01-06 "The $6.1 Million Dollar Question"

What is the dollar value of saving a human life? Cost-benefit analysis of health and environmental regulation requires such a number, yet the concept raises numerous ethical and philosophical questions. There are good general reasons to reject the entire enterprise of monetizing life, and specific reasons to criticize the methods used to create such values. Valuations of life are most often based on analysis of the wage premium for risky jobs. Recent EPA analyses have relied on an extensive but dated database of wage-risk estimates, leading to an inflation-adjusted estimate of $6.1 million per life in 1999 dollars. A more appropriate interpretation of that database implies an estimate of at least$9-11 million. Some newer studies suggest much lower values - perhaps due to the weakened bargaining position of labor, a factor that has nothing to do with the value of environmental risk. The risk premium for working women is five times as great as for men, underscoring the impossibility of a "one size fits all" estimate of the value of a statistical life. Such values are not necessary for reasonable decision-making about how to reduce fatal risks.

Predictors of complementary feeding practices in Afghanistan: Analysis of the 2015 Demographic and Health Survey.

Despite improvements over the past 20 years, high burdens of child mortality and undernutrition still coexist in Afghanistan. Global evidence indicates that complementary feeding (CF) practices predict child survival and nutritional status. Our study aims to describe CF practices in Afghanistan and to discern underlying predictors of CF by analysing data from Afghanistan's 2015 Demographic and Healthy Survey. Multilevel models were constructed comprising potential predictors at individual, household, and community levels and four CF indicators: timely introduction of solid, semi-solid, or soft foods (INTRO), minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity (MDD), and minimum acceptable diet (MAD) among breastfed children. INTRO prevalence among children aged 6-8 months was 56%, whereas the prevalence of MMF, MDD, and MAD among children aged 6-23 months was 55%, 23%, and 18%, respectively. Of the seven food groups considered, four were consumed by 20% or fewer children: eggs (20%), legumes and nuts (18%), fruits and vegetables (15%), and flesh foods (14%). Increasing child age and more antenatal care visits were significantly and positively associated with greater odds of meeting all CF indicators. Lower household wealth and lower community-level access to health care services were associated with lower odds of MDD and MAD. Disparities in achieving recommended CF practices were observed by region. CF practices in Afghanistan are poor and significant socioeconomic inequities in CF are observed across the country. Our study calls for urgent policy and programme attention to improve complementary feeding practices as an intrinsic part of the national development agenda

Stagnating trends in complementary feeding practices in Bangladesh: An analysis of national surveys from 2004-2014.

Bangladesh has experienced steady socio-economic development. However, improvements in child growth have not kept pace. It is important to document complementary feeding (CF) practices-a key determinant of children's growth-and their trends over time. The study aims to examine trends in CF practices in children aged 6-23 months using data from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to identify independent predictors of four CF practice indicators among children 6-23 months, namely, timely introduction of complementary foods, minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity, and minimum acceptable diet. Introduction of complementary foods was achieved among 64-71% of children between 2004 and 2014. The proportion meeting minimum meal frequency increased from 2004 to 2007 (71-81%) and declined and held steady at 65% from 2011 to 2014. The proportion meeting minimum dietary diversity in 2011 and 2014 was low (25% and 28%), and so was minimum acceptable diet (19% and 20%). From 2007 to 2014, child dietary diversity decreased and the most decline was in the consumption of legumes and nuts (29% to 8%), vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (54% to 41%), and other fruits and vegetables (47% to 20%). Young child age (6-11 months), poor parental education, household poverty, and residence in the Chittagong and Sylhet independently predicted poorer feeding practices. Dietary diversity and overall diet in Bangladeshi children are strikingly poor. Stagnation or worsening of feeding practices in the past decade are concerning and call for decisive policy and programme action to address inappropriate child feeding practices

Globalization and formal sector migration in Brazil

Summary. — Comprehensive linked employer–employee data allow us to study the relationship between domestic formal sector migration in Brazil and globalization. Considerable worker flows in the formal labor market during 1997–2001 are directed toward lower income regions—the reverse flows of those often posited for informal labor markets. Estimation of the worker’s multi-choice migration problem shows that previously unobserved employer covariates are significant predictors associated with migration flows. These results support the idea that globalization acts on internal migration through job stability at exporting establishments and employment opportunities at locations with a concentration of foreign owned establishments. A 1% increase in exporter employment predicts a 0.3% reduced probability of migration. A 1% increase in the concentration of foreign owned establishments at potential destinations is associated with a 0.2% increase in the migration rate. � 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserve

Why Ni3_3Al is an itinerant ferromagnet but Ni3_3Ga is not

Ni$_3$Al and Ni$_3$Ga are closely related materials on opposite sides of a ferromagnetic quantum critical point. The Stoner factor of Ni is virtually the same in both compounds and the density of states is larger in Ni$_3$Ga. So, according to the Stoner theory, it should be more magnetic, and, in LDA calculations, it is. However, experimentally, it is a paramagnet, while Ni$_3$Al is an itinerant ferromagnet. We show that the critical spin fluctuations are stronger than in Ni$_3$Ga, due to a weaker q-dependence of the susceptibility, and this effect is strong enough to reverse the trend. The approach combines LDA calculations with the Landau theory and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem using the same momentum cut-off for both materials. The calculations provide evidence for strong, beyond LDA, spin fluctuations associated with the critical point in both materials, but stronger in Ni$_3$Ga than in Ni$_3$Al.Comment: replaced (incorrect version submitted

Educación, reproducción y alternativas contrahegemónicas

El presente documento corresponde a la presentación editorial del monográfico: 'Educación, reproducción y alternativas contrahegemónicas' de la revista Izquierdas. Su estructura está dividida en dos grandes bloques. En el primero, se lleva a cabo una definición histórica y teórico/conceptual de las prácticas y dinámicas de reproducción, resistencias y contrahegemonías en educación que han inspirado el desarrollo de este monográfico. En el segundo, se presenta la estructura del dossier, junto a una breve descripción del contenido de cada uno de los 15 artículos seleccionados. Finalmente se exponen algunas ideas de cierre, resaltando lo principales hitos de este trabajo desarrollado por más de doce meses

Watermelon Juice: Potential Functional Drink for Sore Muscle Relief in Athletes

L-Citrulline is an excellent candidate to reduce muscle soreness, and watermelon is a fruit rich in this amino acid. This study investigated the potential of watermelon juice as a functional drink for athletes. An in vitro study of intestinal absorption of l-citrulline in Caco-2 cells was performed using unpasteurized (NW), pasteurized (80 °C for 40 s) watermelon juice (PW) and, as control, a standard of l-citrulline. l-citrulline bioavailability was greater when it was contained in a matrix of watermelon and when no heat treatment was applied. In the in vivo experiment (maximum effort test in a cycloergometer), seven athletes were supplied with 500 mL of natural watermelon juice (1.17 g of l-citrulline), enriched watermelon juice (4.83 g of l-citrulline plus 1.17 g from watermelon), and placebo. Both watermelon juices helped to reduce the recovery heart rate and muscle soreness after 24 h.Actividad Física y Deport