WorldWideScience

Sample records for countries ictp contribution

  1. Rural wireless networking in developing countries: ICTP contribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zennaro, Marco; Struzak, Ryszard; Radicella, Sandro M.

    2007-07-01

    Access to knowledge has become a cornerstone of progress for individuals and for nations. Internet as a cost-effective channel for the dissemination of knowledge and services is a paramount in our days. High-speed (broadband) Internet access can contribute to economic growth and is increasingly being recognized as a policy objective in most countries. It has been accepted that information and communication technologies (ICT) create basic infrastructure, as necessary to economic and social development as postal services, banks, medical centres and schools. However, in 48 of 71 developing countries, only less than 1 per cent of enterprises had broadband Internet connection, according to the UN Information Economy Report 2006. In the past, voice telephony has been the main option for rural and remote areas. Today, e-mail, e-commerce, tele-education, tele-health, and tele-medicine, multimedia services have become as important as the voice connectivity, maybe even more important. Training has been identified as a fundamental factor for the sustainability of ICT development and ICTP has been playing a leading role here, in collaboration with other entities. Without any doubts, universities and research centres are the most appropriate places to start the development and to disseminate knowledge necessary to assure sustainable access to the global information infrastructures in rural areas. It is hoped that ICTP's assistance will continue to contribute to foster the necessary local capacities in this field. In addition to the development of human resources and the dissemination of low-cost technology, scientists from Developing Counties need to make their voices heard in the policy, regulatory and business circles and the ICTP Associates have a role to play here. (author)

  2. Energy needs, developing countries and ICTP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sreenivasan, K.R.

    2005-01-01

    The energy consumption in the near future will go up at a more rapid rate than before. About four billion people use little energy today (1.6 billion are without electricity). The energy consumption will increase partly because more of them will begin to use more energy and partly because the population will increase (to an estimated 10-12 billion in the steady state). Dependence on fossil fuels cannot continue as now. Supplies are limited, availability will become a greater vagary as sources dry up and greenhouse effects may make them less useful even sooner. Sustainable energy options will have to be a mix of fossil fuels, nuclear energy, renewable sources and others like hydrogen. Participation of developing countries and dialogue with them are essential. Developing countries cannot follow the same path to progress as industrialized countries did in the past. Greater ingenuity is needed, which calls for greater investment in science. The industrialized countries have a large responsibility because unsustainable development in the developing part of the world will adversely affect every other part. ICTP's involvement in this respect involve dedicated scientific workshops over the years (some in cooperation with IAEA) with considerable participation from Developing Countries and TRIL Fellows. ICTP has a new section on Earth System Physics (consolidating energy issues as well). Since 1977 ICTP organized 21 courses and workshops, which were attended by about 2000 participants

  3. Educating and training scientists from developing countries at ICTP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuniz, C.; Sreenivasan, K.R.

    2004-01-01

    Considering nuclear knowledge management, ICTP is involved, mainly in co-operation with IAEA, in a range of activities aimed to update and disseminate the global knowledge of nuclear instruments and methods, including access to relevant nuclear data. This knowledge is critical for applications in a broad range of areas of high significance in sustainable development, such as energy, agriculture, nutrition, human health, water resources, climate change, protection of the environment, new materials and industrial applications. Technological advances in developing countries depend increasingly on access to information available via internet, particularly electronic journals and databases. Hence, it is necessary to bridge the existing digital divide between advanced and developing countries (e.g. internet access is 1000 times slower, on the average, in Africa than in United States), mainly created by the high costs of telecommunication and through monopolies. ICTP is planning specific projects, under the aegis of UNESCO and in co-operation with the International Telecommunication Union, to strengthen cyber-connectivity in Africa and Asia

  4. ICTP celebrates 50 years

    CERN Multimedia

    2014-01-01

    CERN is not the only scientific organisation to be celebrating a significant anniversary in 2014. Earlier this year, ESA turned 50, and last week it was the turn of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, ICTP, to blow out its 50 candles. I had the pleasure to be there for the occasion, and to take part in the first day of a four-day scientific celebration in which the true value of ICTP came to the fore.   Nobel Prize winning Pakistani physicist Abdus Salam established the ICTP in 1964, and went on to become its first director. The Centre’s mission was and remains to foster the development of international scientific cooperation and to promote scientific excellence with an emphasis on the developing world. Established outside Trieste, Italy, and operated under a tripartite agreement between the Italian government, the IAEA and UNESCO, the ICTP has proven itself true to that mandate and become a driving force for advancing scientific expertise around the globe....

  5. A web community to foster science in developing countries: www.ictp.it

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canessa, E [Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste (Italy); Fonda, E; Zennaro, M; Sreenivasan, K R [Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste (Italy)

    2005-01-01

    The experiences with the new ICTP website, aiming to satisfy the needs of a modem and appealing image as well as provide tailored on-line information and services to its scientists (in-house and around the world), are discussed as a case-study of an emerging web-based international community. This approach, which to our knowledge has not been similarly employed by the scientific community in the past, keeps in mind the special audience and the uniqueness of the ICTP scientific structure and organization. The present approach is a decentralized architecture that offers space and freedom for creativity specific to various scientific programs, while managing a minimal amount of common structure. The new website was developed using open source technologies and web standards certified by W3C. (author)

  6. ICTP: From a dream to a reality in 50+ years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quevedo, F.

    2017-03-01

    For more than 50 years, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics has fostered the growth and sustainability of physics and mathematics in the developing world, benefitting hundreds of thousands of scientists. What began as a dream by its founder, Pakistani Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam, has become a first-rate international research hub connecting scientists from all corners of the globe. As the social and economic situations in many developing countries has shifted, ICTP has responded with the creation of relevant research and training programmes that continue to boost science in disadvantaged parts of the world. Today, ICTP remains a beacon of hope for scientists who aspire to greatness.

  7. The Dirac medals of the ICTP. 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The Dirac Medals of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) were instituted in 1985. These are awarded yearly to outstanding physicists, on Dirac's birthday - 8th August- for contributions to theoretical physics. The document includes the lectures of the three Dirac Medalists for 1993: Professor Sergio Ferrara, Professor Daniel Z. Freedman, and Professor Peter van Nieuwenhuizen. A separate abstract was prepared for each lecture

  8. The Dirac medals of the ICTP. 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-12-31

    The Dirac Medals of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) were instituted in 1985. These are awarded yearly to outstanding physicists, on Dirac`s birthday - 8th August- for contributions to theoretical physics. The document includes the lectures of the three Dirac Medalists for 1993: Professor Sergio Ferrara, Professor Daniel Z. Freedman, and Professor Peter van Nieuwenhuizen. A separate abstract was prepared for each lecture

  9. The ICTP-Elettra X-ray laboratory for cultural heritage and archaeology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuniz, C.; Bernardini, F.; Cicuttin, A.; Crespo, M.L.; Dreossi, D.; Gianoncelli, A.; Mancini, L.; Mendoza Cuevas, A.

    2013-01-01

    A set of portable/transportable X-ray analytical instruments based on radiography, microtomography, fluorescence and diffraction have been built and are being operated at the Multidisciplinary Laboratory (MLAB) of the ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in collaboration with Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste. This is part of a project funded by the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) and the ICTP, which aims to develop innovative X-ray analytical tools for noninvasive studies of cultural heritage objects and palaeontological remains. The X-ray instruments at MLAB are also used for hands-on training activities involving students and scientists from developing countries. The MLAB analytical tools complement the microtomography instruments available at Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste. Examples of our first studies in archaeological and palaeontological applications are presented here

  10. The ICTP-Elettra X-ray laboratory for cultural heritage and archaeology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tuniz, C., E-mail: ctuniz@ictp.it [The ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics (UNESCO), Multidisciplinary Laboratory, via Beirut 31, 34014 Trieste (Italy); University La Sapienza, Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome (Italy); Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia); Bernardini, F., E-mail: fbernard@ictp.it [The ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics (UNESCO), Multidisciplinary Laboratory, via Beirut 31, 34014 Trieste (Italy); Cicuttin, A., E-mail: cicuttin@ictp.it [The ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics (UNESCO), Multidisciplinary Laboratory, via Beirut 31, 34014 Trieste (Italy); Crespo, M.L., E-mail: mcrespo@ictp.it [The ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics (UNESCO), Multidisciplinary Laboratory, via Beirut 31, 34014 Trieste (Italy); Dreossi, D., E-mail: diego.dreossi@elettra.trieste.it [Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., SYRMEP Group, Strada Statale 14, AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste (Italy); Gianoncelli, A., E-mail: alessandra.gianoncelli@elettra.trieste.it [Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., SYRMEP Group, Strada Statale 14, AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste (Italy); Mancini, L., E-mail: lucia.mancini@elettra.trieste.it [Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., SYRMEP Group, Strada Statale 14, AREA Science Park, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste (Italy); Mendoza Cuevas, A., E-mail: amendoz0@ictp.it [The ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics (UNESCO), Multidisciplinary Laboratory, via Beirut 31, 34014 Trieste (Italy); Archaeometry Laboratory, Colegio Universitario San Geronimo de La Habana (Cuba); and others

    2013-05-21

    A set of portable/transportable X-ray analytical instruments based on radiography, microtomography, fluorescence and diffraction have been built and are being operated at the Multidisciplinary Laboratory (MLAB) of the ‘Abdus Salam’ International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in collaboration with Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste. This is part of a project funded by the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) and the ICTP, which aims to develop innovative X-ray analytical tools for noninvasive studies of cultural heritage objects and palaeontological remains. The X-ray instruments at MLAB are also used for hands-on training activities involving students and scientists from developing countries. The MLAB analytical tools complement the microtomography instruments available at Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste. Examples of our first studies in archaeological and palaeontological applications are presented here.

  11. ICTP-IAEA Workshop on Dense Magnetized Plasma and Plasma Diagnostics: an executive summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gribkov, V. A.; Mank, G.; Markowicz, A.; Miklaszewski, R.; Tuniz, C.; Crespo, M. L.

    2011-12-01

    The Workshop on Dense Magnetized Plasma and Plasma Diagnostics was held from 15 to 26 November 2010 at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy. It was attended by 60 participants, including 15 lecturers, 2 tutors and 37 trainees, representing 25 countries.

  12. FOREWORD: International Topical Workshop on Plasma Physics: Coherent Processes in Nonlinear Media. Sponsored by the ICTP (Trieste) and the European Union (Brussels)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, P. K.; Bingham, R.; Stenflo, L.; Dawson, J. M.

    1996-01-01

    Starting in 1989 we have created a forum at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, where scientists from different parts of the world can meet and exchange information in the frontier areas of physics. In the three previous meetings, we focused on large amplitude waves and fields in plasmas, the physics of dusty plasmas, and wave-particle interactions and energization in plasmas. In 1995, we came up with a fresh idea of organizing somewhat enlarged but still well focused research topics that are cross-disciplinary. Thus, the usual 'fourth-week activity' of the Plasma Physics College at the ICTP was replaced by an International Topical Workshop on Plasma Physics: Coherent Processes in Nonlinear Media, which was held at the ICTP during the period 16-20 October, 1995. This provided us an opportunity to draw eminent speakers from many closely related fields such as plasma physics, fluid dynamics, nonlinear optics, and astrophysics. The Workshop was attended by 82 delegates from 34 countries, and the participation from the industrial and the developing countries was about half each. The programme included 4 review and 29 topical invited lectures. In addition, about 30 contributed papers were presented as posters in two sessions. The latter were created in order to give opportunities to younger physicists for displaying the results of their recent work and to obtain constructive comments from the other participants. During the five days at the ICTP, we focused on almost all the various aspects of nonlinear phenomena that are common in different branches of science. The review and topical lectures as well as the posters dealt with the most recent advances in coherent nonlinear processes in space and astrophysical plasmas, in fluids and optics, in low temperature dusty plasmas, as well as in laser produced and magnetically confined laboratory plasmas. The focus was on the physics of various types of waves and their generation mechanisms, the development

  13. ICTP-IAEA Workshop on Dense Magnetized Plasma and Plasma Diagnostics: an executive summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gribkov, V.A.; Mank, G.; Markowicz, A.; Miklaszewski, R.; Tuniz, C.; Crespo, M.L.

    2011-01-01

    The Workshop on Dense Magnetized Plasma and Plasma Diagnostics was held from 15 to 26 November 2010 at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy. It was attended by 60 participants, including 15 lecturers, 2 tutors and 37 trainees, representing 25 countries. (conference report)

  14. The house that Abdus built...The ICTP in Trieste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roederer, J.G.

    2006-01-01

    The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics stems the brain drain of physicists from developing nations at a time of new scientific challenges. Abdus Salam, a Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani physicist, recognized that improving science locally would not be enough to stem the flight of fledgling scientists from developing countries. International mechanisms would be needed to allow scientists - especially those returning home after training abroad - to stay connected with the world, to refresh their knowledge periodically, and to engage in international research collaborations. The time was right for the conception of an international centre for theoretical physics. In 1964 under the aegis of the IAEA, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) was intended to be not just another international research institute. The intention was a model organization designed to promote training and research in the physical and mathematical sciences in developing countries; serve as a forum for scientists from all over the world; and operate as a first-class scientific institution. All three goals reflect the desire of its founding director, Abdus Salam, to confront the issues of isolation and brain drain that have continually dimmed the prospects for scientific excellence across the developing world. Today ICTP each year hosts some 6000 scientists in its facilities in Trieste, Italy, while maintaining strong and enduring links with scientific communities in more than 170 countries. Closer to home, it has forged cooperative relationship with many Italian scientific institutions. Through its efforts, the Centre has built a worldwide family of loyal alumni, tens of thousands of associates, lecturers, and students, many of whom are now internationally recognized scientists, university leaders, research-council presidents, and leading statesmen in their own countries

  15. FOREWORD: International Workshop on Theoretical Plasma Physics: Modern Plasma Science. Sponsored by the Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, P. K.; Stenflo, L.

    2005-01-01

    The "International Workshop on Theoretical Plasma Physics: Modern Plasma Science was held at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Abdus Salam ICTP), Trieste, Italy during the period 5 16 July 2004. The workshop was organized by P K Shukla, R Bingham, S M Mahajan, J T Mendonça, L Stenflo, and others. The workshop enters into a series of previous biennial activities that we have held at the Abdus Salam ICTP since 1989. The scientific program of the workshop was split into two parts. In the first week, most of the lectures dealt with problems concerning astrophysical plasmas, while in the second week, diversity was introduced in order to address the important role of plasma physics in modern areas of science and technology. Here, attention was focused on cross-disciplinary topics including Schrödinger-like models, which are common in plasma physics, nonlinear optics, quantum engineering (Bose-Einstein condensates), and nonlinear fluid mechanics, as well as emerging topics in fundamental theoretical and computational plasma physics, space and dusty plasma physics, laser-plasma interactions, etc. The workshop was attended by approximately hundred-twenty participants from the developing countries, Europe, USA, and Japan. A large number of participants were young researchers from both the developing and industrial countries, as the directors of the workshop tried to keep a good balance in inviting senior and younger generations of theoretical, computational and experimental plasma physicists to our Trieste activities. In the first week, there were extensive discussions on the physics of electromagnetic wave emissions from pulsar magnetospheres, relativistic magnetohydrodynamics of astrophysical objects, different scale sizes turbulence and structures in astrophysics. The scientific program of the second week included five review talks (60 minutes) and about thirty invited topical lectures (30 minutes). In addition, during the two weeks, there

  16. Statement to ICTP/IAEA School of Nuclear Energy Management, 8 August 2011, Trieste, Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amano, Y.

    2011-01-01

    It is a pleasure for me to welcome you to the ICTP/IAEA School of Nuclear Energy Management. I would like to express my sincere thanks to ICTP and its Director, Professor Fernando Quevedo, and to the Government of Italy, for hosting this important event. Nuclear power is facing a major challenge throughout the world following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan five months ago. The accident, caused by an earthquake and tsunami of unprecedented severity undermined confidence in the safety of nuclear power in many countries. I saw for myself just how powerful and destructive nature can be when I visited the Fukushima Daiichi plant a few weeks ago. But I was also deeply impressed by the passion and energy of the engineers and workers at the site who are determined to restore full control over the facility. Great progress has already been made. I am also confident that the right lessons are being learned internationally. An IAEA Ministerial Conference, which I convened in Vienna in June, agreed on significant measures to improve nuclear safety, emergency preparedness and radiation protection of people and the environment throughout the world. These include strengthening IAEA Safety Standards, systematically reviewing the safety of all nuclear power plants - including by expanding the IAEA's programme of expert peer review missions - and enhancing the effectiveness of national nuclear regulatory bodies. Despite Fukushima Daiichi, global use of nuclear power will continue to grow in the coming decades. The factors that had contributed to increasing interest in nuclear power before the accident, such as persistent energy demand growth due to population growth and economic development, and concerns of climate change largely remain the same. Even the few countries which have decided to abandon nuclear power will still need a highly qualified workforce for decades to come - to run existing nuclear power plants, to decommission them and to

  17. ICTP: A Successful Model of International Scientific Collaboration

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2012-01-01

    The importance of international scientific collaboration in the changing world where the centre of gravity of fundamental research may be moving towards the east and the south is addressed. The unique role of ICTP in supporting global science is highlighted.

  18. ICTP Spring College in Condensed Matter on Superconductivity

    CERN Document Server

    Lu, Y

    1995-01-01

    This volume contains the lecture notes of the ""Spring College on Superconductivity"" held from 27 April to 19 June 1992 at ICTP. The distinguished faculty of lecturers has provided a wide coverage of topics on the fascinating subject of superconductivity, ranging from basic physics to the latest developments. The comprehensive reviews included in this volume will prove invaluable for research workers and graduate students in the field.

  19. Study on the possible usefulness of the serum markers ICTP, IGF-1 and BGP for diagnosis of hepatic carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong Ying; Du Minghua; Zhang Jiao; Wu Wei

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To study the relationship between the changes of serum levels of the hepatic fibrosis markers ICTP, IGF-I, BGP and the conventional hepatic carcinoma markers as well as hepatic function indicators in patients with primary and metastatic hepatic cancers. Methods: Serum ICTP, IGF-I, BGP (with RIA), AFP, CEA, CA-199 (with CLIA) contents were determined and conventional liver function tests (ALT, AST, γ-GT) were examined in 51 patients with liver carcinoma (primary 28, metastatic 23) and 30 controls. Results: The serum levels of ICTP, IGF-I and BGP in all the patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P 0.05). The levels of CEA and CA-199 were significantly higher in patients with metastatic hepatic carcinoma than those in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (P 0.05). Levels of BGP were positively correlated with the AST and γ-GT levels (P<0.05). Conclusion: Serum levels of ICTP, IGF-I, BGP were increased in both primary and metastatic hepatic carcinoma. (authors)

  20. Clinical application of determination of serum ICTP and PINP contents in cancer patients with bone metastasis for diagnosis and treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Haizhong; Li Bin; Zhu Yaling

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To study the clinical usefulness of determination of serum carboxy terminal telepeptide type I collagen (ICTP) and aminoterminal prepeptide type I procollagen (PINP) in cancer patients with bone metastasis for diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Serum ICTP and PINP contents were measured with RIA in 115 patients and 30 controls. These patients consisted of : 1) Group A, less than 6 metastatic foci, n=47 2) Group B, 6-20 foci, n=42 3) Group C, over 20 foci, n=26. A second measurement of these markers was done in 35 of the 115 patients after comprehensive treatment. Results: The Serum ICTP and PINP contents in the patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (p<0.01). The contents increased steadily from Group A to Group C, with significant differences between those in successive groups (p<0.01 or p<0.05). Levels of the two markers correlated well to the number of foci (r=0.68, p<0.01; r=0.52, p<0.01). In the 35 treated patients, the levels dropped significantly (p<0.01, p<0.05 respectively). Conclusion: Both ICTP and PINP level determinations could reflect the clinical status of metastatic size and treatment effect (ICTP more sensitive)

  1. One year of ICTP diploma courses on-line using the automated EyA recording system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canessa, Enrique; Fonda, Carlo; Zennaro, Marco

    2009-03-01

    The 12-month pre-Ph.D ICTP Diploma Courses in the fields of Condensed Matter Physics, High Energy Physics, Mathematics, Earth System Physics and Basics Physics have been recorded using the automated, low cost recording system called EyA developed in-house. We discuss the technical details on how these recordings were implemented, together with some web usage statistics and students feedback. As yet, no similar endeavor has been made to put on-line a complete high-level Diploma Programme, due to the high costs involved when using alternative recording solutions. These recordings are freely available on the website www.ictp.tv. (author)

  2. ICTP lectures on covariant quantization of the superstring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berkovits, N.

    2003-01-01

    These ICTP Trieste lecture notes review the pure spinor approach to quantizing the superstring with manifest D=10 super-Poincare invariance. The first section discusses covariant quantization of the superparticle and gives a new proof of equivalence with the Brink-Schwarz superparticle. The second section discusses the superstring in a flat background and shows how to construct vertex operators and compute tree amplitudes in a manifestly super-Poincare covariant manner. And the third section discusses quantization of the superstring in curved backgrounds which can include Ramond-Ramond flux. (author)

  3. ICTP lectures on covariant quantization of the superstring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berkovits, N [Instituto de Fisica Teorica, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2003-08-15

    These ICTP Trieste lecture notes review the pure spinor approach to quantizing the superstring with manifest D=10 super-Poincare invariance. The first section discusses covariant quantization of the superparticle and gives a new proof of equivalence with the Brink-Schwarz superparticle. The second section discusses the superstring in a flat background and shows how to construct vertex operators and compute tree amplitudes in a manifestly super-Poincare covariant manner. And the third section discusses quantization of the superstring in curved backgrounds which can include Ramond-Ramond flux. (author)

  4. Proposal for an IAEA - sponsored project of interregional co-operation for training of nuclear scientists in developing countries, using the expertise available in the nuclear data field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kocherov, N.; Schmidt, J.J.

    1980-07-01

    During the Winter College on Nuclear Physics and Reactors jointly organized by the IAEA and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in January - March 1980 and held at the ICTP in Trieste, a Working Group was convened from participants in the Interregional Advanced Training Course on Applications of Nuclear Theory to Nuclear Data Calculations for Reactor Design. The Working Group examined the current fast neutron nuclear data requirements for nuclear technologies and discussed possible means to meet these requirements, with a major emphasis on the possible contributions by and benefit for the developing countries. The Working Group concluded that the organisation of an IAEA-sponsored Project of Interregional Co-operation for Training of Nuclear Scientists in Developing Countries, Using the Expertise Available in the Nuclear Data Field, would be the best solution to cope with the problems in question and drafted an outline of the technical programme and organization of such a project the revised version of which is presented in this report

  5. Joint ICTP-IAEA advanced workshop on model codes for spallation reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filges, D.; Leray, S.; Yariv, Y.; Mengoni, A.; Stanculescu, A.; Mank, G.

    2008-08-01

    The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) organised an expert meeting at the ICTP from 4 to 8 February 2008 to discuss model codes for spallation reactions. These nuclear reactions play an important role in a wide domain of applications ranging from neutron sources for condensed matter and material studies, transmutation of nuclear waste and rare isotope production to astrophysics, simulation of detector set-ups in nuclear and particle physics experiments, and radiation protection near accelerators or in space. The simulation tools developed for these domains use nuclear model codes to compute the production yields and characteristics of all the particles and nuclei generated in these reactions. These codes are generally Monte-Carlo implementations of Intra-Nuclear Cascade (INC) or Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) models, followed by de-excitation (principally evaporation/fission) models. Experts have discussed in depth the physics contained within the different models in order to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Such codes need to be validated against experimental data in order to determine their accuracy and reliability with respect to all forms of application. Agreement was reached during the course of the workshop to organise an international benchmark of the different models developed by different groups around the world. The specifications of the benchmark, including the set of selected experimental data to be compared to the models, were also defined during the workshop. The benchmark will be organised under the auspices of the IAEA in 2008, and the first results will be discussed at the next Accelerator Applications Conference (AccApp'09) to be held in Vienna in May 2009. (author)

  6. Immunoassays for the measurement of IGF-II, IGFBP-2 and -3, and ICTP as indirect biomarkers of recombinant human growth hormone misuse in sport. Values in selected population of athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abellan, Rosario; Ventura, Rosa; Palmi, Ilaria; di Carlo, Simonetta; Bacosi, Antonella; Bellver, Montse; Olive, Ramon; Pascual, Jose Antonio; Pacifici, Roberta; Segura, Jordi; Zuccaro, Piergiorgio; Pichini, Simona

    2008-11-04

    Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) -2 and -3 and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) have been proposed, among others, as indirect biomarkers of the recombinant human growth hormone misuse in sport. An extended intra- and inter-laboratory validation of commercially available immunoassays for biomarkers detection was performed. ELISA assays for total IGF-II, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 (IGF-II/ELISA1: DSLabs, IGFBP-2/ELISA2: Biosource, and IGFBP-3/ELISA3: BioSource) and an EIA assay for ICTP (ICTP/EIA: Orion Diagnostica) were evaluated. The inter- and intra-laboratory precision values were acceptable for all evaluated assays (maximum imprecision of 30% and 66% were found only for the lowest quality control samples of IGF-II and IGFBP-3). Correct accuracy was obtained for all inter-laboratory immunoassays and for IGFBP-2 intra-laboratory immunoassay. The range of concentrations found in serum samples under investigation was always covered by the calibration curves of the studied immunoassays. However, 11% and 15% of the samples felt below the estimated LOQ for IGF-II and ICTP, respectively, in the zone where lower precision was obtained. Although the majority of evaluated assays showed an overall reliability not always suitable for antidoping control analysis, relatively high concordances between laboratory results were obtained for all assays. Evaluated immunoassays were used to measure serum concentrations of IGF-II, IGFBP-2 and -3 and ICTP in elite athletes of various sport disciplines at different moments of the training season; in recreational athletes at baseline conditions and finally in sedentary individuals. Serum IGF-II was statistically higher both in recreational and elite athletes compared to sedentary individuals. Elite athletes showed lower IGFBP-2 and higher IGFBP-3 concentration with respect to recreational athletes and sedentary people. Among elite athletes, serum IGFBP-3 (synchronized

  7. EU CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diana Popa

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the EU aid concerning to improved the economic situation from developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this research is to identify how EU states contribute to helping poor countries, members of the World Trade Organization. For the beginning, we define the EU’position before, during and after the Doha Round – a round of WTO multilateral trade negotiations. Moreover, we analyse the development dimension, focusing on countries „marginalized” until early of XXI century in terms of international trade, because this represents the idea-axis of the Doha Round. In this context, the EU – one of the leading global commercial players and a key member of the institution mentioned above – has set several objectives to achieve the basic goal of negotiations and several ways to support developing countries. To conclude, we propose to define the key points of the European aid for least developed and developing countries.

  8. Abdus Salam: The passionate, compassionate man and, his masterpiece, the ICTP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Virasoro, Miguel A.

    2017-03-01

    Abdus Salam was a great man in more than one dimension. The conception and building of the ICTP system required much more than the intelligence of a great scientist. I will stress those other facets that made him such a unique personality: the optimism that coloured his views about men and women, his love for his people and his commitment to the less favoured peoples of the world and a crucial ingredient, his deep and complex sense of ethical values that pushed him towards engagement in the political reality. Endowed with a formidable power of persuasion and a healthy lack of respect for norms or rules that are not based on justice he made a big difference on many of us and will remain as an icon for future generations. I will also describe the final touches that Salam’s collaborators and successors had to add to keep his heritage flourishing.

  9. Fusion Plasma Modelling Using Atomic and Molecular Data. Summary report of a Joint ICTP-IAEA Workshop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braams, B.J.

    2012-03-01

    The Joint ICTP-IAEA Workshop on Fusion Plasma Modelling using Atomic and Molecular Data was held from 23-27 January 2012 at Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. Ten lecturers presented tutorials and reviews on topics in fusion plasma modelling and atomic, molecular and plasma-material interaction processes. There were 20 participants, generally early-career researchers in the area of A+M+PMI processes and also plasma modellers. The participants presented their work in short talks and a poster session. The proceedings of the workshop are summarized here. (author)

  10. Study on the changes of serum levels of PINP, ICTP and 25-OH-VitD3 in pre-menopausal women and their relationship with BMD changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Jinshan; Luo Liangping

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To study the changes of serum levels of procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP), pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and 25-OH-VitD 3 in premenopausal women and their relationship with changes of bone mineral density (BMD). Methods: BMD (at L 1 -L 4 and hip region) was examined with dual energy X-ray absorptiometer (DEXA) and serum levels of PINP, ICTP, 25-OH-VitD 3 were determined with RIA in 67 pre-menopausal women. Results: (1) Of the 67 women tested, 19 (28.4%) were found to be with low BMD. The mean BMD values in this group were significantly lower than those in the other 48 women. (2) The serum levels of PINP and ICTP in the 19 women with lower BMD (56.9±18.2 μg/L and 3.78±0.83 μg/L respectively) were much higher than those in the other 48 women (43.8±15.1 μg/L and 3.45±0.98 μg/L respectively, for PINP, P 0.05). The serum 25-OH-VitD 3 levels in the two groups of pre-menopausal women were not significantly different (25.6±7.8 ng/ml vs 27.4±9.2 ng/ml, P>0.05). (3) PINP levels were positively correlated with BMD values (r=0.274∼0.402, P 3 levels were not significantly correlated with BMD levels (r=-0.226∼0.083, P>0.05). PINP levels were weakly positively correlated with 25-OH-VitD 3 levels (r=0.395, P<0.05). Conclusion: There was tendency of increasing rate of bone turnover in pre-menopausal women, which might lead to development of osteoporosis. Early detection with BMD and serum markers of bone resorption (e.q. ICTP) measurement would be highly valuable for implement of prophylactic measures. (authors)

  11. COMPULSORY SOCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES NOT MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARINEL NEDELUŢ

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available A proper understanding of the "details" of the pension system in our country can only be known if the essential, defining characteristics of pension systems in European Union countries and most developed countries in the world. Among the defining elements of any pension scheme among the most important are (a the share of social contributions and (2 tax base. In the present social security contributions will be applied in the following countries are not EU Member States: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Iceland, Macedonia, Moldova, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Ukraine, Japan, United States of America. For a better comparison and social security contributions are presented in Romania. In the vast majority of these countries (a base contributions is the gross income, (2 are used to calculate the progressive contribution rates for retirement, particularly in most developed countries, (3 pension contribution is supported both by the employee (employee and employer, almost equally.

  12. Contribution of Arab countries to breast cancer research: comparison with non-Arab Middle Eastern countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweileh, Waleed M; Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Al-Jabi, Samah W; Sawalha, Ansam F

    2015-01-01

    Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers affecting women worldwide. The main objective of this study was to assess and compare research activity in breast cancer in Arab countries with non-Arab Middle Eastern countries. Publications about "breast cancer" as a research topic were retrieved using the ISI Web of Science database. Analysis was confined to original research and review articles. Research productivity was assessed by assessing number of publications and time trend of these publications, names of journals, citation analysis, top 10 active institutions as well as country contribution to breast cancer research. The quantity and quality of publications from Arab countries in addition to 3 other Middle East countries (Turkey, Iran and Israel) were assessed and compared using the h-index tool. A total of 1658 original research and review articles about "breast cancer" were published from Arab countries. Annual research productivity from Arab countries in the field of "breast cancer" was negligible but showed a significant increase in the last decade. Retrieved documents had relatively high citation parameters as measured by h-index of 61 and average citations of 17.46 per document. The highest research productivity was from Egypt with a total publication of 582 (35.10%). Cairo University with a total of 149 (8.99%) publications had the highest research productivity among institutions in Arab world. Forty four documents (2.65%) of breast cancer documents were published in Saudi Medical Journal. Arab researchers collaborated mostly with researchers from the United States of America (305; 18.40%) in breast cancer research. Compared with other non-Arab Middle Eastern countries, Arab countries had higher research productivity than some countries and lower than others, particularly Israel. The present data reveals a good contribution of some Arab countries to the field of "breast cancer" research. There is a gap between Arab countries and Israel in

  13. Contributions of developed and developing countries to global climate forcing and surface temperature change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ward, D S; Mahowald, N M

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the relative contributions of individual countries to global climate change for different time periods is essential for mitigation strategies that seek to hold nations accountable for their historical emissions. Previous assessments of this kind have compared countries by their greenhouse gas emissions, but have yet to consider the full spectrum of the short-lived gases and aerosols. In this study, we use the radiative forcing of anthropogenic emissions of long-lived greenhouse gases, ozone precursors, aerosols, and from albedo changes from land cover change together with a simple climate model to evaluate country contributions to climate change. We assess the historical contribution of each country to global surface temperature change from anthropogenic forcing ( Δ T s ), future Δ T s through year 2100 given two different emissions scenarios, and the Δ T s that each country has committed to from past activities between 1850 and 2010 (committed Δ T s ). By including forcings in addition to the long-lived greenhouse gases the contribution of developed countries, particularly the United States, to Δ T s from 1850 to 2010 (58%) is increased compared to an assessment of CO 2 -equivalent emissions for the same time period (52%). Contributions to committed Δ T s evaluated at year 2100, dominated by long-lived greenhouse gas forcing, are more evenly split between developed and developing countries (55% and 45%, respectively). The portion of anthropogenic Δ T s attributable to developing countries is increasing, led by emissions from China and India, and we estimate that this will surpass the contribution from developed countries around year 2030. (paper)

  14. Historical Responsibility for Climate Change - from countries emissions to contribution to temperature increase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krapp, Mario; Gütschow, Johannes; Rocha, Marcia; Schaeffer, Michiel

    2016-04-01

    The notion of historical responsibility is central to the equity debate and the measure of responsibility as a countries' share of historical global emissions remains one of the essential parameters in so-called equity proposals, which attempt to distribute effort among countries in an equitable manner. The focus of this contribution is on the historical contribution of countries, but it takes it one step further: its general objective lies on estimating countries' contribution directly to the change in climate. The historical responsibility is not based on cumulative emissions but instead measured in terms of the countries' estimated contribution to the increase in global-mean surface-air temperature. This is achieved by (1) compiling a historical emissions dataset for the period from 1850 until 2012 for each individual Kyoto-greenhouse gas and each UNFCCC Party using a consistent methodology and (2) applying those historical emissions to a revised version of the so-called Policy-maker Model put forward by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federative Republic of Brazil, which is a simple, yet powerful tool that allows historical GHG emissions of individual countries to be directly related to their effect on global temperature changes. We estimate that the cumulative GHG emissions until 2012 from the USA, the European Union and China contribute to a total temperature increase of about 0.50°C in 2100, which is equivalent to about 50% of the temperature increase from total global GHG emissions by that year (of about 1.0°C). Respectively, the USA, the European Union, and China are responsible for 20.2%, 17.3%, and 12.1% of global temperature increase in 2100. Russian historical emissions are responsible for 0.06°C temperature increase by 2100, ranking as the fourth largest contributor to temperature increase with 6.2% of the total contribution. India ranks fifth: Indian emissions to date would contribute to roughly 0.05°C of global mean temperature

  15. Contribution of Food Groups to Energy and Nutrient Intakes in Five Developed Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nancy Auestad

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Economic growth in developing countries and globalization of the food sector is leading to increasingly similar food consumption patterns worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in the contributions of main food groups to energy and nutrient intakes in five developed countries across three continents. We obtained summary reports of national food consumption survey data from Australia, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States. Survey years spanned 2003–2012; sample size ranged from 1444 to 17,386. To mitigate heterogeneity of food groups across countries, we recategorized each survey’s reported food groups and subgroups into eight main food groups and, for three countries, a ninth “mixed dishes” group. We determined the percent contribution of each food group to mean daily intakes of energy, saturated fat, sodium, fiber, and ten vitamins and minerals that are commonly under-consumed. Differences in findings from surveys utilizing a foods-as-consumed versus a disaggregated or ingredients approach to food group composition and contributions from the milk and milk products group, a source of several under-consumed nutrients, were explored. Patterns of food group contributions to energy and nutrient intakes were generally similar across countries. Some differences were attributable to the analytical approach used by the surveys. For the meat/protein, milk and milk products, vegetables, and fruit groups, percent contributions to key nutrient intakes exceeded percent contributions to energy intake. The mixed dishes group provided 10%–20% of total daily energy and a similar 10%–25% of the daily intake of several nutrients. This descriptive study contributes to an understanding of food group consumption patterns in developed countries.

  16. Contribution of Food Groups to Energy and Nutrient Intakes in Five Developed Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auestad, Nancy; Hurley, Judith S.; Fulgoni, Victor L.; Schweitzer, Cindy M.

    2015-01-01

    Economic growth in developing countries and globalization of the food sector is leading to increasingly similar food consumption patterns worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in the contributions of main food groups to energy and nutrient intakes in five developed countries across three continents. We obtained summary reports of national food consumption survey data from Australia, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States. Survey years spanned 2003–2012; sample size ranged from 1444 to 17,386. To mitigate heterogeneity of food groups across countries, we recategorized each survey’s reported food groups and subgroups into eight main food groups and, for three countries, a ninth “mixed dishes” group. We determined the percent contribution of each food group to mean daily intakes of energy, saturated fat, sodium, fiber, and ten vitamins and minerals that are commonly under-consumed. Differences in findings from surveys utilizing a foods-as-consumed versus a disaggregated or ingredients approach to food group composition and contributions from the milk and milk products group, a source of several under-consumed nutrients, were explored. Patterns of food group contributions to energy and nutrient intakes were generally similar across countries. Some differences were attributable to the analytical approach used by the surveys. For the meat/protein, milk and milk products, vegetables, and fruit groups, percent contributions to key nutrient intakes exceeded percent contributions to energy intake. The mixed dishes group provided 10%–20% of total daily energy and a similar 10%–25% of the daily intake of several nutrients. This descriptive study contributes to an understanding of food group consumption patterns in developed countries. PMID:26061017

  17. The contribution of tourism industry on the GDP growth of Western Balkan countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Čerović Slobodan

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Tourism industry records various economic, social, political and others influences and provides itself important position in the overall economic development of many countries. The analysis of the available data of tourist arrivals and number of tourist overnight stays in observed countries of the Western Balkans (Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro led us to conduct research in order to determine tourism contribution to the overall economic growth. Based on the modified methodology used by Brida et al. (2008 for calculating real GDP growth rates and tourism contribution to the overall economic growth, the paper indicates that tourism makes a modest direct contribution to the overall economic growth in the examined countries, regardless of the continuous increase in the number of foreign tourist arrivals. The level of tourism contribution to the overall economic growth varies and it is primarily related to diversity and quality of supply (the highest contribution is recorded in Montenegro, while lowest contribution is observed in Macedonia.

  18. Efectos de la desnutrición sobre la colagenización de anastomosis intestinales: análisis de procolágeno y telopéptido carboxiterminal mediante radioinmunoanálisis Role of malnutrition in intestinal anastomosis collagenization: an analysis of procollagen (PINP and carboxyterminal telopeptide (ICTP by radioimmunoassay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. M. Álamo

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available Introducción: diversos factores influyen en la cicatrización correcta de las suturas intestinales tras la práctica de una resección intestinal. Uno de los factores más implicados es el estado nutricional del paciente. Objetivos: evaluar la influencia de la desnutrición inducida sobre la viabilidad de una anastomosis intestinal primaria mediante el análisis del procolágeno (PINP como marcador de la síntesis de colágeno I, y del telopéptido carboxiterminal del colágeno I (ICTP como marcador de la destrucción del mismo. Métodos: 40 ratas Wistar y material de radioinmunoensayo. Métodos: diseñamos 2 grupos de ratas, 20 animales por cada grupo: grupo control (A y grupo "desnutrición" (B. Se analiza PINP e ICTP mediante RIA sobre tejido colónico homogeneizado, preanastomótico y anastomótico. Resultados: existen unos niveles menores de PINP en el colon de las ratas del grupo B comparado con el colon del grupo A (0,3620 y 0,4340 µg/g respectivamente (p = 0,032. Hay un mayor nivel de ICTP analizado en el colon del grupo B (0,9545 en contraposición a 0,8460 µg/g en el grupo A (p = 0,875. En las anastomosis del grupo B existe una menor síntesis de PINP en comparación con el grupo A (0,376 y 0,468 µg/g respectivamente, p = 0,002. Conclusiones: la anastomosis colónica incrementa los niveles de PINP e ICTP en el tejido cicatricial (p = 0,000; la malnutrición reduce la colagenización de las anastomosis (p = 0,000.Introduction: some clinical, anatomo-pathological, and technical factors influence the correct healing of intestinal suture following an intestinal resection. One of the most influential factors is patient nutritional status. Objectives: to evaluate the influence of malnutrition on the viability of primary intestinal anastomosis by the analysis of collagen I deposition. Methods: 40 Wistar rats, radioimmunoassay material. We used 2 groups of rats, 20 animals in each group: a control group (A and a "malnutrition" group (B

  19. Resources for Developing Country Researchers

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Melanie Brunet

    fields of physics and mathematics. The service requires individual registration: http://ejds.ictp.it/ejds/faces/register.xhtml Language: Primarily English. Free Medical Journals (http://www.freemedicaljournals.com/) and Free Books4 Doctors · (http://www.freebooks4doctors.com/) Established by Flying Publishers, these two sites ...

  20. Common-but-differentiated-Responsibilities for adaptation financing. An assessment of the contributions of countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dellink, R. [Wageningen University, Wageningen (Netherlands); Den Elzen, M. [Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency NMP, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Aikinga, H.; Bergsm, E.; Berkhout, F.; Dekker, T.; Gupta, J. [Institute for Environmental Studies IVM, VU University, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2009-03-15

    Climate change may cause most harm to countries that have historically contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions and land-use change. This paper identifies deontology, solidarity and consequentialism as the principles that can serve as a basis for a fair international burden sharing scheme of climate change adaptation costs. We translate these principles into criteria that can be applied in assigning a share of the financial burden to individual countries, namely historical responsibility, equality and capacity to pay. Specific political and scientific choices are discussed, highlighting implications for international burden-sharing schemes. A hybrid approach, combining historical responsibility and capacity to pay seems a promising starting point for international negotiations on the design of burden-sharing schemes. From the numerical assessment, it is clear that UNFCCC Annex I countries carry the greatest burden under most scenarios, but contributions differ substantially subject to the choice of an indicator for capacity to pay. The contributions are less sensitive to choices related to responsibility calculations, apart from those associated with land-use related emissions. Assuming the costs of climate adaptation are USD100 billion per year, the total financial contribution by the Annex I countries would be in the range of USD 55-68 billion per year.

