Willingness to compete, gender and career choices along the whole ability distribution

We expand the scope of the literature on willingness to compete by asking how it varies with academic ability and whether and how it predicts career choices at different ability levels. The literature so far has mainly focused on career choices made by students at the top of the ability distribution, particularly in academic institutions. We experimentally elicit the willingness to compete of 1500 Swiss lower-secondary school students at all ability levels and link it to the study choice that students make upon finishing compulsory school. Our analysis of the relationship between willingness to compete and the study choice considers the full set of study options, including the options in vocational education. We find that willingness to compete predicts which study option high-ability students choose, not only among academic specializations but also among vocational careers, and, importantly, it also predicts whether low-ability boys pursue upper-secondary education upon finishing compulsory schooling. Our second main contribution is to systematically explore how willingness to compete varies with academic ability. We find that high-ability boys, but not girls, are substantially more willing to compete compared to all other children. As a consequence, the gender gap in willingness to compete is significantly lower among low-ability students than among high-ability students. Overall, our study highlights that insights from the literature on willingness to compete are relevant for a broader set of policy questions, populations and choices

Economic Sustainability Through Agritourism in Rural Communities: The Case of Native Chicken Beauty Contest in Isabela, Philippines

Agritourism is a promising industry in the Philippines. It is one among the backbones of Philippine economy. This study assessed the impact of the native chicken beauty contest as an agritourism initiatives in Isabela, Philippines based on the perceptions of 639 farmers and stakeholders. The participants are coming from different municipalities of the province. Data were gathered through an adapted survey. Findings revealed that the respondents have a positive perception on the impact of the initiatives in the aspect of economy. They believe that the initiative improves their financial status, and that they received strategic and financial support from the government through their political leaders. On the other hand, the participants’ concern was about peoples’ participations to the development and implementation of the initiatives, proper development of community image for branding towards international recognition. Hence, a policy on inter-agency and inter-cultural monitoring board is highly recommended

An experimental approach to analyzing gender, sex appeal and idealized bodies in advertising

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect Of Long-term High-fat Diet Intake On Peripheral Insulin Sensibility, Blood Pressure, And Renal Function In Female Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)This study determines whether 8-week high-fat diet (HFD) consumption alters insulin sensitivity, kidney function, and blood pressure (BP) in female rats when compared with standard rodent diet (ND) intake in gender-and age-matched rats. Methods: The present study investigates, in female Wistar HanUnib rats, the effect of long-term high-fat fed group (HFD) compared with standard chow on BP by an indirect tail-cuff method using an electro-sphygmomanometer, insulin and glucose function, and kidney function by creatinine and lithium clearances. Results: The current study shows glucose tolerance impairment, as demonstrated by increased fasting blood glucose (ND: 78 +/- 2.8 vs. HFD: 87 +/- 3.8 mg/dL) associated with reduced insulin secretion (ND: 0.58 +/- 0.07 vs. HFD: 0.40 +/- 0.03 ng/mL) in 8-week female HFD-treated rats. The incremental area under the curve (AUC, ND: 1,4558.0 +/- 536.0 vs. HFD: 1,6507.8 +/- 661.9), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, and the first-order rate constant for the disappearance of glucose (Kitt) were significantly enhanced in 8-week HFD-treated rats compared with age-matched ND group (respectively, P = 0.03, P = 0.002, and P<0.0001). The current study also shows a significantly higher systolic BP measured in 5 and 8 weeks posttreatment in HFD (5-week HFD-treated: 155.25 +/- 10.54 mmHg and 8-week HFD-treated: 165 +/- 5.8 mmHg) (P=0.0001), when compared to BP values in 5-week ND, 137 +/- 4.24 mmHg and 8-week ND, 131.75 +/- 5.8 mmHg age-matched group. Otherwise, the glomerular filtration rate and renal sodium handling evaluated by FENa, FEPNa and FEPPNa, were unchanged in both groups. Conclusion: We may conclude that 8-week female HFD-fed rats compared with ND group stimulate harmful effects, such as BP rise and peripheral glucose intolerance. The increased BP occurs through insulin resistance and supposedly decreased vasodilatation response without any change on renal function.60FAPESP [2013/12486-5, 2009/513296-0]CAPESFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Relationships Between Chemoreflex Responses, Sleep Quality, and Hematocrit in Andean Men and Women.

