World Energy Data System (WENDS). Volume II. Country data, CZ-KS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1979-06-01

The World Energy Data System contains organized data on those countries and international organizations that may have critical impact on the world energy scene. Included in this volume, Vol. II, are Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany (East), Germany (West), Greece, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, and Korea (South). The following topics are covered for most of the countries: economic, demographic, and educational profiles; energy policy; indigenous energy resources and uses; forecasts, demand, exports, imports of energy supplies; environmental considerations of energy use; power production facilities; energy industries; commercial applications of energy; research and development activities of energy; andmore » international activities.« less

Fit To Teach: Teacher Education in International Perspective. Vol. 8, Center for Cross-cultural Education Lecture Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gumbert, Edgar B., Ed.

This volume examines teacher education in countries having vigorous reform movements, along with their potential to influence other countries. The issue of teacher education in liberal and people's democracies as well as in industrial and developing countries is studied. Attention is called to such topics as aims and content of teacher education;…

School Choice and the Quasi-market. Oxford Studies in Comparative Education. Volume 6, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walford, Geoffrey, Ed.

This book examines the development of educational "quasi-markets" in nine different countries. Each chapter focuses on a particular country and explores the development of school choice over the last 5 to 10 years, assessing the research evidence on the workings of the quasi-market of schools. The chapters discuss the nature of the choice-making…

[Catalogues of Third Country Training Resources in East, Near East, and South Asia. Volumes 1 and 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agency for International Development (Dept. of State), Washington, DC. Office of International Training.

Both of these catalogs are part of a series of four official AID publications covering both academic and non-academic training opportunities. These two in particular were developed to encourage increased use by Asians of the regional training resources designed to assist them in the economic and social development of their countries. The…

Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume III, Part 1, High-level Manpower for Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Guy

This document, the first part of the third volume of a study concerned with the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia, appraises the high-level manpower needs of the region. The report is divided into two sections: the first includes the major comments on the position of high-level manpower in…

The cost determinants of routine infant immunization services: a meta-regression analysis of six country studies.

PubMed

Menzies, Nicolas A; Suharlim, Christian; Geng, Fangli; Ward, Zachary J; Brenzel, Logan; Resch, Stephen C

2017-10-06

Evidence on immunization costs is a critical input for cost-effectiveness analysis and budgeting, and can describe variation in site-level efficiency. The Expanded Program on Immunization Costing and Financing (EPIC) Project represents the largest investigation of immunization delivery costs, collecting empirical data on routine infant immunization in Benin, Ghana, Honduras, Moldova, Uganda, and Zambia. We developed a pooled dataset from individual EPIC country studies (316 sites). We regressed log total costs against explanatory variables describing service volume, quality, access, other site characteristics, and income level. We used Bayesian hierarchical regression models to combine data from different countries and account for the multi-stage sample design. We calculated output elasticity as the percentage increase in outputs (service volume) for a 1% increase in inputs (total costs), averaged across the sample in each country, and reported first differences to describe the impact of other predictors. We estimated average and total cost curves for each country as a function of service volume. Across countries, average costs per dose ranged from $2.75 to $13.63. Average costs per child receiving diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis ranged from $27 to $139. Within countries costs per dose varied widely-on average, sites in the highest quintile were 440% more expensive than those in the lowest quintile. In each country, higher service volume was strongly associated with lower average costs. A doubling of service volume was associated with a 19% (95% interval, 4.0-32) reduction in costs per dose delivered, (range 13% to 32% across countries), and the largest 20% of sites in each country realized costs per dose that were on average 61% lower than those for the smallest 20% of sites, controlling for other factors. Other factors associated with higher costs included hospital status, provision of outreach services, share of effort to management, level of staff training/seniority, distance to vaccine collection, additional days open per week, greater vaccination schedule completion, and per capita gross domestic product. We identified multiple features of sites and their operating environment that were associated with differences in average unit costs, with service volume being the most influential. These findings can inform efforts to improve the efficiency of service delivery and better understand resource needs.

Mabs monograph, air blast instrumentation, 1943-1993 measurement techniques and instrumentation. Volume 1. The nuclear era. 1945-1963. Technical report, 17 September 1992-31 May 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reisler, R.E.; Keefer, J.H.; Ethridge, N.H.

1995-03-01

Blast wave measurement techniques and instrumentation developed by Military Applications of Blast Simulators (MABS) participating countries to study blast phenomena during the nuclear era are summarized. Passive and active gages both mechanical self-recording and electronic systems deployed on kiloton and megaton explosive tests during the period 1945-1963 are presented. The country and the year the gage was introduced are included with the description. References are also provided. Volume 2 covers measurement techniques and instrumentation for the period 1959-1993 and Volume 3 covers structural target and gage calibration from 1943 to 1993.

The Contribution of East Asian Countries to Internationally Published Asian Higher Education Research: The Role of System Development and Internationalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Jisun; Horta, Hugo

2015-01-01

Studies of higher education by scholars based in Asia have been growing in volume, following worldwide trends. To a large extent, this growth has been driven by East Asian countries, but little is known about the characteristics of the contribution of these countries. This study analyses their overall and specific contribution. The paper concludes…

Selected Bibliographies and State-of-the-Art Review for Environmental Health. Volume 2: Environmental Health References. International Health Planning Reference Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Renee White; Shani, Hadasa

Intended as a companion piece to volume 2 in the Method Series, Environmental Health Planning (CE 024 230), this second of six volumes in the International Health Planning Reference Series is a combined literature review and annotated bibliography dealing with environmental factors in health planning for developing countries. The review identifies…

Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume III, Part 2, Language Policy and Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noss, Richard

This document, the second part of the third volume of a study concerned with the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia, discusses the problems aroused by language in the region. Chapters I-IV cover assumptions of the study, common problems of the region, current solutions, and future outlook.…

Annual review of energy. Volume 5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hollander, J.M.; Simmons, M.K.; Wood, D.O.

1980-01-01

The many continuing efforts around the world to deal with the issues of energy supply, demand, and environmental impact are reviewed. This volume carries reviews of recent developments in solar-photovoltaic technology and inertial-confinement fusion as long-term options. Progress in some important nearer-term energy-supply areas is reviewed by contributions in the fields of battery energy storage and coal clean-up technology. In the area of energy sociology, the interesting and poorly understood topic of public opinion about energy is reviewed. The subject of energy economics is represented by a review of the role of governmental incentives in energy production. Topics related tomore » the environmental aspects of energy technologies include coastal flooding from atmospheric carbon dioxide warming, risks of liquefied natural gas and petroleum gas, and the environmental impacts of renewable energy sources. Continuing the practice of earlier volumes to review the energy perspective of a particular region or country, Volume 5 carries a review of emerging energy technologies in island environments, typified by the case of Hawaii. Finally, the energy problem from the perspective of developing countries is reviewed by two papers, the first on renewable energy resources for developing countries, and the second on the problem of energy for the people of Asia and the Pacific. A separate abstract was prepared for each of the 12 reviews for the Energy Data Base (EDB); all will appear in Energy Abstracts for Policy Analysis (EAPA) and three in Energy Research Abstracts (ERA).« less

BRIC in the Backyard: Brazil’s Economic Rise and What it Means for the United States (CSL Issue Paper, Volume 14-11, July 2011)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

component in the administration’s plans to generate future growth for the country . To develop and optimize export opportunities, the government is...seeking expanded trade ties with developing countries , as well as a strengthening of the Common Market of the South – Mercosul (Mercosur in Spanish...one of these of these geo-political risers and it is perhaps the most underestimated of the so-called BRIC countries . The term BRIC was coined by Jim

Cyberspace, Distance Learning, and Higher Education in Developing Countries: Old and Emergent Issues of Access, Pedagogy, and Knowledge Production. International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology, 94

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Assie-Lumumba, N'Dri T., Ed.

2004-01-01

Amidst the euphoria about the new frontiers of technology sometimes perceived as a panacea for expansion of higher education in developing countries, there is a need to analyze persistent and new grounds of unequal opportunity for access, learning, and the production of knowledge. This volume addresses fundamental questions about the educational…

Teachers and Teaching in the Developing World. Reference Books in International Education, Volume 8. Garland Reference Library of Social Science, Volume 617.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rust, Val D., Ed.; Dalin, Per, Ed.

This book is an outgrowth of an international seminar held in Bali, Indonesia in 1986 entitled "Improving the Quality of Teaching in the Developing World: Alternative Models." The book contains essays written by 20 authors and coauthors from 12 different countries and is divided into five sections, plus a preface. The focus of section 1,…

Universal health coverage and intersectoral action for health: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition

PubMed Central

Jamison, Dean T; Adeyi, Olusoji; Anand, Shuchi; Atun, Rifat; Bertozzi, Stefano; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Binagwaho, Agnes; Black, Robert; Blecher, Mark; Bloom, Barry R; Brouwer, Elizabeth; Bundy, Donald A P; Chisholm, Dan; Cieza, Alarcos; Cullen, Mark; Danforth, Kristen; de Silva, Nilanthi; Debas, Haile T; Donkor, Peter; Dua, Tarun; Fleming, Kenneth A; Gallivan, Mark; Garcia, Patricia J; Gawande, Atul; Gaziano, Thomas; Gelband, Hellen; Glass, Roger; Glassman, Amanda; Gray, Glenda; Habte, Demissie; Holmes, King K; Horton, Susan; Hutton, Guy; Jha, Prabhat; Knaul, Felicia M; Kobusingye, Olive; Krakauer, Eric L; Kruk, Margaret E; Lachmann, Peter; Laxminarayan, Ramanan; Levin, Carol; Looi, Lai Meng; Madhav, Nita; Mahmoud, Adel; Mbanya, Jean Claude; Measham, Anthony; Medina-Mora, María Elena; Medlin, Carol; Mills, Anne; Mills, Jody-Anne; Montoya, Jaime; Norheim, Ole; Olson, Zachary; Omokhodion, Folashade; Oppenheim, Ben; Ord, Toby; Patel, Vikram; Patton, George C; Peabody, John; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Qi, Jinyuan; Reynolds, Teri; Ruacan, Sevket; Sankaranarayanan, Rengaswamy; Sepúlveda, Jaime; Skolnik, Richard; Smith, Kirk R; Temmerman, Marleen; Tollman, Stephen; Verguet, Stéphane; Walker, Damian G; Walker, Neff; Wu, Yangfeng; Zhao, Kun

2018-01-01

The World Bank is publishing nine volumes of Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition (DCP3) between 2015 and 2018. Volume 9, Improving Health and Reducing Poverty, summarises the main messages from all the volumes and contains cross-cutting analyses. This Review draws on all nine volumes to convey conclusions. The analysis in DCP3 is built around 21 essential packages that were developed in the nine volumes. Each essential package addresses the concerns of a major professional community (eg, child health or surgery) and contains a mix of intersectoral policies and health-sector interventions. 71 intersectoral prevention policies were identified in total, 29 of which are priorities for early introduction. Interventions within the health sector were grouped onto five platforms (population based, community level, health centre, first-level hospital, and referral hospital). DCP3 defines a model concept of essential universal health coverage (EUHC) with 218 interventions that provides a starting point for country-specific analysis of priorities. Assuming steady-state implementation by 2030, EUHC in lower-middle-income countries would reduce premature deaths by an estimated 4·2 million per year. Estimated total costs prove substantial: about 9·1% of (current) gross national income (GNI) in low-income countries and 5·2% of GNI in lower-middle-income countries. Financing provision of continuing intervention against chronic conditions accounts for about half of estimated incremental costs. For lower-middle-income countries, the mortality reduction from implementing the EUHC can only reach about half the mortality reduction in non-communicable diseases called for by the Sustainable Development Goals. Full achievement will require increased investment or sustained intersectoral action, and actions by finance ministries to tax smoking and polluting emissions and to reduce or eliminate (often large) subsidies on fossil fuels appear of central importance. DCP3 is intended to be a model starting point for analyses at the country level, but country-specific cost structures, epidemiological needs, and national priorities will generally lead to definitions of EUHC that differ from country to country and from the model in this Review. DCP3 is particularly relevant as achievement of EUHC relies increasingly on greater domestic finance, with global developmental assistance in health focusing more on global public goods. In addition to assessing effects on mortality, DCP3 looked at outcomes of EUHC not encompassed by the disability-adjusted life-year metric and related cost-effectiveness analyses. The other objectives included financial protection (potentially better provided upstream by keeping people out of the hospital rather than downstream by paying their hospital bills for them), stillbirths averted, palliative care, contraception, and child physical and intellectual growth. The first 1000 days after conception are highly important for child development, but the next 7000 days are likewise important and often neglected. PMID:29179954

Universal health coverage and intersectoral action for health: key messages from Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition.

PubMed

Jamison, Dean T; Alwan, Ala; Mock, Charles N; Nugent, Rachel; Watkins, David; Adeyi, Olusoji; Anand, Shuchi; Atun, Rifat; Bertozzi, Stefano; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Binagwaho, Agnes; Black, Robert; Blecher, Mark; Bloom, Barry R; Brouwer, Elizabeth; Bundy, Donald A P; Chisholm, Dan; Cieza, Alarcos; Cullen, Mark; Danforth, Kristen; de Silva, Nilanthi; Debas, Haile T; Donkor, Peter; Dua, Tarun; Fleming, Kenneth A; Gallivan, Mark; Garcia, Patricia J; Gawande, Atul; Gaziano, Thomas; Gelband, Hellen; Glass, Roger; Glassman, Amanda; Gray, Glenda; Habte, Demissie; Holmes, King K; Horton, Susan; Hutton, Guy; Jha, Prabhat; Knaul, Felicia M; Kobusingye, Olive; Krakauer, Eric L; Kruk, Margaret E; Lachmann, Peter; Laxminarayan, Ramanan; Levin, Carol; Looi, Lai Meng; Madhav, Nita; Mahmoud, Adel; Mbanya, Jean Claude; Measham, Anthony; Medina-Mora, María Elena; Medlin, Carol; Mills, Anne; Mills, Jody-Anne; Montoya, Jaime; Norheim, Ole; Olson, Zachary; Omokhodion, Folashade; Oppenheim, Ben; Ord, Toby; Patel, Vikram; Patton, George C; Peabody, John; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Qi, Jinyuan; Reynolds, Teri; Ruacan, Sevket; Sankaranarayanan, Rengaswamy; Sepúlveda, Jaime; Skolnik, Richard; Smith, Kirk R; Temmerman, Marleen; Tollman, Stephen; Verguet, Stéphane; Walker, Damian G; Walker, Neff; Wu, Yangfeng; Zhao, Kun

2018-03-17

The World Bank is publishing nine volumes of Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition (DCP3) between 2015 and 2018. Volume 9, Improving Health and Reducing Poverty, summarises the main messages from all the volumes and contains cross-cutting analyses. This Review draws on all nine volumes to convey conclusions. The analysis in DCP3 is built around 21 essential packages that were developed in the nine volumes. Each essential package addresses the concerns of a major professional community (eg, child health or surgery) and contains a mix of intersectoral policies and health-sector interventions. 71 intersectoral prevention policies were identified in total, 29 of which are priorities for early introduction. Interventions within the health sector were grouped onto five platforms (population based, community level, health centre, first-level hospital, and referral hospital). DCP3 defines a model concept of essential universal health coverage (EUHC) with 218 interventions that provides a starting point for country-specific analysis of priorities. Assuming steady-state implementation by 2030, EUHC in lower-middle-income countries would reduce premature deaths by an estimated 4·2 million per year. Estimated total costs prove substantial: about 9·1% of (current) gross national income (GNI) in low-income countries and 5·2% of GNI in lower-middle-income countries. Financing provision of continuing intervention against chronic conditions accounts for about half of estimated incremental costs. For lower-middle-income countries, the mortality reduction from implementing the EUHC can only reach about half the mortality reduction in non-communicable diseases called for by the Sustainable Development Goals. Full achievement will require increased investment or sustained intersectoral action, and actions by finance ministries to tax smoking and polluting emissions and to reduce or eliminate (often large) subsidies on fossil fuels appear of central importance. DCP3 is intended to be a model starting point for analyses at the country level, but country-specific cost structures, epidemiological needs, and national priorities will generally lead to definitions of EUHC that differ from country to country and from the model in this Review. DCP3 is particularly relevant as achievement of EUHC relies increasingly on greater domestic finance, with global developmental assistance in health focusing more on global public goods. In addition to assessing effects on mortality, DCP3 looked at outcomes of EUHC not encompassed by the disability-adjusted life-year metric and related cost-effectiveness analyses. The other objectives included financial protection (potentially better provided upstream by keeping people out of the hospital rather than downstream by paying their hospital bills for them), stillbirths averted, palliative care, contraception, and child physical and intellectual growth. The first 1000 days after conception are highly important for child development, but the next 7000 days are likewise important and often neglected. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Education Interventions in Poor Countries. Policy Insight, Volume 2, Issue 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, David K.; Ghosh, Arkadipta

2008-01-01

Poor countries need development programs that are both effective and cost-effective. To assess effectiveness, researchers are increasingly using randomized trials (or quasi-experimental methods that imitate randomized trials), which provide a clear picture of which outcomes are attributable to the program being evaluated. This "Policy Insight"…

Special Issue: The Global Growth of Private Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinser, Kevin; Levy, Daniel C.; Casillas, Juan Carlos Silas; Bernasconi, Andres; Slantcheva-Durst, Snejana; Otieno, Wycliffe; Lane, Jason E.; Praphamontripong, Prachayani; Zumeta, William; LaSota, Robin

2010-01-01

This volume begins its global tour with the case of Mexico. The Mexican case is significant because of its original importance in defining the primary types of private higher education. It shows trends that reflect rapid transformations in the country and tensions in developing countries at the intersection of resource constraints, relatively weak…

Coping Styles and Achievement: A Cross-National Study of School Children: Volume V of VII Volumes (5A and 5B): A Replication Study of Coping in Eight Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peck, Robert F.; And Others

The Cross-National Study of Coping Styles and Achievement was designed to develop a conceptual system for describing effective coping behavior in several cultures; to develop measures of coping style and coping effectiveness which would be uniformly applicable in the various cultures; and to determine the relationship of such coping behavior to…

Transport jet aircraft noise abatement in foreign countries: Growth, structure, impact. Volume 1: Europe, July 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, F. A.

1980-01-01

The development and implementation of aircraft noise control regulations in various European states are described. The countries include the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Federal Republic of Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Topics discussed include noise monitoring, airport curfews, land use planning, and the government structure for noise regulation.

Satellite-Distributed Educational Television For Developing Countries; Working Papers. Volume 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schramm, Wilbur; And Others

This volume contains a collection of working papers designed to accompany the case studies of India and Latin America in providing a framework for the planning of educational broadcasting systems. The first two papers offer useful orientation to policy-makers who are considering educational television. Working Paper No. 3 compares the two media of…

Worldwide trends in fishing interest indicated by Internet search volume

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilde, G.R.; Pope, K.L.

2013-01-01

There is a growing body of literature that shows internet search volume on a topic, such as fishing, is a viable measure of salience. Herein, internet search volume for 'fishing' and 'angling' is used as a measure of public interest in fishing, in particular, recreational fishing. An online tool, Google Insights for Search, which allows one to study internet search terms and their volume since 2004, is used to examine trends in interest in fishing for 50 countries. Trends in normalised fishing search volume, during 2004 through 2011, varied from a 72.6% decrease (Russian Federation) to a 133.7% increase (Hungary). Normalised fishing search volume declined in 40 (80%) of the countries studied. The decline has been relatively large in English-speaking countries, but also has been large in Central and South American, and European countries. Analyses of search queries provide a low-cost means of gaining insight into angler interests and, possibly, behaviour in countries around the world.

Survey of stranded gas and delivered costs to Europe of selected gas resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; Freeman, P.A.

2011-01-01

Two important trends affecting the expected growth of global gas markets are (1) the shift by many industrialized countries from coal-fired electricity generation to the use of natural gas to generate electricity and (2) the industrialization of the heavily populated Asian countries of India and China. This paper surveys discovered gas in stranded conventional gas accumulations and presents estimates of the cost of developing and producing stranded gas in selected countries. Stranded gas is natural gas in discovered or identified fields that is not currently commercially producible for either physical or economic reasons. Published reserves of gas at the global level do not distinguish between volumes of gas in producing fields and volumes in nonproducing fields. Data on stranded gas reported here-that is the volumes, geographical distribution, and size distributions of stranded gas fields at the country and regional level-are based on the examination of individual-field data and represent a significant improvement in information available to industry and government decision makers. Globally, stranded gas is pervasive, but large volumes in large accumulations are concentrated in only a few areas. The cost component of the paper focuses on stranded conventional gas accumulations in Africa and South America that have the potential to augment supplies to Europe. The methods described for the computation of extraction and transport costs are innovative in that they use information on the sizes and geographical distribution of the identified stranded gas fields. The costs are based on industry data specific to the country and geologic basin where the stranded gas is located. Gas supplies to Europe can be increased significantly at competitive costs by the development of stranded gas. Net extraction costs of producing the identified gas depend critically on the natural-gas-liquids (NGLs) content, the prevailing prices of liquids, the size of the gas accumulation, and the deposit's location. The diversity of the distribution of stranded gas is one obstacle to the exercise of market power by the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). Copyright ?? 2011 Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Access to Higher Education in the European Community: Synthesis Report (Volume 1) and Country Reports (Volume 2).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Jonge, J. F. M.; And Others

This report examines, country by country, the present state of student access to higher education institutions in the Member States of the European Community (EC), as well as the elements which affect access directly and the elements which can potentially have an effect on access. Volume 1 of the report gives an overview of the methods of data…

Trends in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Heeyoung; Lee, Kun Sei; Sim, Sung Bo; Jeong, Hyo Seon; Ahn, Hye Mi; Chee, Hyun Keun

2016-12-01

Coronary angioplasty has been replacing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) because of the relative advantage in terms of recovery time and noninvasiveness of the procedure. Compared to other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Korea has experienced a rapid increase in coronary angioplasty volumes. We analyzed changes in procedure volumes of CABG and of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from three sources: the OECD Health Data, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) surgery statistics, and the National Health Insurance claims data. We found the ratio of procedure volume of PCI to that of CABG per 100,000 population was 19.12 in 2014, which was more than triple the OECD average of 5.92 for the same year. According to data from NHIS statistics, this ratio was an increase from 11.4 to 19.3 between 2006 and 2013. We found that Korea has a higher ratio of total procedure volumes of PCI with respect to CABG and also a more rapid increase of volumes of PCI than other countries. Prospective studies are required to determine whether this increase in absolute volumes of PCI is a natural response to a real medical need or representative of medical overuse.

Strategic issues in preventing cataract blindness in developing countries.

PubMed Central

Ellwein, L. B.; Kupfer, C.

1995-01-01

Cataract blindness is a public health problem of major proportions in developing countries. Intracapsular cataract extraction with aphakic spectacles has been the standard surgical technique for restoring sight. Because of image magnification in the operated eye, however, the result in unilaterally blind patients is less than satisfactory. Fortunately, with the availability of low-cost intraocular lenses (IOL) and ophthalmologists trained in extracapsular surgery, it is now practical to intervene successfully in the unilateral case. The need for increased attention on the quality of the visual high prevalence of cataract blindness in developing countries and an increasing cataract incidence due to an aging population require substantial increases in surgical volume. The third issue relates to cost. If significant increases in surgical volume and quality of outcomes are to be realized without an increased need for external funding, service delivery must be made more efficient. The expansion of IOL surgery for unilateral blindness is a favourable trend in ensuring financial sustainability of delivery systems; patients can be operated on while still economically productive and able to pay rather than waiting for bilateral blindness and a less favourable economic and social impact. If the quality, volume, and cost issues are to be successfully addressed, operational and structural changes to eye care delivery systems are necessary. These changes can be effected through training, technology introduction, management of facilities, social marketing, organizational partnerships, and evaluation. With improved understanding of the critical factors in successful models their widespread replication will be facilitated. PMID:8846495

Economic Evaluation in Global Perspective: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Recent Literature.

PubMed

Pitt, Catherine; Goodman, Catherine; Hanson, Kara

2016-02-01

We present a bibliometric analysis of recently published full economic evaluations of health interventions and reflect critically on the implications of our findings for this growing field. We created a database drawing on 14 health, economic, and/or general literature databases for articles published between 1 January 2012 and 3 May 2014 and identified 2844 economic evaluations meeting our criteria. We present findings regarding the sensitivity, specificity, and added value of searches in the different databases. We examine the distribution of publications between countries, regions, and health areas studied and compare the relative volume of research with disease burden. We analyse authors' country and institutional affiliations, journals and journal type, language, and type of economic evaluation conducted. More than 1200 economic evaluations were published annually, of which 4% addressed low-income countries, 4% lower-middle-income countries, 14% upper-middle-income countries, and 83% high-income countries. Across country income levels, 53, 54, 86, and 100% of articles, respectively, included an author based in a country within the income level studied. Biomedical journals published 74% of economic evaluations. The volume of research across health areas correlates more closely with disease burden in high-income than in low-income and middle-income countries. Our findings provide an empirical basis for further study on methods, research prioritization, and capacity development in health economic evaluation. © 2016 The Authors. Health Economics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Colombia, Many Countries in One: Economic Growth, Environmental Sustainability, Sociocultural Divergence and Biodiversity. Profile and Paradox. Volumes I and II. Fulbright Hays Summer Seminars Abroad 1997 (Colombia).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1997

This Fulbright Summer Seminar focused on the environmental challenge posed by Colombia's biodiversity and addressed the relationship between the last decade of Colombian economic development and the country's sociocultural situation, taking into account its historical background and the role of natural resources in a context of sustainable…

American Security and the International Energy Situation. Volume 4. Collected Papers

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-04-15

piograms as jet engine sales Wheat shipments may permit the Soviets to keep chemical industries onenled l.siim.«,, ,1 Pi.l.vs.., I...security and economic interde- pendence among Western advanced industrialized countries. Periodic con- flicts have been replaced by a "security... industrialized countries, creating an "interpenetration of econ- omies." Each development affects the dimensions of the access-to- resources

Report of Baseline Data: Evaluation of the Child and Family Resource Program. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Affholter, Dennis; And Others

This volume reports the baseline (1978) data to be used in the 6-year longitudinal evaluation of the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP). The CFRP, funded in 11 sites across the country as a Head Start demonstration program, is intended to develop models for providing services to low-income families with children from birth to eight years.…

Constraints facing Arab banks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khadra, F.

1980-04-01

Development projects in the Arab world have enormous investment requirements that Arab banks at present can only partially handle due to: (1) the low level of personal savings in a number of Arab countries as a result of low income levels; (2) the low capitalization of most Arab banks relative to the volume of lending activity required; (3) the reluctance of oil surplus countries to deposit any sizeable part of their funds with their own banks instead of foreign banks. Funds available in the currencies of the oil surplus countries are very limited compared to the volume of funds requiredmore » for projects. It is necessary therefore that the majority of loans be made in foreign currencies, making it necessary for Arab banks to have high international credit status. Arab banking practices and laws, which vary from country to country, are not compatible with the requirements of international lending or the establishment of well-developed financial markets. Some of the banks' organizational structures and internal practices may have become so entrenched as to make any transition not feasible. In some cases it may be more practical to establish a new financial institution with different orientations and activities than to transform the existing one. Another major constraint of the Arab banking environment is the lack of a permanent intermediary, acceptable to both the surplus countries' banks and to the borrowers. The final constraint discussed, the political environment, has prompted many Arab countries to enact legislation to guarantee a politically stable environment to safeguard risk against expropriation, nationalization, or freezing of assets. (SAC)« less

Assessing Ebola-related web search behaviour: insights and implications from an analytical study of Google Trends-based query volumes.

PubMed

Alicino, Cristiano; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Faccio, Valeria; Amicizia, Daniela; Panatto, Donatella; Gasparini, Roberto; Icardi, Giancarlo; Orsi, Andrea

2015-12-10

The 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa has attracted public interest worldwide, leading to millions of Ebola-related Internet searches being performed during the period of the epidemic. This study aimed to evaluate and interpret Google search queries for terms related to the Ebola outbreak both at the global level and in all countries where primary cases of Ebola occurred. The study also endeavoured to look at the correlation between the number of overall and weekly web searches and the number of overall and weekly new cases of Ebola. Google Trends (GT) was used to explore Internet activity related to Ebola. The study period was from 29 December 2013 to 14 June 2015. Pearson's correlation was performed to correlate Ebola-related relative search volumes (RSVs) with the number of weekly and overall Ebola cases. Multivariate regression was performed using Ebola-related RSV as a dependent variable, and the overall number of Ebola cases and the Human Development Index were used as predictor variables. The greatest RSV was registered in the three West African countries mainly affected by the Ebola epidemic. The queries varied in the different countries. Both quantitative and qualitative differences between the affected African countries and other Western countries with primary cases were noted, in relation to the different flux volumes and different time courses. In the affected African countries, web query search volumes were mostly concentrated in the capital areas. However, in Western countries, web queries were uniformly distributed over the national territory. In terms of the three countries mainly affected by the Ebola epidemic, the correlation between the number of new weekly cases of Ebola and the weekly GT index varied from weak to moderate. The correlation between the number of Ebola cases registered in all countries during the study period and the GT index was very high. Google Trends showed a coarse-grained nature, strongly correlating with global epidemiological data, but was weaker at country level, as it was prone to distortions induced by unbalanced media coverage and the digital divide. Global and local health agencies could usefully exploit GT data to identify disease-related information needs and plan proper communication strategies, particularly in the case of health-threatening events.

School Choice International: Exploring Public-Private Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakrabarti, Rajashri, Ed.; Peterson, Paul E., Ed.

2008-01-01

Public-private partnerships in education exist in various forms around the world, in both developed and developing countries. Despite this, and despite the importance of human capital for economic growth, systematic analysis has been limited and scattered, with most scholarly attention going to initiatives in the United States. This volume helps…

Vocational Training in Germany: Modernisation and Responsiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

This volume presents a report on recent developments and current policy objectives in vocational education and training in Germany. The study is based on a conceptual and analytical framework jointly elaborated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Secretariat and representatives of member countries. Part I is "The…

Vocational Training in the Netherlands: Reform and Innovation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

This volume presents a report on recent developments and current policy objectives in vocational education and training in the Netherlands. The study is based on a conceptual and analytical framework jointly elaborated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Secretariat and representatives of member countries. Organized in two…

Education at a Glance. OECD Indicators. [Second Edition] = Regards sur l'education. Les indicateurs de l'OCDE. [Seconde edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottani, Norberto; And Others

The educational indicators in this report show how education systems in the 24 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) resemble each other and differ. This edition, the second, builds on the 1992 volume, with more up-to-date figures and coverage of a wider range of subjects and countries. The 38…

Developing a stochastic traffic volume prediction model for public-private partnership projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phong, Nguyen Thanh; Likhitruangsilp, Veerasak; Onishi, Masamitsu

2017-11-01

Transportation projects require an enormous amount of capital investment resulting from their tremendous size, complexity, and risk. Due to the limitation of public finances, the private sector is invited to participate in transportation project development. The private sector can entirely or partially invest in transportation projects in the form of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, which has been an attractive option for several developing countries, including Vietnam. There are many factors affecting the success of PPP projects. The accurate prediction of traffic volume is considered one of the key success factors of PPP transportation projects. However, only few research works investigated how to predict traffic volume over a long period of time. Moreover, conventional traffic volume forecasting methods are usually based on deterministic models which predict a single value of traffic volume but do not consider risk and uncertainty. This knowledge gap makes it difficult for concessionaires to estimate PPP transportation project revenues accurately. The objective of this paper is to develop a probabilistic traffic volume prediction model. First, traffic volumes were estimated following the Geometric Brownian Motion (GBM) process. Monte Carlo technique is then applied to simulate different scenarios. The results show that this stochastic approach can systematically analyze variations in the traffic volume and yield more reliable estimates for PPP projects.

Foreign Students and Internationalization of Higher Education. Proceedings of OECD/Japan Seminar on Higher Education and the Flow of Foreign Students (Hiroshima, Japan, November 8-10, 1988).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebuchi, Kazuhiro, Ed.

This volume reports on a seminar structured around three themes: institutional policies toward the flow of foreign students in member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); specific measures and programs for foreign students; and social and cultural adjustment by foreign students. The volume contains seminar…

SCREENING INFORMATION DATA SETS (SIDS)

EPA Science Inventory

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is jointly investigating international high production volume (HPV) chemicals. These HPV chemicals are defined as chemicals produced in one OECD Member country in quantities above10,000 metric tons (22 million lbs) ...

Goals for Sustainable Development: Focusing on Children and Youth. Social Policy Report Brief. Volume 30, Issue 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridgman, Anne

2017-01-01

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ratified by all 193 member states of the U.N. General Assembly in 2015, outline 17 goals considered central to sustainable development in all countries. Building on and broadening the Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2005, the new goals offer a more holistic vision of child and youth…

The Cure for Early Grades Assessment Difficulties? Take a Tablet. International Developments. Volume 5, Article 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Maurice

2015-01-01

Monitoring educational development in the early years of schooling is vital if practitioners, and policy makers, are to support students' learning, but the assessment of student achievement in developing countries can be a logistical headache. Maurice Walker reports on an innovative approach to assessment using tablets that is addressing that.

Pre-Kindergarten: Research-Based Recommendations for Developing Standards and Factors Contributing to School Readiness Gaps. Information Capsule. Volume 1201

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blazer, Christie

2012-01-01

States across the country are developing pre-kindergarten standards that articulate expectations for preschooler's learning and development and define the manner in which services will be provided. There are two different types of standards: student outcome standards and program standards. Student outcome standards define the knowledge and skills…

Challenges and potential solutions for big data implementations in developing countries.

PubMed

Luna, D; Mayan, J C; García, M J; Almerares, A A; Househ, M

2014-08-15

The volume of data, the velocity with which they are generated, and their variety and lack of structure hinder their use. This creates the need to change the way information is captured, stored, processed, and analyzed, leading to the paradigm shift called Big Data. To describe the challenges and possible solutions for developing countries when implementing Big Data projects in the health sector. A non-systematic review of the literature was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar. The following keywords were used: "big data", "developing countries", "data mining", "health information systems", and "computing methodologies". A thematic review of selected articles was performed. There are challenges when implementing any Big Data program including exponential growth of data, special infrastructure needs, need for a trained workforce, need to agree on interoperability standards, privacy and security issues, and the need to include people, processes, and policies to ensure their adoption. Developing countries have particular characteristics that hinder further development of these projects. The advent of Big Data promises great opportunities for the healthcare field. In this article, we attempt to describe the challenges developing countries would face and enumerate the options to be used to achieve successful implementations of Big Data programs.

RES-E Support Policies In The Baltic States: Development Aspect (Part I)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobinaite, V.; Priedite, I.

2015-02-01

Despite quite similar conditions (natural resources) for electricity production from renewable energy sources (RES-E) in three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), significant differences exist in these countries as to the RES-E production volume. In Latvia this volume is the highest, while in Estonia and Lithuania it is half as high. One of the factors that determine the RES-E production volumes is support policies, which in the Baltic States are different. The main objective of this work was to analyze and compare these support policies. The results have shown that for rapid RES-E development the most effective policy is to be market-oriented (as in Estonia), whereas for more stable development such policy should be producer-oriented (as in Lithuania).

World Trends in Education for Sustainable Development. Environmental Education, Communication and Sustainability. Volume 32

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leal Filho, Walter, Ed.

2011-01-01

It is widely acknowledged that sustainable development is a long-term goal, which both individuals and institutions (and countries!) need to pursue. This important theme is characterized by an intrinsic complexity, since it encompasses ecological or environmental considerations on the one hand, and economic matters, social influences and political…

Quantifying the potential export flows of used electronic products in Macau: a case study of PCs.

PubMed

Yu, Danfeng; Song, Qingbin; Wang, Zhishi; Li, Jinhui; Duan, Huabo; Wang, Jinben; Wang, Chao; Wang, Xu

2017-12-01

The used electronic product (UEP) has attracted the worldwide attentions because part of e-waste may be exported from developed countries to developing countries in the name of UEP. On the basis of large foreign trade data of electronic products (e-products), this study adopted the trade data approach (TDA) to quantify the potential exports of UEP in Macau, taking a case study of personal computers (PCs). The results show that the desktop mainframes, LCD monitors, and CRT monitors have more low-unit-value trades with higher trade volumes in the past 10 years, while the laptop and tablet PCs, as the newer technologies, owned the higher ratios of the high-unit-value trades. During the period of 2005-2015, the total mean exports for used laptop and tablet PCs, desktop mainframes, and LCD monitors were approximately 18,592, 79,957, and 43,177 units, respectively, while the possible export volume of used CRT monitors was higher, up to 430,098 units in 2000-2010. Noticed that these potential export volumes could be the lower bound because not all used PCs may be shipped using the PC trade code. For all the four kinds of used PCs, the majority (61.6-98.82%) of the export volumes have gone to Hong Kong, followed by Mainland China and Taiwan. Since 2011, there was no CRT monitor export; however, the other kinds of used PC exports will still exist in Macau in the future. The outcomes are helpful to understand and manage the current export situations of used products in Macau, and can also provide a reference for other countries and regions.

Guidelines for Analysis of Communicable Disease Control Planning in Developing Countries. Volume 1: Communicable Diseases Control Planning. International Health Planning Methods Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, James

Intended to assist Agency for International Development (AID) officers, advisors, and health officials in incorporating health planning into national plans for economic development, this first of ten manuals in the International Health Planning Methods Series deals with planning and evaluation of communicable disease control programs. The first…

Guidelines for Analysis of Environmental Health Planning in Developing Countries. Volume 2: Environmental Health Planning. International Health Planning Methods Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Renee White; Shani, Hadasa

Intended to assist Agency for International Development (AID) officers, advisors, and health officials in incorporating health planning into national plans for economic development, this second of ten manuals in the International Health Planning Methods Series deals with assessment, planning, and evaluation in the field of environmental health.…

Vaccines as a global imperative--a business perspective.

PubMed

Stéphenne, Jean

2011-06-01

During the past thirty years, vaccines have experienced a renaissance. Advances in science, business, and distribution have transformed the field to the point where vaccines are recognized as a "best buy" in global health, a driver of pharmaceutical industry growth, and a key instrument of international development. With many new vaccines available and others on the horizon, the global community will need to explore new ways of ensuring access to vaccines in developing nations. So-called tiered pricing, which makes vaccines available at different prices for countries at different levels of economic development; innovative financing mechanisms such as advance market commitments or offers of long-term and high-volume contracts to vaccine producers; and technology transfers such as sharing intellectual property and production techniques among companies and countries can all play a part in bringing new life-saving vaccines for pneumonia, rotavirus, malaria, and other diseases to developing countries.

Who Is the Big Spender? Price Index Effects in Comparisons of Educational Expenditures between Countries and Over Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arneberg, Marie; Bowitz, Einar

2006-01-01

International comparisons of data on expenditure on education use purchasing power parities for currency conversion and adjustment for price differences between countries to allow for volume comparisons. The resulting indicators are commonly interpreted as differences between countries in input volumes to the education sector-teachers, materials,…

Role of stranded gas in increasing global gas supplies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; Freeman, P.A.

2013-01-01

This report synthesizes the findings of three regional studies in order to evaluate, at the global scale, the contribution that stranded gas resources can make to global natural gas supplies. Stranded gas, as defined for this study, is natural gas in discovered conventional gas and oil fields that is currently not commercially producible for either physical or economic reasons. The regional studies evaluated the cost of bringing the large volumes of undeveloped gas in stranded gas fields to selected markets. In particular, stranded gas fields of selected Atlantic Basin countries, north Africa, Russia, and central Asia are screened to determine whether the volumes are sufficient to meet Europe’s increasing demand for gas imports. Stranded gas fields in Russia, central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia are also screened to estimate development, production, and transport costs and corresponding gas volumes that could be supplied to Asian markets in China, India, Japan, and South Korea. The data and cost analysis presented here suggest that for the European market and the markets examined in Asia, the development of stranded gas provides a way to meet projected gas import demands for the 2020-to-2040 period. Although this is a reconnaissance-type appraisal, it is based on volumes of gas that are associated with individual identified fields. Individual field data were carefully examined. Some fields were not evaluated because current technology was insufficient or it appeared the gas was likely to be held off the export market. Most of the evaluated stranded gas can be produced and delivered to markets at costs comparable to historical prices. Moreover, the associated volumes of gas are sufficient to provide an interim supply while additional technologies are developed to unlock gas diffused in shale and hydrates or while countries transition to making a greater use of renewable energy sources.

Effect of the economic recession on pharmaceutical policy and medicine sales in eight European countries.

PubMed

Leopold, Christine; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K; Vogler, Sabine; Valkova, Silvia; de Joncheere, Kees; Leufkens, Hubert G M; Wagner, Anita K; Ross-Degnan, Dennis; Laing, Richard

2014-09-01

To identify pharmaceutical policy changes during the economic recession in eight European countries and to determine whether policy measures resulted in lower sales of, and less expenditure on, pharmaceuticals. Information on pharmaceutical policy changes between 2008 and 2011 in eight European countries was obtained from publications and pharmaceutical policy databases. Data on the volume and value of the quarterly sales of products between 2006 and 2011 in the 10 highest-selling therapeutic classes in each country were obtained from a pharmaceutical market research database. We compared these indicators in economically stable countries; Austria, Estonia and Finland, to those in economically less stable countries, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain. Economically stable countries implemented two to seven policy changes each, whereas less stable countries implemented 10 to 22 each. Of the 88 policy changes identified, 33 occurred in 2010 and 40 in 2011. They involved changing out-of-pocket payments for patients in 16 cases, price mark-up schemes in 13 and price cuts in 11. Sales volumes increased moderately in all countries except Greece and Portugal, which experienced slight declines after 2009. Sales values decreased in both groups of countries, but fell more in less stable countries. Less economically stable countries implemented more pharmaceutical policy changes during the recession than economically stable countries. Unexpectedly, pharmaceutical sales volumes increased in almost all countries, whereas sales values declined, especially in less stable countries.

Environmental, Economic and Social Efficiencies of Irrigated Farming Systems: Using Water Footprint Indicators to Compare Farm Income and Labor Generated per Volume of Water Available in Irrigated Farming Systems in Campania, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altobelli, F.; Meybeck, A.; Gitz, V.; Dalla Marta, A.; Cimino, O.

2014-12-01

Agriculture is not only producing food and other products. It is also a major economic sector, representing, especially in developing countries, an important part of GDP; and a major employer, with often more than half of the total workforce in many low income countries. In many of these countries irrigation plays a key role to increase and stabilize income, and it is likely to increase with climate change and increased variability of rain patterns. It is also a crucial mean to increase productivity of small holdings. In many countries, where holdings are small and even in some cases decreasing it is essential to enable farmers to ensure their food security and a decent income. In some countries, including India and many African countries, the workforce is expected to grow, with an important part of it to be employed in agriculture. At the same time many of the regions where agriculture is the most important from an economical and social point of view, are experiencing increasing water scarcity. In many cases, as has been noted for instance for the Mediterranean area, water availability is the main limiting factor to agricultural development. Increasingly agriculture is also in competition for water use with other economic activities. This calls for means to assess and compare agricultural productions systems and irrigation projects not only in terms of physical production of agricultural products but also in terms of income and jobs generated by the activity. In this study, we propose a methodology based on the blue water footprint for assessing and comparing different agricultural productions and farming systems in terms of economic and social outcomes for a given volume of blue water. Examples are drawn from the Campania region of Italy and based on data extracted from the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). This database contains, among other, data on crop production, irrigation management (irrigated surface, length of irrigation season, volumes of water, etc.), as well as on income and labor.

Les sous-prefectures de Sikensi et Dabakala, Cote-d'Ivoire. (The Regions of Sikensi and Dabakala, Ivory Coast.) Method de preparation de la carte scolaire: etudes de cas 9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallak, J.; And Others

This volume contains the results of the first study of the problems associated with using educational television in curriculum planning in the Ivory Coast. The study was conducted in two districts of this African country, one relatively developed and situated in the southern part of the country, and the other more characteristic of the poorer…

Cancer Incidence in Five Continents: Inclusion criteria, highlights from Volume X and the global status of cancer registration.

PubMed

Bray, F; Ferlay, J; Laversanne, M; Brewster, D H; Gombe Mbalawa, C; Kohler, B; Piñeros, M; Steliarova-Foucher, E; Swaminathan, R; Antoni, S; Soerjomataram, I; Forman, D

2015-11-01

Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5), a longstanding collaboration between the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the International Association of Cancer Registries, serves as a unique source of cancer incidence data from high-quality population-based cancer registries around the world. The recent publication of Volume X comprises cancer incidence data from 290 registries covering 424 populations in 68 countries for the registration period 2003-2007. In this article, we assess the status of population-based cancer registries worldwide, describe the techniques used in CI5 to evaluate their quality and highlight the notable variation in the incidence rates of selected cancers contained within Volume X of CI5. We also discuss the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development as an international partnership that aims to reduce the disparities in availability of cancer incidence data for cancer control action, particularly in economically transitioning countries, already experiencing a rapid rise in the number of cancer patients annually. © 2015 UICC.

International Guide to Highway Transportation Information: Volume 1 - Highway Transportation Libraries and Information Centers

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

The FHWA Road Weather Management Program partnered with Utah DOT to develop and implement advanced traveler information strategies during weather events. UDOT already has one of the most sophisticated Traffic Operations Centers (TOCs) in the country ...

The Teaching Profession in Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archer, E. G.; Peck, B. T.

This volume discusses the changing face of Europe and examines dimensions of the teaching profession in different countries. Matters related to recruitment, training, recognition and status, probation, teaching conditions, career advancement, and inservice opportunities are identified and developed. Teachers who contemplate moving from one country…

Perspectives on the History of Psychoactive Substance Use; Research Issues 24.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Gregory A.

This collection of resources contains 34 studies which summarize significant developments within the history of psychoactive substance use in developed countries since the sixteenth century. The primary intent of this volume is to provide a greater awareness of the ubiquity of drug use in the past and of the complex and varied factors which have…

Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume I, Director's Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, Howard

This document reports a study of the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia covering Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet-Nam. Emphasis is placed on the geographical, historical and social background; patterns of education within the region;…

76 FR 21418 - Fiscal Year 2011 Allocation of Additional Tariff-Rate Quota Volume for Raw Cane Sugar and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-15

...-Rate Quota Volume for Raw Cane Sugar and Reallocation of Unused Fiscal Year 2011 Tariff-Rate Quota Volume for Raw Cane Sugar AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Notice...) for imported raw cane sugar and of country-by-country reallocations of the FY 2011 in-quota quantity...

77 FR 25012 - Fiscal Year 2012 Allocation of Additional Tariff-Rate Quota Volume for Raw Cane Sugar and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-26

...-Rate Quota Volume for Raw Cane Sugar and Reallocation of Unused Fiscal Year 2012 Tariff-Rate Quota Volume for Raw Cane Sugar AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative. ACTION: Notice...) for imported raw cane sugar and of country-by-country reallocations of the FY 2012 in-quota quantity...

Assessment and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, John, Ed.

2006-01-01

In most developed countries, the pursuit of reliable and valid means of assessing people's learning generates high volumes of published discourse and, not infrequently, dissent; the documentation on the various assessment policies, practices and theories could conceivably fill whole libraries. Some of the discourse and much of the dissent relate…

Predictability and Market Efficiency in Agricultural Futures Markets: a Perspective from Price-Volume Correlation Based on Wavelet Coherency Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Ling-Yun; Wen, Xing-Chun

2015-12-01

In this paper, we use a time-frequency domain technique, namely, wavelet squared coherency, to examine the associations between the trading volumes of three agricultural futures and three different forms of these futures' daily closing prices, i.e. prices, returns and volatilities, over the past several years. These agricultural futures markets are selected from China as a typical case of the emerging countries, and from the US as a representative of the developed economies. We investigate correlations and lead-lag relationships between the trading volumes and the prices to detect the predictability and efficiency of these futures markets. The results suggest that the information contained in the trading volumes of the three agricultural futures markets in China can be applied to predict the prices or returns, while that in US has extremely weak predictive power for prices or returns. We also conduct the wavelet analysis on the relationships between the volumes and returns or volatilities to examine the existence of the two "stylized facts" proposed by Karpoff [J. M. Karpoff, The relation between price changes and trading volume: A survey, J. Financ. Quant. Anal.22(1) (1987) 109-126]. Different markets in the two countries perform differently in reproducing the two stylized facts. As the wavelet tools can decode nonlinear regularities and hidden patterns behind price-volume relationship in time-frequency space, different from the conventional econometric framework, this paper offers a new perspective into the market predictability and efficiency.

Effect of the economic recession on pharmaceutical policy and medicine sales in eight European countries

PubMed Central

Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje K; Vogler, Sabine; Valkova, Silvia; de Joncheere, Kees; Leufkens, Hubert GM; Wagner, Anita K; Ross-Degnan, Dennis; Laing, Richard

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective To identify pharmaceutical policy changes during the economic recession in eight European countries and to determine whether policy measures resulted in lower sales of, and less expenditure on, pharmaceuticals. Methods Information on pharmaceutical policy changes between 2008 and 2011 in eight European countries was obtained from publications and pharmaceutical policy databases. Data on the volume and value of the quarterly sales of products between 2006 and 2011 in the 10 highest-selling therapeutic classes in each country were obtained from a pharmaceutical market research database. We compared these indicators in economically stable countries; Austria, Estonia and Finland, to those in economically less stable countries, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain. Findings Economically stable countries implemented two to seven policy changes each, whereas less stable countries implemented 10 to 22 each. Of the 88 policy changes identified, 33 occurred in 2010 and 40 in 2011. They involved changing out-of-pocket payments for patients in 16 cases, price mark-up schemes in 13 and price cuts in 11. Sales volumes increased moderately in all countries except Greece and Portugal, which experienced slight declines after 2009. Sales values decreased in both groups of countries, but fell more in less stable countries. Conclusion Less economically stable countries implemented more pharmaceutical policy changes during the recession than economically stable countries. Unexpectedly, pharmaceutical sales volumes increased in almost all countries, whereas sales values declined, especially in less stable countries. PMID:25378754

Student Mobility in Higher Education in the European Community: Synthesis Report (Volume 1) and Country Reports (Volume 2).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Jonge, J. F. M.; And Others

The European Community Action Programs for the Mobility of Universities Studies (ERASMUS) provides for the exchange of students who carry out reorganized periods of study from 3 months to 1 year in a member state other than their own. This report examines, country by country, students' ability to move in the higher education sector between member…

Comprehensive taxonomy and worldwide trends in pharmaceutical policies in relation to country income status.

PubMed

Maniadakis, N; Kourlaba, G; Shen, J; Holtorf, A

2017-05-25

Rapidly evolving socioeconomic and technological trends make it challenging to improve access, effectiveness and efficiency in the use of pharmaceuticals. This paper identifies and systematically classifies the prevailing pharmaceutical policies worldwide in relation to a country's income status. A literature search was undertaken to identify and taxonomize prevailing policies worldwide. Countries that apply those policies and those that do not were then grouped by income status. Pharmaceutical policies are linked to a country's socioeconomics. Developed countries have universal coverage and control pharmaceuticals with external and internal price referencing systems, and indirect price-cost controls; they carry out health technology assessments and demand utilization controls. Price-volume and risk-sharing agreements are also evolving. Developing countries are underperforming in terms of coverage and they rely mostly on restrictive state controls to regulate prices and expenditure. There are significant disparities worldwide in the access to pharmaceuticals, their use, and the reimbursement of costs. The challenge in high-income countries is to maintain access to care whilst dealing with trends in technology and aging. Essential drugs should be available to all; however, many low- and middle-income countries still provide most of their population with only poor access to medicines. As economies grow, there should be greater investment in pharmaceutical care, looking to the policies of high-income countries to increase efficiency. Pharmaceutical companies could also develop special access schemes with low prices to facilitate coverage in low-income countries.

Formal Education: A Catalyst to Nation Building. A Case Study of Nigeria. African Theological Studies. Volume 6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chimaka, Anthony Ikechukwu

2014-01-01

The smallest and most remote villages in the developing countries are affected by the rapid and seemingly irresistible trend towards globalization. The limitless availability of information however necessitates education to stand out as the key factor for human and national development. But which conditions must be met by societies for education…

International Conference on Recent Research and Development in Vocational Education (Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, March 12-19, 1989). Conference Papers. Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

TAFE National Centre for Research and Development, Payneham (Australia).

The conference recorded in this document covered a wide variety of themes and consisted of keynote addresses, research presentations, and workshops. The following workshop presentations are included: "Vocational Education in a Developing Country" (Theron); "From the Technical to the Critical: A New Agenda for Vocational Education…

Learning To Bridge the Digital Divide: Schooling for Tomorrow. Education and Skills. [National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL)/Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Roundtable (5th, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 8-10, 1999)].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jame, Edwyn; Istance, David

This publication builds on the papers and discussions of the Fifth National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL)/Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Roundtable. The volume presents an analysis of the "learning digital divide" in different countries--developed and developing--and the policies and innovations designed…

Ranking of Palliative Care Development in the Countries of the European Union.

PubMed

Woitha, Kathrin; Garralda, Eduardo; Martin-Moreno, Jose María; Clark, David; Centeno, Carlos

2016-09-01

There is growing interest in monitoring palliative care (PC) development internationally. One aspect of this is the ranking of such development for comparative purposes. To generate a ranking classification and to compare scores for PC development in the countries of the European Union, 2007 and 2013. PC "development" in this study is understood as a combination of the existence of relevant services in a country ("resources") plus the capacity to develop further resources in the future ("vitality"). "Resources" comprise indicators of three types of PC services per population (inpatient palliative care units and inpatient hospices, hospital support teams, and home care teams). "Vitality" of PC is estimated by numerical scores for the existence of a national association, a directory of services, physician accreditation, attendances at a key European conference and volume of publications on PC development. The leading country (by raw score) is then considered as the reference point against which all other countries are measured. Different weightings are applied to resources (75%) and vitality (25%). From this, an overall ranking is constructed. The U.K. achieved the highest level of development (86% of the maximum possible score), followed by Belgium and overall The Netherlands (81%), and Sweden (80%). In the resources domain, Luxembourg, the U.K., and Belgium were leading. The top countries in vitality were Germany and the U.K. In comparison to 2007, The Netherlands, Malta, and Portugal showed the biggest improvements, whereas the positions of Spain, France, and Greece deteriorated. The ranking method permitted a comparison of palliative care development between countries and shows changes over time. Recommendations for improving the ranking include improvements to the methodology and greater explanation of the levels and changes it reveals. Copyright © 2016 Universidad Navarra. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Satellite Systems for Instructional Radio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jamison, Dean; And Others

Recent studies suggest that Educational Television (ETV) broadcast from geostationary satellites can markedly reduce the cost and time required to provide educational opportunity for the citizens of large, less-developed countries. The sheer volume of educational needs precludes, however, the possibility of satisfying very many of them with only a…

Size and usage patterns of private TB drug markets in the high burden countries.

PubMed

Wells, William A; Ge, Colin Fan; Patel, Nitin; Oh, Teresa; Gardiner, Elizabeth; Kimerling, Michael E

2011-05-04

Tuberculosis (TB) control is considered primarily a public health concern, and private sector TB treatment has attracted less attention. Thus, the size and characteristics of private sector TB drug sales remain largely unknown. We used IMS Health data to analyze private TB drug consumption in 10 high burden countries (HBCs), after first mapping how well IMS data coverage overlapped with private markets. We defined private markets as any channels not used or influenced by national TB programs. Private markets in four countries--Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia and India--had the largest relative sales volumes; annually, they sold enough first line TB drugs to provide 65-117% of the respective countries' estimated annual incident cases with a standard 6-8 month regimen. First line drug volumes in five countries were predominantly fixed dose combinations (FDCs), but predominantly loose drugs in the other five. Across 10 countries, these drugs were available in 37 (loose drug) plus 74 (FDCs) distinct strengths. There were 54 distinct, significant first line manufacturers (range 2-11 per country), and most companies sold TB drugs in only a single study country. FDC markets were, however, more concentrated, with 4 companies capturing 69% of FDC volume across the ten countries. Among second line drugs, fluoroquinolones were widely available, with significant volumes used for TB in India, Pakistan and Indonesia. However, certain WHO-recommended drugs were not available and in general there were insufficient drug volumes to cover the majority of the expected burden of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Private TB drug markets in several HBCs are substantial, stable, and complicated. This calls for appropriate policy and market responses, including expansion of Public-Private Mix (PPM) programs, greater reach, flexibility and appeal of public programs, regulatory and quality enforcement, and expansion of public MDR-TB treatment programs.

Size and Usage Patterns of Private TB Drug Markets in the High Burden Countries

PubMed Central

Wells, William A.; Ge, Colin Fan; Patel, Nitin; Oh, Teresa; Gardiner, Elizabeth; Kimerling, Michael E.

2011-01-01

Background Tuberculosis (TB) control is considered primarily a public health concern, and private sector TB treatment has attracted less attention. Thus, the size and characteristics of private sector TB drug sales remain largely unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We used IMS Health data to analyze private TB drug consumption in 10 high burden countries (HBCs), after first mapping how well IMS data coverage overlapped with private markets. We defined private markets as any channels not used or influenced by national TB programs. Private markets in four countries – Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia and India – had the largest relative sales volumes; annually, they sold enough first line TB drugs to provide 65–117% of the respective countries' estimated annual incident cases with a standard 6–8 month regimen. First line drug volumes in five countries were predominantly fixed dose combinations (FDCs), but predominantly loose drugs in the other five. Across 10 countries, these drugs were available in 37 (loose drug) plus 74 (FDCs) distinct strengths. There were 54 distinct, significant first line manufacturers (range 2–11 per country), and most companies sold TB drugs in only a single study country. FDC markets were, however, more concentrated, with 4 companies capturing 69% of FDC volume across the ten countries. Among second line drugs, fluoroquinolones were widely available, with significant volumes used for TB in India, Pakistan and Indonesia. However, certain WHO-recommended drugs were not available and in general there were insufficient drug volumes to cover the majority of the expected burden of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Conclusions/Significance Private TB drug markets in several HBCs are substantial, stable, and complicated. This calls for appropriate policy and market responses, including expansion of Public-Private Mix (PPM) programs, greater reach, flexibility and appeal of public programs, regulatory and quality enforcement, and expansion of public MDR-TB treatment programs. PMID:21573227

Vulnerability of countries to food-production crises propagating in the virtual water trade network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamea, S.; Laio, F.; Ridolfi, L.

2015-12-01

In recent years, the international trade of food and agricultural commodities has undergone a marked increase of exchanged volumes and an expansion of the trade network. This globalization of trade has both positive and negative effects, but the interconnectedness and external dependency of countries generate complex dynamics which are often difficult to understand and model. In this study we consider the volume of water used for the production of agricultural commodities, virtually exchanged among countries through commodity trade, i.e. the virtual water trade. Then, we set up a parsimonious mechanistic model describing the propagation, into the global trade network, of food-production crises generated locally by a social, economic or environmental event (such as war, economic crisis, drought, pest). The model, accounting for the network structure and the virtual water balance of all countries, bases on rules derived from observed virtual water flows and on data-based and statistically verified assumption. It is also tested on real case studies that prove its capability to capture the main features of crises propagation. The model is then employed as the basis for the development of an index of country vulnerability, measuring the exposure of countries to crises propagating in the virtual water trade network. Results of the analysis are discussed within the context of socio-economic and environmental conditions of countries, showing that not only water-scarce, but also wealthy and globalized countries, are among the most vulnerable to external crises. The temporal analysis for the period 1986-2011 reveals that the global average vulnerability has strongly increased over time, confirming the increased exposure of countries to external crises which may occur in the virtual water trade network.

Speed-volume relationship and headway distribution analysis of motorcycle (case study: Teuku Nyak Arief Road)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prahara, E.; Prasetya, R. A.

2018-01-01

In many developing countries, transportation modes are more varied than the other country. For example, in Jakarta, Indonesia, in some roadway, motorcycle is the most dominant vehicle, with total volume is four times higher than a passenger car. Thus, the traffic characteristic in motorcycle-dominated traffic differs from a common traffic situation. The purpose of this study is to apply the concept and theory developed to analyze motorcycle behaviour under motorcycle-dominated traffic condition. The survey is applied by recording the traffic flow movement of research location at specified time period. The macroscopic characteristic analyzed in this research is a speed-flow relationship based on motorcycle equivalent unit (MCU). Furthermore, a detail microscopic characteristic analyzed that is motorcycle time headway regarding traffic flow. MCU values computed were consists of motorcycle (MC), light vehicle (LV) and heavy vehicle (HV). Those values were calculated 1.00, 6.13 and 10.71 respectively. The speed and volume relationship result is showing a linear regression model with R2 value is 0.58, it can be explained that the correlation between two variables is intermediate. The headway distribution of motorcycle is compatible with the negative exponential distribution which fitted with the proposed theory for a small vehicle such as a motorcycle.

Clonal propagation of eucalyptus in Brazilian nurseries

Treesearch

Ken McNabb; Natal Goncalves; Jose Goncalves

2002-01-01

Brazil has established extensive Eucalyptus plantations to support a growing forest products industry. During the past 25 years, the country has been a pioneer in developing clonal propagation systems to regenerate these highly productive plantations. Original clonal selections optimized disease resistance, coppicing ability, and volume growth, while recent priorities...

Language Teacher Research in Australia and New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Anne, Ed.; Burton, Jill, Ed.

2008-01-01

Over the last 30 years, inquiry-based teaching has become a highly valued component of professional development and practitioner research in Australia and New Zealand. This volume of the Language Teacher Research Series focuses on teaching and learning experiences in those two countries, which encompass a large geographical area with diverse…

The DISAM Journal of International Security Assistance Management. Volume 30, Number 4, December 2008

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

the Black Sea’s natural beauty and resources; and improving security throughout the region. At its foundation, it follows from the same goals we have...developing countries, the force’s commander told online journalists and bloggers in an August 8, 2008 teleconference. Many past humanitarian

Leading and Managing People in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Tony; Middlewood, David

2005-01-01

Since it was first published in 1997, there have been many changes in education and, specifically, in the leadership and management of people. These changes include new research and literature, and developments in policy and practice in many countries. This new volume gives much more attention to international research and practice, as educational…

Consultancy on Strategic Information Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pejova, Zdravka, Ed.; Horton, Forest W., Ed.

At the workshop, better management through strategic planning of information and consultancy was discussed as one way in which developing and Eastern European countries could tackle the complex information problems they are facing during the transition to a market economy. The sixteen papers in this volume are grouped into three basic categories:…

Agenda 21 goes electronic.

PubMed

Carter, D

1996-01-01

The Canada Center for Remote Sensing, in collaboration with the International Development Research Center, is developing an electronic atlas of Agenda 21, the Earth Summit action plan. This initiative promises to ease access for researchers and practitioners to implement the Agenda 21-action plan, which in its pilot study will focus on biological diversity. Known as the Biodiversity Volume of the Electronic Atlas of Agenda 21 (ELADA 21), this computer software technology will contain information and data on biodiversity, genetics, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem services. Specifically, it includes several country studies, documentation, as well as interactive scenarios linking biodiversity to socioeconomic issues. ELADA 21 will empower countries and agencies to report on and better manage biodiversity and related information. The atlas can be used to develop and test various scenarios and to exchange information within the South and with industrialized countries. At present, ELADA 21 has generated interest and becomes more available in the market. The challenge confronting the project team, however, is to find the atlas a permanent home, a country or agency willing to assume responsibility for maintaining, upgrading, and updating the software.

Guidelines for Analysis of Indigeneous and Private Health Care Planning in Developing Countries. International Health Planning Methods Series, Volume 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scrimshaw, Susan

This guidebook is both a practical tool and a source book to aid health planners assess the importance, extent, and impact of indigenous and private sector medical systems in developing nations. Guidelines are provided for assessment in terms of: use patterns; the meaning and importance to users of various available health services; and ways of…

Google matrix of the world network of economic activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandiah, Vivek; Escaith, Hubert; Shepelyansky, Dima L.

2015-07-01

Using the new data from the OECD-WTO world network of economic activities we construct the Google matrix G of this directed network and perform its detailed analysis. The network contains 58 countries and 37 activity sectors for years 1995 and 2008. The construction of G, based on Markov chain transitions, treats all countries on equal democratic grounds while the contribution of activity sectors is proportional to their exchange monetary volume. The Google matrix analysis allows to obtain reliable ranking of countries and activity sectors and to determine the sensitivity of CheiRank-PageRank commercial balance of countries in respect to price variations and labor cost in various countries. We demonstrate that the developed approach takes into account multiplicity of network links with economy interactions between countries and activity sectors thus being more efficient compared to the usual export-import analysis. The spectrum and eigenstates of G are also analyzed being related to specific activity communities of countries.

JANNAF 28th Propellant Development and Characterization Subcommittee and 17th Safety and Environmental Protection Subcommittee Joint Meeting. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cocchiaro, James E. (Editor); Mulder, Edwin J. (Editor); Gomez-Knight, Sylvia J. (Editor)

1999-01-01

This volume contains 37 unclassified/unlimited-distribution technical papers that were presented at the JANNAF 28th Propellant Development & Characterization Subcommittee (PDCS) and 17th Safety & Environmental Protection Subcommittee (S&EPS) Joint Meeting, held 26-30 April 1999 at the Town & Country Hotel and the Naval Submarine Base, San Diego, California. Volume II contains 29 unclassified/limited-distribution papers that were presented at the 28th PDCS and 17th S&EPS Joint Meeting. Volume III contains a classified paper that was presented at the 28th PDCS Meeting on 27 April 1999. Topics covered in PDCS sessions include: solid propellant rheology; solid propellant surveillance and aging; propellant process engineering; new solid propellant ingredients and formulation development; reduced toxicity liquid propellants; characterization of hypergolic propellants; and solid propellant chemical analysis methods. Topics covered in S&EPS sessions include: space launch range safety; liquid propellant hazards; vapor detection methods for toxic propellant vapors and other hazardous gases; toxicity of propellants, ingredients, and propellant combustion products; personal protective equipment for toxic liquid propellants; and demilitarization/treatment of energetic material wastes.

International data collection and analysis. Task 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-04-01

Commercial nuclear power has grown to the point where 13 nations now operate commercial nuclear power plants. Another four countries should join this list before the end of 1980. In the Nonproliferation Alternative Systems Assessment Program (NASAP), the US DOE is evaluating a series of alternate possible power systems. The objective is to determine practical nuclear systems which could reduce proliferation risk while still maintaining the benefits of nuclear power. Part of that effort is the development of a data base denoting the energy needs, resources, technical capabilities, commitment to nuclear power, and projected future trends for various non-US countries.more » The data are presented by country for each of 28 non-US countries. This volume contains compiled data on Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, and Spain.« less

Mabs monograph air blast instrumentation, 1943 - 1993. Measurement techniques and instrumentation. Volume 3. Air blast structural target and gage calibration. Technical report, 17 September 1993-31 May 1994, FLD04

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reisler, R.E.; Keefer, J.H.; Ethridge, N.H.

1995-08-01

Structural response measurement techniques and instrumentation developed by Military Applications of Blast Simulators (MABS) participating countries for field tests over the period 1943 through 1993 are summarized. Electronic and non-electronic devices deployed on multi-ton nuclear and high-explosive events are presented with calibration techniques. The country and the year the gage was introduced are included with the description. References for each are also provided.

Challenges and Potential Solutions for Big Data Implementations in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

Mayan, J.C; García, M.J.; Almerares, A.A.; Househ, M.

2014-01-01

Summary Background The volume of data, the velocity with which they are generated, and their variety and lack of structure hinder their use. This creates the need to change the way information is captured, stored, processed, and analyzed, leading to the paradigm shift called Big Data. Objectives To describe the challenges and possible solutions for developing countries when implementing Big Data projects in the health sector. Methods A non-systematic review of the literature was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar. The following keywords were used: “big data”, “developing countries”, “data mining”, “health information systems”, and “computing methodologies”. A thematic review of selected articles was performed. Results There are challenges when implementing any Big Data program including exponential growth of data, special infrastructure needs, need for a trained workforce, need to agree on interoperability standards, privacy and security issues, and the need to include people, processes, and policies to ensure their adoption. Developing countries have particular characteristics that hinder further development of these projects. Conclusions The advent of Big Data promises great opportunities for the healthcare field. In this article, we attempt to describe the challenges developing countries would face and enumerate the options to be used to achieve successful implementations of Big Data programs. PMID:25123719

International Photovoltaic Program Plan. Volume II. Appendices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Costello, D.; Koontz, R.; Posner, D.

1979-12-01

This second volume of a two-part report on the International Photovoltaic Program Plan contains appendices summarizing the results of analyses conducted in preparation of the plan. These analyses include compilations of relevant statutes and existing Federal programs; strategies designed to expand the use of photovoltaics abroad; information on the domestic photovoltaic plan and its impact on the proposed international plan; perspectives on foreign competition; industry views on the international photovoltaic market and ideas about how US government actions could affect this market; international financing issues; and information on issues affecting foreign policy and developing countries.

Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks. Volume II: National and Regional Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, 2015

2015-01-01

This second volume of the "Global Inventory of Regional and National Qualifications Frameworks" focuses on national and regional cases of national qualifications frameworks for eighty- six countries from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan and seven regional qualifications frameworks. Each country profile provides a thorough review of the main…

National Innovation and the Academic Research Enterprise: Public Policy in Global Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dill, David D., Ed.; van Vught, Frans A., Ed.

2010-01-01

This volume analyzes the impact of public policy on the knowledge economies and higher education systems of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the overall European Union. Given that…

American Security and the International Energy Situation. Volume 3. The Petromoney Question

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-04-15

energy business that will discourage and deprive the other countries (and entrepreneurs ) from development of their energy sources. As a resjlt...LJmnLiMjmrnrijs^. 1972-1985 107 972 97S 980 1985 Total Increse Annual Increase Per Capita: 972 1985 Tot. Increase 108 ~- ri 1 £ cjy t\\r\\ TABLE

Education in the World. International Yearbook of Education: Volume XL--1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faraj, Abdulatif Hussein

This report is designed to familarize educators with systems of education in a selected sample of countries and with the development that has occurred in these systems between 1984 and 1986. The information presented is drawn largely from national reports and questionnaire reports summarized by member states of UNESCO at the International…

Reviews of National Policies for Education: Yugoslavia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

The educational policies of Yugoslavia are presented in this report by examiners from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). A comprehensive report on all aspects of education in Yugoslavia was used as their frame of reference; data were collected by them from a two-week tour of the country. The volume is divided into…

Pacific Telecommunications Council Annual Conference Proceedings (16th, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 16-20, 1994).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, James G., Ed.; Wedemeyer, Dan J., Ed.

This volume comprises the papers presented at the 1994 conference of the Pacific Telecommunications Council. This gathering, which focused on the theme, "Forging New Links: Focus on Developing Economies," brought together more than 1,100 participants from over 40 countries. The 146 papers are organized chronologically, according to date…

Thailand--Secondary Education for Employment, Volume I: A Policy Note.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abelmann, Charles; Johanson, Richard; Kohtbantau, Achariya; Moock, Peter; Poshyananda, Tanaporn; Trivisvavet, Supamas

In Thailand, the need for skills in the labor force will become even greater in the next decade as the country's industrial and service companies seek to increase productivity through technological and organizational change. Historically, the limited provision of secondary education was a major bottleneck in skills development in Thailand. Major…

Health tourism on the rise? Evidence from the Balance of Payments Statistics.

PubMed

Loh, Chung-Ping A

2014-09-01

The study assesses the presence and magnitude of global trends in health tourism using health-related travel (HRT) spending reported in the International Monetary Fund's Balance of Payments Statistics database. Linear regression and quantile regression are applied to estimate secular trends of the import and export of HRT based on a sample of countries from 2003 to 2009. The results show that from 2003 to 2009 the import and export of health tourism rose among countries with a high volume of such activities (accounting for the upper 40% of the countries), but not among those with a low volume. The uneven growth in health tourism has generated greater contrast between countries with high and low volumes of health tourism activities. However, the growth in the total import of health tourism did not outpace the population growth, implying that in general the population's tendency to engage in health tourism remained static.

Improving the Quality of Basic Education, Volume 6. Country Papers: Antigua, Bermuda, India, St. Kitts, Nevis, Turks & Caicos Islands. Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (11th, Barbados, October 29-November 2, 1990).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commonwealth Inst., London (England).

Commonwealth Ministries of Education were asked to report on how they are undertaking the improvement of the quality of basic education in their respective countries. The papers in this volume focus on: (1) Antigua; (2) Bermuda; (3) India; (4) St. Kitts and Nevis; and (5) Turks and Caicos Islands. Charts and statistical data support each country's…

Technical Health Training Manual. Volume 1. Training for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Training Manual No. T-35a.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Mari; And Others

This manual is designed as a resource for trainers who provide preservice training, either in-country or state-side, to health specialists and generalists assigned to health projects at the community and clinical levels. The training is intended to assist the volunteer in developing knowledge and skill in the areas of primary health care and the…

Technical Health Training Manual. Volume 2. Training for Development. Peace Corps Information Collection & Exchange Training Manual No. T-35a.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Mari; And Others

This manual is designed as a resource for trainers who provide preservice training, either in-country or state-side, to health specialists and generalists assigned to health projects at the community and clinical levels. The training is intended to assist the volunteer in developing knowledge and skill in the areas of primary health care and the…

Toward a Global Community of Scholars. The Special Partnership between the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and China's National Center for Education Development Research, 1988-1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ch'i, Hsi-sheng

This volume traces the history of a collaboration between the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and China's National Center for Education Development Research. The collaboration, which began in 1988, was initiated to conduct a comparative study of education in the two countries through information exchanges and seminars.…

A High-Throughput Fluorescence-Based Assay System for Appetite-Regulating Gene and Drug Screening

PubMed Central

Shimada, Yasuhito; Hirano, Minoru; Nishimura, Yuhei; Tanaka, Toshio

2012-01-01

The increasing number of people suffering from metabolic syndrome and obesity is becoming a serious problem not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries. However, there are few agents currently approved for the treatment of obesity. Those that are available are mainly appetite suppressants and gastrointestinal fat blockers. We have developed a simple and rapid method for the measurement of the feeding volume of Danio rerio (zebrafish). This assay can be used to screen appetite suppressants and enhancers. In this study, zebrafish were fed viable paramecia that were fluorescently-labeled, and feeding volume was measured using a 96-well microplate reader. Gene expression analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf), knockdown of appetite-regulating genes (neuropeptide Y, preproinsulin, melanocortin 4 receptor, agouti related protein, and cannabinoid receptor 1), and the administration of clinical appetite suppressants (fluoxetine, sibutramine, mazindol, phentermine, and rimonabant) revealed the similarity among mechanisms regulating appetite in zebrafish and mammals. In combination with behavioral analysis, we were able to evaluate adverse effects on locomotor activities from gene knockdown and chemical treatments. In conclusion, we have developed an assay that uses zebrafish, which can be applied to high-throughput screening and target gene discovery for appetite suppressants and enhancers. PMID:23300705

Characteristics and Trends of Published Adult Hip Research over the Last Decade

PubMed Central

Kwak, Hong Suk; Yoon, Pil Whan; Park, Moon Seok; Kim, Hee Joong

2015-01-01

Purpose We designed this study to demonstrate recent trends in the proportion of adult hip research in orthopedics, to identify countries leading the adult hip research, and to evaluate the relationship between the economic power of the countries and their contributions. Materials and Methods Studies published in seven select orthopedic journals were retrieved from PubMed. Among them, we determined the number of adult hip studies. The countries-of-origin of adult hip studies, and the economic power of the countries were investigated. Results A total of 7218 orthopedic publications and 1993 (27.6%) addressed adult hip research were identified. Adult hip studies increased from 313 (23.7%) in 2000 to 555 (27.9%) in 2011. Twenty-five countries accounted for 97.6% of the total number of adult hip studies, and gross domestic product correlated with publication volume (Spearman's rho, 0.723; p=0.000). Conclusion Researchers from a limited number of developed countries have published their studies in the adult hip discipline. PMID:25510756

Global trends and patterns of commercial milk-based formula sales: is an unprecedented infant and young child feeding transition underway?

PubMed

Baker, Phillip; Smith, Julie; Salmon, Libby; Friel, Sharon; Kent, George; Iellamo, Alessandro; Dadhich, J P; Renfrew, Mary J

2016-10-01

The marketing of infant/child milk-based formulas (MF) contributes to suboptimal breast-feeding and adversely affects child and maternal health outcomes globally. However, little is known about recent changes in MF markets. The present study describes contemporary trends and patterns of MF sales at the global, regional and country levels. Descriptive statistics of trends and patterns in MF sales volume per infant/child for the years 2008-2013 and projections to 2018, using industry-sourced data. Eighty countries categorized by country income bracket, for developing countries by region, and in countries with the largest infant/child populations. MF categories included total (for ages 0-36 months), infant (0-6 months), follow-up (7-12 months), toddler (13-36 months) and special (0-6 months). In 2008-2013 world total MF sales grew by 40·8 % from 5·5 to 7·8 kg per infant/child/year, a figure predicted to increase to 10·8 kg by 2018. Growth was most rapid in East Asia particularly in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam and was led by the infant and follow-up formula categories. Sales volume per infant/child was positively associated with country income level although with wide variability between countries. A global infant and young child feeding (IYCF) transition towards diets higher in MF is underway and is expected to continue apace. The observed increase in MF sales raises serious concern for global child and maternal health, particularly in East Asia, and calls into question the efficacy of current regulatory regimes designed to protect and promote optimal IYCF. The observed changes have not been captured by existing IYCF monitoring systems.

ENGLISH FOR TODAY. BOOK FIVE, LIFE IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SLAGER, WILLIAM R.; AND OTHERS

ON AN UPPER-INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED LEVEL OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS, "LIFE IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES" IS THE FIFTH VOLUME IN THE "ENGLISH FOR TODAY" SERIES. THE MAIN EMPHASIS IN THIS VOLUME IS THE TRANSITION FROM READING TO COMPOSITION. EACH OF THE 14 READINGS IS FOLLOWED BY INTENSIVE COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS,…

Foot-and-mouth disease in pigs: current epidemiological situation and control methods.

PubMed

León, Emilio A

2012-03-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is the paradigm of a transboundary animal disease. Beyond any doubt, it is the most serious challenge for livestock's health. Official Veterinary Services from free countries invest considerable amount of money to prevent its introduction, whereas those from endemic countries invest most of their resources in the control of the disease. A very important volume of scientific production is developed every year in different aspects of FMD, and for that reason, the current knowledge makes the diagnosis of the disease easier to a great extent. However, FMD is still endemic in about two-thirds of the countries, and periodically re-emergent in several countries. This paper is a review of recent publications, focusing mainly on control measures and current world epidemiological situation, emphasizing primarily pigs. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

A comparative review of governments' views on objectives and policy instruments in the field of population and development.

PubMed

1982-01-01

It is possible to assess population policies through statements and decisions taken by governments as they reflect the views and commitments of political authorities in the field of population and development. Cases in the following African countries are reviewed with focus on objectives and policy instruments: Algeria; Angola; Benin; Botswana; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Congo; Djibouti; Egypt; Ethiopia; Guinea; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Equatorial Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Ivory Coast; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mauritius; Morocco; Mozambique; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Sao Tome and Principe; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Sudan; Swaziland; Togo; Tunisia; Uganda; United Republic of Cameroon; Tanzania; Upper Volta; Zaire; Zambia; and Zimbabwe. The information presented was drawn from the following publications: UN Population Division, "Population Policy Briefs: Current Situation in Developing Countries and Selected Territories," and UNFPA, "Population Programs and Projects," Volume 2, 1980-1981. On the basis of this review the following conclusions are drawn, which could indicate areas in which technical assistance to the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) member States would be required: among the 50 country members of ECA, 34 countries (68%) have as a development objective the reduction of mortality, and in particular, maternal and child mortality; the 2nd important objective is stabilizing or improving spatial distribution of population, and 44% of the 50 countries have adopted this objective which involves the distribution of population from 1 place to another within a country; the 3rd important objective consists of restricting the migratory flow from rural areas to urban areas; the countries of Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Morocco, Rwanda, Seychelles, Swaziland, and Tunisia adopted the objective of reducing the rate of population growth; 34% of African countries have decided to integrate family planning programs with health services; and only 20% of African countries have announced socioeconomic development as an instrument to solve their population problems.

Solid waste management in Asian countries: a review of solid waste minimisation (3'r) towards low carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, N. E.; Sion, H. C.

2014-02-01

The amount of solid-waste generated in Asian countries has increased tremendously, mainly due to the improvement in living standards, rapid developments in technology, growth in economy and population in the cities. Solid waste management is a global issue and major challenge facing Asian countries and neglecting its management may have negative consequences on the environment. Waste composition data proves the developed countries to have generated more recyclable materials while developing countries produce more organic and less recyclable waste such as paper, plastic and aluminium. In this regard, increase in number of landfills and disposal sites, will have an impact on GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and pollutants to air and water. Alternative methods should therefore be taken to reduce the volume of waste. Most Asian countries have adopted the 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) concept in order to reduce solid waste and their governments have implemented laws and regulations in order to support this. Implementation of 3R is the major contributor to the solid waste minimization and it can improve the quality of environmental sustainability and reduction of carbon dioxide emission in to the atmosphere. Based on our review, most of the countries practicing the 3R concept in tandem with laws and regulations perform better than those that just practice the 3R concept without any laws and regulations. The paper suggests that every country must focus on the laws and regulations relating to solid waste minimization so that it could be easily implemented as outlined.

EFF Voice. Volume 1, Number 1, Fall-Winter 1999

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institute for Literacy, 1999

1999-01-01

This premier issue of "The Equipped for the Future (EFF) Voice" has been put together to give everyone a snapshot of EFF-related activities across the country. It includes reports on the 12 states that have been participating in the EFF field development process since 1998, and on the many other programs and states that have begun…

HIMALAYAN BORDER COUNTRIES PROJECT

DTIC Science & Technology

Nepali school children, and (2) an investigation of iconology on three important ecclesiastical architecture forms in Kathmandu Valley. Professor Gordon...study of political and social developments in Nagaland. Mr. Mahesh C. Regmi completed the 4th volume of his study of Land Tenure and Taxation in Nepal in the summer of 1967 and commenced research on economic history of Nepal.

International Education for the Millennium: Toward Access, Equity, and Quality. Harvard Educational Review Reprint Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, Benjamin, Ed.; Dryden-Peterson, Sarah, Ed.; Kim, Young-Suk, Ed.

2006-01-01

This volume sheds light on contemporary theoretical work and research, on a range of national and international polices, and on education reform in developing countries. International Education has become an increasingly prominent and urgent matter in recent decades. Since the 1990 and 2000 Education for All conferences in Thailand, and Senegal,…

The Change Process: What We Can Learn from Nepal. Curriculum Bulletin. Volume 27, Number 317.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Hugh B.; And Others

This collection of papers explores the development of education in Nepal during the last twenty years. Frances Dart discusses the cultural conflict between American and underdeveloped countries--conflict which occurs when one group prizes the achievements or possessions of another on a mostly non-reciprocal basis. This is followed by an…

Let the Captives Speak for Themselves! More Dialogue between Religious Education in England and Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweitzer, Friedrich

2006-01-01

This article offers a German response to John Hull's recent article on "religious education in Germany and England" (in "BJRE", volume 27, issue 1). The author claims that recent developments have brought religious education in both countries much closer together than in the past and that the differences between the respective…

Return Migration and Remittances: Developing a Caribbean Perspective. RIIES Occasional Papers No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stinner, William F., Ed.; And Others

The 13 papers in this volume discuss issues relating to Caribbeans who have migrated to the United States and then returned to their home countries. The last three papers focus on remittances, migrants' ongoing remitting of cash and other economic resources to the home society. Paper titles (and authors) are the following: (1) "Introductory…

Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Study (NCOPDS). Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-14

materialism by purchasing more consumer goods. 11. People were on the move - the country "shrank." 12. Traditional sex roles began to change. 13...Who should be responsible for NCODP at the various levels? -- How can NCOES be made more effective ? -- What should be the role of ITEP in...various levels? -- How can NCOES be made more effective ? -- What should be the role of ITEP in professional development? -- how can NCODP be

Implications for Arms Control in Technology Transfer to Less Developed Countries (LDC’s) Volume IV. Essays on the Role of Coproduction and Dual-Use Technology in the Development of LDC Arms Industries

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

engaged in a coproduction venture with Contraves of Switzerland in which Bharat Electronics produces the fire control radars for the LP-70 AA system...produced and marketed by Contraves . Finally, it is expected that land warfare cap- abilities of LDCs will profit from the advantages of the RPV in

An international technology platform for influenza vaccines.

PubMed

Hendriks, Jan; Holleman, Marit; de Boer, Otto; de Jong, Patrick; Luytjes, Willem

2011-07-01

Since 2008, the World Health Organization has provided seed grants to 11 manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries to establish or improve their pandemic influenza vaccine production capacity. To facilitate this ambitious project, an influenza vaccine technology platform (or "hub") was established at the Netherlands Vaccine Institute for training and technology transfer to developing countries. During its first two years of operation, a robust and transferable monovalent pilot process for egg-based inactivated whole virus influenza A vaccine production was established under international Good Manufacturing Practice standards, as well as in-process and release assays. A course curriculum was designed, including a two-volume practical handbook on production and quality control. Four generic hands-on training courses were successfully realized for over 40 employees from 15 developing country manufacturers. Planned extensions to the curriculum include cell-culture based technology for viral vaccine production, split virion influenza production, and generic adjuvant formulation. We conclude that technology transfer through the hub model works well, significantly builds vaccine manufacturing capacity in developing countries, and thereby increases global and equitable access to vaccines of high public health relevance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marketing in developing countries.

PubMed

Pickering, A H

1979-10-27

I fully support the views of Mr. Chetley of War on Want on the marketing of infant foods in developing countries (Oct. 6, p. 747). My experience of eight years medical work in West Africa prompts me to broaden the debate. Advertising and promotional practices used by many European and American pharmaceutical companies are in many instances directed primarily to the non-professional and often poorly educated general public and appear to be geared simply to achieve the maximum volume of sales. Likewise, the cynical disregard of cigarette manufacturers for the dangers of smoking is very apparent in the way in which advertising and promotional campaigns are conducted in developing countries. Fifteen years ago cigarettes were largely imported items but now, certainly in one major West African country, there is a large and flourishing tobacco industry which appears to be run primarily by European interests and which is obviously not there for the health benefit of the people. Is it not a sad reflection on the morality of the society in which we live that, while striving to control unethical and undesirable practices at home, we make little or no effort to regulate those practices abroad when profit is the objective?

Historical epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in select countries - volume 3.

PubMed

Liakina, V; Hamid, S; Tanaka, J; Olafsson, S; Sharara, A I; Alavian, S M; Gheorghe, L; El Hassan, E S; Abaalkhail, F; Abbas, Z; Abdou, A; Abourached, A; Al Braiki, F; Al Hosani, F; Al Jaberi, K; Al Khatry, M; Al Mulla, M A; Al Quraishi, H; Al Rifai, A; Al Serkal, Y; Alam, A; Alashgar, H I; Alawadhi, S; Al-Dabal, L; Aldins, P; Alfaleh, F Z; Alghamdi, A S; Al-Hakeem, R; Aljumah, A A; Almessabi, A; Alqutub, A N; Alswat, K A; Altraif, I; Alzaabi, M; Andrea, N; Assiri, A M; Babatin, M A; Baqir, A; Barakat, M T; Bergmann, O M; Bizri, A R; Blach, S; Chaudhry, A; Choi, M S; Diab, T; Djauzi, S; El Khoury, S; Estes, C; Fakhry, S; Farooqi, J I; Fridjonsdottir, H; Gani, R A; Ghafoor Khan, A; Goldis, A; Gottfredsson, M; Gregorcic, S; Hajarizadeh, B; Han, K H; Hasan, I; Hashim, A; Horvath, G; Hunyady, B; Husni, R; Jafri, W; Jeruma, A; Jonasson, J G; Karlsdottir, B; Kim, D Y; Kim, Y S; Koutoubi, Z; Lesmana, L A; Lim, Y S; Löve, A; Maimets, M; Makara, M; Malekzadeh, R; Matičič, M; Memon, M S; Merat, S; Mokhbat, J E; Mourad, F H; Muljono, D H; Nawaz, A; Nugrahini, N; Priohutomo, S; Qureshi, H; Rassam, P; Razavi, H; Razavi-Shearer, D; Razavi-Shearer, K; Rozentale, B; Sadik, M; Saeed, K; Salamat, A; Salupere, R; Sanai, F M; Sanityoso Sulaiman, A; Sayegh, R A; Schmelzer, J D; Sibley, A; Siddiq, M; Siddiqui, A M; Sigmundsdottir, G; Sigurdardottir, B; Speiciene, D; Sulaiman, A; Sultan, M A; Taha, M; Tarifi, H; Tayyab, G; Tolmane, I; Ud Din, M; Umar, M; Valantinas, J; Videčnik-Zorman, J; Yaghi, C; Yunihastuti, E; Yusuf, M A; Zuberi, B F; Gunter, J

2015-12-01

Detailed, country-specific epidemiological data are needed to characterize the burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection around the world. With new treatment options available, policy makers and public health officials must reconsider national strategies for infection control. In this study of 15 countries, published and unpublished data on HCV prevalence, viraemia, genotype, age and gender distribution, liver transplants and diagnosis and treatment rates were gathered from the literature and validated by expert consensus in each country. Viraemic prevalence in this study ranged from 0.2% in Iran and Lebanon to 4.2% in Pakistan. The largest viraemic populations were in Pakistan (7 001 000 cases) and Indonesia (3 187 000 cases). Injection drug use (IDU) and a historically unsafe blood supply were major risk factors in most countries. Diagnosis, treatment and liver transplant rates varied widely between countries. However, comparison across countries was difficult as the number of cases changes over time. Access to reliable data on measures such as these is critical for the development of future strategies to manage the disease burden. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Volume distribution in saw-timber types in the ponderosa pine region.

Treesearch

Stephen N. Wyckoff

1939-01-01

The forest survey, a Nation-wide project authorized by Congress in 1928, consists of a complete and detailed investigation of the country's present and future forest resources in five major parts: (1) an inventory of the country's existing forest resources in terms of areas occupied by forest-cover types and of timber volumes, by species, in board feet and...

Aspects of Education in the Middle East and North Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock, Colin, Ed.; Levers, Lila Zia

2007-01-01

The chapters in this volume do not represent the whole of the Middle East and North Africa, as such a collection would have been too large for one volume. Rather, the selection here is intended to present different perspectives on a range of educational issues, relevant to a particular focus or country, or common to a number of countries in the…

Selected Bibliography of Educational Materials: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia. Volume 2, Numbers 1, 2, 3, 1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azzouz, Azzedine; And Others

Three volumes comprise a 375-item bibliography with abstracts of books and articles in English, French, Italian, and Arabic that provides information on various aspects of education in the Maghreb countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Each entry identifies the country with which it is concerned, and foreign language titles are…

Interplay of the Quality of Ciprofloxacin and Antibiotic Resistance in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

Sharma, Deepali; Patel, Rahul P.; Zaidi, Syed Tabish R.; Sarker, Md. Moklesur Rahman; Lean, Qi Ying; Ming, Long C.

2017-01-01

Ciprofloxacin, a second generation broad spectrum fluoroquinolone, is active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Ciprofloxacin has a high oral bioavailability and a large volume of distribution. It is used for the treatment of a wide range of infections including urinary tract infections caused by susceptible bacteria. However, the availability and use of substandard and spurious quality of oral ciprofloxacin formulations in the developing countries has been thought to have contributed toward increased risk of treatment failure and bacterial resistance. Therefore, quality control and bioequivalence studies of the commercially available oral ciprofloxacin formulations should be monitored. Appropriate actions should be taken against offending manufacturers in order to prevent the sale of substandard and spurious quality of ciprofloxacin formulations. PMID:28871228

International prices and availability of pharmaceuticals in 2005.

PubMed

Danzon, Patricia M; Furukawa, Michael F

2008-01-01

This paper compares pharmaceutical spending, availability, use, and prices in twelve countries in 2005. Drug spending per capita was higher in the United States than in other countries. The United States had relatively high use of new drugs and high-strength formulations; other countries used more of older drugs and weaker formulations. Thus, whether U.S. overall volume of use is lower or higher depends on the measure of volume and type of product. Comprehensive price indexes show foreign prices to be 20-40 percent lower than U.S. manufacturer prices, but only 10-30 percent lower than U.S. public prices. Generics are cheaper in the United States than in other countries.

Scheduling science on television: A comparative analysis of the representations of science in 11 European countries.

PubMed

Lehmkuhl, Markus; Karamanidou, Christina; Mörä, Tuomo; Petkova, Kristina; Trench, Brian

2012-11-01

This article explores the factors that influence the volume and structure of science programming by European television broadcasters, focussing on differences among channel patterns. It proposes three factors as relevant to understanding differences in science programming: A) the segmentation/fragmentation of television markets; B) the presence of middle sized commercial channels; C) the dependency of public service TV channels on commercial income (trading/advertising). We identified countries whose channel patterns encourage a varied picture of science - namely Sweden, Finland and Germany. They are distinguished from those which show a less differentiated picture and present a smaller volume of science content on television - such as Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, we identified countries whose channel patterns don't encourage a varied picture of science - namely Spain, Greece, Bulgaria and Estonia - and these countries present their small volume of science content at off-peak hours, in contrast to patterns in Great Britain and Ireland.

Emissions embodied in global trade have plateaued due to structural changes in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Chen; Peters, Glen P.; Andrew, Robbie M.; Korsbakken, Jan Ivar; Li, Shantong; Zhou, Dequn; Zhou, Peng

2017-09-01

Effect of Power Exchange of India: An Overview and Key Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A.; Chauhan, D. S.; Upadhdhyay, K. G.

2013-09-01

There stands no guarantee that if potential market participants are simply provided with the opportunity for trading electricity, there shall be an efficient wholesale electricity market. India, as well as various other developed countries, relies on voluntary agreements as far as electricity trading is concerned. Self, private initiatives to standardize and commodities contracts play an important role in increasing the trading volume to improve efficiency, in developed countries. In accordance with their experiences, this paper suggested a specific strategy to promote bilateral/OTC trading; hence, India needed to develop a master agreement for electricity contracts. This paper discusses that the creating power exchange for short-term trading in the spot market materializing the contract for the convenience of market participants stands particularly important and henceforth is a necessary factor to make sure that spot market is workable and competitive prior to developing a financial contract for electricity trading.

Health care cost containment strategies used in four other high-income countries hold lessons for the United States.

PubMed

Stabile, Mark; Thomson, Sarah; Allin, Sara; Boyle, Seán; Busse, Reinhard; Chevreul, Karine; Marchildon, Greg; Mossialos, Elias

2013-04-01

Around the world, rising health care costs are claiming a larger share of national budgets. This article reviews strategies developed to contain costs in health systems in Canada, England, France, and Germany in 2000-10. We used a comprehensive analysis of health systems and reforms in each country, compiled by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. These countries rely on a number of budget and price-setting mechanisms to contain health care costs. Our review revealed trends in all four countries toward more use of technology assessments and payment based on diagnosis-related groups and the value of products or services. These policies may result in a more efficient use of health care resources, but we argue that they need to be combined with volume and price controls--measures unlikely to be adopted in the United States--if they are also to meet cost containment goals.

Agile Development of a Smartphone App for Perinatal Monitoring in a Resource-Constrained Setting

PubMed Central

Martinez, Boris; Hall-Clifford, Rachel; Coyote, Enma; Stroux, Lisa; Valderrama, Camilo E.; Aaron, Christopher; Francis, Aaron; Hendren, Cate; Rohloff, Peter; Clifford, Gari D.

2017-01-01

Technology provides the potential to empower frontline healthcare workers with low levels of training and literacy, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. An obvious platform for achieving this aim is the smartphone, a low cost, almost ubiquitous device with good supply chain infrastructure and a general cultural acceptance for its use. In particular, the smartphone offers the opportunity to provide augmented or procedural information through active audiovisual aids to illiterate or untrained users, as described in this article. In this article, the process of refinement and iterative design of a smartphone application prototype to support perinatal surveillance in rural Guatemala for indigenous Maya lay midwives with low levels of literacy and technology exposure is described. Following on from a pilot to investigate the feasibility of this system, a two-year project to develop a robust in-field system was initiated, culminating in a randomized controlled trial of the system, which is ongoing. The development required an agile approach, with the development team working both remotely and in country to identify and solve key technical and cultural issues in close collaboration with the midwife end-users. This article describes this process and intermediate results. The application prototype was refined in two phases, with expanding numbers of end-users. Some of the key weaknesses identified in the system during the development cycles were user error when inserting and assembling cables and interacting with the 1-D ultrasound-recording interface, as well as unexpectedly poor bandwidth for data uploads in the central healthcare facility. Safety nets for these issues were developed and the resultant system was well accepted and highly utilized by the end-users. To evaluate the effectiveness of the system after full field deployment, data quality, and corruption over time, as well as general usage of the system and the volume of application support for end-users required by the in-country team was analyzed. Through iterative review of data quality and consistent use of user feedback, the volume and percentage of high quality recordings was increased monthly. Final analysis of the impact of the system on obstetrical referral volume and maternal and neonatal clinical outcomes is pending conclusion of the ongoing clinical trial. PMID:28936111

Agile Development of a Smartphone App for Perinatal Monitoring in a Resource-Constrained Setting.

PubMed

Martinez, Boris; Hall-Clifford, Rachel; Coyote, Enma; Stroux, Lisa; Valderrama, Camilo E; Aaron, Christopher; Francis, Aaron; Hendren, Cate; Rohloff, Peter; Clifford, Gari D

2017-01-01

Technology provides the potential to empower frontline healthcare workers with low levels of training and literacy, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. An obvious platform for achieving this aim is the smartphone, a low cost, almost ubiquitous device with good supply chain infrastructure and a general cultural acceptance for its use. In particular, the smartphone offers the opportunity to provide augmented or procedural information through active audiovisual aids to illiterate or untrained users, as described in this article. In this article, the process of refinement and iterative design of a smartphone application prototype to support perinatal surveillance in rural Guatemala for indigenous Maya lay midwives with low levels of literacy and technology exposure is described. Following on from a pilot to investigate the feasibility of this system, a two-year project to develop a robust in-field system was initiated, culminating in a randomized controlled trial of the system, which is ongoing. The development required an agile approach, with the development team working both remotely and in country to identify and solve key technical and cultural issues in close collaboration with the midwife end-users. This article describes this process and intermediate results. The application prototype was refined in two phases, with expanding numbers of end-users. Some of the key weaknesses identified in the system during the development cycles were user error when inserting and assembling cables and interacting with the 1-D ultrasound-recording interface, as well as unexpectedly poor bandwidth for data uploads in the central healthcare facility. Safety nets for these issues were developed and the resultant system was well accepted and highly utilized by the end-users. To evaluate the effectiveness of the system after full field deployment, data quality, and corruption over time, as well as general usage of the system and the volume of application support for end-users required by the in-country team was analyzed. Through iterative review of data quality and consistent use of user feedback, the volume and percentage of high quality recordings was increased monthly. Final analysis of the impact of the system on obstetrical referral volume and maternal and neonatal clinical outcomes is pending conclusion of the ongoing clinical trial.

Google search behavior for status epilepticus.

PubMed

Brigo, Francesco; Trinka, Eugen

2015-08-01

Millions of people surf the Internet every day as a source of health-care information looking for materials about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and their possible adverse effects, or diagnostic procedures. Google is the most popular search engine and is used by patients and physicians to search for online health-related information. This study aimed to evaluate changes in Google search behavior occurring in English-speaking countries over time for the term "status epilepticus" (SE). Using Google Trends, data on global search queries for the term SE between the 1st of January 2004 and 31st of December 2014 were analyzed. Search volume numbers over time (downloaded as CSV datasets) were analyzed by applying the "health" category filter. The research trends for the term SE remained fairly constant over time. The greatest search volume for the term SE was reported in the United States, followed by India, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Germany. Most terms associated with the search queries were related to SE definition, symptoms, subtypes, and treatment. The volume of searches for some queries (nonconvulsive, focal, and refractory SE; SE definition; SE guidelines; SE symptoms; SE management; SE treatment) was enormously increased over time (search popularity has exceeded a 5000% growth since 2004). Most people use search engines to look for the term SE to obtain information on its definition, subtypes, and management. The greatest search volume occurred not only in developed countries but also in developing countries where raising awareness about SE still remains a challenging task and where there is reduced public knowledge of epilepsy. Health information seeking (the extent to which people search for health information online) reflects the health-related information needs of Internet users for a specific disease. Google Trends shows that Internet users have a great demand for information concerning some aspects of SE (definition, subtypes, symptoms, treatment, and guidelines). Policy makers and neurological scientific societies have the responsibility to try to meet these information needs and to better target public information campaigns on SE to the general population. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Status Epilepticus". Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low validity of Google Trends for behavioral forecasting of national suicide rates.

PubMed

Tran, Ulrich S; Andel, Rita; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Till, Benedikt; Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta; Voracek, Martin

2017-01-01

Recent research suggests that search volumes of the most popular search engine worldwide, Google, provided via Google Trends, could be associated with national suicide rates in the USA, UK, and some Asian countries. However, search volumes have mostly been studied in an ad hoc fashion, without controls for spurious associations. This study evaluated the validity and utility of Google Trends search volumes for behavioral forecasting of suicide rates in the USA, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Suicide-related search terms were systematically collected and respective Google Trends search volumes evaluated for availability. Time spans covered 2004 to 2010 (USA, Switzerland) and 2004 to 2012 (Germany, Austria). Temporal associations of search volumes and suicide rates were investigated with time-series analyses that rigorously controlled for spurious associations. The number and reliability of analyzable search volume data increased with country size. Search volumes showed various temporal associations with suicide rates. However, associations differed both across and within countries and mostly followed no discernable patterns. The total number of significant associations roughly matched the number of expected Type I errors. These results suggest that the validity of Google Trends search volumes for behavioral forecasting of national suicide rates is low. The utility and validity of search volumes for the forecasting of suicide rates depend on two key assumptions ("the population that conducts searches consists mostly of individuals with suicidal ideation", "suicide-related search behavior is strongly linked with suicidal behavior"). We discuss strands of evidence that these two assumptions are likely not met. Implications for future research with Google Trends in the context of suicide research are also discussed.

Variation in critical care services across North America and Western Europe.

PubMed

Wunsch, Hannah; Angus, Derek C; Harrison, David A; Collange, Olivier; Fowler, Robert; Hoste, Eric A J; de Keizer, Nicolette F; Kersten, Alexander; Linde-Zwirble, Walter T; Sandiumenge, Alberto; Rowan, Kathryn M

2008-10-01

Critical care represents a large percentage of healthcare spending in developed countries. Yet, little is known regarding international variation in critical care services. We sought to understand differences in critical care delivery by comparing data on the distribution of services in eight countries. Retrospective review of existing national administrative data. We identified sources of data in each country to provide information on acute care hospitals and beds, intensive care units and beds, intensive care admissions, and definitions of intensive care beds. Data were all referenced and from as close to 2005 as possible. United States, France, United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, and Spain. Not available. None. No standard definition existed for acute care hospital or intensive care unit beds across countries. Hospital beds varied three-fold from 221/100,000 population in the United States to 593/100,000 in Germany. Adult intensive care unit beds also ranged seven-fold from 3.3/100,000 population in the United Kingdom to 24.0/100,000 in Germany. Volume of intensive care unit admissions per year varied ten-fold from 216/100,000 population in the United Kingdom to 2353/100,000 in Germany. The ratio of intensive care unit beds to hospital beds was highly correlated across all countries except the United States (r = .90). There was minimal correlation between the number of intensive care unit beds per capita and health care spending per capita (r = .45), but high inverse correlation between intensive care unit beds and hospital mortality for intensive care unit patients across countries (r = -.82). Absolute critical care services vary dramatically between countries with wide differences in both numbers of beds and volume of admissions. The number of intensive care unit beds per capita is not strongly correlated with overall health expenditure, but does correlate strongly with mortality. These findings demonstrate the need for critical care data from all countries, as they are essential for interpretation of studies, and policy decisions regarding critical care services.

Disabled Village Children. A Guide for Community Health Workers, Rehabilitation Workers, and Families. First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werner, David

This heavily illustrated volume is a reference book intended to bring together basic information to help community health workers, rehabilitation workers, and families in rural areas of developing countries meet the needs of village children with a wide range of disabilities. Part 1, "Working with the Child and Family," reviews the prevention of…

Learning Experiences in Population Education. Population Education Programme Service, Volume 3. For the Non-Formal Education System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.

One of the main products of the Regional Workshop for the Development of Packages of Adequate Learning Requirements in Population is this prototype package of curriculum materials in population education. The workshop notes that one of the shortcomings of country programs in population education is that the content integrated in school subjects is…

Developing Perspective: What Can We Learn about Education from Lower-Income Countries? The Claremont Letter. Volume 5, Issue 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luschei, Thomas

2010-01-01

To the extent that Americans look abroad for lessons about education, they primarily concern themselves with wealthy nations that perform well on international tests like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In this paper, the author argues that Americans…

Immigration to the United States from Latin America: Past and Present. The Latin American Project: Volume 1, No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

League of United Latin American Citizens, Washington, DC.

Immigration legislation in the United States is aimed primarily at Mexican migrants, who account for over half of all undocumented immigrants in the United States. Citizens of Central American and Caribbean countries contribute another 20%. The first section of this booklet traces the development of United States immigration legislation from the…

[Vaccines: producers in countries of the Southern hemisphere].

PubMed

Bertrand, J J

2007-08-01

Vaccine producers in southern hemisphere countries now contribute significantly to global output. In 2006 southern hemisphere countries accounted for more than 10% of the total worldwide production with a progression approximately 70% greater than all producers combined in the two-year period between 2004 and 2006. Though difficult to measure, production in volume is higher due to lower prices practiced in most of these countries. For many years before the 1980s, production was scattered among numerous limited-scale companies. Most were founded at the initiative of governments striving to cover the needs of the population for essential vaccines. A number of institutions and private structures such as Institut Pasteur Production, Connaught Laboratories, and Institut Merieux have also set up production facilities. Today's producers can be divided into two categories, i.e., local producers that produce mainly monovalent vaccines and worldwide producers with strong R&D investment programs. Local producers are located mainly in large southern hemisphere countries such as China, India, Brazil, and Indonesia as well as in eastern countries. For the most dynamic companies, international development is focused on southern hemisphere countries excluding North America and Europe. With the support international organization such as WHO, UNICEF and GAVI, alliances are now being formed and networks are being organized in an effort to ensure reliable supplies of high quality vaccines at affordable prices in developing countries. The contribution of these producers will increase for the greater benefit of the people living in the southern hemisphere.

An analysis of volumes, prices and pricing trends of the pediatric antiretroviral market in developing countries from 2004 to 2012.

PubMed

Lee, Janice Soo Fern; Sagaon Teyssier, Luis; Dongmo Nguimfack, Boniface; Collins, Intira Jeannie; Lallemant, Marc; Perriens, Joseph; Moatti, Jean-Paul

2016-03-15

The pediatric antiretroviral (ARV) market is poorly described in the literature, resulting in gaps in understanding treatment access. We analyzed the pediatric ARV market from 2004 to 2012 and assessed pricing trends and associated factors. Data on donor funded procurements of pediatric ARV formulations reported to the Global Price Reporting Mechanism database from 2004 to 2012 were analyzed. Outcomes of interest were the volume and mean price per patient-year ARV formulation based on WHO ARV dosing recommendations for a 10 kg child. Factors associated with the price of formulations were assessed using linear regression; potential predictors included: country income classification, geographical region, market segment (originator versus generic ARVs), and number of manufacturers per formulation. All analyses were adjusted for type of formulations (single, dual or triple fixed-dose combinations (FDCs)) Data from 111 countries from 2004 to 2012 were included, with procurement of 33 formulations at a total value of USD 204 million. Use of dual and triple FDC formulations increased substantially over time, but with limited changes in price. Upon multivariate analysis, prices of originator formulations were found to be on average 72 % higher than generics (p < 0.001). A 10 % increase in procurement volume was associated with a 1 % decrease (p < 0.001) in both originator and generic prices. The entry of one additional manufacturer producing a formulation was associated with a decrease in prices of 2 % (p < 0.001) and 8 % (p < 0.001) for originator and generic formulations, respectively. The mean generic ARV price did not differ by country income level. Prices of originator ARVs were 48 % (p < 0.001) and 14 % (p < 0.001) higher in upper-middle income and lower-middle income countries compared to low income countries respectively, with the exception of South Africa, which had lower prices despite being an upper-middle income country. The donor funded pediatric ARV market as represented by the GPRM database is small, and lacks price competition. It is dominated by generic drugs due to the lower prices offered and the practicality of FDC formulations. This market requires continued donor support and the current initiatives to protect it are important to ensure market viability, especially if new formulations are to be introduced in the future.

Increase in Total Joint Arthroplasty Projected from 2014 to 2046 in Australia: A Conservative Local Model With International Implications.

PubMed

Inacio, Maria C S; Graves, Stephen E; Pratt, Nicole L; Roughead, Elizabeth E; Nemes, Szilard

2017-08-01

The incidence of joint arthroplasty is increasing worldwide. International estimates of future demand for joint arthroplasty have used models that propose either an exponential future increase, despite obvious system constraints, or static increases, which do not account for past trends. Country-specific projection estimates that address limitations of past projections are necessary. In Australia, a high-income country with the 7th highest incidence of TKA and 15th highest incidence of THA of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, the volume of TKAs and THAs increased 198% between 1994 and 2014. To determine the projected incidence and volume of primary TKAs and THAs from 2014 to 2046 in the Australian population older than 40 years. Australian State and Territory Health Department data were used to identify TKAs and THAs performed between 1994 and 1995 and 2013 and 2014. The Australian Bureau of Statistics was the source of the population estimates for the same periods and population-projected estimates until 2046. The incidence rate (IR), 95% CI, and prediction interval (PI) of TKAs and THAs per 100,000 Australian citizens older than 40 years were calculated. Future IRs were estimated using a logistic model, and volume was calculated from projected IR and population. The logistic growth model assumes the existence of an upper limit of the TKA and THA incidences and a growth rate directly related to this incidence. At the beginning, when the observed incidence is much lower than the asymptote, the increase is exponential, but it decreases as it approaches the upper limit. A 66% increase in the IR of primary THAs between 2013 and 2046 is projected for Australia (2013: IR = 307 per 100,000, [95% CI, 262-329 per 100,000] compared with 2046: IR= 510 per 100,000, [95% PI, 98-567 per 100,000]), which translates to a 219% increase in the volume during this period. For TKAs the IR is expected to increase by 26% by 2046 (IR = 575 per 100,000; 95% PI, 402-717 per 100,000) compared with 2013 (IR = 437 per 100,000; 95% CI, 397-479 per 100,000) and the volume to increase by 142%. A large increase in the volume of arthroplasties is expected using a conservative projection model that accounts for past surgical trends and future population changes in Australia. These findings have international implications, as they show that using country- specific, conservative projection approaches, a substantial increase in the number of these procedures is expected. This increase in joint arthroplasty volume will require appropriate workforce planning, resource allocation, and budget planning so that demand can be met. Level II, economic and decision analysis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perry, F.V.; Valentine, G.A.; Crowe, B.M.

This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The objective of this project was to determine whether isotopic techniques can be used to assess the eruption potential and eruption volume of continental stratovolcanoes. Large-volume eruptions from stratovolcanoes pose significant hazards to population and infrastructure in many parts of the world. We are testing whether this technique will allow a short- to medium-term (decades to millennia) probabilistic hazard assessment of large-volume eruptions. If successful, the technique will be useful to countries or regions that must consider medium tomore » long-term volcanic (e.g., nuclear waste facilities). We have begun sample acquisition and isotopic measurements at two stratovolcanoes, Pico de Orizaba in eastern Mexico and Daisen in western Japan.« less

Pancreaticoduodenectomy in a Latin American country: the transition to a high-volume center.

PubMed

Chan, Carlos; Franssen, Bernardo; Rubio, Alethia; Uscanga, Luis

2008-03-01

To analyze data in a single institution series of pancreaticoduodenectomies (PD) performed in a 7-year period after the transition to a high-volume center for pancreatic surgery. PD has developed dramatically in the last century. Mortality is minimal yet complications are still frequent (around 40%). There are very few reports of PD in Latin America. Data on all PDs performed by a single surgeon from March 2000 to July 2006 in our institution were collected prospectively. During the study's time frame 122 PDs were performed; 84% were classical resections. Mean age was 57.9 years. Of the patients, 51% were female. Intraoperative mean values included blood loss 881 ml, operative time 5 h and 35 min, and vein resection in 14 cases. Both ampullary and pancreatic cancer accounted for 34% of cases (42 patients each), 5.7% were distal bile duct and 4% duodenal carcinomas. Benign pathology included chronic pancreatitis, neuroendocrine tumors, cystic lesions, and other miscellaneous tumors. Overall operative mortality was 6.5% in the 7-year period, 2.2% in the later 5 years. There was a total of 75 consecutive PDs without mortality. Of the patients, 41.8% had one or more complications. Mean survival for pancreatic cancer was 22.6 months and ampullary adenocarcinoma was 31.4 months. To our knowledge, this is the largest single surgeon series of PD performed in Latin America. It emphasizes the importance of experience and expertise at high-volume centers in developing countries.

Adjustment, social sectors, and demographic change in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Ekouevi, K; Adepoju, A

1995-01-01

This discussion concludes that the economic crises of the 1980s resulted in a halt to the social and economic development of sub-Saharan Africa. Employment, health, and education sectors all deteriorated under structural adjustment programs (SAPs) and poor economic performance. SAPs are considered inadequate solutions to long-term problems. Economic crises were found to affect countries differently in their demographic impact. Delayed demographic transition occurred both through economic development as a prerequisite and as a result of poor economic development. Case studies of each country are considered the appropriate geographic unit of analysis of demographic change rather than regional or comparative studies. The economic crises in sub-Saharan Africa occurred due to both external (commodity prices, high real interest rates, and decreasing net capital flows) and internal distortions (strategies of development such as import substitution, neglect of the agricultural sector, and government control of prices and trade). The unfavorable external context reduced export prices and earnings while increasing the costs of imports. Internal controls were detrimental to farmers. During the 1970s and 1980s African countries experienced declines in both the volume and value of exports, increases in import volume, and imbalances in the balance of payments. Large domestic borrowing and foreign borrowing was done by governments, which was at the expense of the private sector. Economic management and corruption were rampant. SAPs restrained demand, reduced public expenditures, adjusted exchange rates, contracted the size of the public sector, liberalized trade, deregulated the interest rate, stimulated domestic production, and used market forces for balancing optimum allocation of resources. SAPs were the fix for trade imbalances and government debt. Development was slowed or stopped. During 1980-87 spending on health care, education, and infrastructure was drastically reduced. These already weak sectors were further weakened. Inflation rose. Public sector employment was reduced. Wages declined, which resulted in a massive demoralization, unemployment, and poverty. Manpower development was threatened by declines in education.

Bilingual Preschools. Volume 2: Best Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kersten, Kristin, Ed.; Rohde, Andreas, Ed.; Schelletter, Christina, Ed.; Steinlen, Anja K., Ed.

2010-01-01

Drawing on data from eleven preschools in four European countries (Germany, Belgium, Sweden, and the UK), this edited volume explores the progress of preschool children learning English over a period of two years. This edited volume (Volume II) gives details on best practices in bilingual preschools as well as background and training on topics…

Landslide risk reduction strategies: an inventory for the Global South

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maes, Jan; Kervyn, Matthieu; Vranken, Liesbet; Dewitte, Olivier; Vanmaercke, Matthias; Mertens, Kewan; Jacobs, Liesbet; Poesen, Jean

2015-04-01

Landslides constitute a serious problem globally. Moreover, landslide impact remains underestimated especially in the Global South. It is precisely there where the largest impact is experienced. An overview of measures taken to reduce risk of landslides in the Global South is however still lacking. Because in many countries of the Global South disaster risk reduction (DRR) is at an emerging stage, it is crucial to monitor the ongoing efforts (e.g. discussions on the Post-2015 Framework for DRR). The first objective of this study is to make an inventory of techniques and strategies that are applied to reduce risk from landslides in tropical countries. The second objective is to investigate what are the main bottlenecks for implementation of DRR strategies. In order to achieve these objectives, a review of both scientific and grey literature was conducted, supplemented with expert knowledge. The compilation of recommended and implemented DRR measures from landslide-prone tropical countries is based on an adapted classification proposed by the SafeLand project. According to Vaciago (2013), landslide risk can be reduced by either reducing the hazard, the vulnerability, the number or value of elements at risk or by sharing the residual risk. In addition, these measures can be combined with education and/or awareness raising and are influenced by governance structures and cultural beliefs. Global landslide datasets have been used to identify landslide-prone countries, augmented with region-specific datasets. Countries located in the tropics were selected in order to include landslide-prone countries with a different Human Development Index (HDI) but with a similar climate. Preliminary results support the statement made by Anderson (2013) that although the importance of shifting from post-disaster emergency actions to pre-disaster mitigation is acknowledged, in practice this paradigm shift seems rather limited. It is expected that this is especially the case in countries with a low HDI. Thus far, identified bottlenecks for implementation and maintenance seem to be: 1) no access to capital for government and households, 2) limited awareness of possible measures, and 3) lack of law enforcement. This contribution presents an overview of the potential and applied landslide DRR measures in tropical developing countries as a crucial step towards more knowledge sharing in reducing landslide risks. References: Vaciago, G. (2013). The SafeLand Compendium of Landslide Risk Mitigation Measures. In C. Margottini, P. Canuti, & K. Sassa, Landslide Science and Practice: Volume 6, Risk Assessment, Management and Mitigation (pp. 683-691). Berlin: Springer. Anderson, M. (2013). Landslide Risk Reduction in Developing Countries: Perceptions, Successes and Future Risks for Capacity Building. In C. Margottini, P. Canuti, & K. Sassa, Landslide Science and Practice: Volume 7, Social and Economic Impact and Policies (pp. 247-256). Berlin: Springer.

Proceedings of the International Congress (12th), Corrosion Control for Low-Cost Reliability, Held in Houston, Texas on September 19 -24, 1993. Volume 1. Coatings

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-24

3]) Gas-cooled reactors were first developed in Europe and have been built since 1956. HTGR , equipped with the core of ceramic coated particle fuels ...demands must also be covered by nuclear energy in not so long future. Programs on developing the process heating HTGR have been promoted mainly in Germany...Material programs for HTGR have been promoted in several countries since late 1960’s which include the tasks of developing and qualifying materials, eg

Reserve growth of the world's giant oil fields

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klett, T.R.; Schmoker, J.W.

2005-01-01

Analysis of estimated total recoverable oil volume (field size) of 186 well-known giant oil fields of the world (>0.5 billion bbl of oil, discovered prior to 1981), exclusive of the United States and Canada, demonstrates general increases in field sizes through time. Field sizes were analyzed as a group and within subgroups of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries. From 1981 through 1996, the estimated volume of oil in the 186 fields for which adequate data were available increased from 617 billion to 777 billion bbl of oil (26%). Processes other than new field discoveries added an estimated 160 billion bbl of oil to known reserves in this subset of the world's oil fields. Although methods for estimating field sizes vary among countries, estimated sizes of the giant oil fields of the world increased, probably for many of the same reasons that estimated sizes of oil fields in the United States increased over the same time period. Estimated volumes in OPEC fields increased from a total of 550 billion to 668 billion bbl of oil and volumes in non-OPEC fields increased from 67 billion to 109 billion bbl of oil. In terms of percent change, non-OPEC field sizes increased more than OPEC field sizes (63% versus 22%). The changes in estimated total recoverable oil volumes that occurred within three 5-year increments between 1981 and 1996 were all positive. Between 1981 and 1986, the increase in estimated total recoverable oil volume within the 186 giant oil fields was 11 billion bbl of oil; between 1986 and 1991, the increase was 120 billion bbl of oil; and between 1991 and 1996, the increase was 29 billion bbl of oil. Fields in both OPEC and non-OPEC countries followed trends of substantial reserve growth.

Low validity of Google Trends for behavioral forecasting of national suicide rates

PubMed Central

Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas; Till, Benedikt; Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta; Voracek, Martin

2017-01-01

Recent research suggests that search volumes of the most popular search engine worldwide, Google, provided via Google Trends, could be associated with national suicide rates in the USA, UK, and some Asian countries. However, search volumes have mostly been studied in an ad hoc fashion, without controls for spurious associations. This study evaluated the validity and utility of Google Trends search volumes for behavioral forecasting of suicide rates in the USA, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Suicide-related search terms were systematically collected and respective Google Trends search volumes evaluated for availability. Time spans covered 2004 to 2010 (USA, Switzerland) and 2004 to 2012 (Germany, Austria). Temporal associations of search volumes and suicide rates were investigated with time-series analyses that rigorously controlled for spurious associations. The number and reliability of analyzable search volume data increased with country size. Search volumes showed various temporal associations with suicide rates. However, associations differed both across and within countries and mostly followed no discernable patterns. The total number of significant associations roughly matched the number of expected Type I errors. These results suggest that the validity of Google Trends search volumes for behavioral forecasting of national suicide rates is low. The utility and validity of search volumes for the forecasting of suicide rates depend on two key assumptions (“the population that conducts searches consists mostly of individuals with suicidal ideation”, “suicide-related search behavior is strongly linked with suicidal behavior”). We discuss strands of evidence that these two assumptions are likely not met. Implications for future research with Google Trends in the context of suicide research are also discussed. PMID:28813490

A model for methane production in sewers.

PubMed

Chaosakul, Thitirat; Koottatep, Thammarat; Polprasert, Chongrak

2014-09-19

Most sewers in developing countries are combined sewers which receive stormwater and effluent from septic tanks or cesspools of households and buildings. Although the wastewater strength in these sewers is usually lower than those in developed countries, due to improper construction and maintenance, the hydraulic retention time (HRT) could be relatively long and resulting considerable greenhouse gas (GHG) production. This study proposed an empirical model to predict the quantity of methane production in gravity-flow sewers based on relevant parameters such as surface area to volume ratio (A/V) of sewer, hydraulic retention time (HRT) and wastewater temperature. The model was developed from field survey data of gravity-flow sewers located in a peri-urban area, central Thailand and validated with field data of a sewer system of the Gold Coast area, Queensland, Australia. Application of this model to improve construction and maintenance of gravity-flow sewers to minimize GHG production and reduce global warming is presented.

Global Incidence and Mortality for Prostate Cancer: Analysis of Temporal Patterns and Trends in 36 Countries.