  1. Sustainability transitions in developing countries: Stocktaking, new contributions and a research agenda

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Ulrich Elmer; Nygaard, Ivan; Romijn, Henny

    2018-01-01

    An increasing number of studies have analysed the scope for, and the barriers to, transitions toward sustainability in the context of developing countries building on analytical perspectives from the sustainability transitions literature. This paper introduces a special issue on sustainability...... transitions in developing countries, which takes stock of this emerging field of research and presents new empirical research that contributes to further advancement of our understanding of the conditions in which sustainability transitions are likely to take place in developing countries and what is involved...... projects. The introductory paper concludes by presenting a research agenda, which aims to provide promising avenues for future research on sustainability transitions in developing countries....

  2. Jamali lauds PAEC contribution to scientific development defence needs of country

    CERN Multimedia

    2003-01-01

    "The Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has appreciated role of Pakistan Atomic Energy Council (PAEC) for its contribution to the scientific development and defence needs of the country. He directed that all resources and energy be devoted to the development of human resource and infrastructure for socio-economic uplift of the nation" (1 page).

  3. Neon soft x-ray emission studies from the UNU-ICTP plasma focus operated with longer than optimal anode length

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohammadi, M A; Verma, R; Sobhanian, S; Wong, C S; Lee, S; Springham, S V; Tan, T L; Lee, P; Rawat, R S

    2007-01-01

    The UNU-ICTP plasma focus with a significantly longer than conventional anode can still be a reasonably good neon soft x-ray (SXR) source. The highest average neon SXR yield of 3.3 J was achieved at 3 mbar. The time difference between the two first peaks of the voltage probe signal at the radial collapse phase was found to be inversely related to the SXR yield, i.e. the smaller the time difference, the higher the yield and vice versa. The estimation of average current sheath speeds using the shadowgraphic method coupled with laser and focus peak timing signals showed that the average axial rundown speed is similar to the one obtained for the optimal anode length but the average radial compression speed is decreased significantly. The range of pressure for a good neon SXR yield, however, has become much narrower, making efficient plasma focus operation a very sensitive function of the filling gas pressure for longer than the optimal anode length

  4. The contribution of energy efficiency to sustainable development in developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levine, M.D.; Meyers, S.

    1992-01-01

    The demand for energy services is growing rapidly in developing countries. Low levels of energy efficiency in electric power supply and in energy use mean that the energy sector threatens to absorb an intolerably high share of available financial resources. Energy inefficiency also contributes to local and global environmental problems. A strategy of vigorously improving energy efficiency is thus a key element of a sustainable development path. Results reported in this paper show that there is considerable room for efficiency improvement in both existing and new capital stocks, but a much larger effort than presently underway is essential if the potential is to be realized. Assistance from the industrialized countries can play a major role in such an effort. (author). 18 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab

  5. Statement at Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, 6 October 2014, Trieste, Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amano, Yukiya

    2014-01-01

    The ICTP was originally part of the Agency. In 1993, administration of the ICTP was transferred to UNESCO. We are still an important contributor to the ICTP budget and we work together in many areas, including training and nuclear knowledge management. This year, for example, our two organisations launched a two-year masters degree course in medical physics, which we developed together. Later today, I look forward to attending the opening of the IAEA X-Ray Fluorescence Beamline at the Elettra laboratory, which has been an IAEA Collaborating Centre since 2005. This important joint project will help to give research groups from developing countries better access to synchrotron radiation technology, which has important applications in human health, food and agriculture and other areas

  6. Analysing countries' contribution to climate change: scientific and policy-related choices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elzen, Michel den; Fuglestvedt, Jan; Hoehne, Niklas; Trudinger, Cathy; Lowe, Jason; Matthews, Ben; Romstad, Bard; Pires de Campos, Christiano; Andronova, Natalia

    2005-01-01

    This paper evaluates the influence of different policy-related and scientific choices on the calculated regional contributions to global climate change (the 'Brazilian Proposal'). Policy-related choices include the time period of emissions, the mix of greenhouse gases and different indicators of climate change impacts. The scientific choices include historical emissions and model representations of the climate system. We generated and compared results of several simple climate models. We find that the relative contributions of different nations to global climate change-from emissions of greenhouse gases alone-are quite robust, despite the varying model complexity and differences in calculated absolute changes. For the default calculations, the average calculated contributions to the global mean surface temperature increase in 2000 are about 40% from OECD, 14% from Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union, 24% from Asia and 22% from Africa and Latin America. Policy-related choices, such as time period of emissions, climate change indicator and gas mix generally have larger influence on the results than scientific choices. More specifically, choosing a later attribution start date (1990 instead of 1890) for historical emissions, decreases the contributions of regions that started emitting early, such as the OECD countries by 6 percentage points, whereas it increases the contribution of late emitters such as Asia by 8 percentage points. However, only including the fossil CO 2 emissions instead of the emissions of all Kyoto gases (fossil and land use change), increases the OECD contributions by 21 percentage points and decreases the contribution of Asia by 14 percentage points

  7. Nutritional contribution of street foods to the diet of people in developing countries: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steyn, Nelia Patricia; McHiza, Zandile; Hill, Jillian; Davids, Yul Derek; Venter, Irma; Hinrichsen, Enid; Opperman, Maretha; Rumbelow, Julien; Jacobs, Peter

    2014-06-01

    To review studies examining the nutritional value of street foods and their contribution to the diet of consumers in developing countries. The electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Proquest Health and Science Direct were searched for articles on street foods in developing countries that included findings on nutritional value. From a total of 639 articles, twenty-three studies were retained since they met the inclusion criteria. In summary, daily energy intake from street foods in adults ranged from 13 % to 50 % of energy and in children from 13 % to 40 % of energy. Although the amounts differed from place to place, even at the lowest values of the percentage of energy intake range, energy from street foods made a significant contribution to the diet. Furthermore, the majority of studies suggest that street foods contributed significantly to the daily intake of protein, often at 50 % of the RDA. The data on fat and carbohydrate intakes are of some concern because of the assumed high contribution of street foods to the total intakes of fat, trans-fat, salt and sugar in numerous studies and their possible role in the development of obesity and non-communicable diseases. Few studies have provided data on the intake of micronutrients, but these tended to be high for Fe and vitamin A while low for Ca and thiamin. Street foods make a significant contribution to energy and protein intakes of people in developing countries and their use should be encouraged if they are healthy traditional foods.

  8. Energy system contributions and determinants of performance in sprint cross-country skiing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, E; Björklund, G; Holmberg, H-C

    2017-01-01

    To improve current understanding of energy contributions and determinants of sprint-skiing performance, 11 well-trained male cross-country skiers were tested in the laboratory for VO2max , submaximal gross efficiency (GE), maximal roller skiing velocity, and sprint time-trial (STT) performance...... during the STT was predicted from the submaximal relationships for GE against velocity and incline, allowing computation of metabolic rate and O2 deficit. The skiers completed the STT in 232 ± 10 s (distributed as 55 ± 3% DP and 45 ± 3% DS) with a mean power output of 324 ± 26 W. The anaerobic energy......-skiing has demonstrated an anaerobic energy contribution of 18%, with GE being the strongest predictor of performance....

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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…

  10. ICFA: Instrumentation school

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    1987-10-15

    74 students, including 45 from developing countries, ten lecturers and nine laboratory instructors participated in the novel instrumentation school held in June at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy, sponsored by ICTP and arranged through the Instrumentation Panel of the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICF). During the two weeks of the course, students had the chance to construct and test a proportional chamber, measure the lifetime of cosmic ray muons, operate and analyse the performance of an 8-wire imaging drift chamber, or study noise and signal processing using a silicon photodiode.

  11. ICFA: Instrumentation school

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1987-01-01

    74 students, including 45 from developing countries, ten lecturers and nine laboratory instructors participated in the novel instrumentation school held in June at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy, sponsored by ICTP and arranged through the Instrumentation Panel of the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICF). During the two weeks of the course, students had the chance to construct and test a proportional chamber, measure the lifetime of cosmic ray muons, operate and analyse the performance of an 8-wire imaging drift chamber, or study noise and signal processing using a silicon photodiode

  12. Combating infection in developing countries. The IAEA contribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groth, Stefan; Khan, Baldip; Padhy, Ajit; Soo Ling Ch'ng; Soricelli, Andreas; Yanfen Xie; Ford, JoAnne

    2000-08-01

    Control of infection and infectious diseases is an international priority. Worldwide infectious diseases are responsible for an estimated 13 million deaths each year, exacting a large and disproportionately high toll in developing countries. Forty-three percent of all deaths in developing countries are due to infectious diseases, whereas the corresponding figure for developed countries is only 1%. A large proportion of these deaths could be prevented if timely diagnosis and effective treatment were available locally. Loss of life or productivity due to infectious disease is not just a health matter, it also has an important social and economic impact on individuals, families, regions, and countries. According to the World Health Organization, infectious diseases are now the world's largest killer of young adults and children. Hundreds of millions of people are disabled by infectious disease. The economic impact of repeated episodes of illness and long term disability is a major cause of underdevelopment in many countries today. For example, according to the WHO 1999 Infectious Disease Report, malaria alone has cost Africa billions of dollars in the past decade. More recently, a WHO study estimates that malaria slows economic growth in Africa by up to 1.3% each year and that malaria-free countries average three times higher gross domestic product per person than do malarious countries. This brochure highlights the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in disseminating nuclear techniques to combat infection and infectious disease. Some of the techniques are used to diagnose and manage infectious diseases of serious concern to developing countries - malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and Chagas disease. Other techniques are used to detect infection sites in the body, in bones, and organs. The challenges posed by infection and infectious disease and the nuclear techniques that the Agency offers for support illustrate how nuclear techniques can be used to

  13. Combating infection in developing countries. The IAEA contribution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Groth, Stefan [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). Division of Human Health; Khan, Baldip; Padhy, Ajit; Ch' ng, Soo Ling; Soricelli, Andreas; Xie, Yanfen [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). Division of Human Health, Nuclear Medicine Section; Ford, JoAnne [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). Division of Public Information

    2000-08-01

    Control of infection and infectious diseases is an international priority. Worldwide infectious diseases are responsible for an estimated 13 million deaths each year, exacting a large and disproportionately high toll in developing countries. Forty-three percent of all deaths in developing countries are due to infectious diseases, whereas the corresponding figure for developed countries is only 1%. A large proportion of these deaths could be prevented if timely diagnosis and effective treatment were available locally. Loss of life or productivity due to infectious disease is not just a health matter, it also has an important social and economic impact on individuals, families, regions, and countries. According to the World Health Organization, infectious diseases are now the world's largest killer of young adults and children. Hundreds of millions of people are disabled by infectious disease. The economic impact of repeated episodes of illness and long term disability is a major cause of underdevelopment in many countries today. For example, according to the WHO 1999 Infectious Disease Report, malaria alone has cost Africa billions of dollars in the past decade. More recently, a WHO study estimates that malaria slows economic growth in Africa by up to 1.3% each year and that malaria-free countries average three times higher gross domestic product per person than do malarious countries. This brochure highlights the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in disseminating nuclear techniques to combat infection and infectious disease. Some of the techniques are used to diagnose and manage infectious diseases of serious concern to developing countries - malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and Chagas disease. Other techniques are used to detect infection sites in the body, in bones, and organs. The challenges posed by infection and infectious disease and the nuclear techniques that the Agency offers for support illustrate how nuclear techniques can be used to

  14. The contribution of international trade to economic growth through human capital accumulation: Evidence from nine Asian countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mirajul Haq

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This study is an attempt to test the hypothesis “international trade contributes to economic growth through its effects on human capital accumulation.” To assess the hypothesis empirically, we employed the extended Neo-Classical growth model that reflects some features of the endogenous growth models. We thus ended up with a model in which the change in human capital is sensitive to change in trade policies. Unlike conventional approaches, the model serves to assess and determine the impact of international trade on the accumulation of human capital. The empirical analysis estimates dynamic panel growth equations by using a data-set of nine Asian countries, over the period 1972–2012. The overall evidence substantiates the fact that in countries under consideration, international trade enhances the accumulation of human capital and contributes to economic growth positively through human capital accumulation.

  15. Proposal for the establishment of an International Centre for Resource Management (ICRM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Islam, S.

    1999-01-01

    Energy and physical resources are necessary for development. These resources are not scarce. What is scarce is Technology. Technology is not only machines, it is also knowledge to run these machines. Most of the developing countries waste whatever resources they do have because of a lack of scientists, technologists and modern management. The main reason for underdevelopment of the poor countries is their weak linkage to modern science and technology. The scientists in the developing countries are isolated. Science cannot survive, let alone flourish, in isolation. The International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy (ICTP) was established to end scientific isolation and to stop brain drain. The centre was established in 1964 under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Now the centre's Management is run by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), ICTP in Trieste started in 1964 with a budget of US$ 355,000. The building was donated by the Government of Italy. Now its budget is about US$ 20 million (90 per cent from Italy). About 4,000 scientists visit the centre every year. Since its establishment about 40,000 scientists from developing countries and 20,000 from developed countries have visited ICTP. The principal purpose of the proposed International Centre for Resource Management will be to foster through seminars, conferences, teaching and research the advancement of better resource utilization and environmental protection in the less developed countries. An international teaching and research institute dealing in energy policy, research and project management, electronic communication, hydrology, water resource management, soil science, climatology, meteorology, oceanography and desertification will provide the developing countries with expertise needed for successful development policy. Since it happens that the major advance in these fields have relevance for development, aid giving

  16. How can the Serbian diaspora contribute much more to the development at home country?

    OpenAIRE

    Grečić Vladimir

    2016-01-01

    This article analyzes the existing contribution of the Serbian diaspora to the development at home country, and features of its major effects as a partner in the process of economic development. No doubt, the spiritus movens of the contemporary and future economic and social progress is and will be the economy of ideas and creativity. The key factors of this new economy are education, research and innovation. To achieve competitiveness in an increasingly gl...

  17. Food irradiation: contributions to public health in developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sundaram, K.

    1976-01-01

    It may be seen that with advent of the green revolution, the per capita availability of food has shown an increase during the past decade, although population increase during the period has been significant. Currently, the gap between estimated requirement and availability is small and gives the hope that the country can be self-sufficient in the near future. The national averages often do not tell the full story as economic factors lead to uneven distribution of total food supplies. The shortages are more severely felt by the poorer segments as they are economically unable to demand their full share; thus, economically weaker sections of most developing nations live in a chronic state of near famine. Food irradiation is one of these existing technologies. It is a physical method that can be used to preserve food from microbial and insect damage and infection, as well as from physiological deterioration. In other words, this method can extend the storage life of food considerably without noticeable change of the properties of the food commodity. The impact of food irradiation can be very great especially because of its contribution to the hygienization of food

  18. How can the Serbian diaspora contribute much more to the development at home country?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grečić Vladimir

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This article analyzes the existing contribution of the Serbian diaspora to the development at home country, and features of its major effects as a partner in the process of economic development. No doubt, the spiritus movens of the contemporary and future economic and social progress is and will be the economy of ideas and creativity. The key factors of this new economy are education, research and innovation. To achieve competitiveness in an increasingly global economic environment it is necessary: the adequate supply and quality of the workforce in the field of research and development. In the last two and a half decades, Serbia's brain drain was quite massive. Thus in the Serbian diaspora there are reputable scientists and successful managers in all fields. Diaspora, the people link between countries, can be the source of cooperation. Consequently, the most important is the question of whether and under what conditions Serbia’s brain drain can be reversed to brain gain. The author argue that the diasporas and migrants could play a crucial role in the development of home country, by presentation of their different experiences. Engaging the Diaspora in the development of home country largely depends on the home country. Talents remain an important component of countries’ and businesses’ long-term competitiveness. In support of this thesis, the author presents the most significant and most successful examples of good practice, arguing that this experience can be used in Serbia, of course, taking into account some of its specificities. The question: how they develop, retain and attract talent should therefore remain high on the agenda of policymakers and business leaders for the foreseeable future of Serbia.

  19. Do supermarkets contribute to the obesity pandemic in developing countries?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimenju, Simon C; Rischke, Ramona; Klasen, Stephan; Qaim, Matin

    2015-12-01

    Many developing countries are undergoing a nutrition transition with rising rates of overweight and obesity. This nutrition transition coincides with a rapid expansion of supermarkets. The objective of the present research is to study whether supermarkets directly contribute to overweight and other changes in nutritional status. This research builds on cross-sectional observational data. Household- and individual-level data were collected in Kenya using a quasi-experimental survey design. Instrumental variable regressions were employed to analyse the impact of supermarket purchase on nutritional status. Causal chain models were estimated to examine pathways through which supermarkets affect nutrition. Small towns in Central Province of Kenya with and without supermarkets. A total of 615 adults and 216 children and adolescents. Controlling for other factors, buying in a supermarket is associated with a significantly higher BMI (P=0·018) and a higher probability of overweight (P=0·057) among adults. This effect is not observed for children and adolescents. Instead, buying in a supermarket seems to reduce child undernutrition measured by height-for-age Z-score (P=0·017). Impacts of supermarkets depend on many factors including people's initial nutritional status. For both adults and children, the nutrition effects occur through higher food energy consumption and changes in dietary composition. Supermarkets and their food sales strategies contribute to changing food consumption habits and nutritional outcomes. Yet the types of outcomes differ by age cohort and initial nutritional status. Simple conclusions on whether supermarkets are good or bad for nutrition and public health are not justified.

  20. Contribution of Maternal Immunity to Decreased Rotavirus Vaccine Performance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mwila, Katayi; Simuyandi, Michelo; Permar, Sallie R.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The role of maternal immunity, received by infants either transplacentally or orally from breast milk, in rotavirus vaccine (RV) performance is evaluated here. Breastfeeding withholding has no effect on vaccine responses, but higher levels of transplacental rotavirus-specific IgG antibody contribute to reduced vaccine seroconversion. The gaps in knowledge on the factors associated with low RV efficacy in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) remain, and further research is needed to shed more light on these issues. PMID:27847365

  1. Contribution of lifetime smoking habit in France and Northern Ireland to country and socioeconomic differentials in mortality and cardiovascular incidence: the PRIME Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarnell, J W G; Patterson, C C; Arveiler, D; Amouyel, P; Ferrières, J; Woodside, J V; Haas, B; Montaye, M; Ruidavets, J B; Kee, F; Evans, A; Bingham, A; Ducimetière, P

    2012-07-01

    This study examines the contribution of lifetime smoking habit to the socioeconomic gradient in all-cause and smoking-related mortality and in cardiovascular incidence in two countries. 10,600 men aged 50-59 years were examined in 1991-4 in centres in Northern Ireland and France and followed annually for 10 years. Deaths and cardiovascular events were documented. Current smoking habit, lifetime smoking (pack-years) and other health behaviours were evaluated at baseline. As socio-occupational coding schemes differ between the countries seven proxy socioeconomic indicators were used. Lifetime smoking habit showed marked associations with most socioeconomic indicators in both countries, but lifetime smoking was more than 10 pack-years greater overall in Northern Ireland and smoking patterns differed. Total mortality was 49% higher in Northern Ireland than in France, and smoking-related mortality and cardiovascular incidence were 93% and 92% higher, respectively. Both lifetime smoking and fibrinogen contributed independently to these differentials, but together explained only 42% of the difference in total mortality between countries, adjusted for both biological and lifestyle confounders. Socioeconomic gradients were steeper for total and smoking-related mortality than for cardiovascular incidence. Residual contributions of lifetime smoking habit ranged from 6% to 34% for the seven proxy indicators of socioeconomic position for total and smoking-related mortality. Socioeconomic gradients in cardiovascular incidence were minimal following adjustment for confounders. In Northern Ireland and France lifetime smoking appeared to explain a significant part of the gradients in total and smoking-related mortality between socioeconomic groups, but the contribution of smoking was generally small for cardiovascular incidence.

  2. The contribution of veterinary medicine to public health and poverty reduction in developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muma, John B; Mwacalimba, Kennedy K; Munang'andu, Hetron M; Matope, Gift; Jenkins, Akinbowale; Siamudaala, Victor; Mweene, Aaron S; Marcotty, Tanguy

    2014-01-01

    Few studies have explicitly examined the linkages between human health, animal disease control and poverty alleviation. This paper reviews the contribution that veterinary medicine can make to poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Our analysis attempts to explore aspects of this contribution under five themes: food production; food safety; impact and control of zoonotic infections; promotion of ecotourism; and environmental protection. While these areas of human activity have, more or less, fallen under the influence of the veterinary profession to varying degrees, we attempt to unify this mandate using a 'One Health' narrative, for the purpose of providing clarity on the linkages between the veterinary and other professions, livestock production and poverty alleviation. Future opportunities for improving health and reducing poverty in the context of developing African countries are also discussed. We conclude that veterinary science is uniquely positioned to play a key role in both poverty reduction and the promotion of health, a role that can be enhanced through the reorientation of the profession's goals and the creation of synergies with allied and related professions.

