Elisabeta Jaba

The relationship between life expectancy at birth and health expenditures estimated by a cross-country and time-series analysis

In the last years, most countries experienced improved health outcomes as longevity increased steadily and infant mortality rate decreased, along with a growth of the health expenditures. The paper aims to analyze the relationship between the dynamics of the inputs and the outputs of health care systems. The input of the health care system is expressed by health care expenditures per capita (current US

Gender Employment Gap in EU before and after the Crisis

) and the output of the health care systems is expressed by life expectancy at birth (years). The data are collected for 175 world countries, grouped according to the geographic position and income level, over 16 years (1995-2010). We apply a panel data analysis to estimate life expectancy by a function of health expenditures. The obtained results show a significant relationship between health expenditures and life expectancy. Country effects are significant and show the existence of important differences among the countries.

Development and validation of a risk-prediction nomogram for in-hospital mortality in adults poisoned with drugs and nonpharmaceutical agents: An observational study

Abstract The gender gap in European labour markets presents different patterns across countries and years. In the late decades, the participation of men decreased, while the participation of women increased. The recent global crisis had a different impact on the employment of men and women that is reflected by a narrower gender gap. The paper aims to analyse the variation of employment gap in EU and to identify the factors with significant influence. The data used in the paper concern the time span 2003-2012. The methods applied in the study of gender gap variation under the influence of influence factors are the analysis of variance and the fixed effects model. The results of the study prove that, after the crisis, the gender gap in employment in EU shows some convergence, though there is important variation among regions and by education levels.

Economic Crisis’ Repercussions on European Healthcare Systems

Abstract Acute poisoning with drugs and nonpharmaceutical agents represents an important challenge in the emergency department (ED). The objective is to create and validate a risk-prediction nomogram for use in the ED to predict the risk of in-hospital mortality in adults from acute poisoning with drugs and nonpharmaceutical agents. This was a prospective cohort study involving adults with acute poisoning from drugs and nonpharmaceutical agents admitted to a tertiary referral center for toxicology between January and December 2015 (derivation cohort) and between January and June 2016 (validation cohort). We used a program to generate nomograms based on binary logistic regression predictive models. We included variables that had significant associations with death. Using regression coefficients, we calculated scores for each variable, and estimated the event probability. Model validation was performed using bootstrap to quantify our modeling strategy and using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. The nomogram was tested on a separate validation cohort using ROC analysis and goodness-of-fit tests. Data from 315 patients aged 18 to 91 years were analyzed (n = 180 in the derivation cohort; n = 135 in the validation cohort). In the final model, the following variables were significantly associated with mortality: age, laboratory test results (lactate, potassium, MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase), electrocardiogram parameters (QTc interval), and echocardiography findings (E wave velocity deceleration time). Sex was also included to use the same model for men and women. The resulting nomogram showed excellent survival/mortality discrimination (area under the curve [AUC] 0.976, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.954–0.998, P < 0.0001 for the derivation cohort; AUC 0.957, 95% CI 0.892–1, P < 0.0001 for the validation cohort). This nomogram provides more precise, rapid, and simple risk-analysis information for individual patients acutely exposed to drugs and nonpharmaceutical agents, and accurately estimates the probability of in-hospital death, exclusively using the results of objective tests available in the ED.

Usefulness of transthoracic echocardiography parameters and brain natriuretic peptide as mortality predictors in hospitalized, acutely poisoned patients: a prospective observational study

Abstract The economic crisis of the late 2000s had numerous social and political repercussions on most European countries. In this paper we aim to study the influence of the austerity measures deemed by the economic and financial meltdown on one of the most vulnerable and important systems in any country: healthcare. The empiric approach uses panel data analysis to highlight the effects of the economic crisis on each of the 34 analyzed countries, during the time span 2006-2012. The advantage of this method resides in the ability to offer both cross-time and cross-section results, as well as interactions. Our findings show a consistent tendency of European governments to diminish the spending on healthcare during the crisis, leading to the increase of out of pocket payments is some countries, which do not have a robust health insurance policy and a decrease in the number of people accessing healthcare services in the other countries. Another notable result is that there is a consistent delay between the economic crisis and the impact on healthcare, yet, when the shock is felt it is most likely to have an influence for some time, even after the economy has recovered. Some side effects could even be permanent as it is the case with hospitals being closed or personnel being laid off. The findings in this paper suggest that in times of economic crisis, the right approach is to maintain the spending levels in healthcare, since otherwise people are exposed to even greater risks such as catastrophic spending, disease or even death.

