Product Quality and Worker Quality

We study the relation between product quality and worker quality using an economic model that, under certain conditions, provides a direct link between product price, product quality and work force quality. Our measures of product quality are the evolution in the detailed product price relative to its product group and the level of the product price relative to this group. Our worker quality measures are the firm's average person effect and personal characteristics effect from individual wage rates. We find a very weak, generally positive, relation between worker quality and product quality using detailed firm-level data from the French Producer Price Index surveys.

Prevalence and burden of self-reported blindness and low vision for individuals living in institutions: a nationwide survey

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of self-reported low vision (LV) and blindness, and their associated disabilities, handicaps and socio-economic consequences for individuals living in institutions are poorly documented. METHODS: 2,075 institutions were selected at random and eight individuals were picked at random from the list of residents. Three groups of individuals were defined: blind, LV, and a control group (CG). These were compared after adjustment for age and co-morbidities. Of the 15,403 individuals, 14,603 interviews (94.9%) were completed. RESULTS: The prevalence of blindness was 1.6% and the LV 13.4%. Blind individuals needed assistance more often (OR: 2.65 to 11.35) than CG members while the assistance required by LV individuals was similar to that for the CG. Blind individuals required institution adaptation (building and furniture changes) more often than the CG. Blind (57.9%) and LV individuals (35.4%) were more often registered for social allowances. Monthly social allowances were EUR 86 higher for blind than LV individuals. Monthly family incomes were found to be similar between the three groups (from EUR 782 to 797). Social and demographic data, institution description, income, handicaps, disabilities, social allowances and details of daily activities were collected interviews CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate the impact of self-reported blindness and LV on daily life for patients living in institutions

Relative effects of urbanisation, deforestation, and agricultural development on mosquito communities

Context: Despite numerous studies that showed negative effects of landscape anthropisation on species abundance and diversity, the relative effects of urbanisation, deforestation, and agricultural development as well as the spatial extent at which they act are much less studied. This is particularly the case for mosquitoes, which are the most important arthropods affecting human health. Objectives: We determined the scale of effect of these three landscape anthropisation components on mosquito abundance and diversity. We then assessed which landscape variables had the most effect as well as their independent positive or negative effects. Methods: We used mosquito data collected by Schaffner and Mathis (2013) in 16 sampling sites in Switzerland. We measured forest, urban and agricultural amounts in 485 concentric landscapes (from 150 to 5000 m radius) around each sampling site. We then identified the spatial extent at which each landscape metric best predicted abundance and diversity of mosquito species and compared the effect size of each landscape component on each response variable. Results: In Switzerland, urbanisation and deforestation have a greater influence on mosquito diversity than agricultural development, and do not act at the same scale. Conversely, the scale of effect on mosquito abundance is relatively similar across the different landscape anthropisation components or across mosquito species, except for Culex pipiens. However, the effect size of each landscape component varies according to mosquito species. Conclusion: The scale of management must be selected according to the conservation concern. In addition, a multi-scale approach is recommended for effective mosquito community management. Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-023-01634-w [Titel anhand dieser DOI in Citavi-Projekt übernehmen]

Harnessing Useful Rhizosphere Microorganisms for Nematode Control

Nematodes are very diverse and parasitize various plants including vegetables, and their management is of concern. Biological control of nematodes provides an environmentally friendly management option and there are various micro‐soil‐borne organisms which can be considered for this purpose. The primary goal of this chapter is to provide a review on the progress made so far, in application of biological control agents in nematode management in vegetables, cereals, and root and tuber crops. This chapter will be divided into five (5) sections: (1) herbivore‐induced plant volatiles, (2) root exudates and nematode control, (3) inhibitory metabolites in bacteria for nematode management, (4) fungi and symbiotic reprogramming in host cells, and (5) fungi antagonists of nematodes

The master Marblemaker from Rance Jean-Jacques Boucneau in Liège (second half of the 18th century)

editorial reviewedLes marbres, la marbrerie et les marbriers en nos régions sous l’Ancien Régime ont fait l’objet ces dernières années de nombreuses recherches qui ont affiné considérablement la connaissance de ces métiers . Dans les Pays-Bas méridionaux et la principauté de Liège, plusieurs centres importants de production marbrière, liés à des gisements réputés de marbres noirs et de marbres jaspés, ont été étudiés, notamment Rance, Rochefort et Dinant. Bien que cette dernière localité ait relevé sous l’Ancien Régime de la principauté ecclésiastique de Liège, l’activité marbrière à Liège même reste méconnue pour cette époque. Aussi, la découverte récente, d’une supplique d’un important maître marbrier de Rance, présentant ses activités auprès des États de Liège, apporte-t-elle un éclairage intéressant et nouveau sur cette thématique peu explorée

