Human Capital Accounting in the United States: 1994 to 2006

This paper presents measures of the human capital stock and of investment in human capital for the United States between 1994 and 2006. When both market and non-market production are included, the stock of human capital was equal to about three quarters of quadrillion dollars in 2006, of which about 70 percent was non-market. The account breaks down human capital investment among the effects of births, deaths, aging, and education on human capital, as well as a residual effect attributed to (unmeasured) migration. Measures of gross investment in education are found to be very sensitive to counterfactual assumptions; consequently, investment in education is measured net of aging.

Knowledge Flows through Informal Contacts in Industrial Clusters Myths or Realities?

The role of informal networks in the development of regional clusters has received a lot of attention in the literature recently. Informal contact between employees in different firms is argued to be one of the main carriers of knowledge between firms in a cluster. This paper empirically examines the role of informal contacts in a specific cluster. In a recent questionnaire, we ask a sample of engineers in a regional cluster of wireless communication firms in Northern Denmark, a series of questions on informal networks. We analyze whether the engineers actually acquire valuable knowledge through these networks. We find that the engineers do share even valuable knowledge with informal contacts. This shows that informal contacts are important channels of knowledge diffusion.Informal contacts, regional clusters, communication technology

Role of aggressivity on reactivity and craving before and after cue exposure in recently detoxified alcoholics: Results from an experimental study

The role of aggressivity and cue exposure in induction of craving were investigated in a clinical setting. Thirty abstinent alcoholic patients were divided into a low and a high aggressive group based on scores on the physical aggression subscale of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory and exposed to alcohol cues. Craving was measured by means of the Alcohol Craving Questionnaire (ACQ) and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). Important findings are: (1) main effects of aggressivity on `emotionality', `purposefulness' and `expectancy' of ACQ were very significant; (2) on `drinking intention' and `craving for alcohol' of VAS, aggressivity and cue exposure showed a significant interaction; (3) the main effect of cue exposure on heart rate also reached a significance level of 0.007. The results were discussed in the context of the Classical, Operant Conditioning Theory, the Cognitive Craving Theory of Tiffany, Gilbert's STAR Model, and the Self-Medication Hypothesis Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Effects of irritability on craving before and after cue exposure in abstinent alcoholic inpatients: Experimental data on subjective response and heart rate

Objective: Irritability is often linked with problem drinking. The aim of this study is to examine the possible influence of irritability on craving induced by a cue-exposure paradigm. Methods: 30 male abstinent alcoholic inpatients of the Psychiatric Hospital of Munich University, Germany gave answers to a series of personality questionnaires. Results of this study concerning the impact of aggressivity on craving for alcohol has recently been published. In this study, the subjects were subdivided into a low- and a high-irritable group based on their scores on the irritability subscale of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory and were exposed to alcohol cues. Craving was measured by means of the Alcohol Craving Questionnaire (ACQ) and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). The heart rate was also assessed throughout the whole process. ANCOVA for repeated measurement was employed to evaluate the data - irritability disposition as the between-subject factor and the experimental manipulation (absence vs. presence of alcohol cues) as the within-subject factor. Results: Major findings are: (1) main effects of irritability on `emotionality', `purposefulness', and `expectancy' of the ACQ as well as on `craving for alcohol' of the VAS were significant; (2) cue exposure also exerted a significant main effect on I craving for alcohol' of the VAS and on the heart rate after the presentation of alcohol cues; (3) on `compulsivity' of the ACQ and `intention to alcohol intake' of the VAS; there was a significant interaction between irritability and cue exposure. The high-irritable alcoholics, compared with their statements in the baseline, tended to report a higher control over alcohol intake and a lower intention to alcohol use after cue exposure. However, after confrontation with alcohol stimuli, their low-irritable counterparts reported a much lower control and a slightly higher intention than they did in the baseline. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that induced craving in hospitalized alcohol addicts probably varies with the magnitude of their irritability; it might make patients more aware of their vulnerability to alcohol, help them develop more differential coping strategies and improve medical therapy against alcohol craving. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel