year of study in economics -- much better than an intelligence test or predictions based on school grades.
The case for economics -- by the numbers
In recent years, criticism has been levelled at economics for being insular and unconcerned about real-world problems.
Scientists develop open-source software to analyze economics of biofuels, bioproducts
Perennial grasses can be converted into everything from ethanol to bioplastics, but it's unclear which bioproducts hold the greatest potential.
Life data economics: calling for new models to assess the value of human data
After the collapse of the blockchain bubble a number of research organisations are developing platforms to enable individual ownership of life data and establish the data valuation and pricing models.
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Each gift to the Annual Fund is important, regardless of the size of the gift. Badin relies on alumni, faculy/staff, parents and friends to give as we work to fund the tuition gap and continue to offer the best Catholic high school experience in the region.
Gifts of $500 and above are members of the Rams Rally Leadership Council. These funds provide much needed tuition grants to our students. Members of the Leadership Council are invited to meet grant recipients at the annual Scholarship Breakfast. Gifts in all other levels are pooled to fund Badin's greatest need. All donors are recognized.
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Increasing the alumni participation in the Badin Annual Fund is the most impactful way to help Badin students now and in the future!
The size of your gift doesn't matter as much as your participation! Your gift will be pooled with other gifts to make a substantial impact.
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Alumni Relations Director Kim Graham can help you coordinate this method of raising funds for the Annual Fund. Reunion years are often the best times to begin a class challenge.