  3. The contribution of veterinary medicine to public health and poverty reduction in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John B. Muma

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Few studies have explicitly examined the linkages between human health, animal disease control and poverty alleviation. This paper reviews the contribution that veterinary medicine can make to poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Our analysis attempts to explore aspects of this contribution under five themes: food production; food safety; impact and control of zoonotic infections; promotion of ecotourism; and environmental protection. While these areas of human activity have, more or less, fallen under the influence of the veterinary profession to varying degrees, we attempt to unify this mandate using a 'One Health' narrative, for the purpose of providing clarity on the linkages between the veterinary and other professions, livestock production and poverty alleviation. Future opportunities for improving health and reducing poverty in the context of developing African countries are also discussed. We conclude that veterinary science is uniquely positioned to play a key role in both poverty reduction and the promotion of health, a role that can be enhanced through the reorientation of the profession's goals and the creation of synergies with allied and related professions.

  4. Posttraumatic stress and growth: the contribution of cognitive appraisal and sense of belonging to the country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dekel, Rachel; Nuttman-Shwartz, Orit

    2009-05-01

    The study has three aims: (1) to compare the effect of the Qassam attacks in two types of communities: development town and kibbutz; (2) to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG); and (3) to examine the contribution that level of exposure, cognitive appraisal, and sense of belonging to the country make to PTS and PTG. The sample consisted of 134 residents, 67 living on two kibbutzim and 67 living in the development town of Sderot. Results revealed that the development town residents reported more PTS symptoms and more PTG than did the kibbutz residents, and the association between PTS and PTG was positive. In addition, the findings show that most of the predictors contribute to either PTS or PTG, or predicted them differently. The discussion examines the results in light of the current literature on PTS and PTG.

  5. The Contribution to Arctic Climate Change from Countries in the Arctic Council

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schultz, T.; MacCracken, M. C.

    2013-12-01

    The conventional accounting frameworks for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions used today, established under the Kyoto Protocol 25 years ago, exclude short lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), and do not include regional effects on the climate. However, advances in climate science now suggest that mitigation of SLCPs can reduce up to 50% of global warming by 2050. It has also become apparent that regions such as the Arctic have experienced a much greater degree of anthropogenic warming than the globe as a whole, and that efforts to slow this warming could benefit the larger effort to slow climate change around the globe. A draft standard for life cycle assessment (LCA), LEO-SCS-002, being developed under the American National Standards Institute process, has integrated the most recent climate science into a unified framework to account for emissions of all radiatively significant GHGs and SLCPs. This framework recognizes four distinct impacts to the oceans and climate caused by GHGs and SLCPs: Global Climate Change; Arctic Climate Change; Ocean Acidification; and Ocean Warming. The accounting for Arctic Climate Change, the subject of this poster, is based upon the Absolute Regional Temperature Potential, which considers the incremental change to the Arctic surface temperature resulting from an emission of a GHG or SLCP. Results are evaluated using units of mass of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which can be used by a broad array of stakeholders, including scientists, consumers, policy makers, and NGOs. This poster considers the contribution to Arctic Climate Change from emissions of GHGs and SLCPs from the eight member countries of the Arctic Council; the United States, Canada, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Of this group of countries, the United States was the largest contributor to Arctic Climate Change in 2011, emitting 9600 MMT CO2e. This includes a gross warming of 11200 MMT CO2e (caused by GHGs, black and brown carbon, and warming effects

  6. Sharing of fusion related technology among third world countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, S.

    1987-01-01

    A program to initiate experimental plasma physics in developing countries has been started as a definite step for technology sharing. Cost effectiveness of several devices has been carefully considered from the viewpoint of physical mechanisms and existing technology. From this consideration emerges the plasma focus which whilst requiring no extraordinary technology yet could be packaged into a comprehensive facility for training in plasma production, plasma dynamics, plasma diagnostic and measurement of plasma x-rays, REB and fusion neutrons, with a very wide scope for the establishment of indigeneous training and research. It is shown that the simplicity of the approach is no barrier to the richness of plasma phenomena. Indeed the simplicity allows a clear comparison of pinch devices and, for example, enables two crucial limitations of existing plasma focus devices to be singled out, the overcoming of which could result in a many-fold jump in neutron yield. Hence the need for basic studies of these limitations. These and other studies could just as well be made on small devices. The UNU Training Programme resulted from the above consideration and evolved around the UNU/ICTP PFF, a small plasma focus with interesting physics and cost-effective technology. The extension of future training programmes to cover other important devices, for example, of the FRC type such as the Rotamak could widen the scope of this sharing of plasma and fusion technology. (author) [pt

  7. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Surface Soils across Five Asian Countries: Levels, Spatial Distribution, and Source Contribution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wen-Long; Ma, Wan-Li; Jia, Hong-Liang; Hong, Wen-Jun; Moon, Hyo-Bang; Nakata, Haruhiko; Minh, Nguyen Hung; Sinha, Ravindra Kumar; Chi, Kai Hsien; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Sverko, Ed; Li, Yi-Fan

    2016-12-06

    A total of 23 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were measured in soil samples collected in areas with no known point source [urban/rural/background (U/R/B) sites] and in areas with known point source [brominated flame retardant (BFR)-related industrial sites (F sites) and e-waste recycling sites (E sites)] across five Asian countries. The highest PBDE concentrations were found in BFR-related industrial and e-waste recycling sites. The concentrations of PBDEs in U/R/B sites decreased in the following order: urban > rural > background sites. Total PBDE concentrations were dominated by BDE-209, while BDE-17, -85, -138, -191, -204, and -205 were the least abundant compounds. In both urban sites and rural sites, the mean concentrations of total PBDEs (∑ 23 BDEs) in soils decreased in the following order: Japan > China > South Korea > India > Vietnam. The concentrations of PBDEs in soils were comparable with those reported in other studies. Among the three commercial PBDE mixtures, relatively large contributions of commercial penta-BDE were observed in Vietnam, whereas deca-BDE was the dominant form in mixtures contributing from 55.8 ± 2.5 to 100.0 ± 1.2% of the total PBDEs in soils collected from other four countries. Regression analysis suggested that local population density (PD) is a good indicator of PBDEs in soils of each country. Significant and positive correlation between soil organic content and PBDE level was observed in Chinese soil for most nondeca-BDE homologues with their usage stopped 10 years ago, indicating its important role in controlling the revolatilization of PBDEs from soil and changing the spatial trend of PBDE in soil from the primary distribution pattern to the secondary distribution pattern, especially when primary emission is ceased.

  8. Image findings and bone metabolic markers of bone involvement by oral squamous cell carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kameta, Ayako; Tsuchimochi, Makoto; Harada, Mikiko; Katada, Tsutomu; Sasaki, Yoshihiko; Hayama, Kazuhide

    2000-01-01

    Recently it has been reported that the circulating pyridinoline cross-linked carboxyl-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and carboxyl-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) are useful markers for detecting metastasis of malignancies to bone. Since ICTP and PICP are related to collagen metabolism, respectively breaking down and synthesizing type I collagen, elevated blood concentrations of these markers may reflect direct jaw bone destruction by oral cancer. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between serum ICTP and PICP levels and bone invasion associated with oral cancer. Bone invasion was evaluated in 41 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by panoramic radiography and 99m Tc-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) scintigraphy. We also assayed serum levels of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and compared them with concentrations of bone metabolic markers and imaging findings. There was no significant relationship between serum ICTP and PICP levels and bone invasion. However, in three of the five cases that showed remarkably high serum ICTP levels, 99m Tc-MDP uptake in the lesion was intensely increased. This suggests that serum ICTP levels may be elevated when bone metabolic changes caused by cancer involving the bone are extensive. We could find no significant correlation among serum levels of ICTP, PICP, and PTHrP. ICTP and PICP do not appear to be good indicators of direct bone invasion by oral SCC in early stages. (author)

  9. Condensed matter physics aspects of electrochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tosi, M.P.; Kornyshev, A.A.

    1991-01-01

    This volume collects the proceedings of the Working Party on ''Electrochemistry: Condensed Matter, Atomic and Molecular Physics Aspects'', held for two weeks in the summer of 1990 at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste. The goal of the meeting was to discuss those areas of electrochemistry that are accessible to the modern methods of theoretical condensed matter, atomic and molecular physics, in order to stimulate insight and deeper involvement by theoretical physicists into the field. The core of the ICTP Working Party was a set of topically grouped plenary lectures, accompanied by contributed seminars and by the formulation of joint research projects. In the tradition of the ICTP, it was not a meeting of pure theoreticians: about half of the lecturers were professional experimentalists - experts in electrochemistry, physical chemistry, surface science, technical applications. A set of topics was chosen for discussion at the meeting: Liquids, solvation, solutions; The interface (structure, characterization, electric properties, adsorption); Electrodynamics, optics, photo-emission; Charge transfer kinetics (homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions and processes); Superconducting electrodes; Fractal electrodes; Applied research (energy conversion and power sources, electrocatalysis, electroanalysis of turbulent flows). Refs, figs and tabs

  10. IMPA-ICTP School on Moduli of Curves

    CERN Document Server

    Ciliberto, Ciro; Esteves, Eduardo; Melo, Margarida; Voisin, Claire

    2017-01-01

    Providing a timely description of the present state of the art of moduli spaces of curves and their geometry, this volume is written in a way which will make it extremely useful both for young people who want to approach this important field, and also for established researchers, who will find references, problems, original expositions, new viewpoints, etc. The book collects the lecture notes of a number of leading algebraic geometers and in particular specialists in the field of moduli spaces of curves and their geometry. This is an important subject in algebraic geometry and complex analysis which has seen spectacular developments in recent decades, with important applications to other parts of mathematics such as birational geometry and enumerative geometry, and to other sciences, including physics.  The themes treated are classical but with a constant look to modern developments (see Cascini, Debarre, Farkas, and Sernesi's contributions), and include very new material, such as Bridgeland stability (see M...

  11. Nuclear data newsletter, No. 46, September 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-09-01

    This periodic newsletter provides information relevant to the work of the IAEA Nuclear Data Section. This issue announces the online and database news concerning nuclear data libraries, computer codes and coordinated research projects and lists selected charts, reports and documents on nuclear data. Further it contains meeting reports of the Biennial Meeting of the International Nuclear Data Committee, 22-25 April 2008, IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria; the Joint ICTP-IAEA Advanced Workshop on Model Codes for Spallation Reactions, 4-8 February 2008, ICTP, Trieste, Italy; the Workshop on Nuclear Structure and Decay Data: Theory and Evaluation, 28 April ? 9 May 2008, ICTP Trieste, Italy; the Joint ICTP-IAEA Workshop on Nuclear Reaction Data for Advanced Reactor Technologies, 19-30 May 2008, ICTP, Trieste, Italy and the Consultants Meeting on High-precision Beta-intensity Measurements and Evaluations for Specific PET Radioisotopes, 3-5 September 2008, IAEA, Vienna, Austria

  12. Critical assessment of progress of medical sciences in Iran and Turkey: the way developing countries with limited resources should make effective contributions to the production of science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massarrat, Sadegh; Kolahdoozan, Shadi

    2011-11-01

    Scientific progress is an important indicator for the social and economic developments of any country. According to various reports, worldwide, Iran has the most growth in the field of science due to a high increase in the numbers of publications during the past decade. The aim of this study is to assess not only the quantity, but also the quality of publications of indexed Iranian journals and compare them to Turkey, as an Islamic neighboring country, in addition to the contributions of these two countries to our knowledge. A number of international journals with high impact factors were selected to assess the contributions of scientists from Iran and Turkey to the medical sciences. English medical journals from Iran and Turkey indexed by the ISI Web of Sciences with known impact factors (IF) announced at the beginning of 2010 were included for evaluation. We calculated the number of all articles published from the beginning of 2007 until the October 2010, the number of total citations, and citations from authors outside both countries for each journal. In addition, we selected all articles cited at least six times by authors outside of both countries and discussed their content with regard to originality and novelty, as well as their contributions to current knowledge. Furthermore, 60 international journals in basic or clinical research with IF greater than 6 were selected for the magnitude of contributions of both countries to our scientific knowledge. In 2010, out of a total of 21 Iranian journals indexed in ISI since 2007, only 12 have a known IF with a mean of 0.39 (range: 0.07-0.97), whereas out of 28 Turkish medical journals indexed in ISI, 15 have a known IF (mean: 0.35, range: 0.05-0.82). The total number of articles published since 2007 from Iran, total citations and total citations by authors from outside Iran were 2080, 1218, and 463, respectively. The same data related to Turkish journals were 4876, 2036, and 1331, respectively. Indeed, the mean

  13. COP 21: the national contributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jouette, Isabelle

    2015-01-01

    This article comments the content of the national contributions (the so-called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDC) which every country should have transmitted to the UN before the COP 21. In fact, 148 contributions, i.e. 75 per cent of the expected ones, have been transmitted. The author recalls that the content of these contributions had to obey some principles which had been defined in Lima in 2014, and that each country must identify its objectives in terms of mitigation (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation (reduction of the vulnerability of natural and human systems). The author comments some specific commitments regarding climate, emission reduction, adaptation to climate change, and more particularly evokes the Ethiopian contribution which is considered as exemplary

  14. Differences of Rotavirus Vaccine Effectiveness by Country: Likely Causes and Contributing Factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich Desselberger

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Rotaviruses are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children worldwide and in many other mammalian and avian host species. Since 2006, two live-attenuated rotavirus vaccines, Rotarix® and RotaTeq®, have been licensed in >100 countries and are applied as part of extended program of vaccination (EPI schemes of childhood vaccinations. Whereas the vaccines have been highly effective in high-income countries, they were shown to be considerably less potent in low- and middle-income countries. Rotavirus-associated disease was still the cause of death in >200,000 children of <5 years of age worldwide in 2013, and the mortality is concentrated in countries of sub-Saharan Africa and S.E. Asia. Various factors that have been identified or suggested as being involved in the differences of rotavirus vaccine effectiveness are reviewed here. Recognition of these factors will help to achieve gradual worldwide improvement of rotavirus vaccine effectiveness.

  15. National contributions to observed global warming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matthews, H Damon; Graham, Tanya L; Keverian, Serge; Lamontagne, Cassandra; Seto, Donny; Smith, Trevor J

    2014-01-01

    There is considerable interest in identifying national contributions to global warming as a way of allocating historical responsibility for observed climate change. This task is made difficult by uncertainty associated with national estimates of historical emissions, as well as by difficulty in estimating the climate response to emissions of gases with widely varying atmospheric lifetimes. Here, we present a new estimate of national contributions to observed climate warming, including CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change, as well as methane, nitrous oxide and sulfate aerosol emissions While some countries’ warming contributions are reasonably well defined by fossil fuel CO 2 emissions, many countries have dominant contributions from land-use CO 2 and non-CO 2 greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the importance of both deforestation and agriculture as components of a country’s contribution to climate warming. Furthermore, because of their short atmospheric lifetime, recent sulfate aerosol emissions have a large impact on a country’s current climate contribution We show also that there are vast disparities in both total and per-capita climate contributions among countries, and that across most developed countries, per-capita contributions are not currently consistent with attempts to restrict global temperature change to less than 2 °C above pre-industrial temperatures. (paper)

  16. The carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen in serum as a marker of bone resorption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hassager, C; Jensen, L T; Pødenphant, J

    1994-01-01

    Carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) in serum has recently been proposed as a new biochemical marker of bone resorption. In the present study we compared serum ICTP with radiopharmaceutical and histomorphometric measurements of bone turnover...... in postmenopausal women with mild osteoporosis, and assessed the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (2 mg 17 beta-estradiol plus 1 mg norethisterone daily) and anabolic steroid therapy (50 mg nandrolone decanoate (ND) i.m. every 3 weeks) on serum ICTP in two double-blind placebo-controlled studies with 55...... to 75-year-old women. Serum ICTP measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) correlated significantly with the 24-hour whole body retention of 99m-technetium diphosphonate (Rho = 0.47, P

  17. An empirical examination of factors contributing to the adoption of IFRS in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aria Farah Mita

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This research aims to analyze factors that influence the likelihood of IFRS adoption in developing countries. Research that focuses on the IFRS adoption in developing countries is limited. Developing countries are supposed to get many benefits from the adoption of IFRS as it is a cheap shortcut to improve the quality of financial reporting to attract foreign capital and to finance its development. In addition to macroeconomic factors, this research also examines the influence of institutional factors and the development of local accounting standards. Using the binomial logit regression, the result shows that the regulatory quality of a country positively af-fects the possibility of IFRS adoption in developing countries. It means that the better quality of the regulator in those countries, the higher possibility to fully adopt the IFRS. Furthermore, there is a tendency that the countries will fully adopt the IFRS when they already have local accounting standards that previously referred to international standards. The results imply that the IASB strategy should focus more on cooperation with local regulators or groups of regional cooperation to reach its objective to develop single set of high quality international standard.

  18. Countdown to 2015 country case studies: what can analysis of national health financing contribute to understanding MDG 4 and 5 progress?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, Carlyn; Ng, Courtney; Akseer, Nadia; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Borghi, Josephine; Colbourn, Tim; Hernández-Peña, Patricia; Huicho, Luis; Malik, Muhammad Ashar; Martinez-Alvarez, Melisa; Munthali, Spy; Salehi, Ahmad Shah; Tadesse, Mekonnen; Yassin, Mohammed; Berman, Peter

    2016-09-12

    Countdown to 2015 (Countdown) supported countries to produce case studies that examine how and why progress was made toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. Analysing how health-financing data explains improvements in RMNCH outcomes was one of the components to the case studies. This paper presents a descriptive analysis on health financing from six Countdown case studies (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Pakistan, Peru, and Tanzania), supplemented by additional data from global databases and country reports on macroeconomic, health financing, demographic, and RMNCH outcome data as needed. It also examines the effect of other contextual factors presented in the case studies to help interpret health-financing data. Dramatic increases in health funding occurred since 2000, where the MDG agenda encouraged countries and donors to invest more resources on health. Most low-income countries relied on external support to increase health spending, with an average 20-64 % of total health spending from 2000 onwards. Middle-income countries relied more on government and household spending. RMNCH funding also increased since 2000, with an average increase of 119 % (2005-2010) for RMNH expenditures (2005-2010) and 165 % for CH expenditures (2005-2011). Progress was made, especially achieving MDG 4, even with low per capita spending; ranging from US$16 to US$44 per child under 5 years among low-income countries. Improvements in distal factors were noted during the time frame of the analysis, including rapid economic growth in Ethiopia, Peru, and Tanzania and improvements in female literacy as documented in Malawi, which are also likely to have contributed to MDG progress and achievements. Increases in health and RMNCH funding accompanied improvements in outcomes, though low-income countries are still very reliant on external financing, and out-of-pocket comprising a growing share of funds in middle-income settings. Enhancements in tracking RMNCH expenditures

  19. Associating science and development - the Trieste Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamende, A.

    1982-01-01

    The International Centre for Theoretical Physics, located in Trieste, Italy, is supported by income from the Italian Government, from UNESCO and from the IAEA. The Centre organizes research sessions, workshops and extended courses on advanced topics in the physical and mathematical sciences and encourages scientists, especially from developing countries, to visit the ICTP for extended periods. With the aim of facilitating the transfer of knowledge to scientists from developing countries, the Centre's current scientific programme is divided up into five major disciplines: physics and energy; physics and frontiers of knowledge; physics and technology; physics and the environment and natural resources; applicable mathematics

  20. How Taxes Can Contribute to The Implementation of The Public Governance Strategy? – An Analysis for Eastern European Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vlad Cristina

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper begins with a short literature review regarding the public governance concept in the EU approach and its methods for establishing a common way to manage different situations for all member states; we discovered that the problems they confront with have to do with good governance and qualitative public administration. In the second part, we developed an econometric model for three Eastern European countries and we found a strong correlation between the total revenues from taxes and social contributions and total gross debt in 2002-2014 period. We ended the paper by emphasizing the conclusions obtained.

  1. Decomposing income-related inequality in cervical screening in 67 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinnon, Brittany; Harper, Sam; Moore, Spencer

    2011-04-01

    The development of successful policies to reduce income-related inequalities in cervical cancer screening rates requires an understanding of the reasons why low-income women are less likely to be screened. We sought to identify important determinants contributing to inequality in cervical screening rates. We analyzed data from 92,541 women aged 25-64 years, who participated in the World Health Survey in 2002-2003. Income-related inequality in Pap screening was measured using the concentration index (CI). Using a decomposition method for the CI, we quantified the contribution to inequality of age, education level, marital status, urbanicity and recent health-care need. There was substantial heterogeneity in the contributions of different determinants to inequality among countries. Education generally made the largest contribution (median = 15%, interquartile range [IQR] = 23%), although this varied widely even within regions (e.g., 5% in Austria, 28% in Hungary). The contribution of rural residence was greatest in African countries (median = 10%, IQR = 13%); however, there was again substantial within-region variation (e.g., 26% in Zambia, 2% in Kenya). Considerable heterogeneity in the contributions of screening determinants among countries suggests interventions to reduce screening inequalities may require country-specific approaches.

