Optimal resource allocation in General Cournot-competitive equilibrium

Conventional economic theory stipulates that output in Cournot competition is too low relative to that which is attained in perfect competition. We revisit this result in a General Cournot-competitive Equilibrium model with two industries that differ only in terms of productivity. We show that in general equilibrium, the more efficient industry produces too little and the less efficient industry produces too much compared to an optimal scenario with perfect competition

Evolutionary variational inference for Bayesian generalized nonlinear models

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Micronutrient deficiency in children

Malnutrition increases morbidity and mortality and affects physical growth and development, some of these effects resulting from specific micronutrient deficiencies. While public health efforts must be targeted to improve dietary intakes in children through breast feeding and appropriate complementary feeding, there is a need for additional measures to increase the intake of certain micronutrients. Food-based approaches are regarded as the long-term strategy for improving nutrition, but for certain micronutrients, supplementation, be it to the general population or to high risk groups or as an adjunct to treatment must also be considered. Our understanding of the prevalence and consequences of iron, vitamin A and iodine deficiency in children and pregnant women has advanced considerably while there is still a need to generate more knowledge pertaining to many other micronutrients, including zinc, selenium and many of the B-vitamins. For iron and vitamin A, the challenge is to improve the delivery to target populations. For disease prevention and growth promotion, the need to deliver safe but effective amounts of micronutrients such as zinc to children and women of fertile age can be determined only after data on deficiency prevalence becomes available and the studies on mortality reduction following supplementation are completed. Individual or multiple micronutrients must be used as an adjunct to treatment of common infectious diseases and malnutrition only if the gains are substantial and the safety window sufficiently wide. The available data for zinc are promising with regard to the prevention of diarrhea and pneumonia. It should be emphasized that there must be no displacement of important treatment such as ORS in acute diarrhea by adjunct therapy such as zinc. Credible policy making requires description of not only the clinical effects but also the underlying biological mechanisms. As findings of experimental studies are not always feasible to extrapolate to humans, the biology of deficiency as well as excess of micronutrients in humans must continue to be investigated with vigour

Uregulert lobbyvirksomhet som problem eller ikke? En studie om hvorfor Stortinget har avvist lobbyregulering

Denne masteroppgaven forsøker å besvare hvorfor norske stortingspolitikere ikke ønsker å regulere lobbyvirksomhet rettet mot Stortinget. Regulering av lobbyvirksomhet er en voksende debatt internasjonalt, og stadig flere land velger å innføre reguleringsordninger for lobbyvirksomheten. I Norge var lobbyvirksomhet lenge et relativt ukjent fenomen, men siden korporativismens tilbakegang på 70- og 80-tallet har omfanget økt og lobbyvirksomhet har fått stadig mer oppmerksomhet. Siden 1996 har det blitt fremmet fem forslag om å innføre reguleringsordninger for lobbyvirksomhet i Norge, men samtlige har blitt nedstemt av stortingsflertallet. Gjennom intervjuer med stortingsrepresentanter, analyse av stortingsdokumenter og ved hjelp av en spørreundersøkelse ved Stortinget har jeg skissert opp to hovedforklaringer til at regulering er uønsket i Norge. Den første handler om ideologiske forskjeller mellom partiene, som jeg har delt opp i to større konflikter. De to konfliktene handler om hvor stor åpenhet som er ønskelig og om hvorvidt regulering er et angrep på individenes frihet eller et forsvar av den sosiale rettferdigheten. Den andre forklaringen er knyttet opp mot synet representantene som gruppe har på lobbyvirksomhet. Studien viser at representantene ser på lobbyvirksomhet nesten utelukkende som informasjonstilgang, og at de har stor tro på egen rasjonalitet i møte med lobbyister. Når de ikke anser lobbyvirksomhet for å være et problem, ser de heller ikke behovet for å regulere det

Density functional theory for large molecular systems

Nøyaktige simuleringer av kjemiske og biologiske prosesser på molekylært nivå har lenge vært uoppnålig for en rekke molekylære systemer, og har nå blitt mulig for mange av disse systemene gjennom ny metodeutvikling av Simen Reine, Trygve Helgaker og medarbeidere ved Universitetet i Oslo. Datasimuleringer er utbredt innen kjemi og relaterte felt som biologi, farmasi og medisin. Kvantekjemiske metoder er fundamentale for de mest nøyaktig simuleringsteknikkene, og er til stor hjelp ved bestemmelse og prediksjon av molekylære egenskaper, som for eksempel molekylers struktur, og gir i tillegg viktig og detaljert innsikt i kjemiske reaksjoner - både kvalitativt og kvantitativt. Anvendelsesområdet er nært knyttet til metodenes nøyaktighet, effektivitet og brukervennelighet. Utviklingen av nye og forbedrede metoder gjør oss i stand til å studere molekylære systemer som foreløpig har vært utenfor rekkevidde, og gir oss mer nøyaktig beskrivelse av de systemene vi allerede behandler idag. Som en konsekvens vil man kunne redusere bruken av kostbare og tidkrevende eksperimenter og samtidig hjelpe forskere verden over til bedre å forstå kjemiske mekanismer. De fleste kvantekjemiske beregninger som utføres idag benytter tetthetsfunksjonalteori (DFT), da denne metoden utgjør et godt kompromiss mellom nøyaktighet og beregningstid. Selv om DFT er meget nyttig, er dagens metoder begrenset til systemer bestående av noen få hundre atomer, og utelukker derfor en rekke systemer, for eksempel proteiner. I doktorgraden "Tetthetsfunksjonalteori for store molekylære systemer" har nye metoder innen DFT blitt utviklet med tanke på rutinemessige beregninger for store systemer. Beregninger for systemer med 1400 atomer er rapportert og metodene er i etterkant blitt benyttet for systemer med opp til 4000 atomer

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder among school children in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and determinants of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms among school children in Kinshasa, an African urban setting. Methods: The 18-items of the Disruptive Behaviour Disorder rating scale (DBD), which is based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for mental disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV), were used to investigate the presence of ADHD symptoms. Parents interviews, using a questionnaire specially designed for the study, were performed to identify socio-demographic characteristics. All children were subject to a clinical examination. Results: The estimated prevalence of DSM-IV ADHD symptoms was 6 %. Those with family health problems, younger age at start of primary school, good nutritional status and poor school performance more often had DSM-IV ADHD symptoms. Conclusions: ADHD symptoms are as common among school children in Kinshasa as elsewhere. The socio-demographic factors described as risk factors for ADHD in high-income countries were not identified in this study. Keywords: D, DSM-IV, school children, risk factors. African Health Sciences Vol. 5 (3) 2005: pp. 172-18

Strong Association between Diarrhea and Concentration of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Strain TW10722 in Stools of Experimentally Infected Volunteers

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains are a major cause of diarrheal illness in children and travelers in low- and middle-income countries. When volunteers are infected with ETEC strains, as part of experimental infection studies, some do not develop diarrhea. To improve our understanding of how these volunteers are protected, we investigated the association between stool ETEC DNA concentration, as determined by quantitative PCR, and the development and severity of disease in 21 volunteers who had been experimentally infected with ETEC strain TW10722. We found a strong association between maximum stool ETEC DNA concentration and the development of diarrhea: all of the 11 volunteers who did not develop diarrhea had <0.99% TW10722-specific DNA in their stools throughout the follow-up period of up to 9 days, while all of the 10 volunteers who did develop diarrhea had maximum DNA concentrations of ≥0.99%. Most likely, these maximum stool TW10722 DNA concentrations reflect the level of intestinal colonization and the risk of experiencing diarrhea, thereby, seems to be directly dependent on the level of colonization. Thus, the development and availability of vaccines and other prophylactic measures, even if they only partially reduce colonization, could be important in the effort to reduce the burden of ETEC diarrhea.publishedVersio

Co-existing symptoms and risk factors among African school children with hyperactivity-inattention symptoms in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

The aims of the study were to explore hyperactivity-inattention symptoms and co-existing symptoms of emotional and behavioural problems among African school children and their relationship with health status, socio-demographic factors, and school performance. Method: A case-control approach was used. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to explore the co-existing emotional and behavioural symptoms and a semi-structured interview with parents to explore the socio-demographic variables. The sample included 357 school children at the age of seven to nine years: 183 children were defined as cases, defined by abnormal scores on the SDQ hyperactivity-inattention scale (SDQ-HI) and 174 randomly selected children among those with normal scores on the SDQ-HI were defined as controls. No age and gender differences were noticed between the two groups. Results: A younger maternal age at childbirth, and poor school performances were more frequent among cases than controls. Three quarter of the hyperactive-inattentive children had co-existing symptoms according to SDQ, the most common being conduct problems. Conclusion: As in other cultures, co-existence of hyperactivity-inattention symptoms and emotional and behavioural problems was found in this African setting. Further validation of behavioural screening instruments in African children is called for.submittedVersionsubmittedVersio