Structure and Dynamics of Trade in a Small Economy in Transition before the EU Accession: The Case of Czech Exports and Imports

The basic objective of this paper is to design an appropriate structural model based on economic behavioral foundations and test it on data representing the determining factors of Czech trade specialization and growth. Policy recommendations based on the functioning of some policy instruments relevant to monetary policy decisions are also a part of the study. In the empirical part of the analysis, we use alternative specifications of export and import functions estimated as panels for the EU and non-EU countries, disaggregated into 29 industries for 1993-2001. It is evident from our tests that the future of the Czech trade balance and GDP growth will hinge on ow the Czech economy substitutes its present comparative advantage in labor by building up its capital endowments, most notably its human capital endowments. Although our tests confirm that the balance of trade was fundamentally influenced by the exchange rate, aggregate demand and tariff changes, the underlying fundamental factors relevant for a sustainable trade balance and an equilibrium exchange rate rest on supply-side capacities (such as changes in factor endowments, inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI), developments in productivity and wage rates, pricing policy of enterprises and the nature of competitiveness of domestic production), which are extremely closely related to export and import performance. It seems evident that industrial policies (such as support for FDI, capital availability, the building-up of human capital or labor mobility and the promotion of domestic import substitution) can lead to significant changes in the nature of Czech exports and international competitiveness. We can induce from our analysis that the fundamental restructuring of Czech enterprises in the period 1993 -2001 was driven by openness to trade, especially with the EU. While exports offered growth and employment, accelerating import penetration required the downsizing of many industries, which burdened the whole Czech economy with high adjustment costs. Now, in a period of economic structural stabilization and EU accession, the prospects for accelerated economic growth are much higher. The seemingly low or even reversed response of trade intensities to real exchange rate appreciation can be explained by supply-side gains in the quality of products, productivity improvements, the buildup of human capital associated with FDI and the fast dynamics of intra-industrial trade, which had a low sensitivity to exchange rate fluctuations. Relative to the unwieldy performance of the state sector or the domestic production of the non-traded commodities, Czech export sector made a tremendous progress in competitiveness during 1993- 2001, showing high dynamics of growth, intensive level of structural adjustments and an accelerated seed of integration with the EU

Four Days of Caffeine Withdrawal in Caffeine Consumers Lowers Strength in Knee Flexors and Extensors

Please refer to the pdf version of the abstract located adjacent to the title

Acute Caffeine Supplementation in Regular Caffeine Consumers Minimally Affects Strength in Knee Flexors

Please refer to the pdf version of the abstract located adjacent to the title

Comparison of Constant and Temperature Dependent Blood Perfusion in Temperature Prediction for Superficial Hyperthermia

The purpose of this study was to determine whether prediction of the 3D temperature profile for superficial hyperthermia using constant blood perfusion model could be matched to one with a temperature dependent blood perfusion. We compared three different constant blood perfusion scenarios with one temperature dependent blood perfusion using a layered model of biological tissue consisting of skin (2 mm), fat (10 mm) and muscle (108 mm). For all four scenarios the maximum temperature of 43 °C was found in the muscle tissue in the close proximity (1 – 3 mm) of fat layer. Cumulative histograms of temperature versus volume were identical for the region of 100x100x40 mm3 under the applicator aperture for the three constant blood perfusion models. For temperature dependent blood perfusion model, 85 % of the studied region was covered with the temperature equal or higher than 40 °C in comparison with 43 % for the constant blood perfusion models. Hence this study demonstrates that constant blood perfusion scenarios cannot be matched to one with a temperature dependent blood perfusion

Weight stability in adults with obesity initiating medical marijuana treatment for other medical conditions

Few studies have evaluated weight change in patients who initiate medical marijuana treatment to address diagnosed health concerns. The objective of this study was to examine whether patients initiating medical marijuana use for a qualifying health condition experienced changes in health and biopsychosocial functioning over time, including weight gain or loss. Specifically, this observational, longitudinal study evaluated changes in the body mass index (BMI) of adults with co-morbid obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2) and severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) who were starting medical marijuana treatment for any of the 23 qualifying medical conditions at one of three dispensaries in Pennsylvania. Height and weight measurements were collected at baseline (prior to medical marijuana use) and then 90 days (± 14 days) later. Participants included in analyses (n = 52, M = 55.0 ± 13.6 years, 59.6% female) had a mean baseline BMI of 36.2 ± 5.4 kg/m2 and the majority sought medical marijuana for chronic pain (73.1%). No significant change in BMI was observed from baseline to month three (p \u3e 0.05) in the sample. Additionally, no significant change in BMI was observed in the subset of patients with severe obesity (n = 12, p \u3e 0.05). Our findings are limited by low follow-up rates and convenience sampling methodology but may help to mitigate weight gain concerns in the context of medical marijuana use

Characteristics of optimum falls prevention exercise programmes for community-dwelling older adults using the FITT principle

peer-reviewedThis review aims to identify the optimal exercise intervention characteristics for falls prevention among community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and over. Articles for inclusion were sourced by searching the Academic Search Premier, AMED, Biomedical Reference Collection: Expanded, CINAHL Plus, MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus databases with the key words ‘falls’, ‘prevention’, ‘exercise’ and ‘community’ and via reference lists of relevant articles. Only articles of level 1 or level 2 evidence (Howick et al. 2011) were included. Other inclusion criteria included recording falls incidence as an outcome measure, examining a community-dwelling population aged 60 years or over and implementing exercise as a single intervention in at least one group. Exercise programme characteristics from 31 articles were examined according to their frequency, intensity, time and type and their effects on falls incidence were reviewed. Exercising for a minimum of 1 h/week for at least 40 h over the course of an intervention is required to successfully reduce falls incidence. The optimal exercise frequency is three times per week, but the optimal duration per bout remains unclear. Specific balance training of sufficiently challenging intensity is a vital programme component, and strength training is most effective when combined with balance training. Flexibility and endurance training may also be included as part of a comprehensive programme. A combination of group and individual home exercise may be most effective for preventing falls and promoting exercise adherence

The case for strategic international alliances to harness nutritional genomics for public and personal health

Nutrigenomics is the study of how constituents of the diet interact with genes, and their products, to alter phenotype and, conversely, how genes and their products metabolise these constituents into nutrients, antinutrients, and bioactive compounds. Results from molecular and genetic epidemiological studies indicate that dietary unbalance can alter gene-nutrient interactions in ways that increase the risk of developing chronic disease. The interplay of human genetic variation and environmental factors will make identifying causative genes and nutrients a formidable, but not intractable, challenge. We provide specific recommendations for how to best meet this challenge and discuss the need for new methodologies and the use of comprehensive analyses of nutrient-genotype interactions involving large and diverse populations. The objective of the present paper is to stimulate discourse and collaboration among nutrigenomic researchers and stakeholders, a process that will lead to an increase in global health and wellness by reducing health disparities in developed and developing countrie