This dissertation is divided into five chapters consisting of three short essays that concentrate on economic analysis of health, savings and labor. The first essay is aimed at investigating the influence of increased work hours on individuals’ health and how this may differ between males and females. It is expected that increased hours of work will have a negative impact on health but this impact may be stronger for females. In the second essay, the relationship between individuals’ health and savings behavior is analyzed. Healthy individuals are expected to be more productive, earn higher incomes, and have lower medical expenditures compared to unhealthy individuals. It is therefore expected that individuals’ health will have a positive influence on their saving behavior. The third paper analyzes the effect of increased work, as proxied by labor force participation, on health, as proxied by life expectancy, at the macro level. The main aim of the analysis in the third essay is to investigate whether or not increased female labor force participation is a contributing factor to the narrowing gap between the life expectancy of females and males. In the final chapter of this dissertation, I provide a summary of my findings on the relationships between work, health, and savings. I also provide directions for future research.

Background: There are over 300 Primary Immunodeficiency diseases (PID) that are a result of a genetic or idiopathic dysfunction of any aspect of the immune system. These conditions result in a higher frequency of infections, autoimmune conditions, or malignancies. Moderate intensity exercise is thought to help the immune system, while high intensity exercise may have a negative impact on immune function. The impact of exercise on individuals with an impaired immune system due to PID is not yet understood. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a low to moderate intensity exercise program would have an effect on stress, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL) for individuals diagnosed with PID. Methods: 34 participants were included in this eight-week, mixed-methods, randomized controlled trial, either as part of the control group, or as part of the exercise intervention group. Participants completed pre- and post-study outcome measures, reflective journaling, and a post-study interview. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for the outcome measures, infection incidence, or need for non-routine medical care. There was a clinically significant decline in the Physical Component Summary score of the SF-36v2 for the control group at the end of the study. The scores for the SF-36v2, for all participants, were below normative scores for all domains, at the beginning and end of the study. Four main themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: living with a ‘new normal’, the challenges of living with a chronic disease, facing the stigma of a chronic disease, and wanting to exercise, but were too exhausted to do so. Conclusions: Individuals with a diagnosis of PID have lower QoL scores as compared to population norms. They face high levels of stress, overwhelming fatigue, social isolation, and decreased emotional well-being. Exercise programs for this patient population did not result in increased infections or need for non-routine medical care but did result in emotional implications that need to be considered. Healthcare providers need to address emotional well-being and provide coping strategies. Exercise programs should be designed with a slow, methodical ramp-up to avoid increasing fatigue or stress, while exercise goals must be highly achievable and realistic. Physical therapists should collaborate with other healthcare professionals for a more holistic and interprofessional approach to working with patients with a diagnosis of PID.

La portabilité des mémoires Flash embarquées sur les nœuds CMOS technologiques avancés tel que le 28nm pose de nombreux problèmes de compatibilité avec les nouvelles étapes de fabrication telles que le diélectrique de grille haute permittivité, l’utilisation de grille métallique, les stresseurs et tenseurs utilisés pour piloter la performance du transistor élémentaire. L’ajout d’un dispositif à double grille classique tel que celui de la Flash apparait comme très couteux en termes de nombre de masques et d’étapes de fabrication additionnelles. De nombreuses alternatives ont vu le jour : les mémoires à changement de phase, les mémoires magnétiques et les mémoires resistives. Ce dernier type de mémoire est particulièrement attrayant pour une intégration en tant que mémoire « embarquée » sur technologie CMOS. Les matériaux utilisés (diélectrique à base d’oxyde métallique tel que le HfO₂ ou le Ta₂O₅) sont compatibles avec le procédé de fabrication CMOS comparés à ceux utilisés pour les mémoires magnétiques (risques de contamination). Les mémoires résistives sont par ailleurs basées sur une conduction filamentaire qui s’avère également particulièrement économe en énergie et adaptée aux faibles géométries quand elles sont comparées aux mémoires à changement de phase (changement d’état volumique du matériau). De nombreux industriels ont focalisé leurs efforts sur les matériaux de type HfO₂ et Ta₂O₅. Le sujet proposé fait suite à trois années de collaboration intensive entre ST Microelectronics et le CEA-LETI qui ont permis d’établir les bases d’un cellule mémoire de type Oxram fonctionnelle et facilement intégrable facilement sur une technologie CMOS. Il aura pour objectifs d’analyser les paramètres responsables des instabilités des états résistifs observés et de rechercher les différents moyens susceptibles de mieux contrôler la dispersion de ces états. Les études réalisées pourront porter sur les matériaux (diélectrique et électrodes), la technologie mise en œuvre, les conditions électriques de formation du filament [20]. La consolidation du choix du matériau et l’analyse des modes de défaillance et de la fiabilité du plan mémoire feront également partie du travail de cette première année. Ce travail sera orienté par les résultats statistiques obtenus par le biais de test à plus grande échelle (circuit de plusieurs Kbits). / Embedded Flash memories integration on advanced CMOS technological nodes such as the 28nm leads to serious compatibility problems with the new manufacturing steps such as the high-permittivity gate dielectric, the use of metal gate, etc. The addition of a conventional double-grid device such as the one for Flash appears to be very expensive in terms of number of masks and additional manufacturing steps. Many alternatives have emerged: phase change memories PCRAM, magnetic memories MRAM and resistive memories OxRAM. However, the high programming current of the PCRAM memories and the risks associated to the contamination of the materials used for the MRAM memories represent the weak points of these technologies. On the other hand, OxRAM memories are particularly attractive for integration as CMOS embedded memory. The materials used (metal oxide dielectric such as HfO₂ or Ta₂O₅) compatible with the CMOS manufacturing process and their low programming voltages due to filament conduction are an advantage for OxRAM memories.In this thesis, an in depth memory stack optimization is done to make up the OxRAM memory cell in order to be integrated into a matrix of memories. Thus, various top and bottom electrodes and various switching oxides have been studied in order to better control and improve the variability of the resistive states of the OxRAM memory cell. An evaluation of the reliability and the main memory performances in terms of Forming voltage, memory window, endurance and thermal stability were performed for each memory stack through electrical characterizations. These assessments highlighted efficient memory stacks which have been integrated into a 16Kb demonstrator. Finally, a study of the variability of the resistive states as well as their degradation mechanisms during the endurance and thermal stability were carried out through simples models and atomistic simulations (ab-initio calculations).