Demographic Transition, Human Capital And Growth

This paper firstly deals with the evolution of the literature on fertility and mortality growth rates and secondly discusses the extent to which both fertility and mortality affect the population growth rate as an endogenous variable. We develop an economic growth model using an infinite horizon setup in which economic development and health status influence the population growth rate. Mortality depends on health expenditure and fertility is endogenously determined. Each generation of family is linked altruistically and adults within each household take into account the welfare and resources of their actual and future descendants. The current generation maximizes utility and incorporates a budget constraint over an infinite horizon. Their decisions determine not also the evolution of the population growth rate but even the evolution of the per capita income

Potential conflicts in the fight against counterfeit drugs

This analysis looks at the best way to deal with the proliferation of fake drugs, and considers the conflict that arises when government agencies aim to reduce the harmful effects of the fake medicine trade while the pharmaceutical firms seek profit maximization. It is demonstrated that the pharmaceutical industry might wish to encourage better law enforcement rather than improved information policies, even when the latter would lead to a greater reduction in the fake drug trade.fake medicine trade

Water tariffs : Methods for an Efficient Cost Recovery and for the Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Portugal

Doutoramento em EconomiaThis work is a contribution to the study of how the Portuguese water industry can meet the goals of cost recovery and water use efficiency set out by the Water Framework Directive. We describe the Portuguese water and wastewater tariffs implemented from 1998 to 2005 and the cost recovery levels for that period. The tariff revenues collected by the water utilities are insufficient to meet the financial costs of their activities, especially regarding wastewater, and the situation has worsened in recent years. We review the existing water pricing models, highlighting some important results like the fact that efficiency requires marginal cost pricing, which may not be feasible while respecting a revenue requirement. It is not evident whether the best scheme is a two-part tariff or some other pricing mechanism like increasing block tariffs (IBT), which are abundantly used in Portugal. We incorporate the scarcity cost associated with insufficient water availability into the optimal tariff design. We show that when both demand and costs respond to climate factors, increasing marginal prices may come about as a combined result of scarcity and customer heterogeneity when the fixed charge is only allowed to cover fixed costs and the utility is required to maintain a balanced budget. Ultimately, the choice of tariff schedule design is dependent on the behavior of the price-elasticity of demand. We estimate the Portuguese residential water demand and show that the resulting recommended tariff schedule hinges crucially on the choice of functional form. After the proper specification tests, a choice between a semilogarithmic lin-log and a double-log specification is left undecided, which does not prove the superiority of IBT, but also does not enable its dismissal. We also estimate a multi-output cost function for the Portuguese water industry at the retail level. We find diseconomies of scale and scope for the average water utility. Both types of economies are more likely to exist for utilities with a large customer base.Este trabalho é um contributo para o estudo da melhor forma de atingir os objectivos de recuperação de custos e eficiência do sector da água em Portugal traçados pela Directiva-Quadro da Água. Nele se descrevem as tarifas de água e saneamento aplicadas entre 1998 e 2005 e os níveis de recuperação de custos nesse período. As receitas tarifárias angariadas pelas entidades gestoras mostram-se insuficientes para cobrir os custos da sua actividade, especialmente no que diz respeito ao saneamento e a situação tem vindo a piorar nos últimos anos. A literatura sobre modelização da determinação dos preços da água é revista, salientando alguns resultados importantes como o facto de a eficiência exigir que o preço seja equiparado ao custo marginal, algo que pode não ser possível em simultâneo com restrições de manutenção de orçamentos equilibrados. Não é evidente qual o melhor tipo de tarifário a adoptar, a combinação de uma componente fixa com um preço volumétrico constante ou outro esquema alternativo como os tarifários crescentes por blocos, largamente utilizados em Portugal. O custo de escassez é incorporado na definição do tarifário óptimo. Demonstra-se que quando a procura e a oferta reagem ambas a factores climatéricos, preços marginais crescentes podem resultar da combinação da escassez de água com a heterogeneidade dos consumidores em situações em que à componente fixa da tarifa apenas é permitido cobrir os custos fixos e é exigido à entidade gestora que mantenha um orçamento equilibrado. A escolha do melhor tarifário depende fundamentalmente do comportamento da elasticidade-preço da procura. Neste trabalho estimamos a procura residencial de água em Portugal e mostramos que a recomendação sobre o melhor tipo de tarifário depende crucialmente da escolha da forma funcional da procura. Da realização dos testes de especificação adequados, resulta uma escolha inconclusiva entre as formas funcionais semilogaritmíca (lin-log) e loglinear, o que não permite provar a superioridade dos preços crescentes por escalões, mas também não os rejeita. Estima-se também uma função de custos multi-produto para o sector de abastecimento de água e saneamento português em baixa. Para a entidade gestora de dimensão média existem deseconomias de escala e de gama. Os dois tipos de economias tendem a existir para entidades com maior número de consumidores

Amyloid proteotoxicity initiates an inflammatory response blocked by cannabinoids.