Leaders and Followers in the Business Cycle Game. A Case Study of the G7

Acute poisonings represent a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The prognostic utility of the transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) parameters combined with brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in acute poisoning with different xenobiotics, upon admission in the hospital, was not evaluated. This prospective observational cohort study included 229 acutely poisoned non‐diabetic adults, with a median age of 44 years (range 18–90 years), 50.7% women, with an in‐hospital mortality rate of 8.7%. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, the left ventricle kinetic abnormalities, the E‐wave deceleration time (EDT) and BNP correlated significantly with mortality in acutely poisoned patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that only EDT [odds ratio (OR) 3.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.54–7.69, p 0.003], BNP (OR 1.61, 95% CI: 1.02–2.55, p 0.04) and age (OR 2.66, 95% CI: 1.23–5.76, p 0.013) are predictive for mortality. The receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) analysis proved EDT [area under the ROC curve (AUC), 0.85; CI: 0.76–0.94; p 0.001], BNP (AUC, 0.83; CI: 0.75–0.91; p 0.001) and age (AUC, 0.82; CI: 0.74–0.90; p 0.001) as indicators for fatalities. In hospitalized patients acutely intoxicated with undifferentiated poisons, EDT as a parameter of left ventricle diastolic function and BNP are useful to early predict mortality.

Statistical Estimation of the Information Influence Regarding Employees on the Romanian Firms Market Capitalization

Abstract The recent economic crisis has set the scene for new inquires about the nature of this elusive phenomenon from both academics and practitioners. Understanding the driving forces behind of the worlds economy starts with the comprehension of the components, and the classification thereof. The aim of this article is to divide the countries from the G7 group in leaders and followers in respect to the business cycle and specifically to the crisis. Markov switch models are employed in MATLAB through the MS_Regress to identify the turning points in a seasonally adjusted quarterly GDP series covering the time span 1991-2012. The stochastic model also gives the recessions probability of persistence together with the estimated duration. The results show a clear demarcation among the leaders and the followers, each country playing a different role during each phase of the business cycle. Furthermore, there is a significant quadratic link between the above mentioned probabilities and the duration of the crisis. The significance of this study resides in highlighting the business cycle anatomy for the most influential economic powers of the world, hence proposing a model which can be extended for another sample of countries in order to assess the transmission of the business cycle and especially the crisis, targeting the prevention or at least to attenuate the results thereof.

Is Trade a Vector of Business Cycles Synchronization? A Fuzzy Cluster Approach of Globalization☆

Abstract Romanian listed companies report information regarding the efficiency of the labor force usage and the availability of working equipment. Such information can be useful to investors, with impact on the investment decision and on the market capitalization. The study proposes to analyze the influence of the information regarding the employees on the market capitalization of companies by using the generalized linear model. The observed sample consists of 70 Romanian listed companies between 2006 and 2011. The obtained results indicate a significant influence of the companies’ reported information regarding the employees and their results on the market capitalization

THE VARIATION OF HEALTHY LIFE EXPECTANCY AND HEALTH EXPENSES IN EUROPE

Abstract At the moment, Europe is divided between East and West, the desiderate of an economic and cultural divers union being yet to come to terms due to regional influence poles. The aim of this paper is to classify a sample of 30 European countries into two fuzzy clusters, based on their trade levels (imports and exports as annual growth rates), in order to estimate the migration between different groups, within the time span 1999 and 2010, determined by economic and politic influences. We employed a fuzzy clusters cmeans analysis, an innovative method which depicts more accurately the economical reality, compared to the hierarchical clusters method. Thus, each entity is assigned a membership degree to each cluster. The analysis indicates that trade is a vehicle of business cycle transmission, hence of globalization.Yet, this channel requires a certain amount of time in order to be effective, the results proving a degree of synchronization which can be related to the waves of accession to the European Union. The novelty of this study is given by the fuzzy cluster analysis which offers a more nuanced approach. Further research will include the extension of the number of variables, including FDI flows, in order to capture both long and short term effects.

Curricula Design Based on Competencies in Romanian Higher Education

Abstract In the paper we aim to study the European health systems by analysing the relationship between the outcome and the input of health systems. The indicator that measures the output is healthy life expectancy at birth and at 65 years of age for the female and male population. The input consists in the health expenses by type of health services and medical goods provided. We observe a sample of 21 European countries, including Romania, on health indicators, such as healthy life years and health expenses, available from Eurostat database. We applied both correlation and regression methods in order to study the variation of healthy life expectancy according to health expenses. The results of the study point out high variations of healthy life expectancy per country. One of the factors that explain these differences is the varying volume of resources allocated in order to fund health services.