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The Netherlands' Budget Day 2020: the impact of the Dutch 2021 Tax Package on international businesses
The Netherlands' Budget Day 2020: the impact of the Dutch 2021 Tax Pa
In this Tax Alert we will summarize three recent tax developments that are relevant for international business with presence in the Netherlands.
First, on Budget Day, Tuesday 15 September 2020 (Prinsjesdag), the Dutch Ministry of Finance published the 2021 Tax Package (Belastingpakket). The Tax Package consists of a set of legislative proposals amending the national tax laws for the upcoming years as well as the announcement of its legislative agenda for the coming months. Second, separate from the Tax Package, the government sent a legislative proposal to the Dutch parliament limiting the deduction of so-called liquidation losses and permanent establishment losses. Third, the government sent its response to the recent report of the advisory committee on taxation of multinationals in The Netherlands (the "Committee Report", see our Short Read of 18 April 2020) and a letter setting out its views on a new corporate income tax ("CIT") group regime (replacing the current fiscal unity regime) to the Dutch parliament.
1. Tax Package
Corporate income tax rate
For 2021, the standard CIT rate will remain 25%. This means that the reduction of the CIT rate for 2021 to 21.7% that was included in the 2020 Tax Plan (see our Tax Alert of 18 September 2019) will be reversed. However, the CIT rate for the first bracket of profits will still be reduced from 16.5% to 15%. Additionally, it is proposed to expand the first bracket (that is thus taxed at 15%) from EUR 200,000 to EUR 245,000 for 2021 and to EUR 395,000 for 2022.
Conditional withholding tax on interest and royalties
As part of the 2020 Tax Plan, effective 1 January 2021 a conditional withholding tax on interest and royalties to low tax countries and in certain abusive situations will be introduced (see our Tax Alert of 18 September 2019). Please note that as a result of the increase of the standard CIT rate also the rate for this conditional withholding tax will increase to 25%.
COVID-19-reserve
It is proposed to allow corporate income taxpayers to form a COVID-19-reserve in fiscal year 2019, reducing the 2019 taxable profit, for COVID-19 related losses that they expect to incur in 2020. To add expected 2020-losses to a COVID-19-reserve in fiscal year 2019, certain conditions must be met. For example, the amount of the reserve may not exceed (i) the amount of the profits of 2019 (prior to the formation of such reserve) and (ii) the amount of the overall loss in 2020 (i.e. a taxpayer is not allowed to form a COVID-19-reserve if it expects Corona losses but still would make overall taxable profits in 2020). The COVID-19-reserve must be fully released in the year following in which the reserve was formed.
Dutch BV made a taxable profit of EUR 600,000 in fiscal year 2019. Dutch BV expects to incur a loss of EUR 400,000 due to COVID-19 in 2020. Dutch BV's expected overall losses for 2020 amount to EUR 500,000. Dutch BV can therefore form a COVID-19-reserve of EUR 400,000 in fiscal year 2019. By forming such reserve, Dutch BV's taxable profit for fiscal year 2019 is reduced from EUR 600,000 to EUR 200,000. The COVID-19 reserve must be fully released in 2020. Therefore, if Dutch BV indeed incurs an overall loss of EUR 500,000 in 2020, its tax loss is reduced to EUR 100,000 by the release of the COVID-19-reserve.
Taxpayers whose book year is not equal to the calendar year may form the COVID-19-reserve in the last book year that ends in the period of 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2020 (provided that all conditions are met).
Interaction between hybrid mismatch rules and interest deduction limitation rules
The CIT Act currently contains detailed rules on the interaction between the interest deduction limitation rules introduced as a result of ATAD 1 (including earnings stripping rules, see our Tax Alerts of 20 September 2018, 16 October 2018 and 16 November 2018) and as a result of ATAD 2 (the hybrid mismatch rules, see our Tax Alerts of 1 March 2017 and 9 July 2019).
As a general rule interest that is disallowed under the hybrid mismatch rules cannot again be disallowed under the earnings stripping rules but interest that is not affected by the hybrid mismatch rules can be disallowed under the earnings stripping rules.
During the Parliamentary debate on the hybrid mismatches rules it already became clear that application of these "interaction rules" can turn out to be complex, in particular if under the hybrid mismatch rules deductions are not allowed in a particular year but are allowed in a subsequent year (i.e. timing differences as a result of the "dual inclusion income" rule).
A number of very technical amendments are now being proposed to these "interaction rules" both in relation to the earnings stripping rules and the rules on minimum capital requirements for banks and insurance companies (see further below). As a result of these amendments interest deductions which in the end are not affected by the hybrid mismatch rules will be disallowed under the earnings stripping rules.
Amendment of Dutch anti-base erosion rules
The Dutch anti-base erosion rules included in article 10a CIT Act are proposed to be amended as per 1 January 2021. This proposed amendment will limit the possibility (sanctioned by the Supreme Court) that negative interest and currency exchange gains on qualifying base eroding loans can be off set against positive interest and currency exchange losses on such qualifying base eroding loans.
Increase of effective tax rate innovation box regime
To stimulate innovation, corporate taxpayers may, under certain conditions, opt to apply the innovation box regime, which, via a tax base reduction, effectively results in a lower effective tax rate on income generated by innovations developed under the innovation box. As announced on Budget Day 2019 (see our Tax Alert of 18 September 2019), the effective tax rate for profits derived from self-developed intangible assets is proposed to be increased from 7% to 9% as per 1 January 2021.
Amendment minimum capital requirement for banks and insurers and temporary increase bank levy
The minimum capital requirement was introduced as an interest deduction limitation rule for banks and insurers as per 1 January 2020 (see our Tax Alert of 18 September 2019). In short, interest deductions are limited when the loan capital (vreemd vermogen) exceeds 92% of the total assets. In other words, banks and insurers are required to have a minimum level of equity capital of 8% in place to stay out of the scope of this interest deduction limitation rule.
Additional tier 1 capital ("AT1-capital") is currently considered equity capital for purposes of the minimum capital requirement. A specific statutory rule allowing deduction of payments on AT1-capital was abolished as per 1 January 2019. On 15 May 2020, the Dutch Supreme Court, however, ruled that AT1-capital should be considered debt for Dutch corporate income tax purposes. Accordingly, payments made on AT1-capital are (in principle) deductible for Dutch corporate income tax purposes.
In response to this Supreme Court decision, the 2021 Tax Plan proposes not to take AT1-capital into account as equity capital for the application of the minimum capital requirement and to increase the minimum capital requirement from 8% to 9% as per 1 January 2021. Further, in an attempt to mitigate the incidental budgetary loss over the years 2019 and 2020 due to the Supreme Court decision, it is proposed to temporarily increase the bank levy in 2021 (the current 0.044% rate is proposed to be increased to 0.066% and the current 0.022% rate is proposed to be increased to 0.033%). It is envisaged for 2022 that the bank levy rates will be reduced back to their current rates.
Legislative agenda for the coming months
The Dutch government already announced the following two measures that will be added to the above-mentioned legislative proposals, later in the parliamentary debate:
Introduction of Job Related Investment Credit ("JRIC", Baangerelateerde Investeringskorting)
Under the JRIC, taxpayers will be allowed to deduct a percentage of investments made from the wage tax that they collect as wage tax withholding agent. The measure intends to provide relief to employers and is of a temporary nature (i.e. to mitigate the financial effects of the COVID19 pandemic for employers). It is noted that, at the level of the employees, wage withholding tax is credited against personal income taxation. This is not affected by the proposed measure.
Limitation of tax loss carry forwards
In response to the Committee Report (see further under 3 below) as per 1 January 2022 tax loss carry-forwards will be limited to 50% of the taxable income exceeding EUR 1 million for that year. At the same time the current six year tax loss carry forward period is abolished so that tax losses can be carried forward indefinitely (but limited to 50% of the taxable income in a financial year).
Furthermore, the Dutch government announced that legislative proposals will be sent to the Dutch parliament in the coming months in relation to the following subjects:
Amendment of the at arm's length principal (abolishment of informal capital doctrine)
Under the current (Dutch interpretation of the) at arm's length principle, at arm's length expenses are in principle deductible, regardless of whether the corresponding income is recognized and/or taxed at the level of the recipient (the so-called informal capital doctrine). In response to the Committee Report (see further under 3), a legislative proposal will be sent to parliament in the Spring of 2021 that will deny the deduction of at arm's length expenses, to the extent that the corresponding income is not taxed at the level of the recipient. The legislative proposal is intended to enter into force as per 1 January 2022. In response to the Committee Report, the Dutch government also considered that international mismatches also occur via a different income allocation (on the basis of the at arm's length principle) to a PE by the resident state and source state, respectively. However, given the extra complexity of income allocation to PE's, the Dutch government currently does not see a need to unilaterally introduce measures in this respect.
Alignment of Dutch CIT Act with the European Court of Justice ("ECJ") Case Sofina (C-575/17)
As a consequence of the ruling of the ECJ in the Sofina case (C-575/17) of 22 November 2018, the rules included in the Dutch CITA for crediting dividend withholding tax and gambling tax against corporate income tax will be amended. The current rules allow Dutch taxpayers that are in tax loss position (and accordingly cannot credit dividend withholding tax or gambling tax) effectively to obtain a refund of dividend withholding tax or gambling tax. Such refund at present is not available to non- Dutch taxpayers that are in a loss position. In light of the Sofina case, Dutch companies in a loss position will no longer be able to obtain a refund. Instead, the tax withheld will be carried forward and can be credited against corporate income tax due in future financial years. The legislative proposal is intended to enter into force as per 1 January 2022. To avoid any breach of EU-law in the intermediate period (prior to the entry into force of the legislative proposal) further administrative guidance will be issued shortly.
Finally, the government announced the investigation of a budget neutral introduction of a deduction on equity, accompanied by the tightening of the Dutch earnings stripping rules in order to achieve a more balanced tax treatment of capital (equity) and debt. No concrete legislative proposals have been announced in this respect.
Amendments work-related cost rules Payroll tax
Several amendments to the work-related cost rules (werkkostenregeling) are proposed. This includes the codification of the approval previously included in the Decree Emergency Measures COVID-19 that increases the budget that can be used for tax-free reimbursements and provisions of work-related cost to employees (vrije ruimte) for 2020. For background, as per 1 January 2020 the tax-free budget was, in short, calculated as follows: 1.7% over the first EUR 400,000 of taxable wages of a company plus 1.2% over the total taxable wages of that company in excess thereof. The Decree Emergency Measures COVID-19 approved that for 2020 the tax-free budget may be calculated as follows: 3% over the first EUR 400,000 of taxable wages of a company plus 1.2% over the total taxable wages of that company in excess thereof. The 2021 Tax Plan proposes to codify this temporary increase of tax-free budget. In addition, it is proposed to limit the tax-free budget as per 1 January 2021 again by lowering the 1.2% over the total taxable wages of the company in excess of EUR 400,000 to 1.18%.
Legislative proposal introducing a CO2 levy for industry
In pursuance of the Paris Climate Agreement, a CO2 levy for industrial production and waste incarceration is proposed to be introduced as per 1 January 2021. The proposal is largely in line with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme ("ETS") - the existing system for pricing of CO2 at EU level – and will be introduced alongside EU ETS. The statutory rate, in short, is proposed to amount to EUR 30 per ton of CO2 in 2021. It is envisaged that the rate will increase on a straight-line basis with EUR 10.56 per year through 2030, causing the rate to amount to EUR 125 per ton of CO2 in 2030. The rate development will however be subject to recalibrations. The levy that should be paid per ton of CO2 is however not the statutory rate, but the rate minus the EU ETS price in that year, unless the EU ETS price is higher than the CO2 rate in that year; in that case a nil tax return should be filed. Further, part of the CO2 emissions are exempt in the form of dispensation rights. These exemptions will decrease on a straight-line basis through 2030.
Increase and diversification of of real property transfer tax rates
Currently real property transfer tax ("RPTT") is levied at a reduced rate of 2% upon the acquisition of residential properties and a general rate of 6% for all other real property.
In the 2020 Tax Plan it was already announced that as per 1 January 2021 the general tax rate will be increased to 7% (see our Tax Alert of 17 September 2020). It is now proposed (effective 1 January 2021) to further increase the general tax rate to 8%, to introduce a (temporary) RPTT exemption for "starters", i.e. persons in the age of 18 to 35 buying their first primary residence and to apply the reduced 2% rate to all other individuals buying a primary residence. All other acquisitions of real property (whether residential or not) will be subject to 8% RPTT. These amendments are particularly relevant for real estate investors and individuals buying a vacation home.
It is also proposed to amend a special rule which is aimed at avoiding double payment of RPTT if real property is transferred multiple times within a six month period. Instead of applying a reduced tax base (often resulting in a full or nearly full RPTT exemption), only a credit for earlier paid RPTT will be allowed. This change is particularly relevant in case the 2% rate applied to the first transfer whereas the 8% rate applies to the subsequent transfer.
Decrease of the landlord levy
Currently, landlords renting out more than 50 residential properties in the "regulated" sector (sociale huur) are subject to the "landlord levy". This levy amounts to a small percentage of the value of the residential properties, which value is determined on annual basis by the municipality where the residential property is situated (subject to a certain maximum value and threshold). As part of a broader package to temporarily reduce rents for tenants who have financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, it is proposed to reduce the tax rate from 0.562% to 0.526% effective 1 January 2021.
2. Legislative proposal to limit liquidation losses and permanent establishment losses
Under the current rules, a shareholder that holds at least 5% of the shares in a Dutch company is allowed to deduct a so-called liquidation loss, upon the completion of the dissolution of such company. This liquidation loss broadly equals the total capital invested in that company by the shareholder minus any liquidation proceeds received. Similar rules exist upon the dissolution of a permanent establishment ("PE").
During a recent parliamentary debate several Dutch based multinationals acknowledged that as a result of these rules they have not been paying Dutch corporate income tax over an extended period of time. This led several Dutch members of parliament to draft a legislative proposal to limit the deduction of liquidation losses and permanent establishment losses. The Dutch government now issued a legislative proposal largely in line with the earlier (draft) proposal. The legislative proposal essentially limits the deduction of liquidation losses and PE losses if such losses exceed a threshold of EUR 5 million.
The legislative proposal includes the following additional requirements (i.e. on top of the existing requirements) that should be met to be able to deduct liquidation losses exceeding the threshold of EUR 5 million:
Quantitative requirement
Territorial requirement
Temporal requirement
Ad 1 Quantitative requirement
The shareholder/taxpayer must have decisive control to influence the decision making of the company that is liquidated. Usually this criterion should be met if the shareholder has at least 50% of the statutory voting rights in the company.
Ad 2 Territorial requirement
The company that is liquidated must be a resident of another EU member state, the European Economic Area or a state with whom the EU has concluded an association treaty that includes a provision similar to article 49 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. According to the explanatory memorandum, currently only the association treaty with Turkey includes such provision. Liquidation losses of companies located in other states no longer qualify.
Ad 3 Temporal requirement
Whether a liquidation loss may be claimed should be determined directly prior to the completion of the liquidation of the company. At that moment, the quantitative and territorial requirement must be met during a five-year look-back period. The purpose of this requirement is to avoid an easy access to the liquidation loss regime through a restructuring shortly before the completion of the liquidation of a company.