  2. political instability in a country and health state in another country

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    GRACE

    impact of political crises in Central African Republic (CAR) on the Cameroon .... several countries, the gender discrimination at every stage of women's lives contributes to .... tuberculosis, diarrhea; lung infections (pneumonia), HIV/AIDS, the latter ..... Uncertainty and the Welfare Economics of Medical Care‖, The American.

  3. Proceedings of the IRI task force activity 2000

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radicella, Sandro M.

    2001-05-01

    This internal report of the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) contains presentations delivered during the International Reference Ionosphere Task Force Activity 2000 which took place at the Abdus Salam ICTP during July 2000. The 2000 Task Force Activity is the seventh successful encounter of specialists organized by the URSI-COSPAR IRI Working Group and the Aeronomy and Radiopropagation Laboratory of the ICTP of Trieste, Italy. The main topic of this task force activity was the modeling of the topside ionosphere and the development of strategies for modeling of ionospheric variability

  4. Countdown to 2015 country case studies: what can analysis of national health financing contribute to understanding MDG 4 and 5 progress?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlyn Mann

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Countdown to 2015 (Countdown supported countries to produce case studies that examine how and why progress was made toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs 4 and 5. Analysing how health-financing data explains improvements in RMNCH outcomes was one of the components to the case studies. Methods This paper presents a descriptive analysis on health financing from six Countdown case studies (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Pakistan, Peru, and Tanzania, supplemented by additional data from global databases and country reports on macroeconomic, health financing, demographic, and RMNCH outcome data as needed. It also examines the effect of other contextual factors presented in the case studies to help interpret health-financing data. Results Dramatic increases in health funding occurred since 2000, where the MDG agenda encouraged countries and donors to invest more resources on health. Most low-income countries relied on external support to increase health spending, with an average 20–64 % of total health spending from 2000 onwards. Middle-income countries relied more on government and household spending. RMNCH funding also increased since 2000, with an average increase of 119 % (2005–2010 for RMNH expenditures (2005–2010 and 165 % for CH expenditures (2005–2011. Progress was made, especially achieving MDG 4, even with low per capita spending; ranging from US$16 to US$44 per child under 5 years among low-income countries. Improvements in distal factors were noted during the time frame of the analysis, including rapid economic growth in Ethiopia, Peru, and Tanzania and improvements in female literacy as documented in Malawi, which are also likely to have contributed to MDG progress and achievements. Conclusions Increases in health and RMNCH funding accompanied improvements in outcomes, though low-income countries are still very reliant on external financing, and out-of-pocket comprising a growing share of funds in

  5. A cross-country analysis of electricity market reforms: Potential contribution of New Institutional Economics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erdogdu, Erkan

    2013-01-01

    The paper explores whether the question of why some countries are able to implement more extensive reforms is closely related to the question of why some countries have better institutions than others. We analyze this question by using an empirical econometric model based on Poisson regression with cross-section data covering 51 states in the US, 13 provinces in Canada and 51 other countries. In the course of the study, we check the validity of three important arguments of New Institutional Economics (NIE) for the power market liberalization process. The first argument is the “path-dependency”. To test its impact on the reform progress, we try to explain whether the background of the chairperson of the regulatory agency when reforms started or that of the governor/minister responsible for energy policy at that time has an impact on the subsequent reform progress. The second argument is the impact of “democracy” as an institution on the reform progress. We look at the effect of two important indicators of democracy (i.e., civil liberties and political rights) on the reform progress. The final argument of NIE is about transaction costs. We concentrate on the level of corruption in a country as one of the key factors that determine transaction costs and try to explore its impact on the reforms. The results show that the backgrounds of the chairperson and the minister/governor, the level of democracy and corruption in a country are significantly correlated with how far reforms have gone in that country. The negative relationship between reform progress and civil liberties may indicate that reforms may be limited in democratic countries with strong civil society institutions such as trade unions or other organized structures in the society that may consider reforms as ‘harmful’ to their self-interest. - Highlights: • We model impact of institutions on the electricity market reforms. • Dataset covers 51 states in the US, 13 provinces in Canada and 51

  6. Acceptability of Iron- and Zinc-Biofortified Pearl Millet (ICTP-8203)-Based Complementary Foods among Children in an Urban Slum of Mumbai, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huey, Samantha Lee; Venkatramanan, Sudha; Udipi, Shobha A; Finkelstein, Julia Leigh; Ghugre, Padmini; Haas, Jere Douglas; Thakker, Varsha; Thorat, Aparna; Salvi, Ashwini; Kurpad, Anura V; Mehta, Saurabh

    2017-01-01

    Biofortification, a method for increasing micronutrient content of staple crops, is a promising strategy for combating major global health problems, such as iron and zinc deficiency. We examined the acceptability of recipes prepared using iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet (FeZnPM) (~80 ppm Fe, ~34 ppm Zn, varietal ICTP-8203), compared to conventional pearl millet (CPM) (~20 ppm Fe, ~19 ppm Zn) in preparation for an efficacy trial. Our objective was to examine the acceptability of FeZnPM compared to CPM among young children and mothers living in the urban slums of Mumbai. Standardized traditional feeding program recipes ( n  = 18) were prepared with either FeZnPM or CPM flour. The weight (g) of each food product was measured before and after consumption by children ( n  = 125) and the average grams consumed over a 3-day period were recorded. Mothers ( n  = 60) rated recipes using a 9-point hedonic scale. Mean intakes and hedonic scores of each food product were compared using t -tests across the two types of pearl millet. There were no statistically significant differences in consumption by children (FeZnPM: 25.27 ± 13.0 g; CPM: 21.72 ± 6.90 g) across the food products ( P  = 0.28). Overall mean hedonic scores for all recipes were between 7 to 9 points. CPM products were rated higher overall (8.22 ± 0.28) compared to FeZnPM products (7.95 ± 0.35) ( P  = 0.01). FeZnPM and CPM were similarly consumed and had high hedonic scores, demonstrating high acceptability in this population. These results support using these varieties of pearl millet in a proposed trial [http://Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT02233764; Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI), reference number REF/2014/10/007731, CTRI number CTRI/2015/11/006376] testing the efficacy of FeZnPM for improving iron status and growth.

  7. Country Value Premiums and Financial Crises

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam Zaremba

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper concentrates on the value premium across countries and contributes to the investment and asset pricing literature in three ways. First, I provide fresh evidence that the high-value countries perform significantly better than the low-value countries. Additionally, this phenomenon is indifferent to the choice of the computational currency, representative index or value indicator. Second, I demonstrate that the value effect can be successfully amplified by combining with country-level size and momentum effects. Third, I show that returns to the high-value countries deteriorate in financial crisis conditions, because the country-level value premium is negatively correlated with the credit spreads, TED spread and expected volatility. I examine data from 66 markets between years 2000 and 2013.

  8. Early Gender Test Score Gaps across OECD Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedard, Kelly; Cho, Insook

    2010-01-01

    The results reported in this paper contribute to the debate about gender skill gaps in at least three ways. First, we document the large differences in early gender gaps across developed countries using a large scale, modern, representative data source. Second, we show that countries with pro-female sorting, countries that place girls in classes…

  9. Japanese contributions to CERN-LHC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondo, Takahiko; Shintomi, Takakazu; Kimura, Yoshitaka

    2001-01-01

    The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is now under construction at CERN, Geveva, to study frontier researches of particle physics. The LHC is the biggest superconducting accelerator using the most advanced cryogenics and applied superconductivities. The accelerator and large scale detectors for particle physics experiments are being constructed by collaboration with European countries and also by participation with non-CERN countries worldwide. In 1995, the Japanese government decided to take on a share in the LHC project with funding and technological contributions. KEK contributes to the development of low beta insertion superconducting quadrupole magnets and of components of the ATLAS detector by collaboration with university groups. Some Japanese companies have received contracts for technically key elements such as superconducting cable, cold compressor, nonmagnetic steel, polyimide film, and so on. An outline of the LHC project and Japanese contributions are described. (author)

  10. Relative efforts of countries to conserve world’s megafauna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter A. Lindsey

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Surprisingly little attention has been paid to variation among countries in contributions to conservation. As a first step, we developed a Megafauna Conservation Index (MCI that assesses the spatial, ecological and financial contributions of 152 nations towards conservation of the world’s terrestrial megafauna. We chose megafauna because they are particularly valuable in economic, ecological and societal terms, and are challenging and expensive to conserve. We categorised these 152 countries as being above- or below-average performers based on whether their contribution to megafauna conservation was higher or lower than the global mean; ‘major’ performers or underperformers were those whose contribution exceeded 1 SD over or under the mean, respectively. Ninety percent of countries in North/Central America and 70% of countries in Africa were classified as major or above-average performers, while approximately one-quarter of countries in Asia (25% and Europe (21% were identified as major underperformers. We present our index to emphasise the need for measuring conservation performance, to help nations identify how best they could improve their efforts, and to present a starting point for the development of more robust and inclusive measures (noting how the IUCN Red List evolved over time. Our analysis points to three approaches that countries could adopt to improve their contribution to global megafauna conservation, depending on their circumstances: (1 upgrading or expanding their domestic protected area networks, with a particular emphasis on conserving large carnivore and herbivore habitat, (2 increase funding for conservation at home or abroad, or (3 ‘rewilding’ their landscapes. Once revised and perfected, we recommend publishing regular conservation rankings in the popular media to recognise major-performers, foster healthy pride and competition among nations, and identify ways for governments to improve their performance.

  11. Understanding the CDM's contribution to technology transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, Malte; Holzer, Andreas; Hoffmann, Volker H.

    2008-01-01

    Developing countries are increasingly contributing to global greenhouse gas emissions and, consequently, climate change as a result of their rapid economic growth. In order to reduce their impact, the private sector needs to be engaged in the transfer of low-carbon technology to those countries. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is currently the only market mechanism aimed at triggering changes in the pattern of emissions-intensive activities in developing countries and is likely to play a role in future negotiations. In this paper, we analyse how the CDM contributes to technology transfer. We first develop a framework from the literature that delineates the main factors which characterise technology transfer. Second, we apply this framework to the CDM by assessing existing empirical studies and drawing on additional expert interviews. We find that the CDM does contribute to technology transfer by lowering several technology-transfer barriers and by raising the transfer quality. On the basis of this analysis, we give preliminary policy recommendations

  12. Are social franchises contributing to universal access to reproductive health services in low-income countries?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundari Ravindran, T K; Fonn, Sharon

    2011-11-01

    A social franchise in health is a network of for-profit private health practitioners linked through contracts to provide socially beneficial services under a common brand. The early 21st century has seen considerable donor enthusiasm for promoting social franchises for the provision of reproductive health services. Based on a compendium of descriptive information on 45 clinical social franchises, located in 27 countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, this paper examines their contribution to universal access to comprehensive reproductive health services. It finds that these franchises have not widened the range of reproductive health services, but have mainly focused on contraceptive services, and to a lesser extent, maternal health care and abortion. In many instances, coverage had not been extended to new areas. Measures taken to ensure sustainability ran counter to the objective of access for low-income groups. In almost two-thirds of the franchises, the full cost of all services had to be paid out of pocket and was unaffordable for low-income women. While standards and protocols for quality assurance were in place in all franchises, evidence on adherence to these was limited. Informal interviews with patients indicated satisfaction with services. However, factors such as difficulties in recruiting franchisees and significant attrition, franchisees' inability to attend training programmes, use of lay health workers to deliver services without support or supervision, and logistical problems with applying quality assurance tools, all raise concerns. The contribution of social franchises to universal access to reproductive health services appears to be uncertain. Continued investment in them for the provision of reproductive health services does not appear to be justified until and unless further evidence of their value is forthcoming. Copyright © 2011 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. An analysis of tourism contribution to economic growth in SADC ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study how the tourism sector can be an engine of economic growth in SADC member countries. The paper found the contribution of tourism to GDP, employment, export receipts and investment is significant. Although this sector's contribution to the economy varies among SADC countries, the the study found that ...

  14. Agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries and their possible contribution to food security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruane, John; Sonnino, Andrea

    2011-12-20

    Latest FAO figures indicate that an estimated 925 million people are undernourished in 2010, representing almost 16% of the population in developing countries. Looking to the future, there are also major challenges ahead from the rapidly changing socio-economic environment (increasing world population and urbanisation, and dietary changes) and climate change. Promoting agriculture in developing countries is the key to achieving food security, and it is essential to act in four ways: to increase investment in agriculture, broaden access to food, improve governance of global trade, and increase productivity while conserving natural resources. To enable the fourth action, the suite of technological options for farmers should be as broad as possible, including agricultural biotechnologies. Agricultural biotechnologies represent a broad range of technologies used in food and agriculture for the genetic improvement of plant varieties and animal populations, characterisation and conservation of genetic resources, diagnosis of plant or animal diseases and other purposes. Discussions about agricultural biotechnology have been dominated by the continuing controversy surrounding genetic modification and its resulting products, genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The polarised debate has led to non-GMO biotechnologies being overshadowed, often hindering their development and application. Extensive documentation from the FAO international technical conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing Countries (ABDC-10), that took place in Guadalajara, Mexico, on 1-4 March 2010, gave a very good overview of the many ways that different agricultural biotechnologies are being used to increase productivity and conserve natural resources in the crop, livestock, fishery, forestry and agro-industry sectors in developing countries. The conference brought together about 300 policy-makers, scientists and representatives of intergovernmental and international non

  15. The relative contribution of income inequality and imprisonment to the variation in homicide rates among Developed (OECD), South and Central American countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadanovsky, Paulo; Cunha-Cruz, Joana

    2009-11-01

    Homicide rates vary widely across and within different continents. In order to address the problem of violence in the world, it seems important to clarify the sources of this variability. Despite the fact that income inequality and imprisonment seem to be two of the most important determinants of the variation in homicide rates over space and time, the concomitant effect of income inequality and imprisonment on homicide has not been examined. The objective of this cross-sectional ecological study was to investigate the association of income inequality and imprisonment with homicide rates among Developed (OECD), South and Central American countries. A novel index was developed to indicate imprisonment: the Impunity Index (the total number of homicides in the preceding decade divided by the number of persons in prison at a single slice in time). Negative binomial models were used to estimate rate ratios of homicides for young males and for the total population in relation to Gini Index and Impunity Index, controlling for infant mortality (as a proxy for poverty levels), Gross Domestic Product per-capita, education, percentage of young males in the population and urbanization. Both low income inequality and low impunity (high imprisonment of criminals) were related to low homicide rates. In addition, we found that countries with lower income inequality, lower infant mortality (less poverty), higher average income (GDP per-capita) and higher levels of education had low impunity. Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that both low income inequality and imprisonment of criminals, independent of each other and of other social-structural circumstances, may greatly contribute to the reduction in homicide rates in South and Central American countries, and to the maintenance of low levels of homicides in OECD countries. The Impunity Index reveals that countries that show greater commitment to education and to distribution of income also show greater commitment to

  16. Groups on transformations in Finslerian spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Misra, R.B.

    1993-01-01

    The article first appeared in the Internal Reports of the ICTP in 1981. Since then the topic has attracted a large number of authors and several contributions have been made thereafter. Thus, a previous work of the author is revised and up-dated here including the post-1981 contributions in the field. Infinitesimal transformations defining motions, affine motions, projective motions, conformal transformations and curvature collineations in various types of Finslerian spaces are discussed here. The notation and symbolism used in the paper is mainly based on the author's works. (author). 72 refs

  17. in a Developing Country

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    GB

    This could have contributed to the refusal for readmission. In conclusion, identification and management of mucopolysaccharidosis type II in affected patients pose a problem in resource-constrained countries due to late identification and presentation, lack of facilities for diagnosis and treatment, as well as the cost and the.

  18. WE-E-19A-01: Globalization of Medical Physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehani, M; Meghzifene, A; Tsapaki, V; Padovani, R; Pipman, Y; Lief, E

    2014-01-01

    Following successful 2012–2013 International Professional Symposiums as a part of Annual AAPM meetings, representatives of AAPM and International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP) suggested to make this tradiational Symposium a permanent part of Annual AAPM meetings in future. Following the tradition, this session includes presentations of representatives of AAPM, IOMP, European Federation of Medical Physics (EFOMP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). The speakers will cover various aspects of International collaboration such as educational, professional, and scientific issues, as well as help to developing countries. With further developments of medicine and technology and increased communication with our colleagues overseas, Medical Physics becomes more and more global profession. Use of the same technology, significant progress in medical physics research and developing practical regulations worldwide makes it increasingly useful to organize global collaboration of medical physicists. Several international organizations are tasked to promote such collaboration and provide help to developing countries. Not all AAPM members are fully aware of these international efforts. It is very useful for medical physicists to know about success of our profession in other countries. Different schools present different approaches to the same problem, which allows to find the best solution. By communicating with colleagues overseas, one can learn more than from just reading scientific publications. At this session the attendees will receive a glimpse of International Medical Physics activities. Learning Objectives: Understand the globalization of Medical Physics profession and advantages of collaboration with foreign colleagues. See what role AAPM is playing in establishing contacts with colleagues overseas. Understand the role of IOMP and main directions of its activity. Learn about IAEA and how it helps

  19. WE-E-19A-01: Globalization of Medical Physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rehani, M; Meghzifene, A [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); Tsapaki, V [EFOMP/IOMP (United Kingdom); Padovani, R [EFOMP (United Kingdom); Pipman, Y [Forest Hills, NY (United States); Lief, E [Marsden Medical Physics Associates, Pelham, NY (United States)

    2014-06-15

    Following successful 2012–2013 International Professional Symposiums as a part of Annual AAPM meetings, representatives of AAPM and International Organization of Medical Physics (IOMP) suggested to make this tradiational Symposium a permanent part of Annual AAPM meetings in future. Following the tradition, this session includes presentations of representatives of AAPM, IOMP, European Federation of Medical Physics (EFOMP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). The speakers will cover various aspects of International collaboration such as educational, professional, and scientific issues, as well as help to developing countries. With further developments of medicine and technology and increased communication with our colleagues overseas, Medical Physics becomes more and more global profession. Use of the same technology, significant progress in medical physics research and developing practical regulations worldwide makes it increasingly useful to organize global collaboration of medical physicists. Several international organizations are tasked to promote such collaboration and provide help to developing countries. Not all AAPM members are fully aware of these international efforts. It is very useful for medical physicists to know about success of our profession in other countries. Different schools present different approaches to the same problem, which allows to find the best solution. By communicating with colleagues overseas, one can learn more than from just reading scientific publications. At this session the attendees will receive a glimpse of International Medical Physics activities. Learning Objectives: Understand the globalization of Medical Physics profession and advantages of collaboration with foreign colleagues. See what role AAPM is playing in establishing contacts with colleagues overseas. Understand the role of IOMP and main directions of its activity. Learn about IAEA and how it helps

  20. Pollution protection and resource conservation in the economic aid of developing countries: a contribution to survival. Umwelt- und Ressourcenschutz in der Entwicklungshilfe: Beihilfe zum Ueberleben

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hartje, V J

    1982-01-01

    The contribution of the bilateral economic aid of the F.R. of Germany for diminishing the pollution and resource problems of the Third World is investigated. Not only the imported air and water pollution are considered the reasons for these problems but the specific aspects of environmental deterioration in developing countries as deforestation, desertification and ground erosion caused primarily by the poverty of the Third World are also included.

  1. Type I and III collagen turnover is increased in axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Associations with disease activity and diagnostic capacity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gudmann, N. S.; Siebuhr, A. S.; Christensen, A. F.

    2017-01-01

    originate from soft connective tissues, were significantly higher in axSpA and PsA as compared with healthy control subjects. CIM and C3M correlated with ASDAS and DAS28. Overall, ICTP, which arises from bone degradation, did not differ between disease versus healthy. However, ICTP was lower in HLA-B27...

