Essays on Human Capital Formation

This dissertation consists of three essays on the economics of human capital formation. In these essays, I explore how parents determine the skills developed in children, how these skills lead to important economic outcomes and the issues involved in the measurement of these skills in children. In the first chapter, "The Effect of Maternal Psychological Distress on Children's Cognitive Development'', I study the relationship between maternal mental health and children's cognitive skills. I develop a model that allows me to separate the different mechanisms that relate maternal mental health to children's cognition. In order to identify the causal effect of maternal mental health, I exploit variation among U.S. states in mental health insurance coverage laws, which improved access to mental health care services. I find that maternal mental health problems mainly affect children through a decrease in the productivity (quality) of maternal time investments. The second chapter, "The Economic Value of Breaking Bad: Misbehavior, Schooling and the Labor Market'', studies the relationship between childhood misbehavior, schooling and labor market outcomes. We show that externalizing behavior (linked, for example, to aggression), reduces educational attainment yet increases earnings. This finding illustrates our main point that, different than cognition and health, non-cognitive skills can be productive in some economic contexts and counter-productive in others. As a result, policies designed to promote human capital accumulation could have mixed effects or even negative economic consequences, especially for policies targeting non-cognitive skill formation for children aimed solely at improving educational outcomes. In the third and final chapter, "When Mothers and Teachers Disagree: Observer Reports and Children's Noncognitive Skills'', I explore the methodological challenges involved in measuring noncognitive skills in children. The usual approach involves asking parents or teachers about different child behaviors. This is problematic, as I show that mothers and teachers rarely agree when reporting on these behaviors. More importantly, I show that maternal and teacher reports are measuring different aspects of child development. While teacher reports mainly measure child misbehavior associated with adult risky behaviors, maternal reports also measure behaviors related to the child's mental health

The Economic Value of Breaking Bad: Misbehavior, Schooling and the Labor Market

Prevailing research argues that childhood misbehavior in the classroom is bad for schooling and, presumably, bad for labor market outcomes. In contrast, we argue that some childhood misbehavior represents underlying socio-emotional skills that are valuable in the labor market. We follow work from psychology and categorize observed classroom misbehavior into two underlying latent factors. We then estimate a model of educational attainment and earnings outcomes, allowing the impact of each of the two factors to vary by outcome. We find that one of the factors, labeled in the psychological literature as externalizing behavior (and linked, for example, to aggression), reduces educational attainment yet increases earnings. For men, it increases wages, while for women it increases hours. Un- like most models where skills that increase human capital through education also increase earnings, our findings illustrate how some socio-emotional skills can be productive in some economic contexts and not only unproductive, but counter-productive in others. Using a task model, we extend our results to show heterogeneity in returns for males, but not for females. We also find that different kinds of secondary schools exhibit different externalizing penalties, suggesting the tasks schools emphasize can affect how externalizing behavior interacts with education

Session D7: Fishway with Two Entrance Locations: Understanding its importance for Iberian Barbel

Abstract In recent years, in the Iberian Peninsula, many fish passes have been built and improved. To ensure the proper operation of these, it is essential to carry out an evaluation and subsequent monitoring, considering both biologic and hydraulic aspects. We analyze the performance of Iberian barbel –Luciobarbus bocagei (Steindachner, 1864)– in a technical fishway: pool and weir, with bottom orifice. It is located in the Josefina hydropower plant (Duero River, Valladolid, Spain). Fish ladder has two fish entrances: one in the turbine outlet channel and another in the natural river course. Both the most relevant hydraulic values (flow, velocity, volumetric energy dissipation) and biological parameters (movement pattern, attraction, entry and passage) were measured. Biological assessment was conducted in the spawning season using PIT tag technology. The main influence on upstream movement was river discharge. There were no preferences between path selection; and ascent success and transit time were similar between two entrances.. Results highlight the importance of two access points for improve entrance and decrease migration delay

Voriconazole Pharmacokinetics in Critically Ill Patients and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support: A Retrospective Comparative Case-Control Study

Voriconazole, an antifungal agent, displays high intra- and inter-individual variability. The predictive pharmacokinetic (PK) index requires a minimum plasma concentration (C-min) in patient serum of between 1-5.5 mg/L. It is common to encounter fungal infections in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, and data regarding voriconazole PK changes during ECMO are scarce. Our study compared voriconazole PKs in patients with and without ECMO support in a retrospective cohort of critically-ill patients. Fifteen patients with 26 voriconazole C-min determinations in the non-ECMO group and nine patients with 27 voriconazole C-min determinations in the ECMO group were recruited. The ECMO group had lower C-min (0.38 & PLUSMN; 2.98 vs. 3.62 & PLUSMN; 3.88, p < 0.001) and higher infratherapeutic C-min values (16 vs. 1, p < 0.001) than the non-ECMO group. Multivariate analysis identified ECMO support (-0.668, CI95 -0.978--0.358) and plasma albumin levels (-0.023, CI95 -0.046--0.001) as risk factors for low C-min values. When comparing pre- and post-therapeutic drug optimisation samples from the ECMO group, the dose required to achieve therapeutic C-min was 6.44 mg/kg twice a day. Therapeutic drug optimisation is essential to improve target attainment

Long-Term Effects of a Stepwise, Multimodal, Non-Restrictive Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme for Reducing Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Use in the ICU

Information on the long-term effects of non-restrictive antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) strategies is scarce. We assessed the effect of a stepwise, multimodal, non-restrictive AMS programme on broad-spectrum antibiotic use in the intensive care unit (ICU) over an 8-year period. Components of the AMS were progressively implemented. Appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing was also assessed by monthly point-prevalence surveys from 2013 onwards. A Poisson regression model was fitted to evaluate trends in the reduction of antibiotic use and in the appropriateness of their prescription. From 2011 to 2019, a total of 12,466 patients were admitted to the ICU. Antibiotic use fell from 185.4 to 141.9 DDD per 100 PD [absolute difference, -43.5 (23%), 95% CI -100.73 to 13.73; p = 0.13] and broad-spectrum antibiotic fell from 41.2 to 36.5 [absolute difference, -4.7 (11%), 95% CI -19.58 to 10.18; p = 0.5]. Appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing rose by 11% per year [IRR: 0.89, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.00; p = 0.048], while broad-spectrum antibiotic use showed a dual trend, rising by 22% until 2015 and then falling by 10% per year since 2016 [IRR: 0.90, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.99; p = 0.03]. This stepwise, multimodal, non-restrictive AMS achieved a sustained reduction in broad-spectrum antibiotic use in the ICU and significantly improved appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing

Estrogen Regulates the Satellite Cell Compartment in Females

Skeletal muscle mass, strength, and regenerative capacity decline with age, with many measures showing a greater deterioration in females around the time estrogen levels decrease at menopause. Here, we show that estrogen deficiency severely compromises the maintenance of muscle stem cells (i.e., satellite cells) as well as impairs self-renewal and differentiation into muscle fibers. Mechanistically, by hormone replacement, use of a selective estrogen-receptor modulator (bazedoxifene), and conditional estrogen receptor knockout, we implicate 17β-estradiol and satellite cell expression of estrogen receptor α and show that estrogen signaling through this receptor is necessary to prevent apoptosis of satellite cells. Early data from a biopsy study of women who transitioned from peri- to post-menopause are consistent with the loss of satellite cells coincident with the decline in estradiol in humans. Together, these results demonstrate an important role for estrogen in satellite cell maintenance and muscle regeneration in females

