Internal inconsistency and risk aversion: Implications on smoking decisions

The main contribution of this paper is an analysis of the nature of the link between internal coherence and risk aversion. Both variables play an important role in individual decisions concerning risk behaviors. We compare the levels of internal consistency and risk aversion among smokers and non-smokers. To measure the individual internal coherence and risk aversion, we use a survey that includes lottery questions. Our results confirm that smokers are consistent in their decisions and they behave as risk averse. These results should be treated with circumspection as lottery questions are based on monetary expectations that depend on socio-economic conditions and they obviate other dimensions such as social recognition. La principal contribución de este artículo es analizar la naturaleza de la asociación entre la coherencia interna y la aversión al riesgo. Ambas variables juegan un papel principal en las decisiones individuales sobre comportamientos de riesgo, tal que como caso particular, comparamos los niveles consistencia interna y aversión al riesgo entre fumadores y no fumadores. Para medir la coherencia interna y la aversión al riesgo individual, recurrimos a una encuesta que incluye preguntas de loterías. Nuestros resultados confirman que los fumadores son consistentes en sus decisiones, y de hecho, se comportan como adversos al riesgo. Estos resultados hay que tomarlos con cautela, pues las preguntas sobre loterías se basan principalmente en expectativas monetarias que dependen de condiciones socio-económicas obviando otras dimensiones como el reconocimiento social

Exploring Corporate Social Responsibility under the Background of Sustainable Development Goals: A Proposal to Corporate Volunteering

The research into corporate volunteering (CV) has been prolific, although few studies have focused their approach on senior and retired workers under the framework of the corporate social responsibility (CSR). The social participation of retirees in CV activities contributes to the businesses'' socially responsible performance and can be intimately connected with the global commitment pursued by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the year 2030. This article aims to explore the key issues that might have influence the effective implementation of CV programs to integrate retired and pre-retired workers, promoting a participatory and healthy aging. Based on the interface of internal and external corporate social responsibility, we discuss how CV can achieve social legitimacy, influencing the health and well-being of workers beyond the employment relationship. The main contribution of this article to the state of art is to extend the literature on CSR and CV by elaborating a theoretical model that integrates both perspectives with the focus on the SDGs. The results suggest that SDGs represent an opportunity and a frame of reference for CSR strategies. Companies engaged in senior CV activities could enhance their corporate and social images within the strategic action of social responsibility, indisputably improving people''s health and well-being

Corporate Volunteering: a Tool for Promoting a Strategy for Internal Corporate Social Responsibility Integrating Retirees

This paper aims to make an exploratory analysis of the effectiveness of implementing a Corporate Volunteering program aimed at the context of retired workers, as a tool for participatory and healthy aging. The research study focused on the importance of the social participation of retirees in a company as a priority interest for the development of Corporate Volunteering programs, and delved into the expression of the socially responsible performance of organizations in volunteering actions carried out by their retired employees. Results show that the performance of retirees in a company’s volunteering activities can count on intimately connected theoretical supports and is closely related to Corporate Social Responsibility, fostering an active, healthy and fair old age, with socialbenefit to the community

Self-rated health in Europe and its determinants: Does generation matter?

Objectives: To analyse the influence of micro- and macro-factors on self-rated health, and the role of generation on this relationship. Methods: Cross-sectional study using data from European Health Interview Surveys from 14 European countries. Individuals were divided into four generations (“silent generation”, “baby boomers”, and “generation X” and “Y”). We conducted multilevel analyses for each generation to study the influence of individual and national explanatory variables on self-rated health. Results: Age showed an exponential effect in older generations. Education and employment presented the strongest association with low self-rated health, especially in “baby boomers” and women (low education: OR 3.5; 95% CI 3.2–3.9). Tobacco showed a negative effect in younger generations. Overweight and low physical activity were negatively associated with self-rated health regardless of generation. Countries from the Eastern welfare system showed the highest risk of low self-rated health and this association was higher in men for “silent generation” (OR 4.7; 95% CI 3.0–7.6). Conclusions: The influence of individual and national factors on self-rated health varies regarding generation. The target generation and the demographic structure of a country should be taken into account to develop more accurate health policies

Cardiovascular risk biomarkers and metabolically unhealthy status in prepubertal children: Comparison of definitions