The beta amyloid (Aβ) and other aggregating proteins in the brain increase with age and are frequently found within neurons. The mechanistic relationship between intracellular amyloid, aging and neurodegeneration is not, however, well understood. We use a proteotoxicity model based upon the inducible expression of Aβ in a human central nervous system nerve cell line to characterize a distinct form of nerve cell death caused by intracellular Aβ. It is shown that intracellular Aβ initiates a toxic inflammatory response leading to the cell's demise. Aβ induces the expression of multiple proinflammatory genes and an increase in both arachidonic acid and eicosanoids, including prostaglandins that are neuroprotective and leukotrienes that potentiate death. Cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol stimulate the removal of intraneuronal Aβ, block the inflammatory response, and are protective. Altogether these data show that there is a complex and likely autocatalytic inflammatory response within nerve cells caused by the accumulation of intracellular Aβ, and that this early form of proteotoxicity can be blocked by the activation of cannabinoid receptors

The mitochondrial ATP synthase is a shared drug target for aging and dementia

Aging is a major driving force underlying dementia, such as that caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the idea of targeting aging as a therapeutic strategy is not new, it remains unclear how closely aging and age-associated diseases are coupled at the molecular level. Here, we discover a novel molecular link between aging and dementia through the identification of the molecular target for the AD drug candidate J147. J147 was developed using a series of phenotypic screening assays mimicking disease toxicities associated with the aging brain. We have previously demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of J147 in several mouse models of AD. Here, we identify the mitochondrial α-F 1 -ATP synthase (ATP5A) as a target for J147. By targeting ATP synthase, J147 causes an increase in intracellular calcium leading to sustained calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CAMKK2)-dependent activation of the AMPK/mTOR pathway, a canonical longevity mechanism. Accordingly, modulation of mitochondrial processes by J147 prevents age-associated drift of the hippocampal transcriptome and plasma metabolome in mice and extends lifespan in drosophila. Our results link aging and age-associated dementia through ATP synthase, a molecular drug target that can potentially be exploited for the suppression of both. These findings demonstrate that novel screens for new AD drug candidates identify compounds that act on established aging pathways, suggesting an unexpectedly close molecular relationship between the two.This work was supported by grants from the NIH R01AG046153 (D.S) and NIH/NIA SBIR 2R44AG033427 (K.F. and E.R.), the Nomis Foundation (AC), AI104034 and the Della Thome Foundation (PM), Bundy Foundation (DD), the Hewitt Foundation (JG), the Paul F. Glenn Center for Aging Research at the Salk Institute (JG), NIH-NCI CCSG: P30 014195, NINDS Neuroscience Core Grant: NS072031 and the Waitt Foundation (Flow Cytometry and Waitt Biophotonics Core Facilities at the Salk Institute

Provisión de cuidados informales y enfermedad de Alzheimer: valoración económica y estudio de la variabilidad del tiempo.

Alzheimer's disease represents a significant burden in terms of time for the carer of the patient not institutionalized. The aim of this article is to estimate the cost of the time of the informal care depending on the type of disability and study the underlying factors of its variability. The empirical analysis has been made with data obtained through a retrospective questionnaire administered by the caregiver, using a probabilistic estimation model. The results show that most of the time is spent on personal care activities and physical mobility, increasing the average cost when considering more severe stages of the disease. Differences in time are explained mainly by the stage of the disease, the state of health of the caregiver and the availability of professional care.Alzheimer's disease; informal care, cost, time

