Background: Peru has increased substantially its domestic public expenditure in maternal and child health. Peruvian departments are heterogeneous in contextual and geographic factors, underlining the importance of disaggregated expenditure analysis up to the district level. We aimed to assess possible district level factors influencing public expenditure on reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health (RMNCH) in Peru. Methods: We performed an ecological study in 24 departments, with specific RMNCH expenditure indicators as outcomes, and covariates of different hierarchical dimensions as predictors. To account for the influence of variables included in the different dimensions over time and across departments, we chose a stepwise multilevel mixed-effects regression model, with department-year as the unit of analysis. Results: Public expenditure increased in all departments, particularly for maternal-neonatal and child health activities, with a different pace across departments. The multilevel analysis did not reveal consistently influential factors, except for previous year expenditure on reproductive and maternal-neonatal health. Our findings may be explained by a combination of inertial expenditure, a results-based budgeting approach to increase expenditure efficiency and effectiveness, and by a mixed-effects decentralization process. Sample size, interactions and collinearity cannot be ruled out completely. Conclusions: Public district-level RMNCH expenditure has increased remarkably in Peru. Evidence on underlying factors influencing such trends warrants further research, most likely through a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. / This work was funded through a sub-grant from the U.S. Fund for UNICEF under the Countdown to 2015 for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and through a sub-grant from the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. / Revisión por pares / Revisión por pares

A number of strategies to lose weight are available. However, a high inter-individual variability is commonly observed in terms of weight loss and its maintenance in individuals enrolled in different interventions. This high variability is mainly explained by individual differences in the activation of compensatory mechanisms triggered by energy deficits. Increases in appetite ratings as well as the rewarding effects of foods are some of the consequences commonly observed from weight loss induced by caloric restriction. On the other side of the energy balance equation, resting energy expenditure (REE) was also found to decrease as consequence of weight loss. Numbers might in fact decrease beyond what could be expected from changes in body weight and composition, highlighting an adaptation in thermogenesis in some individuals. These changes were previously found to be associated with the magnitude of weight loss. However, it is not clear whether different rates of weight loss have a different impact on the compensatory mechanisms described above. Moreover, other questions regarding weight loss maintenance deserve further investigations. For example, the role of exercise, more specifically resistance training (RT), on weight loss maintenance needs additional attention. Accordingly, the present thesis aimed to investigate the effects of caloric restriction on compensatory mechanisms that occur during and after weight loss. We first aimed to determine whether the rate of weight loss differently influence physiological and psychological variables related to energy balance. Secondly, we aimed to elucidate whether early changes in the above mentioned adaptations in energy expenditure (EE) and energy intake (EI) variables predict final outcomes (fat mass - FM and weight loss). Finally, we aimed to determine whether RT promoted greater weight loss maintenance. In Article I and II, we investigated whether different rates of weight loss play a role in EI and EE related-variables. We noted significant increases in fasting appetite measures, as well as increases in satiety measures. REE decreased over time, as did the relative reinforcing value of fruit. No significant group interaction was observed illustrating that different rates of weight loss has no impact on the magnitude of adaptations in EI and EE after weight loss. In article III we demonstrated that early changes in fasting and postprandial appetite measures in response to caloric restriction were associated with greater body weight and FM loss in women. Indeed, greater increases in fasting appetite were associated with greater FM loss, contrary to our hypothesis. However, increases in postprandial appetite were associated with greater FM and body weight loss, independently of changes in eating behaviours. Taken together, articles I and III demonstrated that caloric restriction has a significant impact on increases in appetite and reduction in REE as soon as the in the first week of intervention. Those changes remain significant until the end of the program. In article IV it was shown that 1-year of resistance training (2x/ week) after 6-month of caloric restriction was not sufficient to promote better weight and FM loss in post-menopausal women. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that RT did not improve the differences between measured and predicted measures in REE observed as consequence of weight loss. The picture that emerges is that, increases in appetite and decreases in REE can be observed since the first week of caloric restriction and remain significant until the end of the program, independently of the rate of weight loss. Feeding-related variables such as fasting and postprandial appetite and RRV of a snack food are better predictors of final FM loss, even after adjusting for changes in eating behaviours. In addition, our study demonstrated that different rates of weight loss do not have an independent aspect on either physiological or psychological aspects related to energy balance.