PubMed

Wong, Martin C S; Goggins, William B; Wang, Harry H X; Fung, Franklin D H; Leung, Colette; Wong, Samuel Y S; Ng, Chi Fai; Sung, Joseph J Y

2016-11-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, but its specific geographic patterns and temporal trends are under-researched. To test the hypotheses that PCa incidence is higher and PCa mortality is lower in countries with higher socioeconomic development, and that temporal trends for PCa incidence have increased while mortality has decreased over time. Data on age-standardized incidence and mortality rates in 2012 were retrieved from the GLOBOCAN database. Temporal patterns were assessed for 36 countries using data obtained from Cancer incidence in five continents volumes I-X and the World Health Organization mortality database. Correlations between incidence or mortality rates and socioeconomic indicators (human development index [HDI] and gross domestic product [GDP]) were evaluated. The average annual percent change in PCa incidence and mortality in the most recent 10 yr according to join-point regression. Reported PCa incidence rates varied more than 25-fold worldwide in 2012, with the highest incidence rates observed in Micronesia/Polynesia, the USA, and European countries. Mortality rates paralleled the incidence rates except for Africa, where PCa mortality rates were the highest. Countries with higher HDI (r=0.58) and per capita GDP (r=0.62) reported greater incidence rates. According to the most recent 10-yr temporal data available, most countries experienced increases in incidence, with sharp rises in incidence rates in Asia and Northern and Western Europe. A substantial reduction in mortality rates was reported in most countries, except in some Asian countries and Eastern Europe, where mortality increased. Data in regional registries could be underestimated. PCa incidence has increased while PCa mortality has decreased in most countries. The reported incidence was higher in countries with higher socioeconomic development. The incidence of prostate cancer has shown high variations geographically and over time, with smaller variations in mortality. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of urbanisation on asthma, allergy and airways inflammation in a developing country setting.

PubMed

Robinson, Colin L; Baumann, Lauren M; Romero, Karina; Combe, Juan M; Gomez, Alfonso; Gilman, Robert H; Cabrera, Lilia; Gonzalvez, Guillermo; Hansel, Nadia N; Wise, Robert A; Barnes, Kathleen C; Breysse, Patrick N; Checkley, William

2011-12-01

Asthma is a growing public health problem in developing countries. However, few studies have studied the role of urbanisation in this phenomenon. It was hypothesised that children living in a peri-urban setting in Peru have higher rates of asthma and allergy than rural counterparts. 1441 adolescents aged 13-15 years were enrolled from two settings: a peri-urban shanty town in Lima (n = 725) and 23 rural villages in Tumbes (n = 716). Participants filled in questionnaires on asthma and allergy symptoms, environmental exposures and sociodemographics, and underwent spirometry, and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and allergy skin testing. Indoor particulate matter (PM) concentrations were measured in 170 households. Lima adolescents had higher rates of lifetime wheezing (22% vs 10%), current asthma symptoms (12% vs 3%) and physician-diagnosed asthma (13% vs 2%; all p <0.001). Current rhinitis (23% vs 12%), eczema (12% vs 0.4%), atopy (56% vs 38%), personal history of cigarette smoking (7.4% vs 1.3%) and mean indoor PM (31 vs 13 μg/m(3)) were also higher in Lima (all p < 0.001). The peri-urban environment of Lima was associated with a 2.6-fold greater odds (95% CI 1.3 to 5.3) of asthma in multivariable regression. Forced expiratory volumes were higher and FEV(1)/FVC (forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity) ratios were lower in Lima (all p < 0.001). Higher eNO values in Lima (p < 0.001) were attributable to higher rates of asthma and atopy. Peri-urban adolescents had more asthma, atopy and airways inflammation and were exposed to more indoor pollution. The findings provide evidence of the risks posed to lung health by peri-urban environments in developing countries.

Effect of urbanisation on asthma, allergy and airways inflammation in a developing country setting

PubMed Central

Robinson, Colin L; Baumann, Lauren M; Romero, Karina; Combe, Juan M; Gomez, Alfonso; Gilman, Robert H; Cabrera, Lilia; Gonzalvez, Guillermo; Hansel, Nadia N; Wise, Robert A; Barnes, Kathleen C; Breysse, Patrick N; Checkley, William

2017-01-01

Background Asthma is a growing public health problem in developing countries. However, few studies have studied the role of urbanisation in this phenomenon. It was hypothesised that children living in a peri-urban setting in Peru have higher rates of asthma and allergy than rural counterparts. Methods 1441 adolescents aged 13–15 years were enrolled from two settings: a peri-urban shanty town in Lima (n=725) and 23 rural villages in Tumbes (n=716). Participants filled in questionnaires on asthma and allergy symptoms, environmental exposures and sociodemographics, and underwent spirometry, and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and allergy skin testing. Indoor particulate matter (PM) concentrations were measured in 170 households. Results Lima adolescents had higher rates of lifetime wheezing (22% vs 10%), current asthma symptoms (12% vs 3%) and physician-diagnosed asthma (13% vs 2%; all p <0.001). Current rhinitis (23% vs 12%), eczema (12% vs 0.4%), atopy (56% vs 38%), personal history of cigarette smoking (7.4% vs 1.3%) and mean indoor PM (31 vs 13 μg/m3) were also higher in Lima (all p <0.001). The peri-urban environment of Lima was associated with a 2.6-fold greater odds (95% CI 1.3 to 5.3) of asthma in multivariable regression. Forced expiratory volumes were higher and FEV1/FVC (forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity) ratios were lower in Lima (all p <0.001). Higher eNO values in Lima (p <0.001) were attributable to higher rates of asthma and atopy. Conclusions Peri-urban adolescents had more asthma, atopy and airways inflammation and were exposed to more indoor pollution. The findings provide evidence of the risks posed to lung health by peri-urban environments in developing countries. PMID:21730351

From Higher Education to Employment. Volume III: Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway = De l'enseignement superieur a l'emploi. Volume III: Finlande, France, Italie, Japan, Norrege, Pays-Bas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

This document presents statistical data from the countries of France, Finland, the Netherlands, Japan, Italy, and Norway regarding the flows of graduates from higher education and their entry into the workforce. Among the statistical data presented are the trends and current situation in each country for such areas as college enrollments and…

Self-Help Barrio High Schools: The Story of 250,000 Students Learning Their Education and Preparing Themselves for Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orata, Pedro T.

An innovative approach toward providing an opportunity for high school education in the Philippines that could also serve as a model in the developing countries is described in this volume. In small rural areas of the Philippines where education at the high school level had been unobtainable for most, communities established, supported, and…

IMPGSS - International Medical Program Global Satellite System

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-02-01

additional comments regarding the significance of working with Tachyon and NASK under this Contract). 5.2.5 Requirements - Country/Region Assessments...services on a tentative exploratory basis by Tachyon ]. 5.2.7 Program Development Deliverable A 007 This is currently summarized in the Program Content...based satellite transmissions and transmission pricing based on segmented, limited use data volumes via Tachyon . " A more involved use of evaluation

To Serve and Learn: The Spirit of Community in Liberal Education. Counterpoints: Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education, Volume 37.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVitis, Joseph L., Ed.; Johns, Robert W., Ed.; Simpson, Douglas J., Ed.

The product of faculty, staff, and students from 10 exemplary programs in service learning at selected liberal arts colleges across the country, this collection of essays addresses vital issues in liberal learning and education for community. The collection's focus is the creation of educational goals and strategies for developing a service…

International Cooperation for the Training of Water Managers from Developing Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aswathanarayana, U.

2007-12-01

Water is the key to the well being of a community. On one hand, water security is linked to food security, as food cannot be grown without water. On the other hand, water security is linked to environmental security, as water is needed to maintain the health of a community. International cooperation is proposed for the training in Hyderabad, India, with international faculty, of ~ 300 water managers from the developing countries at an estimated cost of ~USD 3300/- per candidate (including ~ USD 1800/- for international travel), through ten interactive and customized training programmes during the period of five years, to enable them to address two crucial issues affecting the poor in the developing countries, namely, access to affordable water and coping with water scarcity. Ways of Good governance and geographical targeting of poverty alleviation programmes are built into each training programme. Each training programme will be for about three weeks (inclusive of field work). Each course will have a component common to all, plus a component customized to the biophysical and socioeconomic situation in a candidate's country. Ten course manuals will be produced. which can later be published commercially as low-cost volumes, for the benefit of the readership in the Developing countries . Each candidate will be provided his own computer, and software, and individual faculty adviser. On the basis of the training received, a candidate should be able to carry with him at the end of the course a draft outline of techno-socio-economic action plan for his country/area in respect of the theme of the course, prepared by himself/herself. A copy of this outline would be provided to the World Bank, and relevant organizations for follow- up activity

Mineral Facilities of Latin America and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bernstein, Rachel; Eros, Mike; Quintana-Velazquez, Meliany

2006-01-01

This data set consists of records for over 900 mineral facilities in Latin America and Canada. The mineral facilities include mines, plants, smelters, or refineries of aluminum, cement, coal, copper, diamond, gold, iron and steel, nickel, platinum-group metals, salt, and silver, among others. Records include attributes such as commodity, country, location, company name, facility type and capacity if applicable, and generalized coordinates. The data were compiled from multiple sources, including the 2003 and 2004 USGS Minerals Yearbooks (Latin America and Candada volume), data to be published in the 2005 Minerals Yearbook Latin America and Canada Volume, minerals statistics and information from the USGS minerals information Web site (minerals.usgs.gov/minerals), and data collected by USGS minerals information country specialists. Data reflect the most recent published table of industry structure for each country. Other sources include statistical publications of individual countries, annual reports and press releases of operating companies,and trade journals. Due to the sensitivity of some energy commodity data, the quality of these data should be evaluated on a country-by-country basis. Additional information and explanation is available from the country specialists.

Hospital volume and the risk of revision in Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in the Nordic countries -an observational study of 14,496 cases.

PubMed

Badawy, Mona; Fenstad, Anne M; Bartz-Johannessen, Christoffer A; Indrekvam, Kari; Havelin, Leif I; Robertsson, Otto; W-Dahl, Annette; Eskelinen, Antti; Mäkelä, Keijo; Pedersen, Alma B; Schrøder, Henrik M; Furnes, Ove

2017-09-07

High procedure volume and dedication to unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been suggested to improve revision rates. This study aimed to quantify the annual hospital volume effect on revision risk in Oxfordu nicompartmental knee arthroplasty in the Nordic countries. 14,496 cases of cemented medial Oxford III UKA were identified in 126 hospitals in the four countries included in the Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA) database from 2000 to 2012. Hospitals were divided by quartiles into 4 annual procedure volume groups (≤11, 12-23, 24-43 and ≥44). The outcome was revision risk after 2 and 10 years calculated using Kaplan Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess the Hazard Ratio (HR) of any revision due to specific reasons with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The implant survival was 80% at 10 years in the volume group ≤11 procedures per year compared to 83% in other volume groups. The HR adjusted for age category, sex, year of surgery and nation was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.76-0.99, p = 0.036) for the group 12-23 procedures per year, 0.78 (95% CI: 0.68-0.91, p = 0.002) for the group 24-43 procedures per year and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70-0.94, p = 0.006) for the group ≥44 procedures per year compared to the low volume group. Log-rank test was p = 0.003. The risk of revision for unexplained pain was 40-50% higher in the low compared with other volume groups. Low volume hospitals performing ≤11 Oxford III UKAs per year were associated with an increased risk of revision compared to higher volume hospitals, and unexplained pain as revision cause was more common in low volume hospitals.

Impact of animal health programmes on poverty reduction and sustainable livestock development.

PubMed

Pradere, J P

2017-04-01

Based on data from publications and field observations, this study analyses the interactions between animal health, rural poverty and the performance and environmental impact of livestock farming in low-income countries and middle-income countries. There are strong statistical correlations between the quality of Veterinary Services, livestock productivity and poverty rates. In countries with effective Veterinary Services, livestock growth stems mainly from productivity gains and poverty rates are the lowest. Conversely, these analyses identify no statistical link between the quality of Veterinary Services and increased livestock production volumes. However, where animal diseases are poorly controlled, productivity is low and livestock growth is extensive, based mainly on a steady increase in animal numbers. Extensive growth is less effective than intensive growth in reducing poverty and aggravates the pressure of livestock production on natural resources and the climate.

Future resources and world development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, P.

1976-01-01

The aim of this book is to examine some of the longer-term implications of the use of global resources on prospects for world development and on relations between the developed and less-developed countries of the world. Part I consists of papers prepared especially for this volume. It begins with a contribution from Anthony Vam on ''The Global Ecosystem and Human Activity'' which gives an ecological perspective to trends in energy and mineral resource utilization. This is followed by a detailed case study of the one dominating example of producer power, oil; this is entitled ''Oil Prices, OPEC and the Poormore » Oil Consuming Countries'' and is by Dr. Biplab Dasgupta. Following this, Paul Rogers contributes a paper on ''The Role of Less-Developed Countries in World Resource Use'' which includes a consideration of the potential development of producer power for a number of primary commodities. This is followed by a paper by Dr. E. E. Banks entitled ''Problems of Mineral Supply'' which concentrates attention on two important minerals, copper and aluminum. Robert Dickson and Paul Rogers then contribute a discussion on the possible effects of producer power on relations between developed and less-developed countries. The editors then conclude with a summary of the views expressed in the preceding papers placed in the context of recent developments on the international scene. Part II of this book consists of a number of important documents, statements, and speeches that appeared over the period September 1973 to May 1975. This was the crucial period for the development of producer power and the contributions help to show exactly how the process has developed.« less

Health Manpower Planning: A Comparative Study in Four Countries. Volume 1. Health Manpower References.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiteside, Daniel F.; And Others

The health manpower planning experiences of four countries reported here were presented in a traveling seminar held for member countries of the Pan American Health Organization. Focus was on what should be carried out in any country to coordinate the training of health workers with the operation of health services. Following the introduction, the…

Pubertal development timing in urban Chinese boys.

PubMed

Ma, H-M; Chen, S-K; Chen, R-M; Zhu, C; Xiong, F; Li, T; Wang, W; Liu, G-L; Luo, X-P; Liu, L; Du, M-L

2011-10-01

We describe current pubertal development in healthy urban Chinese boys. A cross-sectional study of the pubertal development of 18,807 urban Chinese boys aged from 3.50 to 18.49years was conducted between 2003 and 2005. Testicular volume was evaluated with a Prader orchidometer. Pubic hair development was assessed according to the Tanner method. Data on spermarche were collected using the status quo method. Probit analysis was used to calculate the median age and 95% CI at different stages of testicular development, pubic hair development and spermarche. By age 9, 12.99% of the boys had a testicular volume of 4mL or greater. The median age of onset of puberty defined as the age at attainment of testicular volume of 4mL or greater was 10.55 (95% CI 10.27-10.79) years. The median age for onset of pubic hair development (PH(2) ) and spermarche was 12.78 (95%CI 12.67-12.89) years and 14.05 (95%CI 13.80-14.32) years, respectively. Pubertal onset in urban Chinese boys is earlier than currently used clinical norms but their pubic hair development occurs relatively late in comparison with the reported data from numerous other countries. There is also evidence of a secular trend towards an earlier age of spermarche since 1979 in Chinese urban boys. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Andrology © 2011 European Academy of Andrology.

INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS, A COMPARISON OF TWELVE COUNTRIES, VOLUME I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HUSEN, TORSTEN; AND OTHERS

THIS REPORT OF AN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ALLIANCE OF TWELVE COUNTRIES EXPLAINS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCEDURES OF RESEARCH AND QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT FOR THE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. RESEARCH INSTITUTES FROM TWELVE COUNTRIES ORGANIZED THE COUNCIL OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT FOR THE EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL…

Comparative Study on Migration, Urbanization and Development in the ESCAP Region (RAS/P13/79). Rev. version.

PubMed

1982-01-01

Development of a study project by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on migration, urbanization, and development in the following countries is described: Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The project's immediate goal is to assist decision makers in formulating population redistribution policies. It was recommended that ESCAP develop and test a migration questionnaire to assist member countries in undertaking surveys to study the interrelationships of migration and development. Upon completion of survey manuals to assist in the survey implementation, it was suggested that ESCAP run a series of in-country workshops to discuss the applications of survey results for policy formulation. A national migration survey will be taken in each country in the early 1980s in order to discern pattern and type of population mobility, factors that cause people to move or not to move, and the consequences of migration on places of origin and destination. A sample of 14,000 households in each country will be selected and 1 person of age 15-64 will be chosen as the respondent for each household. the following are some items which will be studied: 1) volume of migration streams within and between metropolitan areas and urban-rural areas; 2) decision making factors; 3) interactions between population movement and family structure, chages in fertility levels, employment, and education; 4) impact of agricultural systems on seasonal movements; 5) contributions of migrants to the cities; and 6) implications of international migration to and from the country. Leading family planning agencies will use these results to develop policy relating to population distribution, industry location, migration laws, regional economic planning, modern technology, and rural education. The management framework of the project is presented. After these results are published, government agencies can utilize them by incorporating direct questions on population movement into the national census, conducting demonstration projects to assess the impact of population movement programs, and training personnel.

CTC Sentinel. Volume 2, Issue 6, June 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Pakistan also makes it easier for al-Qa`ida to manage local perceptions and deny involvement in controversial terrorist attacks within the country...Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point, where he manages the Harmony Program and is developing the CTC’s South Asian research program. Prior to...operational art. Police operational art is defined as the capacity to go beyond managing single tactical incidents to influencing the effects of multiple

Science and Mathematics Education in the United States: Eight Innovations: Proceedings of the OECD International Conference on Science, Mathematics and Technology Education (Paris, France, November 5-7, 1991).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France).

This volume is the first in a series emanating from the Center for Educational Research and Innovation's project on science, mathematics, and technology education in countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It contains eight case studies from the United States presented to an international conference. Four…

Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

discussions have stalled over pricing differences. China’s Top Crude Suppliers 2011 Country Volume (1,000 barrels per day) Percentage of...the transfer or disclosure of U.S.-origin defense articles, defense services, technical data, and/or technology to China. Additionally, Public Law... transfer or export of defense articles (including technical data) and defense services. Beijing primarily conducts arms sales to enhance foreign

Confronting Crisis. A Comparative Study of Household Responses to Poverty and Vulnerability in Four Poor Urban Communities. Environmentally Sustainable Development Studies and Monographs Series No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moser, Caroline O. N.

This volume presents the main findings of a comparative study of four poor urban communities in countries experiencing economic difficulties during the late 1980s: Chawama (Zambia), Cisne Dos (Ecuador), Commonwealth (the Philippines), and Angyalfold (Hungary). The study extended a longitudinal community panel study begun in Ecuador by using a…

Market uptake of orphan drugs--a European analysis.

PubMed

Picavet, E; Annemans, L; Cleemput, I; Cassiman, D; Simoens, S

2012-12-01

Variations in market uptake of an orphan drug have important implications with respect to access to care and inequality of treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify both the sales and volume uptake of orphan drugs in Europe and to assess whether a country's gross domestic product (GDP) and/or health technology assessment (HTA) influences the orphan drugs' market uptake. We analysed the numbers of orphan drugs launched and the sales and volume uptake for 17 orphan drugs in 23 European countries from 2001 until the beginning of 2010 using the IMS Health database. Countries were clustered based on GDP and the availability of a formal HTA-organization. The uptake of orphan drugs varied across European countries. The highest volumes and contributions of orphan drugs in the first year occurred in countries with a high GDP (and implicitly, a higher budget for healthcare), independently of the existence of an HTA-organization. In contrast, in countries with a low GDP, orphan drugs were less available when there was a formal HTA-organization. There, budgetary restrictions can cause the exclusion of less cost-effective orphan drugs. We observed substantial variation in the market uptake of orphan drugs. Such variation may have important implications with respect to access to care and inequality of treatment. The uptake of orphan drugs could be promoted through the clinical added value of orphan drugs (CAVOD) project and various conditional pricing and reimbursement mechanisms. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Global responses for recycling waste CRTs in e-waste.

PubMed

Singh, Narendra; Li, Jinhui; Zeng, Xianlai

2016-11-01

The management of used cathode ray tube (CRT) devices is a major problem worldwide due to rapid uptake of the technology and early obsolescence of CRT devices, which is considered an environment hazard if disposed improperly. Previously, their production has grown in step with computer and television demand but later on with rapid technological innovation; TVs and computer screens has been replaced by new products such as Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) and Plasma Display Panel (PDPs). This change creates a large volume of waste stream of obsolete CRTs waste in developed countries and developing countries will be becoming major CRTs waste producers in the upcoming years. We studied that there is also high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as second-hand electronic equipment into developing countries in an attempt to bridge the 'digital divide'. Moreover, the current global production of e-waste is estimated to be '41million tonnes per year' where a major part of the e-waste stream consists of CRT devices. This review article provides a concise overview of world's current CRTs waste scenario, namely magnitude of the demand and processing, current disposal and recycling operations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Export of health services from developing countries: the case of Tunisia.

PubMed

Lautier, Marc

2008-07-01

Although the subject of health services exports by developing countries has been much discussed, the phenomenon is still in its early stage, and its real implications are not yet clear. Given the rapid development in this area, little empirical data are available. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing reliable data on consumption of health services abroad (GATS mode 2 of international service supply). It starts by assessing the magnitude of the volume of international trade in health services. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the case of Tunisia based on an original field research. Because of the high quality of its health sector and its proximity with Europe, Tunisia has the highest export potential for health services in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) Region. Health services exports may represent a quarter of Tunisia's private health sector output and generate jobs for 5000 employees. If one takes into account tourism expenses by the incoming patient (and their relatives), these exports contribute to nearly 1% of the country's total exports. Finally, this case study highlights the regional dimension of external demand for health services and the predominance of South-South trade.

The United States and Canada as a coupled epidemiological system: An example from hepatitis A

PubMed Central

Amariei, Raluca; Willms, Allan R; Bauch, Chris T

2008-01-01

Background Hepatitis A (HA) is a low-incidence, non-endemic disease in Canada and the United States (US). However, a large difference in HA incidence between Canada and HA-endemic countries has made travel an important contributor to hepatitis A prevalence in Canada. There is also a (smaller) incidence differential between Canada and the US. Although the US has only moderately higher HA incidence, the volume of travel by Canadians to the US is many times higher than travel volume to endemic countries. Hence, travel to the US may constitute a source of low to moderate risk for Canadian travelers. To our knowledge, travel to the US has never been included as a potential risk factor for HA infection in Canadian epidemiologic analyses. The objective of this study was to use dynamic models to investigate the possible effects on hepatitis A incidence in Canada due to (1) implementing vaccination in the US, and (2) varying the volume of travel by Canadians to the US. Methods We developed and analyzed age-structured compartmental models for the transmission and vaccination of hepatitis A, for both Canada and the US. Models were parameterized using data on seroprevalence, case reporting, and travel patterns. The potential effect of hepatitis A prevalence in the US on hepatitis A prevalence in Canada was captured through a term representing infection of Canadians due to travel in the US. Results The model suggests that approximately 22% of HA cases in Canada in the mid 1990s may have been attributable to travel to the US. A universal vaccination programme that attained 70% coverage in young children in the US in the mid 1990s could have reduced Canadian incidence by 21% within 5 years. Conclusion Since not all necessary data were available to parameterize the model, the results should be considered exploratory. However, the analysis shows that, under plausible assumptions, the US may be more important for determining HA prevalence in Canada than is currently supposed. As international travel continues to grow, making vaccination policies ever more relevant to populations beyond a country's borders, such multi-country models will most likely come into wider use as predictive aids for policy development. PMID:18307785

Methods for implementing a medicine outlet survey: lessons from the anti-malarial market.

PubMed

O'Connell, Kathryn A; Poyer, Stephen; Solomon, Tsione; Munroe, Erik; Patouillard, Edith; Njogu, Julius; Evance, Illah; Hanson, Kara; Shewchuk, Tanya; Goodman, Catherine

2013-02-05

In recent years an increasing number of public investments and policy changes have been made to improve the availability, affordability and quality of medicines available to consumers in developing countries, including anti-malarials. It is important to monitor the extent to which these interventions are successful in achieving their aims using quantitative data on the supply side of the market. There are a number of challenges related to studying supply, including outlet sampling, gaining provider cooperation and collecting accurate data on medicines. This paper provides guidance on key steps to address these issues when conducting a medicine outlet survey in a developing country context. While the basic principles of good survey design and implementation are important for all surveys, there are a set of specific issues that should be considered when conducting a medicine outlet survey. This paper draws on the authors' experience of designing and implementing outlet surveys, including the lessons learnt from ACTwatch outlet surveys on anti-malarial retail supply, and other key studies in the field. Key lessons and points of debate are distilled around the following areas: selecting a sample of outlets; techniques for collecting and analysing data on medicine availability, price and sales volumes; and methods for ensuring high quality data in general. The authors first consider the inclusion criteria for outlets, contrasting comprehensive versus more focused approaches. Methods for developing a reliable sampling frame of outlets are then presented, including use of existing lists, key informants and an outlet census. Specific issues in the collection of data on medicine prices and sales volumes are discussed; and approaches for generating comparable price and sales volume data across products using the adult equivalent treatment dose (AETD) are explored. The paper concludes with advice on practical considerations, including questionnaire design, field worker training, and data collection. Survey materials developed by ACTwatch for investigating anti-malarial markets in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia provide a helpful resource for future studies in this area.

Structural changes in cross-border liabilities: A multidimensional approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araújo, Tanya; Spelta, Alessandro

2014-01-01

We study the international interbank market through a geometric analysis of empirical data. The geometric analysis of the time series of cross-country liabilities shows that the systematic information of the interbank international market is contained in a space of small dimension. Geometric spaces of financial relations across countries are developed, for which the space volume, multivariate skewness and multivariate kurtosis are computed. The behavior of these coefficients reveals an important modification acting in the financial linkages since 1997 and allows us to relate the shape of the geometric space that emerges in recent years to the globally turbulent period that has characterized financial systems since the late 1990s. Here we show that, besides a persistent decrease in the volume of the geometric space since 1997, the observation of a generalized increase in the values of the multivariate skewness and kurtosis sheds some light on the behavior of cross-border interdependencies during periods of financial crises. This was found to occur in such a systematic fashion, that these coefficients may be used as a proxy for systemic risk.

An Empirical Study on the Determinants of International Student Mobility: A Global Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Hao

2013-01-01

This paper, based on the data of 48 countries and regions from 1999 to 2008, studies the economic and educational determinants of how countries of different types attract international students. The study finds that: the volume of merchandise trade between countries facilitates international student mobility across borders; international students…

The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus infections with today's treatment paradigm - volume 3.

PubMed

Sibley, A; Han, K H; Abourached, A; Lesmana, L A; Makara, M; Jafri, W; Salupere, R; Assiri, A M; Goldis, A; Abaalkhail, F; Abbas, Z; Abdou, A; Al Braiki, F; Al Hosani, F; Al Jaberi, K; Al Khatry, M; Al Mulla, M A; Al Quraishi, H; Al Rifai, A; Al Serkal, Y; Alam, A; Alavian, S M; Alashgar, H I; Alawadhi, S; Al-Dabal, L; Aldins, P; Alfaleh, F Z; Alghamdi, A S; Al-Hakeem, R; Aljumah, A A; Almessabi, A; Alqutub, A N; Alswat, K A; Altraif, I; Alzaabi, M; Andrea, N; Babatin, M A; Baqir, A; Barakat, M T; Bergmann, O M; Bizri, A R; Blach, S; Chaudhry, A; Choi, M S; Diab, T; Djauzi, S; El Hassan, E S; El Khoury, S; Estes, C; Fakhry, S; Farooqi, J I; Fridjonsdottir, H; Gani, R A; Ghafoor Khan, A; Gheorghe, L; Gottfredsson, M; Gregorcic, S; Gunter, J; Hajarizadeh, B; Hamid, S; Hasan, I; Hashim, A; Horvath, G; Hunyady, B; Husni, R; Jeruma, A; Jonasson, J G; Karlsdottir, B; Kim, D Y; Kim, Y S; Koutoubi, Z; Liakina, V; Lim, Y S; Löve, A; Maimets, M; Malekzadeh, R; Matičič, M; Memon, M S; Merat, S; Mokhbat, J E; Mourad, F H; Muljono, D H; Nawaz, A; Nugrahini, N; Olafsson, S; Priohutomo, S; Qureshi, H; Rassam, P; Razavi, H; Razavi-Shearer, D; Razavi-Shearer, K; Rozentale, B; Sadik, M; Saeed, K; Salamat, A; Sanai, F M; Sanityoso Sulaiman, A; Sayegh, R A; Sharara, A I; Siddiq, M; Siddiqui, A M; Sigmundsdottir, G; Sigurdardottir, B; Speiciene, D; Sulaiman, A; Sultan, M A; Taha, M; Tanaka, J; Tarifi, H; Tayyab, G; Tolmane, I; Ud Din, M; Umar, M; Valantinas, J; Videčnik-Zorman, J; Yaghi, C; Yunihastuti, E; Yusuf, M A; Zuberi, B F; Schmelzer, J D

2015-12-01

The total number, morbidity and mortality attributed to viraemic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections change over time making it difficult to compare reported estimates from different years. Models were developed for 15 countries to quantify and characterize the viraemic population and forecast the changes in the infected population and the corresponding disease burden from 2014 to 2030. With the exception of Iceland, Iran, Latvia and Pakistan, the total number of viraemic HCV infections is expected to decline from 2014 to 2030, but the associated morbidity and mortality are expected to increase in all countries except for Japan and South Korea. In the latter two countries, mortality due to an ageing population will drive down prevalence, morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, both countries have already experienced a rapid increase in HCV-related mortality and morbidity. HCV-related morbidity and mortality are projected to increase between 2014 and 2030 in all other countries as result of an ageing HCV-infected population. Thus, although the total number of HCV countries is expected to decline in most countries studied, the associated disease burden is expected to increase. The current treatment paradigm is inadequate if large reductions in HCV-related morbidity and mortality are to be achieved. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

International trade and determinants of price differentials of insulin medicine.

PubMed

Helble, Matthias; Aizawa, Toshiaki

2017-02-01

Empirical studies on pharmaceutical pricing across countries have found evidence that prices vary according to per capita income. These studies are typically based on survey data from a subset of countries and cover only one year. In this paper, we study the international trade and price of insulin by using detailed trade data for 186 importing countries from 1995 to 2013. With almost 12,000 observations, our study constitutes the largest comparative study on pharmaceutical pricing conducted so far. The large dataset allows us to uncover new determinants of price differentials. Our analysis shows that the international trade of insulin increased substantially over this time period, clearly outpacing the increasing prevalence of diabetes. Using the unit values of imports, we also study the determinants of price differentials between countries. Running various panel regressions, we find that the differences in prices across countries can be explained by the following factors: First, corroborating earlier studies, we find that per capita GDP is positively correlated with the unit price of insulin. Second, the price of insulin drugs originating from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries tends to be substantially higher than for those imported from developing countries. Third, more intense competition among suppliers leads to lower insulin prices. Fourth, higher out-of-pocket payments for health care are associated with higher prices. Finally, higher volumes and tariffs seem to result in lower unit prices. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

An Irony of War: Human Development as Warfare in Afghanistan (Colloquium, Volume 3, Number 3, October 2010)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

near genius” because of the quick impact it was designed to have to boost the quality of life for the Afghans. LTG Vines was particularly optimistic...destined to play a role for many years. It is a country beset by an insurgency that threatens to destroy the 9-year economic progress that many Afghans...have enjoyed since the end of Taliban rule. Many students of insurgency, or any other type of warfare, do not associate human develop- ment with

Minerals yearbook: Mineral industries of Europe and central Eurasia. Volume 3. 1992 international review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-01-01

Volume III, Minerals Yearbook -- International Review contains the latest available mineral data on more than 175 foreign countries and discusses the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations. Since the 1989 International Review, the volume has been presented as six reports. The report presents the Mineral Industries of Europe and Central Eurasia. The report incorporates location maps, industry structure tables, and an outlook section previously incorporated in the authors' Minerals Perspectives Series quinquennial regional books, which are being discontinued. This section of the Minerals Yearbook reviews the minerals industries of 45 countries: the 12 nations of themore » European Community (EC); 6 of the 7 nations of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA); Malta; the 11 Eastern European economies in transition (Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia); and the countries of Central Eurasia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan).« less

The social network of international health aid.

PubMed

Han, Lu; Koenig-Archibugi, Mathias; Opsahl, Tore

2018-06-01

International development assistance for health generates an emergent social network in which policy makers in recipient countries are connected to numerous bilateral and multilateral aid agencies and to other aid recipients. Ties in this global network are channels for the transmission of knowledge, norms and influence in addition to material resources, and policy makers in centrally situated governments receive information faster and are exposed to a more diverse range of sources and perspectives. Since diversity of perspectives improves problem-solving capacity, the structural position of aid-receiving governments in the health aid network can affect the health outcomes that those governments are able to attain. We apply a recently developed Social Network Analysis measure to health aid data for 1990-2010 to investigate the relationship between country centrality in the health aid network and improvements in child health. A generalized method of moments (GMM) analysis indicates that, controlling for the volume of health aid and other factors, higher centrality in the health aid network is associated with better child survival rates in a sample of 110 low and middle income countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnitude and frequency of summer floods in western New Mexico and eastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennon, F.W.

1955-01-01

Numerous small reservoirs and occasional water-spreading structures are being built on the ephemeral streams draining the public and Indian lands of the Southwest as part of the Soil and Moisture Conservation Program of the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Affairs.  Economic design of these structures requires some knowledge of the flood rates and volumes.  Information concerning flood frequencies on areas less than 100 square miles is deficient throughout the country, particularly on intermittent streams of the Southwest.  Design engineers require a knowledge of the frequency and magnitude of flood volumes for the planning of adequate reservoir capacities and a knowledge of frequency and magnitude of flood peaks for spillway design.  Hence, this study deals with both flood volumes and peaks, the same statistical methods being used to develop frequency curves for each.

The burden of prostate cancer in Asian nations

PubMed Central

Cullen, Jennifer; Elsamanoudi, Sally; Brassell, Stephen A.; Chen, Yongmei; Colombo, Monica; Srivastava, Amita; McLeod, David G.

2012-01-01

Introduction: In this review, the International Agency for Research on Cancer's cancer epidemiology databases were used to examine prostate cancer (PCa) age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) in selected Asian nations, including Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5) and GLOBOCAN databases, in an effort to determine whether ASIRs are rising in regions of the world with historically low risk of PCa development. Materials and Methods: Asian nations with adequate data quality were considered for this review. PCa ASIR estimates from CI5 and GLOBOCAN 2008 public use databases were examined in the four eligible countries: China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Time trends in PCa ASIRs were examined using CI5 Volumes I-IX. Results: While PCa ASIRs remain much lower in the Asian nations examined than in North America, there is a clear trend of increasing PCa ASIRs in the four countries examined. Conclusion: Efforts to systematically collect cancer incidence data in Asian nations must be expanded. Current CI5 data indicate a rise in PCa ASIR in several populous Asian countries. If these rates continue to rise, it is uncertain whether there will be sufficient resources in place, in terms of trained personnel and infrastructure for medical treatment and continuum of care, to handle the increase in PCa patient volume. The recommendation by some experts to initiate PSA screening in Asian nations could compound a resource shortfall. Obtaining accurate estimates of PCa incidence in these countries is critically important for preparing for a potential shift in the public health burden posed by this disease. PMID:22529743

A 30-year bibliometric analysis of research coverage on HIV and AIDS in Lesotho.

PubMed

Mugomeri, Eltony; Bekele, Bisrat S; Mafaesa, Mamajoin; Maibvise, Charles; Tarirai, Clemence; Aiyuk, Sunny E

2017-03-21

Given the well documented undesired impacts of HIV/AIDS globally, there is a need to create a statistical inventory of research output on HIV/AIDS. This need is particularly important for a country such as Lesotho, whose HIV/AIDS prevalence is one of the highest globally. Research on HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa continues to trail behind that of other regions, especially those of the developed countries. Lesotho, a sub-Saharan country, is a developing country with lower research output in this area when longitudinally compared to other countries. This study reviewed the volume and scope of the general research output on HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and assessed the coverage of the national research agenda on HIV/AIDS, making recourse to statistical principles. A bibliometric review of studies on HIV/AIDS retrieved from the SCOPUS and PubMed databases, published within the 30-year period between 1985 and 2016, was conducted. The focus of each of the studies was analysed and the studies were cross-matched with the national research agenda in accordance with bibliometric methodologies. In total, 1280 studies comprising 1181 (92.3%) journal articles, 91 (7.1%) books and 8 (0.6%) conference proceedings were retrieved. By proportion, estimation of burden of infection (40.7%) had the highest research volume, while basic (5.5%) and preventive measures (24.4%) and national planning (29.4%) had the lowest. Out of the total studies retrieved, only 516 (40.3%) matched the national research agenda. Research on maternal and child health quality of care, viral load point-of-care devices, and infant point-of-care diagnosis had hardly any publications in the high priority research category of the agenda. Notwithstanding a considerable research output on HIV/AIDS for Lesotho, there is insufficient coverage of the national research agenda in this research area. The major research gaps on general research output are in basic and preventive measures as well as national planning. There is also a need to increase targeted funding for HIV/AIDS research to appropriately address the most compelling gaps and national needs.

Prioritizing essential surgery and safe anesthesia for the Post-2015 Development Agenda: operative capacities of 78 district hospitals in 7 low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

LeBrun, Drake G; Chackungal, Smita; Chao, Tiffany E; Knowlton, Lisa M; Linden, Allison F; Notrica, Michelle R; Solis, Carolina V; McQueen, K A Kelly

2014-03-01

Surgery has been neglected in low- and middle-income countries for decades. It is vital that the Post-2015 Development Agenda reflect that surgery is an important part of a comprehensive global health care delivery model. We compare the operative capacities of multiple low- and middle-income countries and identify critical gaps in surgical infrastructure. The Harvard Humanitarian Initiative survey tool was used to assess the operative capacities of 78 government district hospitals in Bangladesh (n = 7), Bolivia (n = 11), Ethiopia (n = 6), Liberia (n = 11), Nicaragua (n = 10), Rwanda (n = 21), and Uganda (n = 12) from 2011 to 2012. Key outcome measures included infrastructure, equipment availability, physician and nonphysician surgical providers, operative volume, and pharmaceutical capacity. Seventy of 78 district hospitals performed operations. There was fewer than one surgeon or anesthesiologist per 100,000 catchment population in all countries except Bolivia. There were no physician anesthesiologists in any surveyed hospitals in Rwanda, Liberia, Uganda, or in the majority of hospitals in Ethiopia. Mean annual operations per hospital ranged from 374 in Nicaragua to 3,215 in Bangladesh. Emergency operations and obstetric operations constituted 57.5% and 40% of all operations performed, respectively. Availability of pulse oximetry, essential medicines, and key infrastructure (water, electricity, oxygen) varied widely between and within countries. The need for operative procedures is not being met by the limited operative capacity in numerous low- and middle-income countries. It is of paramount importance that this gap be addressed by prioritizing essential surgery and safe anesthesia in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fluid Status in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: The European Body Composition Monitoring (EuroBCM) Study Cohort

PubMed Central

Van Biesen, Wim; Williams, John D.; Covic, Adrian C.; Fan, Stanley; Claes, Kathleen; Lichodziejewska-Niemierko, Monika; Verger, Christian; Steiger, Jurg; Schoder, Volker; Wabel, Peter; Gauly, Adelheid; Himmele, Rainer

2011-01-01

Background Euvolemia is an important adequacy parameter in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. However, accurate tools to evaluate volume status in clinical practice and data on volume status in PD patients as compared to healthy population, and the associated factors, have not been available so far. Methods We used a bio-impedance spectroscopy device, the Body Composition Monitor (BCM) to assess volume status in a cross-sectional cohort of prevalent PD patients in different European countries. The results were compared to an age and gender matched healthy population. Results Only 40% out of 639 patients from 28 centres in 6 countries were normovolemic. Severe fluid overload was present in 25.2%. There was a wide scatter in the relation between blood pressure and volume status. In a multivariate analysis in the subgroup of patients from countries with unrestricted availability of all PD modalities and fluid types, older age, male gender, lower serum albumin, lower BMI, diabetes, higher systolic blood pressure, and use of at least one exchange per day with the highest hypertonic glucose were associated with higher relative tissue hydration. Neither urinary output nor ultrafiltration, PD fluid type or PD modality were retained in the model (total R2 of the model = 0.57). Conclusions The EuroBCM study demonstrates some interesting issues regarding volume status in PD. As in HD patients, hypervolemia is a frequent condition in PD patients and blood pressure can be a misleading clinical tool to evaluate volume status. To monitor fluid balance, not only fluid output but also dietary input should be considered. Close monitoring of volume status, a correct dialysis prescription adapted to the needs of the patient and dietary measures seem to be warranted to avoid hypervolemia. PMID:21390320

Pacific Basin Communication Study, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, E. L.; Hurd, J. N.

1981-01-01

Users' meeting summary report, chronology of visits, economic data for forum countries, techniques used in the study, communication choices, existing resources in the Pacific Basin, and warc 79 region 3 rules and regulations were presented in volume 2.

European Scientific Notes. Volume 38. Number 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

posed a new set of ma; cause a simple pneumothorax, or may problems for developing countries. It result in arterial gas embolism with was felt that...basic knowledge-based mechan- ’ el Plan, ism to provide overall management of the fat -- rat execution of knowledge-based operations. 2. A parallel...from the liquid surface Fracture -toughness stress intensi- adjacent to the contact interface was ties derived for ZnS were shown to concluded to be

Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2013

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

69 bcm of gas per year; discussions have stalled over pricing differences. China’s Top Crude Suppliers 2011 Country Volume (1,000...Tiananmen Sanctions – prohibits the transfer or disclosure of U.S.-origin defense articles, defense services, technical data, and/or technology to...which U.S. policy denies the transfer or export of defense articles (including technical data) and defense services. Beijing primarily conducts

The Pacific Islands. Policy options for telecommunications investment.

PubMed

Jussawalla, M; Ogden, M R

1989-03-01

The Independent Commission for World-Wide Telecommunications Development (Maitland Commission) reported that telecommunication networks, including public telephone systems, are an infrastructure which aids economic development throughout the world. The Commissions objective is to bring the majority of the world's population within easy access of a telephone and, in time, other communications services. Development in the Pacific Islands region is slowed by a lack of efficient communications. The islands are spread over 29 million square kilometers of ocean and extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Pacific Island Nations (PINs) have problems of foreign exchange, skill shortages, and poor credit terms. Telecommunications infrastructure audits showed the overall regional teledensity of 3 telephones per 100 population. The individual countries vary form 8.3 in Fiji to 1.5 in Papua New Guinea and 25.2 in New Zealand. The population of the developing island countries is in mostly rural areas where there is a chronic shortage of telephones. The constraints on radio systems can be overcome with satellite technology. The new technologies are coming on the market faster than these countries can afford to handle them. By using satellite technology and sharing facilities PINs can greatly reduce the cost of telecommunications systems. Fiber optic cables will be used to carry large volumes of traffic over major routes while satellites can be used for a array of services for the smallest PIN nation to the largest route rim country. Work is being done to standardize the equipment specifications and to develop policies for the coordination of regional telecommunications training. To further facilitate communications development in this area, changes need to be made in international funding priorities for development, and recommendations by the Maitland Commission must be taken seriously.

The Education of Minority Groups. An Enquiry into Problems and Practices of Fifteen Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France). Centre for Educational Research and Innovation.

The essays in this volume seek to elucidate the policies and processes whereby groups of students in 15 (mainly industrialized) countries are designated as special, and differential treatment is legitimated, organized, and financed. Essays and authors are as follows: "An Overview of Experience in Fifteen Countries" (W. Donovan, A.…

The Handbook on the Placement of Foreign Graduate Students (Graduate Handbook, Part III).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association for Foreign Student Affairs, Washington, DC.

Information on schooling in 50 countries is provided in the third volume of a handbook on the placement of foreign graduate students. For each country, guidelines concerning placement in U.S. graduate programs are provided. In addition, country profiles cover: years of study included at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels; diplomas,…

The History of Soil Mapping and Classification in Europe: The role of the European Commission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montanarella, Luca

2014-05-01

Early systematic soil mapping in Europe dates back to the early times of soil science in the 19th Century and was developed at National scales mostly for taxation purposes. National soil classification systems emerged out of the various scientific communities active at that time in leading countries like Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, United Kingdom and many others. Different scientific communities were leading in the various countries, in some cases stemming from geological sciences, in others as a branch of agricultural sciences. Soil classification for the purpose of ranking soils for their capacity to be agriculturally productive emerged as the main priority, allowing in some countries for very detailed and accurate soil maps at 1:5,000 scale and larger. Detailed mapping was mainly driven by taxation purposes in the early times but evolved in several countries also as a planning and management tool for farms and local administrations. The need for pan-European soil mapping and classification efforts emerged only after World War II in the early 1950's under the auspices of FAO with the aim to compile a common European soil map as a contribution to the global soil mapping efforts of FAO at that time. These efforts evolved over the next decades, with the support of the European Commission, towards the establishment of a permanent network of National soil survey institutions (the European Soil Bureau Network). With the introduction of digital soil mapping technologies, the new European Soil Information System (EUSIS) was established, incorporating data at multiple scales for the EU member states and bordering countries. In more recent years, the formal establishment of the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) hosted by the European Commission, together with a formal legal framework for soil mapping and soil classification provided by the INSPIRE directive and the related standardization and harmonization efforts, has led to the operational development of advanced digital soil mapping techniques supporting the contribution of Europe to a common global soil information system under the coordination of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) of FAO. Further information: http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ References: Mark G Kibblewhite, Ladislav Miko, Luca Montanarella, Legal frameworks for soil protection: current development and technical information requirements, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 4, Issue 5, November 2012, Pages 573-577. Luca Montanarella, Ronald Vargas, Global governance of soil resources as a necessary condition for sustainable development, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Volume 4, Issue 5, November 2012, Pages 559-564.

Minerals Yearbook, volume II, Area Reports—Domestic

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Minerals Yearbook, volume I, Metals and Minerals

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Philippines Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2014-01-01

The Philippines is a net energy importer in spite of low consumption levels relative to its Southeast Asian neighbors. The country produces small volumes of oil, natural gas, and coal. Geothermal, hydropower, and other renewable sources constitute a significant share of electricity generation.

Natural gas projects in the developing world: An empirical evaluation of merits, obstacles, and risks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mor, Amit

Significant amounts of natural gas have been discovered in developing countries throughout the years during the course of oil exploration. The vast majority of these resources have not been utilized. Some developing countries may benefit from a carefully planned utilization of their indigenous resources, which can either be exported or used domestically to substitute imported or exportable fuels or feedstock. Governments, potential private sector investors, and financiers have been searching for strategies to promote natural gas schemes, some of which have been in the pipeline for more than two decades. The purpose of this thesis is to identify the crucial factors determining the success or failure of launching natural gas projects in the developing world. The methodology used to evaluate these questions included: (1) establishing a representative sample of natural gas projects in developing countries that were either implemented or failed to materialize during the 1980-1995 period, (2) utilizing a Probit limited dependent variable econometric model in which the explained variable is project success or failure, and (3) choosing representing indicators to reflect the assumed factors affecting project success. The study identified two conditions for project success: (1) the economic viability of the project and (2) securing financing for the investment. The factors that explain the ability or inability of the sponsors to secure financing were: (1) the volume of investment that represented the large capital costs of gas transportation, distribution, and storage, (2) the level of foreign exchange constraint in the host country, and (3) the level of development of the country. The conditions for private sector participation in natural gas projects in developing countries were identified in the study by a Probit model in which the explained variable was private sector participation. The results showed that a critical condition for private sector participation is the financial profitability of a project. Other factors that explained private sector participation and the ability of the private-sector sponsor to secure financing for a project were: (1) the political risk associated with the project, (2) the foreign exchange constraint associated with the project, and (3) whether the project was domestic or export-oriented.

The cost structure of routine infant immunization services: a systematic analysis of six countries

PubMed Central

Geng, Fangli; Suharlim, Christian; Brenzel, Logan; Resch, Stephen C; Menzies, Nicolas A

2017-01-01

Abstract Little information exists on the cost structure of routine infant immunization services in low- and middle-income settings. Using a unique dataset of routine infant immunization costs from six countries, we estimated how costs were distributed across budget categories and programmatic activities, and investigated how the cost structure of immunization sites varied by country and site characteristics. The EPIC study collected data on routine infant immunization costs from 319 sites in Benin, Ghana, Honduras, Moldova, Uganda, Zambia, using a standardized approach. For each country, we estimated the economic costs of infant immunization by administrative level, budget category, and programmatic activity from a programme perspective. We used regression models to describe how costs within each category were related to site operating characteristics and efficiency level. Site-level costs (incl. vaccines) represented 77–93% of national routine infant immunization costs. Labour and vaccine costs comprised 14–69% and 13–69% of site-level cost, respectively. The majority of site-level resources were devoted to service provision (facility-based or outreach), comprising 48–78% of site-level costs across the six countries. Based on the regression analyses, sites with the highest service volume had a greater proportion of costs devoted to vaccines, with vaccine costs per dose relatively unaffected by service volume but non-vaccine costs substantially lower with higher service volume. Across all countries, more efficient sites (compared with sites with similar characteristics) had a lower cost share devoted to labour. The cost structure of immunization services varied substantially between countries and across sites within each country, and was related to site characteristics. The substantial variation observed in this sample suggests differences in operating model for otherwise similar sites, and further understanding of these differences could reveal approaches to improve efficiency and performance of immunization sites. PMID:28575193

The cost structure of routine infant immunization services: a systematic analysis of six countries.

PubMed

Geng, Fangli; Suharlim, Christian; Brenzel, Logan; Resch, Stephen C; Menzies, Nicolas A

2017-10-01

Little information exists on the cost structure of routine infant immunization services in low- and middle-income settings. Using a unique dataset of routine infant immunization costs from six countries, we estimated how costs were distributed across budget categories and programmatic activities, and investigated how the cost structure of immunization sites varied by country and site characteristics. The EPIC study collected data on routine infant immunization costs from 319 sites in Benin, Ghana, Honduras, Moldova, Uganda, Zambia, using a standardized approach. For each country, we estimated the economic costs of infant immunization by administrative level, budget category, and programmatic activity from a programme perspective. We used regression models to describe how costs within each category were related to site operating characteristics and efficiency level. Site-level costs (incl. vaccines) represented 77-93% of national routine infant immunization costs. Labour and vaccine costs comprised 14-69% and 13-69% of site-level cost, respectively. The majority of site-level resources were devoted to service provision (facility-based or outreach), comprising 48-78% of site-level costs across the six countries. Based on the regression analyses, sites with the highest service volume had a greater proportion of costs devoted to vaccines, with vaccine costs per dose relatively unaffected by service volume but non-vaccine costs substantially lower with higher service volume. Across all countries, more efficient sites (compared with sites with similar characteristics) had a lower cost share devoted to labour. The cost structure of immunization services varied substantially between countries and across sites within each country, and was related to site characteristics. The substantial variation observed in this sample suggests differences in operating model for otherwise similar sites, and further understanding of these differences could reveal approaches to improve efficiency and performance of immunization sites. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Israel Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

Israel, once dependent on imports to supply its energy, now has a growing natural gas industry. Recent discoveries of offshore natural gas fields have the potential to provide adequate amounts of energy to meet domestic demand, while allowing the country to export excess volumes.

Information Technology and Development Series. Volume 2. Informatics and Industrial Development. Proceedings of the International Conference on Policies for Information Processing for Developing Countries Held at Dublin, Ireland on 9-13 March 1981,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

Pihilips lIiAO i:l ()(xxsclrn prtixics, tor full -tcsr storagec onr ultra high dkrisit\\ I cad-tirtl digit al optical tiascrl discs, wiul th. fxast rctricx...activity, and hence gain full employment in other sectors of the society. The whole issue of the employment effects of informatics will be taken up later in...mini- and micro-computers and of more or less intelligent peripherals. However, this is still doubtful unless a full compre- hension of the political

Parents and Federal Education Programs. Volume 4: Title VII. The Study of Parental Involvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadena-Munoz, Raquel; Keesling, J. Ward

This fourth volume in a seven-volume study is part of a larger study of parental involvement in four federal programs in selected school districts across the country. Presented here are results of an intensive examination of school district programs funded by Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Site studies of Title VII…

The Coast Artillery Journal. Volume 68, Number 4, April 1928

DTIC Science & Technology

1928-04-01

control the finances of that country and have secured an exlusive concession for its economic development. Two years ago an Italian bank made Albania...Thus, along with finances and economic matters, l\\1ussolini has Albanian politics under his thumb, and it requires no great feat of imagination to...besides, they are more dangerous than roads of wider types.-Industriul Neu:s Bureau. Federal Services Finance Corporation At a recent meeting of the Board

Implications for Arms Control in Technology Transfer to Less Developed Countries (LDC’s). Volume I. Considerations in Controlling Dual-Use Technology Products: An Overview

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

Mitsubishi Brazil - Mercedes - Benz FranceNetherlands - DAF France - Hispani-Suiza, Sweden - Volvo-Penta SOFAM, Peugeot West Germany - Motor-Turbinen...Mitsubishi Brazil - Mercedes - Benz Netherlands - DAF France - Hispani-Suiza, Sweden - Volvo-Penta SOFAM, Peugeot West Germany - Motor-Turbinen... marketing practices as later described in pages 4-11. This paper examines likely LDC reactions to a situation in which for whatever reason they are

The DISAM Journal of International Security Assistance Management. Volume 31, Number 1, March 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

listing of countries located in the regions defi ned for the purpose of this analysis , Asia, Near East, Latin America, and Africa is provided in the...2005. Russia has been a strong competitor for the lead in arms transfer agreements with developing nations, ranking second every year from 2000...Report RL30700, China’s Foreign Conventional Arms Acquisitions: Background and Analysis , by Shirley Kan, Christopher Bolkcom, and Ronald O’Rourke and

Global antibiotic consumption 2000 to 2010: an analysis of national pharmaceutical sales data.

PubMed

Van Boeckel, Thomas P; Gandra, Sumanth; Ashok, Ashvin; Caudron, Quentin; Grenfell, Bryan T; Levin, Simon A; Laxminarayan, Ramanan

2014-08-01

Antibiotic drug consumption is a major driver of antibiotic resistance. Variations in antibiotic resistance across countries are attributable, in part, to different volumes and patterns for antibiotic consumption. We aimed to assess variations in consumption to assist monitoring of the rise of resistance and development of rational-use policies and to provide a baseline for future assessment. With use of sales data for retail and hospital pharmacies from the IMS Health MIDAS database, we reviewed trends for consumption of standard units of antibiotics between 2000 and 2010 for 71 countries. We used compound annual growth rates to assess temporal differences in consumption for each country and Fourier series and regression methods to assess seasonal differences in consumption in 63 of the countries. Between 2000 and 2010, consumption of antibiotic drugs increased by 36% (from 54 083 964 813 standard units to 73 620 748 816 standard units). Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa accounted for 76% of this increase. In most countries, antibiotic consumption varied significantly with season. There was increased consumption of carbapenems (45%) and polymixins (13%), two last-resort classes of antibiotic drugs. The rise of antibiotic consumption and the increase in use of last-resort antibiotic drugs raises serious concerns for public health. Appropriate use of antibiotics in developing countries should be encouraged. However, to prevent a striking rise in resistance in low-income and middle-income countries with large populations and to preserve antibiotic efficacy worldwide, programmes that promote rational use through coordinated efforts by the international community should be a priority. US Department of Homeland Security, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US National Institutes of Health, Princeton Grand Challenges Program. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global cardiovascular research output, citations, and collaborations: a time-trend, bibliometric analysis (1999-2008).

PubMed

Huffman, Mark D; Baldridge, Abigail; Bloomfield, Gerald S; Colantonio, Lisandro D; Prabhakaran, Poornima; Ajay, Vamadevan S; Suh, Sarah; Lewison, Grant; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj

2013-01-01

Health research is one mechanism to improve population-level health and should generally match the health needs of populations. However, there have been limited data to assess the trends in national-level cardiovascular research output, even as cardiovascular disease [CVD] has become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We performed a time trends analysis of cardiovascular research publications (1999-2008) downloaded from Web of Knowledge using a iteratively-tested cardiovascular bibliometric filter with >90% precision and recall. We evaluated cardiovascular research publications, five-year running actual citation indices [ACIs], and degree of international collaboration measured through the ratio of the fractional count of addresses from one country against all addresses for each publication. Global cardiovascular publication volume increased from 40 661 publications in 1999 to 55 284 publications in 2008, which represents a 36% increase. The proportion of cardiovascular publications from high-income, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] countries declined from 93% to 84% of the total share over the study period. High-income, OECD countries generally had higher fractional counts, which suggest less international collaboration, than lower income countries from 1999-2008. There was an inverse relationship between cardiovascular publications and age-standardized CVD morbidity and mortality rates, but a direct, curvilinear relationship between cardiovascular publications and Human Development Index from 1999-2008. Cardiovascular health research output has increased substantially in the past decade, with a greater share of citations being published from low- and middle-income countries. However, low- and middle-income countries with the higher burdens of cardiovascular disease continue to have lower research output than high-income countries, and thus require targeted research investments to improve cardiovascular health.

A price and use comparison of generic versus originator cardiovascular medicines: a hospital study in Chongqing, China

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Developed countries use generic competition to contain pharmaceutical expenditure. China, as a developing and transitional country, has not yet deemed an increase in the use of generic products as important; otherwise, much effort has been made to decrease the drug prices. This paper aims to explore dynamically the price and use comparison of generic and originator drugs in China, and estimate the potential savings of patients from switching originator drugs to generics. Methods A typical hospital in Chongqing, China, was selected to examine the price and use comparisons of 12 cardiovascular drugs from 2006 to 2011. Results The market share of the 12 generic medicines studied in this paper was 34.37% for volume and 31.33% for value in the second half of 2011. The price ratio of generic to originator drugs was between 0.34 and 0.98, and the volume price index of originators to generics was 1.63. The potential savings of patients from switching originator drugs to generics is 65%. Conclusion The market share of the generics was lowering and the weighted mean price kept increasing in face of the strict price control. Under the background of hospitals both prescribing and dispensing medicines, China’s comprehensive healthcare policy makers should take measures from supply and demand sides to promote the consumption of generic medicines. PMID:24093493

Chronic Alcohol Consumption and its Effect on Nodes of Frontocerebellar and Limbic Circuitry: Comparison of Effects in France and the United States

PubMed Central

Le Berre, Anne-Pascale; Pitel, Anne-Lise; Chanraud, Sandra; Beaunieux, Hélène; Eustache, Francis; Martinot, Jean-Luc; Reynaud, Michel; Martelli, Catherine; Rohlfing, Torsten; Sullivan, Edith V.; Pfefferbaum, Adolf

2016-01-01

Alcohol Use Disorders present a significant public health problem in France and the United States (U.S.), but whether the untoward effect of alcohol on the brain results in similar damage in both countries remains unknown. Accordingly, we conducted a retrospective collaborative investigation between two French sites (Caen and Orsay) and a U.S. laboratory (SRI/Stanford University) with T1-weighted, structural MRI data collected on a common imaging platform (1.5T, General Electric) on 288 normal controls (NC), 165 uncomplicated alcoholics (ALC), and 26 patients with alcoholic Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) diagnosed at all sites with a common interview instrument. Data from the two countries were pooled, then preprocessed and analyzed together at the U.S. site using atlas-based parcellation. National differences indicated that thalamic volumes were smaller in ALC in France than the U.S. despite similar alcohol consumption levels in both countries. By contrast, volumes of the hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebellar vermis were smaller in KS in the U.S. than France. Estimated amount of alcohol consumed over a lifetime, duration of alcoholism, and length of sobriety were significant predictors of selective regional brain volumes in France and in the U.S. The common analysis of MRI data enabled identification of discrepancies in brain volume deficits in France and the U.S. that may reflect fundamental differences in the consequences of alcoholism on brain structure between the two countries, possibly related to genetic or environmental differences. PMID:24639416

Monitoring the impact of trade agreements on national food environments: trade imports and population nutrition risks in Fiji.

PubMed

Ravuvu, Amerita; Friel, Sharon; Thow, Anne-Marie; Snowdon, Wendy; Wate, Jillian

2017-06-13

Trade agreements are increasingly recognised as playing an influential role in shaping national food environments and the availability and nutritional quality of the food supply. Global monitoring of food environments and trade policies can strengthen the evidence base for the impact of trade policy on nutrition, and support improved policy coherence. Using the INFORMAS trade monitoring protocol, we reviewed available food supply data to understand associations between Fiji's commitments under WTO trade agreements and food import volume trends. First, a desk review was conducted to map and record in one place Fiji's commitments to relevant existing trade agreements that have implications for Fiji's national food environment under the domains of the INFORMAS trade monitoring protocol. An excel database was developed to document the agreements and their provisions. The second aspect of the research focused on data extraction. We began with identifying food import volumes into Fiji by country of origin, with a particular focus on a select number of 'healthy and unhealthy' foods. We also developed a detailed listing of transnational food corporations currently operating in Fiji. The study suggests that Fiji's WTO membership, in conjunction with associated economic and agricultural policy changes have contributed to increased availability of both healthy and less healthy imported foods. In systematically monitoring the import volume trends of these two categories of food, the study highlights an increase in healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain refined cereals. The study also shows that there has been an increase in less healthy foods including fats and oils; meat; processed dairy products; energy-dense beverages; and processed and packaged foods. By monitoring the trends of imported foods at country level from the perspective of trade agreements, we are able to develop appropriate and targeted interventions to improve diets and health. This would enable national health interventions to both identify areas of concern, and to ensure that interventions take into account the trade context.

The bioeconomy in Poland within the context of the European Union.

