Changes in Prices After an Excise Tax to Sweetened Sugar Beverages Was Implemented in Mexico: Evidence from Urban Areas

In 2014 an excise tax to non-alcoholic sweetened beverages (SSB) was implemented in Mexico. The objective of this paper is to study whether and to what degree these taxes passed-through onto SSB prices in urban areas overall and by region, type of beverage and package size. Prices were obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography from 2011 to 2014. We applied a pre-post quasi-experimental approach using fixed effects models. In sensitivity analysis we applied other model specifications to test the robustness of the findings and we also present weighted estimations based on household purchases. The dependent variables are real prices of a specific beverage category; the main independent variables are dummies for each month of 2014, and the models adjust for time trends and seasonality. Results suggest that the SSB tax passed along to consumers for all SSBs and we found overshifting for the carbonated SSBs. A greater effect is seen among the small package sizes, and we see heterogeneous effects by region. Estimating the effect of the tax on prices is important to understand the potential effect on consumption

Throughput analysis of full-duplex communication cognitive radio network

In this paper we deal with the throughput of full-duplex cognitive communication radio which exploits unused band of primary user (PU) network. Classical cognitive radio uses half-duplex communication spectrum sensing to perform spectrum sensing and data transmission at different time intervals. It’s well-established fact that in half-duplex communication cognitive radio spectrum sensing time increases at low SNR which gives rise to lesser data transmission time for secondary user (SU) and hence results in less throughput for SU. It’s useful idea to do spectrum sensing and data transmission at the same time with two different antennas co-located on the SU transceiver. This shall not only guarantee high probability of detection of PU but also increased data transmission which means more throughput for SU. However, simultaneous sensing and data transmission has inherent problem of self-interference. One of the possible solution is to use polarisation discrimination in which sensing and data transmission antennas must use different polarisation. This is feasible if there is prior information about the polarisation of the signals emitted by the PUs. It shall be of special interest to assess throughput using analytical expressions for probability of detection PD, probability of false alarm PFA at various values of SNR for time-slotted cognitive radio which uses half-duplex spectrum sensing and non-time-slotted cognitive radio which uses full-duplex communication cognitive radio

Design and challenges of a randomized controlled trial for reducing risk factors of metabolic syndrome in Mexican women through water intake

Objective. To describe the design, methods, and challenges encountered during a randomized clinical trial aimed to promote water intake for reducing risks of metabolic syndrome in Mexican women. Materials and methods. In a randomized clinical trial in Cuernavaca, Mexico, overweight and obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 < 39) women, 18 - < 45 years old with an intake of sugar-sweetened beverages ≥ 250 kilocalories per day (kcal/day) were randomly allocated to the water and education provision group (n = 120) or the education provision only group (n = 120). Results. We screened 1 756 women. The main difficulties encountered were identifying participants with the recruitment criteria, delivering water to participants, and the time demanded from the study participants. Conclusions. The trial’s main challenges were difficulties surrounding recruitment, delivery of the intervention, and the time demanded from the study participants. Modifications were effectively implemented without jeopardizing the original protocol

Social circumstances and cultural beliefs influence maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and child feeding practices in South Africa:

Maternal and child undernutrition remain prevalent in developing countries with 45 and 11% of child deaths linked to poor nutrition and suboptimal breastfeeding, respectively. This also has adverse effects on child growth and development. The study determined maternal dietary diversity, breastfeeding and, infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and identified reasons for such behavior in five rural communities in South Africa, in the context of cultural beliefs and social aspects

Cross-Border Accreditation in the Caribbean: A Potential Threat to the Integrity of the Accreditation Process?

Kati Reddy, Mashal Unar, Hira Unar, Sateesh B Arja Medical Education Unit, Avalon University School of Medicine, Willemstad, Netherlands AntillesCorrespondence: Kati Reddy, Email [email protected]: According to the World Directory of Medical Schools, the Caribbean region hosts around 100 medical schools, leading to variations in education programs and student performance. Accreditation is crucial for maintaining educational standards. The proliferation of accrediting agencies recognized by the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) has led to cross-border accreditation practices and market-driven competition. Concerns about the integrity of accreditation processes in the Caribbean region have raised questions about educational quality and global implications. Establishing a framework and scrutiny of the WFME regarding cross-border accreditation is essential to preserve educational standards and prevent global implications. ECFMG’s intervention is urgently needed to investigate and restore the integrity of medical school accreditation in the Caribbean, setting a precedent for global accreditation standards.Keywords: medical education, accreditation standards, educational quality, cross-border accreditation, accreditation challenge

Price elasticity of the demand for soft drinks, other sugar-sweetened beverages and energy dense food in Chile

Abstract Background Chile is the second world’s largest per capita consumer of caloric beverages. Caloric beverages are associated with overweight, obesity and other chronic diseases. The objective of this study is to estimate the price elasticity of demand for soft drinks, other sugar-sweetened beverages and high-energy dense foods in urban areas in Chile in order to evaluate the potential response of households’ consumption to changes in prices. Methods We used microdata from the VII Family Budget Survey 2012–2013, which collects information on expenditures made by Chilean urban households on items such as beverages and foods. We estimated a Linear Approximation of an Almost Ideal Demand System Model to derive own and cross price elasticities of milk, coffee, tea and other infusions, plain water, soft drinks, other flavored beverages, sweet snacks, sugar and honey, and desserts. We considered the censored nature of the data and included the Inverse Mills Ratio in each equation of the demand system. We estimated a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System and a two-part model as sensitivity analysis. Results We found an own price-elasticity of −1.37 for soft drinks. This implies that a price increase of 10% is associated with a reduction in consumption of 13.7%. We found that the rest of food and beverages included in the demand system behave as substitutes for soft drinks. For instance, plain water showed a cross-price elasticity of 0.63: a 10% increase in price of soft drinks could lead to an increase of 6.3% of plain water. Own and cross price elasticities were similar between models. Conclusions The demand of soft drinks is price sensitive among Chilean households. An incentive system such as subsidies to non-sweetened beverages and tax to soft drinks could lead to increases in the substitutions for other healthier beverages

Wide-band mobile radio channel characterisation in UHF band for residential suburban area

This paper describes wideband measurements of the 2.38 GHz radio channel in a residential suburban area of Malvern, UK. Data in the form of the time variant complex channel impulse responses have been recorded and discrete multipath components extracted. The first-order statistics of these components, including exceedance curves of propagation path number and RMS delay spread, are presented and compared with those derived from similar measurement campaigns reported elsewhere in the literature