Amino acid formula as a new strategy for diagnosing cow’s milk allergy in infants: is it cost-effective?

Aims: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of a new strategy that uses an amino acid formula in the elimination diet of infants with suspected cow’s milk allergy (CMA).

Materials and methods: This pharmacoeconomic study was developed from the perspective of the Brazilian Public Healthcare System. The new strategy proposes using an amino acid formula in the diagnostic elimination diet of infants (≤24 months) with suspected CMA. The rationale is that infants who do not respond to the amino acid formula do not suffer from CMA. Patients with a positive oral challenge test receive a therapeutic elimination diet based on Brazilian Food Allergy Guidelines. This approach was compared to the current recommendations of the Brazilian Food Allergy Guidelines. A decision model was constructed using TreeAge Pro 2012 software. Model inputs were based on a literature review and the opinions of a panel of experts. A univariate sensitivity analysis of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios was performed.

Results: The mean cost per patient of the new amino acid formula strategy was R$3,341.57, while the cost of the current Brazilian guidelines strategy was R$3,641.08. The mean number of symptom-free days per patient, which was used as an indicator of effectiveness, was 900.6 and 875.7 days, respectively. The new strategy is, therefore, dominant. In the sensitivity analysis, the dominance was maintained with parameter variation.

Limitations: In the absence of information in the literature, some premises were defined by a panel of specialists.

Conclusions: The new strategy, which uses an amino acid formula in the elimination diagnostic diet followed by an oral food challenge, is a dominant pharmacoeconomic approach that has a lower cost and results in an increased number of symptom-free days.     

On the complete monotonicity of the compound geometric convolution with applications in risk theory

We prove that the complete monotonicity is preserved under mixed geometric compounding, and hence show that the ruin probability, the Laplace transform of the ruin time, and the density of the tail of the joint distribution of ruin and the deficit at ruin in the Sparre Andersen model are completely monotone if the claim size distribution has a completely monotone density.     

Valuation of American options under the CGMY model

In the present work, we concentrate on the analytical study of American options under the CGMY process. The decomposition formula of the American option and the integral equation for the optimal-exercise boundary are established in explicit forms. Moreover, an analytical approximation formula is obtained for the American value. This approximation is valid when time to maturity is either very short or very long. Numerical simulations are provided for European options, optimal-exercise prices and approximate values for American options.     

Using the Hicks formula to evaluate an estimate of the elasticity of derived demand for toll-free numbers

Duffy-Deno & Parsons D-D & P (2012) estimated the coefficient for the price elasticity of demand for toll-free numbers (TFNs) at between −0.04 and −0.05. Here, the Hicks formula for derived demand is used to check the range of likely demand elasticity for TFNs given the special characteristics of this market. This approach suggests that the demand for TFNs is likely not more elastic than estimated by D-D & P. Therefore, the premise is sound for D-D & P's discussion of the public policy implications of highly inelastic demand for TFNs. The use of industry information for all four parameters of the Hicks formula to check a derived demand elasticity is the first of its kind in the published literature.     

A Simple Method of Incorporating Income Effects into Logit and Nested-Logit Models: Theory and Application

Substantive income effects are incorporated in a logit or nested-logit model by assuming that utility is a piece-wise linear spline function of residual income. Specific income data are not required, only income by category. Expected compensating variation is easily and accurately approximated by the difference between expected maximum utility in the proposed and initial state, multiplied by the inverse of the individual's initial marginal utility of money. This approximation is almost exact because although any policy can, in theory, cause an individual to jump income categories, for most policies this probability will be very small.     