PubMed

Woźniak, Ewa; Twardowski, Tomasz

2018-01-25

This article outlines the potential of the development of bioeconomy in Poland in the context of the European Union (EU). The analyses take into account the concept of bioeconomy, the overview of documents referring to the bioeconomy in the EU, including policy frameworks and agendas. Many countries including Poland emphasise the importance of bioeconomy, but have not yet developed a complex strategy. The state of bioeconomy in Poland is characterised by the sectors of agriculture, forestry and food production, as well as parts of the chemical, biotechnology and energy industries. In 2014 the global production volume in the Polish bioeconomy amounted to PLN 343 billion with the sector employing almost 3 million staff. However, the structure of the bioeconomy is dominated by traditional sectors, such as agriculture and agro-food industries. This article presents the analysis of research and development activity in Poland from 2009 to 2015. It reports the position of Poland on GMOs and their future development potential. It is worth mentioning that many EU states including Poland have declared themselves as being "GMO-free countries". Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

National information network and database system of hazardous waste management in China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma Hongchang

1996-12-31

Industries in China generate large volumes of hazardous waste, which makes it essential for the nation to pay more attention to hazardous waste management. National laws and regulations, waste surveys, and manifest tracking and permission systems have been initiated. Some centralized hazardous waste disposal facilities are under construction. China`s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) has also obtained valuable information on hazardous waste management from developed countries. To effectively share this information with local environmental protection bureaus, NEPA developed a national information network and database system for hazardous waste management. This information network will have such functions as information collection, inquiry,more » and connection. The long-term objective is to establish and develop a national and local hazardous waste management information network. This network will significantly help decision makers and researchers because it will be easy to obtain information (e.g., experiences of developed countries in hazardous waste management) to enhance hazardous waste management in China. The information network consists of five parts: technology consulting, import-export management, regulation inquiry, waste survey, and literature inquiry.« less

Poland Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

Poland is the second largest coal producer in Europe, behind Germany. Poland produces small quantities of crude oil and natural gas and it is a net oil and natural gas importer. The country contains shale resources, but companies exploring for economically recoverable volumes have had disappointing results.

World Energy Data System (WENDS). Volume X. Nuclear facility profiles, PO--ZA. [Brief tabulated information

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-06-01

In this compendium each profile of a nuclear facility is a capsule summary of pertinent facts regarding that particular installation. The facilities described include the entire fuel cycle in the broadest sense, encompassing resource recovery through waste management. Power plants and all US facilities have been excluded. To facilitate comparison the profiles have been recorded in a standard format. Because of the breadth of the undertaking some data fields do not apply to the establishment under discussion and accordingly are blank. The set of nuclear facility profiles occupies four volumes; the profiles are ordered by country name, and then bymore » facility code. Each nuclear facility profile volume contains two complete indexes to the information. The first index aggregates the facilities alphabetically by country. It is further organized by category of facility, and then by the four-character facility code. It provides a quick summary of the nuclear energy capability or interest in each country and also an identifier, the facility code, which can be used to access the information contained in the profile.« less

Impacts of heavy groundwater pumping on hydrogeological conditions in Libya: Past and present development and future prognosis on a regional scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elgzeli, Yousef M.; Ondovčin, Tomáš; Hrkal, Zbyněk; Krásný, Jiří; Mls, Jiří

2013-06-01

Elgzeli, Y.M., Ondovčin, T., Hrkal, Z., Krasny, J. and Mls, J. 2011. Impacts of heavy groundwater pumping on hydrogeological conditions in Libya: Past and present development and future prognosis on a regional scale. Acta Geologica Polonica, 63 (2), 283-296. Warszawa. Libya, like many other regions with arid climates, suffers from inadequate water resources to cover all the needs of this rapidly developing country. Increasing amounts of water are needed to supply the population, as well as for agricultural irrigation and industrial use. As groundwater is the main water source in the country, it represents a natural resource of the highest economic and social importance. Conceptual and numerical models were implemented on a regional scale to show how the natural situation has changed following heavy groundwater abstraction during the last decades in the northwestern part of the country. The results of the numerical model indicated that the current zones of depression of the piezometric surface could have been caused by smaller withdrawn amounts than previously estimated. The differences in the assessed withdrawn groundwater volumes seem to be quite high and might have a considerable influence on the future possibilities of groundwater use in the study region.

Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Africa and the Middle East

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Asia and the Pacific

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geological Survey, U.S.

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Latin America and Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Europe and Central Eurasia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geological Survey, U.S.

2018-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. Content of the individual Minerals Yearbook volumes follows:Volume I, Metals and Minerals, contains chapters about virtually all metallic and industrial mineral commodities important to the U.S. economy. Chapters on survey methods, summary statistics for domestic nonfuel minerals, and trends in mining and quarrying in the metals and industrial mineral industries in the United States are also included.Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains a chapter on the mineral industry of each of the 50 States and Puerto Rico and the Administered Islands. This volume also has chapters on survey methods and summary statistics of domestic nonfuel minerals.Volume III, Area Reports: International, is published as four separate reports. These regional reports contain the latest available minerals data on more than 180 foreign countries and discuss the importance of minerals to the economies of these nations and the United States. Each report begins with an overview of the region’s mineral industries during the year. It continues with individual country chapters that examine the mining, refining, processing, and use of minerals in each country of the region and how each country’s mineral industry relates to U.S. industry. Most chapters include production tables and industry structure tables, information about Government policies and programs that affect the country’s mineral industry, and an outlook section.The USGS continually strives to improve the value of its publications to users. Constructive comments and suggestions by readers of the Minerals Yearbook are welcomed.

Commercial Plant Production and Consumption Still Follow the Latitudinal Gradient in Species Diversity despite Economic Globalization.

PubMed

Nelson, Erik J; Helmus, Matthew R; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Polasky, Stephen; Lasky, Jesse R; Zanne, Amy E; Pearse, William D; Kraft, Nathan J B; Miteva, Daniela A; Fagan, William F

2016-01-01

Increasing trade between countries and gains in income have given consumers around the world access to a richer and more diverse set of commercial plant products (i.e., foods and fibers produced by farmers). According to the economic theory of comparative advantage, countries open to trade will be able to consume more-in terms of volume and diversity-if they concentrate production on commodities that they can most cost-effectively produce, while importing goods that are expensive to produce, relative to other countries. Here, we perform a global analysis of traded commercial plant products and find little evidence that increasing globalization has incentivized agricultural specialization. Instead, a country's plant production and consumption patterns are still largely determined by local evolutionary legacies of plant diversification. Because tropical countries harbor a greater diversity of lineages across the tree of life than temperate countries, tropical countries produce and consume a greater diversity of plant products than do temperate countries. In contrast, the richer and more economically advanced temperate countries have the capacity to produce and consume more plant species than the generally poorer tropical countries, yet this collection of plant species is drawn from fewer branches on the tree of life. Why have countries not increasingly specialized in plant production despite the theoretical financial incentive to do so? Potential explanations include the persistence of domestic agricultural subsidies that distort production decisions, cultural preferences for diverse local food production, and that diverse food production protects rural households in developing countries from food price shocks. Less specialized production patterns will make crop systems more resilient to zonal climatic and social perturbations, but this may come at the expense of global crop production efficiency, an important step in making the transition to a hotter and more crowded world.

Limits of Predictability in Commuting Flows in the Absence of Data for Calibration

PubMed Central

Yang, Yingxiang; Herrera, Carlos; Eagle, Nathan; González, Marta C.

2014-01-01

The estimation of commuting flows at different spatial scales is a fundamental problem for different areas of study. Many current methods rely on parameters requiring calibration from empirical trip volumes. Their values are often not generalizable to cases without calibration data. To solve this problem we develop a statistical expression to calculate commuting trips with a quantitative functional form to estimate the model parameter when empirical trip data is not available. We calculate commuting trip volumes at scales from within a city to an entire country, introducing a scaling parameter α to the recently proposed parameter free radiation model. The model requires only widely available population and facility density distributions. The parameter can be interpreted as the influence of the region scale and the degree of heterogeneity in the facility distribution. We explore in detail the scaling limitations of this problem, namely under which conditions the proposed model can be applied without trip data for calibration. On the other hand, when empirical trip data is available, we show that the proposed model's estimation accuracy is as good as other existing models. We validated the model in different regions in the U.S., then successfully applied it in three different countries. PMID:25012599

Quality of basic maternal care functions in health facilities of five African countries: an analysis of national health system surveys.

PubMed

Kruk, Margaret E; Leslie, Hannah H; Verguet, Stéphane; Mbaruku, Godfrey M; Adanu, Richard M K; Langer, Ana

2016-11-01

Global efforts to increase births at health-care facilities might not reduce maternal or newborn mortality if quality of care is insufficient. However, little systematic evidence exists for the quality at health facilities caring for women and newborn babies in low-income countries. We analysed the quality of basic maternal care functions and its association with volume of deliveries and surgical capacity in health-care facilities in five sub-Saharan African countries. In this analysis, we combined nationally representative health system surveys (Service Provision Assessments by the Demographic and Health Survery Programme) with data for volume of deliveries and quality of delivery care from Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. We measured the quality of basic maternal care functions in delivery facilities using an index of 12 indicators of structure and processes of care, including infrastructure and use of evidence-based routine and emergency care interventions. We regressed the quality index on volume of births and confounders (public or privately managed, availability of antiretroviral therapy services, availability of skilled staffing, and country) stratified by facility type: primary (no caesarean capacity) or secondary (has caesarean capacity) care facilities. The Harvard University Human Research Protection Program approved this analysis as exempt from human subjects review. The national surveys were completed between April, 2006, and May, 2010. Our sample consisted of 1715 (93%) of 1842 health-care facilities that provided normal delivery service, after exclusion of facilities with missing (n=126) or invalid (n=1) data. 1511 (88%) study facilities (site of 276 965 [44%] of 622 864 facility births) did not have caesarean section capacity (primary care facilities). Quality of basic maternal care functions was substantially lower in primary (index score 0·38) than secondary care facilities (0·77). Low delivery volume was consistently associated with poor quality, with differences in quality between the lowest versus highest volume facilities of -0·22 (95% CI -0·26 to -0·19) in primary care facilities and -0·17 (-0·21 to -0·11) in secondary care facilities. More than 40% of facility deliveries in these five African countries occurred in primary care facilities, which scored poorly on basic measures of maternal care quality. Facilities with caesarean section capacity, particularly those with birth volumes higher than 500 per year, had higher scores for maternal care quality. Low-income and middle-income countries should systematically assess and improve the quality of delivery care in health facilities to accelerate reduction of maternal and newborn deaths. None. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Atlas international de la vitalite linguistique. Volume 3: L'Afrique Occidentale = International Atlas of Language Vitality. Volume 3: West Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Grant D., Ed.; Gendron, Jean-Denis, Ed.

The third volume in a series of atlases of language vitality covers 13 countries of West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) and 59 major languages. The atlas consists of four main parts. The first offers comparative data, in bar graph and tabular…

An Overview of Skill Standards Systems in Education & Industry. Systems in the U.S. and Abroad. Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute for Educational Leadership, Washington, DC.

This first volume in a four-volume study of industry- and education-driven skill standards in the United States and other countries describes current practice. Chapter I is the executive summary. Chapter II is an overview of historical and current issues that will affect a voluntary network of industry-based skill standards, competencies, and…

Study of the influencing factors of the blood levels of toxic elements in Africans from 16 countries.

PubMed

Henríquez-Hernández, Luis Alberto; Luzardo, Octavio P; Boada, Luis D; Carranza, Cristina; Pérez Arellano, José Luis; González-Antuña, Ana; Almeida-González, Maira; Barry-Rodríguez, Carlos; Zumbado, Manuel; Camacho, María

2017-11-01

Africa's economy is growing faster than any other continent and it has been estimated that the middle class in Africa now exceeds 350 million people. This has meant a parallel increase in the importation of consumer goods and in the implementation of communication and information technologies (ICT), but also in the generation of large quantities of e-waste. However, inadequate infrastructure development remains a major constraint to the continent's economic growth and these highly toxic residues are not always adequately managed. Few studies have been conducted to date assessing the possible association between socioeconomic development factors, including e-waste generation, and blood levels of inorganic elements in African population. To disclose the role of geographical, anthropogenic, and socioeconomic development determinants on the blood levels of Ag, Al, As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, and V -all of them frequently found in e-waste-, an immigrant population-based study was made including a total of 245 subjects from 16 countries recently arrived to the Canary Islands (Spain). Women presented higher levels of blood elements than men, and Northern Africans (Moroccans) were the most contaminated. People from low-income countries exhibited significantly lower blood levels of inorganic elements than those from middle-income countries. We found a significant association between the use of motor vehicles and the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the level of contamination. Immigrants from the countries with a high volume of imports of second-hand electronic equipment, telephone and internet use had higher levels of inorganic elements. In general terms, the higher level of economic development the higher the blood levels of inorganic pollutants, suggesting that the economic development of Africa, in parallel to e-waste generation and the existence of informal recycling sites, have directly affected the level of contamination of the population of the continent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

China’s Economic Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-07

investors in China (based on 2003 sales volumes) include Motorola ($5.8 billion in sales volume), General Motors ($2.2 billion), Dell Computer ($2.1 billion...data of many of its trading partners. a. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries are Indonesia, Malaysia , the Philippines

Understanding socio-economic impacts of geohazards aided by cyber-enabled systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klose, C. D.; Webersik, C.

2008-12-01

Due to an increase in the volume of geohazards worldwide, not only are impoverished regions in less developed countries such as Haiti, vulnerable to risk but also low income regions in industrialized countries, e.g. USA, as well. This has been exemplified once again by Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike and the impact on the Caribbean countries during the summer of 2008. To date, extensive research has been conducted to improve the monitoring of human-nature coupled systems. However, there is little emphasis on improving and developing methodologies to a) interpret multi-dimensional and complex data and b) validate prediction and modeling results. This presentation tries to motivate more research initiatives to address the aforementioned issues, bringing together two academic disciplines, earth and social sciences, to research the relationship between natural and socio-economic processes. Results are presented where cyber-enabled methods based on artificial intelligence are applied to different geohazards and regions in the world. They include 1) modeling of public health risks associated with volcanic gas hazards, 2) prediction and validation of potential areas of mining-triggered earthquakes, and 3) modeling of socio-economic risks associated with tropical storms in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Potential of resource recovery in UASB/trickling filter systems treating domestic sewage in developing countries.

PubMed

Bressani-Ribeiro, T; Brandt, E M F; Gutierrez, K G; Díaz, C A; Garcia, G B; Chernicharo, C A L

2017-04-01

This paper aims to present perspectives for energy (thermal and electric) and nutrient (N and S) recovery in domestic sewage treatment systems comprised of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors followed by sponge-bed trickling filters (SBTF) in developing countries. The resource recovery potential was characterized, taking into account 114 countries and a corresponding population of 968.9 million inhabitants living in the tropical world, which were grouped into three desired ranges in terms of cities' size. For each of these clusters, a technological arrangement flow-sheet was proposed, depending on their technical and economic viability from our best experience. Considering the population living in cities over 100, 000 inhabitants, the potential of energy and nutrient recovery via the sewage treatment scheme would be sufficient to generate electricity for approximately 3.2 million residents, as well as thermal energy for drying purposes that could result in a 24% volume reduction of sludge to be transported and disposed of in landfills. The results show that UASB/SBTF systems can play a very important role in the sanitation and environmental sector towards more sustainable sewage treatment plants.

PREFACE: International Conference on Applied Sciences (ICAS2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemle, Ludovic Dan; Jiang, Yiwen

2015-06-01

The International Conference on Applied Sciences (ICAS2014) took place in Hunedoara, Romania from 2-4 October 2014 at the Engineering Faculty of Hunedoara. The conference takes place alternately in Romania and in P.R. China and is organized by "Politehnica" University of Timisoara, Romania, and Military Economics Academy of Wuhan, P.R. China, with the aim to serve as a platform for exchange of information between various areas of applied sciences and to promote the communication between scientists of different nations, countries and continents. The topics of the conference covered a comprehensive spectrum of issues: 1. Economical Sciences 2. Engineering Sciences 3. Fundamental Sciences 4. Medical Sciences The conference gathered qualified researchers whose expertise can be used to develop new engineering knowledge that has the potential for application in economics, defense, medicine, etc. There were nearly 100 registered participants from six countries, and four invited and 56 oral talks were delivered during the two days of the conference. Based on the work presented at the conference, selected papers are included in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. These papers present new research in the various fields of Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Mathematical Engineering. It is our great pleasure to present this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering to the scientific community to promote further research in these areas. We sincerely hope that the papers published in this volume will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields.

Program Manager: The Journal of the Defense Systems Management College, Volume 15, Number 2, March-April 1986.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

benefits to the user, and economic benefits to the host country. Figure 2 shows the develop- ment of the NATO Infrastructure Pro- grams since 1951. FH...generalized benefits of stream- classified programs work with less dollar expenditures based solely on the lined specialized management include: than one-third...for contractors to demon- significant cost and schedule benefits on-site visits by the SPO are strate their management integrity, and new improvements

International photovoltaic program. Volume 2: Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Costello, D.; Koontz, R.; Posner, D.; Heiferling, P.; Carpenter, P.; Forman, S.; Perelman, L.

1979-01-01

The results of analyses conducted in preparation of an international photovoltaic marketing plan are summarized. Included are compilations of relevant statutes and existing Federal programs; strategies designed to expand the use of photovoltaics abroad; information on the domestic photovoltaic plan and its impact on the proposed international plan; perspectives on foreign competition; industry views on the international photovoltaic market and ideas about the how US government actions could affect this market;international financing issues; and information on issues affecting foreign policy and developing countries.

JPRS Report, Soviet Union, World Economy and International Relations, No. 1, January 1988.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-23

ous sectors of the economy. Such sections might just as happily have been accommodated in any book on the country’s economy or in an economico ...of the military sector of the economy. Admitting the need for highly developed productive forces in order to build up the military might the author...military business. The high level of monopolization characteristic of the Japanese economy’s military sector is combined with a comparatively low volume

Military Review. Volume 82, Number 4, July-August 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-08-01

institutional theory into practice in progressively more complex assignments (DA Pam 350-58, 3). 7. Self-development is the third step in the ALDM and is...part of effective leadership? Robert J. Sternberg describes another theory of love as the “Triangular Theory of Love.”10 According to his model, the ...love their soldiers, love the Army, and love this country. MR NOTES 1. C. Hendrick and S.S. Hendrick, “A Theory and Method of Love,” Journal of

Commercial Plant Production and Consumption Still Follow the Latitudinal Gradient in Species Diversity despite Economic Globalization

PubMed Central

Nelson, Erik J.; Helmus, Matthew R.; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Polasky, Stephen; Lasky, Jesse R.; Zanne, Amy E.; Pearse, William D.; Kraft, Nathan J. B.; Miteva, Daniela A.; Fagan, William F.

2016-01-01

Increasing trade between countries and gains in income have given consumers around the world access to a richer and more diverse set of commercial plant products (i.e., foods and fibers produced by farmers). According to the economic theory of comparative advantage, countries open to trade will be able to consume more–in terms of volume and diversity–if they concentrate production on commodities that they can most cost-effectively produce, while importing goods that are expensive to produce, relative to other countries. Here, we perform a global analysis of traded commercial plant products and find little evidence that increasing globalization has incentivized agricultural specialization. Instead, a country’s plant production and consumption patterns are still largely determined by local evolutionary legacies of plant diversification. Because tropical countries harbor a greater diversity of lineages across the tree of life than temperate countries, tropical countries produce and consume a greater diversity of plant products than do temperate countries. In contrast, the richer and more economically advanced temperate countries have the capacity to produce and consume more plant species than the generally poorer tropical countries, yet this collection of plant species is drawn from fewer branches on the tree of life. Why have countries not increasingly specialized in plant production despite the theoretical financial incentive to do so? Potential explanations include the persistence of domestic agricultural subsidies that distort production decisions, cultural preferences for diverse local food production, and that diverse food production protects rural households in developing countries from food price shocks. Less specialized production patterns will make crop systems more resilient to zonal climatic and social perturbations, but this may come at the expense of global crop production efficiency, an important step in making the transition to a hotter and more crowded world. PMID:27706180

International Study of Marketing Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liander, Bertil, Ed.

The International Marketing Federation (IMF), supported by the Marketing Science Institute, has surveyed IMF member countries and a representative scattering of others to determine the current state and future trends in marketing education. This volume presents the findings of the survey of 21 countries--Argentina, Australia, Canada, Denmark,…

Chronic Hemodialysis Therapy in the West.

PubMed

Rocco, Michael V

2015-12-01

Chronic hemodialysis (HD) in the 1960s encompassed a wide variety of prescriptions from twice weekly to five times per week HD. Over time, HD prescriptions in the West became standardized at three times per week, 2.5-4 h per session, with occasional additional treatments for volume overload. When clinical trials of dialysis dose failed to show significant benefit of extending time compared with the traditional dialysis prescription, interest in more frequent HD was renewed. Consequently, there has been growth in home HD therapies as well as alternative dialysis prescriptions. Data from recent randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits and risks of these more frequent therapies, with surprising differences in outcomes between short daily HD and long nocturnal HD. More frequent therapies improve control of both hypertension and hyperphosphatemia, but at the expense of increased vascular access complications and, at least for nocturnal HD, a faster loss of residual renal function. In the West, the standard HD prescription is three treatments per week with a minimal time of 3.0 h and dialysis is performed in an outpatient dialysis center. A minority of patients will have a fourth treatment per week for volume issues. Alternative HD prescriptions, although rare, are more available compared to the recent past. (1) While developed Western and Asian countries provide end-stage renal disease patients full access to HD, healthcare systems from South and South-East Asia can offer access to HD only to a limited fraction of the patients in need. Even though the annual costs of HD are much lower in less developed countries (for instance 30 times lower in India compared to the US), patients often cannot afford costs not covered by health insurance. (2) The recommended dialysis pattern in the West is at least three sessions weekly with high-flux dialyzers. Studies from Shanghai and Taiwan might however indicate a benefit of twice versus thrice weekly sessions. In less developed Asian countries, a twice weekly pattern is common, sometimes with dialyzer reuse and inadequate water treatment. A majority of patients decrease session frequency or discontinue the program due to financial constraint. (3) As convective therapies are gaining popularity in Europe, penetration in Asia is low and limited by costs. (4) In Asian countries, in particular in the South and South-East, hepatitis and tuberculosis infections in HD patients are higher than in the West and substantially increase mortality. (5) Progress has recently been made in countries like Thailand and Brunei to provide universal HD access to all patients in need. Nevertheless, well-trained personnel, reliable registries and better patient follow-up would improve outcomes in low-income Asian countries.

76 FR 4862 - Notice of Intent To Reinstate a Previously Approved Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-27

... countries. Marketing of the increasing volume of distillers by-products to more livestock producers would... quantities of distillers grains, product qualities, volume of sales, pricing, storage facilities, marketing channels, plant services, transportation requirements, species fed, and feed ratios. In its summary report...

A simple cost-effective manometric respirometer: design and application in wastewater biomonitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Mohammad Shahidur; Islam, M. Akhtarul

2015-09-01

Application of respirometric tools in wastewater engineering fields is still not getting familiarity and acceptance by academy or industry in developing countries as compared to the use of conventional biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) approach. To justify the applicability of respirometry, a low-cost respirometric device suitable for monitoring biodegradation process in wastewater has been developed. This device contains six independently operating reactors placed in a temperature control unit for the bioassay of five wastewater samples simultaneously (along with one blank). Each reactor is equipped with a magnetic stirrer for the continuous agitation of the test sample. Six manometers, linked with the individual reactors, measure the pressure and volume changes in the headspace gas phase of the reactor. Working formulae have been derived to convert the `volume-change in gas phase' data to `the oxygen depletion in the whole liquid-gas system' data. The performance of the device has been tested with glucose-glutamic acid standard solution and found satisfactory. Conventional BOD test and the respirometric measurements were performed simultaneously and it is found that in addition to measuring the BOD of the sample, this device gives oxygen uptake profile for further analysis to determine the biokinetic coefficients. Additionally, in some cases, following a specific test protocol, the respirometer can indirectly estimate the carbon dioxide evolved during biodegradation process for calculating respiratory activity parameter such as respiratory quotient. It is concluded that the device can be used in the laboratories associated with the activated sludge plants and also for teaching and research purposes in developing countries.

Current use of ultrasound for central vascular access in children and infants in the Nordic countries--a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Olsen, Thomas C Risom; Rimstad, Ivan Jonassen; Tarpgaard, Mona; Holmberg, Svante; Hallas, Peter

2015-01-01

The use of ultrasound (US) guidance for central vascular access in children has been advocated as a safer approach compared to traditional landmark techniques. We therefore collected data on the current use of US for central vascular access in children and infants in the Nordic countries. A cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire was distributed to one anaesthesiologist at every hospital in the Nordic countries; a total of 177 anaesthesiologists were contacted from July till August 2012. The use of US for placing central venous catheters (CVCs) seems widespread across the Nordic countries. Close to 80% of respondents were using it "almost always" or "frequently" across all paediatric age groups for internal jugular vein cannulation. US was least frequently used when catheterizing the subclavian vein. The two most common reasons given when not using US were lack of training followed by lack of equipment. We found no difference in the use of US between high-volume centres and low-volume centres. (High-volume centres placed paediatric CVCs at least weekly.). US was commonly used for cannulation of the internal jugular vein but infrequently for the subclavian vein. A lack of training seems to be a barrier for further increasing the use of US. Establishing standardized training programmes based on current evidence should alleviate this.

State policies and internal migration in Asia.

PubMed

Oberai, A S

1981-01-01

The objective of this discussion is to identify policies and programs in Asia that are explicitly or implicitly designed to influence migration, to investigate why they were adopted and how far they have actually been implemented, and to assess their direct and indirect consequences. For study purposes, policies and programs are classified according to whether they prohibit or reverse migration, redirect or channel migration to specific rural or urban locations, reduce the total volume of migration, or encourage or discourage urban in-migration. Discussion of each type of policy is accompanied by a description of its rationale and implementation mechanism, examples of countries in Asia that have recourse to it, and its intended or actual effect on migration. Several countries in Asia have taken direct measures to reverse the flow of migration and to stop or discourage migration to urban areas. These measures have included administrative and legal controls, police registration, and direct "rustication" programs to remove urban inhabitants to the countryside. The availability of public land has prompted many Asian countries to adopt schemes that have been labeled resettlement, transmigration, colonization, or land development. These schemes have been designed to realize 1 or more of the following objectives: to provide land and income to the landless; increase agricultural production; correct spatial imbalances in the distribution of population; or exploit frontier lands for reasons of national security. 1 of the basic goals of decentralized industrialization and regional development policies has been the reduction of interregional disparities and the redirection of migrations from large metropolitan areas to smaller and medium sized towns. To encourage industry to move to small urban locations initial infrastructure investments, tax benefits, and other incentives have been offered. Policies to reduce the overall volume of migration have frequently included rural development programs, the primary purpose of which is to retain potential migrants in the rural areas, and preferential policies for natives with a view toward discouraging interregional migration. The explicit goal of rural development strategies is often to slow rural-urban migration. Slowly the attitude towards migrant squatters and slum dwellers is changing from punitive to more tolerant. Several measures have been taken to accommodate migrants in urban areas and to promote their welfare.

IS THERE CONVERGENCE ACROSS COUNTRIES? A SPATIAL APPROACH

PubMed Central

Berry, Heather; Guillen, Mauro F.; Hendi, Arun S.

2014-01-01

We analyze convergence across countries over the last half century as a result of globalizing forces. Drawing on theories of modernization, dependency, the world-system, political trade blocs, and the world-society, we consider economic, demographic, knowledge, financial, and political dimensions of convergence. Using a new methodology, we calculate the minimum volume ellipsoid encompassing different groupings of countries, finding that during the 1960–2009 period, countries have not evolved significantly closer or similar to one another, although groups of countries based on their core-periphery status or membership in trade blocs exhibit increasing internal convergence and divergence between one another. PMID:25580035

The Cuban “Exception”: The Development of an Advanced Scientific System in an Underdeveloped Country

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baracca, Angelo

Science, education, politics, social development and economics are today considered to be highly interdependent. Although none of these factors can exist on their own, they have nevertheless often been considered in isolation from one other, or studies of their interactions have been confined to the consideration of more or less local contexts. When it comes to studying the history of physics in Cuba, however, it is not only inconceivable to separate scientific developments from their social, political, and cultural contexts. But, as this volume shows, the history of physics in Cuba cannot just focus on local contexts since it is closely entangled with global history, from colonialism to the Cold War.

Surgical training programs in Pakistan.

PubMed

Talati, Jamsheer J; Syed, Nadir Ali

2008-10-01

This paper traces the history and describes the status of surgical training in Pakistan. A key revelation is that excellent surgeons are produced through systems which on formal review might appear to lack standards. Personal characteristics of residents modify outcomes in high volume surgical training units; and consequent variation in quality of outputs is noted. Attention needs to be given to (i) develop new educational systems which are not prolonged costly and cumbersome, and which produce the adequate number, types and spread of highly skilled and cognitively developed empathic surgeons for the country; (ii) the improvement of the health systems which currently impede the development of surgeons and (iii) novel ways of tackling rural urban disparities in health delivery.

Growth and Site Relationships of Pinus caribaea Across the Caribbean Basin

Treesearch

Leon H. Liegel; [Compiler

1991-01-01

Summarizes results of growth, volume, basal area, and stand conditions for Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis in five countries. Past pine management practices are reviewed for all countries. Implications of new forestry and soils research are discussed in terms of their impact on future local reforestation and afforestation...

Educational Strategies among Muslims in the Context of Globalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daun, Holger, Ed.; Walford, Geoffrey, Ed.

2004-01-01

This volume deals with Islamic conceptualization of knowledge, various types of Islamic education; and educational strategies among selected groups of Muslims in Islamized countries (Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, Senegal, and so on) as well as countries in Europe where Muslims form important minorities. The first chapter gives an overview of Islamic…

Satisfaction des exigences minimales du marché du travail par le système éducatif: Evaluation dans un contexte de faible système d'information sur la formation et l'emploi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieume, Calice Olivier

2016-12-01

Satisfying the minimum requirements of the labour market through the education system: Assessment in a context of weak training and employment data - The number of young people entering the labour market in Africa will increase considerably over the next two decades. With nearly 200 million young people aged 15-24, Africa has the youngest population in the world; this volume will double by 2045. As the question of the professional integration of young people in Africa is set to become even more pressing over the next two decades, it is imperative that African countries prepare for this time bomb. The education system, while not the only deciding factor, bears a responsibility in the difficult professional integration of young people. To fully play its role, it must be organised according to the country's development needs and the demands of the labour market. Establishing a proven process of assessing, analysing and anticipating economic demand is an essential first step. Yet the majority of African countries have still not implemented such a system. Meanwhile, the education system must take steps to satisfy the minimum short-term requirements of the labour market. This article, which seeks to highlight these requirements, presents a method that enables countries to assess the minimum requirements of the labour market at specific periods and, in return, to assess the degree to which the education system satisfies these requirements. The method is developed especially for countries with weak systems of collecting data on education, training and employment, as is the case in most sub-Saharan countries.

The 2012 dengue outbreak in Madeira: exploring the origins.

PubMed

Wilder-Smith, A; Quam, M; Sessions, O; Rocklov, J; Liu-Helmersson, J; Franco, L; Khan, K

2014-02-27

In 2012, Madeira reported its first major outbreak of dengue. To identify the origin of the imported dengue virus, we investigated the interconnectivity via air travel between dengue-endemic countries and Madeira, and compared available sequences against GenBank. There were 22,948 air travellers to Madeira in 2012, originating from twenty-nine dengue-endemic countries; 89.6% of these international travellers originated from Venezuela and Brazil. We developed an importation index that takes into account both travel volume and the extent of dengue incidence in the country of origin. Venezuela and Brazil had by far the highest importation indices compared with all other dengue-endemic countries. The importation index for Venezuela was twice as high as that for Brazil. When taking into account seasonality in the months preceding the onset of the Madeira outbreak, this index was even seven times higher for Venezuela than for Brazil during this time. Dengue sequencing shows that the virus responsible for the Madeira outbreak was most closely related to viruses circulating in Venezuela, Brazil and Columbia. Applying the importation index, Venezuela was identified as the most likely origin of importation of dengue virus via travellers to Madeira. We propose that the importation index is a new additional tool that can help to identify and anticipate the most probable country of origin for importation of dengue into currently non-endemic countries.

Annual Review of Psychology: Volume 23, 1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mussen, Paul H., Ed.; Rosenzweig, Mark R., Ed.

Nineteen papers reviewed the major works published during the most recent four years in the field of psychology. Most of the publications reviewed were American, but due to the stated concern with international coverage, the volume began a series of chapters on psychological research in other countries. Topics reviewed were developmental…

DoD Postal Manual. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

and handling of registered mail is contained in Section 911, Dii (reference (i)), and in Chapter 8. (See Volume II, Chapter 4, Para- graph 406 for...determined by the retail value in the country of acquisition. Duty free mailings to the CTUS are subject to the following conditions: a. Perfume

Volcanic debris flows in developing countries - The extreme need for public education and awareness of debris-flow hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Major, J.J.; Schilling, S.P.; Pullinger, C.R.; ,

2003-01-01

In many developing countries, volcanic debris flows pose a significant societal risk owing to the distribution of dense populations that commonly live on or near a volcano. At many volcanoes, modest volume (up to 500,000 m 3) debris flows are relatively common (multiple times per century) and typically flow at least 5 km along established drainages. Owing to typical debris-flow velocities there is little time for authorities to provide effective warning of the occurrence of a debris flow to populations within 10 km of a source area. Therefore, people living, working, or recreating along channels that drain volcanoes must learn to recognize potentially hazardous conditions, be aware of the extent of debris-flow hazard zones, and be prepared to evacuate to safer ground when hazardous conditions develop rather than await official warnings or intervention. Debris-flow-modeling and hazard-assessment studies must be augmented with public education programs that emphasize recognizing conditions favorable for triggering landslides and debris flows if effective hazard mitigation is to succeed. ?? 2003 Millpress,.

Measuring and monitoring biological diversity: Standard methods for mammals

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Don E.; Cole, F. Russell; Nichols, James D.; Rudran, Rasanayagam; Foster, Mercedes S.

1996-01-01

Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Mammals provides a comprehensive manual for designing and implementing inventories of mammalian biodiversity anywhere in the world and for any group, from rodents to open-country grazers. The book emphasizes formal estimation approaches, which supply data that can be compared across habitats and over time. Beginning with brief natural histories of the twenty-six orders of living mammals, the book details the field techniques—observation, capture, and sign interpretation—appropriate to different species. The contributors provide guidelines for study design, discuss survey planning, describe statistical techniques, and outline methods of translating field data into electronic formats. Extensive appendixes address such issues as the ethical treatment of animals in research, human health concerns, preserving voucher specimens, and assessing age, sex, and reproductive condition in mammals.Useful in both developed and developing countries, this volume and the Biological Diversity Handbook Series as a whole establish essential standards for a key aspect of conservation biology and resource management.

Two-phase anaerobic digestion of partially acidified sewage sludge: a pilot plant study for safe sludge disposal in developing countries.

PubMed

Passio, Luca; Rizzoa, Luigi; Fuchs, Stephan

2012-09-01

The unsafe disposal of wastewater and sludge in different areas of developing countries results in significant environmental pollution, particularly for groundwater, thus increasing the risk of waterborne diseases spreading. In this work, a two-phase anaerobic digestion process for post-treatment of partially acidified sewage sludge was investigated to evaluate its feasibility as a safe sludge disposal system. Pilot tests showed that an effective sludge stabilization can be achieved (total volatile solids content <65%, organic acid concentration <200 mg/L at flow rate = 50 L/d and hydraulic residence time = 18 d) as well as a relative low faecal coliform density (<1000 most probable number per g total solids), showing that land application of the sludge without restrictions is possible according to US Environmental Protection Agency criteria for safe sludge disposal. A biogas production as high as 390 L/d with a 60% methane content by volume was achieved, showing that energy production from biogas may be achieved as well.

Associations of farm management practices with annual milk sales on smallholder dairy farms in Kenya.

PubMed

Richards, Shauna; VanLeeuwen, John; Shepelo, Getrude; Gitau, George Karuoya; Kamunde, Collins; Uehlinger, Fabienne; Wichtel, Jeff

2015-01-01

Cows on smallholder dairy farms (SDF) in developing countries such as Kenya typically produce volumes of milk that are well below their genetic potential. An epidemiological study was conducted to determine reasons for this low milk production, including limited use of best management practices, such as suboptimal nutritional management. An observational cross-sectional study of 111 SDF was performed in Nyeri County, Kenya in June of 2013 determining the effect of cow factors, farmer demographics and farm management practices on the volume of milk sold per cow per year (kg milk sold/cow). In particular, the effect of feeding high protein fodder trees and other nutritional management practices were examined. Approximatly 38% of farmers fed fodder trees, but such feeding was not associated with volume of milk sold per cow, likely due to the low number of fodder trees per farm. Volume of milk sold per cow was positively associated with feeding dairy meal during the month prior to calving, feeding purchased hay during the past year, deworming cows every 4 or more months (as opposed to more regularly), and having dairy farming as the main source of family income. Volume of milk sold per cow was negatively associated with a household size of >5 people and feeding Napier grass at >2 meters in height during the dry season. An interaction between gender of the principal farmer and feed shortages was noted; volume of milk sold per cow was lower when female farmers experienced feed shortages whereas milk sold per cow was unaffected when male farmers experienced feed shortages. These demographic and management risk factors should be considered by smallholder dairy farmers and their advisors when developing strategies to improve income from milk sales and animal-source food availability for the farming families.

World without end: Economics, environment, and sustainable development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pearce, D.W.; Warford, J.J.

1993-01-01

The volume is the outcome of several years of research, fieldwork, and policy advice concerned with the rapidly growing subject of environmental economics in developing countries. The authors make no claim to originality of research and have borrowed freely from the existing literature. In at least two respects, however, the volume is unique. First, it uses a great deal of material, such as background papers and research conducted for the World Bank, that is not readily available to the wider public. Some of the chapters overlap. This is deliberate and, in fact, unavoidable. Since many readers may only want tomore » read about a specific subject, such as population, poverty, market-based incentives, or tropical forests, the authors have attempted to make each chapter self-contained. The authors experimented with several sequences for the chapters and found that, regardless of the overall structure, the authors frequently had to share information among chapters to make each story coherent.« less

Western oil shale development: a technology assessment. Volume 8. Health effects of oil shale development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rotariu, G.J.

1982-02-01

Information on the potential health effects of a developing oil shale industry can be derived from two major sources: (1) the historical experience in foreign countries that have had major industries; and (2) the health effects research that has been conducted in the US in recent years. The information presented here is divided into two major sections: one dealing with the experience in foreign countries and the second dealing with the more recent work associated with current oil shale development in the US. As a result of the study, several observations can be made: (1) most of the current andmore » historical data from foreign countries relate to occupational hazards rather than to impacts on regional populations; (2) neither the historical evidence from other countries nor the results of current research have shown pulmonary neoplasia to be a major concern, however, certain types of exposure, particularly such mixed source exposures as dust/diesel or dust/organic-vapor have not been adequately studied and the lung cancer question is not closed; (3) the industry should be alert to the incidence of skin disease in the industrial setting, however, automated techniques, modern industrial hygiene practices and realistic personal hygiene should greatly reduce the hazards associated with skin contact; and (4) the entire question of regional water contamination and any resultant health hazard has not been adequately addressed. The industrial practice of hydrotreating the crude shale oil will diminish the carcinogenic hazard of the product, however, the quantitative reduction of biological activity is dependent on the degree of hydrotreatment. Both Soviet and American experimentalists have demonstrated a correlation betweed carcinogenicity/toxicity and retorting temperature; the higher temperatures producing the more carcinogenic or toxic products.« less

Quality issues with malaria rapid diagnostic test accessories and buffer packaging: findings from a 5-country private sector project in Africa.

PubMed

Harvey, Steven A; Incardona, Sandra; Martin, Nina; Lussiana, Cristina; Streat, Elizabeth; Dolan, Stephanie; Champouillon, Nora; Kyabayinze, Daniel J; Mugerwa, Robert; Nakanwagi, Grace; Njoki, Nancy; Rova, Ratsimandisa; Cunningham, Jane

2017-04-20

Use of antigen-detecting malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has increased exponentially over the last decade. WHO's Global Malaria Programme, FIND, and other collaborators have established a quality assurance scheme to guide product selection, lot verification, transport, storage, and training procedures. Recent concerns over the quality of buffer packaging and test accessories suggest a need to include these items in product assessments. This paper describes quality problems with buffer and accessories encountered in a project promoting private sector RDT use in five African countries and suggests steps to avoid or more rapidly identify and resolve such problems. Private provider complaints about RDT buffer vials and kit accessories were collected during supervisory visits, and a standard assessment process was developed. Using 100 tests drawn from six different lots produced by two manufacturers, lab technicians visually assessed alcohol swab packaging, blood transfer device (BTD) usability, and buffer appearance, then calculated mean blood volume from 10 BTD transfers and mean buffer volume from 10 individual buffer vials. WHO guided complaint reporting and follow-up with manufacturers. Supervisory visits confirmed user reports of dry alcohol swabs, poorly functioning BTDs, and non-uniform volumes of buffer. Lot testing revealed further evidence of quality problems, leading one manufacturer to replace buffer vials and accessories for 40,000 RDTs. In December 2014, WHO issued an Information Notice for Users regarding variable buffer volumes in single-use vials and recommended against procurement of these products until defects were addressed. Though not necessarily comprehensive or generalizable, the findings presented here highlight the need for extending quality assessment to all malaria RDT test kit contents. Defects such as those described in this paper could reduce test accuracy and increase probability of invalid, false positive, or false negative results. Such deficiencies could undermine provider confidence in RDTs, prompting a return to presumptive treatment or reliance on poor quality microscopy. In partial response to this experience, WHO, FIND, and other project partners have developed guidance on documenting, troubleshooting, reporting, and resolving such problems when they occur.

Implementation of the semi-aerobic landfill system (Fukuoka method) in developing countries: a Malaysia cost analysis.

PubMed

Chong, Theng Lee; Matsufuji, Yasushi; Hassan, Mohd Nasir

2005-01-01

Most of the existing solid waste landfill sites in developing countries are practicing either open dumping or controlled dumping. Proper sanitary landfill concepts are not fully implemented due to technological and financial constraints. Implementation of a fully engineered sanitary landfill is necessary and a more economically feasible landfill design is crucial, particularly for developing countries. This study was carried out by focusing on the economics from the development of a new landfill site within a natural clay area with no cost of synthetic liner up to 10 years after its closure by using the Fukuoka method semi-aerobic landfill system. The findings of the study show that for the development of a 15-ha landfill site in Malaysia with an estimated volume of 2,000,000 m(3), the capital investment required was about US 1,312,895 dollars, or about US 0.84 dollars/tonne of waste. Assuming that the lifespan of the landfill is 20 years, the total cost of operation was about US 11,132,536 dollars or US 7.15 dollars/tonne of waste. The closure cost of the landfill was estimated to be US 1,385,526 dollars or US 0.89 dollars/tonne of waste. Therefore, the total cost required to dispose of a tonne of waste at the semi-aerobic landfill was estimated to be US 8.89 dollars. By considering an average tipping fee of about US 7.89 dollars/tonne of waste in Malaysia in the first year, and an annual increase of 3% to about US 13.84 dollars in year-20, the overall system recorded a positive revenue of US 1,734,749 dollars. This is important information for the effort of privatisation of landfill sites in Malaysia, as well as in other developing countries, in order to secure efficient and effective landfill development and management.

Design of a sustainable prepolarizing magnetic resonance imaging system for infant hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Obungoloch, Johnes; Harper, Joshua R; Consevage, Steven; Savukov, Igor M; Neuberger, Thomas; Tadigadapa, Srinivas; Schiff, Steven J

2018-04-11

The need for affordable and appropriate medical technologies for developing countries continues to rise as challenges such as inadequate energy supply, limited technical expertise, and poor infrastructure persist. Low-field magnetic resonance imaging (LF MRI) is a technology that can be tailored to meet specific imaging needs within such countries. Its low power requirements and the possibility of operating in minimally shielded or unshielded environments make it especially attractive. Although the technology has been widely demonstrated over several decades, it is yet to be shown that it can be diagnostic and improve patient outcomes in clinical applications. We here demonstrate the robustness of prepolarizing MRI (PMRI) technology for assembly and deployment in developing countries for the specific application to infant hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus treatment planning and management requires only modest spatial resolution, such that the brain can be distinguished from fluid-tissue contrast detail within the brain parenchyma is not essential. We constructed an internally shielded PMRI system based on the Lee-Whiting coil system with a 22-cm diameter of spherical volume. In an unshielded room, projection phantom images were acquired at 113 kHz with in-plane resolution of 3 mm × 3 mm, by introducing gradient fields of sufficient magnitude to dominate the 5000 ppm inhomogeneity of the readout field. The low cost, straightforward assembly, deployment potential, and maintenance requirements demonstrate the suitability of our PMRI system for developing countries. Further improvement in image spatial resolution and contrast of LF MRI will broaden its potential clinical utility beyond hydrocephalus.

Stormwater runoff pollutant loading distributions and their correlation with rainfall and catchment characteristics in a rapidly industrialized city.

PubMed

Li, Dongya; Wan, Jinquan; Ma, Yongwen; Wang, Yan; Huang, Mingzhi; Chen, Yangmei

2015-01-01

Fast urbanization and industrialization in developing countries result in significant stormwater runoff pollution, due to drastic changes in land-use, from rural to urban. A three-year study on the stormwater runoff pollutant loading distributions of industrial, parking lot and mixed commercial and residential catchments was conducted in the Tongsha reservoir watershed of Dongguan city, a typical, rapidly industrialized urban area in China. This study presents the changes in concentration during rainfall events, event mean concentrations (EMCs) and event pollution loads per unit area (EPLs). The first flush criterion, namely the mass first flush ratio (MFFn), was used to identify the first flush effects. The impacts of rainfall and catchment characterization on EMCs and pollutant loads percentage transported by the first 40% of runoff volume (FF40) were evaluated. The results indicated that the pollutant wash-off process of runoff during the rainfall events has significant temporal and spatial variations. The mean rainfall intensity (I), the impervious rate (IMR) and max 5-min intensity (Imax5) are the critical parameters of EMCs, while Imax5, antecedent dry days (ADD) and rainfall depth (RD) are the critical parameters of FF40. Intercepting the first 40% of runoff volume can remove 55% of TSS load, 53% of COD load, 58% of TN load, and 61% of TP load, respectively, according to all the storm events. These results may be helpful in mitigating stormwater runoff pollution for many other urban areas in developing countries.

Stormwater Runoff Pollutant Loading Distributions and Their Correlation with Rainfall and Catchment Characteristics in a Rapidly Industrialized City

PubMed Central

Li, Dongya; Wan, Jinquan; Ma, Yongwen; Wang, Yan; Huang, Mingzhi; Chen, Yangmei

2015-01-01

Fast urbanization and industrialization in developing countries result in significant stormwater runoff pollution, due to drastic changes in land-use, from rural to urban. A three-year study on the stormwater runoff pollutant loading distributions of industrial, parking lot and mixed commercial and residential catchments was conducted in the Tongsha reservoir watershed of Dongguan city, a typical, rapidly industrialized urban area in China. This study presents the changes in concentration during rainfall events, event mean concentrations (EMCs) and event pollution loads per unit area (EPLs). The first flush criterion, namely the mass first flush ratio (MFFn), was used to identify the first flush effects. The impacts of rainfall and catchment characterization on EMCs and pollutant loads percentage transported by the first 40% of runoff volume (FF40) were evaluated. The results indicated that the pollutant wash-off process of runoff during the rainfall events has significant temporal and spatial variations. The mean rainfall intensity (I), the impervious rate (IMR) and max 5-min intensity (Imax5) are the critical parameters of EMCs, while Imax5, antecedent dry days (ADD) and rainfall depth (RD) are the critical parameters of FF40. Intercepting the first 40% of runoff volume can remove 55% of TSS load, 53% of COD load, 58% of TN load, and 61% of TP load, respectively, according to all the storm events. These results may be helpful in mitigating stormwater runoff pollution for many other urban areas in developing countries. PMID:25774922

A win-win solution?: A critical analysis of tiered pricing to improve access to medicines in developing countries.

PubMed

Moon, Suerie; Jambert, Elodie; Childs, Michelle; von Schoen-Angerer, Tido

2011-10-12

Tiered pricing - the concept of selling drugs and vaccines in developing countries at prices systematically lower than in industrialized countries - has received widespread support from industry, policymakers, civil society, and academics as a way to improve access to medicines for the poor. We carried out case studies based on a review of international drug price developments for antiretrovirals, artemisinin combination therapies, drug-resistant tuberculosis medicines, liposomal amphotericin B (for visceral leishmaniasis), and pneumococcal vaccines. We found several critical shortcomings to tiered pricing: it is inferior to competition for achieving the lowest sustainable prices; it often involves arbitrary divisions between markets and/or countries, which can lead to very high prices for middle-income markets; and it leaves a disproportionate amount of decision-making power in the hands of sellers vis-à-vis consumers. In many developing countries, resources are often stretched so tight that affordability can only be approached by selling medicines at or near the cost of production. Policies that "de-link" the financing of R&D from the price of medicines merit further attention, since they can reward innovation while exploiting robust competition in production to generate the lowest sustainable prices. However, in special cases - such as when market volumes are very small or multi-source production capacity is lacking - tiered pricing may offer the only practical option to meet short-term needs for access to a product. In such cases, steps should be taken to ensure affordability and availability in the longer-term. To ensure access to medicines for populations in need, alternate strategies should be explored that harness the power of competition, avoid arbitrary market segmentation, and/or recognize government responsibilities. Competition should generally be the default option for achieving affordability, as it has proven superior to tiered pricing for reliably achieving the lowest sustainable prices.

A win-win solution?: A critical analysis of tiered pricing to improve access to medicines in developing countries

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Tiered pricing - the concept of selling drugs and vaccines in developing countries at prices systematically lower than in industrialized countries - has received widespread support from industry, policymakers, civil society, and academics as a way to improve access to medicines for the poor. We carried out case studies based on a review of international drug price developments for antiretrovirals, artemisinin combination therapies, drug-resistant tuberculosis medicines, liposomal amphotericin B (for visceral leishmaniasis), and pneumococcal vaccines. Discussion We found several critical shortcomings to tiered pricing: it is inferior to competition for achieving the lowest sustainable prices; it often involves arbitrary divisions between markets and/or countries, which can lead to very high prices for middle-income markets; and it leaves a disproportionate amount of decision-making power in the hands of sellers vis-à-vis consumers. In many developing countries, resources are often stretched so tight that affordability can only be approached by selling medicines at or near the cost of production. Policies that "de-link" the financing of R&D from the price of medicines merit further attention, since they can reward innovation while exploiting robust competition in production to generate the lowest sustainable prices. However, in special cases - such as when market volumes are very small or multi-source production capacity is lacking - tiered pricing may offer the only practical option to meet short-term needs for access to a product. In such cases, steps should be taken to ensure affordability and availability in the longer-term. Summary To ensure access to medicines for populations in need, alternate strategies should be explored that harness the power of competition, avoid arbitrary market segmentation, and/or recognize government responsibilities. Competition should generally be the default option for achieving affordability, as it has proven superior to tiered pricing for reliably achieving the lowest sustainable prices. PMID:21992405

Applications of space technology to developing nations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freden, S. C.

1976-01-01

The use of imagery from the Landsat spacecraft for the monitoring and management of natural resources in developing countries is discussed. The Landsat imagery can be used to make cartographic maps at scales of 1:250,000 which meet the US National Map Accuracy Standards, providing a means of map updating to correct for river meanders or changing shorelines. The Landsat data can also be used in defining and measuring agricultural areas, identifying pest breeding areas, and monitoring irrigation practices and crop performance. Total volume estimates can be obtained in many cases for surface bodies of water, and subsurface water supplies can be detected from changes in vegetation in some instances.

Potential of wind power projects under the Clean Development Mechanism in India

PubMed Central

Purohit, Pallav; Michaelowa, Axel

2007-01-01

Background So far, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power projects in India is far below their gross potential (≤ 15%) despite very high level of policy support, tax benefits, long term financing schemes etc., for more than 10 years etc. One of the major barriers is the high costs of investments in these systems. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol provides industrialized countries with an incentive to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions at lowest cost that also promotes sustainable development in the host country. Wind power projects could be of interest under the CDM because they directly displace greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to sustainable rural development, if developed correctly. Results Our estimates indicate that there is a vast theoretical potential of CO2 mitigation by the use of wind energy in India. The annual potential Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) of wind power projects in India could theoretically reach 86 million. Under more realistic assumptions about diffusion of wind power projects based on past experiences with the government-run programmes, annual CER volumes by 2012 could reach 41 to 67 million and 78 to 83 million by 2020. Conclusion The projections based on the past diffusion trend indicate that in India, even with highly favorable assumptions, the dissemination of wind power projects is not likely to reach its maximum estimated potential in another 15 years. CDM could help to achieve the maximum utilization potential more rapidly as compared to the current diffusion trend if supportive policies are introduced. PMID:17663772

Collecting data for global surgical indicators: a collaborative approach in the Pacific Region

PubMed Central

Guest, Glenn Douglas; McLeod, Elizabeth; Tangi, Vilami; Pedro, Joao; Ponifasio, Ponifasio; Hedson, Johnny; Tudravu, Jemesa; Pikacha, Douglas; Vreede, Eric; Leodoro, Basil; Tapaua, Noah; Kong, James; Oten, Bwabwa; Teapa, Deacon; Korin, Stephanie; Wilson, Leona; Mesol, Samson; Tuneti, Kabiri; Meara, John G; Watters, David A

2017-01-01

In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) recommended six surgical metrics to enable countries to measure their surgical and anaesthesia care delivery. These indicators have subsequently been accepted by the World Bank for inclusion in the World Development Indicators. With support from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the Pacific Islands Surgical Association, 14 South Pacific countries collaborated to collect the first four of six LCoGS indicators. Thirteen countries collected all four indicators over a 6-month period from October 2015 to April 2016. Australia and New Zealand exceeded the recommended LCoGS target for all four indicators. Only 5 of 13 countries (38%) achieved 2-hour access for at least 80% of their population, with a range of 20% (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands) to over 65% (Fiji and Samoa). Five of 13 (38%) countries met the target surgical volume of 5000 procedures per 100 000 population, with six performing less than 1600. Four of 14 (29%) countries had at least 20 surgical, anaesthesia and obstetric providers in their workforce per 100 000 population, with a range of 0.9 (Timor Leste) to 18.5 (Tuvalu). Perioperative mortality rate was reported by 13 of 14 countries, and ranged from 0.11% to 1.0%. We believe it is feasible to collect global surgery indicators across the South Pacific, a diverse geographical region encompassing high-income and low-income countries. Such metrics will allow direct comparison between similar nations, but more importantly provide baseline data that providers and politicians can use in advocacy national health planning. PMID:29225948

The volume-outcome relationship and minimum volume standards--empirical evidence for Germany.

PubMed

Hentschker, Corinna; Mennicken, Roman

2015-06-01

For decades, there is an ongoing discussion about the quality of hospital care leading i.a. to the introduction of minimum volume standards in various countries. In this paper, we analyze the volume-outcome relationship for patients with intact abdominal aortic aneurysm and hip fracture. We define hypothetical minimum volume standards in both conditions and assess consequences for access to hospital services in Germany. The results show clearly that patients treated in hospitals with a higher case volume have on average a significant lower probability of death in both conditions. Furthermore, we show that the hypothetical minimum volume standards do not compromise overall access measured with changes in travel times. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Psychology in the Schools in International Perspective, Vol. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Catterall, Calvin D., Ed.

The document is second in a series which examines actual and potential contributions of psychology toward solving problems of the world's schools. Written by school psychologists from 15 countries, this volume describes ways in which psychology is applied in the author's country, traces the background of school psychological services, reviews the…

ESTIMATION OF NEAR SUBSURFACE COAL FIRE GAS EMISSIONS BASED ON GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATIONS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen-Brauchler, D.; Meyer, U.; Schlömer, S.; Kus, J.; Gundelach, V.; Wuttke, M.; Fischer, C.; Rueter, H.

2009-12-01

Spontaneous and industrially caused subsurface coal fires are worldwide disasters that destroy coal resources, cause air pollution and emit a large amount of green house gases. Especially in developing countries, such as China, India and Malaysia, this problem has intensified over the last 15 years. In China alone, 10 to 20 million tons of coal are believed to be lost in uncontrolled coal fires. The cooperation of developing countries and industrialized countries is needed to enforce internationally concerted approaches and political attention towards the problem. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the framework of the Kyoto Protocol may provide an international stage for financial investment needed to fight the disastrous situation. A Sino-German research project for coal fire exploration, monitoring and extinction applied several geophysical approaches in order to estimate the annual baseline especially of CO2 emissions from near subsurface coal fires. As a result of this project, we present verifiable methodologies that may be used in the CDM framework to estimate the amount of CO2 emissions from near subsurface coal fires. We developed three possibilities to approach the estimation based on (1) thermal energy release, (2) geological and geometrical determinations as well as (3) direct gas measurement. The studies involve the investigation of the physical property changes of the coal seam and bedrock during different burning stages of a underground coal fire. Various geophysical monitoring methods were applied from near surface to determine the coal volume, fire propagation, temperature anomalies, etc.

Inference for lidar-assisted estimation of forest growing stock volume

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; Erik Næsset; Terje Gobakken

2013-01-01

Estimates of growing stock volume are reported by the national forest inventories (NFI) of most countries and may serve as the basis for aboveground biomass and carbon estimates as required by an increasing number of international agreements. The probability-based (design-based) statistical estimators traditionally used by NFIs to calculate estimates are generally...

Pacific Telecommunications Council Annual Conference Proceedings (20th, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 11-14, 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedemeyer, Dan J., Ed.; Nickelson, Richard, Ed.

This volume comprises the papers presented at the 1998 conference of the Pacific Telecommunications Council. This PTC'98 gathering focused on "Coping with Convergence." These 20th anniversary conference proceedings present at least one contribution on 59 countries and territories. The 120 papers in this volume are arranged…

International trends in liver cancer incidence, overall and by histologic subtype, 1978-2007.

PubMed

Petrick, Jessica L; Braunlin, Megan; Laversanne, Mathieu; Valery, Patricia C; Bray, Freddie; McGlynn, Katherine A

2016-10-01

Primary liver cancer, the most common histologic types of which are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. While rising incidence of liver cancer in low-risk areas and decreasing incidence in some high-risk areas has been reported, trends have not been thoroughly explored by country or by histologic type. We examined liver cancer incidence overall and by histology by calendar time and birth cohort for selected countries between 1978 and 2007. For each successive 5-year period, age-standardized incidence rates were calculated from volumes V-IX of the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents electronic database (CI5plus) and the newly released CI5X (volume X) database. Wide global variations persist in liver cancer incidence. Rates of liver cancer remain highest in Asian countries, specifically Eastern and South-Eastern Asian countries. While rates in most of these high-risk countries have been decreasing in recent years, rates in India and several low-risk countries of Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania have been on the rise. Liver cancer rates by histologic type tend to convey a similar temporal profile. However, in Thailand, France, and Italy, ICC rates have increased while HCC rates have declined. We expect rates in high-risk countries to continue to decrease, as the population seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) continues to decline. In low-risk countries, targeted screening and treatment of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), treatment of diabetes and primary prevention of obesity, will be key in reducing future liver cancer incidence. © 2016 UICC.

Factors influencing global antiretroviral procurement prices.

PubMed

Wirtz, Veronika J; Forsythe, Steven; Valencia-Mendoza, Atanacio; Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio

2009-11-18

Antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) are one of the most costly parts of HIV/AIDS treatment. Many countries are struggling to provide universal access to ARVs for all people living with HIV and AIDS. Although substantial price reductions of ARVs have occurred, especially between 2002 and 2008, achieving sustainable access for the next several decades remains a major challenge for most low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of the present study were twofold: first, to analyze global ARV prices between 2005 and 2008 and associated factors, particularly procurement methods and key donor policies on ARV procurement efficiency; second, to discuss the options of procurement processes and policies that should be considered when implementing or reforming access to ARV programs. An ARV-medicines price-analysis was carried out using the Global Price Reporting Mechanism from the World Health Organization. For a selection of 12 ARVs, global median prices and price variation were calculated. Linear regression models for each ARV were used to identify factors that were associated with lower procurement prices. Logistic regression models were used to identify the characteristics of those countries which procure below the highest and lowest direct manufactured costs. Three key factors appear to have an influence on a country's ARV prices: (a) whether the product is generic or not; (b) the socioeconomic status of the country; (c) whether the country is a member of the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative. Factors which did not influence procurement below the highest direct manufactured costs were HIV prevalence, procurement volume, whether the country belongs to the least developed countries or a focus country of the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. One of the principal mechanisms that can help to lower prices for ARV over the next several decades is increasing procurement efficiency. Benchmarking prices could be one useful tool to achieve this.

Nuclear Strategy and National Style. Volume 1. Main Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-31

been sensitive to potential American casualties--as befits a country genu - inely dominated by the idea that government is a necessary evil charged 73 L...more from cultural stereotyping (what kind of a country, performing what kind of roles, is the United States?)--and from real-time fine-tuned...United States is fundamentally a very macho country. Gary Cooper in High Noon and George C. Scott in [and as] Patton may have been cultural stereotypes

Discounts and rebates granted to public payers for medicines in European countries

PubMed Central

Vogler, Sabine; Zimmermann, Nina; Habl, Claudia; Piessnegger, Jutta; Bucsics, Anna

2012-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to provide an overview about the existence and types of discounts and rebates granted to public payers by the pharmaceutical industry in European countries. Methods: Data were collected via a questionnaire in spring 2011. Officials from public authorities for pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement represented in the PPRI (Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Information) network provided the information and reviewed the compilation. Results: Information is available from 31 European countries. Discounts and rebates granted to public payers by pharmaceutical industry were reported for 25 European countries. Such discounts exist both in the in- and out-patient sectors in 21 countries and in the in-patient sector only in four countries. Six countries reported not having any regulations or agreements regarding the discounts and rebates granted by industry. The most common discounts and rebates are price reductions and refunds linked to sales volume but types such as in-kind support, price-volume and risk-sharing agreements are also in place. A mix of various types of discounts and rebates is common. Many of these arrangements are confidential. Differences regarding types, the organizational and legal framework, validity and frequency of updates and the amount of the discounts and rebates granted exist among the surveyed countries. Conclusions: In Europe, discounts and rebates on medicines granted by pharmaceutical industry to public payers are common tools to contain public pharmaceutical expenditure. They appear to be used as a complimentary measure when price regulation does not achieve the desired results and in the few European countries with no or limited price regulation. The confidential character of many of these arrangements impedes transparency and may lead to a distortion of medicines prices. An analysis of the impact on these measures is recommended. PMID:23093898

Reforms from the ground up: a review of community-based forest management in tropical developing countries.

