Examens microbiologiques de qualité sur une pomme bio

Les premiers résultats confirment l’hypothèse qu’entre les pommes bio et PI, des différences conditionnées par le mode de production existent, tant en ce qui concerne le nombre que la fréquence des moisissures et des levures ; ces différences pourraient s’avérer importantes du point de vue nutritionnel et qualitatif. Ainsi, les pommes biologiques ont présenté un plus grand nombre d’endophytes, dont en majeure partie des moisissures. C’est là un fait important dans la mesure où les consommateurs mangent les pommes avec leur peau et que ces fruits sont stockés au frais pendant plusieurs mois. Afin d’en savoir davantage sur les microorganismes trouvés sur la pomme, un protocole PCR a été établi sur la base de la région ITS de l’ADN, afin d’identifier les moisissures et les levures. Cette méthode permet de détecter les microorganismes qui sont capables de se développer sur la pomme, mais qui ne sont pas cultivables, et qui, de ce fait, passeraient inaperçus avec les seules techniques microbiologiques (env 90% des microorganismes!

Health status and retirement decisions for older European couples

In this paper we use data the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) to describe and analyse the dynamics of joint labour force behaviour of older couples for the EU12 countries. We focus on three main issues: the relevance of joint retirement across EU12 countries, the existence of complementarities in leisure and/or assortative matting and the effects of health variables. Concerning the evidence, we first find that a working spouse is more likely to retire the more recently the other spouse has retired; this effect is stronger if the wife is the working spouse. Second, there is evidence of assortative mating and/or complementarities in leisure; the effects of all relevant factors on the retirement decision of one spouse depend strongly on whether the other one is working, unemployed, or retired. Third, besides the standard evidence that poor health increases the retirement probability, we find that the husband's health affects the couple's retirement decisions much more strongly than the wife's health does. Additional asymmetric effects are detected with respect to income related variables.joint retirement decisions ; labour force transitions ; health variables ; asymmetric effects

An Empirical Analysis of the Demand for Physician Services Across the European Union

This paper presents parameter estimates for physician services equations using the European Community Household Panel for 12 countries covering the period 1994-1996. The focus is on two specific points: i) the identification of behavioural similarities and differences in the demand for health across the countries; ii) the variability of the demand for health captured through a joint model for all the countries. We find that there are significant differences across countries, although there are also similarities in the effect of variables such as the health stock, labour situation or family structure. An important fraction of the variability of the demand of health services across countries could be explained from differences in age, income, and the role of General Practitioners (GP) as a gatekeepers in the public health system. We also find some evidence of induced demand effects in both the decision to visit and the number of visits to specialists.count data; demand; physician services; latent class model; two-part model

Health status and retirement decisison for older european couples.

In this paper we use data the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) to describe and analyse the dynamics of joint labour force behaviour of older couples for the EUI2 countries. We focus on three main issues: the relanvance of joint retirement across EUI2 countries, the existence of complementarities in leisure and/or assortative matting and the effects of health variables. Concerning the evidence, we first find that a working spouse is more likely to retire the more recently the other spouse has retired; this effect is stronger if the wife is the working spouse. Second, there is evidence of assortative mating and/or complementarities in leisure; the effects of all relevant factors on the retirement decision of one spouse depend strongly on whether the other one is working, unemployed, or retired. Third, besides the standard evidence that poor health increases the retirement probabiliby, we find that the husband's health affects the couple's retirement decisions much more strongly than the wife's health does. Additional asymmetric effects are detected with respect to income related variables.Joint retirement decisions; Labour force transitions; Health variables; Asymmetric effects;

Recent Advances in Intermediate Filaments—Volume 1

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An empirical analysis of the demand for health using the European Community Household Panel

This paper estimates demand for health equations using three waves of data from the European Community Household Panel. The economic model is a typical specification of Grossman's [1] proposal. The paper focuses on three specific points: i) the existence of two stages in the demand for health decision process (to contact a physician and how often to visit him). ii) the analysis of this double-hurdle process in different scenarios (visits to the general practitioners, the specialists and the dentists). iii) the analysis of differences across countries due to the differences on the coverage of the National Insurance Systems. The results suggest that the contact and frequency decisions of visits to either the general practitioner, the specialist or even the dentist are governed by different stochastic processes. As expected, we find some differences in the behaviour of men and women, mainly in the decisions to visit and the number of visits to specialist. We also show that the behavioural differences across countries are not extremely important, being perhaps income a determinant of the decision to contact and the intensity of the treatment in poor countries