Several, rather complex, anti-abuse rules are included in the legislative proposal to avoid circumvention of said three requirements using intermediary holding companies.
Dissolution of a PE
With respect to the dissolution of PE's, similar to the liquidation loss regime above, a territorial and temporal requirement are proposed. Due to the nature of a PE, a quantitative requirement is not applicable. A loss resulting from the dissolution of a PE, in excess of the EUR 5 m threshold remains deductible if it relates to the following two types of investments:
a portfolio investment in real estate located in a third state.
a portfolio investment as a participant in an enterprise located in a third state.
Entry into force and transitional rules
The legislative proposal is expected to enter into force for financial years starting on or after 1 January 2021. Transitional rules are included for the liquidation loss regime, most importantly in relation to the temporal requirement (but not in relation to the qualitative and territorial requirement). A liquidation loss may still be claimed under the transitional rules if the activities have ceased before 1 January 2021 or a decision to do so has been taken before 1 January 2021, whilst the liquidation is completed ultimately on 31 December 2023. Taxpayers can request advance certainty regarding the application of the liquidation loss regime and the PE-loss regime.
3. The Dutch government's response to the Committee Report and its views on a new group regime
The Committee Report
As discussed in our Short Read of 18 April 2020, the Committee Report provided several unilateral recommendations to achieve that profit making Dutch multinationals would in fact also pay corporate income tax. To accomplish that goal the committee proposed amongst others to limit the annual utilization of tax carry forward losses and to end the so-called informal capital doctrine, which proposals were made part of the legislative agenda for the coming months (see under 1 above). The committee also made other recommendations such as to: (i) limit the deductibility of shareholder costs, (ii) investigate a limitation of the deductibility of royalty payments and (iii) limit the deductibility of interest, shareholder costs and/ or royalty payments together to a maximum percentage of the taxable profits. These recommendations are not yet included in the legislative agenda, as according to the Dutch government, further investigation is required as to the nature and size thereof.
In addition, the Committee Report also proposed certain (other) unilateral measures to eliminate international mismatches by way of:
making the CFC-regime more effective; and
limit the tax depreciation of assets transferred to Dutch group entities to the extent that the depreciation relates to not-realized gains hidden in the asset that were not taxed sufficiently.
The Dutch government currently also does not see a reason to introduce the above unilateral measures proposed in the Committee Report.
According to its response, the Dutch government favors public country-by-country reporting and will commit itself in an international context to make arrangements to achieve that goal. The government also acknowledges the importance of gaining insight in the commercial figures of companies in order to understand the effective tax rate that companies report.
In relation to the application of the Dutch participation exemption by Dutch intermediary holding companies with no/low substance, the response states that currently it is being investigated whether as per 2022 legislation can be introduced to enable the exchange of information with other jurisdictions. Such information exchange currently is already in place for no/low substance Dutch resident conduit companies (whose main activity consists of receiving/paying interest and royalties). No additional substance requirements are currently being considered.
A new Dutch CIT group regime
On 22 February 2018, the ECJ effectively allowed taxpayers to cherry pick benefits from the Dutch CIT fiscal unity regime (see our Tax Alert of 22 February 2018 and our Tax Alert of 24 April 2018), which ruling was later followed by the Dutch Supreme Court.
In order to mitigate the budgetary impact of these rulings, emergency legislative repair measures (spoedmaatregelen) were introduced with retroactive effect until 1 January 2018 (see our Tax Alert of 11 June 2018). When the proposal for the emergency legislative repair measures was published, the Dutch government already announced that over time the Dutch CIT fiscal unity regime would be replaced by a new Dutch CIT group regime. In this respect, a public consultation document was published by the Dutch State Secretary of Finance on 17 June 2019 that included four alternatives for such new Dutch CIT group regime on which interest parties were invited to comment.
In the letter that was sent to Dutch Parliament on Budget Day, the government, inter alia, summarizes the comments received on the public consultation document, further discusses the four alternatives for the new Dutch CIT group regime that were already included in the public consultation document, provides broad outlines of a possible new Dutch CIT group regime and describes next steps.
From the letter it might be inferred that the Dutch government favours two alternatives that were included in the public consultation document:
continuation of the current Dutch CIT fiscal unity regime, as amended by the emergency legislative repair measures and, if required, additional repair measures; or
implementation of a new group relief, group contribution or income pooling regime which will not be based on full consolidation of profits and capital of the members of the Dutch CIT group (as opposed to the current Dutch CIT fiscal unity regime).
However, the other alternatives are not yet definitely set aside and no final decision on the design of the new Dutch CIT group regime has been made. The Dutch Government leaves the submission of a legislative proposal for a new Dutch CIT group regime, and thus a decision on the design of the new Dutch CIT group regime, to the next Dutch government (which will be formed after the Parliamentary elections of 17 March 2021).
The above proposals need to be approved by the Dutch Parliament in order to enter into force. The proposals may be subject to change throughout the legislative procedure. Please consider that the potential impact and implication of the proposals should be assessed carefully on a case-by-case basis.
Maarten de Bruin
Partner Amsterdam
E. maarten.debruin@stibbe.com maarten.debruin stibbe.com E-mail me
Maarten de Bruin Partner Amsterdam
Reinout de Boer Partner Amsterdam
Michael Molenaars Partner Amsterdam
Jeroen Smits Partner Amsterdam
Charlotte Tolman Associate New York
Mieke Lavreysen Junior Associate Amsterdam
Thijs van Vliet Junior Associate Amsterdam
Stibbe Luxembourg tax team writes on the taxation of cross-border workers
Articles - Johan Leonard and Roberto de Castro Mendonça authored the article titled "Taxation of Luxembourg cross-border workforce during the pandemic". The article is featured in the latest issue of the professional periodical "ACE".
Team: Johan Léonard, Roberto de Castro Mendonça
Luxembourg tax measures on non-cooperative jurisdictions: EU blacklist updated
Articles - On 6 October 2020, the European Union list of non-cooperative jurisdictions (the "EU List") was updated. The changes have an impact on bill of law nº 7547, providing that, as from 1 January 2021, interest or royalties, accrued or paid, should no longer be deductible for tax purposes when the beneficiary is a related enterprise established in a country included in the EU List.
Team: Johan Léonard, Roberto de Castro Mendonça, Christophe Martin-Raynaud
21.12.2020 EU law
Johan Léonard was interviewed by Paperjam Tax & Legal on the application of DAC6
Articles - Stibbe's Luxembourg tax partner Johan Léonard was amongst the few experts selected by Luxembourg's leading business publication Paperjam to discuss the implications of the DAC6 Directive in Luxembourg and throughout Europe.
Johan Léonard Partner Luxembourg
Tax Alert: Public consultation additional source taxation on dividends to low tax jurisdictions
Short Reads - On 25 September 2020, the under minister of Finance released a draft legislative proposal open for public consultation until 23 October 2020. The draft legislative proposal includes a source taxation on profit distributions by Dutch companies to shareholders in low tax jurisdictions. It is proposed to enter into force as per 1 January 2024.
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Stibbe hosts a webinar on dawn raids organised by IBJ/IJE
Seminar - On 24 September 2020, several Stibbe lawyers explain the rights and obligations of companies when confronted with announced or unannounced raids. What do to when, for example, tax authorities, the competition authorities, police services or a bailiff are at your doorstep?
Team: Wim Panis, Henk Verstraete, Hans Van Bavel, Ignace Vernimme, Philippe Campolini, Peter Wytinck, Charlotte Conings