  2. Clinical significance of bone metabolic parameters and serum thyroid hormone levels in patients with hyperthyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao Jinhua; Wang Yaping; Sun Junming; Hua Wenjing

    2002-01-01

    To study the changes in bone metabolic parameters and serum thyroid hormone levels in patients with hyperthyroidism, seventy patients with hyperthyroidism and sixty healthy controls were investigated by means of radioimmunoassay (RIA) for serum ICTP, chemiluminescent immunoassay for BAP and serum thyroid hormone and meanwhile bone mineral density was measured. The results showed that the levels of serum BAP, ICTP and thyroid hormone in patients with hyperthyroidism were dramatically higher than those in control group (all P<0.01), BMD was significantly decreased in the study group (P<0.01). The correlation analysis showed that both BAP and ICTP were negatively correlated with BMD (all P<0.05). The results from this investigation indicated that increased bone turnover is significantly associated with an increased thyroid hormone in patients with hyperthyroidism, and bone resorption is greater than formation resulting in a bone mass loss. Measurement of serum BAP and ICTP levels may be of help to judge the severity of bone metabolism, study the state of an illness in hyperthyroidism

  3. Contribution of Arab countries to pharmaceutical wastewater literature: a bibliometric and comparative analysis of research output.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Zyoud, Shaher H; Al-Jabi, Samah W; Sweileh, Waleed M; Awang, Rahmat

    2016-01-01

    Recently, the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has been growing rapidly in many countries in the world, including in Arab countries. Pharmaceuticals reach aquatic environments and are prevalent at small concentrations in wastewater from the drug manufacturing industry and hospitals. Such presence also occurs in domestic wastewater and results from the disposal of unused and expired medicines. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze and compare the quantity and quality of publications made by researchers in Arab countries on pharmaceutical wastewater. To retrieve documents related to pharmaceutical wastewater, we used the Scopus database on November 21, 2015. All documents with terms related to pharmaceutical wastewater in the title or abstract were analysed. Results obtained from Arab countries were compared with those obtained from Turkey, Iran and Israel. Globally, a total of 6360 publications were retrieved while those from Arab countries, Iran, Turkey and Israel, were 179, 113, 96 and 54 publications respectively. The highest share of publications belonged to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) with a total of 47 (26.2 %) publications, followed by Egypt (38; 21.2 %), Tunisia (17; 9.5 %) and Morocco (16; 8.9 %). The total number of citations was 1635, with a mean of 9.13 and a median (inter quartile range) of 3 (1.0-10.0). The study identified 87 (48.6 %) documents with 32 countries of international collaboration with Arab countries. It was noted that Arab researchers collaborated mainly with authors in Western Europe (54; 30.2 %), followed by authors from the Asiatic region (29; 16.2 %) and Northern America (15; 8.4 %). The most productive institution was King Saud University, KSA (13; 7.3 %), followed by the National Research Centre, Egypt (10; 7.3 %). This study showed that KSA has the largest share of productivity on pharmaceutical wastewater research. Bibliometric analysis demonstrated that research productivity, mainly from Arab

  4. Overview of the Kenya country studies on Climate Change Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gacuhi, R.A.

    1998-01-01

    The general objective of the Kenya country study on climate change was to make a contribution to the global efforts of finding a solution to climatic change problem.The specific objectives were, Contribute to the development of national capacity to handle climatic changes issues, Assess the country's contribution to the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG's), Evaluate the vulnerability of various sensitive sectors to impacts of climate change, Generate information useful to the development of an overall national policy on climate change, Lay a foundation for development of national action plans and national communication required under the UNFCCC

  5. Towards universal health coverage: the role of within-country wealth-related inequality in 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Victora, Cesar G; Bergen, Nicole; Barros, Aluisio J D; Boerma, Ties

    2011-12-01

    To measure within-country wealth-related inequality in the health service coverage gap of maternal and child health indicators in sub-Saharan Africa and quantify its contribution to the national health service coverage gap. Coverage data for child and maternal health services in 28 sub-Saharan African countries were obtained from the 2000-2008 Demographic Health Survey. For each country, the national coverage gap was determined for an overall health service coverage index and select individual health service indicators. The data were then additively broken down into the coverage gap in the wealthiest quintile (i.e. the proportion of the quintile lacking a required health service) and the population attributable risk (an absolute measure of within-country wealth-related inequality). In 26 countries, within-country wealth-related inequality accounted for more than one quarter of the national overall coverage gap. Reducing such inequality could lower this gap by 16% to 56%, depending on the country. Regarding select individual health service indicators, wealth-related inequality was more common in services such as skilled birth attendance and antenatal care, and less so in family planning, measles immunization, receipt of a third dose of vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus and treatment of acute respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age. The contribution of wealth-related inequality to the child and maternal health service coverage gap differs by country and type of health service, warranting case-specific interventions. Targeted policies are most appropriate where high within-country wealth-related inequality exists, and whole-population approaches, where the health-service coverage gap is high in all quintiles.

  6. Nuclear power reactors worldwide: Technology developments, diffusion patterns, and country-by-country analysis of implementation (1951-2017)

    OpenAIRE

    Wealer, Ben; Bauer, Simon; Landry, Nicolas; Seiß, Hannah; von Hirschhausen, Christian R.

    2018-01-01

    Nuclear energy is among the most important innovations of the twentieth century, and it continues to play an important role in twenty-first century discussions. In particular, there is a debate about the potential contribution of nuclear power to policies of climate change mitigation and energy security in both, industrialized and emerging countries. In this context, many existing nuclear countries, and others considering entering the sector, are facing questions of how to structure organizat...

  7. Effects of long-term immobilization and recovery on human triceps surae and collagen turnover in the Achilles tendon in patients with healing ankle fracture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Britt; Dyrberg, Eva; Aagaard, Per

    2008-01-01

    increased (PINP: 257 vs. 56 ng/ml; ICTP: 9.8 vs. 2.1 microg/l) in the immobilized leg compared with the control leg after the 7 wk of immobilization, and levels decreased again in the immobilized leg during the recovery period (PINP: 103 vs. 44 ng/ml; ICTP: 4.2 vs. 1.9 microg/l). A significant reduction...

  8. Corporate strategic branding: How country and corporate brands come together

    OpenAIRE

    Đorđević Bojan

    2008-01-01

    The concept of countries as brands has been increasingly recognized in the post-modern global world. A strong country brand can provide corporate brands with a unique set of values, which supports their positioning on the international market. Simultaneously, once corporate brands achieve worldwide success, they contribute actively to developing new features of the country brand. Consumers pay more and more attention to products' country of origin. When the name of a country is mentioned, the...

  9. Workshop on materials science and the physics of non-conventional energy sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furlan, G.; Nobili, D.; Sayigh, A.M.; Seraphin, B.O.

    1989-01-01

    The non-conventional energy activities started in 1974, on the island of Procida, Italy. About 50 leading physicists and engineers got together for two weeks in September to discuss the states of the art and consult with each other about various devices and ways of energy conversion. The esteemed Nobel Prize Laureate, Professor Abdus Salam, accepted to have the first meeting on non-conventional energy at the ICTP, Trieste, in September 1977. In 1987, the meeting was once again back in Trieste, Italy. Also, during the even years since 1978 until 1986, meetings were held in Trieste in the French language. The results of the last 10 years at ICTP are very clear to all fellow scientist and engineers. Some 150 applicants are chosen every year. The workshop is being graded gradually to emphasize the high technology and up-to-date achievements in the field. A good proportion of the physicists who were with us from the beginning are now top experts in the field and in charge of existing programmes in their own countries. The present programme emphasized the following topics: Material Science; Solar Energy Conversion with concentration on Photovoltaic Conversion; and Energy Storage. Refs, figs and tabs

  10. Country-level predictors of vaccination coverage and inequalities in Gavi-supported countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsenault, Catherine; Johri, Mira; Nandi, Arijit; Mendoza Rodríguez, José M; Hansen, Peter M; Harper, Sam

    2017-04-25

    Important inequalities in childhood vaccination coverage persist between countries and population groups. Understanding why some countries achieve higher and more equitable levels of coverage is crucial to redress these inequalities. In this study, we explored the country-level determinants of (1) coverage of the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis- (DTP3) containing vaccine and (2) within-country inequalities in DTP3 coverage in 45 countries supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We used data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted between 2005 and 2014. We measured national DTP3 coverage and the slope index of inequality in DTP3 coverage with respect to household wealth, maternal education, and multidimensional poverty. We collated data on country health systems, health financing, governance and geographic and sociocultural contexts from published sources. We used meta-regressions to assess the relationship between these country-level factors and variations in DTP3 coverage and inequalities. To validate our findings, we repeated these analyses for coverage with measles-containing vaccine (MCV). We found considerable heterogeneity in DTP3 coverage and in the magnitude of inequalities across countries. Results for MCV were consistent with those from DTP3. Political stability, gender equality and smaller land surface were important predictors of higher and more equitable levels of DTP3 coverage. Inequalities in DTP3 coverage were also lower in countries receiving more external resources for health, with lower rates of out-of-pocket spending and with higher national coverage. Greater government spending on heath and lower linguistic fractionalization were also consistent with better vaccination outcomes. Improving vaccination coverage and reducing inequalities requires that policies and programs address critical social determinants of health including geographic and social exclusion, gender inequality and the availability of

  11. Renewable and nuclear energy contribution to the electric systems of developed and developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Percebois, J.

    1994-01-01

    Economically, the nuclear energy is favourable. The investments to realize in the energy field are substantial. The environmental quality implements the renewable energies which must be more efficient. Energy control frames the largest managing margin for the future energy and for the relations between energy and environment. Few countries can control their nuclear surety. Nowadays, in the developing countries, electrical energy needs are very weak, so the interconnection to the network is not necessary and the access price to electricity is very high

  12. Contribution of Latin America to pharmacovigilance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González, Juan Camilo; Arango, Victoria E; Einarson, Thomas R

    2006-01-01

    Pharmacovigilance activities have been ongoing for 4 decades. However, little is known (especially outside of the area) about the contribution of Latin America to this field. To review and quantify the published literature on pharmacovigilance in Latin American countries. We searched electronic databases including MEDLINE (1966-2004), EMBASE (1980-2004), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-2004), Toxline (1992-2004), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (1982-2004), Sistema de Información Esencial en Terapéutica y Salud (1980-2004), and the Pan American Health Organization Web site (1970-2004) for articles on pharmacovigilance or adverse drug reactions in any of the 19 major Latin American countries. Papers were retrieved and categorized according to content and country of origin by 2 independent reviewers. There were 195 usable articles from 13 countries. Fifty-one of the papers retrieved dealt with pharmacovigilance centers (15 national centers, 10 hospitals, 26 other), 55 covered pharmacovigilance itself (21 theoretical papers, 9 with description of models, 25 educational papers), and 89 were pharmacoepidemiologic studies of adverse drug reactions (69 case reports, 13 observational cohorts, 2 cohort studies, 1 randomized clinical trial, 4 clinical papers on adverse reaction management). Studies have increased exponentially since 1980. Five countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Venezuela) published reports from national centers. No studies were found from 6 countries: Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, or Uruguay. Most studied categories were antiinfectives and drugs affecting the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and musculoskeletal system. Contributions of Latin American countries to the field of pharmacovigilence have been remarkable, considering the constraints on these countries. A need exists for an increased number of formal pharmacovigilance studies and research

  13. Contribution of chronic diseases to disability in elderly people in countries with low and middle incomes: a 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sousa, Renata M; Ferri, Cleusa P; Acosta, Daisy; Albanese, Emiliano; Guerra, Mariella; Huang, Yueqin; Jacob, K S; Jotheeswaran, A T; Rodriguez, Juan J Llibre; Pichardo, Guillermina Rodriguez; Rodriguez, Marina Calvo; Salas, Aquiles; Sosa, Ana Luisa; Williams, Joseph; Zuniga, Tirso; Prince, Martin

    2009-11-28

    Disability in elderly people in countries with low and middle incomes is little studied; according to Global Burden of Disease estimates, visual impairment is the leading contributor to years lived with disability in this population. We aimed to assess the contribution of physical, mental, and cognitive chronic diseases to disability, and the extent to which sociodemographic and health characteristics account for geographical variation in disability. We undertook cross-sectional surveys of residents aged older than 65 years (n=15 022) in 11 sites in seven countries with low and middle incomes (China, India, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, and Peru). Disability was assessed with the 12-item WHO disability assessment schedule 2.0. Dementia, depression, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were ascertained by clinical assessment; diabetes, stroke, and heart disease by self-reported diagnosis; and sensory, gastrointestinal, skin, limb, and arthritic disorders by self-reported impairment. Independent contributions to disability scores were assessed by zero-inflated negative binomial regression and Poisson regression to generate population-attributable prevalence fractions (PAPF). In regions other than rural India and Venezuela, dementia made the largest contribution to disability (median PAPF 25.1% [IQR 19.2-43.6]). Other substantial contributors were stroke (11.4% [1.8-21.4]), limb impairment (10.5% [5.7-33.8]), arthritis (9.9% [3.2-34.8]), depression (8.3% [0.5-23.0]), eyesight problems (6.8% [1.7-17.6]), and gastrointestinal impairments (6.5% [0.3-23.1]). Associations with chronic diseases accounted for around two-thirds of prevalent disability. When zero inflation was taken into account, between-site differences in disability scores were largely attributable to compositional differences in health and sociodemographic characteristics. On the basis of empirical research, dementia, not blindness, is overwhelmingly the most important

  14. Indigenous Foods and Their Contribution to Nutrient Requirements

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    indigenous foods and dietary diversity within an ecosystem can be powerful ... income generation, food culture and can contribute to nutrient requirements. ... species in 12 Asian countries and 10 countries in Africa in 36 studies, and reported 90 .... Taruvinga and. Nengovhela32 investigated the consumers' perception and.

  15. Factors Contributing to the Implementation of Inclusive Education in Pacific Island Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Umesh; Loreman, Tim; Macanawai, Setareki

    2016-01-01

    This study reports the outcomes of focus group discussions reflected in presentations of concept maps relating to the implementation of inclusive education in the Pacific based on the views of 39 stakeholders from four countries (Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu). Five themes emerged, with one of the strongest being that of culture,…

  16. Malaysia's contributions towards global climate change concerns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuzlaini Mohd Yusop; Yvonne Lunsong; Norhayati Kamaruddin

    2000-01-01

    Concerns about Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and global climate change were voiced by the scientific community as far back as the International Geophysical year in 1957 when climate changes scenarios and impacts were analysed. More recently, the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992, renewing a global acknowledgement and commitment towards curbing GHG emissions. Little progress was made until the adoption of Kyoto Protocol in December 1997, over 5 years later. Basically, developed countries would not commit to strong measures if there were no global effort (i. e. corresponding efforts by developing countries) while developing countries are waiting for developed countries to show concrete results first. Since 1950, developed countries cumulatively produced more than 80% of worldwide GHG emissions. Between 1950 and 1990, North America alone contributed 40 billion tons of carbon while Western and Eastern Europe contributed 57 billion tons. Developing countries produced only 24 billion tons of carbon emissions during the same period. At present, per capita emission in developed countries are also about ten times higher than those of developing countries. This imbalance has caused most developing countries to adopt a wait till others do it stance and justifiably so. Nonetheless, curbing GHG emissions should be a larger community effort (which includes business and the public) and not just the efforts of Governments and officials. Thus, the deciding factors should make more business or economic sense. It is likely that business and the general public would listen and contribute positively if they are made aware of potential cost savings and international competitiveness to be derived from these efforts. During the current economic slowdown, especially in East Asia, it makes business sense to defer the capital investment in new electricity generating capacity and related energy supply infrastructure. Pusat Tenaga Malaysia

  17. Country nuclear power profiles. 2001 ed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-03-01

    The preparation of Country Nuclear Power Profiles was initiated within the framework of the IAEA's programme on assessment and feedback of nuclear power plant performance. It responded to a need for a database and a technical document containing a description of the economic situation, the energy and the electricity sector and the primary organizations involved in nuclear power in IAEA Member States. In 1998, the first edition of the Country Nuclear Power Profiles was published focusing on the overall economic, energy and electricity situation in the country and on its nuclear power industrial structure and organizational framework. The compilation was made based on contributions of 29 Member States with operating nuclear power plants by the end of 1995 and Italy. It also incorporated the 'Fact Sheets' on international, multilateral and bilateral agreements as collected by EXPO. The second edition, issued on CD-ROM only, covered the changes in the new environment of the electricity and the nuclear sector, i.e. the impact of privatization and deregulation on these sectors, be it that the situation differs from country to country. The third edition, issued as hard copy and CD-ROM, updates the country information, in general, to the end of 2000. This publication compiles background information on the status and development of nuclear power programmes in countries having operating nuclear plants and/or plants under construction as of 1 January 2001 and in countries actively engaged in planning such a programme. It presents historical information on energy supply and demand; reviews the organizational and industrial aspects of nuclear power programmes in participating countries for the same period; and provides information about the relevant legislative, regulatory, and international framework in each country. Topics such as reactor safety, the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management and research programmes are for the most part not discussed in detail

  18. Country nuclear power profiles. 2001 ed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2002-03-01

    The preparation of Country Nuclear Power Profiles was initiated within the framework of the IAEA's programme on assessment and feedback of nuclear power plant performance. It responded to a need for a database and a technical document containing a description of the economic situation, the energy and the electricity sector and the primary organizations involved in nuclear power in IAEA Member States. In 1998, the first edition of the Country Nuclear Power Profiles was published focusing on the overall economic, energy and electricity situation in the country and on its nuclear power industrial structure and organizational framework. The compilation was made based on contributions of 29 Member States with operating nuclear power plants by the end of 1995 and Italy. It also incorporated the 'Fact Sheets' on international, multilateral and bilateral agreements as collected by EXPO. The second edition, issued on CD-ROM only, covered the changes in the new environment of the electricity and the nuclear sector, i.e. the impact of privatization and deregulation on these sectors, be it that the situation differs from country to country. The third edition, issued as hard copy and CD-ROM, updates the country information, in general, to the end of 2000. This publication compiles background information on the status and development of nuclear power programmes in countries having operating nuclear plants and/or plants under construction as of 1 January 2001 and in countries actively engaged in planning such a programme. It presents historical information on energy supply and demand; reviews the organizational and industrial aspects of nuclear power programmes in participating countries for the same period; and provides information about the relevant legislative, regulatory, and international framework in each country. Topics such as reactor safety, the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management and research programmes are for the most part not discussed in detail

  19. Do GCI indicators predict SME creation? A Western Balkans cross-country comparative analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Fëllënza Lushaku; Alban Elshani; Lekë Pula

    2016-01-01

    In early stages SMEs were seen as insignificant supplement to large business supply, whereas today they have a very important social and economic role, because of their contribution to job creation. These contributions are very valuable in times of crises and rising unemployment. In Kosovo and the Western Balkan countries, including countries such as Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the development of SMEs can contribute in facing many challenges, effects of ...

  20. Calculating Historical Contributions To Climate Change. Discussing The 'Brazilian Proposal'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoehne, N.; Blok, K.

    2005-01-01

    This paper discusses methodological issues relevant to the calculation of historical responsibility of countries for climate change ('The Brazilian Proposal'). Using a simple representation of the climate system, the paper compares contributions to climate change using different indicators: current radiative forcing, current GWP-weighted emissions, radiative forcing from increased concentrations, cumulative GWP-weighted emissions, global-average surface-air temperature increase and two new indicators: weighted concentrations (analogue to GWP-weighted emissions) and integrated temperature increase. Only the last two indicators are at the same time 'backward looking' (take into account historical emissions), 'backward discounting' (early emissions weigh less, depending on the decay in the atmosphere) and 'forward looking' (future effects of the emissions are considered) and are comparable for all gases. Cumulative GWP-weighted emissions are simple to calculate but are not 'backward discounting'. 'Radiative forcing' and 'temperature increase' are not 'forward looking'. 'Temperature increase' discounts the emissions of the last decade due to the slow response of the climate system. It therefore gives low weight to regions that have recently significantly increased emissions. Results of the five different indicators are quite similar for large groups (but possibly not for individual countries): industrialized countries contributed around 60% to today's climate change, developing countries around 40% (using the available data for fossil, industrial and forestry CO2, CH4 and N2O). The paper further argues including non-linearities of the climate system or using a simplified linear system is a political choice. The paper also notes that results of contributions to climate change need to be interpreted with care: Countries that developed early benefited economically, but have high historical emission, and countries developing at a later period can profit from developments

  1. Country Presentation. Central African Republic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paulin Poussoumandji-Ouinga, P.

    2010-01-01

    No incident related to the illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials has been yet reported in the country. However, rumors relating to the orphaned sources exist due to buried radioactive waste and former radiotherapy activities. Illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and radioactive materials is a new threat for the law enforcement agents.This is contributed by absence of dedicated equipment for radiation detection either at the border or within the country, lack of awareness of agents in charge of enforcement control, porosity of the border, absence of a protocol for exchanging information between Customs, intelligence and Police Service

  2. Energy policies of IEA countries: 1994 review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This 1994 edition contributes to the IEA's on-going analysis of countries'energy policies and market developments. it reviews recent trends and developments in energy demand and supply, efficiency, technology and environment. This year's Energy Policies includes: - critical reviews of all 23 IEA Member countries, including in-depth reviews of Finland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg and Switzerland; - a synthesis report highlighting major energy policy developments and market trends in IEA Member countries and an overview of significant energy developments elsewhere in the world; -an analysis of trends in key energy indicators over a twenty year period. (authors)

  3. Is Deindustrialization Causing High Unemployment in Affluent Countries? Evidence from 16 OECD Countries, 1970-2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kollmeyer, Christopher; Pichler, Florian

    2013-01-01

    This study assesses the possibility that deindustrialization has been contributing to the persistently high unemployment rates experienced by most affluent countries since the mid-1970s. Combining insights from Lilien's (1982) "sectoral shift" thesis and the literature on deindustrialization, the authors assert that the decades-long contraction of…

  4. The Country of Origin Effect

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hu, Lala; Baldin, Andrea

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to analyse the country of origin (COO) effect on wine purchase in China by considering a sample from an e-commerce website. The paper contribute to the literature on hedonic pricing by applying this model to the Chinese market and including COO as product attribute....