Health status and retirement decisison for older european couples

In this paper we use data the European Community Household Panel (ECHP) to describe and analyse the dynamics of joint labour force behaviour of older couples for the EUI2 countries. We focus on three main issues: the relanvance of joint retirement across EUI2 countries, the existence of complementarities in leisure and/or assortative matting and the effects of health variables. Concerning the evidence, we first find that a working spouse is more likely to retire the more recently the other spouse has retired; this effect is stronger if the wife is the working spouse. Second, there is evidence of assortative mating and/or complementarities in leisure; the effects of all relevant factors on the retirement decision of one spouse depend strongly on whether the other one is working, unemployed, or retired. Third, besides the standard evidence that poor health increases the retirement probabiliby, we find that the husband's health affects the couple's retirement decisions much more strongly than the wife's health does. Additional asymmetric effects are detected with respect to income related variables

Comportamiento cíclico de la política fiscal en Argentina: ¿Década ganada o década perdida?

This paper analyses the relationship between Argentina's national public expenditure and its business cycle. It uses monthly time series from 1993. In order to capture probable fiscal-policy-cyclical-behavior improvement, as alleged by several other authors towards emerging countries, the two decades of cyclical behavior is contrasted; starting from 1993 to 2002, and from 2003 onwards. It's found less procyclicality on total expenditure since 2003 though Argentina didn't achieve overcoming it. Capital expenditure's role is highlighted, since it could have been taken as a countercyclical tool during the last decade. A significant increase in government size is pointed out. However, the latter deserves a separate discussion.Se analiza el gasto del sector público nacional y sus componentes en relación al ciclo económico de Argentina, con series mensuales desde 1993. Se diferencia el análisis cíclico en dos décadas: 1993-2002 y 2003 en adelante, para detectar si hubo una mejora en el comportamiento cíclico de la política fiscal en Argentina, como evidenciaron algunos autores para otros países emergentes. Puede observarse una menor prociclicidad del gasto total a partir de 2003, pero no se detecta un gran avance de Argentina para liberarse de la prociclicidad de la política fiscal. Se destaca el rol del gasto de capital, que puede haber constituido una herramienta anticíclica en la última década. Se advierte un significativo crecimiento del tamaño del Estado, lo que merece una discusión aparte

The scale model of Cadiz 1779: military utility or power metaphor

A finales de 1776 Carlos III pone en marcha un proyecto cuyo objetivo fue la creación de una colección de maquetas de las ciudades fortificadas más importantes del Reino. El promotor de dicho proyecto será su ministro de la Guerra, el Conde de Ricla, quien contará para su puesta en marcha y desarrollo con el reconocido cuerpo de ingenieros militares, a la cabeza del cual se situará el ingeniero y arquitecto italiano Francisco Sabatini. Aunque inicialmente el proyecto nace con mucha fuerza, tan sólo llega a realizarse la maqueta de la ciudad de Cádiz, finalizada en 1779. Analizadas en profundidad las características geométricas de esta maqueta, medida con escáner láser 3D en el ámbito de esta investigación, y con los datos rescatados de la documentación manuscrita conservada en los archivos, referente al mencionado proyecto, profundizamos en las causas que provocaron el repentino final del mismo, así como en el conocimiento que se tenía en aquella época de estas maquetas, muy presentes en otras cortes europeas. Si bien parece, en un principio, que se trataban de herramientas al servicio del análisis de las estrategias militares, ponemos en duda que, realmente, la verdadera intención de este proyecto fuera esa y sí, la de fabricar unos objetos que pudieran representar el verdadero poder de un imperio en una época donde estaba en juego tanto la supremacía en Europa como en América.At the end of 1776, Carlos III launched a project whose objective was the creation of a collection of scale models of the most important fortified towns of the Kingdom. The leader of this project would be his minister of war, the Count of Ricla, who would rely on the renowned corps of military engineers for its implementation and development. The head of this corps was the engineer and Italian architect Francisco Sabatini. Although the project started strongly, the only model actually created was that of the city of Cadiz, completed in 1779. Having analysed the geometric characteristics of this scale model in great depth by means of measuring with a 3D laser scanner, and having extracted data concerning this project from the manuscript documentation preserved in the archives, we delve further both into the causes that led to the sudden termination of this project, and into the knowledge held in that era on these models, which were very much present in other European Courts. While it seems, initially, that these models were tools in the service of military strategy analysis, we question whether this was the true intent of this project or whether it was to produce objects that could represent the true power of an empire at a time when supremacy in Europe and the Americas was at stake. KEY WORDS scale model; model; relief model; military engineers; Cadiz; XVIII centur