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Q: Post On Facebook Page As Page Not As Admin User Using Facebook C# SDK I'm developing C# application which manages fan page on Facebook which uses Facebook C# SDK. I've encountered two problems one is connected with posting messages on wall and the other concerns creating events on fan page.
Is it possible to post a message on fan page wall as a fan page not a admin user ?
Can I programmatically create event on fan page (not as admin but as a fan page) using Facebook C# SDK ?
I went through some other tutorials of others SDKs such as Facebook PHP SDK. PHP SDK allows to create event as a fan page, but in case of C# SDK the creating event doesn't give any results.

A: Ok, I just ran into this exact same thing. For my purposes, I'm authorizing an application to post to a FB fan page as the fan page. So I can have multiple users that have access to the application, but not access to the Fan Page, posting as the Fan Page. It works for my requirements.
Anyhow, here is how I did it using the C# Facebook SDK Beta V5.0.9.
First Step, make sure the user account you are attempting to post with has the ability to post to the fan page and is authorized to do so from an app.
The majority of this is similar to VorTechS post, just a bit more clarification on it.
Dictionary<string,string> fbParams = new Dictionary<string,string>();
                fbParams["message"] = Title;
                fbParams["caption"] = string.Empty;
                fbParams["description"] = string.Empty;
                fbParams["req_perms"] = "publish_stream";
                fbParams["scope"] = "publish_stream";
                //Initialize Your Facebook Client in the manner that suits you, I did it by supplying a saved access token from a single users
                FacebookWebClient fbClient = new FacebookWebClient(<YOUR_ACCOUNT_ACCESS_TOKEN>);
                //Get the listing of accounts associated with the user
                dynamic fbAccounts = fbClient.Get("/me/accounts");