Andean highlanders are challenged by chronic hypoxia and many exhibit elevated hematocrit (Hct) and blunted ventilation compared to other high-altitude populations. While many Andeans develop Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) and excessive erythrocytosis, Hct varies markedly within Andean men and women and may be driven by individual differences in ventilatory control and/or sleep events which exacerbate hypoxemia. To test this hypothesis, we quantified relationships between resting ventilation and ventilatory chemoreflexes, sleep desaturation, breathing disturbance, and Hct in Andean men and women. Ventilatory measures were made in 109 individuals (n = 63 men; n = 46 women), and sleep measures in 45 of these participants (n = 22 men; n = 23 women). In both men and women, high Hct was associated with low daytime SpO2 (p &lt; 0.001 and p &lt; 0.002, respectively) and decreased sleep SpO2 (mean, nadir, and time &lt;80%; all p &lt; 0.02). In men, high Hct was also associated with increased end-tidal PCO2 (p &lt; 0.009). While ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia did not predict Hct, decreased hypoxic ventilatory responses were associated with lower daytime SpO2 in men (p &lt; 0.01) and women (p &lt; 0.009) and with lower nadir sleep SpO2 in women (p &lt; 0.02). Decreased ventilatory responses to CO2 were associated with more time below 80% SpO2 during sleep in men (p &lt; 0.05). The obstructive apnea index and apnea-hypopnea index also predicted Hct and CMS scores in men after accounting for age, BMI, and SpO2 during sleep. Finally, heart rate response to hypoxia was lower in men with higher Hct (p &lt; 0.0001). These data support the idea that hypoventilation and decreased ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia are associated with decreased day time and nighttime SpO2 levels that may exacerbate the stimulus for erythropoiesis in Andean men and women. However, interventional and longitudinal studies are required to establish the causal relationships between these associations

A quasi-experimental approach to analyzing sexual appeal and gender in advertising – evidences from Brazil

Purpose – The use of sexual appeal in advertisements is a common practice in promotion, and its acceptance can vary throughout cultures. In the last twenty years, its use has been evaluated in several markets, including Brazil, where this research study was undertaken. The purpose of the study is to measure the effects of sexual appeal in advertisements on consumers, comparing the role of gender and perceptions about models’ idealized bodies.Design/Methodology/Approach – Two quasi-experiments were conducted on a dataset obtained from a non-probabilistic sample using online questionnaires. Both studies consider the effect of using sexual appeal in advertisements. The first used gym advertisements to compare the attitudes and purchase intention between men and women. The second assessed the use of female models with and without idealized appearance in beer advertisements.Findings and implications – It was observed that advertisements with low sexual appeal resulted in better evaluations; however, those with a higher level of sexual appeal were better evaluated by men if containing female models with characteristics typically considered to be attractive. On the other hand, women rated more highly the ads using female models with no features commonly regarded as attractive. Thus, it was concluded that gender can influence the advertising format to be adopted by companies: in the case of a female target audience, it is probably better to use models without “ideal” characteristics, but the opposite may have a more significant effect when it comes to a male target audience. This clearly incongruent perspective – gender-based bias – is a critical issue for managers and researchers.Limitations – This study only focused on a narrow dataset made up of Brazilian respondents, which was used as a non-probabilistic, convenience sample. Originality – This study is the first to use a quasi-experimental approach, connecting gender attitudes to brands and ads to bodies of idealized models and sexual appeal effects in ads.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of long-term high-fat diet intake on peripheral insulin sensibility, blood pressure, and renal function in female rats

This study determines whether 8-week high-fat diet (HFD) consumption alters insulin sensitivity, kidney function, and blood pressure (BP) in female rats when compared with standard rodent diet (ND) intake in gender- and age-matched rats. The present study investigates, in female Wistar HanUnib rats, the effect of long-term high-fat fed group (HFD) compared with standard chow on BP by an indirect tail-cuff method using an electrosphygmomanometer, insulin and glucose function, and kidney function by creatinine and lithium clearances. The current study shows glucose tolerance impairment, as demonstrated by increased fasting blood glucose (ND: 78±2.8 vs. HFD: 87±3.8 mg/dL) associated with reduced insulin secretion (ND: 0.58±0.07 vs. HFD: 0.40±0.03 ng/mL) in 8-week female HFD-treated rats. The incremental area under the curve (AUC, ND: 1,4558.0±536.0 vs. HFD: 1,6507.8±661.9), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, and the first-order rate constant for the disappearance of glucose (Kitt) were significantly enhanced in 8-week HFD-treated rats compared with age-matched ND group (respectively, P=0.03, P=0.002, and P<0.0001). The current study also shows a significantly higher systolic BP measured in 5 and 8 weeks posttreatment in HFD (5-week HFD-treated: 155.25±10.54 mmHg and 8-week HFD-treated: 165±5.8 mmHg) (P=0.0001), when compared to BP values in 5-week ND, 137±4.24 mmHg and 8-week ND, 131.75±5.8 mmHg age-matched group. Otherwise, the glomerular filtration rate and renal sodium handling evaluated by FENa, FEPNa and FEPPNa, were unchanged in both groups. We may conclude that 8-week female HFD-fed rats compared with ND group stimulate harmful effects, such as BP rise and peripheral glucose intolerance. The increased BP occurs through insulin resistance and supposedly decreased vasodilatation response without any change on renal function60COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPnão tem2013/12486-5; 2009/513296-