Self-assessed health as a key determinant of lifestyles: An application to tobacco consumption in Argentina

The relationship between lifestyle choices and health has been widely studied in the epidemiological and economic literature. In the last years, empirical research was directed towards the use of recursive systems with structural equations for a health production function and reduced form equations for lifestyles. As a result, behaviors toward health are taken to be determined by exogenous socio-economic variables. In this article, we show that health is a key determinant of health habits. When people feel well, they adopt less healthy behaviors. We use maximum simulated likelihood for a multivariate 5 equation probit model. In that model, lifestyles (diet, exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking) are a function of exogenous socioeconomic variables and self-reported health. Self-reported health varies with socio-economic characteristics and depends on health indicators that are the consequence of lifestyles undertaken in the past (i.e., overweight, blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels). Data is that of adults in Argentina´s 2005 Risk Factors National Survey. We find that health partial effects on lifestyle are much larger having accounted for health endogeneity. Accounting for unobservable variables that jointly determine all lifestyles does not change much the magnitude of our results. Our findings are robust to different specifications.lifestyles, health

A reassessment of Argentina´s GHG proposed target

At the time of Argentina´s greenhouse gases emissions reduction voluntary commitment, most of the articles on intensity targets had not been published. The aim of this paper is to (re)discuss briefly the proposal made by Argentina taking into account that literature. To justify the adopted target form and stringency, we compare fixed and dynamic targets in terms of the likelihood of “hot air”, the relationship between allowed emissions and GDP, the link between abatement and GDP, and outcomes´ dispersion. But, the assumptions implicit in the design of the target may change those properties. We show how the BAU scenario taken as reference and the level of emissions reduction affects targets´ design and characteristics. Finally, considering different emissions projections, we perform a comparison between allowed emissions and projected ones during the first half commitment period (2008-2010), concluding that compliance with the commitment depends on the data source used in the calculations.climate change, intensity targets, uncertainty, Argentina

Pleading for the management controller profession in the trade area

Generalizing a reflection on strategy and controlling within the Romanian companies is rather recent. The environment changes and especially the changes in the nature and the dimensions of the markets due to the globalization and regulation put real questions for companies, generate a strategic thinking and make compulsory the appearance of an efficient management control. Generally, the scientific papers concerning the concept of management control deal with the production companies more than with the trade ones. This is why we chose to present the importance of the controller within a trade company. The management control has to assure the coherence between the adopted strategy (where the company in the trade domain wants to go) and the practical means of achieving it (what it has to do and what it is used for). The management controller is the person that contributes to obtain this coherence. There is plenty of information available, but for the decision making purposes only a restricted number of facts are correlated, namely the relevant ones. The trade management controller takes part in creating the information system useful for the decision making. Such a system has to offer reliable information in due time to the decision making persons concerning the profitability of certain markets, distribution areas, products, clients, the analysis of margins, distribution costs, advertising expenses etc. The trade management controller plays the role of a manager's copilot, he assists him in the management of the activity, alerts him when problems are encountered, helps him to make the necessary decisions to correct the trajectory. These are a few reasons that allow us to sustain the important role played by the management controller in the activity of the companies in the trade area.management controller, trade, customers, management, strategy, analysis, decision

The Importance of Service Placement and Channellingto Prepare Human Resources for Students to Meet the Careers of the Future

Placement and distribution Service aimed at helping put and passing students in accordance with the potential, interests, and talents. Placement and distribution services, namely continuous process to facilitate learners achieve success the process and results of the study as well as optimal development in order to achieve the goals of national education. Guidance and counselling Services in the form of peminatan provide ample opportunity for learners to channel and put yourself on the path to a more appropriate in the framework of the completion of the studies are focused, successful, educated and clear in next. The purpose of the service placement and channelling instill interest subjects, confirming the interest of subjects, as well as select and establish an interest group of subjects, the cross-subjects and study subjects who followed in the education unit, which was being pursued, career choice and/or advanced course options up to the Colleg

A Review of Occupation and Impairment Based Assessments Used in Occupational Therapy

Objective: The objective of this paper was to analyze the psychometrics, efficacy, and usefulness of assessments to measure occupational performance and occupation-based outcomes. Methodology: Eight Doctor of Occupational Therapy Students at Nova Southeastern University, along with their professor, analyzed and appraised 46 commonly used assessments to discover and explore the assessments’ purposes, theory-bases, psychometric properties, and usefulness as outcome measures. Results: We found that many high quality assessments exist and meet the standards for validity and reliability. Although some assessments are client-centered and useful, some still require additional research to strengthen their psychometric properties. Conclusion: Some widely used assessments are better for assessing occupation-based outcomes while others are better for assessing specific client factors. Despite their lack of psychometric information, some of the assessments we analyzed may still be useful in practice

Determination of MIC and Disk Diffusion Quality Control Guidelines for Meropenem–Vaborbactam, a Novel Carbapenem/Boronic Acid β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combination

Meropenem–vaborbactam is a carbapenem/cyclic boronic acid β-lactamase inhibitor combination primarily active against Gram-negative bacilli, including those harboring class A serine carbapenemases such as Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC). A Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M23-A4 (Tier 2) quality control study established broth microdilution and disk diffusion ranges for reference strains. Two KPC-producing K. pneumoniae ATCC strains are recommended for quality control testing

Saving the fourth generation Higgs with radion mixing

We study Higgs-radion mixing in a warped extra dimensional model with Standard Model fields in the bulk, and we include a fourth generation of chiral fermions. The main problem with the fourth generation is that, in the absence of Higgs-radion mixing, it produces a large enhancement in the Higgs production cross-section, now severely constrained by LHC data. We analyze the production and decay rates of the two physical states emerging from the mixing and confront them with present LHC data. We show that the current signals observed can be compatible with the presence of one, or both, of these Higgs-radion mixed states (the $\phi$ and the $h$), although with a severely restricted parameter space. In particular, the radion interaction scale must be quite low, Lambda_\phi ~ 1-1.3 TeV. If m_\phi ~ 125 GeV, the $h$ state must be heavier (m_h>320 GeV). If m_h ~ 125 GeV, the $\phi$ state must be quite light or close in mass (m_\phi ~ 120 GeV). We also present the modified decay branching ratios of the mixed Higgs-radion states, including flavor violating decays into fourth generation quarks and leptons. The windows of allowed parameter space obtained are very sensitive to the increased precision of upcoming LHC data. During the present year, a clear picture of this scenario will emerge, either confirming or further severely constraining this scenario.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures, 4 table