农资市场规范性感知对农户测土配方施肥技术采纳的影响

目的 农资市场经营的不规范极易引起农户对技术的认知偏差。为此探究农资市场规范性感知、技术认知和农户测土配方施肥技术采纳行为间的关系,为明晰农户技术采纳行为机制提供借鉴。方法 文章通过二元Logit模型和中介效应模型,利用鄂、赣、浙3省790份水稻种植户的微观调研数据进行实证分析。结果 （1）农资市场规范性感知能促进农户测土配方施肥技术采纳,农户的农资市场规范性感知每提高一个单位,测土配方施肥技术采纳率将增加8.6%。（2）技术易用性认知对农户测土配方施肥技术采纳行为产生了正向影响,而技术有用性认知对农户测土配方肥技术采纳行为的影响则并不显著。（3）农户技术认知在农资市场规范性感知和测土配方施肥技术采纳行为之间发挥中介作用,农户的农资市场规范性感知不仅直接影响测土配方施肥技术采纳,还间接通过提升技术易用性认知,进一步促进农户测土配方施肥技术采纳。结论 对此,应加强测土配方肥市场监管,减少因市场经营不规范而引致的农户技术认知偏差,同时提高农户的技术易用性和有用性认知,促进测土配方施肥技术的推广应用。     

An Economic Evaluation of Formula Pricing for Fluid Milk

For a number of reasons, the pricing of fluid milk in Canada is not subject to the rigors of the market. Given this, questions arise as to the appropriate form of regulated pricing. An increasingly common method is the use of formulas. A large number of possible formulas exist and the main types are outlined in this paper. In addition, each is evaluated in terms of a set of objectives and operational criteria, and a format for establishing a preferred pricing system is suggested.
Pour plusieurs raisons la fixation du prix du lait fluide au Canada n'est pas sujette aux rigueurs du marché. Étant donné cette situation, des questions se présentent quant à la methode fixer le prix du lait fluide. line méthode de plus en plus courante d'utiliser une formule. Un grand nombre deformulespossibles existe, et les differentes sortes sont exposées dans cet article. Cet article suggère la sorte de formule qui établira des prix qui satisfont l'intérél public comme les agences régulatrices le définissent. Ensuite, des formules canadiennes courantes sont comparées à une telle formule.     

基于老龄化背景下的绿色生产技术推广研究——以生物农药与测土配方肥为例

[目的]探讨老龄化与农业技术推广对农户采纳绿色生产技术的影响。[方法]文章通过二元Logit模型,利用湖北省襄阳、宜昌、黄冈、潜江4市587户水稻种植户样本数据进行实证分析。[结果](1)老龄化阻碍了农户的绿色生产技术采纳行为,老年组农户相对于年轻组而言,采纳生物农药和测土配方施肥技术的概率在下降,采纳生物农药的年轻组和老年组农户分别占总样本的47.79%和37.67%,采纳测土配方肥的年轻组和老年组农户分别占25.00%和15.48%;(2)农业技术推广能够在一定程度上缓解老龄化对农户采纳绿色生产技术的阻碍。具体而言,政府宣传与政府培训均能显著促进年轻农户的绿色生产技术采纳行为;政府宣传能有效促进老年农户采纳绿色生产技术,但政府培训对其影响作用并不明显。[结论]政府应加强绿色生产技术的宣传力度和培训力度,针对中老年人降低培训难度,且为中老年人提供良好的学习环境。     

高膳食纤维濑粉工艺及特性研究

为研究高膳食纤维濑粉的最佳工艺,本试验以大米粉和玉米粉为主要原料,菊粉和魔芋胶为辅料,通过单因素试验和正交试验对濑粉配方进行优化。结果表明,高膳食纤维濑粉的工艺参数为大米粉∶玉米粉=1∶4、菊粉添加量6.5%、魔芋胶添加量2%,测定最优组的濑粉与纯大米制作的濑粉的理化指标,经比较得出高膳食纤维濑粉的品质更佳。     

论时代潮流中的“戏曲程式”

中国的戏曲艺术博大精深、源远流长。如果说叙事抒情是戏曲艺术的表现目的,程式化的唱念做打,生旦净丑就是她的过程了。不管时代怎样发展,艺术表达形式如何变迁,程式都是构成戏曲的灵魂所在,没有程式就不成其为戏曲。本文将从戏剧艺术对生活之美的"夸张性放大"及其对"中国之美"的依托两个方面,探讨戏曲程式存在的必要性,并且分析在当前的艺术条件之下,戏曲艺术程式所面临的挑战及其原因。以期中国的传统艺术瑰宝———戏曲,能够更广泛的吸取时代的气息,在不改变立场的前提下,更广泛的深入大众、展现魅力,并且得以传承。