La implementación de AICLE para mejorar las habilidades de comunicación oral en estudiantes de pregrado de una universidad pública ecuatoriana

This study aims to demonstrate that the implementation of CLIL enhances English communication skills for undergraduate students. The research focuses on the evaluation of CLIL effectiveness to develop oral communication elements. Twenty-five students, aged 19-23, participated during three months applying all the different CLIL techniques to improve the use of vocabulary, time management, fluency and confidence, common criteria to measure how much a student can master the speaking ability. The results show that most of students reached the A2.1 level at the end of the semester, even when almost 40% of the class had a poor vocabulary at the beginning of the course. The chi-squares test and the validity analysis demonstrate that there is a statistically significant association between the variables, making the study robust. These findings prove the CLIL likelihood to become the preferred methodology for English language teaching at all levels, from children to teenagers as well as adult learners, thanks to its versatility in different environments. Nevertheless, this study has some limitations as other variables like motivation and background can affect the results obtained in future research for this area.  Este estudio tiene como objetivo demostrar que la implementación de AICLE mejora las habilidades comunicativas en inglés de los estudiantes de pregrado. La investigación se centra en la evaluación de la eficacia AICLE para desarrollar elementos de comunicación oral. Veinticinco estudiantes, entre 19 y 23 años, participaron durante tres meses aplicando todas las diferentes técnicas AICLE para mejorar el uso del vocabulario, la gestión del tiempo, la fluidez y la confianza, criterios comunes para medir cuánto puede dominar un estudiante la capacidad de hablar. Los resultados muestran que la mayoría de los estudiantes alcanzaron el nivel A2.1 al final del semestre, incluso cuando casi el 40% de la clase tenía un vocabulario pobre al comienzo del curso. La prueba de chi-cuadrado y el análisis de validez demuestran que existe una asociación estadísticamente significativa entre las variables, lo que hace que el estudio sea robusto. Estos hallazgos demuestran la probabilidad de que AICLE se convierta en la metodología preferida para la enseñanza del idioma inglés en todos los niveles, desde niños hasta adolescentes, así como en adultos

Brugada Type 1 Pattern and Risk Stratification for Sudden Death: Does the Key Hide in the ECG Analysis?

Primary prevention of ventricular fibrillation is at the heart of the management of Brugada syndrome. Several recent studies have shown that the analysis of simple electrocardiographic criteria could help to stratify the risk of sudden death. In the present work, 12 markers were studied: spontaneous and permanent type 1 pattern, first-degree atrioventricular block, sinus node dysfunction, wide QRS in V2, aVR sign, fragmented QRS, S-waves in DI, early repolarization pattern, atrial fibrillation, type 1 in peripheral leads pattern, and long Tpeak-Tend interval. These electrical markers reflect abnormalities in conduction, depolarization, and repolarization that may indicate the severity of the disease. In this chapter, we carry out a review of these markers, their method of determination on the surface ECG, and the main studies highlighting their prognostic impact. We also review the main underlying pathophysiological hypotheses of Brugada syndrome

Modéliser les tissus mous pour mieux prévenir les escarres.

National audienceLa prévalence des escarres du blessé médullaire reste aujourd'hui très (trop) importante. Quatre briques devraient selon nous être assemblées pour constituer un dispositif efficace de prévention des escarres : (1) la présence d'un support optimisant la répartition des pressions de surface, (2) la mesure en continu de ces pressions de surface, (3) l'estimation des déformations internes aux tissus mous avec (4) la détection d'un risque d'escarre et l'envoi d'une alerte en direction de la personne. Cet article focalise sur les trois dernières briques qui restent à assembler pour construire un dispositif efficace de prévention des escarres

The breadth of maternal HIV-1 specific neutralizing antibodies is not associated with a lower risk of mother-to-infant transmission

International audienc

Panel Discussion: Commenting on Theodore Lowi\u27s Law, Power, and Knowledge

Commenting on Theodore Lowi\u27s Law, Power, and Knowledge Participants: Professors Francis A. Allen, Theodore J. St. Antoine, Joseph L. Sax, and E. Philip Soper of the University of Michigan Low Schoo