Employment Effects of Product and Labour Market Reforms: Are There Synergies?

This article investigates the effect of product market liberalisation on employment allowing for interactions between policies and institutions in product and labour markets. Using panel data for OECD countries over the period 19802002, we present evidence that product market deregulation is more effective at the margin when labour market regulation is high. The data also suggest that product market liberalisation may promote employment-enhancing labour market reforms.

Food restrictions of patients who are undergoing treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancer

Purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma and its treatment are associated with facial disfigurement and functional inabilities that may lead to malnutrition or under nourishment. This study assessed the incidence of food restrictions in patients undergoing treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Method: We interviewed 120 patients in two hospitals in Sao Paulo, Brazil, using a structured food frequency questionnaire comprising the most commonly consumed foods in Brazil. This questionnaire was applied twice; the first time to inform dietary patterns prior to the diagnosis of cancer and the second time to assess recent modifications of diet that were associated with the disease and its treatment. Hospital files provided information on clinical status. Multivariate Poisson regression models assessed covariates with prognostic value. Results: One third of patients suffered major food restrictions (i.e., they reduced substantially the intake of more than 50% of the most commonly consumed food items before the diagnosis); 39% suffered a less severe condition (they could not eat less than 50% of the most commonly consumed food items before the diagnosis, and they needed changes in food preparation). Larger tumour size (adjusted incidence ratio IR = 1.45), posterior location (IR = 1.33), radiotherapy (IR = 1.84), loss of tongue mobility (IR = 1.36) and loss of teeth (IR = 1.25) in the surgery were associated significantly with the study outcome. Conclusion: This study identified clinical predictors of food restrictions in patients undergoing treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancer. This knowledge may contribute to improve patient care and management, and to develop interventions aimed at preventing nutritional depletion of these patients. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employment of a noninvasive magnetic method for evaluation of gastrointestinal transit in rats

AC Biosusceptometry (ACB) was previously employed towards recording gastrointestinal motility. Our data show a reliable and successful evaluation of gastrointestinal transit of liquid and solid meals in rats, considering the methods scarcity and number of experiments needed to endorsement of drugs and medicinal plants. ACB permits real time and simultaneous experiments using the same animal, preserving the physiological conditions employing both meals with simplicity and accuracy.