Workforce or Workfare?

This article explores the use of workfare as part of an optimal tax mix when labor supply responses are along the extensive margin. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between workfare and an earned income tax credit, two policies that are designed to provide additional incentives for individuals to enter the labor force. This article shows that, despite their common goal, these policies are often at odds with each other.extensive margin, optimal income taxation, workfare

Workforce or Workfare?

This article explores the use of workfare as part of an optimal tax mix when labor supply responses are along the extensive margin. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between workfare and an earned income tax credit, two policies that are designed to provide additional incentives for individuals to enter the labor force. This article shows that, despite their common goal, these policies are often at odds with each other.Extensive margin; optimal income taxation; workfare

Correlation between pro-inflammatory alleles and clinical and laboratory markers of allergy in Xhosa South Africans

Background: Asthma and allergic disease are the result of a complex interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental exposure. It is likely that multiple genes are involved in the progression from allergen exposure to the development of signs and symptoms of allergic disease. Although advances in genetic research have progressed exponentially in the past twenty years, and a growing body of evidence from the developed world has yielded several promising candidate polymorphisms, the precise nature of the genetic basis for allergic disease remains to be elucidated. In addition, there is a paucity of literature in this field from the developing world, and for people of African origin in particular. Several studies suggest that the prevalence of asthma and allergic disease in South Africa has increased significantly over the past forty years, at a rate that is too rapid to be explained by genetic modification. A likely explanation for this trend is that an increasing number of genetically susceptible individuals are being exposed to environmental stimuli that are critical to the formation of allergic disease. It is possible, although unproven, that evolutionary adaptation of inflammatory immune responses may increase the genetic predisposition to allergic disease amongst people of Black African origin. This thesis represents the first analysis of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with regards to their prevalence in the Xhosa population, as well as the correlation between these SNPs and clinical and laboratory markers of allergic disease in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of about 300 unrelated Xhosa school children was obtained from a local high school. Phenotypic data was collected in the form of a symptom questionnaire, blood samples for total IgE as well as IgE to Ascaris lumbricoides, skin prick tests to common local food and aeroallergens, as well as a modified methacholine challenge to establish the prevalence of bronchial hyper-reactivity. In addition, genotyping was performed to investigate the prevalence of twenty-seven SNPs in this population. We aimed to establish a baseline of the prevalence of potential pro-inflammatory alleles (PIAs), as well as to investigate the relationship between these PIAs and clinical and laboratory markers of asthma and allergic disease. Results: We found several significant associations between several SNPs and allergic disease, specifically in genes relating to the development of immune tolerance (IL-10), genes relating to TH1 inflammation (IL-12 and IFNGR1) and genes relating to TH2 inflammation (IL-4, IL- 4R, IL-13). Unfortunately, the generalizability of our findings is limited by, amongst others, the selection of pupils from a single school and the use of self-reported end points as markers of clinical phenotypes rather than physician diagnosed allergic illnesses. Conclusion: This is the first trial of its kind in the Xhosa population. Despite the limitations described above, we feel that this study has provided valuable baseline prevalence data, and unearthed some interesting associations between PIAs and allergic disease. We would welcome further research in this population to confirm or refute our findings

Levels and Variations of Violation in Rape.

This chapter investigates the variations in crime scene behaviour revealed in a sample of victim statements in cases of stranger sexual assault. Building on previous findings by Canter and Heritage (1990), and Canter (1994), it was hypothesised that there existed a scale of differing levels of violation by the offender. This scale, based upon actions in the offence, ranged from personal violation, through to physical violation and finally, at the most extreme level, sexual violation. Offences could also be differentiated at the personal and physical levels in terms of hostile, controlling, stealing or involving thematic emphases to the criminal’s actions. To test these hypotheses, crime scene data from the first detected offences of 112 British rapists were analysed using a multi-dimensional scaling procedure to explore the relationships amongst crime scene actions. The results provided empirical support for the four action themes as different expressions of various intensities of violation. The implications that these findings have for the investigation of stranger sexual assault and treatment of victims are discussed

The Relation Between Managed Care Market Share and the Treatment of Elderly Fee-For-Service Patients with Myocardial Infarction

Managed care may affect medical treatments for non-managed-care patients if it alters local market structure or physician behavior. We investigate whether higher levels of overall managed care market share are associated with greater use of recommended therapies for fee-for-service patients with acute myocardial infarction using data on 112,900 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries residing in one of 320 metropolitan statistical areas, with age >= 65 years, and admitted with an acute myocardial infarction between February 1994 and July 1995 from the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project. After adjustment for patient characteristics, severity of illness, characteristics of the hospital of admission, specialty of treating physicians, and other area characteristics, patients treated in areas with high levels of managed care had greater relative use of beta-blockers during hospitalization and at discharge and aspirin during hospitalization and at discharge, consistent with more appropriate care. Patients in high HMO areas may be less likely to receive angiography when compared to areas with low levels of managed care, although this result was only marginally significant. In unadjusted comparisons, patients in high HMO market share areas had lower 30 day mortality, but there were no differences in 30 day mortality when all of the control variables were included in the model. We conclude that managed care can have widespread effects on the treatment of patients and the quality of care they receive, even for patients not enrolled in managed care organizations.

Developments in the Control of Foreign Investment in France

This Article will first review the legal provisions for the control of foreign investment in France and then will analyze them in light of France\u27s position in the Common Market and its other international obligations. Finally, it will attempt to describe the developing guidelines established by the government for foreign investment and will illustrate the application of these guidelines by a survey of recent investment cases

Control of Foreign Investment in France

The principle of freedom of investment by foreigners in France has, with few statutory exceptions, long been recognized in French law. In practice, however, exchange controls, requiring French government authorization for all foreign exchange transactions within France, have supplied the legal foundation for governmental control of foreign investment. Initiated in 1939 as a wartime measure to stem the outflow of the nation\u27s currency to safer havens,1 exchange controls were continued in the postwar era to protect a weak currency and were elaborated, in piecemeal fashion, to suit diverse and changing governmental policies. The complex and pervasive regulations provided an instrument which could be used not only to protect France\u27s monetary position but also to safeguard other national interests affected by foreign investment. In fact, exchange controls were used by the government to screen all foreign investment, and to limit those deemed inconsistent with French economic planning or political interests

Responding to God\u27s Guidance

Interview by Joshua Shuart and Laurence Weinstein of Craig Hoekenga, CEO of Microboard Processing, Inc. Craig Hoekenga is CEO of Microboard Processing, Inc. (MPI), a very successful subcontract electronics manufacturing company located in Seymour, Connecticut. There are many reasons why Hoekenga would stand out in any gathering of CEOs, but one of the most arresting reasons would be that Hoekenga credits his success to God and considers MPI a “Christian business.” The New England Journal of Entrepreneurhip editors started with a plant tour and then caught up with Hoekenga in his office

Exploratory studies to inform full-scale evaluations of complex public health interventions: the need for guidance

No abstract available