Estimating the relative efficiency of various forms of prevention at different stages of a drug epidemic

Drug use and problems change dramatically over time in ways that are often described as reflecting an “epidemic cycle”. We use simulation of a model of drug epidemics to investigate how the relative effectiveness of different types of prevention varies over the course of such an epidemic. Specifically we use the so-called LHY model (see, Discussion Paper No. 251 of the Institute of Econometrics, OR, and Systems Theory, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria, 2000) which includes both “contagious” spread of initiation (a positive feedback) and memory of past use (a negative feedback), which dampens initiation and, hence, future use. The analysis confirms the common sense intuition that prevention is more highly leveraged early in an epidemic, although the extent to which this is true in this model is striking, particularly for campaigns designed to preserve or amplify awareness of the drug's dangers. The findings also suggest that the design of “secondary” prevention programs should change over the course of an epidemic.     

Impact of product-specific variables on consumers' post-consumption behaviour for apparel products: USA

Abstract Companies spend valuable resources developing and distributing products to please the consumer; however, products that do not match consumer performance expectations during post-purchase use often result in consumer dissatisfaction. This situation can lead to redress-seeking behaviour and negative repurchase behaviour. Understanding factors influencing consumers' post-purchase behaviour can provide retailers with information to make accurate purchasing decisions and improve interpretation of the post-return data. This study examines product-specific variables for apparel purchases and their relationship with post-consumption behaviour. Product cost and product type were found to be related to redress and repurchase behaviour among dissatisfied consumers. Implications for apparel retailers and consumer educators are discussed.     

The greening of industry: needs of the field

This article takes stock of some of the advances research on the greening of industry has made over the last decade and sets out an agenda for the next one. Obviously, a thorough review of all of the work on the greening of industry is outside the scope of this article. Instead we will only outline the evolution of the field and focus on the area of inquiry situated at the centre of greening of industry studies: the determinants and consequences of greening. These two questions were the focus of some of the first greening of industry studies and a multitude of works, especially on the determinants of greening, subsequently has identified numerous important insights. Yet, this area of inquiry also exemplifies major weaknesses within research in data on the greening of industry. Progress in our understanding of greening has been hampered by a lack of theoretical and methodological rigour. This article points out the resulting gaps in the scientific analysis of greening and lays out research necessary to improve our understanding of its causes and consequences. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Entwicklungsfördernde Pflege Frühgeborener

Zusammenfasung  Pflege nach dem Heidelberger Modell — Die Versorgung des Frühgeborenen auf der Intensivstation hat gro?en Einfluss auf seine weitere Entwicklung. Pflegekr?fte müssen das Kind vor überforderung schützen und ihm gleichzeitig entwicklungsf?rdernde Reize anbieten. Doch auch die Eltern ben?tigen die Unterstützung des neonatologischen Teams.     

Rezensionen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Programm der Bundesregierung zum Bürokratieabbau — Erwartungen erfüllt?

Zusammenfassung  Die derzeitige Bundesregierung hat ein Programm „Bürokratieabbau und bessere Rechtsetzung“ eingeführt. Allein die bundesrechtlichen Informationspflichten belasten die Wirtschaft mit 47 Mrd. Euro pro Jahr. Durch die Vermeidung neuer und die überprüfung bestehender Bürokratielasten konnte die deutsche Wirtschaft bereits erheblich entlastet werden. Dazu hat der Nationale Normenkontrollrat einen wichtigen Beitrag geleistet. Doris Dietze, 33, Juristin, ist Referentin im Sekretariat des Nationalen Normenkontrollrates. Dirk H. Kranen, 43, Dipl.-Volkswirt und Dipl.-Kaufmann, ist Ministerialrat im Bundesministerium der Finanzen und Lehrbeauftragter an der Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft in Berlin. Die Autoren danken mehreren Kollegen im Bundeskanzleramt und im Bundesministerium der Finanzen für wertvolle Anregungen. Der Artikel bringt die pers?nliche Meinung der Autoren zum Ausdruck.     

Risk taking by banks and captial accumulation: A portfolio approach

This paper shows the risk taking role of banks within a continuous-time portfolio model. Banks are considered as risk-averse utility maximizers which differ from private investors and firms only by their degree of risk aversion. Since bankruptcy risk, described by a Poisson jump-process, restrains the capability of firms to mobilize funds from private investors, banks foster capital accumulation by investing in risk-bearing credits financed by risk-free deposits. The provision of collateral by the borrowing firms is found to be necessary for the viability of financial intermediation. This result adds to the explanation of collateral given by the theory of asymmetric information.I would like to thank Manfred Neumann, Thusnelda Tivig, two anonymous referees, and my husband for helpful comments. Financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is gratefully acknowledged.     

Where Credit Is Due: Residential Mortgage Finance in Canada, 1901 to 1954

The experience of Canada in the first half of this century indicates that the importance of institutional mortgage lending for the growth of homeownership can be overstated. Home ownership rates in Canada and the United States were similar, but many fewer Canadians than Americans relied on lending institutions. Fewer incurred debt of any sort. A case study of Hamilton, Ontario, based on land titles records indicates that this was especially true during the interwar years. No Canadians lived in large metropolitan areas, where mortgage debt was most prevalent, while many built in stages as their finances allowed. Moreover, even in the early 1950s, half of all residential mortgage debt in Canada was held by private individuals, with brokers playing an important role. Despite the importance of the personal sector, above all in the markets for older homes and junior mortgages, the Canadian government made no effort to improve the way in which it operated.