Background and aims: The early onset of cardio-metabolic abnormalities, known as metabolically unhealthy (MU) status, is highly associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as with increased morbidity and mortality later in life. Given the lack of a consensus MU classification for prepubertal children, we aimed to compare available MU definitions in terms of their association with CVD risk biomarkers. Methods and results: A total of 930 prepubertal children (622 with overweight/obesity, 462 males) aged 5–10.9 years were recruited, anthropometric measures were taken and biomarkers were analyzed. Children were classified using eight MU definitions based on different cut-offs for blood pressure, triacylglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). MU prevalence in children with overweight/obesity ranged between 30% and 60% across definitions. Plasma concentrations of resistin, leptin, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and total plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (tPAI-1) were higher, and those of adiponectin were lower, in MU compared to MH children with overweight/obesity. Linear regression analyses confirmed the contribution of MPO and tPAI-1 concentrations to MU status, with most significant results derived from definitions that use age and sex-specific criteria and that account for HOMA-IR. Conclusion: Plasma concentrations of MPO and tPAI-1 are increased in prepubertal MU children irrespective of having normal-weight or overweight/obesity. Inclusion of age and sex-specific cut-offs for cardio-metabolic components as well as insulin resistance criteria increases the quality of MU definitions as seen by their stronger association with CVD biomarkers concentrations

Voluntariado en Latinoamérica: aproximación a las diferencias entre países

La participación en actividades de voluntariado es un vehículo de participación en la comunidad de forma que enriquece al conjunto de la sociedad y a las personas que lo realizan. Los datos de las Encuestas de Valores Mundiales (WVS, 2010-2014) evidencian que en Latinoamérica el porcentaje de voluntarios varía de forma relevante de unos países a otros, tal que en Colombia el 65% realizan actividades de voluntariado, frente al 23% de Ecuador. Mientras que el voluntariado ha sido ampliamente estudiado en países anglosajones y europeos, apenas hay estudios para Latinoamérica. La principal contribución de este trabajo radica precisamente en ampliar el conocimiento de los factores que influyen en la decisión de ser voluntario en los diferentes países de Latinoamérica. Los datos de la WVS nos permiten llevar a cabo un análisis que controla dos niveles de agregación: individuo y país. Nuestros resultados destacan la relación positiva entre renta y educación con afiliación y participación en el tercer sector. Ya que se constata que el voluntariado es una herramienta para mejorar el capital humano y capital social de los ciudadanos sería deseable establecer intervenciones públicas que fomenten el voluntariado entre personas con menos recursos o en riesgo de exclusión

Dietary patterns and their association with body composition and cardiometabolic markers in children and adolescents: Genobox cohort

Diet is a key factor for obesity development; however, limited data are available on dietary cluster analysis in children with obesity. We aimed to assess the associations between dietary patterns and obesity and several cardiometabolic markers. Anthropometry, bioelectrical impedance, blood pressure and plasma biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial damage were determined in 674 Caucasian children, aged 5–16, with normal or excess weight. Using a food frequency questionnaire and cluster analysis, two consistent dietary patterns were shown, labeled as health conscious (HC) and sweet and processed (SP). The HC pattern included a greater proportion of participants with overweight/obesity than the SP cluster (80.1% vs. 63.8%). However, children with obesity within the HC cluster, showed less abdominal fat, through waist to hip (0.93 vs. 0.94) and waist to height (0.61 vs. 0.63) indexes (p < 0.01). Univariate general models showed several additional differences in cardiometabolic risk biomarkers in the global and stratified analyses, with a healthier profile being observed mainly in the HC cluster. However, multivariate models questioned these findings and pointed out the need for further studies in this field. Anyhow, our findings support the benefits of a healthy diet and highlight the importance of dietary patterns in the cardiometabolic risk assessment of children with overweight/obesity, beyond weight control

Cysteine-based 3-substituted 1, 5-benzoxathiepin derivatives: Two new classes of anti-proliferative agents

Two distinct series of the 3-amino-1, 5-benzoxathiepin scaffold, derived from L-cysteine, were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-proliferative activity in the breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, and in the ovarian carcinoma SKOV-3 cell line. (3R)-Amino-3, 4-dihydro-2H-1, 5-benzoxathiepin [(R)-10] was diversified into two forms: (a) by incorporating different amino acids at its position 3, through an amide bond; and (b) by construction of the purine ring to give 6-chloro-9-[2-(3, 4-dihydro-2H-1, 5-benzoxathiepin-(3R)-yl)]-9H-purine [(R)-28]. Nevertheless, when the introduction of iodine was tried at position 2 of the purine ring of (R)-28, 2-{[2-(6-chloro-2-iodo-9H-purin-9-yl) prop-2-en-1-yl] thio} phenol (34) was obtained. Compound 34 shows activity against cancer cells. Interestingly, 34 inhibits mammosphere formation at the micromolar range, demonstrating activity against cancer stem cells. Although further studies of its targets and mechanism of action are needed, these findings support the therapeutic potential of this compound in cancer

Risk-taking attitudes of people who seek health care: An exploratory approach through lottery games using generalized estimating equations