PubMed

Tole, Lise

2010-06-01

After an initial burst of enthusiasm in the 1990 s, community-based forest management (CBFM) is increasingly being viewed with a critical eye. Evidence suggests that many programs have failed to promote their stated objectives of sustainability, efficiency, equity, democratic participation and poverty reduction. A large volume of academic literature now exists on CBFM, examining both the success and failure of such initiatives in a wide variety of countries. Through analysis of key themes, concepts and issues in CBFM, this article provides a review of CBFM initiatives in tropical developing countries for policymakers, practitioners and planners wishing to gain an understanding of this wide-ranging, interdisciplinary academic literature. The article identifies key institutions and incentives that appear to significantly affect the success or failure of CBFM initiatives. In particular, it reports that consideration of institutional and socioeconomic factors along with personal characteristics of key stakeholders such as beliefs, attitudes, financial resources and skills are important determinants of CBFM outcomes. However, local incentive structures also appear to be important. There is increasing recognition in the literature of the need to consider the conditions under which local politicians entrusted with carrying out CBFM initiatives will deem it worthwhile to invest their scarce time and resources on environmental governance.

Reforms from the Ground Up: A Review of Community-Based Forest Management in Tropical Developing Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tole, Lise

2010-06-01

After an initial burst of enthusiasm in the 1990s, community-based forest management (CBFM) is increasingly being viewed with a critical eye. Evidence suggests that many programs have failed to promote their stated objectives of sustainability, efficiency, equity, democratic participation and poverty reduction. A large volume of academic literature now exists on CBFM, examining both the success and failure of such initiatives in a wide variety of countries. Through analysis of key themes, concepts and issues in CBFM, this article provides a review of CBFM initiatives in tropical developing countries for policymakers, practitioners and planners wishing to gain an understanding of this wide-ranging, interdisciplinary academic literature. The article identifies key institutions and incentives that appear to significantly affect the success or failure of CBFM initiatives. In particular, it reports that consideration of institutional and socioeconomic factors along with personal characteristics of key stakeholders such as beliefs, attitudes, financial resources and skills are important determinants of CBFM outcomes. However, local incentive structures also appear to be important. There is increasing recognition in the literature of the need to consider the conditions under which local politicians entrusted with carrying out CBFM initiatives will deem it worthwhile to invest their scarce time and resources on environmental governance.

Cord blood banking activities at a university hospital in northeast Mexico: an 8-year experience.

PubMed

Jaime-Perez, Jose C; Monreal-Robles, Roberto; Colunga-Pedraza, Julia; Mancías-Guerra, Consuelo; Rodríguez-Romo, Laura; Gómez-Almaguer, David

2012-12-01

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) represents an alternative source of stem cells for transplantation for the treatment of hematologic malignancies and genetic disorders. There is scarce information detailing cord blood bank (CBB) collection and transplantation activities from developing countries. We documented our experience at a public university hospital in northeast Mexico. We carried out a retrospective and descriptive analysis of our CBB activity during an 8-year period from May 2002 to September 2010. Collection, processing, and cryopreservation of CB were carried out following standard operating procedures. The minimum volume and total nucleated cell (TNC) content for cryopreservation were 80 mL and 8.0 × 10(8) , respectively. A total of 1256 UCB units were collected; 428 (34%) were banked and 828 (66%) were discarded. The main reason for exclusion was biologic: low volume and/or low number of TNC accounted for 84% of the total discarded units. Cryopreserved cord blood units (CBUs) had a median volume of 113.8 mL (range, 80-213.2 mL) and 13.0 × 10(8) (range, 8 × 10(8) -36.6 × 10(8) ) TNCs. Cell viability was 99.3% (88-100%). The median CD34+ cell content was 4.0 × 10(6) (0.46 × 10(6) -19.38 × 10(6) ). Sixteen units have been released for transplantation, leading to a utilization rate of 3.7%. CBB demands considerable human and financial resources; it is then essential for centers at developing countries to share their experience, results, and databases to increase the probability of finding matching units for their patients. Efforts to create and maintain CBBs allow to offer this therapeutic option at an affordable cost. © 2012 American Association of Blood Banks.

International Conference on Rehabilitation Engineering: Proceedings (2nd, Ottawa, Canada, June 17-22, 1984). Combined with RESNA 7th Annual Conference. Volume 4 = Conference internationale sur la technologie de reeducation fonctionnelle: compet rendu (2nd, Ottawa, Canada, Juin 17-22, 1984). Tenue parallelement a la RESNA 7e conference annuelle.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America, Washington, DC.

These proceedings contain 271 papers in English and 15 in French, representing research and development efforts in 19 countries. On the topic of wheelchairs, 28 papers address their design, performance, evaluation, and fabrication. The field of prosthetics and orthotics is represented by 33 papers discussing devices for upper extremities, lower…

Reference Book on NATO Rationalization, Standardization and Interoperability (RSI). Volume 2. Department of Defense Official Directives and Statements of Secretary of Defense, Under Secretary of Defense (R&E), Concerning RSI.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-01

operated as an integrated whole in meeting a mission need . h. Major system means that combination of elements that will function together to produce...developed and in production, it is by no means sure that it will fill a military need of another country. We intend to harmonize requirements... means to review national armaments plans and identify opportunities for armaments cooperation. It is expected that NAPR will eventually fold into PAPS

The way forward for telemedicine in health care delivery.

PubMed

Kwankam, S Yunkap

2013-01-01

Telemedicine has shown substantial growth recently both in terms of financial volume and numbers of people served. It also holds promise for even more growth in the future, driven by both epidemiological conditions and technological advancements. The spread of the mobile telephone into the remotest parts of developing countries, combined with its multiple applications in health and mobile financial services will extend telemedicine to vast swathes of the world's populations. However, some challenges, primarily in dealing with the regulatory environment, will need to be overcome for this potential to be fully realized.

Biopharmaceutical innovation and industrial developments in South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chee-Ruey; Löfgren, Hans

2009-05-01

South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are well known as export-oriented developmental states which for decades employed industrial policy to target particular industries for government support. In the past fifteen years, these three countries all identified the biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector. This article explores, through economic analysis, the rationale for this decision and the strategies chosen for linking into the global bio-economy with the objective of catching up in biopharmaceuticals. The paper identifies three comparative advantages enjoyed by these countries in the biopharma sector: (1) public investments in basic research; (2) private investments in phase 1 clinical trials; and (3) a potentially significant contract research industry managing latter-stage clinical trials. Governments employ a range of industrial policies, consistent with these comparative advantages, to promote the biopharmaceutical industry, including public investment in biomedical hubs, research funding and research and development (R&D) tax credits. We argue that the most important feature of the biopharmaceutical industry in these countries is the dominant role of the public sector. That these countries have made progress in innovative capabilities is illustrated by input measures such as R&D expenditure as share of gross domestic product, number of patents granted and clinical trials, and volume of foreign direct investment. In contrast, output indicators such as approval of new chemical entities suggest that the process of catching up has only just commenced. Pharmaceutical innovation is at the stage of mainly generating inputs to integrated processes controlled by the globally incumbent firms.

Development of newly enriched bread with quinoa flour and whey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salazar, D. M.; Naranjo, M.; Pérez, L. V.; Valencia, A. F.; Acurio, L. P.; Gallegos, L. M.; Alvarez, F. C.; Amancha, P. I.; Valencia, M. P.; Rodriguez, C. A.; Arancibia, M. Y.

2017-07-01

Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru are countries with the highest amount of quinoa production in the world due to the proximity to the Andes. Further, Ecuador has a high production of dairy products, particularly fresh cheese of which production gives a high volume of whey, without further use, with the consequent loss of their nutritional value. The present study was performed to develop a new fortified bread through the incorporation of quinoa flour and whey at three different concentrations. The use of quinoa and whey improved the texture, shelf life and sensory characteristics of bread, compared to those prepared with wheat flour. This study shows the potential of quinoa flour and whey as ingredients in the development of baked products.

Google matrix analysis of the multiproduct world trade network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ermann, Leonardo; Shepelyansky, Dima L.

2015-04-01

Using the United Nations COMTRADE database [United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database, available at: http://comtrade.un.org/db/. Accessed November (2014)] we construct the Google matrix G of multiproduct world trade between the UN countries and analyze the properties of trade flows on this network for years 1962-2010. This construction, based on Markov chains, treats all countries on equal democratic grounds independently of their richness and at the same time it considers the contributions of trade products proportionally to their trade volume. We consider the trade with 61 products for up to 227 countries. The obtained results show that the trade contribution of products is asymmetric: some of them are export oriented while others are import oriented even if the ranking by their trade volume is symmetric in respect to export and import after averaging over all world countries. The construction of the Google matrix allows to investigate the sensitivity of trade balance in respect to price variations of products, e.g. petroleum and gas, taking into account the world connectivity of trade links. The trade balance based on PageRank and CheiRank probabilities highlights the leading role of China and other BRICS countries in the world trade in recent years. We also show that the eigenstates of G with large eigenvalues select specific trade communities.

Global Woman: Nannies, Maids and Sex Workers in the New Economy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrenreich, Barbara, Ed.; Hochschild, Arlie Russell, Ed.

This volume explores the unexplored consequences of globalization on the lives of women worldwide, as each year millions leave their third world countries to work in the homes, nurseries, and brothels of first world countries. This mass migration results in a transfer of labor associated with women's traditional roles that creates a "care…

Improving School Leadership. Volume 1: Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing (NJ3), 2008

2008-01-01

As countries strive to reform education systems and improve student results, school leadership is high on education policy agendas. But in many countries, the men and women who run schools are overburdened, underpaid and near retirement. And few people are lining up for their jobs. Based on an OECD study of school leadership practices and policies…

From Many Lands. Voices of the Poor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narayan, Deepa, Ed.; Petesch, Patti, Ed.

This book, the last volume in a three-part series, draws on a large-scale worldwide poverty study to present the views, experiences, and aspirations of poor people in 14 selected countries. In each country, interviews and discussion groups were held in 8-15 rural and urban communities that reflected the most prevalent poverty groups and the…

When Things Fall Apart: Qualitative Studies of Poverty in the Former Soviet Union.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dudwick, Nora, Ed.; Gomart, Elizabeth, Ed.; Marc, Alexandre, Ed.; Kuehnast, Kathleen, Ed.

Using qualitative methods, the studies in this volume highlight certain aspects of the dynamics of poverty in eight countries of the former Soviet Union and the interactions of poverty with gender, age, and ethnicity. They deepen understanding of how poor people in these countries experience and cope with the shock of sudden poverty, worsening…

Does the market share of generic medicines influence the price level?: a European analysis.

PubMed

Dylst, Pieter; Simoens, Steven

2011-10-01

After the expiry of patents for originator medicines, generic medicines can enter the market, and price competition may occur. This process generates savings to the healthcare payer and to patients, but knowledge about the factors affecting price competition in the pharmaceutical market following patent expiry is still limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the market share of generic medicines and the change of the medicine price level in European off-patent markets. Data on medicine volumes and values for 35 active substances were purchased from IMS Health. Ex-manufacturer prices were used, and the analysis was limited to medicines in immediate-release, oral, solid dosage forms. Countries included were Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK, which constitute a mix of countries with low and high generic medicines market shares. Data were available from June 2002 until March 2007. Market volume has risen in both high and low generic market share countries (+29.27% and +27.40%, respectively), but the cause of the rise is different for the two markets. In low generic market share countries, the rise was caused by the increased use of generic medicines, while in high market share countries, the rise was driven by the increased use of generic medicines and a shift of use from originator to generic medicines. Market value was substantially decreased in high generic market share countries (-26.6%), while the decrease in low generic market share countries was limited (-0.06%). In high generic market share countries, medicine prices dropped by -43.18% versus -21.56% in low market share countries. The extent to which price competition from generic medicines leads to price reductions appears to vary according to the market share of generic medicines. High generic market share countries have seen a larger decrease in medicine prices than low market share countries.

Transforming Education: Global Perspectives, Experiences and Implications. Educational Psychology: Critical Pedagogical Perspectives. Volume 24

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeVillar, Robert A., Ed.; Jiang, Binbin, Ed.; Cummins, Jim, Ed.

2013-01-01

This research-based volume presents a substantive, panoramic view of ways in which Australia and countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America engage in educational programs and practices to transform the learning processes and outcomes of their students. It reveals and analyzes national and global trajectories in key areas of…

Provenance variation in Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. in California

Treesearch

B.M. Emery; F. Thomas Ledig

1987-01-01

In California, the Lake Albacutya provenance of river red gum was clearly superior in volume growth to 22 other provenances collected throughout the range of the species in Australia. It had at least 2.5 times the volume of the plantation mean at 5.5 years, consistent with its performance in other countries with Mediterranean climates like California's. Other...

Reserve growth in oil fields of the North Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klett, T.R.; Gautier, D.L.

2005-01-01

The assessment of petroleum resources of the North Sea, as well as other areas of the world, requires a viable means to forecast the amount of growth of reserve estimates (reserve growth) for discovered fields and to predict the potential fully developed sizes of undiscovered fields. This study investigates the utility of North Sea oil field data to construct reserve-growth models. Oil fields of the North Sea provide an excellent dataset in which to examine the mechanisms, characteristics, rates and quantities of reserve growth because of the high level of capital investments, implementation of sophisticated technologies and careful data collection. Additionally, these field data are well reported and available publicly. Increases in successive annual estimat es of recoverable crude oil volumes indicate that oil fields in the North Sea, collectively and in each country, experience reserve growth. Specific patterns of reserve growth are observed among countries and primary producing reservoir-rock types. Since 1985, Norwegian oil fields had the greatest volume increase; Danish oil fields increased by the greatest percentage relative to 1985 estimates; and British oil fields experienced an increase in recoverable oil estimates for the first ten years since 1985, followed by a slight reduction. Fields producing primarily from clastic reservoirs account for the majority of the estimated recoverable oil and, therefore, these fields had the largest volumetric increase. Fields producing primarily from chalk (limestone) reservoirs increased by a greater percentage relative to 1985 estimates than did fields producing primarily from clastic reservoirs. Additionally, the largest oil fields had the greatest volumetric increases. Although different reserve-growth patterns are observed among oil fields located in different countries, the small number of fields in Denmark precludes construction of reserve-growth models for that country. However, differences in reserve-growth patterns among oil fields that produce from primarily clastic and primarily chalk reservoirs, in addition to a greater number of fields in each of the two categories, allow separate reserve-growth models to be constructed based on reservoir-rock type. Reserve-growth models referenced to the date of discovery and to the date of first production may be constructed from North Sea field data. Years since discovery or years since first production are used as surrogates for, or measures of, field-development effort that is applied to promote reserve growth. Better estimates of recoverable oil are made as fields are developed. Because much of the field development occurs some time later than the field discovery date, reserve-growth models referenced to the date of first production may provide a more appropriate measure of development than does date of discovery. ?? 2005 EAGE/Geological Society of London.

Foreign trade and early industrialisation in the Habsburg Monarchy and the United Kingdom - Two extremes in comparison.

PubMed

Gingrich, Simone

2011-05-15

The concept of socio-ecological transitions is used to analyse the quantitative importance of physical imports and exports for the Habsburg Empire and the United Kingdom in the 19th and early 20th centuries. For the Habsburg Empire, a new dataset of foreign trade and social metabolism is presented. For the United Kingdom, the analysis relies on previously published data. Foreign trade volumes increased in both countries in the long run. Total trade volumes were much higher in the United Kingdom throughout the entire time period, on average by around a factor four. Physical factors explaining the disparities in structure and volume of foreign trade in the two countries are differences in (1) the temporal patterns of the socio-ecological transition and (2) domestic resource endowments. In both countries, energy carrying materials, i.e. fossil fuels and biomass, were the dominant resources in physical foreign trade. The analysis focuses on the physically most important material groups: coal, wood and cereals, and discusses the role of imports and exports in relation to domestic resource provision and environmental pressures. Physical foreign trade increased at a faster pace than domestic resource extraction and consumption. The socio-ecological transition was thus accompanied by rising international integration of resource supply.

Foreign trade and early industrialisation in the Habsburg Monarchy and the United Kingdom — Two extremes in comparison

PubMed Central

Gingrich, Simone

2011-01-01

The concept of socio–ecological transitions is used to analyse the quantitative importance of physical imports and exports for the Habsburg Empire and the United Kingdom in the 19th and early 20th centuries. For the Habsburg Empire, a new dataset of foreign trade and social metabolism is presented. For the United Kingdom, the analysis relies on previously published data. Foreign trade volumes increased in both countries in the long run. Total trade volumes were much higher in the United Kingdom throughout the entire time period, on average by around a factor four. Physical factors explaining the disparities in structure and volume of foreign trade in the two countries are differences in (1) the temporal patterns of the socio-ecological transition and (2) domestic resource endowments. In both countries, energy carrying materials, i.e. fossil fuels and biomass, were the dominant resources in physical foreign trade. The analysis focuses on the physically most important material groups: coal, wood and cereals, and discusses the role of imports and exports in relation to domestic resource provision and environmental pressures. Physical foreign trade increased at a faster pace than domestic resource extraction and consumption. The socio–ecological transition was thus accompanied by rising international integration of resource supply. PMID:21760665

A facility birth can be the time to start family planning: postpartum intrauterine device experiences from six countries.

PubMed

Pfitzer, Anne; Mackenzie, Devon; Blanchard, Holly; Hyjazi, Yolande; Kumar, Somesh; Lisanework Kassa, Serawit; Marinduque, Bernabe; Mateo, Marie Grace; Mukarugwiro, Beata; Ngabo, Fidele; Zaeem, Shabana; Zafar, Zonobia; Smith, Jeffrey Michael

2015-06-01

Initiation of family planning at the time of birth is opportune, since few women in low-resource settings who give birth in a facility return for further care. Postpartum family planning (PPFP) and postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD) services were integrated into maternal care in six low- and middle-income countries, applying an insertion technique developed in Paraguay. Facilities with high delivery volume were selected to integrate PPFP/PPIUD services into routine care. Effective PPFP/PPIUD integration requires training and mentoring those providers assisting women at the time of birth. Ongoing monitoring generated data for advocacy. The percentages of PPIUD acceptors ranged from 2.3% of women counseled in Pakistan to 5.8% in the Philippines. Rates of complications among women returning for follow-up were low. Expulsion rates were 3.7% in Pakistan, 3.6% in Ethiopia, and 1.7% in Guinea and the Philippines. Infection rates did not exceed 1.3%, and three countries recorded no cases. Offering PPFP/PPIUD at birth improves access to contraception. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Introduction: for a comparative history of the birth of "scientific" psychology.

PubMed

Cimino, Guido

2006-01-01

This introduction to the Proceedings of the Beijing Symposium poses the problem of the birth of a "new psychology" that endeavors to become a science, considered within the cultural, scientific, social, and institutional context of each country. This problem can be subdivided into a series of other more specific questions, dealt with in part by the volume's contributions: the distinction between a "scientific" psychology and a "pre-scientific" one; the historical reconstruction of psychology as a "science," and of psychology as a "discipline" embedded in some institution; the time span in which the passage from the "old" to the "new" was achieved; the scientific-cultural and political-economic-social factors or conditions that influenced and favoured this birth. After a panoramic and "comparative" glance at the situation in different European countries (Germany, France, England, Italy, Spain, and Russia) and some extra-European ones (United States, Brazil, Japan, and China), as presented in the texts of these Proceedings, there follow some considerations of a general nature that attempt to highlight analogies and differences in the historical development of the origin of "scientific" psychology in the various countries.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harmon, K.M.; Lakey, L.T.; Leigh, I.W.

Worldwide activities related to nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management programs are summarized. Several trends have developed in waste management strategy: All countries having to dispose of reprocessing wastes plan on conversion of the high-level waste (HLW) stream to a borosilicate glass and eventual emplacement of the glass logs, suitably packaged, in a deep geologic repository. Countries that must deal with plutonium-contaminated waste emphasize pluonium recovery, volume reduction and fixation in cement or bitumen in their treatment plans and expect to use deep geologic repositories for final disposal. Commercially available, classical engineering processing are being used worldwide to treatmore » and immobilize low- and intermediate-level wastes (LLW, ILW); disposal to surface structures, shallow-land burial and deep-underground repositories, such as played-out mines, is being done widely with no obvious technical problems. Many countries have established extensive programs to prepare for construction and operation of geologic repositories. Geologic media being studied fall into three main classes: argillites (clay or shale); crystalline rock (granite, basalt, gneiss or gabbro); and evaporates (salt formations). Most nations plan to allow 30 years or longer between discharge of fuel from the reactor and emplacement of HLW or spent fuel is a repository to permit thermal and radioactive decay. Most repository designs are based on the mined-gallery concept, placing waste or spent fuel packages into shallow holes in the floor of the gallery. Many countries have established extensive and costly programs of site evaluation, repository development and safety assessment. Two other waste management problems are the subject of major R and D programs in several countries: stabilization of uranium mill tailing piles; and immobilization or disposal of contaminated nuclear facilities, namely reactors, fuel cycle plants and R and D laboratories.« less

The International Epidemiology of Lung Cancer: Latest Trends, Disparities, and Tumor Characteristics

PubMed Central

Cheng, Ting-Yuan David; Cramb, Susanna M.; Baade, Peter D.; Youlden, Danny R.; Nwogu, Chukwumere; Reid, Mary E.

2017-01-01

Introduction We aim to update global lung cancer epidemiology and describe changing trends and disparities. Methods We presented country-specific incidence and mortality from GLOBOCAN 2012, by region and socioeconomic factors via the Human Development Index (HDI). Between- and within-country incidence by histological type was analyzed from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Volume X (IARC). Trend analyses including the IARC data, cancer registries, and the WHO Mortality database were conducted using Joinpoint regression. Survival was compared between and within countries, and by histology. Results In 2012, there were 1.82 and 1.59 million new cases and deaths of lung cancer worldwide, respectively. Incidence was highest in very high HDI countries and lowest in low HDI countries (42.2 vs. 7.9/100,000 for males and 21.8 vs. 3.1/100,000 for females, respectively). In most countries with a very high HDI, as male incidence decreased gradually (ranging from −0.3% in Spain to −2.5% in the USA each year), female incidence continued to increase (by 1.4% each year in Australia to 6.1% in recent years in Spain). While histology varied between countries, adenocarcinoma was more common than squamous cell carcinoma, particularly among females (e.g., in Chinese females, the adenocarcinoma-to-squamous cell carcinoma ratio=6.6). Five-year relative survival varied from 2% (Libya) to 30% (Japan), with substantial within-country differences. Conclusion Lung cancer will continue to be a major health problem well through the first half of this century. Preventive strategies, particularly tobacco control, tailored to populations at highest risk are key to reduce the global burden of lung cancer. PMID:27364315

Patents and profits: A disparity of manufacturing margins in the tenofovir value chain.

PubMed

Walwyn, David

2013-03-01

Registered in 2001, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has quickly become a mainstay of first line regimens for the treatment of HIV. Initially only available in developed countries at a cost of US$5 000 per person per year (ppy), Gilead's Access Programme (GAP) has extended the use of the product to 2.4 million patients in low and middle income countries. The programme has two components: distribution of the branded product at reduced prices and licensing partnerships with generic manufacturers. The licensing partnerships now supply 75% of the market by volume, at a treatment cost of US$57 ppy (1% of the branded cost). From Gilead's perspective, GAP must be considered a huge success. It has enabled the company to maintain high prices in developed countries whilst reducing its input costs and deflecting criticism of its failure to provide essential medicines for the poor, hence risking the possibility of compulsory licensing. Over the period 2001 to 2011, TDF in its various forms has generated for Gilead more than US$31 billion revenue at a gross margin of 80%, equivalent to a gross profit of US$25 billion. Analysis of the TDF value chain, from preparation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to sale of the formulated product, shows that manufacturing margins are highly skewed in favour of the originator, with the latter's profit being US$3.2 billion vs. US$4 million for API manufacturers and US$39 million for formulators (2011). The data argues for a more rational approach to drug pricing including possible regulation in developed countries and more sustainable margins for the generic producers.

Sustainable management of transboundary water resources (Belgium/France): Characterization and modelling of the Carboniferous aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastien, J.; Picot-Colbeaux, G.; Crastes de Paulet, F.; Rorive, A.; Bouvet, A.; Goderniaux, P.; Thiery, D.

2016-12-01

The Carboniferous Limestone groundwater extends from East to West across Belgium and the North of France (1420 km²). In a high population density and industrial activity region, it represents huge volumes of abstracted groundwater (98 Mm³). The aquifer thus constitutes a critical reserve for public distribution and industrial uses. This water reservoir is intensively exploited from both sides of the border since the end of the 19th century. Historically, this transboundary aquifer was overexploited, due to the massive requirements of the industry. As a consequence, a substantial piezometric level decrease was observed (up to 50 m). Due to the karstic nature of the aquifer, many sinkhole collapses were induced in the studied area. A reduction of the abstracted volumes was implemented in the 90s, which contributed to the relative stabilization of the piezometric levels, but the equilibrium remains uncertain. Due to complex political, urbanistic and industrial developments across this region, a reasonable and long-term management model was needed, involving all concerned countries and regions. Within the framework of the Interreg ScaldWIN Project, a belgo-french collaboration allowed the acquisition of new sets of geological and hydrogeological data. A new piezometric map was established and correlated with chemical and isotopic analyses. It enabled a more accurate knowledge on the main flow directions within the aquifer, and the relation between recharge area and the confined area, where groundwater is aged up to 10000 years. A new numerical model of the aquifer was implemented and calibrated by using the MARTHE code. This 4 layer-model includes a part of the French chalk aquifer and integrates all abstracted groundwater volumes (wells and quarries) from 1900 to 2010. Atmospheric and surface waters and potential evapotranspiration are included in relation to the groundwater. This model is used by the different partners to consider globally and locally the impact of existing and future abstracted water volumes, and to help for a sustainable water resources management between the two countries.

Convergence of decision rules for value-based pricing of new innovative drugs.

PubMed

Gandjour, Afschin

2015-04-01

Given the high costs of innovative new drugs, most European countries have introduced policies for price control, in particular value-based pricing (VBP) and international reference pricing. The purpose of this study is to describe how profit-maximizing manufacturers would optimally adjust their launch sequence to these policies and how VBP countries may best respond. To decide about the launching sequence, a manufacturer must consider a tradeoff between price and sales volume in any given country as well as the effect of price in a VBP country on the price in international reference pricing countries. Based on the manufacturer's rationale, it is best for VBP countries in Europe to implicitly collude in the long term and set cost-effectiveness thresholds at the level of the lowest acceptable VBP country. This way, international reference pricing countries would also converge towards the lowest acceptable threshold in Europe.

Audit feedback on reading performance of screening mammograms: An international comparison.

PubMed

Hofvind, S; Bennett, R L; Brisson, J; Lee, W; Pelletier, E; Flugelman, A; Geller, B

2016-09-01

Providing feedback to mammography radiologists and facilities may improve interpretive performance. We conducted a web-based survey to investigate how and why such feedback is undertaken and used in mammographic screening programmes. The survey was sent to representatives in 30 International Cancer Screening Network member countries where mammographic screening is offered. Seventeen programmes in 14 countries responded to the survey. Audit feedback was aimed at readers in 14 programmes, and facilities in 12 programmes. Monitoring quality assurance was the most common purpose of audit feedback. Screening volume, recall rate, and rate of screen-detected cancers were typically reported performance measures. Audit reports were commonly provided annually, but more frequently when target guidelines were not reached. The purpose, target audience, performance measures included, form and frequency of the audit feedback varied amongst mammographic screening programmes. These variations may provide a basis for those developing and improving such programmes. © The Author(s) 2016.

The impact of physician payment methods on raising the efficiency of the healthcare system: an international comparison.

PubMed

Simoens, Steven; Giuffrida, Antonio

2004-01-01

This article reviews policies on physician payment methods that Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have implemented to promote an efficient deployment of physicians. Countries' experiences show that payment by fee-for-service, capitation and salary influences physician activity levels and productivity. However, the impact of these simple payment methods is complex and may be diluted by clinical, demographic, ethical and organisational factors. Policies that have attempted to curb health expenditure by controlling fee levels have sometimes been eroded by physicians increasing the volume of service supply, or providing services that attract higher fees. Flexible blended payment methods based on the combination of a fixed component, through either capitation or salary, and a variable component, through fee-for-service, may produce a desirable mix of incentives. Integrating such blended payment methods with mechanisms to monitor physician activity may offer potential success.

Understanding and Addressing the Global Need for Orthopaedic Trauma Care.

PubMed

Agarwal-Harding, Kiran J; von Keudell, Arvind; Zirkle, Lewis G; Meara, John G; Dyer, George S M

2016-11-02

➤The burden of musculoskeletal trauma is high worldwide, disproportionately affecting the poor, who have the least access to quality orthopaedic trauma care.➤Orthopaedic trauma care is essential, and must be a priority in the horizontal development of global health systems.➤The education of surgeons, nonphysician clinicians, and ancillary staff in low and middle income countries is central to improving access to and quality of care.➤Volunteer surgical missions from rich countries can sustainably expand and strengthen orthopaedic trauma care only when they serve a local need and build local capacity.➤Innovative business models may help to pay for care of the poor. Examples include reducing costs through process improvements and cross-subsidizing from profitable high-volume activities.➤Resource-poor settings may foster innovations in devices or systems with universal applicability in orthopaedics. Copyright © 2016 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Impact of External Price Referencing on Medicine Prices – A Price Comparison Among 14 European Countries

PubMed Central

Leopold, Christine; Mantel-Teeuwisse, Aukje Katja; Seyfang, Leonhard; Vogler, Sabine; de Joncheere, Kees; Laing, Richard Ogilvie; Leufkens, Hubert

2012-01-01

Objectives: This study aims to examine the impact of external price referencing (EPR) on on-patent medicine prices, adjusting for other factors that may affect price levels such as sales volume, exchange rates, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, total pharmaceutical expenditure (TPE), and size of the pharmaceutical industry. Methods: Price data of 14 on-patent products, in 14 European countries in 2007 and 2008 were obtained from the Pharmaceutical Price Information Service of the Austrian Health Institute. Based on the unit ex-factory prices in EURO, scaled ranks per country and per product were calculated. For the regression analysis the scaled ranks per country and product were weighted; each country had the same sum of weights but within a country the weights were proportional to its sales volume in the year (data obtained from IMS Health). Taking the scaled ranks, several statistical analyses were performed by using the program “R”, including a multiple regression analysis (including variables such as GDP per capita and national industry size). Results: This study showed that on average EPR as a pricing policy leads to lower prices. However, the large variation in price levels among countries using EPR confirmed that the price level is not only driven by EPR. The unadjusted linear regression model confirms that applying EPR in a country is associated with a lower scaled weighted rank (p=0.002). This interaction persisted after inclusion of total pharmaceutical expenditure per capita and GDP per capita in the final model. Conclusions: The study showed that for patented products, prices are in general lower in case the country applied EPR. Nevertheless substantial price differences among countries that apply EPR could be identified. Possible explanations could be found through a correlation between pharmaceutical industry and the scaled price ranks. In conclusion, we found that implementing external reference pricing could lead to lower prices. PMID:23532710

Propagation of crises in the virtual water trade network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamea, Stefania; Laio, Francesco; Ridolfi, Luca

2015-04-01

The international trade of agricultural goods is associated to the displacement of the water used to produce such goods and embedded in trade as a factor of production. Water virtually exchanged from producing to consuming countries, named virtual water, defines flows across an international network of 'virtual water trade' which enable the assessment of environmental forcings and implications of trade, such as global water savings or country dependencies on foreign water resources. Given the recent expansion of commodity (and virtual water) trade, in both displaced volumes and network structure, concerns have been raised about the exposure to crises of individuals and societies. In fact, if one country had to markedly decrease its export following a socio-economical or environmental crisis, such as a war or a drought, many -if not all- countries would be affected due to a cascade effect within the trade network. The present contribution proposes a mechanistic model describing the propagation of a local crisis into the virtual water trade network, accounting for the network structure and the virtual water balance of all countries. The model, built on data-based assumptions, is tested on the real case study of the Argentinean crisis in 2008-09, when the internal agricultural production (measured as virtual water volume) decreased by 26% and the virtual water export of Argentina dropped accordingly. Crisis propagation and effects on the virtual water trade are correctly captured, showing the way forward to investigations of crises impact and country vulnerability based on the results of the model proposed.

Spatial patterns monitoring of road traffic injuries in Karachi metropolis.

PubMed

Lateef, Muhammad U

2011-06-01

This article aims to assess the pattern of road traffic injuries (RTIs) and fatalities in Karachi metropolis. Assessing the pattern of RTIs in Karachi at this juncture is important for many reasons. The rapid motorisation in the recent years due to the availability of credit has significantly increased the traffic volume of the city. Since then, the roads of Karachi have continuously developed at a rapid pace. This development has come with a high human loss, because the construction of multilevel flyovers, signal-free corridors and the resulting high-speed traffic ultimately increase the severity of injuries. The reasons for this high proportion are inadequate infrastructure, poor enforcement of safety regulations, high crash severity index and greater population of vulnerable road user groups (riders and pedestrians). This research is the first of its kind in the country to have a geocoded database of fatalities and injuries in a geographical information system for the entire city of Karachi. In fact, road crashes are both predictable and preventable. Developing countries should learn from the experience of highly motorised nations to avoid the high burden of RTIs by adopting road safety and prevention measures.

External assistance to the health sector in developing countries: a detailed analysis, 1972-90.

PubMed Central

Michaud, C.; Murray, C. J.

1994-01-01

This study, which was conducted for the World Bank's World development report 1993: investing in health, provides an objective analysis of the external assistance to the health sector by quantifying in detail the sources and recipients of such assistance in 1990, by analysing time trends for external assistance to the health sector over the last two decades, and, to the extent possible, by describing the allocation of resources to specific activities in the health sector. The main findings of the study are that total external assistance to the health sector in 1990 was US$ 4800 million, or only 2.9% of total health expenditures in developing countries. After stagnation in real terms during the first half of the 1980s, health sector assistance has been increasing since 1986. Despite their small volume, external assistance at the margins may play a critical role in capital investment, research and strategic planning. The study confirms prior findings that health status variables per se are not related to the amount of aid received. Comparing investments to the burden of disease shows tremendous differences in the funding for different health problems. A number of conditions are comparatively under-financed, particularly noncommunicable diseases and injuries. PMID:7923543

Selected Bibliography of Educational Materials: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia. Volume 3, Number 1, 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azzouz, Azzedine; And Others

A 130-item bibliography with abstracts of books and articles in English and French provides information on various aspects of education (many of them language-related) in the Maghreb countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Each entry identifies the country with which it is concerned, and French titles are translated into English.…

Reasoning Mind Genie 2: An Intelligent Tutoring System as a Vehicle for International Transfer of Instructional Methods in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khachatryan, George A.; Romashov, Andrey V.; Khachatryan, Alexander R.; Gaudino, Steven J.; Khachatryan, Julia M.; Guarian, Konstantin R.; Yufa, Nataliya V.

2014-01-01

Effective mathematics teachers have a large body of professional knowledge, which is largely undocumented and shared by teachers working in a given country's education system. The volume and cultural nature of this knowledge make it particularly challenging to share curricula and instructional methods between countries. Thus, approaches based on…

Telecommunications Research in the United States and Selected Foreign Countries: A Preliminary Survey. Volume II, Individual Contributions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC. Committee on Telecommunications.

At the request of the National Science Foundation, the Panel on Telecommunications Research of the Committee on Telecommunications of the National Academy of Engineering has made a preliminary survey of the status and trends of telecommunications research in the United States and selected foreign countries. The status and trends were identified by…

Impact of the Economic Crisis on Higher Education in East Asia: Country Experiences. Policy Forum on Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varghese, N. V., Ed.

This volume contains 8 papers presented at the January 2001 United Nations Policy Forum. The first paper provides an overview of major changes in the higher education sector in the selected countries consequent upon the economic crisis in the region. The subsequent papers analyze the crisis and its impact on higher education in individual…

Treated Wastewater's Potential for Improving Water and Food Security in the Middle East and North Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dare, A. E.

2014-12-01

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) contains just 1% of the world's freshwater; however, even in the very arid countries of the Gulf region, high quality treated wastewater rarely sees a productive use. As countries deal with growing populations and strive for increased food security, freshwater alone cannot be relied upon to meet these demands. This research identifies best practices from the MENA for reusing treated wastewater in agricultural production, and calculates the potential of treated wastewater for increasing food production in select countries. Drawing upon both published and original treated wastewater quality data for locations in the MENA, the annual volume of treated wastewater produced, and crop water demands, estimates for potential crop production from treated wastewater are calculated. The volume of wastewater treated annually is equivalent to 10-40% of agricultural withdrawals in most MENA countries. Irrigation by treated wastewater has significant potential to impact water and food security by reducing agricultural water withdrawals and increasing domestic food production. Such initiatives require application of best management practices, such as transparent monitoring and evaluation of reuse projects for public and environmental health risks, and support from both farmers and policy makers.

Atlas international de la vitalite linguistique. Volume 2: L'Europe Occidentale = International Atlas of Language Vitality. Volume 2: Western Europe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConnell, Grant D., Ed.; Gendron, Jean-Denis, Ed.

The atlas offers a cartography of language functions, quantitatively measured in vitality rates, for Western Europe. The atlas has three parts: vitality by language; vitality by domain; and vitality by country. Eighty-three minority languages are covered. Domains considered include: global; religion; schools; mass media; administration; courts;…

Critical Behaviors in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. Volume 1: A Survey of Mental Health Nursing Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Angeline Marchese; And Others

This document describes the methodology followed in obtaining abstracts (see volumes 2 and 3) of more than 8,000 critical behaviors of nurses and attendants in delivering care in 50 psychiatric and mental health facilities throughout the country. The abstracts were derived from reports of actual observations by 1,785 mental health practitioners in…

Post-stratified estimation of forest area and growing stock volume using lidar-based stratifications

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; Terje Gobakken; Erik Næsset

2012-01-01

National forest inventories report estimates of parameters related to forest area and growing stock volume for geographic areas ranging in size from municipalities to entire countries. Landsat imagery has been shown to be a source of auxiliary information that can be used with stratified estimation to increase the precision of estimates, although the increase is...

Pacific Telecommunications Council Annual Conference Proceedings (15th, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 17-20, 1993). Volumes I and II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, James G., Ed.; Wedemeyer, Dan J., Ed.

This two-volume set contains 165 papers presented at a conference that brought together over 1,100 telecommunications leaders and leading commentators from over 40 countries across the Pacific region. The papers indicate that the optimism of the telecommunications industry is possibly greater than during the 1980s, although tempered by a more…

How popular is waterpipe tobacco smoking? Findings from internet search queries

PubMed Central

Salloum, Ramzi G; Osman, Amira; Maziak, Wasim; Thrasher, James F

2015-01-01

Objectives Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS), a traditional tobacco consumption practice in the Middle East, is gaining popularity worldwide. Estimates of population-level interest in WTS over time are not documented. We assessed the popularity of WTS using World Wide Web search query results across four English-speaking countries. Methods We analysed trends in Google search queries related to WTS, comparing these trends with those for electronic cigarettes between 2004 and 2013 in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. Weekly search volumes were reported as percentages relative to the week with the highest volume of searches. Results Web-based searches for WTS have increased steadily since 2004 in all four countries. Search volume for WTS was higher than for e-cigarettes in three of the four nations, with the highest volume in the USA. Online searches were primarily targeted at WTS products for home use, followed by searches for WTS cafés/lounges. Conclusions Online demand for information on WTS-related products and venues is large and increasing. Given the rise in WTS popularity, increasing evidence of exposure-related harms, and relatively lax government regulation, WTS is a serious public health concern and could reach epidemic levels in Western societies. PMID:25052859

Better vaccines for healthier life. Part II. Conference report of the DCVMN International 14th Annual General Meeting Hanoi, Vietnam.

PubMed

Pagliusi, Sonia; Tippoo, Patrick; Sivaramakrishnan, Venkatraman; Nguyen, Thuvan

2014-11-12

New vaccines are required to meet the public health challenges of the next generation and many unmet global health needs can be addressed by developing countries vaccine manufacturers such as lower-cost vaccines based on single-dose, thermostable formulations, efficacious in children with compromised gastrointestinal tracts. GMP compliance is also a challenge, as sometimes innovation and clinical development focus is not accompanied by command of scale-up and quality assurance for large volume manufacturing and supply. Identifying and addressing such challenges, beyond cost and cold-chain space, including safety considerations and health worker behavior, regulatory alliances and harmonization to foster access to vaccines, will help countries to ensure sustainable immunization. There needs to be continuous and close management of the global vaccine supply both at national and international levels, requiring careful risk management, coordination and cooperation with manufacturers. Successful partnership models based on sharing a common goal, mutual respect and good communication were discussed among stakeholders. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Challenges in Improving Cochlear Implant Performance and Accessibility.

PubMed

Zeng, Fan-Gang

2017-08-01

Here I identify two gaps in cochlear implants that have been limiting their performance and acceptance. First, cochlear implant performance has remained largely unchanged, despite the number of publications tripling per decade in the last 30 years. Little has been done so far to address a fundamental limitation in the electrode-to-neuron interface, with the electrode size being a thousand times larger than the neuron diameter while the number of electrodes being a thousand times less. Both the small number and the large size of electrodes produce broad spatial activation and poor frequency resolution that limit current cochlear implant performance. Second, a similarly rapid growth in cochlear implant volume has not produced an expected decrease in unit price in the same period. The high cost contributes to low market penetration rate, which is about 20% in developed countries and less than 1% in developing countries. I will discuss changes needed in both research strategy and business practice to close the gap between prosthetic and normal hearing as well as that between haves and have-nots.

Electronic waste (e-waste): material flows and management practices in Nigeria.

PubMed

Nnorom, Innocent Chidi; Osibanjo, Oladele

2008-01-01

The growth in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) production and consumption has been exponential in the last two decades. This has been as a result of the rapid changes in equipment features and capabilities, decrease in prices, and the growth in internet use. This creates a large volume of waste stream of obsolete electrical and electronic devices (e-waste) in developed countries. There is high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as secondhand electronic equipment into developing countries in an attempt to bridge the 'digital divide'. The past decade has witnessed a phenomenal advancement in information and communication technology (ICT) in Nigeria, most of which rely on imported secondhand devices. This paper attempts to review the material flow of secondhand/scrap electronic devices into Nigeria, the current management practices for e-waste and the environmental and health implications of such low-end management practices. Establishment of formal recycling facilities, introduction of legislation dealing specifically with e-waste and the confirmation of the functionality of secondhand EEE prior to importation are some of the options available to the government in dealing with this difficult issue.

Enhancing medicine price transparency through price information mechanisms

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Medicine price information mechanisms provide an essential tool to countries that seek a better understanding of product availability, market prices and price compositions of individual medicines. To be effective and contribute to cost savings, these mechanisms need to consider prices in their particular contexts when comparing between countries. This article discusses in what ways medicine price information mechanisms can contribute to increased price transparency and how this may affect access to medicines for developing countries. Methods We used data collected during the course of a WHO project focusing on the development of a vaccine price and procurement information mechanism. The project collected information from six medicine price information mechanisms and interviewed data managers and technical experts on key aspects as well as observed market effects of these mechanisms. The reviewed mechanisms were broken down into categories including objective and target audience, as well as the sources, types and volumes of data included. Information provided by the mechanisms was reviewed according to data available on medicine prices, product characteristics, and procurement modalities. Results We found indications of positive effects on access to medicines resulting from the utilization of the reviewed mechanisms. These include the uptake of higher quality medicines, more favorable results from contract negotiations, changes in national pricing policies, and the decrease of prices in certain segments for countries participating in or deriving data from the various mechanisms. Conclusion The reviewed mechanisms avoid the methodological challenges observed for medicine price comparisons that only use national price databases. They work with high quality data and display prices in the appropriate context of procurement modalities as well as the peculiarities of purchasing countries. Medicine price information mechanisms respond to the need for increased medicine price transparency and have the potential to contribute to improved access to medicines in developing countries. Additional research is required to explore more specific aspects. These include the market effects of dedicated donor funds for certain medicines to explain the driving force of user demands, and the effects of increased price transparency on different groups of medicines in context of the maturity of their markets. PMID:24885767

Enhancing medicine price transparency through price information mechanisms.

PubMed

Hinsch, Michael; Kaddar, Miloud; Schmitt, Sarah

2014-05-08

Medicine price information mechanisms provide an essential tool to countries that seek a better understanding of product availability, market prices and price compositions of individual medicines. To be effective and contribute to cost savings, these mechanisms need to consider prices in their particular contexts when comparing between countries. This article discusses in what ways medicine price information mechanisms can contribute to increased price transparency and how this may affect access to medicines for developing countries. We used data collected during the course of a WHO project focusing on the development of a vaccine price and procurement information mechanism. The project collected information from six medicine price information mechanisms and interviewed data managers and technical experts on key aspects as well as observed market effects of these mechanisms.The reviewed mechanisms were broken down into categories including objective and target audience, as well as the sources, types and volumes of data included. Information provided by the mechanisms was reviewed according to data available on medicine prices, product characteristics, and procurement modalities. We found indications of positive effects on access to medicines resulting from the utilization of the reviewed mechanisms. These include the uptake of higher quality medicines, more favorable results from contract negotiations, changes in national pricing policies, and the decrease of prices in certain segments for countries participating in or deriving data from the various mechanisms. The reviewed mechanisms avoid the methodological challenges observed for medicine price comparisons that only use national price databases. They work with high quality data and display prices in the appropriate context of procurement modalities as well as the peculiarities of purchasing countries. Medicine price information mechanisms respond to the need for increased medicine price transparency and have the potential to contribute to improved access to medicines in developing countries.Additional research is required to explore more specific aspects. These include the market effects of dedicated donor funds for certain medicines to explain the driving force of user demands, and the effects of increased price transparency on different groups of medicines in context of the maturity of their markets.

Suicide rates and information seeking via search engines: A cross-national correlational approach.

PubMed

Arendt, Florian

2018-09-01

The volume of Google searches for suicide-related terms is positively associated with suicide rates, but previous studies used data from specific, restricted geographical contexts, thus, limiting the generalizability of this finding. We investigated the correlation between suicide-related search volume and suicide rates of 50 nations from five continents. We found a positive correlation between suicide rates and search volume, even after controlling for the level of industrialization. Results give credence to the global existence of a correlation. However, the reason why suicide-related search volume is higher in countries with higher suicide rates is still unclear and up to future research.

Evaluation of Resources Necessary for Provision of Trauma Care in Botswana: An Initiative for a Local System.

PubMed

Mwandri, Michael B; Hardcastle, Timothy C

2018-06-01

Developing countries face the highest incidence of trauma, and on the other hand, they do not have resources for mitigating the scourge of these injuries. The World Health Organization through the Essential Trauma Care (ETC) project provides recommendations for improving management of the injured and building up of systems that are effective in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). This study uses ETC project recommendations and other trauma-care guidelines to evaluate the current status of the resources and organizational structures necessary for optimal trauma care in Botswana; an African country with relatively good health facilities network, subsidized public hospital care and a functioning Motor Vehicle Accident fund covering road traffic collision victims. A cross-sectional descriptive design employed convenience sampling for recruiting high-volume trauma hospitals and selecting candidates. A questionnaire, checklist, and physical verification of resources were utilized to evaluate resources, staff knowledge, and organization-of-care and hospital capabilities. Results are provided in plain descriptive language to demonstrate the findings. Necessary consumables, good infrastructure, adequate numbers of personnel and rehabilitation services were identified all meeting or exceeding ETC recommendations. Deficiencies were noted in staff knowledge of initial trauma care, district hospital capability to provide essential surgery, and the organization of trauma care. The good level of resources available in Botswana may be used to improve trauma care: To further this process, more empowering of high-volume trauma hospitals by adopting trauma-care recommendations and inclusive trauma-system approaches are desirable. The use of successful examples on enhanced surgical skills and capabilities, effective trauma-care resource management, and leadership should be encouraged.

Laparoscopic Versus Open Cholecystectomy: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis at Rwanda Military Hospital.

PubMed

Silverstein, Allison; Costas-Chavarri, Ainhoa; Gakwaya, Mussa R; Lule, Joseph; Mukhopadhyay, Swagoto; Meara, John G; Shrime, Mark G

2017-05-01

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is first-line treatment for uncomplicated gallstone disease in high-income countries due to benefits such as shorter hospital stays, reduced morbidity, more rapid return to work, and lower mortality as well-being considered cost-effective. However, there persists a lack of uptake in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, there is a need to evaluate laparoscopic cholecystectomy in comparison with an open approach in these settings. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to evaluate laparoscopic and open cholecystectomies at Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH), a tertiary care referral hospital in Rwanda. Sensitivity and threshold analyses were performed to determine the robustness of the results. The laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy costs and effectiveness values were $2664.47 with 0.87 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and $2058.72 with 0.75 QALYs, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for laparoscopic over open cholecystectomy was $4946.18. Results are sensitive to the initial laparoscopic equipment investment and number of cases performed annually but robust to other parameters. The laparoscopic intervention is more cost-effective with investment costs less than $91,979, greater than 65 cases annually, or at willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds greater than $3975/QALY. At RMH, while laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be a more effective approach, it is also more expensive given the low caseload and high investment costs. At commonly accepted WTP thresholds, it is not cost-effective. However, as investment costs decrease and/or case volume increases, the laparoscopic approach may become favorable. Countries and hospitals should aspire to develop innovative, low-cost options in high volume to combat these barriers and provide laparoscopic surgery.

Application of the Price-Volume Approach in Cases of Innovative Drugs Where Value-Based Pricing is Inadequate: Description of Real Experiences in Italy.

PubMed

Messori, Andrea

2016-08-01

Several cases of expensive drugs designed for large patient populations (e.g. sofosbuvir) have raised a complex question in terms of drug pricing. Even assuming value-based pricing, the treatment with these drugs of all eligible patients would have an immense budgetary impact, which is unsustainable also for the richest countries. This raises the need to reduce the prices of these agents in comparison with those suggested by the value-based approach and to devise new pricing methods that can achieve this goal. The present study discusses in detail the following two methods: (i) The approach based on setting nation-wide budget thresholds for individual innovative agents in which a fixed proportion of the historical pharmaceutical expenditure represents the maximum budget attributable to an innovative treatment; (ii) The approach based on nation-wide price-volume agreements in which drug prices are progressively reduced as more patients receive the treatment. The first approach has been developed in the USA by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review and has been applied to PCSK9 inhibitors (alirocumab and evolocumab). The second approach has been designed for the Italian market and has found a systematic application to manage the price of ranibizumab, sofosbuvir, and PCSK9 inhibitors. While, in the past, price-volume agreements have been applied only on an empirical basis (i.e. in the absence of any quantitative theoretical rule), more recently some explicit mathematical models have been described. The performance of these models is now being evaluated on the basis of the real-world experiences conducted in some European countries, especially Italy.

Prevalence of renal uric acid stones in the adult.

PubMed

Trinchieri, Alberto; Montanari, Emanuele

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to estimate uric acid renal stone prevalence rates of adults in different countries of the world. PubMed was searched for papers dealing with "urinary calculi and prevalence or composition" for the period from January 1996 to June 2016. Alternative searches were made to collect further information on specific topics. The prevalence rate of uric acid stones was computed by the general renal stone prevalence rate and the frequency of uric acid stones in each country. After the initial search, 2180 papers were extracted. Out of them, 79 papers were selected after the reading of the titles and of the abstracts. For ten countries, papers relating to both the renal stone prevalence in the general population and the frequency of uric stones were available. Additional search produced 13 papers that completed information on 11 more countries in 5 continents. Estimated prevalence rate of uric acid stones was >0.75% in Thailand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, South Africa (white population), United States and Australia; ranged 0.50-0.75% in Turkey, Israel, Italy, India (Southern), Spain, Taiwan, Germany, Brazil; and <0.50% in Tunisia, China, Korea, Japan, Caribe, South Africa (blacks), India (Northern). Climate and diet are major determinants of uric acid stone formation. A hot and dry climate increases fluid losses reducing urinary volume and urinary pH. A diet rich in meat protein causes low urinary pH and increased uric acid excretion. On the other hand, uric acid stone formation is frequently associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes type 2 that are linked to dietary energy excess mainly from carbohydrate and saturated fat and also present with low urine pH values. An epidemic of uric acid stone formation could be if current nutritional trends will be maintained both in developed countries and in developing countries and the areas of greater climatic risk for the formation of uric acid stones will enlarge as result of the "global warming".

The Impact of a Potential Shale Gas Development in Germany and the United Kingdom on Pollutant and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weger, L.; Cremonese, L.; Bartels, M. P.; Butler, T. M.

2016-12-01

Several European countries with domestic shale gas reserves are considering extracting this natural gas resource to complement their energy transition agenda. Natural gas, which produces lower CO2 emissions upon combustion compared to coal or oil, has the potential to serve as a bridge in the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. However, the generation of shale gas leads to emissions of CH4 and pollutants such as PM, NOx and VOCs, which in turn impact climate as well as local and regional air quality. In this study, we explore the impact of a potential shale gas development in Europe, specifically in Germany and the United Kingdom, on emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants. In order to investigate the effect on emissions, we first estimate a range of wells drilled per year and production volume for the two countries under examination based on available geological information and on regional infrastructural and economic limitations. Subsequently we assign activity data and emissions factors to the well development, gas production and processing stages of shale gas generation to enable emissions quantification. We then define emissions scenarios to explore different storylines of potential shale gas development, including low emissions (high level of regulation), high emissions (low level of regulation) and middle emissions scenarios, which influence fleet make-up, emission factor and activity data choices for emissions quantification. The aim of this work is to highlight important variables and their ranges, to promote discussion and communication of potential impacts, and to construct possible visions for a future shale gas development in the two study countries. In a follow-up study, the impact of pollutant emissions from these scenarios on air quality will be explored using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry (WRF-Chem) model.

Foreign workers in OECD countries: the social and economic consequences.

PubMed

Owen, M; Schnare, A B

1985-01-01

Recent trends in the migration of foreign workers to the capitalist countries of Europe are analyzed. The paper begins with an estimate of the volume of this migration and an analysis of migrant characteristics. Consideration is given to migrant settlement patterns, jobs, and living standards. The costs and benefits of temporary labor migration are assessed for both sending and receiving countries; and the authors note that these are social as well as economic in nature. The paper concludes with a review of the relevant policy issues.

Forest statistics for eastern Oregon and eastern Washington from inventory phase of forest survey

Treesearch

R.W. Cowlin; F.L. Moravets

1938-01-01

The forest survey, a Nation-wide project authorized by Congress in 1928, consists of a complete and detailed investigation of the country's present and future forest resources in five major parts: (1) an inventory of the country's existing forest resources in terms of areas occupied by forest-cover types and of timber volumes, by species, in board feet and...

Estimating antimalarial drugs consumption in Africa before the switch to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs).

PubMed

Kindermans, Jean-Marie; Vandenbergh, Daniel; Vreeke, Ed; Olliaro, Piero; D'Altilia, Jean-Pierre

2007-07-10

Having reliable forecasts is critical now for producers, malaria-endemic countries and agencies in order to adapt production and procurement of the artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACTs), the new first-line treatments of malaria. There is no ideal method to quantify drug requirements for malaria. Morbidity data give uncertain estimations. This study uses drug consumption to provide elements to help estimate quantities and financial requirements of ACTs. The consumption of chloroquine, sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine and quinine both through the private and public sector was assessed in five sub-Saharan Africa countries with different epidemiological patterns (Senegal, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe). From these data the number of adult treatments per capita was calculated and the volumes and financial implications derived for the whole of Africa. Identifying and obtaining data from the private sector was difficult. The quality of information on drug supply and distribution in countries must be improved. The number of adult treatments per capita and per year in the five countries ranged from 0.18 to 0.50. Current adult treatment prices for ACTs range US$ 1-1.8. Taking the upper range for both volumes and costs, the highest number of adult treatments consumed for Africa was estimated at 314.5 million, corresponding to an overall maximum annual need for financing ACT procurement of US$ 566.1 million. In reality, both the number of cases treated and the cost of treatment are likely to be lower (projections for the lowest consumption estimate with the least expensive ACT would require US $ 113 million per annum). There were substantial variations in the market share between public and private sources among these countries (the public sector share ranging from 98% in Rwanda to 33% in Tanzania). Additional studies are required to build a more robust methodology, and to assess current consumptions more accurately in order to better quantify volumes and finances for production and procurement of ACTs.

Fifty years of IMOG (International Meetings on Organic Geochemistry)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kvenvolden, Keith A.

2012-01-01

IMOG2011 is the 25th of a series of international meetings on organic geochemistry that began in 1962. Thus, this 25th meeting marks the 50th anniversary year of IMOG, which has (a) had a rich history with meetings taking place in 11 different countries, (b) published Proceedings, titled “Advances in Organic Geochemistry,” from each meeting that now number 24 volumes totaling almost 18,000 pages, and (c) documented the content and development of the science of organic geochemistry. IMOG2011 adds a new milestone to the progress of organic geochemistry through time.

PROCEEDINGS: 1991 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MUNICIPAL WASTE COMBUSTION - VOLUME 2. SESSIONS 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 7A, 7B, 8A, 8B, AND 9B

EPA Science Inventory

The three-volumes document 82 presentations by authors from 15 countries at the Second International Conference on Municipal Waste Combustion (MWC) in Tampa, Florida, April 16-19, 1991. The Conference fostered the exchange of current information on research concerning MWC, ash di...

PROCEEDINGS: 1991 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MUNICIPAL WASTE COMBUSTION - VOLUME 3. SESSIONS 1C, 2C, 3C 4C, 6C, 7C, 8C, 9A, AND 10A/C

EPA Science Inventory

The three-volumes document 82 presentations by authors from 15 countries at the Second International Conference on Municipal Waste Combustion (MWC) in Tampa, Florida, April 16-19, 1991. The Conference fostered the exchange of current information on research concerning MWC, ash di...

PROCEEDINGS: 1991 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MUNICIPAL WASTE COMBUSTION - VOLUME 1. SESSIONS P, 0, 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 6A, 6B, 9C, AND 10B

EPA Science Inventory

The three-volumes document 82 presentations by authors from 15 countries at the Second International Conference on Municipal Waste Combustion (MWC) in Tampa, Florida, April 16-19, 1991. The Conference fostered the exchange of current information on research concerning MWC, ash di...

PROCEEDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ORAL EDUCATION OF THE DEAF. VOLUME I. (WASHINGTON, D.C., NOVEMBER 1, 1967).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, Inc., Washington, DC.

THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ORAL EDUCATION OF THE DEAF ARE THE WRITTEN RECORD OF A CONFERENCE HELD AT CLARKE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND LEXINGTON SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF IN JUNE 1967. VOLUME I CONTAINS THE PAPERS FROM FIVE PLENARY SESSIONS AND SEVERAL SECTIONAL MEETINGS PRESENTED BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM 16 COUNTRIES. SUBJECTS…

The Olympic Spirit: A Worldwide Connection, Volume III, 1994-95 Curriculum Guide. Olympic Day in the Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, GA.

This curriculum guide focuses on cultural awareness for students in grades K-8 through studying participants in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The program explores the cultures of 20 countries through the eyes of an Olympic athlete. Volume 3 consists of two parts. Part 1 has five chapters with learning activities; those chapters include: (1)…

The Olympic Spirit: A Worldwide Connection, Volume II, 1993-94 Curriculum Guide. Olympic Day in the Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, GA.

This curriculum guide focuses on cultural awareness for students in grades K-8 through studying participants in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta (Georgia). The program explores the cultures of 20 countries through the eyes of an Olympic athlete. Volume 2 consists of two parts. Part 1 has five chapters with learning activities; those chapters…

Assessment of the safety of aquatic animal commodities for international trade: the OIE Aquatic Animal Health code.

PubMed

Oidtmann, B; Johnston, C; Klotins, K; Mylrea, G; Van, P T; Cabot, S; Martin, P Rosado; Ababouch, L; Berthe, F

2013-02-01

Trading of aquatic animals and aquatic animal products has become increasingly globalized during the last couple of decades. This commodity trade has increased the risk for the spread of aquatic animal pathogens. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is recognized as the international standard-setting organization for measures relating to international trade in animals and animal products. In this role, OIE has developed the Aquatic Animal Health Code, which provides health measures to be used by competent authorities of importing and exporting countries to avoid the transfer of agents pathogenic for animals or humans, whilst avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers. An OIE ad hoc group developed criteria for assessing the safety of aquatic animals or aquatic animal products for any purpose from a country, zone or compartment not declared free from a given disease 'X'. The criteria were based on the absence of the pathogenic agent in the traded commodity or inactivation of the pathogenic agent by the commercial processing used to produce the commodity. The group also developed criteria to assess the safety of aquatic animals or aquatic animal products for retail trade for human consumption from potentially infected areas. Such commodities were assessed considering the form and presentation of the product, the expected volume of waste tissues generated by the consumer and the likely presence of viable pathogenic agent in the waste. The ad hoc group applied the criteria to commodities listed in the individual disease chapters of the Aquatic Animal Health Code (2008 edition). Revised lists of commodities for which no additional measures should be required by the importing countries regardless of the status for disease X of the exporting country were developed and adopted by the OIE World Assembly of Delegates in May 2011. The rationale of the criteria and their application will be explained and demonstrated using examples. © 2012 Crown Copyright. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office and Cefas, Aquatic Animal Disease Group.

