The passive drinking effect: Evidence from Italy

This paper investigates whether consumption of alcoholic beverages affects distribution of resources among household members. We refer to this effect, highlighting the negative impact that alcohol addicted individuals can have on other household members wellbeing. To investigate this issue we rely on the collective framework and estimate a structural collective demand system. Our results show that for Italian households a high level of alcohol consumption influences the allocation of resources in favour of the husband, with a larger effect in poor households. This evidence implies that alcohol consumption is not only an individual problem. Public costs that are transferred to the other household members should be taken into account when designing social policies.collective model ; demand system ; sharing rule ; alcohol consumption ; intra-household resources distribution ; policy implications

Primal-Dual Estimation of a Linear Expenditure Demand System

Efficient estimates require the utilization of all the available theoretical and statistical information. This fact suggests that econometric models based on an explicit optimization theory might achieve more efficient estimates when all the primal and dual relations are used for a joint estimation of the model’s parameters. We present a discussion of this idea using a Linear Expenditure System (LES) of consumer demand. We assume that the risk-neutral household chooses its consumption plan on the basis of expected information. Some time after that decision, the econometrician attempts to measure quantities and prices and in so doing commits measurement errors. Hence, the econometric model is an errors-in-variables nonlinear system of equations for which there is no known consistent estimator. We propose an easy-to-implement estimator and analyze its empirical properties by a Monte Carlo simulation that shows a relatively small bias.Consumer demand functions, primal-dual, linear expenditure system, Demand and Price Analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, D0,

TRIPBAM: Leveraging Digital Data Streams to Unleash Savings

TRIPBAM pioneered automated clustered rate monitoring in the hotel industry. After capturing a traveler’s reservation, TRIPBAM software scrutinized the digital data stream of changing room rates and notified users of any potential savings. While TRIPBAM could successfully discover savings for its many customers, its executives focused on the challenge of turning TRIPBAM into a resilient, viable business going forward. Many questions awaited a clear answer. Was the consumer space the one that had the greatest potential or should the firm focus exclusively on the corporate market? How could TRIPBAM protect its early advantage from its inevitable imitators? Both the consumer and business opportunities looked wide open even though each side presented distinct challenges to growth. To achieve profitability, TRIPBAM needed to not just grow the user base but also seek a unique position in the market to defend against the increasing number of startups entering their space. The case provides substantial data and information for students to step in the shoes of TRIPBAM’s executives and provide some answers to the above questions

The passive drinking effect: Evidence from Italy

This paper investigates whether consumption of alcoholic beverages affects distribution of resources among household members. We refer to this effect, highlighting the negative impact that alcohol addicted individuals can have on other household members wellbeing. To investigate this issue we rely on the collective framework and estimate a structural collective demand system. Our results show that for Italian households a high level of alcohol consumption influences the allocation of resources in favour of the husband, with a larger effect in poor households. This evidence implies that alcohol consumption is not only an individual problem. Public costs that are transferred to the other household members should be taken into account when designing social policies.Cet article étudie si la consommation de boissons alcoolisées affecte la distribution des ressources entre les membres du ménage. Nous nous référons à cet effet comme le Passive Drinking Effect, en mettant en évidence l'impact négatif que des individus dépendant de l'alcool peuvent avoir sur le bien-être des autres membres de la famille. Pour répondre à cette question nous nous appuyons sur le modèle collectif et on estime un système structurelle de demande de consommation. Nos résultats montrent que, pour les foyers italiens un niveau élevé de consommation d'alcool influe sur la répartition des ressources en faveur du mari, avec un effet plus grand pour les ménages pauvres. Cette évidence implique que la consommation d'alcool n'est pas seulement un problème individuel: les coûts publics qui sont transférés aux autres membres du ménage doivent être pris en compte dans le cadre des politiques sociales

INTRAHOUSEHOLD DISTRIBUTION IN MIGRANT-SENDING FAMILIES

This paper studies the distribution of resources within families with migrant member abroad. We derive a complete collective demand system with individual Engel effects for male and female adults and children, and the respective share of resources. The focus is on migrant-sending families in Albania, where gender and inter-generational inequalities are relevant social issues. The results show that the female share of resources is substantially lower with respect to an equal distribution and do not benefit from father's migration. Children have a larger share of resources and benefit from their fathers migration, when women maintain control over family decisions and when the proportion of female children is larger (at the detriment of women)

Zoorate: Certifying Online Consumer Reviews to Create Value

Zoorate emerged from its cofounders’ ambition to develop a Web portal for aggregating product reviews. The company’s core product, Feedaty, had evolved from a platform that matched reviewers by affinity into a full-fledged platform for aggregating and certifying consumer feedback. Specifically targeting online sellers and merchants, Zoorate continually increased its client based and signed up more than 1,000 customers by 2017. Supported by the strategic partnership and synergies with its shareholder 7Pixel Srl, the firm appeared to have finally set sail for success. However, several challenges lay ahead. The main competitors continued to grow in strength internationally and increasingly challenged Feedaty’s value proposition. How should Zoorate efficiently grow Feedaty? How should it deal with strong international competition that had begun to gain traction in Italy? Should the company continue to consolidate its Italian presence or expand abroad? The answer to these difficult questions would ultimately determine Zoorate’s future

Transient phrenic nerve paralysis associated with status asthmaticus

Phrenic nerve paralysis is a condition typically occurring after invasive procedures in the chest and neck. Here we describe a case of transient unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis in a child with status asthmaticus complicated by complete right lung atelectasis. Common causes of this disorder and possible implications for our case are discussed

Abscisic Acid’s Role in the Modulation of Compounds that Contribute to Wine Quality

ARTÍCULO PUBLICADO EN REVISTA EXTERNA. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in the plant responses to environmental signals, in particular by triggering secondary metabolism. High-altitude vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina, are exposed to elevated solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) levels and moderate water deficits (WD), thus producing grapevine berries with high enological quality for red winemaking. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and phenolic compounds (PCs) accumulate in the berry skins, possess antioxidant activity, and are important attributes for red wine. The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of ABA in the modulation of these compounds in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Malbec wines by comparing the independent and interactive effects of UV-B, WD, and ABA. Two UV-B treatments (ambient solar UV-B or reduced UV-B), two watering treatments (well-watered or moderate water deficit) and two ABA treatments (no ABA and sprayed ABA) were given in a factorial design during one growing season. Sprayed ABA, alone and/or in combination with UV-B (specially) and WD (to a lower degree) increased low molecular weight polyphenols (LMWP), anthocyanins, but most noticeably the stilbenes trans-resveratrol and piceid. Under these treatments, VOCs were scarcely affected, and the antioxidant capacity was influenced by the combination of UV-B and WD. From a technological point of view, ABA applications may be an effective vineyard management tool, considering that it elicited a higher content of compounds beneficial for wine aging, as well compounds related to color