                //Loop over the accounts looking for the ID that matches your destination ID (Fan Page ID)
                foreach (dynamic account in fbAccounts.data) {
                    if (account.id == <DESTINATION_ID_OF_YOUR_FAN_PAGE>) {
                        //When you find it, grab the associated access token and put it in the Dictionary to pass in the FB Post, then break out.
                        fbParams["access_token"] = account.access_token;
                        break;
                    }
                }
                //Then pass your destination ID and target along with FB Post info. You're Done.
                dynamic publishedResponse = fbClient.Post("/" + <DESTINATION_ID_OF_YOUR_FAN_PAGE> + "/feed", fbParams);

A: For posting a message, you need to grant the manages_pages permission, and obtain an access token from the accounts for the Fan Page by using the results of "/me/accounts".
Here's what I use for posting a message itself to a Fan Page:
                            var dicParams = new Dictionary<string, object>();
                        dicParams["message"] = stSmContentTitle;
                        dicParams["caption"] = string.Empty;
                        dicParams["description"] = string.Empty;
                        dicParams["name"] = smContent.CmeUrl;
                        dicParams["req_perms"] = "publish_stream";
                        dicParams["scope"] = "publish_stream";

                        // Get the access token of the posting user if we need to
                        if (destinationID != this.FacebookAccount.UserAccountId)
                        {
                            dicParams["access_token"] = this.getPostingUserAuthToken(destinationID);
                        }
                        publishResponse = this.FacebookConnection.Post("/" + destinationID + "/feed", dicParams);

A: I want to thank you for your post, it was really helpful. For me, it was still posting on my Facebook page as ME (not as page). I think it is just the way i get the token. Although, the foreach loop was not working for me. So, I did this:
public void postFacebook(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //You will get your "myAccessToken" at this adress:
    //https://www.facebook.com/dialog/oauth?client_id=<YOUR_APP_ID>&redirect_uri=<THE_PAGE_YOU_WILL_RECEIVE_YOUR_TOKEN_AT>&scope=offline_access,manage_pages,publish_stream&response_type=token
    string myAccessToken = "<IN_THE_RETURNED_URL_BELOW>";
    string myPageId = "<YOUR_FAN_PAGE_ID>";

    Dictionary<string,string> fbParams = new Dictionary<string,string>();
    fbParams["message"] = "Testing 1 2 test";
    fbParams["caption"] = string.Empty;
    fbParams["description"] = string.Empty;
    fbParams["req_perms"] = "publish_stream";
    fbParams["scope"] = "publish_stream";
    //Initialize Your Facebook Client in the manner that suits you, I did it by supplying a saved access token from a single users
    Facebook.FacebookAPI fbClient = new Facebook.FacebookAPI(myAccessToken);
    //Get the listing of accounts associated with the user
    var fbAccounts = fbClient.Get("/me/accounts");

    //Loop over the accounts looking for the ID that matches your destination ID (Fan Page ID)
    foreach (var account in fbAccounts.Dictionary["data"].Array)
    {
        if (account.Dictionary["id"].String == myPageId)
        {
            //When you find it, grab the associated access token and put it in the Dictionary to pass in the FB Post, then break out.
            fbParams["access_token"] = account.Dictionary["access_token"].String;

            //Update the Access token (to post as the page). If you don't it will post as YOUR personal name.
            fbClient.AccessToken = fbParams["access_token"];
            break;
        }
    }

    //Then pass your destination ID and target along with FB Post info. You're Done.
    dynamic publishedResponse = fbClient.Post("/" + myPageId + "/feed", fbParams);
}

By the way, you will need this sdk: SDK

A: in MVC4 and C# SDK, this got my goal
  [FacebookAuthorize("publish_stream")]
    public ActionResult PostNotification(FacebookContext context)
    {
        var dicParams = new Dictionary<string, object>();
        dicParams["message"] = "đang tập code cho facebook ~@@";
        dicParams["caption"] = "bbbbb";
        dicParams["description"] = "cccccc";
        dicParams["name"] = "http://www.facebook.com";
        dicParams["req_perms"] = "publish_stream";
        dicParams["scope"] = "publish_stream";
        string destinationID = context.UserId;
        context.Client.Post("/" + destinationID + "/feed", dicParams);
        return RedirectToAction("Index");
    }