Does governance play a role in the distribution of invasive alien species?

PubMed

Evans, Thomas; Zu Ermgassen, Philine; Amano, Tatsuya; Peh, Kelvin S-H

2018-02-01

Invasive alien species (IAS) constitute a major threat to global biological diversity. In order to control their spread, a detailed understanding of the factors influencing their distribution is essential. Although international trade is regarded as a major force structuring spatial patterns of IAS, the role of other social factors remains unclear. Despite studies highlighting the importance of strong governance in slowing drivers of biodiversity loss such as logging, deforestation, and agricultural intensification, no study has yet analyzed its contribution to the issue of IAS. Using estimates of governance quality and comprehensive spatiotemporal IAS data, we performed multiple linear regressions to investigate the effect of governance quality upon the distribution of species listed under "100 of the worst" IAS in 38 Eurasian countries as defined by DASIE. Our model suggested that for countries with higher GDP, stronger governance was associated with a greater number of the worst IAS; in contrast, for the lowest GDP countries under analysis, stronger governance was associated with fewer of these IAS. We elucidate how the quality of governance within a country has implications for trade, tourism, transport, legislation, and economic development, all of which influence the spread of IAS. While our findings support the common assumption that strengthening governance benefits conservation interventions in countries of smaller economy, we find that this effect is not universal. Stronger governance alone cannot adequately address the problem of IAS, and targeted action is required in relatively high-GDP countries in order to stem the influx of IAS associated with high volumes of trade.

Mechanism of Action and Toxicities of Purgatives Used for Colonoscopy Preparation

PubMed Central

Adamcewicz, Margaret; Bearelly, Dilip; Porat, Gail; Friedenberg, Frank K.

2011-01-01

Importance of the field In developed countries colonoscopy volume has increased dramatically over the past 15 years and is the principle method used to screen for colon cancer. Preparations used for colon cleaning have evolved over the past 30 years. Some preparations have been shown to be unsafe and are now used on a limited basis. There has been progress on limiting the volume required and on taste improvement. Areas covered in this review This review provides an account of preparations used from 1980 when polyethylene glycol-based preparations became widely available, until the present day. The review highlights their mechanism of action and principle toxicities. The handling of solutes and solute-free fluid by the colon is also reviewed. What the reader will gain The reader will gain a perspective on the factors considered in developing colonic purgatives and the rationale for choosing selected preparations based on patient factors such as age, co-morbidities, and concomitant medications. Take home message Although generally safe and effective, colonic purgatives have both acute and permanent toxicities. The safest preparations utilize polyethylene glycol combined with a balanced electrolyte solution. Limitations of this preparation center on the volume required and poor taste. Alternative formulations are now available; however those using sodium phosphate have fallen out of favor due to a risk of renal toxicity. PMID:21162694

Surgical volume and postoperative mortality rate at a referral hospital in Western Uganda: Measuring the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery indicators in low-resource settings.

PubMed

Anderson, Geoffrey A; Ilcisin, Lenka; Abesiga, Lenard; Mayanja, Ronald; Portal Benetiz, Noralis; Ngonzi, Joseph; Kayima, Peter; Shrime, Mark G

2017-06-01

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery recommends that every country report its surgical volume and postoperative mortality rate. Little is known, however, about the numbers of operations performed and the associated postoperative mortality rate in low-income countries or how to best collect these data. For one month, every patient who underwent an operation at a referral hospital in western Uganda was observed. These patients and their outcomes were followed until discharge. Prospective data were compared with data obtained from logbooks and patient charts to determine the validity of using retrospective methods for collecting these metrics. Surgical volume at this regional hospital in Uganda is 8,515 operations/y, compared to 4,000 operations/y reported in the only other published data. The postoperative mortality rate at this hospital is 2.4%, similar to other hospitals in low-income countries. Finding patient files in the medical records department was time consuming and yielded only 62% of the files. Furthermore, a comparison of missing versus found charts revealed that the missing charts were significantly different from the found charts. Logbooks, on the other hand, captured 99% of the operations and 94% of the deaths. Our results describe a simple, reproducible, accurate, and inexpensive method for collection of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery variables using logbooks that already exist in most hospitals in low-income countries. While some have suggested using risk-adjusted postoperative mortality rate as a more equitable variable, our data suggest that only a limited amount of risk adjustment is possible given the limited available data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of self-reported signs of facial ageing among Caucasian women in Australia versus those in the USA, the UK and Canada.

PubMed

Goodman, Greg J; Armour, Katherine S; Kolodziejczyk, Julia K; Santangelo, Samantha; Gallagher, Conor J

2018-05-01

Australians are more exposed to higher solar UV radiation levels that accelerate signs of facial ageing than individuals who live in temperate northern countries. The severity and course of self-reported facial ageing among fair-skinned Australian women were compared with those living in Canada, the UK and the USA. Women voluntarily recruited into a proprietary opt-in survey panel completed an internet-based questionnaire about their facial ageing. Participants aged 18-75 years compared their features against photonumeric rating scales depicting degrees of severity for forehead, crow's feet and glabellar lines, tear troughs, midface volume loss, nasolabial folds, oral commissures and perioral lines. Data from Caucasian and Asian women with Fitzpatrick skin types I-III were analysed by linear regression for the impact of country (Australia versus Canada, the UK and the USA) on ageing severity for each feature, after controlling for age and race. Among 1472 women, Australians reported higher rates of change and significantly more severe facial lines (P ≤ 0.040) and volume-related features like tear troughs and nasolabial folds (P ≤ 0.03) than women from the other countries. More Australians also reported moderate to severe ageing for all features one to two decades earlier than US women. Australian women reported more severe signs of facial ageing sooner than other women and volume-related changes up to 20 years earlier than those in the USA, which may suggest that environmental factors also impact volume-related ageing. These findings have implications for managing their facial aesthetic concerns. © 2017 The Authors. Australasian Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Factors influencing global antiretroviral procurement prices

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) are one of the most costly parts of HIV/AIDS treatment. Many countries are struggling to provide universal access to ARVs for all people living with HIV and AIDS. Although substantial price reductions of ARVs have occurred, especially between 2002 and 2008, achieving sustainable access for the next several decades remains a major challenge for most low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of the present study were twofold: first, to analyze global ARV prices between 2005 and 2008 and associated factors, particularly procurement methods and key donor policies on ARV procurement efficiency; second, to discuss the options of procurement processes and policies that should be considered when implementing or reforming access to ARV programs. Methods An ARV-medicines price-analysis was carried out using the Global Price Reporting Mechanism from the World Health Organization. For a selection of 12 ARVs, global median prices and price variation were calculated. Linear regression models for each ARV were used to identify factors that were associated with lower procurement prices. Logistic regression models were used to identify the characteristics of those countries which procure below the highest and lowest direct manufactured costs. Results Three key factors appear to have an influence on a country's ARV prices: (a) whether the product is generic or not; (b) the socioeconomic status of the country; (c) whether the country is a member of the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative. Factors which did not influence procurement below the highest direct manufactured costs were HIV prevalence, procurement volume, whether the country belongs to the least developed countries or a focus country of the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. Conclusion One of the principal mechanisms that can help to lower prices for ARV over the next several decades is increasing procurement efficiency. Benchmarking prices could be one useful tool to achieve this. PMID:19922690

Protecting children from toxic chemicals: putting it on Australia's public health agenda.

PubMed

Lantz, Sarah

2013-11-01

The high volume and widespread use of industrial chemicals, the backlog of internationally untested chemicals, the uptake of synthetic chemicals found in babies in utero, cord blood, and in breast milk, and the lack of a unified and comprehensive regulatory framework all necessitate developing policies that protect the most vulnerable in our society - our children. Australia's failure to do so raises profound intergenerational ethical issues. This article tells a story of international policy, and where Australia is falling down. It demonstrates that we can learn from countries already taking critical steps to reduce the toxic chemical exposure, and that the development of a comprehensive, child-centered chemical regulation framework is central to turning around Australia's failure.

Systematic Evaluation of Desmopressin Applied to the Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage in the light of the Literature.

PubMed

Karaarslan, Numan; Yilmaz, Ibrahim; Akgun, Feride Sinem; Caliskan, Tezcan; Ozbek, Hanefi; Ates, Ozkan

2018-04-09

This study discusses the management of patients with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), developed after subarachnoid hemorrhage, in a comparative manner in light of the literature. Without country or language restrictions, articles with high evidential value found in electronic databases were compared to our patients' data. After the literature review, three articles were included for systematic evaluation. Desmopressin was applied to the patients for the treatment of hyponatremia, volume contraction, and negative sodium balance caused by SIADH. However, it was not used for preventing re-bleeding. To prevent the development of this complication (SIADH), the use of desmopressin, an analogue of vasopressin, is important in routine clinical practice.

Spotlight: Health Newsmakers

MedlinePlus

... and it overlooks our country's tradition of medical innovation." President Obama chose former Senate Majority Leader Tom ... our people and maintaining America's economic edge through innovation." Winter 2009 Issue: Volume 4 Number 1 Page ...

Perioperative patient safety indicators and hospital surgical volumes.

PubMed

Kitazawa, Takefumi; Matsumoto, Kunichika; Fujita, Shigeru; Yoshida, Ai; Iida, Shuhei; Nishizawa, Hirotoshi; Hasegawa, Tomonori

2014-02-28

Since the late 1990s, patient safety has been an important policy issue in developed countries. To evaluate the effectiveness of the activities of patient safety, it is necessary to quantitatively assess the incidence of adverse events by types of failure mode using tangible data. The purpose of this study is to calculate patient safety indicators (PSIs) using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination/per-diem payment system (DPC/PDPS) reimbursement data and to elucidate the relationship between perioperative PSIs and hospital surgical volume. DPC/PDPS data of the Medi-Target project managed by the All Japan Hospital Association were used. An observational study was conducted where PSIs were calculated using an algorithm proposed by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. We analyzed data of 1,383,872 patients from 188 hospitals who were discharged from January 2008 to December 2010. Among 20 provider level PSIs, four PSIs (three perioperative PSIs and decubitus ulcer) and mortality rates of postoperative patients were related to surgical volume. Low-volume hospitals (less than 33rd percentiles surgical volume per month) had higher mortality rates (5.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.9% to 7.4%) than mid- (2.9%, 95% CI, 2.6% to 3.3%) or high-volume hospitals (2.7%, 95% CI, 2.5% to 2.9%). Low-volume hospitals had more deaths among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications (38.5%, 95% CI, 33.7% to 43.2%) than high-volume hospitals (21.4%, 95% CI, 19.0% to 23.9%). Also Low-volume hospitals had lower proportion of difficult surgeries (54.9%, 95% CI, 50.1% to 59.8%) compared with high-volume hospitals (63.4%, 95% CI, 62.3% to 64.6%). In low-volume hospitals, limited experience may have led to insufficient care for postoperative complications. We demonstrated that PSIs can be calculated using DPC/PDPS data and perioperative PSIs were related to hospital surgical volume. Further investigations focusing on identifying risk factors for poor PSIs and effective support to these hospitals are needed.

The DTIC Review. Volume 5, Number 4. Homeland Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-07-01

proliferated enormously in recent years. Approximately 19 nations currently produce cruise missiles of some type , while more than 75 countries possess them... types are deployed in 81 different countries. 14. http://www.ceip.org/programs/npp/cruise4.htm. 15. The United States Commission on National Security...MD WASHINGTON DC NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS DIV Biological Warfare Improved Defense Program Response Decision Tree Workshop, 29-30

The German Skills Machine: Sustaining Comparative Advantage in a Global Economy. Policies and Institutions: Germany, Europe, and Transatlantic Relations, Volume 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culpepper, Pepper D., Ed.; Finegold, David, Ed.

This book examines the effectiveness and distributive ramifications of the institutions of German skill provision as they functioned at home in the 1990s and as they served as a template for reform in other industrialized countries. The volume relies on multiple sources of data, including in-firm case studies, larger-scale surveys of companies,…

Geography library of Test Items. Volume Seven: A Selection of Test Items to Accompany the Resource Kit: Rice Growing & Rice Milling in South-Western New South Wales.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kouimanos, John, Ed.

Accompanying a multimedia resource unit on aspects of rice growing, volume eight of the geography collection includes a section introducing terminology, a viewing guide to the filmstrips and unit test items. Rice farming and marketing in Australia and growing methods in several countries are presented with regional studies in southeast Australia.…

Health technology assessment in four countries: response from political science.

PubMed

Chinitz, David

2004-01-01

Four studies, each on health technology assessment (HTA) in a different country, are presented in this volume. Conveying differing levels of sensitivity to political aspects of HTA, their storylines are similar in terms of the importance of the institutional structures that produce HTA and mediate its influence on health policy decision making. Regarding the internal politics of HTA, the latter appears to have developed in a relatively depoliticized environment, supported by a dense and varied web of institutional sites for funding, production, and consumption of HTA, buffered from the capricious impacts of electoral politics. Regarding external politics, HTA in all the countries began with relatively politically innocuous studies of technologies recognized to be of major import to national health systems or researcher-initiated studies. However, with increased focus in health systems on explicit determination of health benefits baskets, the role of HTA has become more high profile. This means that political accountability for the entire HTA process will increase. The implication is that future management of HTA programs will require self-conscious attention to the building of institutions capable of handling the delicate process of integrating science and politics in health policy.

The provision of surgical care by international organizations in developing countries: a preliminary report.

PubMed

McQueen, K A Kelly; Hyder, Joseph A; Taira, Breena R; Semer, Nadine; Burkle, Frederick M; Casey, Kathleen M

2010-03-01

Emerging data demonstrate that a large fraction of the global burden of disease is amenable to surgical intervention. There is a paucity of data related to delivery of surgical care in low- and middle-income countries, and no aggregate data describe the efforts of international organizations to provide surgical care in these settings. This study was designed to describe the roles and practices of international organizations delivering surgical care in developing nations with regard to surgical types and volume, outcomes tracking, and degree of integration with local health systems. Between October 2008 and December 2008, an Internet-based confidential questionnaire was distributed to 99 international organizations providing humanitarian surgical care to determine their size, scope, involvement in surgical data collection, and integration into local systems. Forty-six international organizations responded (response rate 46%). Findings reveal that a majority of organizations that provide surgery track numbers of cases performed and immediate outcomes, such as mortality. In general, these groups have mechanisms in place to track volume and outcomes, provide for postintervention follow-up, are committed to providing education, and work in conjunction with local health organizations and providers. Whereas most organizations surveyed provided fewer than 500 surgical procedures annually, more than half had the capacity to provide emergency services. In addition, a great diversity of specialized surgical care was provided, including obstetrics, orthopedic, plastic, and ophthalmologic surgery. International organizations providing surgical services are diverse in size and breadth of surgical services provided yet, with consistency, provide rudimentary analysis, postoperative follow-up care, and both education and integration of health services at the local level. The role of international organizations in the delivery of surgery is an important index, worthy of further evaluation.

Identification and production of local carotene-rich foods to combat vitamin A malnutrition.

PubMed

Solomons, N W; Bulux, J

1997-11-01

To address, with respect to improvement of human vitamin A status by dietary approaches, the three theoretical postulates that: 1) the most practical and economical manner to increase the amount of dietary vitamin A available to low-income persons in low-income nations is through plant sources of provitamin A carotenoids; 2) there will be constraints and limitation to the efficiency of a given intervention approach related to behavioural, cultural, biological and botanical considerations; and 3) the nature of these constraints and limitations must be understood, and then overcome where possible, to maximize the impact of such interventions on the vitamin A status of developing country populations. We review how local plant sources of provitamin A that would be acceptable for the at-risk populations and outline six settings and scenarios for the processing of carotene-rich foods: 1) cooking for hygiene; 2) long-term preservation; 3) compacting to reduce volume; 4) formulation for specific consumers; 5) improving bioavailability and bioconversion; and 6) to increase 'value added' in commerce. We describe our experiences in Guatemala (with sweet potato flakes), and those of others in the Caribbean, the African Sahel, and East Africa (with solar-drying for preservation of a variety of plants), and in Sri Lanka (with leaf concentrates) in promoting increased carotene-rich food intake, and the lessons learned from their evaluations. This overall approach to combatting endemic hypovitaminosis A in developing countries is evaluated within the constraints of: 1) the volumes of plant-based foods required to satisfy vitamin A requirements; and 2) the controversy over the true bioconversion efficiency of provitamin A from plant sources into the biologically-available active vitamin.

Validating alcohol use measures among male Drinkers in Goa: Implications for research on alcohol, sexual risk, and HIV in India

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Thomas K.; Nayak, Madhabika B.; Bond, Jason; Patel, Vikram; Trocki, Karen; Pillai, Aravind

2010-01-01

Assessment of heavy drinking patterns is vital for HIV/AIDs studies in India and developing countries. A population survey in northern Goa included urban and rural male drinkers (n = 743) who completed a new Fractional Graduated Frequencies (F-GF) alcohol patterns measure assessing 7 beverage types and drink sizes for the largest daily amount, then drinking frequencies at fractional amounts. The new measure was compared to a simpler quantity-frequency (QF) summary and in a validity subsample of hazardous drinkers (n=56), 28-day diaries of drinking events. Approximately 56% of total volume came from peak drinking (averaging 60 g ethanol/day). For AUDIT-based Hazardous Drinkers, QF and F-GF volumes (drinks/day) were not significantly different from diary volume (correlations .65 and .57, respectively). F-GF well captured the profile of daily amounts in drinking event data. In addition, the F-GF showed evidence of better predicting any sexual risk behavior or partner violence perpetration than the QF measure. Summary drinking pattern measures, especially the new F-GF, are more cost efficient than intensive event records, and appear valid when carefully assessing quantities with local beverage types and drink ethanol content. PMID:20567894

Pulmonary dysfunctions, oxidative stress and DNA damage in brick kiln workers.

PubMed

Kaushik, R; Khaliq, F; Subramaneyaan, M; Ahmed, R S

2012-11-01

Brick kilns in the suburban areas in developing countries pose a big threat to the environment and hence the health of their workers and people residing around them. The present study was planned to assess the lung functions, oxidative stress parameters and DNA damage in brick kiln workers. A total of 31 male subjects working in brick kiln, and 32 age, sex and socioeconomic status matched controls were included in the study. The lung volumes, capacities and flow rates, namely, forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV(1)), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV(1)/FVC, expiratory reserve volume, inspiratory capacity (IC), maximal expiratory flow when 50% of FVC is remaining to be expired, maximum voluntary ventilation, peak expiratory flow rate and vital capacity were significantly decreased in the brick kiln workers. Increased oxidative stress as evidenced by increased malonedialdehyde levels and reduced glutathione content, glutathione S-transferase activity and ferric reducing ability of plasma were observed in the study group when compared with controls. Our results indicate a significant correlation between oxidative stress parameters and pulmonary dysfunction, which may be due to silica-induced oxidative stress and resulting lung damage.

'Predatory' open access: a longitudinal study of article volumes and market characteristics.

PubMed

Shen, Cenyu; Björk, Bo-Christer

2015-10-01

A negative consequence of the rapid growth of scholarly open access publishing funded by article processing charges is the emergence of publishers and journals with highly questionable marketing and peer review practices. These so-called predatory publishers are causing unfounded negative publicity for open access publishing in general. Reports about this branch of e-business have so far mainly concentrated on exposing lacking peer review and scandals involving publishers and journals. There is a lack of comprehensive studies about several aspects of this phenomenon, including extent and regional distribution. After an initial scan of all predatory publishers and journals included in the so-called Beall's list, a sample of 613 journals was constructed using a stratified sampling method from the total of over 11,000 journals identified. Information about the subject field, country of publisher, article processing charge and article volumes published between 2010 and 2014 were manually collected from the journal websites. For a subset of journals, individual articles were sampled in order to study the country affiliation of authors and the publication delays. Over the studied period, predatory journals have rapidly increased their publication volumes from 53,000 in 2010 to an estimated 420,000 articles in 2014, published by around 8,000 active journals. Early on, publishers with more than 100 journals dominated the market, but since 2012 publishers in the 10-99 journal size category have captured the largest market share. The regional distribution of both the publisher's country and authorship is highly skewed, in particular Asia and Africa contributed three quarters of authors. Authors paid an average article processing charge of 178 USD per article for articles typically published within 2 to 3 months of submission. Despite a total number of journals and publishing volumes comparable to respectable (indexed by the Directory of Open Access Journals) open access journals, the problem of predatory open access seems highly contained to just a few countries, where the academic evaluation practices strongly favor international publication, but without further quality checks.

Factors determining the viability of radiation processing in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Linde, HJ; Basson, RA

In the fifteen years since the introduction of radiation processing to South Africa, four commercial irradiation facilities have been established. These are involved in the processing of a large variety of products, from syringes and prostheses to strawberries and sugar yeast. Three of the facilities are devoted mainly to food irradiation and several thousand tonnes are now processed annually. During this period it was repeatedly experienced that the successful introduction of radiation processing in general, and food radurization in particular, on a commercial scale was critically dependent on the following factors: acceptance by the producer, industry and consumer; initial capital expenditure; running costs and overheads in general; and continous throughput. All of these factors contribute to the processing cost which is the ultimate factor in determing the value/price ratio for the potential entrepreneur and customer of this new technology. After a market survey had identified the need for a new food irradiation facility to cope with the growing interest in commercial food radurization in the Western Cape, the above-mentioned factors were of cardinal importance in the design and manufacture of a new irradiator. The resulting batch-pallet facility which was commisioned in August 1986, is rather inefficient as far as energy utilization is concerned but this shortcoming is compensated for by its low cost, versatility and low hold-up. Although the facility has limitations as far as the processing of really large volumes of produce is concerned, it is particularly suitable not only for developing countries, but for developed countries in the introductory phase of commercial food radurization.

Humanitarian Outreach in Cardiothoracic Surgery: From Setup to Sustainability.

PubMed

Dearani, Joseph A; Jacobs, Jeffrey P; Bolman, R Morton; Swain, JaBaris D; Vricella, Luca A; Weinstein, Samuel; Farkas, Emily A; Calhoon, John H

2016-09-01

Noncommunicable diseases account for 38 million deaths each year, and approximately 75% of these deaths occur in the developing world. The most common causes include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, and diabetes mellitus. Many adults with acquired cardiothoracic disease around the world have limited access to health care. In addition, congenital heart disease is present in approximately 1% of live births and is therefore the most common congenital abnormality. More than one million children in the world are born with congenital heart disease each year, and approximately 90% of these children receive suboptimal care or have no access to care. Furthermore, many children affected by noncongenital cardiac conditions also require prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Medical and surgical volunteerism can help facilitate improvement in cardiothoracic health care in developing countries. As we move into the future, it is essential for physicians and surgeons to be actively involved in political, economic, and social aspects of society to serve health care interests of the underprivileged around the world. Consequently, in developing countries, a critical need exists to establish an increased number of reputable cardiothoracic programs and to enhance many of the programs that already exist. The optimal strategy is usually based on a long-term educational and technical model of support so that as case volumes increase, quality improves and mortality and morbidity decrease. Humanitarian outreach activities should focus on education and sustainability, and surgical tourism should be limited to those countries that will never have the capability to have free-standing cardiothoracic programs. Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Hotspot for (Global) One Health in Primary Food Production: Aflatoxin M1 in Dairy Products.

PubMed

Frazzoli, Chiara; Gherardi, Paola; Saxena, Navneet; Belluzzi, Giancarlo; Mantovani, Alberto

2016-01-01

One Health involves the multifaceted environment-animal-human web: nevertheless, the role of toxicological issues has yet to be fully explored in this context. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination of feeds is a risk for the health of several farm animals, including fishes; milk is the only food of animal origin where a significant feed-food carry over may occur. The main AFB1-related compound present in milk is the hydroxy-metabolite aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). Besides contamination of raw milk, AFM1 is of concern for the whole dairy chain; AFM1 may also contaminate the milk of several other ruminants used for milk/dairy production. In a One Health perspective, milk represents a sentinel matrix for AFB1 vulnerability of the agro-food system, that is crucial in a phase when food/nutritional security becomes a global issue and climatic changes may affect agricultural productions. In the global setting, food chain exposure to long-term toxicants, such as AFM1, is a growing concern for economically developing countries, whereas global trade and climatic change makes AFM1 an emerging hot issue in economically developed countries as well. We critically review the state of the art on AFM1 risk assessment and risk management using two scenarios as case studies: a European Union country where the health system aims at ensuring a high-level protection of food chain (Italy) and the world's largest (and economically developing) producer of dairy products by volume (India). The case studies are used to provide building blocks for a global One Health framework.

Costing the supply chain for delivery of ACT and RDTs in the public sector in Benin and Kenya.

PubMed

Shretta, Rima; Johnson, Brittany; Smith, Lisa; Doumbia, Seydou; de Savigny, Don; Anupindi, Ravi; Yadav, Prashant

2015-02-05

Studies have shown that supply chain costs are a significant proportion of total programme costs. Nevertheless, the costs of delivering specific products are poorly understood and ballpark estimates are often used to inadequately plan for the budgetary implications of supply chain expenses. The purpose of this research was to estimate the country level costs of the public sector supply chain for artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) from the central to the peripheral levels in Benin and Kenya. A micro-costing approach was used and primary data on the various cost components of the supply chain was collected at the central, intermediate, and facility levels between September and November 2013. Information sources included central warehouse databases, health facility records, transport schedules, and expenditure reports. Data from document reviews and semi-structured interviews were used to identify cost inputs and estimate actual costs. Sampling was purposive to isolate key variables of interest. Survey guides were developed and administered electronically. Data were extracted into Microsoft Excel, and the supply chain cost per unit of ACT and RDT distributed by function and level of system was calculated. In Benin, supply chain costs added USD 0.2011 to the initial acquisition cost of ACT and USD 0.3375 to RDTs (normalized to USD 1). In Kenya, they added USD 0.2443 to the acquisition cost of ACT and USD 0.1895 to RDTs (normalized to USD 1). Total supply chain costs accounted for more than 30% of the initial acquisition cost of the products in some cases and these costs were highly sensitive to product volumes. The major cost drivers were found to be labour, transport, and utilities with health facilities carrying the majority of the cost per unit of product. Accurate cost estimates are needed to ensure adequate resources are available for supply chain activities. Product volumes should be considered when costing supply chain functions rather than dollar value. Further work is needed to develop extrapolative costing models that can be applied at country level without extensive micro-costing exercises. This will allow other countries to generate more accurate estimates in the future.

Thirteenth workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering: Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramey, H.J. Jr.; Kruger, P.; Horne, R.N.

1988-01-21

PREFACE The Thirteenth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at Stanford University on January 19-21, 1988. Although 1987 continued to be difficult for the domestic geothermal industry, world-wide activities continued to expand. Two invited presentations on mature geothermal systems were a keynote of the meeting. Malcolm Grant presented a detailed review of Wairakei, New Zealand and highlighted plans for new development. G. Neri summarized experience on flow rate decline and well test analysis in Larderello, Italy. Attendance continued to be high with 128 registered participants. Eight foreign countries were represented: England, France, Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico andmore » The Philippines. A discussion of future workshops produced a strong recommendation that the Stanford Workshop program continue for the future. There were forty-one technical presentations at the Workshop. All of these are published as papers in this Proceedings volume. Four technical papers not presented at the Workshop are also published. In addition to these forty five technical presentations or papers, the introductory address was given by Henry J. Ramey, Jr. from the Stanford Geothermal Program. The Workshop Banquet speaker was Gustavo Calderon from the Inter-American Development Bank. We thank him for sharing with the Workshop participants a description of the Bank???s operations in Costa Rica developing alternative energy resources, specifically Geothermal, to improve the country???s economic basis. His talk appears as a paper in the back of this volume. The chairmen of the technical sessions made an important contribution to the workshop. Other than Stanford faculty members they included: J. Combs, G. T. Cole, J. Counsil, A. Drenick, H. Dykstra, K. Goyal, P. Muffler, K. Pruess, and S. K. Sanyal. The Workshop was organized by the Stanford Geothermal Program faculty, staff and students. We would like to thank Marilyn King, Pat Oto, Terri Ramey, Bronwyn Jones, Yasmin Gulamani, and Rosalee Benelli for their valued help with the meeting arrangements and preparing the Proceedings. We also owe great thanks to our students who arranged and operated the audio-visual equipment, especially Jeralyn Luetkehans. The Thirteenth Workshop was supported by the Geothermal Technology Division of the U.S. Department of Energy through Contract No. DE-AS07-84ID12529. We deeply appreciate this continued support. Henry J. Ramey, Jr. Paul Kruger Roland N. Horne William E. Brigham Frank G. Miller Jean W. Cook« less

Arab oil: impact on the Arab countries and global implications. [16 papers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sherbiny, N.A.; Tessler, M.A.

1976-01-01

The objectives in preparing this volume are threefold. First, at a time when misconceptions about the impact of Arab oil are current in the West, objective and reasoned judgments about the implications of growing Arab oil wealth are sought. To judge by accounts in the news media and the popular stereotypes to which they seem to lead, many believe the world economic and political system is seriously threatened by the Arabs. Some also apparently believe that the Arab world itself is being altered beyond recognition . . . . Taken as a group, the chapters in this volume lay tomore » rest such popular misconceptions and place in their proper perspective the changes being brought about by Arab oil wealth. Second, this volume is intended to fill a gap in the small but growing body of scholarly literature on Arab oil. A number of excellent studies have appeared in recent years, but most have been written from the perspective of a single discipline and/or ideology. Further, the majority of these works focus on the international consequences of Arab oil and neglect forces operating within the Arab oil-producing countries themselves . . . . In preparing this volume, an objective was to bring together a wide variety of viewpoints in order to present a comprehensive and balanced examination of the impact of Arab oil. Third, the volume is an assemblage of 16 papers for the specialist and the nonspecialist reader. It attempts to serve as a ready reference on the topic of Arab oil.« less

Spatial Dynamics of the Communities and the Role of Major Countries in the International Rare Earths Trade: A Complex Network Analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Xibo; Ge, Jianping; Wei, Wendong; Li, Hanshi; Wu, Chen; Zhu, Ge

2016-01-01

Rare earths (RE) are critical materials in many high-technology products. Due to the uneven distribution and important functions for industrial development, most countries import RE from a handful of suppliers that are rich in RE, such as China. However, because of the rapid growth of RE exploitation and pollution of the mining and production process, some of the main suppliers have gradually tended to reduce the RE production and exports. Especially in the last decade, international RE trade has been changing in the trade community and trade volume. Based on complex network theory, we built an unweighted and weighted network to explore the evolution of the communities and identify the role of the major countries in the RE trade. The results show that an international RE trade network was dispersed and unstable because of the existence of five to nine trade communities in the unweighted network and four to eight trade communities in the weighted network in the past 13 years. Moreover, trade groups formed due to the great influence of geopolitical relations. China was often associated with the South America and African countries in the same trade group. In addition, Japan, China, the United States, and Germany had the largest impacts on international RE trade from 2002 to 2014. Last, some policy suggestions were highlighted according to the results.

Spatial Dynamics of the Communities and the Role of Major Countries in the International Rare Earths Trade: A Complex Network Analysis

PubMed Central

Wang, Xibo; Ge, Jianping; Wei, Wendong; Li, Hanshi; Wu, Chen; Zhu, Ge

2016-01-01

Rare earths (RE) are critical materials in many high-technology products. Due to the uneven distribution and important functions for industrial development, most countries import RE from a handful of suppliers that are rich in RE, such as China. However, because of the rapid growth of RE exploitation and pollution of the mining and production process, some of the main suppliers have gradually tended to reduce the RE production and exports. Especially in the last decade, international RE trade has been changing in the trade community and trade volume. Based on complex network theory, we built an unweighted and weighted network to explore the evolution of the communities and identify the role of the major countries in the RE trade. The results show that an international RE trade network was dispersed and unstable because of the existence of five to nine trade communities in the unweighted network and four to eight trade communities in the weighted network in the past 13 years. Moreover, trade groups formed due to the great influence of geopolitical relations. China was often associated with the South America and African countries in the same trade group. In addition, Japan, China, the United States, and Germany had the largest impacts on international RE trade from 2002 to 2014. Last, some policy suggestions were highlighted according to the results. PMID:27137779

Assessing trade in health services in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean from a public health perspective.

PubMed

Siddiqi, Sameen; Shennawy, Azza; Mirza, Zafer; Drager, Nick; Sabri, Belgacem

2010-01-01

Assessing trade in health services (TiHS) in developing countries is challenging since the sources of information are diverse, information is not accessible and professionals lack grasp of issues. A multi-country study was conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR)--Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, and Yemen. The objective was to estimate the direction, volume, and value of TiHS; analyze country commitments; and assess the challenges and opportunities for health services.Trade liberalization favored an open trade regime and encouraged foreign direct investment. Consumption abroad and movement of natural persons were the two prevalent modes. Yemen and Sudan are net importers, while Jordan promotes health tourism. In 2002, Yemenis spent US$ 80 million out of pocket for treatment abroad, while Jordan generated US$ 620 million. Egypt, Pakistan, Sudan and Tunisia export health workers, while Oman relies on import and 40% of its workforce is non-Omani. There is a general lack of coherence between Ministries of Trade and Health in formulating policies on TiHS.This is the first organized attempt to look at TiHS in the EMR. The systematic approach has helped create greater awareness, and a move towards better policy coherence in the area of trade in health services. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Socolow, R.H.; Anderson, D.; Harte, J.

Thirteen papers are included in this volume. The titles and authors are: From Physics to Development Strategies by Jose Goldemberg; Rewards and Penalties of Monitoring the Earth by Charles D. Keeling; Science and Nonscience Concerning Human-Caused Climate Warming by J. D. Mahlman; Consumption of Materials in the United States, 1990--1995 by Grecia Matos and Lorie Wagner; Future Technologies for Energy-Efficient Iron and Steel Making by Jeroen de Beer, Ernst Worrell, and Kornelis Blok; The O{sub 2} Balance of the Atmosphere: A Tool for Studying the Fate of Fossil Fuel CO{sub 2} by Michael L. Bender, Mark Battle, and Ralph F.more » Keeling; Mexican Electric End-Use Efficiency: Experiences to Date by Rafael Friedmann and Claudia Sheinbaum; Drinking Water in Developing Countries by Ashok Gadgil; Engineering-Economic Studies of Energy Technologies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Opportunities and Challenges by Marilyn A. Brown, Mark D. Levine, Joseph P. Romm, Arthur H. Rosenfeld, and Jonathan G. Koomey; Climate Change Mitigation in the Energy and Forestry Sectors of Developing Countries by Jayant A. Sathaye and N. H. Ravindranath; Toward a Productive Divorce: Separating DOE Cleanups from Transition Assistance by M. Russell; Recycling Metals for the Environment by Iddo K. Wernick and Nickolas J. Themelis; and Environmentally Conscious Chemical Process Design by J. A. Cano-Ruiz and G. J. McRae.« less

Research output of health research institutions and its use in 42 sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

PubMed

Kebede, Derege; Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

2014-05-01

To describe and analyse research output from surveyed national health research institutions in Africa. The survey used a structured questionnaire to solicit information from 847 health research institutions in 42 countries of the World Health Organization African Region. Eight hundred and forty-seven health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Key informants from the health research institutions. Volume, type and medium of publications, and distribution of research outputs. Books or chapters for books accounted for the highest number of information products published (on average 16.7 per respondent institution), followed by patents registered in country (8.2), discussion or working papers (6.5) and conference proceedings (6.4). Publication in a peer-reviewed journal constituted only a minor part of research output (on average about 1 paper per institution). Radio and TV broadcasts on health research accounted for the highest number of products issued by institution staff (on average 5.5 per institution), followed by peer-reviewed journals indexed internationally (3.8) or nationally (3.1). There were, on average, 1.5 press releases, 1.5 newspaper or magazine articles, and 1.4 policy briefs per institution. Over half of respondent institutions (52%) developed briefs and summaries of articles to share with their target audiences, 43% developed briefs for possible actions and 37% provided articles and reports upon request. Only a small proportion of information products produced were available in institutional databases. The research output of health research institutions in the Region is significant, but more effort is needed to strengthen research capacity, including human and financial resources. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

Statistical mechanics of the international trade network.

PubMed

Fronczak, Agata; Fronczak, Piotr

2012-05-01

Analyzing real data on international trade covering the time interval 1950-2000, we show that in each year over the analyzed period the network is a typical representative of the ensemble of maximally random weighted networks, whose directed connections (bilateral trade volumes) are only characterized by the product of the trading countries' GDPs. It means that time evolution of this network may be considered as a continuous sequence of equilibrium states, i.e., a quasistatic process. This, in turn, allows one to apply the linear response theory to make (and also verify) simple predictions about the network. In particular, we show that bilateral trade fulfills a fluctuation-response theorem, which states that the average relative change in imports (exports) between two countries is a sum of the relative changes in their GDPs. Yearly changes in trade volumes prove that the theorem is valid.

Statistical mechanics of the international trade network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fronczak, Agata; Fronczak, Piotr

2012-05-01

Analyzing real data on international trade covering the time interval 1950-2000, we show that in each year over the analyzed period the network is a typical representative of the ensemble of maximally random weighted networks, whose directed connections (bilateral trade volumes) are only characterized by the product of the trading countries' GDPs. It means that time evolution of this network may be considered as a continuous sequence of equilibrium states, i.e., a quasistatic process. This, in turn, allows one to apply the linear response theory to make (and also verify) simple predictions about the network. In particular, we show that bilateral trade fulfills a fluctuation-response theorem, which states that the average relative change in imports (exports) between two countries is a sum of the relative changes in their GDPs. Yearly changes in trade volumes prove that the theorem is valid.

Denmark. A Study of the Educational System of Denmark and Guide to the Academic Placement of Students in Educational Institutions in the United States. PIER World Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolston, Valerie A.; Dickey, Karlene N.

This volume offers a full country study of the structure and content of the educational system of Denmark, together with a formal set of placement recommendations for Danish students wishing to study in the United States. Chapter 1 introduces the volume with descriptions of Denmark and its people, government, the government's role in education,…

A methodology for conducting national-scale alluvial diamond resource potential and production capacity assessments, with a focus on artisanal mining

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chirico, Peter G.; Malpeli, Katherine C.

2012-01-01

In May of 2000, a meeting was convened in Kimberley, South Africa, by representatives of the diamond industry and leaders of African governments to develop a certification process intended to assure that export shipments of rough diamonds were free of conflict concerns. Outcomes of the meeting were formally supported later in December of 2000 by the United Nations in a resolution adopted by the General Assembly. By 2002, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was ratified and signed by diamond-producing and diamond-importing countries. As of August 2012, the Kimberley Process (KP) had 51 participants representing 77 countries. It is often difficult to obtain independent verification of the diamond production statistics that are provided to the KP. However, some degree of independent verification can be obtained through an understanding of a country’s naturally occurring endowment of diamonds and the intensity of mining activities. Studies that integrate these two components can produce a range of estimated values for a country’s diamond production, and these estimates can then be compared to the production statistics released by that country. This methodology is used to calculate (1) the diamond resource potential of a country, which refers to the total number of carats estimated to be remaining in the country, and (2) the diamond production capacity of a country, which is the current volume of diamonds that may realistically be produced per year utilizing current human and physical resources. The following sections outline the methodology used by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to perform diamond assessments in Mali, the Central African Republic, Ghana, and Guinea.

[The experience of public guarantees of free-of-charge medical care foreign countries].

PubMed

Ulumbekova, G E

2010-01-01

The article deals with the analysis of the volumes of financing of public guarantees program of free-of-charge medical care and its algorithm of its elaboration in foreign countries. In the advanced countries, the higher financing of public health permit to ensure factually overall population the full free-of-charge spectrum of up-to-date medical interventions as a "public guarantees pack". It includes the pharmaceuticals supply in outpatient conditions and in most cases the long-term care services. In economically advanced countries, the general trend is the transfer from fundamental principles ("everything needed") to the more transparent approaches in case of implementation of the guarantees to achieve the balance between actual financial resources and stated population guarantees.

Value-Based Care in the Worldwide Battle Against Cancer.

PubMed

Johansen, Niloufer J; Saunders, Christobel M

2017-02-17

Globally, an increasing and aging population is contributing to the prevalence of cancer. To be effective, cancer care needs to involve the coordination of multidisciplinary specialties, and also needs to be affordable, accessible, and capable of producing optimal patient outcomes. Porter and Teisberg (2006) have postulated that shifting current healthcare strategies from volume-based to patient-centric care redirects economic competition to providing treatments which promote the best patient outcomes while driving down costs. Therefore, the value in value-based healthcare (VBH) is defined as patient outcome per currency spent on providing care. Based on the experiences of healthcare organizations currently transitioning to the value-based system, this review details actionable guidelines to transition current cancer care practices to the value-based system in four main steps: by defining universal clinical and patient-reported measures, creating cancer-specific units that provide the full care cycle, establishing a data capture model to routinely determine the value of the care delivered, and continually improving treatment strategies through research. As healthcare providers in more developed countries move to value-based care, those located in less developed countries should also be assisted in their transition to relieve the cancer burden globally.

Electronic waste (e-waste): Material flows and management practices in Nigeria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nnorom, Innocent Chidi; Osibanjo, Oladele

The growth in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) production and consumption has been exponential in the last two decades. This has been as a result of the rapid changes in equipment features and capabilities, decrease in prices, and the growth in internet use. This creates a large volume of waste stream of obsolete electrical and electronic devices (e-waste) in developed countries. There is high level of trans-boundary movement of these devices as secondhand electronic equipment into developing countries in an attempt to bridge the 'digital divide'. The past decade has witnessed a phenomenal advancement in information and communication technology (ICT)more » in Nigeria, most of which rely on imported secondhand devices. This paper attempts to review the material flow of secondhand/scrap electronic devices into Nigeria, the current management practices for e-waste and the environmental and health implications of such low-end management practices. Establishment of formal recycling facilities, introduction of legislation dealing specifically with e-waste and the confirmation of the functionality of secondhand EEE prior to importation are some of the options available to the government in dealing with this difficult issue.« less

Strategic Actions to Value, Conserve, and Restore the Natural Capital of Megadiversity Countries: The Case of Mexico.

PubMed

Sarukhán, José; Urquiza-Haas, Tania; Koleff, Patricia; Carabias, Julia; Dirzo, Rodolfo; Ezcurra, Exequiel; Cerdeira-Estrada, Sergio; Soberón, Jorge

2015-02-01

Decisionmakers need updated, scientifically sound and relevant information to implement appropriate policy measures and make innovative commitments to halt biodiversity loss and improve human well-being. Here, we present a recent science-based synthesis on the biodiversity and ecosystem services of Mexico, intended to be a tool for policymakers. We describe the methodological approach used to undertake such an assessment and highlight the major findings. Organized into five volumes and originally written in Spanish (Capital Natural de México), it summarizes the available knowledge on the components, structure, and functioning of the biodiversity of Mexico; the threats and trajectories of anthropogenic impact, together with its conservation status; and the policies, institutions, and instruments available for its sustainable management. We stress the lessons learned that can be useful for similar exercises in other megadiverse developing countries and identify major gaps and strategic actions to conserve the natural capital in light of the challenges of the Anthropocene.

Tourism and solid waste generation in Europe: A panel data assessment of the Environmental Kuznets Curve.

PubMed

Arbulú, Italo; Lozano, Javier; Rey-Maquieira, Javier

2015-12-01

The relationship between tourism growth and municipal solid waste (MSW) generation has been, until now, the subject of little research. This is puzzling since the tourism sector is an important MSW generator and, at the same time, is willing to avoid negative impacts from MSW mismanagement. This paper aims to provide tools for tourism and MSW management by assessing the effects of tourism volume, tourism quality and tourism specialization on MSW generation in the UE. This is done using the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework. The study considers a panel data for 32 European economies in the 1997-2010 periods. Empirical results support the EKC hypothesis for MSW and shows that northern countries tend to have lower income elasticity than less developed countries; furthermore, results confirm a non-linear and significant effect of tourism arrivals, expenditure per tourist and tourism specialization on MSW generation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategic Actions to Value, Conserve, and Restore the Natural Capital of Megadiversity Countries: The Case of Mexico

PubMed Central

Sarukhán, José; Urquiza-Haas, Tania; Koleff, Patricia; Carabias, Julia; Dirzo, Rodolfo; Ezcurra, Exequiel; Cerdeira-Estrada, Sergio; Soberón, Jorge

2014-01-01

Decisionmakers need updated, scientifically sound and relevant information to implement appropriate policy measures and make innovative commitments to halt biodiversity loss and improve human well-being. Here, we present a recent science-based synthesis on the biodiversity and ecosystem services of Mexico, intended to be a tool for policymakers. We describe the methodological approach used to undertake such an assessment and highlight the major findings. Organized into five volumes and originally written in Spanish (Capital Natural de México), it summarizes the available knowledge on the components, structure, and functioning of the biodiversity of Mexico; the threats and trajectories of anthropogenic impact, together with its conservation status; and the policies, institutions, and instruments available for its sustainable management. We stress the lessons learned that can be useful for similar exercises in other megadiverse developing countries and identify major gaps and strategic actions to conserve the natural capital in light of the challenges of the Anthropocene. PMID:26955077

Evidence-based alcohol policy in the Americas: strengths, weaknesses, and future challenges.

PubMed

Babor, Thomas F; Caetano, Raul

2005-01-01

The objectives of this article are to describe the evidence base for alcohol policy in the Americas, to evaluate the extent to which national policies are likely to have an impact on public health, and to identify areas where alcohol policies could be improved. The paper begins with a brief review of epidemiological surveys of the prevalence of alcohol problems in the Americas. This is followed by an analysis of 32 prevention strategies and interventions in terms of the evidence for their effectiveness, amount of research support, cost to implement, and other feasibility issues. Overall, the strategies and interventions with the greatest amount of empirical support are low blood alcohol concentration levels for driving while intoxicated, controls on alcohol availability, age limits on alcohol purchases, and relatively high alcohol prices. The implications of the evidence are next discussed in relation to alcohol policy initiatives in the Americas, based on an analysis of the extent to which strategies and interventions currently used in 25 countries of the Americas are likely to have a public health impact on alcohol-related problems. The countries that have adopted the policies with the highest expected impact overall are Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and El Salvador. Nevertheless, the analysis indicates that almost all the countries of the Americas could improve the likelihood of preventing alcohol-related problems. Policy efforts in the developing countries of Latin America should focus on improving countermeasures against driving while intoxicated, measures that alter the drinking context, and limits on physical availability. For the developed, high-income countries of North America the goal should be to prevent deterioration of current drinking patterns and to reduce the overall volume of drinking. Given the low to moderate cost of many of the policies reviewed in this article, it now seems possible for communities and nations to substantially reduce the alcohol-related burden of illness in the Americas.

The World Coal Quality Inventory: A status report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tewalt, S.J.; Willett, J.C.; Finkelman, R.B.

2005-01-01

National and international policy makers and industry require accurate information on coal, including coal quality data, to make informed decisions regarding international import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. Unfortunately, the information needed is generally proprietary and does not exist in the public domain. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in conjunction with partners in about 60 countries, is developing a digital compilation of worldwide coal quality. The World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI) will contain coal quality information for samples obtained from major coal beds in countries having significant coal production, as well as from many countries producing smaller volumes of coal, with an emphasis on coals currently being burned. The information that will be incorporated includes, but is not limited to, proximate and ultimate analyses; sulfur-form data; major, minor, and trace element analysis; and semi-quantitative analyses of minerals, modes of occurrence, and petrography. The coal quality information will eventually be linked to a Geographic Information System (GIS) that shows the coal basins and sample locations along with geologic, land use, transportation, industrial, and cultural information. The WoCQI will be accessible on the USGS web page and new data added periodically. This multi-national collaboration is developing global coal quality data that contain a broad array of technologic, economic, and environmental parameters, which should help to ensure the efficient and environmentally compatible use of global coal resources in the 21st century.

The global pediatric antiretroviral market: analyses of product availability and utilization reveal challenges for development of pediatric formulations and HIV/AIDS treatment in children.

PubMed

Waning, Brenda; Diedrichsen, Ellen; Jambert, Elodie; Bärnighausen, Till; Li, Yun; Pouw, Mieke; Moon, Suerie

2010-10-17

Important advances in the development and production of quality-certified pediatric antiretroviral (ARV) formulations have recently been made despite significant market disincentives for manufacturers. This progress resulted from lobbying and innovative interventions from HIV/AIDS activists, civil society organizations, and international organizations. Research on uptake and dispersion of these improved products across countries and international organizations has not been conducted but is needed to inform next steps towards improving child health. We used information from the World Health Organization Prequalification Programme and the United States Food and Drug Administration to describe trends in quality-certification of pediatric formulations and used 7,989 donor-funded, pediatric ARV purchase transactions from 2002-2009 to measure uptake and dispersion of new pediatric ARV formulations across countries and programs. Prices for new pediatric ARV formulations were compared to alternative dosage forms. Fewer ARV options exist for HIV/AIDS treatment in children than adults. Before 2005, most pediatric ARVs were produced by innovator companies in single-component solid and liquid forms. Five 2-in1 and four 3-in-1 generic pediatric fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) in solid and dispersible forms have been quality-certified since 2005. Most (67%) of these were produced by one quality-certified manufacturer. Uptake of new pediatric FDCs outside of UNITAID is low. UNITAID accounted for 97-100% of 2008-2009 market volume. In total, 33 and 34 countries reported solid or dispersible FDC purchases in 2008 and 2009, respectively, but most purchases were made through UNITAID. Only three Global Fund country recipients reported purchase of these FDCs in 2008. Prices for pediatric FDCs were considerably lower than liquids but typically higher than half of an adult FDC. Pediatric ARV markets are more fragile than adult markets. Ensuring a long-term supply of quality, well-adapted ARVs for children requires ongoing monitoring and improved understanding of global pediatric markets, including country-based research to explain and address low uptake of new, improved formulations. Continued innovation in pediatric ARV development may be threatened by outdated procurement practices failing to connect clinicians making prescribing decisions, supply chain staff dealing with logistics, donors, international organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Perceptions of global demand must be better informed by accurate estimates of actual country-level demand.

The global pediatric antiretroviral market: analyses of product availability and utilization reveal challenges for development of pediatric formulations and HIV/AIDS treatment in children

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Important advances in the development and production of quality-certified pediatric antiretroviral (ARV) formulations have recently been made despite significant market disincentives for manufacturers. This progress resulted from lobbying and innovative interventions from HIV/AIDS activists, civil society organizations, and international organizations. Research on uptake and dispersion of these improved products across countries and international organizations has not been conducted but is needed to inform next steps towards improving child health. Methods We used information from the World Health Organization Prequalification Programme and the United States Food and Drug Administration to describe trends in quality-certification of pediatric formulations and used 7,989 donor-funded, pediatric ARV purchase transactions from 2002-2009 to measure uptake and dispersion of new pediatric ARV formulations across countries and programs. Prices for new pediatric ARV formulations were compared to alternative dosage forms. Results Fewer ARV options exist for HIV/AIDS treatment in children than adults. Before 2005, most pediatric ARVs were produced by innovator companies in single-component solid and liquid forms. Five 2-in1 and four 3-in-1 generic pediatric fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) in solid and dispersible forms have been quality-certified since 2005. Most (67%) of these were produced by one quality-certified manufacturer. Uptake of new pediatric FDCs outside of UNITAID is low. UNITAID accounted for 97-100% of 2008-2009 market volume. In total, 33 and 34 countries reported solid or dispersible FDC purchases in 2008 and 2009, respectively, but most purchases were made through UNITAID. Only three Global Fund country recipients reported purchase of these FDCs in 2008. Prices for pediatric FDCs were considerably lower than liquids but typically higher than half of an adult FDC. Conclusion Pediatric ARV markets are more fragile than adult markets. Ensuring a long-term supply of quality, well-adapted ARVs for children requires ongoing monitoring and improved understanding of global pediatric markets, including country-based research to explain and address low uptake of new, improved formulations. Continued innovation in pediatric ARV development may be threatened by outdated procurement practices failing to connect clinicians making prescribing decisions, supply chain staff dealing with logistics, donors, international organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Perceptions of global demand must be better informed by accurate estimates of actual country-level demand. PMID:20950492

HIV vaccines: current challenges and future directions.

PubMed

Avrett, Sam; Collins, Chris

2002-07-01

Volume seven of the Review will mark the tenth anniversary of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network with a series of articles that describe past developments and future directions in several areas of policy and law related to HIV/AIDS. The following article is the first of these, discussing current challenges and future directions in the development of and access to HIV vaccines. It argues that governments are under public health, ethical, and legal obligations to develop and provide access to HIV vaccines. It further explains what is required for governments to fulfill their obligations: additional commitment and resources for HIV vaccine development in the context of increased global research and development regarding diseases of the poor; increased support and advocacy for partnerships to develop HIV vaccines; enhanced regulatory capacity in every country to review, approve, and monitor HIV vaccines; and assurance of global supply of, procurement of, delivery of, and access to vaccines in the context of efforts to increase global access to public health measures and technologies.

Generic drugs: international trends and policy developments in Australia.

PubMed

Lofgren, Hans

2004-01-01

Public and private third-party payers in many countries encourage or mandate the use of generic drugs. This article examines the development of generics policy in Australia, against the background of a description of international trends in this area, and related experiences of reference pricing programs. The Australian generics market remains underdeveloped due to a historical legacy of small Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme price differentials between originator brands and generics. It is argued that policy measures open to the Australian government can be conceived as clustering around two different approaches: incremental changes within the existing regulatory framework, or a shift towards a high volume/low price role of generics which would speed up the delivery of substantial cost savings, and could provide enhanced scope for the financing of new, patented drugs.

Prevalence of BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms in West Africans.

PubMed

Chokkalingam, A P; Yeboah, E D; Demarzo, A; Netto, G; Yu, K; Biritwum, R B; Tettey, Y; Adjei, A; Jadallah, S; Li, Y; Chu, L W; Chia, D; Niwa, S; Partin, A; Thompson, I M; Roehrborn, C; Hoover, R N; Hsing, A W

2012-06-01

BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are very common among older men in Western countries. However, the prevalence of these two conditions in the developing countries is less clear. We assessed the age-standardized prevalence of BPH and/or LUTS among West Africans in a probability sample of 950 men aged 50-74 in Accra, Ghana, with no evidence of biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer after screening with PSA and digital rectal examination (DRE). Information on LUTS was based on self-reports of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). BPH was estimated using DRE, PSA levels and imputed prostate volume. The prevalence of DRE-detected enlarged prostate was 62.3%, while that of PSA≥1.5 ng ml(-1) (an estimate of prostate volume ≥ 30 cm(3)) was 35.3%. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe LUTS (IPSS≥8) was 19.9%. The prevalence of IPSS≥8 and an enlarged prostate on DRE was 13.3%. Although there is no universally agreed-upon definition of BPH/LUTS, making comparisons across populations difficult, BPH and/or LUTS appear to be quite common among older Ghanaian men. We found that after age standardization, the prevalence of DRE-detected enlarged prostate in Ghanaian men is higher than previously reported for American men, but the prevalence of LUTS was lower than previously reported for African Americans. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and identify the risk factors for BPH in both Africans and African Americans.

Variations in institutional infrastructure, physician specialization and experience, and outcome in ovarian cancer: a systematic review.

PubMed

du Bois, Andreas; Rochon, Justine; Pfisterer, Jacobus; Hoskins, William J

2009-02-01

Ovarian cancer outcome varies among different institutions, regions, and countries. This systematic review summarizes the available data evaluating the impact of different physician and hospital characteristics on outcome in ovarian cancer patients. A MEDLINE database search for pertinent publications was conducted and reference lists of each relevant article were screened. Experts in the field were contacted. Selected studies assessed the relationship between physician and/or hospital specialty or volume and at least one of the outcomes of interest. The primary outcome was survival. Additional parameters included surgical outcome (debulking), completeness of staging, and quality of chemotherapy. The authors independently reviewed each article and applied the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The quality of each study was assessed by focusing on strategies to control for important prognostic factors. Forty-four articles met inclusion criteria. Discipline and sub-specialization of the primary treating physician were identified as the most important variable associated with superior outcome. Evidence showing a beneficial impact of institutional factors was weaker, but followed the same trend. Hospital volume was hardly related to any outcome parameter. The limited evidence available showed considerable heterogeneity and has to be interpreted cautiously. Better utilization of knowledge about institutional factors and well-established board certifications may improve outcome in ovarian cancer. Patients and primary-care physicians should select gynecologic oncologists for primary treatment in countries with established sub-specialty training. Policymakers, insurance companies, and lay organizations should support development of respective programs.

Don't worry, be happy: cross-sectional associations between physical activity and happiness in 15 European countries.

PubMed

Richards, Justin; Jiang, Xiaoxiao; Kelly, Paul; Chau, Josephine; Bauman, Adrian; Ding, Ding

2015-01-31

Mental health disorders are major contributors to the global burden of disease and their inverse relationship with physical activity is widely accepted. However, research on the association between physical activity and positive mental health outcomes is limited. Happiness is an example of a positive construct of mental health that may be promoted by physical activity and could increase resilience to emotional perturbations. The aim of this study is to use a large multi-country dataset to assess the association of happiness with physical activity volume and its specificity to intensity and/or activity domain. We analysed Eurobarometer 2002 data from 15 countries (n = 11,637). This comprised one question assessing self-reported happiness on a six point scale (dichotomised: happy/unhappy) and physical activity data collected using the IPAQ-short (i.e. walking, moderate, vigorous) and four domain specific items (i.e. domestic, leisure, transport, vocation). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between happiness and physical activity volume adjusted for sex, age, country, general health, relationship status, employment and education. Analyses of intensity and domain specificity were assessed by logistic regression adjusted for the same covariates and physical activity volume. When compared to inactive people, there was a positive dose-response association between physical activity volume and happiness (highly active: OR = 1.52 [1.28-1.80]; sufficiently active: OR = 1.29 [1.11-1.49]; insufficiently active: OR = 1.20 [1.03-1.39]). There were small positive associations with happiness for walking (OR = 1.02 [1.00-1.03]) and vigorous-intensity physical activity (OR = 1.03 [1.01-1.05). Moderate-intensity physical activity was not associated with happiness (OR = 1.01 [0.99-1.03]). The strongest domain specific associations with happiness were found for "a lot" of domestic (OR = 1.42 [1.20-1.68]) and "some" vocational (OR = 1.33 [1.08-1.64]) physical activity. Happiness was also associated with "a lot" of leisure physical activity (OR = 1.15 [1.02-1.30]), but there were no significant associations for the transport domain. Increasing physical activity volume was associated with higher levels of happiness. Although the influence of physical activity intensity appeared minimal, the association with happiness was domain specific and was strongest for "a lot" of domestic and/or "some" vocational physical activity. Future studies to establish causation are indicated and may prompt changes in how physical activity for improving mental health is promoted.

Enhancing economic competiveness of dish Stirling technology through production volume and localization: Case study for Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larchet, Kevin; Guédez, Rafael; Topel, Monika; Gustavsson, Lars; Machirant, Andrew; Hedlund, Maria-Lina; Laumert, Björn

2017-06-01

The present study quantifies the reduction in the levelized cost of electricity (LCoE) and capital expenditure (CAPEX) of a dish Stirling power plant (DSPP) through an increase in localization and unit production volume. Furthermore, the localization value of the plant is examined to determine how much investment is brought into the local economy. Ouarzazate, Morocco, was chosen as the location of the study due to the country's favorable regulatory framework with regards to solar power technologies and its established industry in the concentrating solar power (CSP) field. A detailed techno-economic model of a DSPP was developed using KTH's in-house modelling tool DYESOPT, which allows power plant evaluation by means of technical and economic performance indicators. Results on the basis of LCoE and CAPEX were compared between two different cases of production volume, examining both a minimum and maximum level of localization. Thereafter, the DSPP LCoE and localization value were compared against competing solar technologies to evaluate its competitiveness. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted around key design parameters. The study confirms that the LCoE of a DSPP can be reduced to values similar to solar photovoltaic (PV) and lower than other CSP technologies. Furthermore, the investment in the local economy is far greater when compared to PV and of the same magnitude to other CSP technologies. The competiveness of a DSPP has the potential to increase further when coupled with thermal energy storage (TES), which is currently under development.

Influence of operator experience and PCI volume on transfemoral access techniques: A collaboration of international cardiovascular societies.

PubMed

Nelson, Daniel W; Damluji, Abdulla A; Patel, Nish; Valgimigli, Marco; Windecker, Stephan; Byrne, Robert; Nolan, James; Patel, Tejas; Brilakis, Emmanouil; Banerjee, Subhash; Mayol, Jorge; Cantor, Warren J; Alfonso, Carlos E; Rao, Sunil V; Moscucci, Mauro; Cohen, Mauricio G

2018-03-01

Transfemoral access (TFA) is widely used for coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The influence of operator age, gender, experience, and procedural volume on performance of femoral arterial access has not been studied. A survey instrument was developed and distributed via e-mail from professional societies to interventional cardiologists worldwide from March to December 2016. A total of 988 physicians from 88 countries responded to the survey. TFA is the preferred approach for patients with cardiogenic shock, left main or bifurcation PCI, and procedures with mechanical circulatory support. Older (<50years: 56.4%; ≥50years: 66.8%, p<0.0039) and high PCI volume operators (<100 PCI: 57.3%; 100-299 PCI: 58.7%; ≥300 PCI: 64.3%, p<0.134) preferred palpation only without imaging (fluoroscopy or ultrasound (US)) for TFA. Most respondents preferred not to use micropuncture needle to puncture the femoral artery. Older (≥50years: 64.4%; <50years: 71.5%, p<0.04) and high PCI volume operators (≥300 PCI: 64.1%; 100-299 PCI: 72.6%; <100 PCI: 67.9%, p<0.072) tended not to perform femoral angiography (FA). Of those performing FA, the majority opted to do it at the end of the procedure. Despite best practice guideline recommendations, older and high PCI volume interventional cardiologists prefer not to use imaging for femoral access or perform femoral angiography during TF procedures. These data highlight opportunities to further reduce TFA complications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Navy Coalescence Test on Petroleum F-76 Fuel with FAME Additive at 1%

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-20

sponsored studies have shown that in many countries there is an undesirable concentration of Fatty Acid Methyl - Ester ( FAME ) present in the F-76. This...have shown that in many countries there may be an undesirable concentration of Fatty Acid Methyl - Ester ( FAME ) present in the F-76. This study was...Acid Methyl - Ester DEFINITIONS Turnover ..................amount of time it takes to flow the entire volume of fluid in a container, also

78 FR 46792 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Least Developed Countries That Are Designated Countries

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-01

... 9000-AM62 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Least Developed Countries That Are Designated Countries... States Trade Representative (USTR) to the list of least developed countries that are designated countries...) allows the President to designate least developed countries as eligible countries under the Trade...

