Poster Introductions I--Productivity Losses of Chronic Diseases Among Canadian Labour Force from 1994 to 2005: Estimate from the Nationally Representative Samples

Objective: This study estimates the productivity losses from different chronic disorders (e.g., heart conditions, diabetes, cancer) and some measures of risk factors (smoking, drinking) in two period of time, 1994 and 2005, among Canadian labour force. Methods: Using the data from the National Population Health Survey 1994 and Canadian Community Health Survey2005, the probability of having disability days, number of disability days, and income losses have been estimated and compared in years 1994 and 2005. In each year, a two-part model is used to estimate the impact of DM and other chronic disorders on labour market outcomes. Part one uses logistic regression to estimate the impact of risk factors and chronic diseases on the probability of having any disability day; part two uses log-transformed OLS regression with smearing correction to estimate the impact of each risk factor and chronic disorder on number of the disability days. Results: Over the past decade, the prevalence of most of the chronic disorders (e.g., diabetes, Depression, and obesity) have been increased. However, the prevalence of smoking has been decreased, and the number of regular drinkers and physical exercise has been increased. The overall trend of disability days has been increased insignificantly, for women and men. Conclusions: The results are of use to policy makers and health service researchers interested in identifying and quantifying chronic-related productivity losses using econometric modeling. Farah Farahati received her PhD. in applied microeconomics from the Department of Economics, Northern Illinois University in May 2001. Following the completion of her doctoral studies, she has worked and collaborated in many academic and governmental agencies projects, such as Centers for Mental Health care Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the Center for Program for Assessment of Technology and Health (PATH), McMaster University, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and most recently at the Toronto Health Economics Technology Assessment Collaborative (THETA) and Walkereconomics, inc. Farah\u27s work experience includes applying econometric analysis and outcomes research methodologies to the health care services issues such as decision analytic modeling, cost-effectiveness analysis, and budget impact, direct and indirect burden of illness studies

Analyzing Effectiveness of Rainwater Harvesting on Runoff Volume Reduction A Case Study of Harris County in Texas

This study presents an analysis of the effectiveness of the RainWater Harvesting (RWH) system as a decentralized stormwater management system in a neighborhood scale to reduce runoff volume flows to stormwater drainage systems. For this purpose, a fit between modeled and recorded runoff during a 10-year time frame (2010 - 2019) for a considered rainfall gage station within a specific watershed was calculated. The densely populated neighborhood in Gulfton, in the city of Houston and which is located within the 100- or 500-year floodplain, was selected for this analysis. Daily water balance simulation was executed, without RWH tank and then recalculate with RWH tank for the 227 single-family detached homes in the Gulfton subdivision in Block Group 3 Census Track 4216 for comparison. Calculating quantitative metrics were used to justify how to reduce the runoff volume and estimate how much the RWH system as a Low Impact Development (LID) system helps to divert water from the stormwater runoff. Eight different tank sizes between 500 – 4,000 gallons (in 500-gallon increments) and two different water demand scenarios: 1) indoor only and 2) indoor and outdoor were proposed. Outcomes posed that the benefits of the RWH system encompassed reducing the stormwater runoff and also reduced impacts on water sustainability at the neighborhood scale. Considering either of the two water demand scenarios (indoor water demand or indoor and outdoor water demand) within the study assumptions, results showed the most ideal tank size for saving water use and environmental issues is the 3,000-gallon tank. This tank size has the potential of reducing up to 30% of stormwater runoff annually. In addition, such a LID technique assessed to diverting an average 9 million gallons of stormwater every year, thus reducing the amount of stormwater runoff from the watershed. The collection of rainwater also has cost affordability benefits related to the water supply needs, public water infrastructure, and maintenance. With RWH installation of a 3,000-gallon tank, each home reduces an estimated 40,000 gallons of stormwater runoff annually and has the potential of satisfying 24% of indoor and 36% of indoor and outdoor water deman

The Effects of Parents' Psychiatric Disorders on Children's High School Dropout

Mental illness is known to impose substantial direct costs on the ill. In this paper, we examine an indirect cost of mental illness. We investigate the effect of parents’ mental illnesses on the schooling of their children. Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey, we find that parents’ mental illnesses increase the probability of high school dropout of children, though these effects differ markedly with disease. We also find that parental mental illness has more consistently negative effects on girls than on boys. These findings indicate that parental mental illness can have a powerful impact on children’s schooling and subsequently on their adult lives. The larger impact on girls’ schooling compounds the greater earnings and employment losses due to mental illness borne by adult women. Our results suggest that policies designed to mitigate the effects of parental mental illness on children’s schooling attainment are potentially efficient uses of society’s resources

Starre konfokale Endoskopie zur Diagnostik von experimentell induzierten oralen Vorläuferläsionen: Eine tierexperimentelle Studie

Ein starres konfokales Endoskop wird in einer präklinischen Studie auf seine Eignung zur In-vivo-Diagnostik von intraepithelialen Low- und High-grade-Läsionen untersucht. Hierzu wurde eine tierexperimentelle Studie mit chemisch induzierten Schleimhautläsionen an Mäusen gewählt. Die konfokalmikroskopischen Befunde werden mit den histopathologischen Befunden verglichen. Diese Technologie vermag mit einer Sensitivität und Spezifität von 73 und 88% zwischen intraepithelialen Low- und High-grade-Läsionen zu unterscheiden. Die Interraterreliabilität beträgt Kappa=0,59