Does Physician Education of Alternative Therapies for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Improve Utilization?

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients in the Jefferson Sleep Disorder Center (JSDC) consisting of 2 cohorts of patients. The first was a group of patients undergoing PSG in March, 2014 prior to institution of the UAS program. The second was a cohort of patients undergoing PSG in July 2016 after institution of the UAS program, positive initial results, readily available literature in the JSDC, and a physician in-service including details of the procedure and outcome, quality of life, and complication rate data. We collected demographic and PSG data. We then reviewed the electronic medical record and assessed the first and second followupat the JSDC for CPAP compliance data and referral for oral appliance, body positioning device, or surgical evaluation.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/1058/thumbnail.jp

Econometric Issues in Estimating User Cost Elasticity

The user cost elasticity is a parameter of considerable importance in economics, with implications for the effects of budget deficits, tax-based savings incentives, monetary policy, corporate taxes, and tariffs and quotas on capital goods. This paper analyzes the econometric issues that account for differences in the estimated elasticity between the two existing papers that estimate the long-run elasticity on aggregate data. The preferred estimate that results from this analysis is substantially higher than most previous estimates. The empirical evidence suggests that, when adjustment frictions are important, long-run estimates of key parameters are less biased – and the details of the econometrics matter. In particular, DOLS estimates appear less biased than the alternatives considered here. The econometric issues that are analyzed in this paper have wide-ranging implications for research areas where adjustment frictions are important, including nominal price stickiness, habit formation, and sticky information models, among others.User cost elasticity, Capital stock, Investment, Adjustment frictions, Cointegration and long-run econometrics

Evaluation of Skylab photography for water resources, San Luis Valley, Colorado

The author has identified the following significant results. Skylab S190A photography used in a stereo mode is sufficient for defining the drainage divides and drainage patterns at the regional level. This data, combined with geologic information, define the boundaries and distribution of ground water recharge and discharge areas within the basin

Are the Effects of Monetary Policy Asymmetric?

This paper focuses on whether monetary policy has asymmetric effects. By building on the Markov switching model introduced by Hamilton (1989), we examine questions like: Does monetary policy have the same effect regardless of the current phase of economic fluctuations? Given that the economy is currently in a recession, does a fall in interest rates increase the probability of an expansion? Does monetary policy have an incremental effect on the growth rate within a given state, or does it only affect the economy if it is sufficiently strong to induce a state change (e.g., from recession to expansion)? We find economically and statistically significant evidence of asymmetry. As suggested by models with sticky prices or finance constraints, interest rate changes have larger effects during recessions. Interest rates also have substantial effects on the probability of a state switch. Le présent article étudie si la politique monétaire a des effets asymétriques. En développant le modèle à changements de régime markoviens introduit par Hamilton (1989), nous examinons des questions du genre : La politique monétaire a-t-elle les mêmes effets selon les différentes phases du cycle économique ? Étant donné que l'économie est actuellement en récession, une baisse des taux d'intérêt accroît-elle la probabilité d'une expansion ? La politique monétaire a-t-elle un effet sur le taux de croissance de l'économie au sein d'une phase donnée, ou n'affecte-t-elle l'économie que si elle est suffisamment soutenue pour entraîner un changement de phase (p. ex. d'une récession à une expansion) ? Nous trouvons des effets asymétriques importants économiquement et statistiquement significatifs. Comme le suggèrent les modèles supposant un ajustement lent des prix ou l'existence de contraintes financières, les changements de taux d'intérêt ont des effets plus importants durant les récessions. Les taux d'intérêt ont également des effets substantiels sur la probabilité d'un changement d'état de l'économie.Monetary policy; Markov switching model; Interest rates, Politique monétaire ; Modèle à changements de régime markoviens ; Taux d'intérêt

Do Bubbles Lead to Overinvestment?: A Revealed Preference Approach

Many economists believe that the stock market plays an important role in efficiently allocating capital to its most productive uses. This standard story of the stock market was called into question by events in the late 1990s, when some observers believed that stock market overvaluation – or a bubble - led to overinvestment. Both the standard and overinvestment stories involve discount rates and, to differentiate between the two stories, this paper examines the discount rates used by firms in making their investment decisions.We use a revealed preference approach that relies on the pattern of investment spending – combined with investment theory – to estimate the discount rates used by managers. The standard story predicts that firms with high stock prices and good investment opportunities should have discount rates that do not differ systematically from the risk-adjusted market rate. The overinvestment story predicts that firms with high stock prices and poor investment opportunities should have discount rates consistently below the market rate.Based on a panel dataset of over 50,000 firm-year observations, we find support for both stories. The behavior of high stock price firms with good measured investment opportunities is best described by the standard story, while the overinvestment story provides the most appropriate interpretation of the behavior of high stock price firms with poor investment opportunities. Firms in this latter category accumulate between 15.1% and 45.2% too much capital. These estimates suggest that, even before they burst, bubbles adversely affect economic activity by misallocating capital.bubbles, investment, stock markets, real effects of financial markets, capital formation

Fundamentals, Misvaluation, and Investment. The Real Story

Is real investment fully determined by fundamentals or is it sometimes affected by stockmarket misvaluation? We introduce three new tests that: measure the reaction of investment to sales shocks for firms that may be overvalued; use Fama-MacBeth regressions to determine whether "overinvestment" affects subsequent returns; and analyze the time path of the marginal product of capital in reaction to fundamental and misvaluation shocks. Besides these qualitative tests, we introduce a measure of misvaluation into standard investment equations to estimate the quantitative effect of misvaluation on investment. Overall, the evidence suggests that both fundamental and misvaluation shocks affect investment.Investment, Stock market, Fundamentals, Misvaluation, Bubbles, Real effects of financial markets