Can nudging overcome procrastinating on preventive health investments?

A fundamental puzzle about human behavior is low investment in preventive health inputs. Present-biased preferences have frequently been put forth as a theoretical explanation for this, but with limited empirical evidence supporting it, especially in developing countries. We extend our previous analysis of a field experiment testing advertising strategies to increase demand for a potentially life-saving preventive health technology, voluntary medical male circumcision. Offering compensation of US$10 conditional on a complement to the procedure, a short counseling session at a providing clinic, tripled uptake of the procedure. This is consistent with the idea that subsidizing a complement encouraged procrastinating men with latent demand to invest in preventive health. In addition, framing the basic advertisement using the statement “Are you tough enough?” doubled uptake.     

Nr5a1-Cre-mediated Tspo conditional knockout mice with low growth rate and prediabetes symptoms – A mouse model of stress diabetes

Translocator protein (TSPO) is a high-affinity cholesterol- and drug-binding mitochondrial protein. Nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 or steroidogenic factor 1 (Nr5a1)-Cre mice were previously used to generate steroidogenic cell-specific Tspo gene conditional knockout (cKO) mice. TSPO-depleted homozygotes showed no response to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in stimulating adrenal cortex corticosterone production but showed increased epinephrine synthesis in the medulla. No other phenotype was observed under normal growth conditions. During these studies, we noted that pairing two cKO mice resulted in the generation of small pups. These pups showed low growth rate at weaning, which has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in adulthood. Experimental verification of T2D symptoms via blood testing of the adult mice, including glycated hemoglobin and insulin C-peptide measurements, showed that these Tspo cKO mice exhibited sustained hyperglycemia, a sign of prediabetes, likely due to the augmentation of hepatic glucose production mediated by the increased epinephrine. We also observed increased expression of the S100a8 gene, which is upregulated after chronic glucose stimulation. Taken together, the observed prediabetes phenotype and lack of response to ACTH indicate that Tspo cKO mice (Nr5a1-Cre^+/?, Tspo^fl/fl) could provide a useful model to study the link between diabetes and stress.     

Convergence to Normality of the Asymptotic Quasi‐Score Function on a Linear Model

The asymptotic quasi‐likelihood method is considered for the model y_t = f_t(θ) + M_t, t = 0,1, …,T where f_tθ) is a linear predictable process of the parameter of interest θ, M_t is a martingale difference, and the nature of E(M_t² | ℱ_t–1) is unknown. This paper is concerned with the limiting distribution of the asymptotic quasi‐score function of such a model. Confidence intervals and hypothesis testing of θ is derived from the limiting distribution. Comparison is made between the estimates obtained through this method and those obtained through the least squares method.