Background: The characterization of the risk-taking attitude of individuals may be useful for planning health care interventions. It has been attempted to study expressions of risk-taking attitude and evaluate characteristics of a standard lottery game in a population that seeks health care to elicit these attitudes. Methods: Multicentric cross-sectional study. Demographic and socioe-conomic characteristics, quality of life (EuroQol-5D), and health risk behaviors were collected from 662 users of 23 health centers selected by random sampling. Risk-taking attitude was evaluated by means of a self-evaluation scale and two lotteries games (L1 and L2; L2 included the possibility of economic losses). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) explicative models were used to evaluate the variability of risk-taking attitude. Results: Nineteen percent out of interviewed people (CI95%: 15.6-22.6%) expressed a high risk appetite, but only 10.0% (CI95% 7.0 to 13.0) were classified as risk-seeking by L2. It was found association between increased risk appetite and having a better perception of health status (0.110. CI95%: 0.007-0.212) or a higher income (0.010. CI95%: 0.017-0.123) or smoking status (0.059. CI95%: 0.004-0.114). Being Spanish was associated with lower risk appetite (-0.105. CI95%: -0.005 -0.205), as being over 65 (-0.031. CI95%:- 0.061- -0.001) or a woman (-0.038. CI95%:-0.064- -0.012). The intraclass correlation coefficient for self-evaluation scale was 0.511 (95% CI: 0.372 to 0.629), 0.571 (95% CI: 0.441-0.678) for L1 and 0.349 (95% CI: 0.186-0.493) for L2. Conclusions: People who seek health care express certain inclination to risk, but this feature is attenuated when methodologies involving losses are used. Risk appetite seems greater in young people, males, people with better health, or more income, and in immigrants. Lottery games such as the proposed ones are a simple and useful tool to estimate individuals'' inclination to risk

Comprimidos bucodispersables: ventajas terapéuticas y tecnológicas de elaboración

Los comprimidos bucodispersables se definen como comprimidos no recubiertos destinados a ser colocados en la boca, donde se dispersan rápidamente antes de ser tragados. Estas formulaciones son conocidas por las siglas FDDT´s (Fast Dissolving Disintegrating Tablets). Son útiles para la administración a pacientes con dificultades en la deglución, presentan una elevada aceptación por parte del paciente, mejoran de la biodisponibilidad del principio activo y suponen una nueva alternativa para la industria farmacéutica. Dentro de sus inconvenientes destacan el poco conocimiento por parte del paciente, la baja resistencia mecánica, su mayor susceptibilidad a la degradación por temperatura y humedad; la falta, a veces, de bioequivalencia con las formulaciones convencionales, y la dificultad de obtener liberaciones prolongadas o retardadas del principio activo. A nivel tecnológico, existen varios procesos que se pueden aplicar en su elaboración. Con los métodos clásicos de elaboración de comprimidos, mediante la correcta selección de los excipientes y de las variables de la etapa de compresión se obtienen unos comprimidos en los que existe un equilibrio entre dureza y disgregación. Han surgido una serie de tecnologías novedosas: Flashtab, Wowtab, Orasolv y Durasolv. Otra opción es el empleo de técnicas de liofilización, aunque presenta como desventaja su alto coste. Algunas tecnologías especiales patentadas como son Lyoc, QuickSolv y Zydis. Por último, estos comprimidos se pueden elaborar por el método de los polímeros entrecruzados, también conocido como FlashDose y se basa en la formación de una matriz de hilos de azúcares entrelazados.Orally Disintegrating Tablets are defined as non-coated tablets that are placed in the mouth, where they are rapidly disintegrated before being swallowed. These formulations are known by the acronym FDDT's (Fast Dissolving Disintegrating Tablets). They are useful for administration to patients with difficulties in swallowing, present high acceptance by the patient, improve the bioavailability of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and represent a new alternative for the pharmaceutical industry. Among their disadvantages are the lack of knowledge by the patient, the low hardness and friability, their major degradation susceptibility by temperature and moisture environment, the non bioequivalence with the conventional formulations that sometimes happens and finally the difficulty to obtain prolonged or delayed drug release. From a pharmaceutical technological point of view, there are several processes that can be applied in their preparation. With the conventional tableting technology, choosing a proper role of excipients and variables in the compression stage, tablets with a good balance between hardness and disgregation must be obtained. A series of innovative technologies have been arisen: Flashtab, Wowtab, Orasolv and Durasolv. Another option is the use of freeze drying technique, although it high cost represents a significantly disadvantage. There are some special patented technologies such as Lyoc, QuickSolv and Zydis. Finally, these tablets can be produced by the method of interlocking polymers, also known as FlashDose base on the formation of a matrix of interwoven threads of sugar