Examining contributions to core consumer inflation measures

The purpose of this paper is to examine the composition of inflation over time. The authors calculate the contributions to inflation for individual series of the consumer price index (CPI) and personal consumption expenditures price index (PCEPI) and then aggregate those contributions into major consumer expenditure categories. This technique provides a wealth of information concerning aggregate inflation behavior in a concise way, enabling the authors to describe the composition of inflation at any point in time. A particularly important benefit of this method is that it allows them to distinguish broad-based changes in inflation from changes due to relative price movements of a few components. The authors examine long-term trends in contributions to PCEPI core inflation and make inferences about the direction of inflation in the near term. In addition, they examine the decline in CPI core inflation over the 2002–03 period and find that the decline was largely driven by relative price changes of two components.

Decomposing inflation

As U.S. core inflation measures have declined in recent years, analysts have renewed their efforts to understand inflation dynamics. A common approach to this issue is to make inferences about how price changes of major components affect the aggregate inflation rate. This article takes a more rigorous approach, calculating and plotting the precise contributions of major consumer expenditure categories to core inflation measures over time. ; This technique has distinct advantages. It highlights the underlying trends in inflation, enabling analysts to make more informed inferences about the near-term direction of inflation. It also allows analysts to distinguish broad-based changes in inflation from changes due to relative price movements of a few components. ; The analysis focuses on the core components of the consumer price index (CPI) and the personal consumption expenditures price index (PCEPI). Over the long term, the authors note, the composition of core services inflation has remained relatively stable while the composition of core goods inflation has changed dramatically. Over the 2002–03 period, movements in core inflation measures resulted mainly from significant relative price changes of two components that were persistent enough to alter the path of core inflation for a sustained period, the authors conclude. ; The results of this study highlight the importance of gauging the impact of relative changes in a low-inflation environment and suggest that recent concern about overall price deflation was perhaps overstated.Inflation (Finance)

Rural-urban disparities in the nutritional status of younger adolescents in Tanzania

Research on geographic differences in health focuses largely on children less than five years; little is known about adolescents—and even less regarding younger adolescents—a vulnerable group at a critical stage of the life course. Africa’s rapid population growth and urbanization rates, coupled with stagnant rates of undernutrition, further indicate the need for country-specific data on rural-urban health disparities to inform development policies. This study examined rural-urban disparities in body mass index-for-age-and-sex (BAZ) and height-for-age-and-sex z-scores (HAZ) among younger adolescents in Tanzania. Participants were randomly selected adolescents aged 10–14 years (N = 1,125) residing in Kilosa (rural) and Moshi (urban) districts of Tanzania. Individual and household-level data were collected using surveys and anthropometric data was collected on all adolescents. Age, sex, household living conditions, and assets were self-reported. BAZ and HAZ were calculated using the WHO reference guide. The prevalence of undernutrition was 10.9% among rural and 5.1% among urban adolescents (p\u3c0.001). Similarly, stunting prevalence was greater in rural (64.5%) than urban (3.1%) adolescents (p\u3c0.001). After adjusting for covariates, rural residence was significantly and inversely associated with BAZ (B = -0.29, 95% CI: -0.52, -0.70, p = 0.01), as well as with HAZ (B = -1.79, 95% CI: -2.03, -1.54, p\u3c0.001). Self-identified males had lower BAZ (B = -0.23, 95% CI: -0.34, -0.11, p\u3c0.001) and HAZ (B = -0.22, 95% CI: -0.35, -0.09, p = 0.001) than self-identified female adolescents. Rural-urban disparities in nutritional status were significant and gendered. Findings confirm place of residence as a key determinant of BAZ and HAZ among younger adolescents in Tanzania. Targeted gender-sensitive interventions are needed to limit growth faltering and improve health outcomes in rural settings

Uncertainty Quantification Reveals the Physical Constraints on Pumping by Peristaltic Hearts

