Economics Students: Self-Selected in Preferences and Indoctrinated in Beliefs

There is much debate as to why economics students display more self-interested behavior than other students: whether homo economicus self-select into economics or students are instead “indoctrinated” by economics learning, and whether these effects impact on preferences or beliefs about others’ behavior. Using a classroom survey (n\u3e500) with novel behavioral questions we show that, compared to students in other majors, econ students report being: (i) more self-interested (in particular, less compassionate or averse to advantageous inequality) already in the first year and the difference remains among more senior students; (ii) more likely to think that people will be unwilling to work if unemployment benefits increase (thus, assuming others are motivated primarily by self-interest), but only among senior students. These results suggest self-selection in preferences and indoctrination in beliefs

Patience predicts cooperative synergy: the roles of ingroup bias and reciprocity

Patience—low delay discounting—has been shown to predict cooperative behavior in environments where cooperation conflicts with competitive aspirations. Indeed, impatience seems to be associated to a greater concern for the latter (i.e., for the individual’s relative standing). But what about intergroup-competition situations, where competitive sentiments against outgroups can trigger ingroup cooperation? We analyze the connection between delay discounting and performance in two problem-solving tasks with either individual or intergroup-competition incentives. We find a positive relationship between the mean patience of the members of a group (both when using long-term discounting and short-term discounting, also known as present bias) and the within-group cooperative synergy during intergroup competition. Further exploratory analyses based on a follow-up social preferences task suggest that, for long-term discounting, this result may be explained by patient (vs. impatient) individuals’ propensity to be initially cooperative and to subsequently treat group members based on reciprocal fairness instead of strict equality. For short-term discounting, or present bias, our exploratory analyses do not yield any significant result, meaning that we are unable to provide a social-preferences-based explanation to the higher synergy observed in groups with less present biased individuals

Estimation of pubertal growth-spurt parameters in children and adolescents in Colombia: comparison between low and moderate altitudes

Context-specific information, including differences in geographical areas, such as distinct altitudes, can be important to explain variations in physical growth. We aimed to compare the estimation of maximum growth velocity and pubertal growth-spurt parameters of children and adolescents living at low and moderate altitudes in Colombia. A cross-sectional study, including a representative cohort of 30.305 (51% boys) children and adolescents aged 1–18 years from Colombia, was performed. The heights were measured with standardized techniques. The Preece–Baines growth model was used to estimate the mathematical and biological parameters of the height-growth velocities and growth spurts for both sexes. The altitudes were categorized as low (18 to 564 m above sea level) or moderate (2420 to 2640 m above sea level). There were no differences in final height (h1 ), peak height velocity size (hθ ), age at peak height velocity (APHV), or peak height velocity PHV (cm/y) between the subjects living in both altitudes (p > 0.05). The APHV was estimated at 12.75 ± 0.75 years in the boys and at 10.05 ± 0.65 years in the girls. The girls reached the APVH 2.70 years earlier than the boys. Regarding the PHV, the boys reached higher growth velocity, which was 6.85 ± 0.55 cm/y. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in final height, peak height, APHV, or PHV between the children and adolescents living at distinct altitudes in Colombia. The PHV occurred approximately 3 years earlier in the girls than in the boys. Furthermore, the girls’ estimated PHV, APHV, and final height were lower than those of the boys. This study allows additional insight into pubertal growth-spurt parameters and also provides a valuable reference database for the assessment of Colombian children and adolescents.This investigation did not receive any specific subsidy from any funding agency, commercial sector, or non-profit organization. The APC was supported by the Directorate General of Research (Dirección General de Investigaciones) of the Universidad Santiago de Cali under call (No. 01-2021)

Analysis of safety-based incentives in public private partnerships. The case of Spain

OUTLINE: • Introduction • Experimental Setup • Experimental Procedure • Experimental Results - Surface Roughness - Residual Stresses - Friction - Wear - EDX • Conclusion

Mammogram frequency and clinical breast exam in women under the subsidized health regime- Manizales (Caldas)

