Qu’en est-il des externalités du capital des technologies de l’information? Évidence basée sur le Canada et les États-Unis

Nous appliquons des techniques économétriques aux données par industrie des économies canadiennes et américaines pour examiner s’il existe des externalités associées à la composante technologies de l’information de l’intrant capital. Les résultats issus de la technique conventionnelle de données en panel sont comparés à ceux issus de la méthode d’estimation des données en panel hétérogènes et dynamiques. Comme pour les résultats de la littérature économique, nous trouvons que la méthode conventionnelle des données en panel ne permet pas de montrer un lien positif entre l’intrant capital des technologies de l’information et la production. Ceci traduit l’incapacité de cette technique à rendre compte, à la fois, du caractère hétérogène des données et de l’aspect dynamique du phénomène considéré ici. La méthode dynamique des données en panel permet, en revanche, de trouver un impact positif et significatif de long terme des intrants. Les résultats confirment la présence d’importantes externalités associées aux technologies de l’information pour les États-Unis, reflétant ainsi le rôle de chef de file de ce pays dans ce domaine. Au Canada, en revanche, l’élasticité associée au capital des technologies de l’information est proche de la pondération issue du cadre de la comptabilité de la croissance. De plus, les résultats paramétriques ne permettent pas, dans l’ensemble, de rejeter l’hypothèse de rendements constants au niveau agrégé pour le Canada, justifiant ainsi le bien-fondé du modèle de comptabilité de la croissance.We apply econometric techniques to Canadian and U.S. industry data to ascertain whether information technology capital gives rise to externalities. The results based on standard panel data techniques are compared to those that accommodate heterogeneous and dynamic panel data. Much like the literature, our results indicate the standard panel data method does not show a positive relationship between information technology capital and output. This reflects the difficulty of this technique to accommodate the heterogeneous and dynamic nature of the data considered in this study. In contrast, the dynamic panel data method shows a positive long term impact of inputs. Our results suggest the presence of important externalities ascribed to information technology in the United States, reflecting the leadership of this country in this area. In contrast, in Canada, the elasticity of information technology capital services is close to the share of this input provided by the growth accounting framework. In addition, the parametric results generally support the constant returns to scale hypothesis for Canada at the aggregate level, thereby making sense of the growth accounting framework

Evaluation of fluconazole effect in prevention of fungal infection and mortality and morbidity in very low-birth-weight infants

Background: Fungal infections especially Candida species are frequent cause of mortality and morbidity in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants receiving intensive care; Candida infections are tissue invasive. This infection increases the risks of adverse neurodevelopmental sequelae. Prevention and treatment of fungal infection is so important in very VLBW infants. The aim of this study was to determine the prophylactic effect of fluconazole in decreasing the mortality and morbidity in VLBW infants (less than 1500gr) admitted in NICU. Methods: This prospective case control study were conducted among 102 Infants (weighing less than 1500gr at birth at born) admitted in NICU department of Ali Asghar University Hospital from 2012 to 2013, Tehran, Iran. Weigh of birth in cases and groups were less than 1500 gr and both were culture negative. Cases received oral fluconazole 3 mg/kg in 3 days in 1st and 2nd weeks, alternate day in 3rd and 4th weeks, daily in 5th and 6th weeks. Control groups had not received fluconazole. Mortality and morbidity and hospital stay were compared between cases and controls groups. Results: We studied 49 very low-birth-weight infants with negative culture as cases (received fluconazole prophylaxis), 46 VLBW infants without fluconazole profilaxy (controls). No significant difference in gestational age (P=0.2), and mean weights (P=0.4) were observed between cases and controls. The mortality rate 8.7 (n=4) in controls (without prophylactic fluconazole) observed vs 2 (n=1) mortality rate in VLBW cases (with prophylactic fluconazole). Although the mortality rate in controls was 4 times higher than cases, but without significant differences (P=0.1). Indeed, mean duration of hospital stay in controls was longer than cases (28.41±9.93 vs 19.85±6.19 days, P=0.00001). Conclusion: Although prophylactic fluconazole in VLBW could decrease the mortality of cases (control the fungal infection) 4 fold in compare with controls (no treatment), it was not significant. The prophylactic effect of fluconazole might decrease the length of hospital stay of VLBW neonates in NICU. Due to limited number of cases and control. For further decision about prophylactic use of fluconazole, prospective RCT studies with larger cases and control would be helpful in future. © 2016, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Public Infrastructure in Canada, 1961-2002

Work by Aschauer (1989) triggered a debate in the United States on the role played by public capital in determining productivity and growth; more recently, infrastructure has become an issue in the Canadian public policy debate. This paper sheds some light on this debate by addressing three questions: (i) How large is the stock of public infrastructure in Canada? (ii) What are the main components of that infrastructure? (iii) How has that infrastructure evolved over the last 40 years? The paper also examines the impact of public infrastructure on Canada's standard of living and on the performance of the business sector.