6,124 research outputs found
Efficient Yield Curve Estimation and Forecasting in Brazil
Term Structure of the Interest Rate, Yield Curve, State-Space Model, Kalman Filter.
GResilient index to assess the greenness and resilience of the automotive supply chain
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to suggest an Index entitled GResilient Index to assess the greenness and resilience of the automotive companies and corresponding supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: An integrated assessment model is proposed based on Green and Resilient practices. These practices are weighted according to their importance to the automotive supply chain competitiveness. The Delphi technique is used to obtain the weights for the focused supply chain paradigms and corresponding practices. The model is then tested using a case study approach in the automotive supply chain. Findings: The case study results confirmed the applicability of this Index in a real-world supply chain. The results show that the Resilient supply chain management paradigm is the one considered as the one that more contributes for the automotive supply chain competitiveness. Research limitations/implications: The proposed Index was developed in the automotive sector context therefore it could not be adjusted to a different one. Future research could consider other aggregation methods for the Index construction. Practical implications: Supply chain participants will be able to evaluate the performance of their companies or supply chain in terms of Green and Resilient paradigms. Also, the Index can be effectively employed for functional benchmarking among competing companies and supply chains.Green; resilient; supply chain management; index; automotive industry
Improving access and quality of care in a TB control programme
Objectives. To use a quality improvement approach to improve access to and quality of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and care in Cape Town.Methods. Five HIV/AIDS/sexually transmitted infections/TB (HAST) evaluations were conducted from 2008 to 2010, with interviews with 99 facility managers and a folder review of over 850 client records per evaluation cycle. The data were used in a local quality improvement process: sub-district workshops identified key weaknesses and facility managers drew up action plans. Lessons learnt and successful strategies were shared at quarterly districtwide HIV/TB meetings.Results. Geographical access was good, but there were delays in treatment commencement times. Access for high-risk clients improved significantly with intensified TB case finding made routine in both the HIV counselling and testing and antiretroviral treatment (ART) services (p<0.01 for both). Access for children in contact with an infectious case has improved but is still low (42% investigated and treated). Quality of care was mostly high atbaseline (adherence to treatment protocols 95%). Measurement of body mass index improved from 20% to 62%. The assessment of contraception improved from 27% to 58%. Care for co-infected clients showed improved use of customised HIV stationery and increased assessment for ART eligibility.Conclusions. The HAST audit contributed to the improved TB cure rates by supplementing routine information and involving sub-district managers, facility managers and facility staff in a quality improvement process that identified local opportunities for programme strengthening
Estrutura e diversidade genĂ©tica entre populaçÔes silvestres e cultivadas de pequizeiro (Caryocar brasiliense) no Parque IndĂgena Do Xingu com marcadores microssatĂ©lites.
The influence of stunting on obesity in adulthood: results from the EPIPorto cohort
Objective: To retrospectively investigate the association between short stature and increased sitting height ratio (SHR) â indicators of stunting â and obesity markers in adults.
Design: Cross-sectional evaluation of the EPIPorto cohort. Weight, height, sitting height and waist circumference were measured. Obesity was assessed for men and women through BMI and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Short stature (women, <152 cm; men, <164 cm) and high SHR (women, â„54·05 %; men, â„53·25 %) were taken as stunting measures. OR with 95 % CI were computed using logistic regression models.
Setting: Representative sample of adults from EPIPorto, an adult cohort study from Porto, Portugal.
Subjects: A sample of 1682 adults, aged 18â86 years, was analysed.
Results: Higher obesity prevalence was found among women (BMIâ„30·0 kg/m2: 25·5 v. 13·3 %, P<0·001) and a higher proportion of men presented abdominal obesity (WHtRâ„0·5: 80·1 v. 71·1 %, P<0·001). A positive association was found between short stature and obesity measures for women (multivariate-adjusted OR; 95 % CI: 1·75; 1·17, 2·62 for BMIâ„30·0 kg/m2; 1·89; 1·24, 2·87 for WHtRâ„0·5). Increased SHR was associated with higher likelihood of having BMIâ„30·0 kg/m2 in both sexes (multivariate-adjusted OR; 95 % CI: 2·10; 1·40, 3·16 for women; 1·92; 1·07, 3·43 for men) but not with WHtRâ„0·5.
Conclusions: Different growth markers are associated with obesity in adults. However, this association depends on the population and anthropometric measures used: short stature is associated with a higher risk of presenting excessive weight in women but not in men; SHR is more sensitive to detect this effect in both sexes
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