Effect of Deutetrabenazine on Chorea Among Patients With Huntington Disease A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Deutetrabenazine is a novel molecule containing deuterium, which attenuates CYP2D6 metabolism and increases active metabolite half-lives and may therefore lead to stable systemic exposure while preserving key pharmacological activity. Objective To evaluate efficacy and safety of deutetrabenazine treatment to control chorea associated with Huntington disease. Design, Setting, and Participants Ninety ambulatory adults diagnosed with manifest Huntington disease and a baseline total maximal chorea score of 8 or higher (range, 0-28; lower score indicates less chorea) were enrolled from August 2013 to August 2014 and randomized to receive deutetrabenazine (n = 45) or placebo (n = 45) in a double-blind fashion at 34 Huntington Study Group sites. Interventions Deutetrabenazine or placebo was titrated to optimal dose level over 8 weeks and maintained for 4 weeks, followed by a 1-week washout. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary end point was the total maximal chorea score change from baseline (the average of values from the screening and day-0 visits) to maintenance therapy (the average of values from the week 9 and 12 visits) obtained by in-person visits. This study was designed to detect a 2.7-unit treatment difference in scores. The secondary end points, assessed hierarchically, were the proportion of patients who achieved treatment success on the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) and on the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC), the change in 36-Item Short Form– physical functioning subscale score (SF-36), and the change in the Berg Balance Test. Results Ninety patients with Huntington disease (mean age, 53.7 years; 40 women [44.4%]) were enrolled. In the deutetrabenazine group, the mean total maximal chorea scores improved from 12.1 (95% CI, 11.2-12.9) to 7.7 (95% CI, 6.5-8.9), whereas in the placebo group, scores improved from 13.2 (95% CI, 12.2-14.3) to 11.3 (95% CI, 10.0-12.5); the mean between-group difference was –2.5 units (95% CI, –3.7 to –1.3) (P < .001). Treatment success, as measured by the PGIC, occurred in 23 patients (51%) in the deutetrabenazine group vs 9 (20%) in the placebo group (P = .002). As measured by the CGIC, treatment success occurred in 19 patients (42%) in the deutetrabenazine group vs 6 (13%) in the placebo group (P = .002). In the deutetrabenazine group, the mean SF-36 physical functioning subscale scores decreased from 47.5 (95% CI, 44.3-50.8) to 47.4 (44.3-50.5), whereas in the placebo group, scores decreased from 43.2 (95% CI, 40.2-46.3) to 39.9 (95% CI, 36.2-43.6), for a treatment benefit of 4.3 (95% CI, 0.4 to 8.3) (P = .03). There was no difference between groups (mean difference of 1.0 unit; 95% CI, –0.3 to 2.3; P = .14), for improvement in the Berg Balance Test, which improved by 2.2 units (95% CI, 1.3-3.1) in the deutetrabenazine group and by 1.3 units (95% CI, 0.4-2.2) in the placebo group. Adverse event rates were similar for deutetrabenazine and placebo, including depression, anxiety, and akathisia. Conclusions and Relevance Among patients with chorea associated with Huntington disease, the use of deutetrabenazine compared with placebo resulted in improved motor signs at 12 weeks. Further research is needed to assess the clinical importance of the effect size and to determine longer-term efficacy and safety

Replication Package for The Lasting Effects of Early Childhood Education on Promoting the Skills and Social Mobility of Disadvantaged African Americans and their Children

This is the replication package for The Lasting Effects of Early Childhood Education on Promoting the Skills and Social Mobility of Disadvantaged African Americans and their Children, accepted in 2022 by the Journal of Political Economy

Santonian-Campanian continentalization in the Austral-Magallanes basin: regional correlation, provenance and geodynamic setting

A key event in the paleogeographic evolution of the Austral-Magallanes foreland basin was the Santonian–Maastrichtian continentalization, marked by the appearance of deltaic, fluvial and wetland sequences stacked on top of deep marine deposits. The expanding ecological niche was exploited by theropods and influenced the evolutionary history of dinosaurs. We present new detrital zircon U–Pb geochronological data across this littoral to continental depocenter, in order to provide insights of its age, geographical extension, source regions and geodynamic setting. Littoral sandstones from La Anita Formation yield Maximum Depositional Ages (MDA) between ~86–80 Ma (weighted mean ages), and ~79–78 Ma youngest zircons. Our results are in accordance with a Santonian–Campanian depositional age. The sequence continues with badlands and fluvial systems (Cerro Fortaleza and La Irene Formations), followed by meandering fluvial and lacustrine deposits (Chorrillo Formation). Transgressive marine facies topping the sequence (Calafate Formation) yield a preferred Maastrichtian 69 ± 2 Ma MDA from the youngest zircon. The provenance and tectonic analyses indicate that basin shallowing during Santonian–Campanian times was driven by advance of the orogenic front, which produced the shift from a foredeep setting to a wedge-top depozone. The unroofing of progressively deeper structural levels is registered in the basin fill, which suggests exhumation in the Basement domain during the Santonian–Maastrichtian.Fil: Ghiglione, Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Rocha, Emilio. YPF - Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Raggio, Maria Fernanda. YPF - Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Ramos, Miguel Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Ronda, Gonzalo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; ArgentinaFil: Moyano Paz, Damián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas; ArgentinaFil: Varela, Augusto Nicolas. YPF - Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Valencia, Victor. Washington State University. School Of Earth & Environmental Sciences; Estados Unido