  5. Veterinary Public Health in Italy: From Healthy Animals to Healthy Food, Contribution to Improve Economy in Developing Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cacaci, Margherita; Lelli, Rossella Colomba

    2018-01-01

    The role of the veterinarian as a public health officer is intrinsic to the history and the culture of veterinary organization in Italy. The Veterinary service being part of the Health administration since the birth of the Italian State in the XIX Century. In the second half of the last century the birth of the Italian National Health Service confirmed that the function of the Italian veterinary service was to analyze and reduce the risks for the human population connected to the relationship man-animal-environment, animal health, food safety and security. The Italian Veterinary Medicine School curricula, reflected this "model" of veterinarian as well. In the majority of countries in the world, Veterinary Services are organized within the Agriculture Administration with the main function to assure animal health and wellbeing. After the so-called "Mad-cow crisis" the awareness of the direct and essential role of veterinary services in the prevention of human illness has been officially recognized and in the third millennium the old concept of "one health" and "human-animal interface" has gained popularity worldwide.The concept of Veterinary Public Health, has evolved at International level and has incorporated the more than a century old vision of the Italian Veterinary medicine and it is defined as "the sum of the contributions to the physical, mental and social development of people through the knowledge and application of veterinary science" (WHO, Future trends in veterinary public health. Gruppo di lavoro OMS: TE, Italy, 1999, Available from: http://www.who.int/zoonoses/vph/en/ . Last visited 16 Feb 2016, 1999).On the subject of Cooperation, Sustainability and Public Health, the EXPO 2015 event and the activities of international organizations WHO, FAO and World Organization for Animal Health are refocusing at present their worldwide mandate to protect human health and the economy of both the poorest Countries and the developed countries, according to the "new

  6. Information-communication technology impact on labor productivity growth of EU developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ljiljana Lovrić

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to investigate the ICT impact on labor productivity growth of EU developing countries. Empirical studies of the role of ICT as one of the main determinants of productivity growth, for developing countries have produced disagreement. To help clear up the subject, this paper employs a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM through a dynamic panel data approach on the sample of 25 European developed and developing countries over the period of 2001-2010. The results indicate a positive and significant impact of ICT on labor productivity growth in developed and developing countries, but the terms of impact in developing countries rely on human capital, a contribution of a higher educational level, advanced research qualifications and development activity. Comparing to developed countries, the growth accounting approach indicate that developing countries have similar relative ICT contribution to labor productivity growth, but their average growth rate of labor productivity is 6.8 times higher. The main conclusion is that education, especially of higher levels, is the critical factor of productivity and growth of EU developing countries and that must be taken as development policy implication in these countries.

  7. Mexico : Country Financial Accountability Assessment

    OpenAIRE

    World Bank

    2004-01-01

    This Country Financial Accountability Assessment (CFAA) summarizes the status of implementation of financial management measures of the Federal public sector, showing both strengths, and areas for improvement, and, reflects input contributions in each area of public management. The main strength observed was the existence of clear rules governing the Federal Government's administrative fin...

  8. The insulin-like growth factor axis and collagen turnover during prednisolone treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wolthers, O D; Juul, A; Hansen, M

    1994-01-01

    effects on serum concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were found. Dose related reductions of PICP, ICTP, and PIIINP were observed: the mean (SEM) reduction in PICP was 33.4 (26.3) and 68.4 (20.6) micrograms/l, in ICTP 2.5 (0.5) and 2.9 (0.6) micrograms/l, and in PIIINP 2.1 (0.7) and 3.1 (1.8) micrograms...

  9. The times of Albert Einstein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, S.M.W.

    1990-09-01

    ''The life of Albert Einstein has a dramatic quality that does not rest exclusively on his theory of relativity. The extravagant timing of history linked him with three shattering developments of the twentieth century: the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, the birth of nuclear weapons, and the birth of zionism (and Israel). Their impact on Einstein's genius combined to drive him into a contact with the affairs of the world for which Einstein had little taste''. This article is the result of my lecture delivered at ICTP on 17 August, 1990 before a knowledgable audience that included scientists from many countries including the third world countries. This one and half hour lecture was organised by Dr. A.M. Hamende and Dr. H.R. Dalafi. 10 refs

  10. National innovation system in less successful developing countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Intarakumnerd, Patarapong; Chairatana, Pun-arj; Tangchitpiboon, Tipawan

    2002-01-01

    This paper, using Thailand as a case study, aims at understanding the national innovation system (NIS) in developing countries which are less successful in technological catching-up. In contrast to developed countries, the development level of Thailand’s NIS does not link to its economic structural...... development level. As Thailand moves from agricultural to an increasingly industrial economy, its NIS remains weak and fragmented. The mismatch between the two affected Thailand’s competitiveness and partially contributed to the recent economic crisis. Studies of NIS in countries like Thailand should focus...

  11. Medical Education in Decentralized Settings: How Medical Students Contribute to Health Care in 10 Sub-Saharan African Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talib, Zohray; van Schalkwyk, Susan; Couper, Ian; Pattanaik, Swaha; Turay, Khadija; Sagay, Atiene S; Baingana, Rhona; Baird, Sarah; Gaede, Bernhard; Iputo, Jehu; Kibore, Minnie; Manongi, Rachel; Matsika, Antony; Mogodi, Mpho; Ramucesse, Jeremais; Ross, Heather; Simuyeba, Moses; Haile-Mariam, Damen

    2017-12-01

    African medical schools are expanding, straining resources at tertiary health facilities. Decentralizing clinical training can alleviate this tension. This study assessed the impact of decentralized training and contribution of undergraduate medical students at health facilities. Participants were from 11 Medical Education Partnership Initiative-funded medical schools in 10 African countries. Each school identified two clinical training sites-one rural and the other either peri-urban or urban. Qualitative and quantitative data collection tools were used to gather information about the sites, student activities, and staff perspectives between March 2015 and February 2016. Interviews with site staff were analyzed using a collaborative directed approach to content analysis, and frequencies were generated to describe site characteristics and student experiences. The clinical sites varied in level of care but were similar in scope of clinical services and types of clinical and nonclinical student activities. Staff indicated that students have a positive effect on job satisfaction and workload. Respondents reported that students improved the work environment, institutional reputation, and introduced evidence-based approaches. Students also contributed to perceived improvements in quality of care, patient experience, and community outreach. Staff highlighted the need for resources to support students. Students were seen as valuable resources for health facilities. They strengthened health care quality by supporting overburdened staff and by bringing rigor and accountability into the work environment. As medical schools expand, especially in low-resource settings, mobilizing new and existing resources for decentralized clinical training could transform health facilities into vibrant service and learning environments.

  12. The alternative energies, its contribution, importance and projections in the Country

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodriguez P, F.

    1995-01-01

    Colombia is an energetic country, each one of regions have large potentials of at least both renewable or not renewable resources. With the objective of avoiding energetic crisis in the future, different energetic planning studies guided to the development of a sustainable energetic system, evaluations of resource potentials energetic and the technologies development to future applications, must be accomplished. These investigations, they are function of the UPME (Unit of planning of mines and energies), but are considered that the regional entities with the participation of their communities, they should play a role important in this process and on decisions that are taken

  13. IAEA Status Report, 2011-2012

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abriola, D. [IAEA Nuclear Data Section, Vienna (Austria)

    2013-08-15

    Three staff members are engaged in activities related to NSDD. The software tool LiveChart parses and transforms the ENSDF adopted levels and gamma datasets into a relational database. During the 2011-2012 period the decay datasets were also included. Plotting capabilities were expanded. For the next period the XUNDL files will be processed as well. ENSDF mass chain evaluations: update of most neutron deficient nuclides of A=148. Mass chain A=211 as an exercise of the IAEA-ICTP ENSDF workshop. Mass chain A=215 as an exercise of the VECC (Kolkata) ENSDD-2012 workshop. Mass chain A=144 to be submitted for review. Training: Joint IAEA-ICTP Workshop 'Nuclear Structure and Decay Data: Theory and Evaluation', ICTP, Trieste, 6-17 August 2012; ENSDD-2012 Workshop, VECC, Kolkata, 26-29 November 2012.

  14. Deep uncertainty and broad heterogeneity in country-level social cost of carbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricke, K.; Drouet, L.; Caldeira, K.; Tavoni, M.

    2017-12-01

    The social cost of carbon (SCC) is a commonly employed metric of the expected economic damages expected from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Recent estimates of SCC range from approximately 10/tonne of CO2 to as much as 1000/tCO2, but these have been computed at the global level. While useful in an optimal policy context, a world-level approach obscures the heterogeneous geography of climate damages and vast differences in country-level contributions to global SCC, as well as climate and socio-economic uncertainties, which are much larger at the regional level. For the first time, we estimate country-level contributions to SCC using recent climate and carbon-cycle model projections, empirical climate-driven economic damage estimations, and information from the Shared Socio-economic Pathways. Central specifications show high global SCC values (median: 417 /tCO2, 66% confidence intervals: 168 - 793 /tCO2) with country-level contributions ranging from -11 (-8 - -14) /tCO2 to 86 (50 - 158) /tCO2. We quantify climate-, scenario- and economic damage- driven uncertainties associated with the calculated values of SCC. We find that while the magnitude of country-level social cost of carbon is highly uncertain, the relative positioning among countries is consistent. Countries incurring large fractions of the global cost include India, China, and the United States. The share of SCC distributed among countries is robust, indicating climate change winners and losers from a geopolitical perspective.

  15. Operational Research for Developing Countries - a case of transfer of technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vidal, Rene Victor Valqui; Ravn, Hans V.

    1986-01-01

    This paper is concerned with some fundamental aspects of the process of transfer of operational research from the industrialized countries to the Third World. Two complementary conceptions of operational research are identified: technical and social operational research. The main contribution of ...... of this paper is to regard the discussion of operational research for developing countries as a case of transfer of technology. Finally, some proposals for action and further research will be briefly outlined.......This paper is concerned with some fundamental aspects of the process of transfer of operational research from the industrialized countries to the Third World. Two complementary conceptions of operational research are identified: technical and social operational research. The main contribution...

  16. Renewable Energy Country Profiles. Pacific

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2012-09-15

    The IRENA Renewable Energy Country Profiles take stock of the latest development of renewable energy in two regions where renewable energy can make a significant contribution to combat climate change and bring modern energy services to everyone: Africa and the Pacific. These two regions are presented separately in this volume and its sister publication. The country profiles combine elements of IRENA analysis with the latest information available from a vast array of sources in order to give a brief yet comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the situation of renewable energy that includes energy supply, electrical capacity, energy access, policies, targets, investment climate, projects and endowment in renewable energy resources. Because of the different timelines of these sources, data presented here refer to years between 2008 and 2012. Data availability also differs from country to country, which makes comparison with a wider regional group possible only for the year for which figures are available for all the members of the group; while this may not be the most recent year, the differences between countries, regions and the world remain striking. The current country profiles are just a starting point; they will be extended upon with new indicators to make them more informative, and maintained as a live product on the IRENA website as a key source of information on renewable energy.

  17. Renewable Energy Country Profiles. Africa

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2012-02-15

    The IRENA Renewable Energy Country Profiles take stock of the latest development of renewable energy in two regions where renewable energy can make a significant contribution to combat climate change and bring modern energy services to everyone: Africa and the Pacific. These two regions are presented separately in this volume and its sister publication. The country profiles combine elements of IRENA analysis with the latest information available from a vast array of sources in order to give a brief yet comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the situation of renewable energy that includes energy supply, electrical capacity, energy access, policies, targets, investment climate, projects and endowment in renewable energy resources. Because of the different timelines of these sources, data presented here refer to years between 2008 and 2012. Data availability also differs from country to country, which makes comparison with a wider regional group possible only for the year for which figures are available for all the members of the group; while this may not be the most recent year, the differences between countries, regions and the world remain striking. The current country profiles are just a starting point; they will be extended upon with new indicators to make them more informative, and maintained as a live product on the IRENA website as a key source of information on renewable energy.

  18. Multipurpose masculinities: Gender and power in low countries histories of masculinity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dudink, S.P.

    2012-01-01

    This article introduces the contributions to a BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review special issue on Low Countries masculinities. It outlines a shared theoretical framework that focuses on what historian Mrinalini Sinha has called, 'the rhetorical and ideological efficacy' of notions of

  19. Online Contribution Practices in Countries That Engage in Internet Blocking and Censorship

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shklovski, Irina; Kotamraju, Nalini Panchita

    2011-01-01

    In this article we describe people’s online contribution practices in contexts in which the government actively blocks access to or censors the Internet. We argue that people experience blocking as confusing, as a motivation for self-censorship online, as a cause of impoverishment of available...... content and as a real threat of personal persecution. Challenging ideas of blocking as a monolithic, abstract policy, we discuss five strategies with which Internet users navigate blocking: self-censorship, cultivating technical savvy, reliance on social ties to relay blocked content, use of already...... in which all Internet users contribute to the Internet and social media....

  20. EU Contribution to Global CBRN Security

    OpenAIRE

    GOULART DE MEDEIROS MARGARIDA; ABOUSAHL SAID; MAIER EDDIE; SIMONART TRISTAN; DUPRE BRUNO

    2016-01-01

    The EU promotes a culture of CBRN safety and security within the EU and internationally. Accordingly, the Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) contributes to international efforts to mitigate CBRN risks, whether of natural (e.g. pandemics, volcanic eruptions), accidental (Fukushima) or criminal (trafficking, terrorism) origin, following a consistent ‘all hazards’ approach. The aim is twofold: to prevent CBRN incidents and to build partner countries' capacities for emergency r...

  1. Country nuclear power profiles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-03-01

    The preparation of Country Nuclear Power Profiles was initiated within the framework of the IAEA`s programme for nuclear power plant performance assessment and feedback. It responded to a need for a database and a technical document containing a description of the energy and economic situation and the primary organizations involved in nuclear power in IAEA Member States. The task was included in the IAEA`s programmes for 1993/1994 and 1995/1996. In March 1993, the IAEA organized a Technical Committee meeting to discuss the establishment of country data ``profiles``, to define the information to be included in the profiles and to review the information already available in the IAEA. Two expert meetings were convened in November 1994 to provide guidance to the IAEA on the establishment of the country nuclear profiles, on the structure and content of the profiles, and on the preparation of the publication and the electronic database. In June 1995, an Advisory Group meeting provided the IAEA with comprehensive guidance on the establishment and dissemination of an information package on industrial and organizational aspects of nuclear power to be included in the profiles. The group of experts recommended that the profiles focus on the overall economic, energy and electricity situation in the country and on its nuclear power industrial structure and organizational framework. In its first release, the compilation would cover all countries with operating power plants by the end of 1995. It was also recommended to further promote information exchange on the lessons learned from the countries engaged in nuclear programmes. For the preparation of this publication, the IAEA received contributions from the 29 countries operating nuclear power plants and Italy. A database has been implemented and the profiles are supporting programmatic needs within the IAEA; it is expected that the database will be publicly accessible in the future. Refs, figs, tabs.

  2. Country nuclear power profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-03-01

    The preparation of Country Nuclear Power Profiles was initiated within the framework of the IAEA's programme for nuclear power plant performance assessment and feedback. It responded to a need for a database and a technical document containing a description of the energy and economic situation and the primary organizations involved in nuclear power in IAEA Member States. The task was included in the IAEA's programmes for 1993/1994 and 1995/1996. In March 1993, the IAEA organized a Technical Committee meeting to discuss the establishment of country data ''profiles'', to define the information to be included in the profiles and to review the information already available in the IAEA. Two expert meetings were convened in November 1994 to provide guidance to the IAEA on the establishment of the country nuclear profiles, on the structure and content of the profiles, and on the preparation of the publication and the electronic database. In June 1995, an Advisory Group meeting provided the IAEA with comprehensive guidance on the establishment and dissemination of an information package on industrial and organizational aspects of nuclear power to be included in the profiles. The group of experts recommended that the profiles focus on the overall economic, energy and electricity situation in the country and on its nuclear power industrial structure and organizational framework. In its first release, the compilation would cover all countries with operating power plants by the end of 1995. It was also recommended to further promote information exchange on the lessons learned from the countries engaged in nuclear programmes. For the preparation of this publication, the IAEA received contributions from the 29 countries operating nuclear power plants and Italy. A database has been implemented and the profiles are supporting programmatic needs within the IAEA; it is expected that the database will be publicly accessible in the future

  3. US Clean Development Mechanism: benefits of the CDM for developing countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pearce, D.; Day, B.; Newcombe, J.; Brunello, T.; Bello, T.

    1998-11-01

    The Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change enables countries with mandatory greenhouse gas reduction commitments to offset some of their domestic emissions by reductions in emissions and enhancement of carbon sinks in other countries. One of three types of offsets in the Protocol is the Clean Development Mechanism, a form of joint implementation between Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 countries which stresses the development gains to developing countries (Article 12). This report focuses on the provision of Article 12 and aims to establish a framework for determining the net benefits of such offsets or trades to developing countries. It looks at some estimates of the likely size of the CDM market, addresses the issue of risks, and takes a brief look at the issue of sharing credits between hosts and investors. It addresses how CDM projects might be screened for their contribution to sustainable development in developing countries and introduces the framework for assessing that contribution and then applies that framework to evaluate different types of potential CDM projects (in the energy, transport, forests and agricultural sectors). 63 refs., 8 figs., 387 tabs., 7 apps.

  4. New trajectories of unionization in the Nordic Ghent countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høgedahl, Laust Kristian; Kongshøj, Kristian

    2017-01-01

    membership. These countries have witnessed different combinations of two types of reform, less attractive unemployment benefits plus new institutional alternatives to the traditional union-run funds, and this has led to different outcomes in each country. Benefit retrenchment and increased contributions led...... to institutional changes to unemployment insurance benefits and the institutional setup surrounding and regulating them. In this article, we investigate recent institutional changes in the three Nordic countries following the Ghent model, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, and analyse the consequences for union and fund...

  5. Country Branding and Country Image: Insights, Challenges and Prospects. The Case of Estonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Same Siiri

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Gaining understanding about customers ’mindset and information on their experiences is a precondition for the formulation of an effective country branding strategy. What potential tourists might learn and how they can be made to feel about a place can help small and not very well-known countries compete with bigger and more popular tourist destinations. The article focuses on the effectiveness of Brand Estonia and claims that it is still a challenge, despite the existence of an ongoing strategy. It also favors the revision of the brand identity selection and the promotion of Estonian brand, and supports a customer-based approach for their assessment. Documentary and empirical evidence show that the image of Estonia among its most important target audiences in the field of tourism does not match the Estonian brand identity. The gap in-between was evidenced by the results and content analysis of 24 in-depth interviews made with a selected group of people well acquainted with the country as well as some branding experts. This article contributes to the existing case study literature with findings that also manifest opportunities to strengthen the country brand, if its formulation develops a realistic brand identity and its promotion is based on accurate, unique and appealing ideas. It proposes academic support to innovative or alternative concepts for the country branding, and comments on applications of this study to more specific fields and further research.

  6. Emerging industrial countries provide the sale opportunities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzhefs, Eh.; Grinkhal, G.

    1982-01-01

    Main trends in the development of nuclear power engineering in capitalist countries are considred. A particular attention is paid to a sharp contrast in the attitude to nuclear engineering in the developed and developing countries. In the first ones a considerable influence on the realization of nuclear engineering programs is exerted by the political situation, in the second ones the tendency to a transition from the NPP import to an increase in domestic industry contribution designing and fabricating separate plant units, equipment and fuel is clearly manifested

  7. Bioenergy and the potential contribution of agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruane, John [FAO Working Group on Biotechnology, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome (Italy); Sonnino, Andrea [FAO Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome (Italy); Agostini, Astrid [FAO Investment Centre, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome (Italy)

    2010-10-15

    We provide an overview of the current status of bioenergy development, focusing on first- and second-generation liquid biofuels, considering drivers of growth and risks that have raised concerns over recent years. We also describe the main areas where biotechnologies are being, or can be, applied for production of first- and second-generation biofuels as well as microalgal biodiesel and biogas. Greatest attention is paid to second-generation biofuels in the review because of the large expectations they have created and because of the significant role that biotechnology applications are likely to play in their development. We close with some specific considerations regarding applying biotechnologies for bioenergy development in developing countries. (author)

  8. Government's contribution to the development of translation in South ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The South African government has contributed tremendously to the development of translation, a contribution which is not always rightfully acknowledged or valued. The development of translation benefited significantly from the country's official bilingualism policy of 1910 which necessitated the translation of a variety of text ...

  9. How does the scientific progress in developing countries affect bibliometric impact measures of developed countries? A counterfactual case study on China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stahlschmidt, S.; Hinze, S.