Wau Microbank, commonly known as the grassroots bank, has embarked on a major expansion programme that will see it become a national bank within the next five years.
Kick-starting the ambitious plan yesterday, the bank changed its name to Nationwide Microbank Limited and opened its seventh branch, in Port Moresby.
The bank plans to operate 20 branches throughout Papua New Guinea by 2010 and have a client base of more than one million customers by 2013.
The paper, Post Courier says it also plans to list on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange within the next two years.


text:
Q: why glutPostRedisplay has a delay I'm new to openGL.I wonder why in function Mutate GetPixelDifference() is always called before glutPostRedisplay().And how can I fix it.
import sys
import time
from OpenGL.GL import *
from OpenGL.GLU import *
from OpenGL.GLUT import *

def GetPixelDifference():
    print("calculate")

def Draw():
    print("draw")
    glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT)
    glBlendFunc(GL_SRC_ALPHA, GL_ONE_MINUS_SRC_ALPHA)
    glEnable(GL_BLEND)
    glColor4f(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.4)
    glPolygonMode(GL_FRONT, GL_FILL)
    glBegin(GL_POLYGON)
    glVertex2f(1,1)
    glVertex2f(-1,1)
    glVertex2f(0,0)
    glEnd()
    glFlush()
    GetPixelDifference()

def Mutate():
    print("mutate")
    glutPostRedisplay()
    #time.sleep(5)
    print("=======")
    print("=wrong=")
    print("=======")
    GetPixelDifference()

glutInit()
glutInitDisplayMode(GLUT_SINGLE | GLUT_RGBA)
glutInitWindowSize(300, 300)
glutCreateWindow(b"My clock")
glutDisplayFunc(Draw)
print("main")
glutIdleFunc(Mutate)
glutMainLoop()

'''
And this is what i get

main
draw
calculate
mutate
=======
=wrong=
=======
calculate
draw
calculate
draw
'''

calculate is called before draw.But I want call calculate when drawing is finished,cause this calculate is for all the pixels.

A: glutPostRedisplay merely sets a flag, that in the next iteration of the event loop as the final operation the display callback shall be called. I.e. it doesn't take immediate action.
This is the documented behavior, see: https://www.opengl.org/documentation/specs/glut/spec3/node20.html


text:
Entertainment | Gavin's Frog Log
Gavin's Frog Log
By Gavin Trotmore Entertainment Column March 20
Hello, readers of the frog log! I hope the weeks since the last log have been soaked and saturated with lots of frog-related frenzies. Although the support has been wonderful throughout the lifespan of this column, from tadpole to now, there have been zero submissions of frog anecdotes and chronicles! Send your stories to [email protected] if you feel so inclined. Anywho, in honor of Women's History Month, we will be honoring a truly amazing female frog scientist.
Sandra Owusu-Gyamfi is a conservationist from Ghana who was also the country's first female herpetologist. She now is the associate executive director, advocacy campaigns director, and program coordinator of the "SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana" program. Owusu-Gyamfi is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Ghana, with a research focus on the impacts of exploitation on the distribution and population of frogs. Along with continuing to mentor young women in STEM, she was also the first person to shed light on the prevalence of amphibian roadkill in West Africa. As a Black woman and an underrepresented member of the herpetology community, — and science community in general — we can all look to Owusu-Gyamfi for inspiration!
For our next segment, I come bearing a toadly amazing and crazy story. I entered the bus to head home, just like any other day. The bus began to pull out of the stop. But little did I know, the next thing to enter the bus wouldn't be human. As we let commuters on at the first UC Berkeley stop, a man by the name of Ben Karin entered the bus with a plastic container. I immediately started pondering the question of whether there could be a frog in said container. Laughing with my friend, I opened my sketchbook to a fresh page and thought, what was the point of only speculating? I decided to investigate my hypothesis, clicking my pen out in preparation for the far-fetched idea that I shared the vehicle's cabin with an amphibian. I approached the man, traversing the moving bus, only able to see moss and bramble in the bin, and asked, "Hey, is there a frog in there?" Miraculously, there was! In the bumping interior of the 65 bus, there hobbled a Dendrobatidae. Astonished that I had come across a poison dart frog, I was commenced an impromptu bus interview. Stay tuned for the next log, where we will take a deeper dive into this interview, and uncover an underground frog society in the UC Berkeley community.
In sum, frogs are around every corner, you just have to be willing to look! In a way, they can represent the little things in this beautiful yet unforgiving world, and remind us that something amazing might just be right under our nares. As we part once more, I leave you with this sentiment and an acronym, for whenever you find yourself without a path: "WWAFD." What would a frog do?