Objetivo: Determinar la cobertura del examen clínico y mamografía de tamización para cáncer de mama en  un grupo de mujeres del régimen subsidiado en el municipio de Manizales. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio  observacional de tipo transversal. Se efectuó una encuesta telefónica a 352 mujeres con edades  comprendidas entre 50 y 69 años, residentes en el área urbana y rural del municipio de Manizales durante el  cuarto trimestre de 2010. La cobertura de tamización se valoró como la proporción de mujeres con  antecedente de mamografía y examen clínico de la mama, fueron excluidas las mujeres con antecedente  personal de cáncer de mama. Se estimó frecuencia de vida, frecuencia en los últimos dos años y en el último  año. Se analizaron factores asociados a la práctica de tamización mediante el cálculo de OR ajustados.  Resultados: La frecuencia de vida de uso de examen clínico fue de 56% y de mamografía 42,3%, de los cuales el 3 y el 7% fueron diagnósticos respectivamente (mujeres sintomáticas), el resto lo hizo con fines de cribado. Por tamización 53,1% tenían examen clínico en el último año y 24,7% mamografías en los últimos dos años.  No se halló relación de las diferentes variables con la no realización de la mamografía. Conclusiones: Existe  una baja cobertura de la mamografía y el examen clínico de mama por tamización en las mujeres del  régimen subsidiado, a pesar de las recomendaciones generadas por el Ministerio de la Protección Social y el  Instituto Nacional de Cancerología.Objective: To determine the scope of breast clinical exam and screening for cancer mammogram in a group  of women under the subsidized health regime in the municipality of Manizales. Materials and Methods:  Observational, transversal type study. Telephone interviews were carried out with 352 women in ages  between 50 and 69 years old, resident in the urban and rural areas of the municipality of Manizales during  the fourth trimester in 2010. The scope of screening was assessed as the proportion of women with  mammogram and clinical breast exam history and women with personal record of breast cancer were  excluded. Life frequency, frequency in the last two years and in the previous year was estimated. Factors  associated with the screening practice were analyzed using the adjusted OR calculation. Results: Frequency  of useful life of the clinical exam was 56% and mammogram was 42.3% from which 3 and 7% were diagnoses  respectively (asymptomatic women); the rest were done for screening purposes. Through screening, 53.1%  had had clinical exam during the previous year and 24.7% had had mammograms during the last two years.  Relationship of the different variables with the carrying out of mammograms was not found. Conclusions:  There is low coverage of mammogram and clinical breast exam through screening in women under the  subsidized health regime in spite of the recommendations generated by Social Protection Ministry and the  National Study of Cancer Institute

Mechanical properties enhancement of high reliability metallic materials by laser shock processing

Laser shock processing (LSP) is being increasingly applied as an effective technology for the improvement of metallic materials surface properties in different types of components as a means of enhancement of their corrosion and fatigue life behavior. As reported in previous contributions by the authors, a main effect resulting from the application of the LSP technique consists on the generation of relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Additional results accomplished by the authors in the line of practical development of the LSP technique at an experimental level (aiming its integral assessment from an interrelated theoretical and experimental point of view) are presented in this paper. Concretely, follow-on experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (especially Al and Ti alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented along with a practical correlated analysis on the protective character of the residual stress profiles obtained under different irradiation strategies and the evaluation of the corresponding induced properties as material specific volume reduction at the surface, microhardness and wear resistance. Additional remarks on the improved character of the LSP technique over the traditional “shot peening” technique in what concerns depth of induced compressive residual stresses fields are also made through the paper

Using LMS tables to determine waist circumference and waist-to-height ratios in Colombian children and adolescents : The FUPRECOL study

Background: Waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) are often used as indices predictive of central obesity. The aims of this study were: 1) to obtain smoothed centile charts and LMS tables for WC and WHtR among Colombian children and adolescents; 2) to evaluate the utility of these parameters as predictors of overweight and obesity. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted of a sample population of 7954 healthy Colombian schoolchildren [3460 boys and 4494 girls, mean age 12.8 (±2.3) years]. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), WC and WHtR were measured, and percentiles were calculated using the LMS method (Box-Cox, median and coefficient of variation). Appropriate cut-off points of WC and WHtR for overweight and obesity, according to International Obesity Task Force definitions, were selected using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The discriminating power of WC and WHtR is expressed as area under the curve (AUC). Results: Reference values for WC and WHtR are presented. Mean WC increased and WHtR decreased with age for both genders. A moderate positive correlation was observed between WC and BMI (r = 0.756, P < 0.01) and between WHtR and BMI (r = 0.604, P < 0.01). ROC analysis revealed strong discrimination power in the identification of overweight and obesity for both measures in our sample population. Overall, WHtR was a slightly better predictor of overweight/obesity (AUC 95% CI 0.868-0.916) than WC (AUC 95% CI 0.862-0.904). Conclusion: This paper presents the first sex and age-specific WC and WHtR percentiles for Colombian children and adolescents aged 9.0-17.9 years. The LMS tables obtained, based on Colombian reference data, can be used as quantitative tools for the study of obesity and its comorbidities. © 2017 The Author(s)

Laser Shock Processing: An Emerging Technique for the Enhancement of Surface Properties and Fatigue Life of High Strength Metal Alloys

Profiting by the increasing availability of laser sources delivering intensities above 10 9 W/cm 2 with pulse energies in the range of several Joules and pulse widths in the range of nanoseconds, laser shock processing (LSP) is being consolidating as an effective technology for the improvement of surface mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of metals and is being developed as a practical process amenable to production engineering. The main acknowledged advantage of the laser shock processing technique consists on its capability of inducing a relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly, the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Following a short description of the theoretical/computational and experimental methods developed by the authors for the predictive assessment and experimental implementation of LSP treatments, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (specifically steels and Al and Ti alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presente