Economic Crisis, Unemployment and Illegal Drug Consumption in Spain

[Abstract] Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the association between drug consumption and unemployment. This paper also studies the differential association between these variables in both the preand current-crisis periods. The results are compared in an attempt to verify that the population of users is more vulnerable in terms of how likely they are to get and hold down a job in the labour market. Design/methodology/approach – Matching methods and microdata from the Survey on Alcohol and Drugs in Spain, EDADES are used. The use of these methods on the estimates carried out prove to be particularly effective in reducing treatment-selection bias. The authors’ interest is also to analyse the differential association between the interest variables in both the pre- and current-crisis periods. For this purpose, the authors also use the differences-in-differences (DID) estimation method between the two periods to check if the impact of drug use on unemployment depends on the economic context. The estimations are compared in an attempt to verify that the population of users is less likely to attain and hold down a job in the labour market than non-drug users. Findings – The results obtained in the current study are consistent with the hypothesis that drug use decreases an individual’s capacity and availability when he or she is trying to enter the labour market. In both 2007 and 2013, drug users were more likely to be unemployed, regardless of the type of drug. Differences in the probability of being unemployed intensify during an economic crisis. In light of these results, it is possible to conclude that the negative effect of drug consumption on an individual’s employability is increased during periods of economic recession. Research limitations/implications – The study presented here has some limitations. Firstly, crosssectional data were used to examine the causal relationship between consumption and employment. In this sense, the results are susceptible to bias. The unavailability of longitudinal data on the same individual made it impossible for the researchers to consider periods of abstinence, the duration of periods of consumption and how this consumption affected an individual’s productivity and his or her working situation. Another limitation is that certain relevant unemployment variables may have been omitted. Among the variables that affect an individual’s labour participation is the existence of sources of income as an alternative to market salaries. With state subsidies, income from illegal activities and money sent by family or friends, an individual may decide not to work. This problem could be mitigated if omitted variables operate in a similar way throughout both of the periods examined. Social implications – Given the results obtained in this paper, the authors believe that public policy conclusions should be mainly concerned with the importance of implementing proactive employment policies, along with family support programmes and a greater role for primary care among the people with the highest risks of exclusion. Health treatment should go jointly with measures that make it easier for individuals to enter the workforce. These steps would only be possible with an improved level of education and more complete professional profiles, to increase motivation when individuals seek employment. Originality/value – This study could make various contributions to the existing body of evidence. In the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to document the effect of the economic crisis on the employability of the drug-using population in contrast with the general population. Moreover, a methodology is presented that provides an alternative to those used in earlier studies, in terms of reducing treatment-selection bias. At the same time, the use of a DID estimation method between pre- and current-crisis periods allow us to check if the impact of drugs consumption on unemployment depends on the economic context.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España; ECO2013-4821

Ploidy stability in embryogenic cultures and regenerated plantlets of tamarillo

Ploidy levels of short-term (1 and 2 years) and long-term (7 and 10 years) embryogenic cultures as well as of regenerated plantlets of tamarillo were analyzed by flow cytometry and chromosome counts. Embryogenic cultures were induced from expanding leaves cultured in the presence of Picloram or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and monthly subcultured on the same media. Embryo development and plantlets were obtained following subculture of the embryogenic tissue in auxin free medium containing gibberellic acid (GA3). Seedlings and rooted shoots from axillary shoot proliferation were used as controls. The results showed that in long-term embryogenic cultures the ability to develop somatic embryos and plantlets was reduced. Embryogenic tissues maintained for 10 years were mostly aneuploids of the tetraploid (2n = 4x = 48) level whereas those kept in culture for 7 years or less were also mostly aneuploids but of the diploid (2n = 2x = 24) level. The results obtained by flow cytometry were, in general, consistent with those obtained by chromosome counts. The chromosome alteration observed in the embryogenic tissues was already present after 1 year of culture and increased with culture age, hence impairing the maintenance of these tissues for long periods without affecting chromosome stability of the regenerated plantlets. However, the occurrence of triploids and tetraploids as well as aneuploids can be useful for breeding purposes. A value around 23 pg/2C was found for the genome size of tamarillo largely exceeding the value previously published (15.50 pg/2C).This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)

Consideraciones clínicas del tratamiento ortodóncico mediante expansores maxilares y aparatología fija multibrackets en pacientes con síndrome de Down

El síndrome de Down (SD) representa la anomalía cromosómica más frecuente. Las referencias bibliográficas disponibles sobre tratamientos ortodóncicos en pacientes con SD son muy escasas y se limitan a casos clínicos aislados o incluidos en series de pacientes con otras necesidades especiales. En esta tesis se describen las peculiaridades del tratamiento ortodóncico con expansores maxilares y con aparatología fija multibracket en pacientes con SD, y se evalúa el grado de satisfacción de los padres/tutores de los pacientes con necesidades especiales sometidos a tratamiento de ortodoncia. Las principales conclusiones son que en los pacientes con SD el éxito del tratamiento ortodóncico está condicionado por la adecuada selección de los casos, que generalmente hay que adaptar el ritmo de activación de la aparatología removible y prolongar la duración del tratamiento con aparatología multibracket, que la frecuencia de complicaciones es mayor que en la población general y que el grado de satisfacción percibido entre los padres de estos pacientes habitualmente sobrepasa sus expectativa

Museu Municipal de Marvão: colecções e inventário

Neste estudo faz-se uma caracterização do Museu Municipal de Marvão enquanto espaço físico e instituição museológica, de forma a compreender a dinâmica e as características da instituição. Tendo por base a caracterização das colecções do museu e a avaliação do sistema de inventário vigente, estruturou-se uma proposta para a inventariação geral do espólio, que constituiu o núcleo do trabalho do estágio; ABSTRACT:This work characterizes the Marvão Municipal Museum within the perspective of the physical space and museological institution, to understand the dynamic and institutional characteristics. It characterizes the museum collections and evaluates the using inventory. The main purpose of this study is a presentation of a general inventory to organize the sherds