River has taken the market by storm and is a disc with GLIDE. Its easy to throw and fits most players power and skill levels. River is a fairway control driver and while its not the fastest disc we have made, and doesnt have the widest wing ever made, it is a disc for accurate driving and good control. With small fade and amazing glide, you can really let it fly on those big anhyzer curves. The Opto Line is made out some of the worlds most durable plastics. It comes in a variety of beautiful transluscent colors. The Opto Line plastic has been developed to withstand severe punishment and extreme conditions better than other plastics.


text:
Science & Mathematics Astronomy & Space
Where is the fifth dimension?
You gotta Smoke it Man !
Ronald 7 · 3 weeks ago
There is no 5th dimension. Our universe is 4 dimensional.
Jeffrey K · 3 weeks ago
Maybe the dimension within the realm of Dark Energy which is (probably) the driving force behind the expansion of the universe is the 5th one. We don't know what 'space' is made off, we don't know what causes it to expand, so we give something we don't know anything about a name: Dark Energy. It's like I don't know my neighbors name, but I call him Fred anyway. Because that's Fred.
Snowwie888 · 3 weeks ago
How things are measured is a dimension. We measure things by height, length, depth, time and weight. Which one is the fifth depends on how they are numbered.
Old Man Dirt · 3 weeks ago
its a relative dimension = 4 dimensions plus one.
The universe is made up of many
Time potential levels of space.Hence Time is not homogeneous.
goring · 3 weeks ago
It stretches from the inner mind to the outer limits.
The 60s musical group is still around, search them up.
daniel g · 3 weeks ago
over there ---------->>>>
Acetek · 4 weeks ago
At right angles to the x, y, z and z' axis.
Tom · 4 weeks ago
At right angles to the fourth.
Tom S · 4 weeks ago
In our universe, it's known that there are 3 spatial dimensions and time. It's proposed in string theory that there may be many more dimensions in our universe that we're unable to detect, dimensions that are very small and 'wrapped' around each point in the universe. Here's a synopsis on it: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar...
If you mean the musical group, then:
The original quintet reunited in 1990 and 1991 for a tour. Townson left the group to try a solo career, but soon returned, as the group resigned itself to the nostalgia circuit. In 1995, the quintet of LaRue, Townson, McLemore, Battle, and Greg Walker recorded a new album, In the House, for Click Records. In 1998, Willie Williams replaced Townson, who died in 2001 due to kidney failure. Battle departed in 2002, to be replaced by Van Jewell. McLemore left the group in March 2006.
quantumclaustrophobe · 4 weeks ago
What year will the moon be fully terraformed?
Do you think there may be a place in the galaxy that would reflect old light from mars or earth so we can see into the past?
Why is helium lighter than air?
Is a galaxy like a huge hurricane in space Planets forming like hail balls?
What would happen if the sun moved 7000 miles closer to earth? Would we notice a difference?
Did you ever think that the Moon landing and walk in 1969, was filmed in a T.V, recording studio .?
Besides moon or Mars exploration, why not explore the milky way?
Today, we are having lunar eclipse here in India. What are precautions should I take?
Why do people believe in the moon landing if we haven t been back in 50 years?
Do you think life exists elsewhere in the universe besides planet Earth? Why or why not?


I have volunteered in different student ministries for 8 years and am currently working with college students. I love the genuine conversations that I get to have with students about Christ and his affect on their lives. I am passionate and excited about what God is doing and will do in and through the next generation.
I love spending my days around people. I like road trips, awesome places to eat, and adventure.
I have a BBA in Finance and Economics from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX. I would love to one day be able to pursue a Master's degree in ministry.


Cinnabar Winery - Blog - Crush is On!
October is a busy time of year in the cellar. Grapes are still arriving from the vineyards while some wines are undergoing fermentation. White grapes go directly into the press where the juice is pressed off and then pumped into a settling tank. From there, our Monterey Chardonnay is tank-fermented; our Santa Cruz Chardonnay is barrel-fermented.
Red grapes bypass the press and go through the destemmer-crusher prior to fermentation. Fermentation is the process by which the natural sugars in the grape juice are converted to alcohol, CO2, and heat through the addition of cultured or native yeast. Native yeast originates on the skins of grapes and from the cellar. Winemakers must keep an eye on many factors during fermentation, but the main emphasis is to maintain a hospitable environment in which the yeast can do their job—to fully ferment the wine dry, which means there is no remaining sugar.


We're here to solve the problems that keep you up at night.
No, we can't help with the TPS Report at the office. (Sorry.) But we can give you control of your bedroom environment so you can make the changes necessary to get a better night's sleep. We're a young company founded by a 30-year veteran of the mattress industry. Paul Longman was tired of sitting in call centers, listening to conversations with the people on both ends of the phone equally frustrated by the mattress company's inability to help when the mattress someone purchased didn't feel right after it was home.
See, we purchase beds when we're awake. It's not until we sleep on them that our bodies tell us if we picked the right one or not.
So Paul came up with a solution for that, but he didn't stop there. He built an entire company on the desire to help you sleep better.
We have a full array of products carefully designed to optimize your sleep space—at their foundation is the world's first line of fully adjustable beds.
Wait, what? Aren't there beds that do that already, you may ask?