Most biological functional systems are complex, and this complexity is a fundamental driver of diversity. Because input parameters interact in complex ways, a holistic understanding of functional systems is key to understanding how natural selection produces diversity. We present uncertainty quantification (UQ) as a quantitative analysis tool on computational models to study the interplay of complex systems and diversity. We investigate peristaltic pumping in a racetrack circulatory system using a computational model and analyse the impact of three input parameters (Womersley number, compression frequency, compression ratio) on flow and the energetic costs of circulation. We employed two models of peristalsis (one that allows elastic interactions between the heart tube and fluid and one that does not), to investigate the role of elastic interactions on model output. A computationally cheaper surrogate of the input parameter space was created with generalized polynomial chaos expansion to save computational resources. Sobol indices were then calculated based on the generalized polynomial chaos expansion and model output. We found that all flow metrics were highly sensitive to changes in compression ratio and insensitive to Womersley number and compression frequency, consistent across models of peristalsis. Elastic interactions changed the patterns of parameter sensitivity for energetic costs between the two models, revealing that elastic interactions are probably a key physical metric of peristalsis. The UQ analysis created two hypotheses regarding diversity: favouring high flow rates (where compression ratio is large and highly conserved) and minimizing energetic costs (which avoids combinations of high compression ratios, high frequencies and low Womersley numbers)

Transcend: A Thin-Shell Japanese Onsen Experience

This project is an interdisciplinary architectural design of a funicular Japanese onsen utilizing the compressive strength of thin-shell concrete. A section of this project was also built to scale on the Cal Poly campus in the Architectural Engineering department\u27s High Bay facility. This project was designed utilizing Rhinoceros and analyzed using SAP 2000 19

The Men’s Safer Sex project: intervention development and feasibility randomised controlled trial of an interactive digital intervention to increase condom use in men

Background: This report details the development of the Men’s Safer Sex website and the results of a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT), health economic assessment and qualitative evaluation. Objectives: (1) Develop the Men’s Safer Sex website to address barriers to condom use; (2) determine the best design for an online RCT; (3) inform the methods for collecting and analysing health economic data; (4) assess the Sexual Quality of Life (SQoL) questionnaire and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions, three-level version (EQ-5D-3L) to calculate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs); and (5) explore clinic staff and men’s views of online research methodology. Methods: (1) Website development: we combined evidence from research literature and the views of experts (n = 18) and male clinic users (n = 43); (2) feasibility RCT: 159 heterosexually active men were recruited from three sexual health clinics and were randomised by computer to the Men’s Safer Sex website plus usual care (n = 84) or usual clinic care only (n = 75). Men were invited to complete online questionnaires at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses were recorded from clinic notes at 12 months; (3) health economic evaluation: we investigated the impact of using different questionnaires to calculate utilities and QALYs (the EQ-5D-3L and SQoL questionnaire), and compared different methods to collect resource use; and (4) qualitative evaluation: thematic analysis of interviews with 11 male trial participants and nine clinic staff, as well as free-text comments from online outcome questionnaires. Results: (1) Software errors and clinic Wi-Fi access presented significant challenges. Response rates for online questionnaires were poor but improved with larger vouchers (from 36% with £10 to 50% with £30). Clinical records were located for 94% of participants for STI diagnoses. There were no group differences in condomless sex with female partners [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52 to 1.96]. New STI diagnoses were recorded for 8.8% (7/80) of the intervention group and 13.0% (9/69) of the control group (IRR 0.75, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.89). (2) Health-care resource data were more complete using patient files than questionnaires. The probability that the intervention is cost-effective is sensitive to the source of data used and whether or not data on intended pregnancies are included. (3) The pilot RCT fitted well around clinical activities but 37% of the intervention group did not see the Men’s Safer Sex website and technical problems were frustrating. Men’s views of the Men’s Safer Sex website and research procedures were largely positive. Conclusions: It would be feasible to conduct a large-scale RCT using clinic STI diagnoses as a primary outcome; however, technical errors and a poor response rate limited the collection of online self-reported outcomes. The next steps are (1) to optimise software for online trials, (2) to find the best ways to integrate digital health promotion with clinical services, (3) to develop more precise methods for collecting resource use data and (4) to work out how to overcome barriers to digital intervention testing and implementation in the NHS. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN18649610. Funding: This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 20, No. 91. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Measurement of associated W plus charm production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Peer reviewe