This paper estimates the income elasticity of government pharmaceutical spending and assesses the simultaneous effect of such spending on gross domestic product (GDP). Using a panel dataset for 136 countries from 1995 to 2006, we employ a two-step instrumental variable procedure where we first estimate the effect of GDP on public pharmaceutical expenditure using tourist receipts as an instrumentforGDP. In the secondstep,weconstructanadjusted pharmaceutical expenditure series where the response of public pharmaceutical expenditure to GDP is partialled out and use this endogeneity adjusted series as an instrument for pharmaceutical expenditure. Our estimations show that GDP has a strong positive impact on pharmaceutical spending with elasticity in excess of unity in countries with low spending on pharmaceuticals and countries with large economic freedom. In the second step, we find that when the quantitatively large reverse effect of GDP is accounted for, public pharmaceutical spending has a negative effect on GDP per capita particularly in countries with limited economic freedom.

In this study, examinations of 6 patiens of the ICU of the University Hospital in Hradec Kralove were included. The aim of this study was to describe case reports of individual patients and to look for statistically significant correlations between nutritional support, oxidation of nutrients and other parameteres. Anthropometric measuring and indirect calorimetry were used for the examination of patients. The case reports show the individuality that occurs in patients. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to evaluate measured data. Statistically significant correlations were proven, among them relations between enterally given nutrition and the creation/loss of muscle tissue (carbohydrates: P = 0,000189, lipids: P = 0,001284, proteins: P = 0,000255), between carbohydrate oxidation, resp. protein oxidation and the number of hours spent on ventilation (carbohydrates: P = 0,041278, proteins: P = 0,02185), between respiratory quotients and the duration of the trauma (respiratory quotient: P = 0,014695, nonprotein respiratory quotient: P = 0,027904), between carbohydrate oxidation related to ideal body weight and lipid intake (P = 0,014085) and between protein oxidation and carbohydrate intake (P = 0,012703). Key words: polytrauma, indirect calorimetry, nutritional support, malnutrition

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Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study examined the trends in household consumption expenditure among the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria within the context of Engel's law of consumption. The study specifically set out to achieve the following objectives: to determine the trends in household consumption expenditure in Nigeria; to examine the food, health, education and non-food expenditures of households in Nigeria; to estimate the food share of total household expenditure through the estimation of the Engel curve for the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria; to determine if there are consumption economies of scale among households by estimating the Working-Leser form of the Engel curve; and, to examine consumption inequality among households in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The study used the Nigeria General Household Survey data wave 1 (2010-2011) and wave 2 (2012-2013) to estimate the Working-Leser form of the Engel curve to determine households' budget share for food consumption and the scale of consumption among the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The study used the Gini coefficient to measure consumption inequality among and between the six geopolitical zones.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-07-22T12:50:23Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação - Dayvison Spindola.pdf: 2703656 bytes, checksum: 0c1d3272c385f7be288fc072cc23ab4e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-22T12:50:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação - Dayvison Spindola.pdf: 2703656 bytes, checksum: 0c1d3272c385f7be288fc072cc23ab4e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Partindo de argumentos decorrentes das discussões sobre accountability governamental e dos estudos afetos à qualidade do gasto público, este trabalho se propôs a mensurar a relação existente entre receitas e despesas públicas, representativas da execução orçamentária municipal publicada, e a qualidade da educação dos municípios brasileiros, no período de 2008 a 2011, segundo o Índice FIRJAN de Desenvolvimento Municipal, na vertente educacional. Para tanto, foi utilizada uma abordagem metodológica quantitativa, a partir de uma regressão com dados em painel, para 4.376 municípios entre os anos de 2008 a 2011, contemplando como variável dependente o Índice FIRJAN de Desenvolvimento Municipal, na vertente educacional e, como explicadores, variáveis representativas da arrecadação e de gasto público e outras utilizadas para controle dos resultados. Os resultados da pesquisa apontaram como significativas as variáveis relativas aos índices de desenvolvimento municipal nas vertentes emprego e renda e saúde, à proporção de alunos em relação à quantidade de habitantes (densidade de alunos), à despesa com a remuneração dos professores e com gastos com saúde e à receita própria dos municípios. Foi observado, ainda, diferenças significativas entre a regressão nacional e as realizadas para cada Estado, revelando a existência de aspectos regionais relevantes na determinação da qualidade da educação dos municípios brasileiros. Assim, concluiu-se que uma melhor condição de vida da população, representada por melhores níveis de empregabilidade, renda e saúde, associada a maiores remunerações por aluno para o magistério, que pode atuar sobre o desempenho dos professores em sala de aula, são fatores significativos na melhoria da educação municipal. Por outro lado, a densidade de alunos na população do município demonstrou trazer a este um nível de complexidade na organização necessária à educação, que força os resultados educacionais para piores resultados. Por fim, ficou evidenciado que as informações oriundas da execução orçamentária municipal podem ser utilizadas como instrumento voltado a avaliar se a qualidade mensurada para os bens públicos entregues à população mantém relação com os montantes aportados para tal. Os resultados deste trabalho demonstram que, ainda que parcialmente, há relação entre as receitas e despesas públicas e a qualidade da educação dos municípios brasileiros para o período subordinado às análises. / According to arguments emerging from discussions about public accountability and studies about the quality of public spending, this work aimed to measure the relationship between Revenue and Public Expenditure, representative of the municipal budget execution published, and the quality of education of brazilian municipalities, from 2008 to 2011, according to Índice FIRJAN de Desenvolvimento Municipal in the educational aspect. For this purpose, a quantitative approach was used, using a regression with panel data for 4,376 cities, between 2008 and 2011, using as dependent variable the Índice FIRJAN de Desenvolvimento Municipal in the educational aspect and, as explanatory, accounting variables specific to basic education, and others used for control of the results. The results showed as significant variables related to municipal development indices in employment and income and health, the proportion of students in relation to the number of habitants (students density), the spending on remuneration of teachers and health and own revenue of municipalities. Also significant differences were observed between the national regression and that performed for each state, revealing the existence of relevant regional aspects in determining the quality of education of Brazilian municipalities. Thus, it was concluded that improved people's living condition, represented by better employment, income and health levels, associated with higher remuneration per student for teaching, which can act on teacher performance in the classroom, are significant factors in improving muncipal education. On the other hand, the density of students showed that bring a level of complexity in the organization necessary to education, which forces educational outcomes for worse results. Finally, it was evident that the information coming from the municipal budget execution can be used as an instrument aimed to assess whether the quality measured to public goods delivered to the population remains linked to the amounts contributed to such. These results demonstrate that, even partially, there is a relationship between public revenues and expenditures and the quality of education of municipalities for the period subject to analysis.

