Cost-Benefit Estimation of Cadaveric Kidney Transplantation, the Case of a Developing Country

In this paper we estimate cost savings for the health-care system and quality of life improvement for patients from an increase in the number of kidney transplants in Chile. To do so, we compare the present value of dialysis and transplantation costs and quality of life in a 20-year horizon. We used Markov models and, in addition, introduce some degree of uncertainty in the value of some of the parameters that build up the model and, using Montecarlo simulations, estimate confidence intervals for our results. Our estimates suggest that an additional kidney transplant has an expected savings value of US$28,000 for the health-care system. If quality of life improvement is also considered, expected savings rise to US$ 102,000. These results imply that, increasing donation rate by one donor per million people would turn into an estimated cost saving of US$827,000 per year, or near US$ 3 million per year if the effect in the quality of life is considered. These results demonstrate that kidney transplants, along with a better quality of life for patients are a cost saving decision in developing countries.Cost-benefit analysis, kidney transplantation, quality adjusted life years, markov models

Altruism, Fertility, and the Value of Children: Health Policy Evaluation and Intergenerational Welfare*

This paper accounts for the value of children and future generations in the evaluation of health policies. This is achieved through the incorporation of altruism and fertility in a “value of life” type of framework. We are able to express adults’ willingness to pay for changes in child mortality and also to incorporate the welfare of future generations in the evaluation of current policies. Our model clarifies a series of puzzles from the literature on the “value of life” and on intergenerational welfare comparisons. We show that, by incorporating altruism and fertility into the analysis, the estimated welfare gain from recent reductions in mortality in the U.S. easily doubles.value of life, mortality, fertility, altruism, intergenerational welfare, willingness to pay

Powers in the Lucas sequence when the index is divisible by three

In this paper the m-powers with m ≥ 2 included in the Lucas sequences when the index satisfies some conditions are foun

Altruism, Fertility, and the Value of Children: Health Policy Evaluation and Intergenerational Welfare

This paper accounts for the value of children and future generations in the evaluation of health policies. This is achieved through the incorporation of altruism and fertility in "value of life" type of framework. We are able to express adults' willingness to pay for changes in child mortality and also to incorporate the welfare of future generations in the evaluation of current policies. Our model clarifies a series of puzzles from the literature on the "value of life" and on intergenerational welfare comparisons. We show that, by incorporating altruism and fertility into the analysis, the estimated welfare gain from recent reductions in mortality in the U.S. easily doubles.

Fascism and violence in Spain : A comparative update

Fascism in Spain? Almost no historian has spoken of fascism in Franco's Spain without denying it altogether, modifying conceptual boundaries or adding terminological parameters (para-, proto-, pseudo-,-ized). Yet, it is just possible that something is not being handled correctly. In this article, through a critical review of some of the central features in the field of historical interpretation of fascism, comparative analysis is employed to re-examine the current characterization of the Franco regime and to identify it as fascist during the civil war and immediate postwar period. In examining some of the latest historiographical debates and advances, this article proposes a coherent reading of Spanish fascism. In this sphere historiography does seem to be in agreement: violence and its contexts occupy a central position in the analysis of fascism. Violence, institutionalization and context are some of the theoretical issues that aim to re-evaluate the position of Franco's Spain within the European family of Fascism

A fascist warfare? Italian fascism and war experience in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)

Initiated as an armament, strategic and diplomatic assistance, the fascist intervention in the Spanish Civil War soon made Italy a belligerent country in the conflict. Once the initial coup d'état plan had failed, the Corpo Truppe Volontarie (CTV) was created to help Franco, and also as a tool to build fascist Spain and, indeed, fascist Europe. This paper examines a crucial part of the Italian intervention in Spain, far from irrelevance or trivialization: a multi-faced combat and war experience

Fascist Civil Warfare : Mussolini's Wars in Spain and Italy, 1936-1945

Rodrigo proposes in this chapter a critical review of the concept 'fascist warfare' through the comparative analysis of fascist participation in two civil wars: Spain, 1936-1939 and Italy, 1943-1945

Modeling changes in the tidal propagation and its implication for vessel navigation in Guadalquivir estuary ( Spain)

The Port of Seville is an inland harbour located in the Guadalquivir Estuary some 80 km from the river mouth and is the unique Spanish inland port. Vessel traffic in the estuary is a relevant economic activity and a suitable trade-off between vessel draught and safety to prevent ship aground is required and to optimize the port operability. The Guadalquivir is a mesotidal estuary with tidal range of 2-3 m, an important fraction of the minimum depth of the navigation waterway (presently 6.5m). Upstream navigation is favoured around high water as the tide progresses at 12 knots, which is comparable to the vessel speed, thus allowing greater vessel draughts. Oceanwards navigation of heavy vessels, on the contrary, is hampered by the tide because a low water is unavoidably met when heading downstream. A 3D, high resolution hydrodynamic model has been implemented in the whole estuary to study the tidal propagation. The model is forced by the oceanic tide at the mouth and freshwater discharges controlled by an upstream dam at the head. It has been satisfactorily validated and predicts tidal oscillations with high accuracy (less than 4 cm in amplitude and 20 min in phase everywhere in the estuary). Based on the model outputs of tidal heights and currents and using present-day estuary bathymetry, a MATLAB application has been developed for shipping planning (Vessel Traffic Decision Support System, VTDSS). The application allows the final users to test different traffic scheduling scenarios in order to assess the effects on navigational patterns and explore possible management and policy scenarios under sea level rise and changes in tidal propagation. A description of the model and an overview of the VTDSS are presented here; the effectiveness as a decision support tool is demonstrated via the simulated navigation time of several vessels.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Autoridad Portuaria de Sevill