The challenges of military medical education and training for physicians and nurses in the Nordic countries - an interview study.

PubMed

Sonesson, Linda; Boffard, Kenneth; Lundberg, Lars; Rydmark, Martin; Karlgren, Klas

2017-04-11

Development and use of e-learning has not taken place to the same extent in military medicine in the Nordic countries. The aim was to explore the similarities and differences in education and training in military medicine for health professionals in the Nordic countries, and more specifically to identify the specific challenges regarding education and training of military medicine, and how e-learning is used at present and the opportunities for the future. Key educators within military medicine in the Nordic countries, as approved by the respective Surgeons General, were interviewed and the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The data showed that all Nordic countries cooperate in the field of military medical training to some extent. The models of recruitment and employment of health professionals differed as well as the degree of political support. These differences affected the ability for health professionals to gain actual experience from the military environment. To improve the quality of medical education and training, attempts were made to recruit physicians. The recruitment of physicians was considered a challenge which had resulted in disruptions of courses, training programs and maintenance of accreditation. The Nordic countries were described as having commonalities in the military medical systems and common needs for international collaboration within training, but differing in the range of education and training. Gaps were identified in methods for transferring outcomes from education into practice, as well as regarding evaluation and feedback of outcomes to military medicine. The educational tradition was described as oriented towards practical skills training without requirements on pedagogical education of educators. The results confirmed previous studies showing that e-learning was underutilized. Contextual understanding and experience of healthcare were seen as crucial factors for successful e-learning development. Extended Nordic cooperation on military medical education and training are needed because of the limited volumes of advanced trauma cases. A key issue to the success of e-learning and blended learning is combining educational competence with contextual understanding into a strategy, of how to use digital educational methods.

How popular is waterpipe tobacco smoking? Findings from internet search queries.

PubMed

Salloum, Ramzi G; Osman, Amira; Maziak, Wasim; Thrasher, James F

2015-09-01

Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS), a traditional tobacco consumption practice in the Middle East, is gaining popularity worldwide. Estimates of population-level interest in WTS over time are not documented. We assessed the popularity of WTS using World Wide Web search query results across four English-speaking countries. We analysed trends in Google search queries related to WTS, comparing these trends with those for electronic cigarettes between 2004 and 2013 in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. Weekly search volumes were reported as percentages relative to the week with the highest volume of searches. Web-based searches for WTS have increased steadily since 2004 in all four countries. Search volume for WTS was higher than for e-cigarettes in three of the four nations, with the highest volume in the USA. Online searches were primarily targeted at WTS products for home use, followed by searches for WTS cafés/lounges. Online demand for information on WTS-related products and venues is large and increasing. Given the rise in WTS popularity, increasing evidence of exposure-related harms, and relatively lax government regulation, WTS is a serious public health concern and could reach epidemic levels in Western societies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Understanding private sector antimalarial distribution chains: a cross-sectional mixed methods study in six malaria-endemic countries.

PubMed

Palafox, Benjamin; Patouillard, Edith; Tougher, Sarah; Goodman, Catherine; Hanson, Kara; Kleinschmidt, Immo; Rueda, Sergio Torres; Kiefer, Sabine; O'Connell, Kathryn A; Zinsou, Cyprien; Phok, Sochea; Akulayi, Louis; Arogundade, Ekundayo; Buyungo, Peter; Mpasela, Felton; Chavasse, Desmond

2014-01-01

Private for-profit outlets are important treatment sources for malaria in most endemic countries. However, these outlets constitute only the last link in a chain of businesses that includes manufacturers, importers and wholesalers, all of which influence the availability, price and quality of antimalarials patients can access. We present evidence on the composition, characteristics and operation of these distribution chains and of the businesses that comprise them in six endemic countries (Benin, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia). We conducted nationally representative surveys of antimalarial wholesalers during 2009-2010 using an innovative sampling approach that captured registered and unregistered distribution channels, complemented by in-depth interviews with a range of stakeholders. Antimalarial distribution chains were pyramidal in shape, with antimalarials passing through a maximum of 4-6 steps between manufacturer and retailer; however, most likely pass through 2-3 steps. Less efficacious non-artemisinin therapies (e.g. chloroquine) dominated weekly sales volumes among African wholesalers, while volumes for more efficacious artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) were many times smaller. ACT sales predominated only in Cambodia. In all countries, consumer demand was the principal consideration when selecting products to stock. Selling prices and reputation were key considerations regarding supplier choice. Business practices varied across countries, with large differences in the proportions of wholesalers offering credit and delivery services to customers, and the types of distribution models adopted by businesses. Regulatory compliance also varied across countries, particularly with respect to licensing. The proportion of wholesalers possessing any up-to-date licence from national regulators was lowest in Benin and Nigeria, where vendors in traditional markets are important antimalarial supply sources. The structure and characteristics of antimalarial distribution chains vary across countries; therefore, understanding the wholesalers that comprise them should inform efforts aiming to improve access to quality treatment through the private sector.

Understanding Private Sector Antimalarial Distribution Chains: A Cross-Sectional Mixed Methods Study in Six Malaria-Endemic Countries

PubMed Central

Palafox, Benjamin; Patouillard, Edith; Tougher, Sarah; Goodman, Catherine; Hanson, Kara; Kleinschmidt, Immo; Rueda, Sergio Torres; Kiefer, Sabine; O’Connell, Kathryn A.; Zinsou, Cyprien; Phok, Sochea; Akulayi, Louis; Arogundade, Ekundayo; Buyungo, Peter; Mpasela, Felton; Chavasse, Desmond

2014-01-01

Background Private for-profit outlets are important treatment sources for malaria in most endemic countries. However, these outlets constitute only the last link in a chain of businesses that includes manufacturers, importers and wholesalers, all of which influence the availability, price and quality of antimalarials patients can access. We present evidence on the composition, characteristics and operation of these distribution chains and of the businesses that comprise them in six endemic countries (Benin, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia). Methods and Findings We conducted nationally representative surveys of antimalarial wholesalers during 2009–2010 using an innovative sampling approach that captured registered and unregistered distribution channels, complemented by in-depth interviews with a range of stakeholders. Antimalarial distribution chains were pyramidal in shape, with antimalarials passing through a maximum of 4–6 steps between manufacturer and retailer; however, most likely pass through 2–3 steps. Less efficacious non-artemisinin therapies (e.g. chloroquine) dominated weekly sales volumes among African wholesalers, while volumes for more efficacious artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) were many times smaller. ACT sales predominated only in Cambodia. In all countries, consumer demand was the principal consideration when selecting products to stock. Selling prices and reputation were key considerations regarding supplier choice. Business practices varied across countries, with large differences in the proportions of wholesalers offering credit and delivery services to customers, and the types of distribution models adopted by businesses. Regulatory compliance also varied across countries, particularly with respect to licensing. The proportion of wholesalers possessing any up-to-date licence from national regulators was lowest in Benin and Nigeria, where vendors in traditional markets are important antimalarial supply sources. Conclusions The structure and characteristics of antimalarial distribution chains vary across countries; therefore, understanding the wholesalers that comprise them should inform efforts aiming to improve access to quality treatment through the private sector. PMID:24699934

System Dynamics of Polysilicon for Solar Photovoltaics: A Framework for Investigating the Energy Security of Renewable Energy Supply Chains

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandor, Debra; Fulton, Sadie; Engel-Cox, Jill

Renewable energy, produced with widely available low-cost energy resources, is often included as a component of national strategies to address energy security and sustainability. Market and political forces cannot disrupt the sun or wind, unlike oil and gas supplies. However, the cost of renewable energy is highly dependent on technologies manufactured through global supply chains in leading manufacturing countries. The countries that contribute to the global supply chains may take actions that, directly or indirectly, influence global access to materials and components. For example, high-purity polysilicon, a key material in solar photovoltaics, has experienced significant price fluctuations, affecting the manufacturingmore » capacity and cost of both polysilicon and solar panels. This study has developed and validated an initial system dynamics framework to gain insights into global trade in polysilicon. The model represents an initial framework for exploration. Three regions were modeled-China, the United States, and the rest of the world - for a range of trade scenarios to understand the impacts of import duties and non-price drivers on the relative volumes of imports and domestic supply. The model was validated with the historical case of China imposing an import duty on polysilicon from the United States, the European Union, and South Korea, which altered the regional flows of polysilicon - in terms of imports, exports, and domestic production-to varying degrees. As expected, the model tracked how regional demand shares and influx volumes decrease as a duty on a region increases. Using 2016 as a reference point, in the scenarios examined for U.S. exports to China, each 10% increase in the import duty results in a 40% decrease in import volume. The model also indicates that, under the scenarios investigated, once a duty has been imposed on a region, the demand share from that region declines and does not achieve pre-duty levels, even as global demand increases. Adding additional countries and other components in the photovoltaic supply chain (panels, cells, wafers) to this model could enable policymakers to better understand the relative impact of trade measures across the entire photovoltaic module manufacturing supply chain and the conditions that encourage industry evolution and competitiveness.« less

System Dynamics of Polysilicon for Solar Photovoltaics: A Framework for Investigating the Energy Security of Renewable Energy Supply Chains

DOE PAGES

Sandor, Debra; Fulton, Sadie; Engel-Cox, Jill; ...

2018-01-11

Renewable energy, produced with widely available low-cost energy resources, is often included as a component of national strategies to address energy security and sustainability. Market and political forces cannot disrupt the sun or wind, unlike oil and gas supplies. However, the cost of renewable energy is highly dependent on technologies manufactured through global supply chains in leading manufacturing countries. The countries that contribute to the global supply chains may take actions that, directly or indirectly, influence global access to materials and components. For example, high-purity polysilicon, a key material in solar photovoltaics, has experienced significant price fluctuations, affecting the manufacturingmore » capacity and cost of both polysilicon and solar panels. This study has developed and validated an initial system dynamics framework to gain insights into global trade in polysilicon. The model represents an initial framework for exploration. Three regions were modeled-China, the United States, and the rest of the world - for a range of trade scenarios to understand the impacts of import duties and non-price drivers on the relative volumes of imports and domestic supply. The model was validated with the historical case of China imposing an import duty on polysilicon from the United States, the European Union, and South Korea, which altered the regional flows of polysilicon - in terms of imports, exports, and domestic production-to varying degrees. As expected, the model tracked how regional demand shares and influx volumes decrease as a duty on a region increases. Using 2016 as a reference point, in the scenarios examined for U.S. exports to China, each 10% increase in the import duty results in a 40% decrease in import volume. The model also indicates that, under the scenarios investigated, once a duty has been imposed on a region, the demand share from that region declines and does not achieve pre-duty levels, even as global demand increases. Adding additional countries and other components in the photovoltaic supply chain (panels, cells, wafers) to this model could enable policymakers to better understand the relative impact of trade measures across the entire photovoltaic module manufacturing supply chain and the conditions that encourage industry evolution and competitiveness.« less

Are alcohol policies associated with alcohol consumption in low- and middle-income countries?

PubMed

Cook, Won Kim; Bond, Jason; Greenfield, Thomas K

2014-07-01

To examine the associations between alcohol control policies in four regulatory domains with alcohol consumption in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs), controlling for country-level living standards and drinking patterns. Cross-sectional analyses of individual-level alcohol consumption survey data and country-level alcohol policies using multi-level modeling. Data from 15 LAMICs collected in the Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: an International Study (GENACIS) data set. Individuals aged 18-65 years. Alcohol policy data compiled by the World Health Organization; individual-level current drinking status, usual quantity and frequency of drinking, binge drinking frequency and total drinking volume; gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity (GDP-PPP) per capita; detrimental drinking pattern scale; and age and gender as individual-level covariates. Alcohol policies regulating the physical availability of alcohol, particularly those concerning business hours or involving a licensing system for off-premises alcohol retail sales, as well as minimum legal drinking age, were the most consistent predictors of alcohol consumption. Aggregate relative alcohol price levels were associated inversely with all drinking variables (P < 0.05) except drinking volume. Greater restrictions on alcohol advertising, particularly beer advertising, were associated inversely with alcohol consumption (P < 0.05). Policies that set legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for drivers and random breath testing to enforce BAC limits were not associated significantly with alcohol consumption. Alcohol policies that regulate the physical availability of alcohol are associated with lower alcohol consumption in low- and middle-income countries. © 2014 Society for the Study of Addiction.

[Participation and representation of the immigrant population in the Spanish National Health Survey 2011-2012].

PubMed

González-Rábago, Yolanda; La Parra, Daniel; Martín, Unai; Malmusi, Davide

2014-01-01

Population health surveys have been the main data source for analysis of immigrants' health status in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyze the representation of this population in the Spanish National Health Survey (SNHS) 2011-2012. We analyzed methodological publications and data from the SNHS 2011-2012 and the population registry. Differences in the participation rate between the national and foreign populations and the causes for these differences were analyzed, as well as the representation of 11 countries of birth in the survey with respect to the general population, with and without weighting. Households with any foreign person had a lower participation rate, either due to a higher error in the sampling frame or to a higher non-response rate. In each country of birth, the sample was smaller than would be expected according to the population registry, especially among the Chinese population. When we applied the sample weights to the 11 countries of birth, the estimated population volume was closer to the estimated volume of the population registry for all the countries considered, although globally both the underrepresentation and the intranational bias remained. The lower participation of the immigrant population and differences in participation depending on the country of origin suggest the existence of a potential bias in the SNHS, which should be taken into account in studies analyzing the health of this population. The lower participation rate should be studied in greater depth in order to take appropriate measures to increase the representativeness of health surveys. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Modern approaches for a design and development of optoelectronic measuring systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nekrylov, Ivan S.; Korotaev, Valery V.; Denisov, Victor M.; Kleshchenok, Maksim A.

2016-04-01

In the world is the widespread adoption of measuring equipment of new generation, which is characterized by small size, high automation level, a multi-channel, digital filtering, satellite synchronization, wireless communication, digital record in long-term memory with great resource, powered by long-lived sources, etc. However, modern equipment base of the Russian institutions and the level of development of technical facilities and measuring technologies lag far behind developed countries. For this reason, the vacated niches are actively developed by foreign companies. For example, more than 70% instrumentation performing works on the territory of Russia, equipped with imported equipment (products of Sweden and Germany companies); the amount of work performed with German equipment is more than 70% of the total volume of these works; more than 80% of industrial measurements are performed using HEXAGON equipment (Sweden). These trends show that the Russian sector of measuring technology gradually become import-dependent, which poses a threat to the economic security of the country and consistent with national priorities. The results of the research will allow to develop the theory of formation of control systems of the displacement with high accuracy and unattainable for the existing analogue ergonomic and weight characteristics combined with a comparable or lower cost. These advantages will allow you to be successful competition, and eventually to supplant the existing system, which had no fundamental changes in the last 20 years and, therefore, retained all the drawbacks: large size and weight, high power consumption, the dependence on magnetic fields.

Validation of post-operative residual contrast enhancing tumor volume as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

PubMed

Ellingson, Benjamin M; Abrey, Lauren E; Nelson, Sarah J; Kaufmann, Timothy J; Garcia, Josep; Chinot, Olivier; Saran, Frank; Nishikawa, Ryo; Henriksson, Roger; Mason, Warren P; Wick, Wolfgang; Butowski, Nicholas; Ligon, Keith L; Gerstner, Elizabeth R; Colman, Howard; de Groot, John; Chang, Susan; Mellinghoff, Ingo; Young, Robert J; Alexander, Brian M; Colen, Rivka; Taylor, Jennie W; Arrillaga-Romany, Isabel; Mehta, Arnav; Huang, Raymond Y; Pope, Whitney B; Reardon, David; Batchelor, Tracy; Prados, Michael; Galanis, Evanthia; Wen, Patrick Y; Cloughesy, Timothy F

2018-04-05

In the current study, we pooled imaging data in newly diagnosed GBM patients from international multicenter clinical trials, single institution databases, and multicenter clinical trial consortiums to identify the relationship between post-operative residual enhancing tumor volume and overall survival (OS). Data from 1,511 newly diagnosed GBM patients from 5 data sources were included in the current study: 1) a single institution database from UCLA (N=398; Discovery); 2) patients from the Ben and Cathy Ivy Foundation for Early Phase Clinical Trials Network Radiogenomics Database (N=262 from 8 centers; Confirmation); 3) the chemoradiation placebo arm from an international phase III trial (AVAglio; N=394 from 120 locations in 23 countries; Validation); 4) the experimental arm from AVAglio examining chemoradiation plus bevacizumab (N=404 from 120 locations in 23 countries; Exploratory Set 1); and 5) an Alliance (N0874) Phase I/II trial of vorinostat plus chemoradiation (N=53; Exploratory Set 2). Post-surgical, residual enhancing disease was quantified using T1 subtraction maps. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to determine influence of clinical variables, MGMT status, and residual tumor volume on OS. A log-linear relationship was observed between post-operative, residual enhancing tumor volume and OS in newly diagnosed GBM treated with standard chemoradiation. Post-operative tumor volume is a prognostic factor for OS (P<0.01), regardless of therapy, age, and MGMT promoter methylation status. Post-surgical, residual contrast-enhancing disease significantly negatively influences survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma treated with chemoradiation with or without concomitant experimental therapy.

Improving health systems performance in low- and middle-income countries: a system dynamics model of the pay-for-performance initiative in Afghanistan.

PubMed

Alonge, O; Lin, S; Igusa, T; Peters, D H

2017-12-01

System dynamics methods were used to explore effective implementation pathways for improving health systems performance through pay-for-performance (P4P) schemes. A causal loop diagram was developed to delineate primary causal relationships for service delivery within primary health facilities. A quantitative stock-and-flow model was developed next. The stock-and-flow model was then used to simulate the impact of various P4P implementation scenarios on quality and volume of services. Data from the Afghanistan national facility survey in 2012 was used to calibrate the model. The models show that P4P bonuses could increase health workers' motivation leading to higher levels of quality and volume of services. Gaming could reduce or even reverse this desired effect, leading to levels of quality and volume of services that are below baseline levels. Implementation issues, such as delays in the disbursement of P4P bonuses and low levels of P4P bonuses, also reduce the desired effect of P4P on quality and volume, but they do not cause the outputs to fall below baseline levels. Optimal effect of P4P on quality and volume of services is obtained when P4P bonuses are distributed per the health workers' contributions to the services that triggered the payments. Other distribution algorithms such as equal allocation or allocations proportionate to salaries resulted in quality and volume levels that were substantially lower, sometimes below baseline. The system dynamics models served to inform, with quantitative results, the theory of change underlying P4P intervention. Specific implementation strategies, such as prompt disbursement of adequate levels of performance bonus distributed per health workers' contribution to service, increase the likelihood of P4P success. Poorly designed P4P schemes, such as those without an optimal algorithm for distributing performance bonuses and adequate safeguards for gaming, can have a negative overall impact on health service delivery systems. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Optimising reverse logistics network to support policy-making in the case of Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

PubMed

Achillas, Ch; Vlachokostas, Ch; Aidonis, D; Moussiopoulos, N; Iakovou, E; Banias, G

2010-12-01

Due to the rapid growth of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) volumes, as well as the hazardousness of obsolete electr(on)ic goods, this type of waste is now recognised as a priority stream in the developed countries. Policy-making related to the development of the necessary infrastructure and the coordination of all relevant stakeholders is crucial for the efficient management and viability of individually collected waste. This paper presents a decision support tool for policy-makers and regulators to optimise electr(on)ic products' reverse logistics network. To that effect, a Mixed Integer Linear Programming mathematical model is formulated taking into account existing infrastructure of collection points and recycling facilities. The applicability of the developed model is demonstrated employing a real-world case study for the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece. The paper concludes with presenting relevant obtained managerial insights. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Talent identification and promotion programmes of Olympic athletes.

PubMed

Vaeyens, Roel; Güllich, Arne; Warr, Chelsea R; Philippaerts, Renaat

2009-11-01

The start of a new Olympic cycle offers a fresh chance for individuals and nations to excel at the highest level in sport. Most countries attempt to develop systematic structures to identify gifted athletes and to promote their development in a certain sport. However, forecasting years in advance the next generation of sporting experts and stimulating their development remains problematic. In this article, we discuss issues related to the identification and preparation of Olympic athletes. We provide field-based data suggesting that an earlier onset and a higher volume of discipline-specific training and competition, and an extended involvement in institutional talent promotion programmes, during adolescence need not necessarily be associated with greater success in senior international elite sport. Next, we consider some of the promising methods that have been (recently) presented in the literature and applied in the field. Finally, implications for talent identification and promotion and directions for future research are highlighted.

Sustainable Cost Models for mHealth at Scale: Modeling Program Data from m4RH Tanzania.

PubMed

Mangone, Emily R; Agarwal, Smisha; L'Engle, Kelly; Lasway, Christine; Zan, Trinity; van Beijma, Hajo; Orkis, Jennifer; Karam, Robert

2016-01-01

There is increasing evidence that mobile phone health interventions ("mHealth") can improve health behaviors and outcomes and are critically important in low-resource, low-access settings. However, the majority of mHealth programs in developing countries fail to reach scale. One reason may be the challenge of developing financially sustainable programs. The goal of this paper is to explore strategies for mHealth program sustainability and develop cost-recovery models for program implementers using 2014 operational program data from Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH), a national text-message (SMS) based health communication service in Tanzania. We delineated 2014 m4RH program costs and considered three strategies for cost-recovery for the m4RH program: user pay-for-service, SMS cost reduction, and strategic partnerships. These inputs were used to develop four different cost-recovery scenarios. The four scenarios leveraged strategic partnerships to reduce per-SMS program costs and create per-SMS program revenue and varied the structure for user financial contribution. Finally, we conducted break-even and uncertainty analyses to evaluate the costs and revenues of these models at the 2014 user volume (125,320) and at any possible break-even volume. In three of four scenarios, costs exceeded revenue by $94,596, $34,443, and $84,571 at the 2014 user volume. However, these costs represented large reductions (54%, 83%, and 58%, respectively) from the 2014 program cost of $203,475. Scenario four, in which the lowest per-SMS rate ($0.01 per SMS) was negotiated and users paid for all m4RH SMS sent or received, achieved a $5,660 profit at the 2014 user volume. A Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis demonstrated that break-even points were driven by user volume rather than variations in program costs. These results reveal that breaking even was only probable when all SMS costs were transferred to users and the lowest per-SMS cost was negotiated with telecom partners. While this strategy was sustainable for the implementer, a central concern is that health information may not reach those who are too poor to pay, limiting the program's reach and impact. Incorporating strategies presented here may make mHealth programs more appealing to funders and investors but need further consideration to balance sustainability, scale, and impact.

Sustainable Cost Models for mHealth at Scale: Modeling Program Data from m4RH Tanzania

PubMed Central

Mangone, Emily R.; Agarwal, Smisha; L’Engle, Kelly; Lasway, Christine; Zan, Trinity; van Beijma, Hajo; Orkis, Jennifer; Karam, Robert

2016-01-01

Background There is increasing evidence that mobile phone health interventions (“mHealth”) can improve health behaviors and outcomes and are critically important in low-resource, low-access settings. However, the majority of mHealth programs in developing countries fail to reach scale. One reason may be the challenge of developing financially sustainable programs. The goal of this paper is to explore strategies for mHealth program sustainability and develop cost-recovery models for program implementers using 2014 operational program data from Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH), a national text-message (SMS) based health communication service in Tanzania. Methods We delineated 2014 m4RH program costs and considered three strategies for cost-recovery for the m4RH program: user pay-for-service, SMS cost reduction, and strategic partnerships. These inputs were used to develop four different cost-recovery scenarios. The four scenarios leveraged strategic partnerships to reduce per-SMS program costs and create per-SMS program revenue and varied the structure for user financial contribution. Finally, we conducted break-even and uncertainty analyses to evaluate the costs and revenues of these models at the 2014 user volume (125,320) and at any possible break-even volume. Results In three of four scenarios, costs exceeded revenue by $94,596, $34,443, and $84,571 at the 2014 user volume. However, these costs represented large reductions (54%, 83%, and 58%, respectively) from the 2014 program cost of $203,475. Scenario four, in which the lowest per-SMS rate ($0.01 per SMS) was negotiated and users paid for all m4RH SMS sent or received, achieved a $5,660 profit at the 2014 user volume. A Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis demonstrated that break-even points were driven by user volume rather than variations in program costs. Conclusions These results reveal that breaking even was only probable when all SMS costs were transferred to users and the lowest per-SMS cost was negotiated with telecom partners. While this strategy was sustainable for the implementer, a central concern is that health information may not reach those who are too poor to pay, limiting the program’s reach and impact. Incorporating strategies presented here may make mHealth programs more appealing to funders and investors but need further consideration to balance sustainability, scale, and impact. PMID:26824747

Arrested diatreme development: Standing Rocks East, Hopi Buttes, Navajo Nation, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefebvre, Nathalie S.; White, James D. L.; Kjarsgaard, Bruce A.

2016-01-01

Maar-diatreme volcanoes, defined by their relatively large pyroclastic debris-filled subsurface structures and craters that cut into the pre-eruptive land surface, are typically found in small-volume mafic to ultramafic monogenetic volcanic fields. Diatremes are associated with strong explosions throughout most of their development, focused along feeder dikes and generally attributed to magma-water interaction, or high magmatic volatiles. Detailed mapping of the magnificently exposed Standing Rocks East (SRE) diatreme shows evidence of additional eruptive complexity, and offers new insights into how the plumbing and vent structures of small-volume volcanoes evolve during an eruption. SRE is part of a larger, basanitic volcanic complex that includes several diatremes formed along a series of irregular, offset NW-SE trending dikes exposed 300 m below the pre-eruptive land surface. Its similarly oriented elliptical-shaped diatreme structure comprises predominantly country rock lithic-rich breccia of coarse inhomogeneously mixed wall-rock blocks sourced from above and below the current surface, plus sparse juvenile material. Domains of pyroclastic deposits crosscut the country rock breccia deposits, and the best exposed is the NW massif rising 35 m above the current erosional surface. It represents a cross-section of an evolving crater floor, and comprises matrix-rich lapilli tuff and spatter deposits cut by irregularly distributed dikes, some with very complex textures. The most significant deposit, in terms of volume, is an unbedded lapilli tuff that is poorly sorted and has a well-mixed population of wall-rock and juvenile clast varieties, thus resembling deposits typical of diatremes. It is overlain by and locally intercalated with spatter deposits, and this irregular contact demarcates the base of what was during eruption an uneven, evolving crater floor. The generally massive, variably welded spatter deposits constitute mostly lapilli-sized juvenile clasts with fluidal, folded-over shapes and ropy surfaces, subordinate thermally altered wall-rock and variegated domains of lapilli tuff. SRE shows a progressive transition from fissure to diatreme, and overall evolution from more explosive to weakly explosive eruption styles recorded at the conduit-crater transition. Diatreme development was initiated by deep-quarrying explosive eruptions along a fissure to form the country rock-rich breccia. Only parts of the fissure remained active as magma feeding the highly explosive eruptions along the fissure localized into discrete point sources forming the matrix-rich lapilli tuff deposits. These superimposed deposits record the passage of multiple debris-jets and subvertical fallback from shallow cratering arising from explosions triggered by magma-water interaction at numerous, discrete sites. However, instead of continuing to build a well-formed diatreme, the system switched to weak spattering with intermittent explosive activity and near-surface dike emplacement into the unconsolidated anisotropic, pyroclastic debris of the crater floor. Dominant spatter from strombolian-style bursts accumulated on the topographically varied, evolving unstable syn-eruptive crater floor, and led to local failure and remobilization. This study demonstrates how the combination of fissure behavior and sensitivity of the shallow plumbing system to local conditions during an eruption can lead to a decrease in eruptive footprint within the diatreme structure, and an overall decrease in explosivity resulting in the arrested development of an immature diatreme.

Lung volumes and maximal respiratory pressures in collegiate swimmers and runners.

PubMed

Cordain, L; Tucker, A; Moon, D; Stager, J M

1990-03-01

To determine whether respiratory muscle strength is related to pulmonary volume differences in athletes and nonathletes, 11 intercollegiate female swimmers, 11 female cross-country runners, and two nonathletic control groups, matched to the athletes in height and age, were evaluated for pulmonary parameters including maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax). Swimmers exhibited larger (p less than .05) vital capacities (VC), residual lung volumes (RV), inspiratory capacities (IC), and functional residual capacities (FRC) than both the runners or the controls but no difference (p greater than .05) in either PImax or inspiratory flow (FIV 25%-75%). Timed expiratory volumes (FEV 0.5 and FEV 1.0) were significantly (p less than .05) lower in the swimmers than in the controls. These data suggest that an adaptational growth may be responsible, in part, for the augmented static lung volumes demonstrated in swimmers.

Critical Climate-Sensitive and Important Grain-Producing Regions: Grain Production/Yield Variations Due to Climate Fluctuations. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welker, J. E.

2004-01-01

Ideally, the Crop Country Inventory, CCI, is a methodology for the pre-harvest prediction of large variations in a country s crop production. This is accomplished by monitoring the historical climatic fluctuations, especially during the crop calendar period, in a climate sensitive large crop production region or sub-country, rather than the entire country. The argument can be made that the climatic fluctuations in the climatic sensitive region are responsible for the major annual crop country variations and that the remainder of the country, without major climatic fluctuations for a given year, can be assumed to be a steady-state crop producer. The principal data set that has been used is the Global Climate Mode (GCM) data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), taken over the last half century. As a test of its accuracy, GCM data can and has been correlated with the actual meteorological station data at the station site.

Surgical Outcomes of Primary Versus Post-Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Breast Conservation Surgery: A Comparative Study from a Developing Country.

PubMed

Agarwal, Gaurav; Sonthineni, Chaitra; Mayilvaganan, Sabaretnam; Mishra, Anjali; Lal, Punita; Agrawal, Vinita

2018-05-01

In India and other developing countries, breast conservation surgery (BCS) rates in breast cancer patients are low due to advanced disease at presentation and misconceptions about BCS outcomes. Many patients presenting with large or locally advanced breast cancers (LABC) can be offered post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) BCS, safety of which is not as well established as that of primary BCS. This retrospective study compared pathological and surgical outcome parameters in patients undergoing primary and post-NACT BCS. All non-metastatic breast cancer patients undergoing BCS during 2011-2015 with 1-year follow-up were included. Outcome parameters in form of margin infiltration, ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) rates and IBTR-free survival were compared between primary and post-NACT BCS patients groups. One hundred and twenty-nine patients underwent BCS; 95 underwent primary and 34 post-NACT BCS. Patients in both groups underwent similar multimodality treatment as per institutional protocols. Post-NACT patients more frequently required oncoplastic volume displacement or replacement surgery (p = 0.002). Re-excision of infiltrated margins was needed more frequently in primary BCS compared with post-NACT BCS group (14.4 vs. 8.8%; p = 0.40). IBTR (Mean follow-up = 30.7 months) was seen in 8.8% post-NACT patients compared with 2.1% primary BCS (p = 0.114). IBTR-free survival did not differ significantly between the groups in stage-wise comparison. Post-NACT BCS is safe even in large tumors and LABC, though many require oncoplastic procedures for satisfactory cosmesis. In a developing country where many patients present with large breast cancers or LABC, the benefits of BCS can be offered to a majority with the help of NACT, without compromising the chances of cure.

Designing for scale: development of the ReMotion Knee for global emerging markets.

PubMed

Hamner, Samuel R; Narayan, Vinesh G; Donaldson, Krista M

2013-09-01

Amputees living in developing countries have a profound need for affordable and reliable lower limb prosthetic devices. The World Health Organization estimates there are approximately 30 million amputees living in low-income countries, with up to 95% lacking access to prosthetic devices. Effective prosthetics can significantly affect the lives of these amputees by increasing opportunity for employment and providing improvements to long-term health and well-being. However, current solutions are inadequate: state-of-the-art solutions from the US and Europe are cost-prohibitive, while low-cost devices have been challenged by poor quality and/or unreliable performance, and have yet to achieve large scale impact. The introduction of new devices is hampered by the lack of a cohesive prosthetics industry in low-income areas; the current network of low-cost prosthetic clinics is informal and loosely organized with significant disparities in geography, patient volume and demographics, device procurement, clinical and logistical infrastructure, and funding. At D-Rev (Design Revolution) we are creating the ReMotion Knee, which is an affordable polycentric prosthetic knee joint that performs on par with devices in more industrialized regions, like the US and Europe. As of September 2012, over 4200 amputees have been fitted with the initial version of the ReMotion Knee through a partnership with the JaipurFoot Organization, with an 79% compliance rate after 2 years. We are currently scaling production of the ReMotion Knee using centralized manufacturing and distribution to serve the existing clinics in low-income countries and increase the availability of devices for amputees without access to appropriate care. At D-Rev, we develop products that target these customers through economically-sustainable models and provide a measurable impact in the lives of the world's amputees.

A model for estimation of potential generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Brazil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Araujo, Marcelo Guimaraes, E-mail: marcel_g@uol.com.br; Magrini, Alessandra; Mahler, Claudio Fernando

2012-02-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Literature of WEEE generation in developing countries is reviewed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We analyse existing estimates of WEEE generation for Brazil. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We present a model for WEEE generation estimate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer WEEE generation of 3.77 kg/capita year for 2008 is estimated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Use of constant lifetime should be avoided for non-mature market products. - Abstract: Sales of electrical and electronic equipment are increasing dramatically in developing countries. Usually, there are no reliable data about quantities of the waste generated. A new law for solid waste management was enacted in Brazil in 2010, and the infrastructure to treat this waste mustmore » be planned, considering the volumes of the different types of electrical and electronic equipment generated. This paper reviews the literature regarding estimation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), focusing on developing countries, particularly in Latin America. It briefly describes the current WEEE system in Brazil and presents an updated estimate of generation of WEEE. Considering the limited available data in Brazil, a model for WEEE generation estimation is proposed in which different methods are used for mature and non-mature market products. The results showed that the most important variable is the equipment lifetime, which requires a thorough understanding of consumer behavior to estimate. Since Brazil is a rapidly expanding market, the 'boom' in waste generation is still to come. In the near future, better data will provide more reliable estimation of waste generation and a clearer interpretation of the lifetime variable throughout the years.« less

The Hotspot for (Global) One Health in Primary Food Production: Aflatoxin M1 in Dairy Products

PubMed Central

Frazzoli, Chiara; Gherardi, Paola; Saxena, Navneet; Belluzzi, Giancarlo; Mantovani, Alberto

2017-01-01

One Health involves the multifaceted environment-animal-human web: nevertheless, the role of toxicological issues has yet to be fully explored in this context. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination of feeds is a risk for the health of several farm animals, including fishes; milk is the only food of animal origin where a significant feed-food carry over may occur. The main AFB1-related compound present in milk is the hydroxy-metabolite aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). Besides contamination of raw milk, AFM1 is of concern for the whole dairy chain; AFM1 may also contaminate the milk of several other ruminants used for milk/dairy production. In a One Health perspective, milk represents a sentinel matrix for AFB1 vulnerability of the agro-food system, that is crucial in a phase when food/nutritional security becomes a global issue and climatic changes may affect agricultural productions. In the global setting, food chain exposure to long-term toxicants, such as AFM1, is a growing concern for economically developing countries, whereas global trade and climatic change makes AFM1 an emerging hot issue in economically developed countries as well. We critically review the state of the art on AFM1 risk assessment and risk management using two scenarios as case studies: a European Union country where the health system aims at ensuring a high-level protection of food chain (Italy) and the world’s largest (and economically developing) producer of dairy products by volume (India). The case studies are used to provide building blocks for a global One Health framework. PMID:28210616

Resource needs and gap analysis in achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS services: a data envelopment analysis of 45 countries.

PubMed

Zeng, Wu; Shepard, Donald S; Avila-Figueroa, Carlos; Ahn, Haksoon

2016-06-01

-To manage the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic, international donors have pledged unprecedented commitments for needed services. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) projected that low- and middle-income countries needed $25 billion to meet the 2010 HIV/AIDS goal of universal access to AIDS prevention and care, using the resource needs model (RNM). -Drawing from the results from its sister study, which used a data envelopment analysis (DEA) and a Tobit model to evaluate and adjust the technical efficiency of 61 countries in delivering HIV/AIDS services from 2002 to 2007, this study extended the DEA and developed an approach to estimate resource needs and decompose the performance gap into efficiency gap and resource gap. In the DEA, we considered national HIV/AIDS spending as the input and volume of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) and antiretroviral treatment (ART) as the outputs. An input-oriented DEA model was constructed to project resource needs in achieving 2010 HIV/AIDS goal for 45 countries using the data in 2006, assuming that all study countries maximized efficiency. -The DEA approach demonstrated the potential to include efficiency of national HIV/AIDS programmes in resource needs estimation, using macro-level data. Under maximal efficiency, the annual projected resource needs for the 45 countries was $6.3 billion, ∼47% of their UNAIDS estimate of $13.5 billion. Given study countries' spending of $3.9 billion, improving efficiency could narrow the gap from $9.6 to $2.4 billion. The results suggest that along with continued financial commitment to HIV/AIDS, improving the efficiency of HIV/AIDS programmes would accelerate the pace to reach 2010 HIV/AIDS goals. The DEA approach provides a supplement to the AIDS RNM to inform policy making. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Geophysical expression of a buried niobium and rare earth element deposit: the Elk Creek carbonatite, Nebraska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drenth, Benjamin J.

2014-01-01

The lower Paleozoic Elk Creek carbonatite is a 6–8-km-diameter intrusive complex buried under 200 m of sedimentary rocks in southeastern Nebraska. It hosts the largest known niobium deposit in the U.S. and a rare earth element (REE) deposit. The carbonatite is composed of several lithologies, the relations of which are poorly understood. Niobium mineralization is most enriched within a magnetite beforsite (MB) unit, and REE oxides are most concentrated in a barite beforsite unit. The carbonatite intrudes Proterozoic country rocks. Efforts to explore the carbonatite have used geophysical data and drilling. A high-resolution airborne gravity gradient and magnetic survey was flown over the carbonatite in 2012. The carbonatite is associated with a roughly annular vertical gravity gradient high and a subdued central low and a central magnetic high surrounded by magnetic field values lower than those over the country rocks. Geophysical, borehole, and physical property data are combined for an interpretation of these signatures. The carbonatite is denser than the country rocks, explaining the gravity gradient high. Most carbonatite lithologies have weaker magnetic susceptibilities than those of the country rocks, explaining why the carbonatite does not produce a magnetic high at its margin. The primary source of the central magnetic high is interpreted to be mafic rocks that are strongly magnetized and are present in large volumes. MB is very dense (mean density 3200  kg/m3) and strongly magnetized (median 0.073 magnetic susceptibility), producing a gravity gradient high and contributing to the aeromagnetic high. Barite beforsite has physical properties similar to most of the carbonatite volume, making it a poor geophysical target. Geophysical anomalies indicate the presence of dense and strongly magnetized rocks at depths below existing boreholes, either a large volume of MB or another unknown lithology.

Modeling hospital infrastructure by optimizing quality, accessibility and efficiency via a mixed integer programming model.

PubMed

Ikkersheim, David; Tanke, Marit; van Schooten, Gwendy; de Bresser, Niels; Fleuren, Hein

2013-06-16

The majority of curative health care is organized in hospitals. As in most other countries, the current 94 hospital locations in the Netherlands offer almost all treatments, ranging from rather basic to very complex care. Recent studies show that concentration of care can lead to substantial quality improvements for complex conditions and that dispersion of care for chronic conditions may increase quality of care. In previous studies on allocation of hospital infrastructure, the allocation is usually only based on accessibility and/or efficiency of hospital care. In this paper, we explore the possibilities to include a quality function in the objective function, to give global directions to how the 'optimal' hospital infrastructure would be in the Dutch context. To create optimal societal value we have used a mathematical mixed integer programming (MIP) model that balances quality, efficiency and accessibility of care for 30 ICD-9 diagnosis groups. Typical aspects that are taken into account are the volume-outcome relationship, the maximum accepted travel times for diagnosis groups that may need emergency treatment and the minimum use of facilities. The optimal number of hospital locations per diagnosis group varies from 12-14 locations for diagnosis groups which have a strong volume-outcome relationship, such as neoplasms, to 150 locations for chronic diagnosis groups such as diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In conclusion, our study shows a new approach for allocating hospital infrastructure over a country or certain region that includes quality of care in relation to volume per provider that can be used in various countries or regions. In addition, our model shows that within the Dutch context chronic care may be too concentrated and complex and/or acute care may be too dispersed. Our approach can relatively easily be adopted towards other countries or regions and is very suitable to perform a 'what-if' analysis.

A personal experience of 2-year general thoracic surgery training programs in Japan and the United States.

PubMed

Hamaji, Masatsugu; Tanaka, Toru

2013-03-01

The objective of the study is to review and compare two countries' thoracic surgery training programs. Retrospective review of the first author's prospectively maintained operative case logs in two countries was performed. Each training program was established in a teaching hospital for its country's board requirement. Preoperative diagnosis, operative procedures and postoperative diagnosis were reviewed. The case volume (overall and in each category) was also reviewed. The ratio of each category and overall case volume was compared between the two programs by Chi-square test. p value was considered significant if it is <0.05. The overall case volumes were 169 cases in the Japanese institution and 456 cases in the United States' institution. The number ratio of each category's procedures and overall procedures was as follows: pleural cases, Japan 19.2 % versus the Unites States 20.6 % (p = 0.782), pulmonary cases, Japan 72.7 % versus the United States 36.8 % (p < 0.0001), mediastinal cases, Japan 8.1 % versus the United States 8.6 % (p = 0.678), diaphragm cases, Japan 0.62 % versus the United States 13.2 % (p = 0.0001), chest wall cases, Japan 1.2 % versus the United States 3.5 % (p = 0.0858), tracheobronchial cases, Japan 1.2 % versus the United States 1.8 % (p = 0.583). Regarding the approach, the ratios of each approach and overall cases are as follows: minimally invasive approach, Japan 78.3 % versus the United States 45.8 % (p < 0.0001), reoperative cases, Japan 0.62 % versus the United States 3.1 % (p = 0.0411). Case variety is different between the two countries. Our findings suggest that thoracic surgery training in the United States may be beneficial for Japanese medical graduates.

Financing of global health: tracking development assistance for health from 1990 to 2007.

PubMed

Ravishankar, Nirmala; Gubbins, Paul; Cooley, Rebecca J; Leach-Kemon, Katherine; Michaud, Catherine M; Jamison, Dean T; Murray, Christopher J L

2009-06-20

The need for timely and reliable information about global health resource flows to low-income and middle-income countries is widely recognised. We aimed to provide a comprehensive assessment of development assistance for health (DAH) from 1990 to 2007. We defined DAH as all flows for health from public and private institutions whose primary purpose is to provide development assistance to low-income and middle-income countries. We used several data sources to measure the yearly volume of DAH in 2007 US$, and created an integrated project database to examine the composition of this assistance by recipient country. DAH grew from $5.6 billion in 1990 to $21.8 billion in 2007. The proportion of DAH channelled via UN agencies and development banks decreased from 1990 to 2007, whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and non-governmental organisations became the conduit for an increasing share of DAH. DAH has risen sharply since 2002 because of increases in public funding, especially from the USA, and on the private side, from increased philanthropic donations and in-kind contributions from corporate donors. Of the $13.8 [corrected] billion DAH in 2007 for which project-level information was available, $4.9 [corrected] billion was for HIV/AIDS, compared with $0.6 [corrected] billion for tuberculosis, $0.7 [corrected] billion for malaria, and $0.9 billion for health-sector support. Total DAH received by low-income and middle-income countries was positively correlated with burden of disease, whereas per head DAH was negatively correlated with per head gross domestic product. This study documents the substantial rise of resources for global health in recent years. Although the rise in DAH has resulted in increased funds for HIV/AIDS, other areas of global health have also expanded. The influx of funds has been accompanied by major changes in the institutional landscape of global health, with global health initiatives such as the Global Fund and GAVI having a central role in mobilising and channelling global health funds. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Invited Article: Radon and thoron intercomparison experiments for integrated monitors at NIRS, Japan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Janik, M., E-mail: mirek@fml.nirs.go.jp; Ishikawa, T.; Omori, Y.

Inhalation of radon ({sup 222}Rn) and its short-lived decay products and of products of the thoron ({sup 220}Rn) series accounts for more than half of the effective dose from natural radiation sources. At this time, many countries have begun large-scale radon and thoron surveys and many different measurement methods and instruments are used in these studies. Consequently, it is necessary to improve and standardize technical methods of measurements and to verify quality assurance by intercomparisons between laboratories. Four international intercomparisons for passive integrating radon and thoron monitors were conducted at the NIRS (National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Japan). Radon exercisesmore » were carried out in the 24.4 m{sup 3} inner volume walk-in radon chamber that has systems to control radon concentration, temperature, and humidity. Moreover, the NIRS thoron chamber with a 150 dm{sup 3} inner volume was utilized to provide three thoron intercomparisons. At present, the NIRS is the only laboratory world-wide that has carried out periodic thoron intercomparison of passive monitors. Fifty laboratories from 26 countries participated in the radon intercomparison, using six types of detectors (charcoal, CR-39, LR 115, polycarbonate film, electret plate, and silicon photodiode). Eighteen laboratories from 12 countries participated in the thoron intercomparisons, using two etch-track types (CR-39 and polycarbonate) detectors. The tests were made under one to three different exposures to radon and thoron. The data presented in this paper indicated that the performance quality of laboratories for radon measurement has been gradually increasing. Results of thoron exercises showed that the quality for thoron measurements still needs further development and additional studies are needed to improve its measuring methods. The present paper provides a summary of all radon and thoron international intercomparisons done at NIRS from 2007 to date and it describes the present status on radon and thoron passive, one-time cycle monitors.« less

Alcohol Use Patterns and DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorder on Both Sides of the US-Mexico Border

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Thomas K.; Ye, Yu; Lown, E. Anne; Cherpitel, Cheryl J.; Zemore, Sarah; Borges, Guilherme

2017-01-01

Background Alcohol consumption patterns on the US-Mexico border and their relationships with DSM-5 Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) have been understudied. Yet, effects of drinking by Mexican-origin individuals may differ between cities on vs. off the border both in the US and Mexico. We characterize prior 12-months drinking patterns, and examine their relationships with AUD, in border and off-border cities of Texas and adjacent Mexican states. Methods Data come from the US-Mexico Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC) involving 2,336 Mexican Americans in Texas and 2,460 Mexicans in bordering states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Drinking pattern was defined as an interaction between volume and maximum amount, or intensity (never vs. ever 5+/4+ [men/women], 8+, and 12+ drinks in a day). DSM-5 AUD was assessed using an adaptation of the Alcohol Section of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) core. Separately by gender, five logistic regressions models controlling for age were estimated predicting symptoms in 2 or more AUD criteria domains from volume, heavy pattern and, successively, effects of country, and (by country) residing on vs. off the border, or in each of 3 cities/country. Results A segmentation analysis for Texas males based on rate of experiencing AUD generated several distinct volume-groups, each partitioned by an empirically selected maximum, helped identify a drinking pattern typology. In gender-stratified models of AUD rates using this typology, adjusting for age, significant volume and intensity effects were seen, more strongly in the US. Border vs. interior differences implied more AUD for given patterns at the border in the US and the reverse in Mexico, with some city differences also evident. Conclusion Drinking pattern analyses confirm that border proximity may affect drinking problems but in opposite directions in the US and Mexico, possibly related to economic and psychological stresses specific to respective communities. PMID:28207949

PREFACE: International Conference on Applied Sciences 2015 (ICAS2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemle, Ludovic Dan; Jiang, Yiwen

2016-02-01

The International Conference on Applied Sciences ICAS2015 took place in Wuhan, China on June 3-5, 2015 at the Military Economics Academy of Wuhan. The conference is regularly organized, alternatively in Romania and in P.R. China, by Politehnica University of Timişoara, Romania, and Military Economics Academy of Wuhan, P.R. China, with the joint aims to serve as a platform for exchange of information between various areas of applied sciences, and to promote the communication between the scientists of different nations, countries and continents. The topics of the conference cover a comprehensive spectrum of issues from: >Economical Sciences and Defense: Management Sciences, Business Management, Financial Management, Logistics, Human Resources, Crisis Management, Risk Management, Quality Control, Analysis and Prediction, Government Expenditure, Computational Methods in Economics, Military Sciences, National Security, and others... >Fundamental Sciences and Engineering: Interdisciplinary applications of physics, Numerical approximation and analysis, Computational Methods in Engineering, Metallic Materials, Composite Materials, Metal Alloys, Metallurgy, Heat Transfer, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Reliability, Electrical Engineering, Circuits and Systems, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Data Bases, Modeling and Simulation, and others... The conference gathered qualified researchers whose expertise can be used to develop new engineering knowledge that has applicability potential in Engineering, Economics, Defense, etc. The number of participants was 120 from 11 countries (China, Romania, Taiwan, Korea, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, USA, Jamaica, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). During the three days of the conference four invited and 67 oral talks were delivered. Based on the work presented at the conference, 38 selected papers have been included in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. These papers present new research in the various fields of Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computers Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. It's our great pleasure to present this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering to the scientific community to promote further research in these areas. We sincerely hope that the papers published in this volume will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the respective fields.

Public health implications of changing rodent importation patterns— United States, 1999–2013

PubMed Central

Lankau, Emily W.; Sinclair, Julie R.; Schroeder, Betsy A.; Galland, G. Gale; Marano, Nina

2015-01-01

Summary The United States imports a large volume of live wild and domestic animal species; these animals pose a demonstrated risk for introduction of zoonotic diseases. Rodents are imported for multiple purposes, including scientific research, zoo exhibits, and the pet trade. Current U.S. public health regulatory restrictions specific to rodent importation pertain only to those of African origin. To understand the impacts of these regulations and the potential public health risks of international rodent trade to the United States, we evaluated live rodent import records during 1999 –2013 by shipment volume and geographic origin, source (e.g., wild -caught versus captive-or commercially bred), intended purpose, and rodent taxonomy. Live rodent imports increased from 2,737 animals during 1999 to 173,761 animals during 2013. Increases in both the number and size of shipments contributed to this trend. The proportion of wild-captured imports declined from 75% during 1999 to <1% during 2013. Nearly all shipments during these years were imported for commercial purposes. Imports from Europe and other countries in North America experienced notable increases in volume. Gerbils and hamsters arriving from Europe and chinchillas, guinea pigs, and hamsters arriving from other countries in North America were predominant taxa underlying this trend . After 2003, African-origin imports became sporadic events under the federal permit process. These patterns suggest development of large -scale captive rodent breeding markets abroad for commercial sale in the United States. While the shift from wild-captured imports alleviates many conservation concerns and risks for novel disease emergence, such consolidated sourcing might elevate exposure risks for zoonotic diseases associated with high-density rodent breeding(e.g. , lymphocytic choriomeningitis or salmonellosis). A responsive border health system must periodically re-evaluate importation regulations in conjunction with key stakeholders to ensure a balance between the economic benefits of rodent trade against the potential public health risks. PMID:26245515

Public Health Implications of Changing Rodent Importation Patterns - United States, 1999-2013.

PubMed

Lankau, E W; Sinclair, J R; Schroeder, B A; Galland, G G; Marano, N

2017-04-01

The United States imports a large volume of live wild and domestic animal species; these animals pose a demonstrated risk for introduction of zoonotic diseases. Rodents are imported for multiple purposes, including scientific research, zoo exhibits and the pet trade. Current U.S. public health regulatory restrictions specific to rodent importation pertain only to those of African origin. To understand the impacts of these regulations and the potential public health risks of international rodent trade to the United States, we evaluated live rodent import records during 1999-2013 by shipment volume and geographic origin, source (e.g. wild-caught versus captive- or commercially bred), intended purpose and rodent taxonomy. Live rodent imports increased from 2737 animals during 1999 to 173 761 animals during 2013. Increases in both the number and size of shipments contributed to this trend. The proportion of wild-captured imports declined from 75% during 1999 to <1% during 2013. Nearly all shipments during these years were imported for commercial purposes. Imports from Europe and other countries in North America experienced notable increases in volume. Gerbils and hamsters arriving from Europe and chinchillas, guinea pigs and hamsters arriving from other countries in North America were predominant taxa underlying this trend. After 2003, African-origin imports became sporadic events under the federal permit process. These patterns suggest development of large-scale captive rodent breeding markets abroad for commercial sale in the United States. While the shift from wild-captured imports alleviates many conservation concerns and risks for novel disease emergence, such consolidated sourcing might elevate exposure risks for zoonotic diseases associated with high-density rodent breeding (e.g. lymphocytic choriomeningitis or salmonellosis). A responsive border health system must periodically re-evaluate importation regulations in conjunction with key stakeholders to ensure a balance between the economic benefits of rodent trade against the potential public health risks. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

78 FR 48333 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Least Developed Countries That Are Designated...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-08

... Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Least Developed Countries That Are Designated Countries (DFARS... least developed countries that are designated countries under the Trade Agreements Act of 1979. DATES... least developed countries as eligible countries under the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, allowing non...

Traumatic Spinal Injury: Global Epidemiology and Worldwide Volume.

PubMed

Kumar, Ramesh; Lim, Jaims; Mekary, Rania A; Rattani, Abbas; Dewan, Michael C; Sharif, Salman Y; Osorio-Fonseca, Enrique; Park, Kee B

2018-05-01

Traumatic spinal injury (TSI) results from injury to bony, ligamentous, and/or neurologic structures of the spinal column and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The global burden of TSI is poorly understood, so we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global volume of TSI. We performed a systematic review through PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Databases on TSI studies reported from 2000 to 2016. Collected data were used to perform a meta-analysis to estimate the annual incidence of TSI across World Health Organization regions and World Bank income groups using random-effect models. Incorporating global population figures, the annual worldwide volume of TSI was estimated. A total of 102 studies were included in the systematic review and 19 studies in the meta-analysis. The overall global incidence of TSI was 10.5 cases per 100,000 persons, resulting in an estimated 768,473 [95% confidence interval, 597,213-939,732] new cases of TSI annually worldwide. The incidence of TSI was higher in low- and middle-income countries (8.72 per 100,000 persons) compared with high-income countries (13.69 per 100,000 persons). Road traffic accidents, followed by falls, were the most common mechanism of TSI worldwide. Overall, 48.8% of patients with TSI required surgery. TSI is a major source of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Largely preventable mechanisms, including road traffic accidents and falls, are the main causes of TSI globally. Further investigation is needed to delineate local and regional TSI incidences and causes, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fortresses and Icebergs: The Evolution of the Transatlantic Defense Market and the Implications for U.S. National Security Policy. Volume 2: Country Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

CHILE ECUADOR PARAGUAY URUGUAY FALKLAND ISLANDS SOUTH GEORGIA ISLAND KENYA ETHIOPIA ERITREA SUDAN EGYPT NIGER MAURITANIA MALI NIGERIA SOMALIA NAMIBIA...painful economic reforms also began to bear fruit. The currency stabilized and budget deficits were brought under control as the country moved toward...the criteria of the Maastricht Treaty to adopt the single European currency in place of the zloty, but entry into the Euro- zone is scheduled for 2012

[Book review] Birds in Europe: Population estimates, trends and conservation status

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterjohn, Bruce G.

2006-01-01

Effective bird conservation requires knowledge of distribution, relative abundance, and population trends at multiple geographic scales. Obtaining this information for a continental avifauna poses considerable challenges, especially in Europe with its 52 countries, numerous languages and cultures, and disparate resources available for monitoring bird populations within each country. Synthesizing the available information on the status and trends of all European birds into a single volume is an enormous yet essential task necessary to direct bird conservation activities across the continent.

Literacy in Industrialized Countries: A Focus on Practice = L'Alphabetisation en pays industrialises: Point de Mire sur la Pratique. Proceedings of the International Seminar on Literacy in Industrialized Countries (Toronto, Ontario, October 13-15, 1987). Convergence, Volume 20, Nos. 3-4, 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gayfer, Margaret, Ed.

1987-01-01

The following papers are included: "Seminar's Focus on Practice Puts Action on the Human Level" (Margaret Gayfer); "Literacy: What Do Definitions Tell Us?" (Carman Hunter); "The Practice of Literacy in the Netherlands" (Ella Bohnenn); "The Approach of Popular Literacy Groups in Quebec" (Louise Miller); "Perspectives and Lessons from the Adult…

The European Political Environment and NATO Maritime Strategy: The Future Role of Naval Forces in the Forward Defense of Western Europe. Volume 3.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-07-10

considerable defense industry. Io w . 290. ago. Their religion is the same (Lutheran Protestant). Their ideals of integrity, liberty and freedom are the...the other language in both countries. As in the other three northern countries, the religion -- Lutheran -- is the same in Finland and Sweden. They also...by lay parties other than Christian Democrats -- namely, Republicans and Socialists. Second, there has been an objective convergence of political and

Mineral facilities of Africa and the Middle East

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eros, J.M.; Candelario-Quintana, Luissette

2006-01-01

This map displays over 1,500 mineral facilities in Africa and the Middle East. The mineral facilities include mines, plants, mills, or refineries of aluminum, cement, coal, copper, diamond, gold, iron and steel, nickel, platinum-group metals, salt, and silver, among others. The data used in this poster were compiled from multiple sources, including the 2004 USGS Minerals Yearbook (Africa and Middle East volume), Minerals Statistics and Information from the USGS Web site (http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/), and data collected by USGS minerals information country specialists. Data reflect the most recent published table of industry structure for each country. Other sources include statistical publications of individual countries, annual reports and press releases of operating companies, and trade journals. Due to the sensitivity of some energy commodity data, the quality of these data should be evaluated on a country-by-country basis. Additional information and explanation is available from the country specialists. See Table 1 for general information about each mineral facility site including country, location and facility name, facility type, latitude, longitude, mineral commodity, mining method, main operating company, status, capacity, and units.

A comparison of generic drug prices in seven European countries: a methodological analysis.

PubMed

Wouters, Olivier J; Kanavos, Panos G

2017-03-31

Policymakers and researchers frequently compare the prices of medicines between countries. Such comparisons often serve as barometers of how pricing and reimbursement policies are performing. The aim of this study was to examine methodological challenges to comparing generic drug prices. We calculated all commonly used price indices based on 2013 IMS Health data on sales of 3156 generic drugs in seven European countries. There were large differences in generic drug prices between countries. However, the results varied depending on the choice of index, base country, unit of volume, method of currency conversion, and therapeutic category. The results also differed depending on whether one looked at the prices charged by manufacturers or those charged by pharmacists. Price indices are a useful statistical approach for comparing drug prices across countries, but researchers and policymakers should interpret price indices with caution given their limitations. Price-index results are highly sensitive to the choice of method and sample. More research is needed to determine the drivers of price differences between countries. The data suggest that some governments should aim to reduce distribution costs for generic drugs.

Report to Congress on the feasibility of establishing a heating oil component to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Volume 2: Appendices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Nine appendices to the main report are included in this volume. They are: Northeastern US distillate supply systems; New England fuel oil storage capacities and inventories; Characteristics of the northeast natural gas market; Documentation of statistical models and calculation of benefits; Regional product reserve study; Other countries` experience with refined product storage; Global refining supply demand appraisal; Summary of federal authorities relevant to the establishment of petroleum product reserves; Product stability and turnover requirements.

Global perspectives on e-waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Widmer, Rolf; Oswald-Krapf, Heidi; Sinha-Khetriwal, Deepali

2005-07-15

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is an emerging problem as well as a business opportunity of increasing significance, given the volumes of e-waste being generated and the content of both toxic and valuable materials in them. The fraction including iron, copper, aluminium, gold and other metals in e-waste is over 60%, while pollutants comprise 2.70%. Given the high toxicity of these pollutants especially when burned or recycled in uncontrolled environments, the Basel Convention has identified e-waste as hazardous, and developed a framework for controls on transboundary movement of such waste. The Basel Ban, an amendment to the Basel Convention that hasmore » not yet come into force, would go one step further by prohibiting the export of e-waste from developed to industrializing countries. Section 1 of this paper gives readers an overview on the e-waste topic-how e-waste is defined, what it is composed of and which methods can be applied to estimate the quantity of e-waste generated. Considering only PCs in use, by one estimate, at least 100 million PCs became obsolete in 2004. Not surprisingly, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) today already constitutes 8% of municipal waste and is one of the fastest growing waste fractions. Section 2 provides insight into the legislation and initiatives intended to help manage these growing quantities of e-waste. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is being propagated as a new paradigm in waste management. The European Union's WEEE Directive, which came into force in August of 2004, makes it incumbent on manufacturers and importers in EU states to take back their products from consumers and ensure environmentally sound disposal. WEEE management in industrializing countries has its own characteristics and problems, and therefore this paper identifies some problems specific to such countries. The risky process of extracting copper from printed wiring boards is discussed as an example to illustrate the hazards of the e-waste recycling industry in India. The WEEE Knowledge Partnership programme funded by seco (Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) and implemented by Empa has developed a methodology to assess the prevailing situation, in order to better understand the opportunities and risks in pilot urban areas of three countries-Beijing-China, Delhi-India and Johannesburg-South Africa. The three countries are compared using an assessment indicator system which takes into account the structural framework, the recycling system and its various impacts. Three key points have emerged from the assessments so far: a) e-waste recycling has developed in all countries as a market based activity, b) in China and India it is based on small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the informal sector, whereas in South Africa it is in the formal sector, and c) each country is trying to overcome shortcomings in the current system by developing strategies for improvement.« less

Trade and investment liberalization, food systems change and highly processed food consumption: a natural experiment contrasting the soft-drink markets of Peru and Bolivia.