Migration to the European Union has increased the last ten years with asylum immigrants being a large part. There is an ongoing debate about the cost of migration and whether or not immigrants tend to cluster in countries with high social benefits. Theoretical framework in the field of migration economics show a connection between level of immigration and the welfare system.This thesis will use macro-data on migration flows, social expenditure, wages, employment and immigrant population from OECD which will be combined with micro-data of individual views on politics and welfare. This will hopefully shed light on if the level of social expenditure and individual opinion with regards to willingness to help others may affect immigration.The question for this thesis is : Does a generous welfare system or high level of government social expenditure in a certain country within the European Union attract a high inflow of immigrants?Results show, as other research conducted in similar fashion, both a positive and negative impact by social expenditure depending on the type of regression made. A conlusion about whether the effect of social expenditure is positive or negative could not be done at this point in time for this research.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (D Com (Econometrics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Economics / unrestricted

Although corporate environmental accountability is receiving unprecedented attention in the United States from policy makers, the capital market, and the public at large, extant research is limited in its examination of the implications of strategic corporate environmental initiatives on accounting and auditing. The purpose of my dissertation is to address these implications by examining the association between firm environmental initiatives and audit fees, capital expenditures, and earnings quality using multivariate regression analysis. I find that firms engaged in more strategic environmental initiatives tend to have significantly higher audit fees and capital expenditures, and significantly lower levels of earnings manipulation measured using discretionary accruals. These results support the notion that auditors do recognize the importance of environmental initiatives when conducting the year-end financial statement audit, an idea that positively reflects upon the auditor’s monitoring role. The results also demonstrate the increased amount of capital resources required to participate in strategic environmental initiatives, an anecdotal notion that had yet to be empirically supported. This empirical support provides valuable insights on how environmental initiatives materially impact corporate financial statements. Finally, my results extend the extant literature by demonstrating that the superior financial performance reported by environmentally active firms is less likely driven by earnings manipulation by management, and by implication, more likely a result of real economic gains. Taken together, my dissertation establishes a strong and timely foundation for current and future research to explore corporate environmental initiatives in the United States and globally, a topic increasingly gaining momentum in today’s more eco-conscious world.