PubMed

Baker, Phillip; Friel, Sharon; Schram, Ashley; Labonte, Ron

2016-06-02

Free trade agreements (FTAs) can affect food environments and non-communicable disease risks through altering the availability of highly-processed foods. Few studies have quantified such effects. Using a natural experiment this paper quantifies changes in Peru's soft-drink market before/after entry into the US-Peru FTA, compared with Bolivia, a county with no such agreement. Difference-in-difference models were used to test for between country differences in the rate of per capita foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, soft-drink imports, the volumes of various soft-drinks sold, and the volumes of sugar from soft-drinks before/after FTA ratification (2006) and enforcement (2009). In Peru average per capita FDI-inflows rose from US$103.11 in the pre-ratification period to US$269.79 post-ratification, with little change in Bolivia. This corresponded with a 122 % increase in Peruvian soft-drink production. There was a significant between-country difference in FDI-inflows pre-/post-ratification (DID:1.07, 95 % CI:0.19-1.96; p = 0.01). Despite little difference in total per capita soft-drink sales volumes there was a significant between-country difference in per capita sugar from soft-drinks pre-/post enforcement (DID:-0.99, 95 % CI: -1.91-0.06; p = 0.03) with stagnated growth in Peru and continued growth in Bolivia. This resulted from stagnated sugar sweetened carbonates growth and increased bottled water, juice and sports & energy drinks growth in Peru, with continued carbonates growth in Bolivia. There was a significant between-country difference in per capita carbonates (DID: -1.44, 95 % CI: -2.52-0.36, p = 0.01) and bottled water (DID:0.63; 95 % CI: -0.01-1.26; p = 0.04) sales volumes. The FTA may have resulted in increased FDI-inflows and soft-drink production and also contributed to the diversification of soft drinks produced and sold in Peru with some positive (stagnated carbonates and increased bottled water) and some negative (increased juice and sports & energy drinks) implications for nutrition. These changes were not evident in Bolivia. These results should be interpreted cautiously given the study design limitations.

Economic aspects of virtual water trade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oki, Taikan; Yano, Shinjiro; Hanasaki, Naota

2017-04-01

Although water is rarely traded over long distances by itself, the total weight of the water consumed to produce traded commodities exceeds the weight of any other commodity traded in the world. This concept is known as virtual water trade. Although space-/time-/commodity-based quantification has been conducted extensively, the underlying causes of this peculiar feature have thus far received little exploration. Here, we use estimates of water consumption from a global hydrological model and statistical data related to food trade to elucidate three facts that explain the fundamental nature of virtual water trade with respect to alleviating water scarcity. First, we quantitatively illustrate the unique position of water among commodities based on its unit price and quantity of sales. Water has an extremely low unit price, and a tremendous volume of water is consumed per person each day. Second, we show that rich but water-scarce countries tend to reduce local water consumption by importing virtual water. Third, we demonstrate that nations characterized by net virtual water exports have higher water resources and income per capita and that no countries fall below a certain threshold with respect to both GDP and water resources. These points suggest that the virtual water trade is explained by economic characteristics of water and that sustainable development depends on promoting the co-development of poverty alleviation and water resource development.

The Expanding Role of Education and Research in International Healthcare.

PubMed

Jones, Christine M; Campbell, C Alex; Magee, William P; Ayala, Ruben; Mackay, Donald R

2016-05-01

A recent report of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery has continued to emphasize the importance of surgery in global health. Plastic surgeons have been involved in humanitarian care of children in developing countries for many years. The ability to repair children with cleft lip and palate in resource-poor settings has made this desirable for many plastic surgeons. A number of philanthropic plastic surgery organizations arose to deal with the problem in a more structured way. Dr. Donald Laub at Stanford established Interplast (now ReSurg) in 1969. Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee established Operation Smile in 1982, and many others have followed. The unifying theme of these organizations has been the desire to provide safe and effective surgical care to children who would otherwise be forced to live out their lives with deformity. Most care has been for children with clefts, but efforts have expanded to include hand surgery and burn reconstruction. The initial effort was provided through surgical missions. A paradigm shift has occurred as sustainability and local capacity have become paramount. Education and training of local colleagues and assistance in surgical safety infrastructure are expanding the reach of plastic surgical care around the globe. The inauguration of in-country permanent surgical centers allows high-volume outcomes research, as well as unique educational collaboration between plastic surgeons of both the developed and developing world.

How water is different from energy and food?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanasaki, N.; Oki, T.; Yano, S.

2017-12-01

Although water is rarely traded over long distances by itself, the total weight of the water consumed to produce traded commodities exceeds the weight of any other commodity traded in the world. This concept is known as virtual water trade. Although space-/time-/commodity-based quantification has been conducted extensively, the underlying causes of this peculiar feature have thus far received little exploration. Here, we use estimates of water consumption from a global hydrological model and statistical data related to food trade to elucidate three facts that explain the fundamental nature of virtual water trade with respect to alleviating water scarcity. First, we quantitatively illustrate the unique position of water among commodities based on its unit price and quantity of sales. Water has an extremely low unit price, and a tremendous volume of water is consumed per person each day. Second, we show that rich but water-scarce countries tend to reduce local water consumption by importing virtual water. Third, we demonstrate that nations characterized by net virtual water exports have higher water resources and income per capita and that no countries fall below a certain threshold with respect to both GDP and water resources. These points suggest that the virtual water trade is explained by economic characteristics of water and that sustainable development depends on promoting the co-development of poverty alleviation and water resource development.

Developed-developing country partnerships: benefits to developed countries?

PubMed

Syed, Shamsuzzoha B; Dadwal, Viva; Rutter, Paul; Storr, Julie; Hightower, Joyce D; Gooden, Rachel; Carlet, Jean; Bagheri Nejad, Sepideh; Kelley, Edward T; Donaldson, Liam; Pittet, Didier

2012-06-18

Developing countries can generate effective solutions for today's global health challenges. This paper reviews relevant literature to construct the case for international cooperation, and in particular, developed-developing country partnerships. Standard database and web-based searches were conducted for publications in English between 1990 and 2010. Studies containing full or partial data relating to international cooperation between developed and developing countries were retained for further analysis. Of 227 articles retained through initial screening, 65 were included in the final analysis. The results were two-fold: some articles pointed to intangible benefits accrued by developed country partners, but the majority of information pointed to developing country innovations that can potentially inform health systems in developed countries. This information spanned all six WHO health system components. Ten key health areas where developed countries have the most to learn from the developing world were identified and include, rural health service delivery; skills substitution; decentralisation of management; creative problem-solving; education in communicable disease control; innovation in mobile phone use; low technology simulation training; local product manufacture; health financing; and social entrepreneurship. While there are no guarantees that innovations from developing country experiences can effectively transfer to developed countries, combined developed-developing country learning processes can potentially generate effective solutions for global health systems. However, the global pool of knowledge in this area is virgin and further work needs to be undertaken to advance understanding of health innovation diffusion. Even more urgently, a standardized method for reporting partnership benefits is needed--this is perhaps the single most immediate need in planning for, and realizing, the full potential of international cooperation between developed and developing countries.

Water flowing north of the border: export agriculture and water politics in a rural community in Baja California.

PubMed

Zlolniski, Christian

2011-01-01

Favored by neoliberal agrarian policies, the production of fresh crops for international markets has become a common strategy for economic development in Mexico and other Latin American countries. But as some scholars have argued, the global fresh produce industry in developing countries in which fresh crops are produced for consumer markets in affluent nations implies “virtual water flows,” the transfer of high volumes of water embedded in these crops across international borders. This article examines the local effects of the production of fresh produce in the San Quintín Valley in northwestern Mexico for markets in the United States. Although export agriculture has fostered economic growth and employment opportunities for indigenous farm laborers, it has also led to the overexploitation of underground finite water resources, and an alarming decline of the quantity and quality of water available for residents’ domestic use. I discuss how neoliberal water policies have further contributed to water inequalities along class and ethnic lines, the hardships settlers endure to secure access to water for their basic needs, and the political protests and social tensions water scarcity has triggered in the region. Although the production of fresh crops for international markets is promoted by organizations such as the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank as a model for economic development, I argue that it often produces water insecurity for the poorest, threatening the UN goal of ensuring access to clean water as a universal human right.

Alcohol safety action projects evaluation of operations : data, table of results, and formulation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-06-01

This volume contains the data used in the evaluation of 35 Alcohol Safety Action Projects implemented throughout the country. Historical background, discussion of analytic results and factors affecting impact detecion are contained in the document ti...

LOOP marine and estuarine monitoring program, 1978-95 : volume 6 : sediment quality.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) facilities in coastal Louisiana provide the United States with the country's only Superport for off-loading deep draft tankers. Sediment samples were collected quarterly from 1970 through 1995 at designated stat...

LOOP marine and estuarine monitoring program, 1978-95 : volume 5 : demersal nekton.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) facilities in coastal Louisiana provide the United States with the country's only Superport for off-loading deep draft tankers. The facilities transport oil ashore through pipelines, and temporarily store oil be...

China’s Economic Conditions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-16

include Motorola ($5.8 billion in sales volume), General Motors ($2.2 billion), Dell Computer ($2.1 billion), Hewlett Packard ($1.3 billion), and...member countries are Indonesia, Malaysia , the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Vietnam. Major Chinese Trade

Social roles and alcohol consumption: a study of 10 industrialised countries*

PubMed Central

Kuntsche, Sandra; Knibbe, Ronald A.; Gmel, Gerhard

2014-01-01

The empirical evidence as regards the precise association between alcohol use and social roles, and these associations across genders and cultures is heterogeneous. The literature tends to focus on two central but conflicting theories. The first - classic role theory - assumes that a higher number of social roles is associated with a more structured life and thus fewer opportunities to drink heavily. The second - the multiple burden hypothesis - posits that the increasing complexity of multiple social roles leads to higher stress levels, and thus to increased alcohol use. Survey data on 25- to 54-year olds in ten western industrialised countries which participate in the GenACIS project were used to test whether holding the three main social roles - partnership, parenthood, and paid labour - had a more protective or a more detrimental association with problematic alcohol use than holding fewer roles. Age and education were included as possible confounders, while the outcome variables were risky single occasion drinking (RSOD) and heavy-volume drinking. For both genders and in almost all countries, the study found that those who had all three roles were least likely to drink heavily or engage in RSOD, thus supporting the assumptions of classic role theory. It also found that the protective effect of multiple roles was more consistent for RSOD. There were a few countries where a two-role model gave a better fit. Results for Germany (RSOD), Switzerland, and the US (heavy volume) indicate that the role of paid labour appears to be particularly relevant for risky alcohol use among women. Despite some variability in the association between paid labour and heavy drinking or RSOD among women, in almost all countries the greater the number of roles a person held, the lower their risk of this type of alcohol use was. PMID:19232807

Foreign direct investments and their impact on the economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susic, I.; Stojanovic-Trivanovic, M.; Susic, M.

2017-05-01

From the perspective of macroeconomic indicators, investment is a significant determinant of economic development in general, as well as the development indicator of economic entities in the micro segment. Investments are an essential element of any economic policy, because their implementation provides a platform not only for economic development, but also are prerequisite for the stability of economic and social trends. Foreign direct investment plays an important role in the financing of the global economy, and it represents the most frequent feature in financing the national economies of developing countries and countries in transition. Demand for foreign investment in the global market is large, and thus the governments have been conducting many activities in order to create a more favorable environment to attract investors. In this paper, special attention was paid to direct investments in financing the economy on a global scale, their importance for the development of the global economy and the impact of foreign direct investment in the economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The major activities, which are necessary to be done to attract investments in the highest possible volume, have been emphasized. With the use of statistical and quantitative analysis, the paper shows that the inflow of foreign capital is one of the basic prerequisite of economic growth acceleration and that the inflow of foreign capital has a positive impact on the economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina. By monitoring and analyzing the various instruments of foreign capital inflow, with an emphasis on investment in the free zone and a joint venture with foreign investors, it has been clearly pointed out the fact that they have diverse, but proven positive impact on macroeconomic variables in the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The South East Asian Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (SEAFOMP): Its history and role in the ASEAN countries.

PubMed

Ng, Kh; Wong, Jhd

2008-04-01

Informal discussion started in 1996 and the South East Asian Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (SEAFOMP) was officially accepted as a regional chapter of the IOMP at the Chicago World Congress in 2000 with five member countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Professor Kwan-Hoong Ng served as the founding president until 2006. Brunei (2002) and Vietnam (2005) joined subsequently. We are very grateful to the founding members of SEAFOMP: Anchali Krisanachinda, Kwan-Hoong Ng, Agnette Peralta, Ratana Pirabul, Djarwani S Soejoko and Toh-Jui Wong.The objectives of SEAFOMP are to promote (i) co-operation and communication between medical physics organizations in the region; (ii) medical physics and related activities in the region; (iii) the advancement in status and standard of practice of the medical physics profession; (iv) to organize and/or sponsor international and regional conferences, meetings or courses; (v) to collaborate or affiliate with other scientific organizations.SEAFOMP has been organizing a series of congresses to promote scientific exchange and mutual support. The South East Asian Congress of Medical Physics (SEACOMP) series was held respectively in Kuala Lumpur (2001), Bangkok (2003), Kuala Lumpur (2004) and Jakarta (2006). The respective congress themes indicated the emphasis and status of development. The number of participants (countries in parentheses) was encouraging: 110 (17), 150 (16), 220 (23) and 126 (7).In honour of the late Professor John Cameron, an eponymous lecture was established. The inaugural John Cameron Lecture was delivered by Professor Willi Kalender in 2004. His lecture was titled "Recent Developments in Volume CT Scanning".

Industrial-waste management in developing countries: the case of Lebanon.

PubMed

el-Fadel, M; Zeinati, M; el-Jisr, K; Jamali, D

2001-04-01

This paper presents a critical assessment of the existing Lebanese industrial sector, namely the current status and classification of industrial establishments based on a comparative synthesis and analysis of recent nationwide surveys and studies pertaining to industrial-waste management. Characterisation of solid and liquid industrial wastes generated, including hazardous wastes, is presented together with current and projected waste loads, recycling opportunities, and export/import practices. Institutional capacity and needs pertaining to the enforcement of relevant environmental legislation, staffing and resources, monitoring schemes, and public participation are critically evaluated. Finally, realistic options for industrial-waste management in the context of country-specific institutional economic and technical limitations are outlined. The industrial sector in Lebanon consists of small-scale industries (84% employ less than 10 persons), primarily involved in light manufacturing (96%). These industries which are distributed among 41 ill-defined zones and deficient in appropriate physical infrastructure, generate solid, liquid, and hazardous waste estimated at 346,730 tons/year, 20,169,600 m3/year and between 3000 to 15,000 tons/year, respectively. Although the growth of this sector contributes significantly to the socio-economic development of the country (industry accounts for 17% of the gross domestic product), in the absence of a comprehensive environmental management plan, this expansion may not be sustained into the coming millennium. The anticipated expansion will inevitably amplify adverse environmental impacts associated with industrial activities due to rising waste volumes and improper waste handling and disposal practices. These impacts are further aggravated by a deficient institutional framework, a lack of adequate environmental laws, and lax enforcement of regulations governing industrial-waste management.

Palliative care research in Latin America and the Caribbean: from the beginning to the Declaration of Venice and beyond.

PubMed

Pastrana, Tania; De Lima, Liliana; Eisenchlas, Jorge; Wenk, Roberto

2012-03-01

Research in palliative care has increased significantly in the last decade, while the vast majority of the global disease burden occurs in developing countries. To explore the palliative care research activity in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and its visibility in the international palliative care literature, with a special focus on research studies. A bibliometric analysis was conducted in MEDLINE(®), Embase(®), PsycINFO(®), and CINAHL(®). Inclusion criteria were: (1) articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals; (2) main subject was palliative care; (3) research study; (4) the first author or coauthors was based in LAC; and/or (5) the data collected derived from LAC. One hundred six articles from 10 countries were identified in the literature research. The first publication dates from 1989 and was a qualitative study in Brazil. This study shows a modest contribution of publications from LAC. However, the volume of publications within the region is distributed unequally, reflecting the heterogeneity of the region: Brazil published more than half of the articles, while 35 countries have no publications. Most of the studies were quantitative research, predominantly cross-sectional studies. Qualitative studies often used interviews. Health care service was the most researched issue. Seventy percent of studies were carried out in institutions. Palliative care research should have a place in LAC. The development of a regional research agenda tailored to the needs and features of the region considering the health care structure and local resources available is indispensable.

Visceral adiposity and high adiponectin levels are associated with the prevalence of pancreatic cystic lesions.

PubMed

Mizuno, Suguru; Nakai, Yousuke; Isayama, Hiroyuki; Yoshikawa, Takeharu; Saito, Kei; Takahara, Naminatsu; Kogure, Hirofumi; Tada, Minoru; Hayashi, Naoto; Koike, Kazuhiko

2018-05-17

Obesity is increasing in developed countries and is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer (PaC). We previously reported that obesity was associated with pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs), which are both precursors of, and risk factors for, PaC. In the present study, we further investigated the relationship between visceral adiposity and adiponectin levels and the extent of PCLs. Individuals who underwent comprehensive health screening at our institution between January 2008 and March 2013 were analyzed. PCLs were diagnosed via magnetic resonance imaging using a 3.0 Tesla system. The volumes of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were measured from computed tomographic volume data. Serum levels of adiponectin were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prevalences of PCLs were 14.2% in males (N = 2683; mean age, 56.4 years) and 16.2% in females (N = 1741; mean age, 57.1 years). The prevalence of PCLs increased gradually as VAT volume increased (P < 0.001). PCLs were more prevalent in individuals with high adiponectin levels (18.7% vs. 13.8%, P = 0.005). VAT volume (odds ratio [OR] for the highest quartiles, 1.52 [1.07-2.16]; P = 0.025) and adiponectin level (OR for the highest quartiles, 1.31 [1.08-1.59]; P = 0.007) but not SAT volume (P = 0.828) was significantly associated with PCLs in multivariate analyses. Visceral adiposity and high adiponectin levels were associated with PCL prevalence. Further work is needed to explore the relationships between visceral adiposity and adiponectin levels, and PCLs and PaC.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

The New Zealand Geothermal Workshop took place on 29th-31st October 1979 at the University of Auckland. Over 100 participants were present (a list is included in this volume) with 6 overseas visitors, bring the number of countries represented (including the Institute's Fellows) to 14. Forty papers were presented over the three days of the meeting, together with 23 poster papers presented by the students of the Institute. This second Proceedings volume has been prepared as a supplement to the volume of conference papers distributed at the meeting, and was produced subsequent to the Workshop. The fist section of this volumemore » includes additional papers presented at the meeting but not then available in printed form. The second part is a summary of the year's activities of the Geothermal Institute also presented in part at the meeting. These activities included some significant research contributions and original field investigations. Each fellow at the Institute was required as part of the course, to conduct an investigation and prepare a report which was presented at the Geothermal Workshop in a poster session. Abstracts of these project reports are included in this volume and five of the projects are reproduced in greater detail. Also included are outlines of the two original class projects conducted by the students and staff of the Institute, one a pre-feasibility study of the Ngawha Geothermal Field and the other an investigation of the Miranda Springs system. Finally, the lecture curriculum of the year's diploma course is presented in outline, together with the final examination papers. The two volumes of this document therefore include, as much as is possible within the restricted space, an overview of the Geothermal Institute's contribution to the development of geothermal energy together with a technical tribute to the many people involved in this very successful first year.« less

PREFACE: XXIVth Conference of the Danubian Countries on the Hydrological Forecasting and Hydrological Bases of Water Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brilly, Mitja; Bonacci, Ognjen; Nachtnebel, Peter Hans; Szolgay, Ján; Balint, Gabor

2008-10-01

This volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science presents a selection of papers that were given at the 24th Conference of the Danube Countries. Within the framework of the International Hydrological Program IHP of UNESCO. Since 1961 the Danube countries have successfully co-operated in organizing conferences on Hydrological Forecasting and Hydrological Water Management Issues. The 24th Conference of the Danube Countries took place between 2-4 June 2008 in Bled, Slovenia and was organized by the National Committee of Slovenia for the International Hydrological Program of UNESCO, under the auspices of the President of Republic of Slovenia. It was organized jointly by the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO and the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, under the support of UNESCO, WMO, and IAHS. Support for the attendance of some participants was provided by UNESCO. Additional support for the symposium was provided by the Slovene Commission for UNESCO, Environmental Agency of Slovenia, Karst Research Institute, Hydropower plants on the lower Sava River and Chair of Hydraulics Engineering FGG University of Ljubljana. All participants expressed great interest and enthusiasm in presenting the latest research results and sharing practical experiences in the Hydrology of the Danube River basin. The Editorial Board, who were nominated at the Conference, initially selected 80 full papers for publication from 210 submitted extended abstracts and papers provided by authors from twenty countries. Altogether 51 revised papers were accepted for publishing in this volume. Papers are divided by conference topics: Hydrological forecasting Hydro-meteorological extremes, floods and droughts Global climate change and antropogenic impacts on hydrological processes Water management Floods, morphological processes, erosion, sediment transport and sedimentation Developments in hydrology Mitja Brilly, Ognjen Bonacci, Peter Hans Nachtnebel, Ján Szolgay and Gabor Balint Editorial Board International Scientific Committee: P Hubert: Centre d'Informatique Géologique, France H P Nachtnebel: Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Austria H Weber: Bavarian Water Management Administration, Germany H Moser: Federal Institute of Hydrology, Germany M Domokos: VITUKI, Hungary P Stanciu: National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Romania O Bonacci: University of Split, Croatia S Prohaska: Institute Jaroslav Černi, Belgrade, Serbia J Szolgay: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Bratislava, Slovak Republic K Tzankov: Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Sofia, Bulgaria E Soukalová: Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Czech Republic B Matičič: National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, Slovenia M Mikoš: University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia J Rakovec: University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia M Brilly: University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia M Veselič: ARAO, Slovenia

Global hydrocephalus epidemiology and incidence: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Dewan, Michael C; Rattani, Abbas; Mekary, Rania; Glancz, Laurence J; Yunusa, Ismaeel; Baticulon, Ronnie E; Fieggen, Graham; Wellons, John C; Park, Kee B; Warf, Benjamin C

2018-04-27

OBJECTIVE Hydrocephalus is one of the most common brain disorders, yet a reliable assessment of the global burden of disease is lacking. The authors sought a reliable estimate of the prevalence and annual incidence of hydrocephalus worldwide. METHODS The authors performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to estimate the incidence of congenital hydrocephalus by WHO region and World Bank income level using the MEDLINE/PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases. A global estimate of pediatric hydrocephalus was obtained by adding acquired forms of childhood hydrocephalus to the baseline congenital figures using neural tube defect (NTD) registry data and known proportions of posthemorrhagic and postinfectious cases. Adult forms of hydrocephalus were also examined qualitatively. RESULTS Seventy-eight articles were included from the systematic review, representative of all WHO regions and each income level. The pooled incidence of congenital hydrocephalus was highest in Africa and Latin America (145 and 316 per 100,000 births, respectively) and lowest in the United States/Canada (68 per 100,000 births) (p for interaction < 0.1). The incidence was higher in low- and middle-income countries (123 per 100,000 births; 95% CI 98-152 births) than in high-income countries (79 per 100,000 births; 95% CI 68-90 births) (p for interaction < 0.01). While likely representing an underestimate, this model predicts that each year, nearly 400,000 new cases of pediatric hydrocephalus will develop worldwide. The greatest burden of disease falls on the African, Latin American, and Southeast Asian regions, accounting for three-quarters of the total volume of new cases. The high crude birth rate, greater proportion of patients with postinfectious etiology, and higher incidence of NTDs all contribute to a case volume in low- and middle-income countries that outweighs that in high-income countries by more than 20-fold. Global estimates of adult and other forms of acquired hydrocephalus are lacking. CONCLUSIONS For the first time in a global model, the annual incidence of pediatric hydrocephalus is estimated. Low- and middle-income countries incur the greatest burden of disease, particularly those within the African and Latin American regions. Reliable incidence and burden figures for adult forms of hydrocephalus are absent in the literature and warrant specific investigation. A global effort to address hydrocephalus in regions with the greatest demand is imperative to reduce disease incidence, morbidity, mortality, and disparities of access to treatment.

Navigating Without Road Maps: The Early Business of Automobile Route Guide Publishing in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, John T.

2018-05-01

In the United States, automobile route guides were important precursors to the road maps that Americans are familiar with today. Listing turn-by-turn directions between cities, they helped drivers navigate unmarked, local roads. This paper examines the early business of route guide publishing through the Official Automobile Blue Book series of guides. It focuses specifically on the expansion, contraction, and eventual decline of the Blue Book publishing empire and also the work of professional "pathfinders" that formed the company's data-gathering infrastructure. Be- ginning in 1901 with only one volume, the series steadily grew until 1920, when thirteen volumes were required to record thousands of routes throughout the country. Bankruptcy and corporate restructuring in 1921 forced the publishers to condense the guide into a four-volume set in 1922. Competition from emerging sheet maps, along with the nationwide standardization of highway numbers, pushed a switch to an atlas format in 1926. Blue Books, however, could not remain competitive and disappeared after 1937. "Pathfinders" were employed by the publishers and equipped with reliable automobiles. Soon they developed a shorthand notation system for recording field notes and efficiently incorporating them into the development workflow. Although pathfinders did not call themselves cartographers, they were geographical data field collectors and considered their work to be an "art and a science," much the same as modern-day cartographers. The paper concludes with some comments about the place of route guides in the history of American commercial cartography and draws some parallels between "pathfinders" and the digital road mappers of today.

Low-cost uncalibrated video-based tool for tridimensional reconstruction oriented to assessment of chronic wounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casas, Leslie; Treuillet, Sylvie; Valencia, Braulio; Llanos, Alejandro; Castañeda, Benjamín.

2015-01-01

Chronic wounds are a major problem worldwide which mainly affects to the geriatric population or patients with limited mobility. In tropical countries, Cutaneous Leishmaniasis(CL)s is also a cause for chronic wounds,being endemic in Peru in the 75% of the country. Therefore, the monitoring of these wounds represents a big challenge due to the remote location of the patients. This papers aims to develop a low-cost user-friendly technique to obtain a 3D reconstruction for chronic wounds oriented to clinical monitoring and assessment. The video is taken using a commercial hand-held video camera without the need of a rig. The algorithm has been specially designed for skin wounds which have certain characteristics in texture where techniques used in regular SFM applications with undefined edges wouldn't work. In addition, the technique has been developed using open source libraries. The 3D cloud point estimated allows the computation of metrics as volume, depth, superficial area which recently have been used by CL specialists showing good results in clinical assessment. Initial results in cork phantoms and CL wounds show an average distance error of less than 1mm when compared against models obtained with a industrial 3D laser scanner.

Cost containment through pharmaceutical procurement: a Caribbean case study.

PubMed

Huff-Rousselle, M; Burnett, F

1996-01-01

This article discusses the potential for health sector cost containment in developing countries through improved pharmaceutical procurement. By describing the specific example of the Eastern Caribbean Drug Service (ECDS), which provides a pooled procurement service to nine ministries of health in the small island nations of the Caribbean, it examines the elements of the procurement operation that allowed ECDS to reduce unit costs for pharmaceuticals by over 50 per cent during its first procurement cycle. The analysis of ECDS considers: (1) political will, institutional alliances, and the creation of a public sector monopsony; (2) pooling demand; (3) restricted international tendering and the pharmaceutical industry; (4) estimating demand and supplier guarantees; (5) reducing variety and increasing volume through standardizing pack sizes, dosage forms and strengths; (6) generic bidding and therapeutic alternative bidding; (7) mode of transport from foreign suppliers; (8) financing mechanisms, including choice of currency, foreign exchange, and terms of payment; (9) market conditions and crafting and enforcing supplier contracts; and, (10) the adjudication process, including consideration of suppliers' past performance, precision requirements in the manufacturing process, number of products awarded to suppliers, and issues of judgment. The authors consider the relevance of this agency's experience to other developing countries by providing a blueprint that can be adopted or modified to suit other situations.

Developed-developing country partnerships: Benefits to developed countries?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Developing countries can generate effective solutions for today’s global health challenges. This paper reviews relevant literature to construct the case for international cooperation, and in particular, developed-developing country partnerships. Standard database and web-based searches were conducted for publications in English between 1990 and 2010. Studies containing full or partial data relating to international cooperation between developed and developing countries were retained for further analysis. Of 227 articles retained through initial screening, 65 were included in the final analysis. The results were two-fold: some articles pointed to intangible benefits accrued by developed country partners, but the majority of information pointed to developing country innovations that can potentially inform health systems in developed countries. This information spanned all six WHO health system components. Ten key health areas where developed countries have the most to learn from the developing world were identified and include, rural health service delivery; skills substitution; decentralisation of management; creative problem-solving; education in communicable disease control; innovation in mobile phone use; low technology simulation training; local product manufacture; health financing; and social entrepreneurship. While there are no guarantees that innovations from developing country experiences can effectively transfer to developed countries, combined developed-developing country learning processes can potentially generate effective solutions for global health systems. However, the global pool of knowledge in this area is virgin and further work needs to be undertaken to advance understanding of health innovation diffusion. Even more urgently, a standardized method for reporting partnership benefits is needed—this is perhaps the single most immediate need in planning for, and realizing, the full potential of international cooperation between developed and developing countries. PMID:22709651

Priority gaps and promising areas in maternal health research in low- and middle-income countries: summary findings of a mapping of 2292 publications between 2000 and 2012.

PubMed

Chersich, Matthew F; Martin, Greg

2017-02-02

This commentary sums the findings of a series of papers on a study that mapped the global research agenda for maternal health. The mapping reviewed published interventional research across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2012, specifically focusing on investigating the topics covered by this research, the methodologies applied, the funding landscape and trends in authorship attribution.The overarching aim underpinning the mapping activities was to evaluate whether research and funding align with causes of maternal mortality, and thereby highlight gaps in research priorities and governance. Fifteen reviewers from 8 countries screened 35,078 titles and abstracts, and extracted data from 2292 full-text articles.Over the period reviewed, the volume of publications rose several-fold, especially from 2004 to 2007. The methodologies broadened, increasingly encompassing qualitative research and systematic review. Malaria and HIV research dominated over other topics, while sexually-transmitted infection research progressively diminished. Health systems and health promotion research increased rapidly, but were less frequently evaluated in trials or published in high-impact journals. Relative to disease burden, hypertension had double the publications of haemorrhage. Many Latin American countries, China and Russia had relatively few papers per billion US dollars Gross Domestic Product. Total LMIC lead authorships rose substantially, but only a quarter of countries had a local first author lead on >75% of their research, with levels lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. The median Impact Factor of high-income country led papers was 3.1 and LMIC-led 1.8. The NIH, USAID and Gates Foundation constituted 40% of funder acknowledgements, and addressed similar topics and countries.The commentary notes that increases in outputs and broadening of methodologies suggest research capacity has expanded considerably, allowing for more nuanced, systems-based and context-specific studies. However, funders seemingly duplicate efforts, with topics and countries either receiving excessive or little attention. Better coordinated funding might reduce duplication and allow researchers to develop highly-specialised expertise. Repeated scrutiny of research agendas and funding may foment shifts in priorities. Building leadership capacity in LMICs and reconsidering authorship guidelines is needed.

19 CFR 10.177 - Cost or value of materials produced in the beneficiary developing country.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of the beneficiary developing country; or (2) Substantially... beneficiary developing country. 10.177 Section 10.177 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... produced in the beneficiary developing country. (a) “Produced in the beneficiary developing country...

19 CFR 10.177 - Cost or value of materials produced in the beneficiary developing country.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of the beneficiary developing country; or (2) Substantially... beneficiary developing country. 10.177 Section 10.177 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... produced in the beneficiary developing country. (a) “Produced in the beneficiary developing country...

Measuring milk intake in breast-fed babies.

PubMed

Coward, W A

1984-03-01

The relative merits of test weighing, water turnover methods, and a flowmeter method for the measurement of milk intake in breast-fed babies are reviewed to allow the prospective investigator to choose the method most suited to his or her needs. Provided that measurements are made over 3-4 days to minimize the effects of day-to-day variation in milk intake, test weighing is a satisfactory procedure when feed frequency is low and individual feed volumes are large. However, in developing countries where frequency is high and feed volumes low, test weighing is inherently less accurate and may impose an unfamiliar and unphysiological discipline on the mother and child that severely limits its usefulness. In these circumstances methods based on the measurement of water turnover rates using 2H2O are the only procedures likely to yield useful information. A method in which single doses of 2H2O are given to the mother, and milk intake rates measured over 14 days, is described. Neither test weighing nor water turnover methods provide simultaneous milk intake and composition data. The development of flowmeter methods will make this possible, but their use is likely to limited to metabolic wards rather than the home and widespread use in community studies is not a practical proposition.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramey, H.J. Jr.; Kruger, P.; Miller, F.G.

Preface The Twelfth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering was held at Stanford University on January 20-22, 1987. The year ending December 1986 was very difficult for the domestic geothermal industry. Low oil prices caused a sharp drop in geothermal steam prices. We expected to see some effect upon attendance at the Twelfth Workshop. To our surprise, the attendance was up by thirteen from previous years, with one hundred and fifty-seven registered participants. Eight foreign countries were represented: England, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Turkey. Despite a worldwide surplus of oil, international geothermal interest and development is growingmore » at a remarkable pace. There were forty-one technical presentations at the Workshop. All of these are published as papers in this Proceedings volume. Seven technical papers not presented at the Workshop are also published; they concern geothermal developments and research in Iceland, Italy, and New Zealand. In addition to these forty-eight technical presentations or papers, the introductory address was given by Henry J. Ramey, Jr. from the Stanford Geothermal Program. The Workshop Banquet speaker was John R. Berg from the Department of Energy. We thank him for sharing with the Workshop participants his thoughts on the expectations of this agency in the role of alternative energy resources, specifically geothermal, within the country???s energy framework. His talk is represented as a paper in the back of this volume. The chairmen of the technical sessions made an important contribution to the workshop. Other than Stanford faculty members they included: M. Gulati, K. Goyal, G.S. Bodvarsson, A.S. Batchelor, H. Dykstra, M.J. Reed, A. Truesdell, J.S. Gudmundsson, and J.R. Counsil. The Workshop was organized by the Stanford Geothermal Program faculty, staff, and students. We would like to thank Jean Cook, Marilyn King, Amy Osugi, Terri Ramey, and Rosalee Benelli for their valued help with the meeting arrangements and preparing the Proceedings. We also owe great thanks to our students who arranged and operated the audio-visual equipment, specially Jim Lovekin. The Twelfth Workshop was supported by the Geothermal Technology Division of the U. S. Department of Energy through Contract Nos. DE-AS03-80SF11459 and DE-AS07- 84ID12529. We deeply appreciate this continued support. January 1987 Henry J. Ramey, Jr. Paul Kruger Roland N. Horne William E. Brigham Frank G. Miller Jesus Rivera« less

Suicide in developing countries (2): risk factors.

PubMed

Vijayakumar, Lakshmi; John, Sujit; Pirkis, Jane; Whiteford, Harvey

2005-01-01

The majority of studies on risk factors for suicide have been conducted in developed countries, and less work has been done to systematically profile risk factors in developing countries. The current paper presents a selective review of sociodemographic, clinical, and environmental/situational risk factors in developing countries. Taken together, the evidence suggests that the profiles of risk factors in developing countries demonstrate some differences from those in developed countries. In some developing countries, at least, being female, living in a rural area, and holding religious beliefs that sanction suicide may be of more relevance to suicide risk than these factors are in developed countries. Conversely, being single or having a history of mental illness may be of less relevance. Risk factors that appear to be universal include youth or old age, low socioeconomic standing, substance use, and previous suicide attempts. Recent stressful life events play a role in both developing and developed countries, although their nature may differ (e.g., social change may have more of an influence in the former). Likewise, access to means heightens risk in both, but the specific means may vary (e.g., access to pesticides is of more relevance in developing countries). These findings have clear implications for suicide prevention, suggesting that preventive efforts that have shown promise in developed countries may need to be tailored differently to address the risk factor profile of developing countries.

VIOLENCE AND NON-VIOLENCE-RELATED INJURIES AND ALCOHOL IN WOMEN FROM DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A MULTI-SITE EMERGENCY ROOM STUDY

PubMed Central

da Silva, Rosiane Lopes; Diehl, Alessandra; Cherpitel, Cheryl J.; Figlie, Neliana B.

2014-01-01

This study sought to analyze the association between alcohol consumption and the occurrence of injuries in women attending the emergency room (ER) from developing and developed countries. The sample consisted of ER data from women in 15 countries that were collected as part of two multi-site studies using similar methodologies: the Emergency Room Collaborative Alcohol Analysis Project (ERCAAP), and World Health Organization Collaborative Study on Alcohol and Injuries (WHO Study). Women ranged in age from 18 and 98 years. Those from developed countries had higher levels of education (43% completed high-school) than women from developing countries (37%). Over half of the women from developing countries reported they had not consumed alcohol in the last 12 months (abstentious), while 2% reported drinking every day. In addition, current drinking women from developing countries reported more binge drinking episodes (33% reported 5 to 11 drinks and 15% reported 12 or more drinks on an occasion) compared to those from developed countries (28% and 11%, respectively). Violence-related injury was more prevalent in developing countries (18%) compared to developed countries (9%). An association between injury and the frequency of alcohol consumption in the last 12 months was observed in both developing and developed countries. Although women from developing countries who suffered violence-related injuries were more likely to demonstrate alcohol abstinence or have lower rates of daily alcohol consumption, these women drank in a more dangerous way, and violence-related injuries were more likely to occur in these women than in those living in developed countries. PMID:25452073

Estimating Oxygen Needs for Childhood Pneumonia in Developing Country Health Systems: A New Model for Expecting the Unexpected

PubMed Central

Bradley, Beverly D.; Howie, Stephen R. C.; Chan, Timothy C. Y.; Cheng, Yu-Ling

2014-01-01

Background Planning for the reliable and cost-effective supply of a health service commodity such as medical oxygen requires an understanding of the dynamic need or ‘demand’ for the commodity over time. In developing country health systems, however, collecting longitudinal clinical data for forecasting purposes is very difficult. Furthermore, approaches to estimating demand for supplies based on annual averages can underestimate demand some of the time by missing temporal variability. Methods A discrete event simulation model was developed to estimate variable demand for a health service commodity using the important example of medical oxygen for childhood pneumonia. The model is based on five key factors affecting oxygen demand: annual pneumonia admission rate, hypoxaemia prevalence, degree of seasonality, treatment duration, and oxygen flow rate. These parameters were varied over a wide range of values to generate simulation results for different settings. Total oxygen volume, peak patient load, and hours spent above average-based demand estimates were computed for both low and high seasons. Findings Oxygen demand estimates based on annual average values of demand factors can often severely underestimate actual demand. For scenarios with high hypoxaemia prevalence and degree of seasonality, demand can exceed average levels up to 68% of the time. Even for typical scenarios, demand may exceed three times the average level for several hours per day. Peak patient load is sensitive to hypoxaemia prevalence, whereas time spent at such peak loads is strongly influenced by degree of seasonality. Conclusion A theoretical study is presented whereby a simulation approach to estimating oxygen demand is used to better capture temporal variability compared to standard average-based approaches. This approach provides better grounds for health service planning, including decision-making around technologies for oxygen delivery. Beyond oxygen, this approach is widely applicable to other areas of resource and technology planning in developing country health systems. PMID:24587089

LOOP marine and estuarine monitoring program, 1978-95 : volume 4 : zooplankton and ichthyoplankton.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) facilities in coastal Louisiana provide the United States with the country's only Superport for off-loading deep draft tankers. The three single-point mooring (SPM) structures connected by pipelines to a platfor...

[State of the world population, 1986].

PubMed

1987-01-01

The majority of the world population will soon reside in urban areas. At present, over 40% of the world's people are urban, and 50% will be urban soon after the year 2000. The proportion urban in developed countries has exceeded 50% since the mid-20th century, and in developing countries this level will be reached in the 1st quarter of the next century. Developing countries in Asia and Africa have less than 30% of their population urban. While over 70% of Latin America's population is urban. Within the next 50 years, the predominantly rural character of the developing countries will disappear forever. Currently the majority of the world's urban population lives in developing countries. In 1970, 695 million urban dwellers were in developed countries vs. 666 million in developing countries, but by 1985, there were only 849 million urban dwellers in developed countries vs. 1164 million in developing countries. By the year 2025, there will be nearly 4 times as many urban dwellers in developing countries. An increasing proportion of the urban population will reside in the largest cities. Around 2025, almost 30% of the urban population in developing countries will live in cities of over 4 million. Around 2000 there will be 5 cities of 15 million or more, 3 of them in developing countries. The proportion of the 20 largest cities in developing countries will increase from 9 in 1970 to 16 in 2000. The close relationship between city size and economic development that existed until the recent past is disappearing. It is possible that the very largest cities will no longer be at the center of international political and economic networks. Many developing countries will have to develop plans for cities of sizes never imagined in the developed countries of today. High rates of population increase in the developing countries are an inseparable aspect of their urbanization. Growth of the urban population in developing countries will continue to be rapid until well into the 21st century. The world rate of urban growth will continue to be about 2.5%/year during the 1st quarter of sthe 21st century. The annual rate of urban growth is 3.5% in developing countries and is highest in Africa, especially West Africa where it reaches 6.5%/year. Despite migration to cities, the rural population in developing countries will continue to grow at a rate of about 1%/year through the end of the century. In many rural areas, population density is already very high, and continued growth will hamper efforts to reduce urban migration. In developing countries, the increase in the urban population is due more to natural increase than to migration.

A Simple and Novel Strategy for the Production of a Pan-specific Antiserum against Elapid Snakes of Asia

PubMed Central

Ratanabanangkoon, Kavi; Tan, Kae Yi; Eursakun, Sukanya; Tan, Choo Hock; Simsiriwong, Pavinee; Pamornsakda, Teeraporn; Wiriyarat, Witthawat; Klinpayom, Chaiya; Tan, Nget Hong

2016-01-01

Snakebite envenomation is a serious medical problem in many tropical developing countries and was considered by WHO as a neglected tropical disease. Antivenom (AV), the rational and most effective treatment modality, is either unaffordable and/or unavailable in many affected countries. Moreover, each AV is specific to only one (monospecific) or a few (polyspecific) snake venoms. This demands that each country to prepare AV against its local snake venoms, which is often not feasible. Preparation of a ‘pan-specific’ AV against many snakes over a wide geographical area in some countries/regions has not been possible. If a ‘pan-specific’ AV effective against a variety of snakes from many countries could be prepared, it could be produced economically in large volume for use in many countries and save many lives. The aim of this study was to produce a pan-specific antiserum effective against major medically important elapids in Asia. The strategy was to use toxin fractions (TFs) of the venoms in place of crude venoms in order to reduce the number of antigens the horses were exposed to. This enabled inclusion of a greater variety of elapid venoms in the immunogen mix, thus exposing the horse immune system to a diverse repertoire of toxin epitopes, and gave rise to antiserum with wide paraspecificity against elapid venoms. Twelve venom samples from six medically important elapid snakes (4 Naja spp. and 2 Bungarus spp.) were collected from 12 regions/countries in Asia. Nine of these 12 venoms were ultra-filtered to remove high molecular weight, non-toxic and highly immunogenic proteins. The remaining 3 venoms were not ultra-filtered due to limited amounts available. The 9 toxin fractions (TFs) together with the 3 crude venoms were emulsified in complete Freund’s adjuvant and used to immunize 3 horses using a low dose, low volume, multisite immunization protocol. The horse antisera were assayed by ELISA and by in vivo lethality neutralization in mice. The findings were: a) The 9 TFs were shown to contain all of the venom toxins but were devoid of high MW proteins. When these TFs, together with the 3 crude venoms, were used as the immunogen, satisfactory ELISA antibody titers against homologous/heterologous venoms were obtained. b) The horse antiserum immunologically reacted with and neutralized the lethal effects of both the homologous and the 16 heterologous Asian/African elapid venoms tested. Thus, the use of TFs in place of crude venoms and the inclusion of a variety of elapid venoms in the immunogen mix resulted in antiserum with wide paraspecificity against elapid venoms from distant geographic areas. The antivenom prepared from this antiserum would be expected to be pan-specific and effective in treating envenomations by most elapids in many Asian countries. Due to economies of scale, the antivenom could be produced inexpensively and save many lives. This simple strategy and procedure could be readily adapted for the production of pan-specific antisera against elapids of other continents. PMID:27058956

A Simple and Novel Strategy for the Production of a Pan-specific Antiserum against Elapid Snakes of Asia.

PubMed

Ratanabanangkoon, Kavi; Tan, Kae Yi; Eursakun, Sukanya; Tan, Choo Hock; Simsiriwong, Pavinee; Pamornsakda, Teeraporn; Wiriyarat, Witthawat; Klinpayom, Chaiya; Tan, Nget Hong

2016-04-01

Snakebite envenomation is a serious medical problem in many tropical developing countries and was considered by WHO as a neglected tropical disease. Antivenom (AV), the rational and most effective treatment modality, is either unaffordable and/or unavailable in many affected countries. Moreover, each AV is specific to only one (monospecific) or a few (polyspecific) snake venoms. This demands that each country to prepare AV against its local snake venoms, which is often not feasible. Preparation of a 'pan-specific' AV against many snakes over a wide geographical area in some countries/regions has not been possible. If a 'pan-specific' AV effective against a variety of snakes from many countries could be prepared, it could be produced economically in large volume for use in many countries and save many lives. The aim of this study was to produce a pan-specific antiserum effective against major medically important elapids in Asia. The strategy was to use toxin fractions (TFs) of the venoms in place of crude venoms in order to reduce the number of antigens the horses were exposed to. This enabled inclusion of a greater variety of elapid venoms in the immunogen mix, thus exposing the horse immune system to a diverse repertoire of toxin epitopes, and gave rise to antiserum with wide paraspecificity against elapid venoms. Twelve venom samples from six medically important elapid snakes (4 Naja spp. and 2 Bungarus spp.) were collected from 12 regions/countries in Asia. Nine of these 12 venoms were ultra-filtered to remove high molecular weight, non-toxic and highly immunogenic proteins. The remaining 3 venoms were not ultra-filtered due to limited amounts available. The 9 toxin fractions (TFs) together with the 3 crude venoms were emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant and used to immunize 3 horses using a low dose, low volume, multisite immunization protocol. The horse antisera were assayed by ELISA and by in vivo lethality neutralization in mice. The findings were: a) The 9 TFs were shown to contain all of the venom toxins but were devoid of high MW proteins. When these TFs, together with the 3 crude venoms, were used as the immunogen, satisfactory ELISA antibody titers against homologous/heterologous venoms were obtained. b) The horse antiserum immunologically reacted with and neutralized the lethal effects of both the homologous and the 16 heterologous Asian/African elapid venoms tested. Thus, the use of TFs in place of crude venoms and the inclusion of a variety of elapid venoms in the immunogen mix resulted in antiserum with wide paraspecificity against elapid venoms from distant geographic areas. The antivenom prepared from this antiserum would be expected to be pan-specific and effective in treating envenomations by most elapids in many Asian countries. Due to economies of scale, the antivenom could be produced inexpensively and save many lives. This simple strategy and procedure could be readily adapted for the production of pan-specific antisera against elapids of other continents.

A Latin American perspective of periodontology.

PubMed

Caffesse, Raúl G

2015-02-01

Periodontal diseases occur worldwide, and Latin American populations are significantly affected by different manifestations of periodontal disease. The interest in periodontics and periodontal therapy first developed in the early 1930s in the southernmost countries of Latin America, and spread, as the years went by, throughout the region. Today, periodontal research is vibrant in Latin America. The aim of this volume of Periodontology 2000 was to present an overview of the periodontal research currently being performed in different countries of Latin America. The epidemiology of periodontal diseases in adults, children and adolescents, and the pathogenesis of such diseases (including microbiological characteristics and risk factors), are discussed. The role of systemic antibiotic therapy and the effect of smoking are discussed in relation to the progression and the treatment of periodontitis. In addition, the benefit of lasers in periodontal therapy is evaluated. Latin American research groups have been active in exploring new venues of regenerative periodontal treatment, addressing the role of cementum proteins, growth factors and oral mesenchymal stem cells in tissue engineering. Finally, basic research to study cancerization is reported.

International energy trade impacts on water resource crises: an embodied water flows perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J. C.; Zhong, R.; Zhao, P.; Zhang, H. W.; Wang, Y.; Mao, G. Z.

2016-07-01

Water and energy are coupled in intimate ways (Siddiqi and Anadon 2011 Energy Policy 39 4529-40), which is amplified by international energy trade. The study shows that the total volume of energy related international embodied water flows averaged 6298 Mm3 yr-1 from 1992-2010, which represents 10% of the water used for energy production including oil, coal, gas and electricity production. This study calculates embodied water import and export status of 219 countries from 1992 to 2010 and embodied water flow changes of seven regions over time (1992/2000/2010). In addition, the embodied water net export risk-crisis index and net embodied water import benefit index are established. According to the index system, 33 countries export vast amounts of water who have a water shortage, which causes water risk and crisis related to energy trade. While 29 countries abate this risk due to their rich water resource, 45 countries import embodied water linked to energy imports. Based on the different status of countries studied, the countries were classified into six groups with different policy recommendations.

Waterborne viral infections and their prevention

PubMed Central

Chang, Shih L.

1968-01-01

Unless special measures are taken, community water supplies are likely to contain enteric viruses which may lead to sporadic cases, or even epidemics, of such diseases as infectious hepatitis or poliomyelitis. After a general discussion of waterborne viral infections, in which it is pointed out that subclinical infections may considerably outnumber clinical cases, the author proposes a method for the concentration and detection of enteric viruses in water by means of membrane filtration and growth on monkey-kidney-cell or other tissue cultures. The various methods of disinfection of water which can reduce the virus concentration to an acceptable level are discussed, and it is concluded that flocculation and filtration followed by chlorination, or ozonation followed by chlorination, are adequate methods where large volumes of water are to be treated. In developing countries where relatively small volumes of water have to be treated, iodination appears to offer certain advantages, allowing the construction of a simple water-treatment plant requiring little supervision. However, until the long-term effects of iodine, in particular on pregnant women and young children, are known iodination plants should be used only on an experimental basis. PMID:5302332

New forms of public-private partnership for sustainable development of the fuel and energy sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakhomova, E. O.; Goosen, E. V.; Nikitenko, S. M.

2017-09-01

Public-private partnership (PPP) as a form of interaction between the public and private sectors contributes to the improvement of social and economic situation in the country. PPP is viewed in a broad context and is presented as a system of financial and non-financial relations between government and business. A number of legislative initiatives contributed to the emergence of a new form of PPP that is a special investment contract (SPIC). In the Russian regions there are legislative initiatives that provide differences in terms of contracting. In a number of regions a federal-specific volume of mandatory investment has been reduced to attract investors, while there are regions where this volume is higher than at the federal level. Monitoring of regional legislation showed that the authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are striving to obtain guarantee obligations to create jobs and receive salaries above the average in the region. Measures to encourage investors have been determined, and the benefits to the government and business from the implementation of a SPIC have been shown.

An international analysis of cigarette affordability

PubMed Central

Blecher, E; van Walbeek, C P

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate how affordable cigarettes are in developed and developing countries, and to calculate by how much the affordability of cigarettes has changed between 1990 and 2001; and secondly, to investigate the relation between cigarette affordability and consumption. Design: Affordability was defined as the cost of cigarettes relative to per capita income. Trends in cigarette affordability, and affordability elasticities of demand, were estimated using regression techniques. Subjects: Seventy countries were investigated, of which 28 are categorised as high income developed countries, while 42 are categorised as developing countries. Cigarette prices were obtained for the main city/cities in the countries. Results: Despite the fact that cigarettes are more expensive in developed countries, the high levels of income make cigarettes more affordable in these countries vis-à-vis developing countries. Of the 28 developed countries, cigarettes became more affordable in 11 and less affordable in 17 countries during the 1990s. Of the 42 developing countries, cigarettes became more affordable in 24 and less affordable in 18 countries. Based on a cross sectional analysis, a 1% increase in the relative income price (the inverse of cigarette affordability) is expected to decrease cigarette consumption by between 0.49–0.57%. Conclusions: Cigarette affordability, more than just the price, determines cigarette consumption. While cigarettes have become more affordable in many developing countries, some developing countries (for example, South Africa, Poland, and Thailand) have implemented strong and effective tobacco control policies, and have been able to decrease cigarette consumption as a result. PMID:15564616

Estimation of packaged water consumption and associated plastic waste production from household budget surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardrop, Nicola A.; Dzodzomenyo, Mawuli; Aryeetey, Genevieve; Hill, Allan G.; Bain, Robert E. S.; Wright, Jim

2017-08-01

Packaged water consumption is growing in low- and middle-income countries, but the magnitude of this phenomenon and its environmental consequences remain unclear. This study aims to quantify both the volumes of packaged water consumed relative to household water requirements and associated plastic waste generated for three West African case study countries. Data from household expenditure surveys for Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia were used to estimate the volumes of packaged water consumed and thereby quantify plastic waste generated in households with and without solid waste disposal facilities. In Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia respectively, 11.3 (95% confidence interval: 10.3-12.4), 10.1 (7.5-12.5), and 0.38 (0.31-0.45) Ml day-1 of sachet water were consumed. This generated over 28 000 tonnes yr-1 of plastic waste, of which 20%, 63% and 57% was among households lacking formal waste disposal facilities in Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia respectively. Reported packaged water consumption provided sufficient water to meet daily household drinking-water requirements for 8.4%, less than 1% and 1.6% of households in Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia respectively. These findings quantify packaged water’s contribution to household water needs in our study countries, particularly Ghana, but indicate significant subsequent environmental repercussions.

PREFACE: The Second International Conference on Inverse Problems: Recent Theoretical Developments and Numerical Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Jin; Hon, Yiu-Chung; Seo, Jin Keun; Yamamoto, Masahiro

2005-01-01

The Second International Conference on Inverse Problems: Recent Theoretical Developments and Numerical Approaches was held at Fudan University, Shanghai from 16-21 June 2004. The first conference in this series was held at the City University of Hong Kong in January 2002 and it was agreed to hold the conference once every two years in a Pan-Pacific Asian country. The next conference is scheduled to be held at Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan in July 2006. The purpose of this series of biennial conferences is to establish and develop constant international collaboration, especially among the Pan-Pacific Asian countries. In recent decades, interest in inverse problems has been flourishing all over the globe because of both the theoretical interest and practical requirements. In particular, in Asian countries, one is witnessing remarkable new trends of research in inverse problems as well as the participation of many young talents. Considering these trends, the second conference was organized with the chairperson Professor Li Tat-tsien (Fudan University), in order to provide forums for developing research cooperation and to promote activities in the field of inverse problems. Because solutions to inverse problems are needed in various applied fields, we entertained a total of 92 participants at the second conference and arranged various talks which ranged from mathematical analyses to solutions of concrete inverse problems in the real world. This volume contains 18 selected papers, all of which have undergone peer review. The 18 papers are classified as follows: Surveys: four papers give reviews of specific inverse problems. Theoretical aspects: six papers investigate the uniqueness, stability, and reconstruction schemes. Numerical methods: four papers devise new numerical methods and their applications to inverse problems. Solutions to applied inverse problems: four papers discuss concrete inverse problems such as scattering problems and inverse problems in atmospheric sciences and oceanography. Last but not least is our gratitude. As editors we would like to express our sincere thanks to all the plenary and invited speakers, the members of the International Scientific Committee and the Advisory Board for the success of the conference, which has given rise to this present volume of selected papers. We would also like to thank Mr Wang Yanbo, Miss Wan Xiqiong and the graduate students at Fudan University for their effective work to make this conference a success. The conference was financially supported by the NFS of China, the Mathematical Center of Ministry of Education of China, E-Institutes of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (No E03004) and Fudan University, Grant 15340027 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and Grant 15654015 from the Ministry of Education, Cultures, Sports and Technology.

Issues Related to Recruitment of Enlisted Personnel for the Reserve Components. Wave II. Technical Volume. Supplement.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

in the military; atti- tudes toward feminism ; and other attitudes related to the need to be with others and feelings of control/ stability. -29...to play team sports than individual sports . l( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( ) 5( ) -41e. Our country is too militaristic. 1( ) 2( ) 3( ) 4( ) 5( )-4 f. A nation...U( 2( ) 3( ) 4( X ()-L9 d, It’s more fun to play team sports than individual sports . () 2() 3() 4() 5( )-2 e. Our country is too militaristic. 1( ) 2

Country of Origin and Country of Service Delivery Effects in Transnational Higher Education: A Comparison of International Branch Campuses from Developed and Developing Nations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chee, Chiu Mei; Butt, Muhammad Mohsin; Wilkins, Stephen; Ong, Fon Sim

2016-01-01

Over the last decade, international branch campuses have been established by universities from developing countries as well as developed countries. Little research has been conducted into students' perceptions of branch campuses from different countries, or how universities from different countries compete in the increasingly competitive market. A…

Water footprint of Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debrah, E. R.; Odai, S. N.; Annor, F. O.; Adjei, K. A.; van der Zaag, P.

2009-04-01

Water is used in almost all human endeavour. Unlike oil, water does not have a substitute. There are many factors that affect the water consumption pattern of people. These include climatic condition, income level and agricultural practices among others. The water footprint concept has been developed in order to have an indicator of water use in relation to its consumption by people. The water footprint of a country is defined as the volume of water needed for the production of the goods and services consumed by the inhabitants of the country (Chapagain and Hoekstra, 2008). Due to the bulky nature of water, it is not in its raw state a tradable commodity though it could be traded through the exchange of goods and services from one point to the other. Closely linked to the water footprint concept is the virtual water concept. Virtual water can be defined as the volume of water required to produce a commodity or service (Chapagain and Hoekstra, 2008 and Allan, 1999). The international trade of these commodities implies flows of virtual water over large distances. The water footprint of a nation can therefore be assessed by quantifying the use of domestic water resources, taking out the virtual water flow that leaves the country and adding the virtual water flow that enters the country to it. This research focuses on the assessment and analysis of the water footprints of Ghana considering only the consumptive component of the water footprint. In addition to livestock, 13 crops were considered, 4 of which were cash crops. Data was analysed for the year 2001 to 2005 The most recent framework for the analysis of water footprint is offered by Chapagain and Hoekstra. This was adopted for the study. The water footprint calculations show that the water footprint of Ghana is about 20011 Gm³/yr. Base on this the average water footprint of a Ghanaian is 823 m³/cap/yr. Not only agricultural crops but also other products require water for their manufacture, aluminium being a case in point. The water required for energy production through hydropower is important to account for, as well as the question to what extent this may or may not be considered non-consumptive water use. Further research is needed to correctly estimate the water footprint of energy-intensive products. Keywords: water footprint, virtual water, trade, commodity

Disparities in Under-Five Child Injury Mortality between Developing and Developed Countries: 1990-2013.

PubMed

Huang, Yun; Wu, Yue; Schwebel, David C; Zhou, Liang; Hu, Guoqing

2016-07-07

Using estimates from the 2013 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, we update evidence on disparities in under-five child injury mortality between developing and developed countries from 1990 to 2013. Mortality rates were accessed through the online visualization tool by the GBD study 2013 group. We calculated percent change in child injury mortality rates between 1990 and 2013. Data analysis was conducted separately for <1 year and 1-4 years to specify age differences in rate changes. Between 1990 and 2013, over 3-fold mortality gaps were observed between developing countries and developed countries for both age groups in the study time period. Similar decreases in injury rates were observed for developed and developing countries (<1 year: -50% vs. -50% respectively; 1-4 years: -56% vs. -58%). Differences in injury mortality changes during 1990-2013 between developing and developed nations varied with injury cause. There were greater reductions in mortality from transport injury, falls, poisoning, adverse effects of medical treatment, exposure to forces of nature, and collective violence and legal intervention in developed countries, whereas there were larger decreases in mortality from drowning, exposure to mechanical forces, and animal contact in developing countries. Country-specific analysis showed large variations across countries for both injury mortality and changes in injury mortality between 1990 and 2013. Sustained higher child injury mortality during 1990-2013 for developing countries merits the attention of the global injury prevention community. Countries that have high injury mortality can benefit from the success of other countries.

Land mobile satellite communication system. Volume 3: Annexes to volume 2: Particular aspects of market analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carnebianca, C.; Pavesi, B.; Tuozzi, A.; Capone, R.

1986-06-01

The socioeconomic desirability in terms of market demand, technical economic feasibility, and price-performance for a Land Mobile Communication system ground based and/or satellite aided, able to satisfy the request of the traffic demand, foreseeable in the 1995 to 2005 time frame, for the Western European countries was assessed. The criterion of economic value of the mobile system is considered as the driving element. Data on traffic; socioeconomic factors; economic factors; and radiotelephony, paging, and dispatch subscription and value for money trends are presented.