    2016-07-01

    Many developed countries have found their bibliometric impact measures to be improving over the last decade. Also the BRICS states, the economically largest group of developing countries, observe a similar pattern. This uniform growth seems puzzling, as not every country can improve its relative performance to all other countries. A possible explanation for this uniform growth might be found in the dynamic environment and especially in the exponential growth of Chinese publications. We like to analyze how this unprecedented growth of contributions from a single country with its specific bibliometric characteristics affects the whole bibliometric measurement process. We show that due to the lowly cited Chinese publications the overall corpus of scientific publications grows especially in the lower tail and argue that this unequal increase in publications benefits especially the bibliometric impact measures of developed countries. The actual magnitude of this effect will be derived by contrasting the actual bibliometric world with a counterfactual one without China. (Author)

  10. Collagen derived serum markers in carcinoma of the prostate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudnicki, M; Jensen, L T; Iversen, P

    1995-01-01

    Three new collagen markers deriving from the collagenous matrix, e.g. carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) were used for the diagnose......, ICTP, and PICP did not differ between these two groups. In patients with metastatic prostatic cancer all five markers were increased compared to the level measured in patients with localized cancer (p

  11. Contribution of Arab countries to pharmaceutical wastewater literature: a bibliometric and comparative analysis of research output

    OpenAIRE

    Zyoud, Sa?ed H.; Zyoud, Shaher H.; Al-Jabi, Samah W.; Sweileh, Waleed M.; Awang, Rahmat

    2016-01-01

    Background Recently, the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry has been growing rapidly in many countries in the world, including in Arab countries. Pharmaceuticals reach aquatic environments and are prevalent at small concentrations in wastewater from the drug manufacturing industry and hospitals. Such presence also occurs in domestic wastewater and results from the disposal of unused and expired medicines. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze and compare the quantity and qu...

  12. Contribution to the Proposal for the Formation of Regional Centres for Nuclear Physics in the Developing Countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alaga, G. [Institute ' ' Rudjer Bośković' ' , Zagreb, Yugoslavia (Croatia)

    1969-07-15

    The paper discusses the development of nuclear physics in developing countries, pointing out the difficulties of research in the future. A proposal for the formation of regional centres is put forward. Arguments justifying the formation of these regional centres are presented together with the suggestion that UNESCO and IAEA act as sponsors and financial supporters of the regional centres. The institutes in the developing countries could serve as a basis for such centres. Countries which are qualified and interested in having and using the facilities of the regional centres should also participate in the financing of them. (author)

  13. Energy demand in seven OECD countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patry, M.

    1990-01-01

    The intensity of utilization of energy has been declining in all OECD countries since the first oil price shock of 1973. In 1988, the OECD countries were consuming 1.7 billion tonnes of crude oil, that is two hundred million tonnes less than fifteen years ago. From 1974 to 1988, OECD oil consumption decreased at an average annual rate of 1.3% while the GDP of these countries rose by an average of 2.6% per annum. The authors present here a model of sectoral energy demand and interfuel substitution for the G-7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The ultimate goal is to determine the relative importance of the contributing factors to the observed reversal in energy consumption per unit of production in these countries. The results they present should be viewed as preliminary. They point in the paper to a number of extensions that should improve the theoretical quality of the modeling effort and the statistical robustness of the results. They are presently expanding the data set to pinpoint more adequately the effects of structural change and conservation

  14. The Bidirectional Causality between Country-Level Governance, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: A Cross-Country Data Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Boţa-Avram

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In the context of contemporary society, characterized by the information users’ growing and differentiated needs, the way country-level governance and social responsibility contribute to the ensuring of sustainable economic development is a concern for all the actors of the economic sphere. The aim of this paper is to test the causal linkages between the quality of country-level governance, economic growth and a well-known indicator of economic sustainable development, for a large panel of world-wide countries for a period of 10 years (2006–2015. While there are some prior studies that have argued the bidirectional causality between good public governance and economic development, this study intends to provide a new focus on the relationship between country-level governance and economic growth, on one hand, and between country-level governance and adjusted net savings, as a selected indicator of economic sustainable development, on the other hand. Four hypotheses on the causal relationship between good governance, economic growth and sustainable development were tested by using Granger non-causality tests. Our findings resulting from Granger non-causality tests provide reasonable evidence of Granger causality from country-level governance to economic growth, but from economic growth to country-level governance, the causality is not confirmed. In what regards the relationship between country-level governance and adjusted net savings, the bidirectional Granger causality is not confirmed. The main implication of our study is that improving economic growth and sustainable development is a very challenging issue, and the impact of macro-level factors such as country-level governance should not be neglected.

  15. Income inequality in the EU: How do member states contribute?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Papatheodorou, C.; Pavlopoulos, D.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structure of overall inequality in the EU-15 by investigating the extent to which total inequality is attributed to inequality between or within the individual countries. Also, the paper examines whether the contribution of between-country and

  16. Perspective has a strong effect on the calculation of historical contributions to global warming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skeie, Ragnhild B.; Fuglestvedt, Jan; Berntsen, Terje; Peters, Glen P.; Andrew, Robbie; Allen, Myles; Kallbekken, Steffen

    2017-02-01

    The politically contentious issue of calculating countries’ contributions to climate change is strongly dependent on methodological choices. Different principles can be applied for distributing efforts for reducing human-induced global warming. According to the ‘Brazilian Proposal’, industrialized countries would reduce emissions proportional to their historical contributions to warming. This proposal was based on the assumption that the political process would lead to a global top-down agreement. The Paris Agreement changed the role of historical responsibilities. Whereas the agreement refers to equity principles, differentiation of mitigation efforts is delegated to each country, as countries will submit new national contributions every five years without any international negotiation. It is likely that considerations of historical contributions and distributive fairness will continue to play a key role, but increasingly so in a national setting. Contributions to warming can be used as a background for negotiations to inform and justify positions, and may also be useful for countries’ own assessment of what constitutes reasonable and fair contributions to limiting warming. Despite the fact that the decision from COP21 explicitly rules out compensation in the context of loss and damage, it is likely that considerations of historical responsibility will also play a role in future discussions. However, methodological choices have substantial impacts on calculated contributions to warming, including rank-ordering of contributions, and thus support the view that there is no single correct answer to the question of how much each country has contributed. There are fundamental value-related and ethical questions that cannot be answered through a single set of calculated contributions. Thus, analyses of historical contributions should not present just one set of results, but rather present a spectrum of results showing how the calculated contributions vary with a

  17. ICTP Summer Course on Low-Dimensional Quantum Field Theories for Condensed Matter Physicists

    CERN Document Server

    Morandi, G; Lu, Y

    1995-01-01

    This volume contains a set of pedagogical reviews covering the most recent applications of low-dimensional quantum field theory in condensed matter physics, written by experts who have made major contributions to this rapidly developing field of research. The main purpose is to introduce active young researchers to new ideas and new techniques which are not covered by the standard textbooks.

  18. Opening Statement to ICTP/IAEA School of Nuclear Energy Management, 8 August 2011, Trieste, Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bychkov, A.

    2011-01-01

    Today is an exciting day for all of us. It is the start of an intensive three-week course that covers a wide range of important topics in the nuclear energy sector. You - the new generation of nuclear energy leaders - will have the unique opportunity here to learn and benefit from the specific knowledge of the Agency and its senior experts in nuclear energy, nuclear safety, nuclear security and nuclear safeguards. You will be able to gain a broad international perspective on many issues related to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. And you will be required to take an exam at the end. This will help you - and us - to confirm that you will have understood the lectures and group work, and that it will be sustainable knowledge. Getting to know and working with peers from around the world - and maybe making friends for a life time - is an extra bonus. Many countries are concerned that they will not have enough skilled professionals in the nuclear field in the coming decades. When you return to your countries after these three weeks, you will be better prepared to contribute to building and managing nuclear power programmes responsibly, safely and sustainably. Nuclear energy has played an important role during all my life. I call myself a 'nuclear man'. For the past 30 years, I spent my professional career at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors - or RIAR - in Dimitrovgrad, where I started as a young engineer and researcher. When the former Soviet Union collapsed twenty years ago, many scientific institutes were faced with a long period of crisis. At that time, my scientific boss, Professor Skiba, and the Director of our Institute, Professor Ivanov, asked me to head my Laboratory. This was a great challenge. We and some other groups worked in the field of new pyro- electrochemical technologies for fast reactor fuel recycling. We wanted to preserve existing knowledge and develop new one. I encouraged my team to look into the future. It was an opportunity to

  19. Climate targets for all countries: the options

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Philibert, C.; Pershing, J.

    2001-01-01

    This paper assesses five options for targets that could be taken by all countries to meet the ultimate objective of the Climate Change Convention: fixed, binding targets, dynamic targets; non-binding targets; sectoral targets, policies and measures. Each is evaluated according to criteria of environmental effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, contribution to economic growth and sustainable development, and equity. While fixed, binding targets continue to be viable for industrialized countries, they do not seem suitable for many developing countries in the near future. Dynamic targets could alleviate developing countries' concerns about constraining their development as well as broader concerns about possible introduction of 'hot air' in a world trading regime; they could also be considered for some or all industrialized countries. Non-binding targets could be politically appealing to developing counties, alleviate fears about development and/or hot air, but might only allow conditional participation in emissions trading by developing countries. Sectoral targets could offer a pragmatic first step - although their cost-effectiveness might be questioned. Finally, targets based on commitments to implement specific policies and measures might drive mitigation action and be part of negotiated packages including financial and technological cooperation. All these options may coexist in the future. (authors)

  20. Alcohol taxes' contribution to prices in high and middle-income countries: Data from the International Alcohol Control Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wall, Martin; Casswell, Sally; Callinan, Sarah; Chaiyasong, Surasak; Viet Cuong, Pham; Gray-Phillip, Gaile; Parry, Charles

    2017-11-22

    Taxation is increasingly being used as an effective means of influencing behaviour in relation to harmful products. In this paper we use data from six participating countries of the International Alcohol Control Study to examine and evaluate their comparative prices and tax regimes. We calculate taxes and prices for three high-income and three middle-income countries. The data are drawn from the International Alcohol Control survey and from the Alcohol Environment Protocol. Tax systems are described and then the rates of tax on key products presented. Comparisons are made using the Purchasing Power Parity rates. The price and purchase data from each country's International Alcohol Control survey is then used to calculate the mean percentage of retail price paid in tax weighted by actual consumption. Both ad valorem and specific per unit of alcohol taxation systems are represented among the six countries. The prices differ widely between countries even though presented in terms of Purchasing Power Parity. The percentage of tax in the final price also varies widely but is much lower than the 75% set by the World Health Organization as a goal for tobacco tax. There is considerable variation in tax systems and prices across countries. There is scope to increase taxation and this analysis provides comparable data, including the percentage of tax in final price, from some middle and high-income countries for consideration in policy discussion. © 2017 The Authors Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  1. Labor Share in National Income: Implications in the Baltic Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Razgūnė Aušra

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Despite the fact that stability of labor share in national income is a key foundation in macroeconomic models, scientists acknowledge, that in the last three decades it has been declining around the world. The Baltic countries are not an exception; they follow similar patters to large economies, thus the research aims at determining economic factors at play. With the help of error correction model and time series data covering the past twenty years, we determine factors which contribute to the decline of labor share in the Baltic countries. We find significant long-term relationships between labor share and government spending, trade openness, and emigration. Government spending exhibits the highest contribution to variance of labor share in Lithuania, which also explains a large part of Latvia’s labor share variations. We find many similarities between the analyzed countries, however some differences are also visible.

  2. Transfer of radiation technology to developing countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markovic, Vitomir; Ridwan, Mohammad

    1993-10-01

    Transfer of technology is a complex process with many facets, options and constraints. While the concept is an important step in bringing industrialization process to agricultural based countries, it is clear, however, that a country will only benefit from a new technology if it addresses a real need, and if it can be absorbed and adapted to suit the existing cultural and technological base. International Atomic Energy Agency, as UN body, has a mandate to promote nuclear applicationsand assist Member States in transfer of technology for peaceful applications. This mandate has been pursued by many different mechanisms developed in the past years: technical assistance, coordinated research programmes, scientific and technical meetings, publications, etc. In all these activities the Agency is the organizer and initiator, but main contributions come from expert services from developed countries and, increasingly, from developing countries themselves. The technical cooperation among developing coutries more and more becomes part of different programmes. In particular, regional cooperation has been demonstrated as an effective instrument for transfer of technology from developed and among developing countries. Some examples of actual programmes are given.

  3. Shadow economies and corruption all over the world: revised estimates for 120 countries

    OpenAIRE

    Schneider, Friedrich G.; Buehn, Andreas

    2007-01-01

    Estimations of the shadow economies for 120 countries, including developing, Eastern Europe and Central Asian and high income OECD countries over 1999 to 2006 are presented. The average size of the shadow economy (as a percent of "official" GDP) in 2004/05 in 76 developing countries is 35.5%, in 19 Eastern and Central Asian countries 36.7% and in 25 high income OECD countries 15.5%. An increased burden of taxation and social security contributions, combined with labour market regulations are ...

  4. What Good Do Countries Trade? New Ricardian Predictions

    OpenAIRE

    Costinot, Arnaud; Komunjer, Ivana

    2006-01-01

    Though one of the pillars of the theory of international trade, the extreme predictions of the Ricardian model have made it unsuitable for empirical purposes. A seminal contribution of Eaton and Kortum (2002) is to demonstrate that random productivity shocks are sufficient to make the Ricardian model empirically relevant. While successful at explaining trade volumes, their model remains silent with regards to one important questions: What goods to countries trade? Our main contribution is...

  5. Innovations on nuclear energy - what can a small country contribute?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smodis, B.; Cercek, M.

    2007-01-01

    The Slovenian energy policy gives priority to the use of renewable energy resources. The energy policy defined in the Resolution on the National Energy Program adopted in 2004 foresees increasing of renewable energy (RES) sources in the primary energy consumption up to 12 % in 2010. The share of electricity from RES in total electricity production in the year 2004 was 29,1%. The share of RES in the primary energy balance in the same year was 10,7 %, with about half of this coming from hydropower. The electricity power produced by co-generation is about 8 % and expected to double by 2010. However, the Krsko nuclear power plant produces about one third of electricity needed within the country. Consequently, Slovenia has long tradition in research pertaining to development and utilisation of nuclear technology. Furthermore, Slovenian scientists have long been collaborating in numerous fusion-related projects. The major equipment available include an ion-beam accelerator with material diagnostics installations, the TRIGA nuclear research reactor, high-temperature furnaces, an advanced, dedicated fully-integrated high-resolution microscope facility for investigations of nano structured materials, computer systems for simulations, structural mechanical analysis and CAD, and much more. The researchers at the Jozef Stefan Institute study the processes that occur on plasma facing materials and in the edge plasma of tokamak reactors and involve neutral hydrogen/deuterium molecules. These molecules are typically vibrationally excited that influences respective reaction cross sections. Therefore, a special experimental technique for vibrational spectroscopy of molecules was developed and an ion beam analytical technique ERDA is used for characterizing hydrogen content on and beneath the material surface. Ion beam analytical methods are also being developed for the studies of plasma wall interaction processes such as erosion, deposition, fuel retention and material migration in

  6. Unbalanced international collaboration affects adversely the usefulness of countries' scientific output as well as their technological and social impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanotto, Sonia R; Haeffner, Cristina; Guimarães, Jorge A

    The unbalanced international scientific collaboration as cause of misleading information on the country's contribution to the scientific world output was analyzed. ESI Data Base (Thomson Reuters' InCites), covering the scientific production of 217 active countries in the period 2010-2014 was used. International collaboration implicates in a high percentage (33.1 %) of double-counted world articles, thus impacting qualitative data as citations, impact and impact relative to word. The countries were divided into three groups, according to their individual contribution to the world publications: Group I (24 countries, at least 1 %) representing 83.9 % of the total double-counted world articles. Group II (40 countries, 0.1-0.99 % each). Group III, 153 countries (70.5 %) with international collaboration were: Group I, 43.0 %; Group II, 55.8 % and Group III, 85.2 %. We concluded that very high and unbalanced international collaboration, as presented by many countries, misrepresent the importance of their scientific production, technological and social outputs. Furthermore, it jeopardizes qualitative outputs of the countries themselves, artificially increasing their scientific impact, affecting all fields and therefore, the whole world. The data confirm that when dealing with the qualitative contribution of countries, it is necessary to take in consideration the level of international cooperation because, as seen here, it can and in fact it does create false impression of the real contribution of countries.

  7. Corporate strategic branding: How country and corporate brands come together

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đorđević Bojan

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The concept of countries as brands has been increasingly recognized in the post-modern global world. A strong country brand can provide corporate brands with a unique set of values, which supports their positioning on the international market. Simultaneously, once corporate brands achieve worldwide success, they contribute actively to developing new features of the country brand. Consumers pay more and more attention to products' country of origin. When the name of a country is mentioned, they can have positive associations (high quality, modern design, product innovation, which means that the country itself has a powerful brand. However, there are opposite cases where we talk about the weak branding of a particular country. It is necessary to mobilize all the available forces of politicians, business people, artists, sportsmen and scientists to create a strategy for enhancing the image and reputation of a country on the international markets, i.e. for creating the national branding strategy.

  8. Bone turnover markers and bone scintigraphy in the evaluation of skeletal metastases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chrapko, B.; Nocun, A.; Golebiewska, R.; Jankowska, H.; Zaorska-Rajca, J.

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study was evaluation of the clinical usefulness of bone scintigraphy and of serum bone turnover marker levels in the assessment of skeletal metastases. We investigated 60 patients with suspected skeletal metastases. Serum level of bone-formation marker: amino- terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) and a bone-degradation marker: carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) were assessed with radioimmunoassays. Bone MDP- 99m- Tc scans were performed as well. Hot spots were showed in 72% of patients. According to bone scintigraphy the patients were divided in to 3 groups: Group I - without hot spots (n = 16; 26%), Group II up to 10 hot spots (n = 25; 42%) and Group III more that 10 hot spots (n = 19; 32%). Mean serum level of ICTP was significantly higher in Group II than in Group I (p < 0.05), as well as in Group III compared to Group II (p < 0.001) and in Group III compared to Group I (p < 0.001). There is only one significant relationship in PINP levels - between Groups II and III. The levels of bone pathological degradation (ICTP) and bone formation reflect the metastatic disease extent in bone. Serum ICTP level is more useful in staging metastasis. Significantly higher PINP reflects only a much disseminated process. (author)

  9. Explaining individual- and country-level variations in unregistered employment using a multi-level model: evidence from 35 Eurasian countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krasniqi Besnik A.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to evaluate the individual- and country-level variations in unregistered employment. To analyse whether it is marginalised groups who are more likely to engage in unregistered employment and explain the country-level variations, a 2010 Life in Transition Survey (LiTS involving 38,864 interviews in 35 Eurasian countries is reported. Multilevel logistic regression analysis reveals that younger age groups, the divorced, and those with fewer years in education, are more likely to be unregistered employed. On a country-level, meanwhile, the prevalence of unregistered employment is strongly associated with tax morale; the greater the asymmetry between informal and formal institutions, the greater is the prevalence of unregistered employment. It is also higher when GDP per capita as well as social distribution and state intervention (subsidies and transfers, social contribution expenditure, health expenditure are lower. The paper concludes by discussing the theoretical and policy implications.

  10. Medical education research in GCC countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meo, Sultan Ayoub; Hassan, Asim; Aqil, Mansoor; Usmani, Adnan Mahmood

    2015-02-01

    Medical education is an essential domain to produce physicians with high standards of medical knowledge, skills and professionalism in medical practice. This study aimed to investigate the research progress and prospects of GCC countries in medical education during the period 1996-2013. In this study, the research papers published in various global scientific journals during the period 1996-2013 were accessed. We recorded the total number of research documents having an affiliation with GCC Countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman. The main source for information was Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science, Thomson Reuters. In ISI-Web of Science, Saudi Arabia contributed 40797 research papers, Kuwait 1666, United Arab Emirates 3045, Qatar 4265, Bahrain 1666 and Oman 4848 research papers. However, in Medical Education only Saudi Arabia contributed 323 (0.79%) research papers, Kuwait 52 (0.03%), United Arab Emirates 41(0.01%), Qatar 37(0.008%), Bahrain 28 (0.06%) and Oman 22 (0.45%) research papers in in ISI indexed journals. In medical education the Hirsch index (h-index) of Saudi Arabia is 14, United Arab Emirates 14, Kuwait 11, Qatar 8, Bahrain 8 and Oman 5. GCC countries produced very little research in medical education during the period 1996-2013. They must improve their research outcomes in medical education to produce better physicians to enhance the standards in medical practice in the region.

  11. Policy options for developing Asian countries in the Post-Kyoto world

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddiqi, Toufiq A.

    2003-01-01

    The developing countries of Asia are amongst the largest contributors to the anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases as well as being amongst those most likely to be impacted by global climate change. There are at present no legal requirements for the Asian developing countries to reduce their emissions, however, the medium and long-term impact of global climate change is likely to be proportionately larger for the developing countries than for the industrialized countries, since the latter have the resources to reduce the adverse impacts. Therefore, it is of great interest of the developing countries, as well as the rest of the world, to have longer-term goals for stabilizing their greenhouse gas emissions, and taking actions during the medium term to achieve these goals. Asia is home to about 50% of the world's population, and there is great variation in the levels of industrialization and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. A differentiated strategy for addressing concerns related to global climate change may be appropriate for the Asian developing countries at this time. Some elements of this strategy are discussed in this paper. Development in energy technology present several attractive options for the developing countries. However, their introduction and successful use depends at least as much on the existence of the necessary infrastructure as on the attractiveness of the technologies themselves. It is suggested that international and bilateral development agencies, as well as the countries themselves, consider the accelerated development of such infrastructure as a major way to contribute to the efforts to address global climate change. (BA)

  12. Pharmacovigilance activities in ASEAN countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suwankesawong, Wimon; Dhippayom, Teerapon; Tan-Koi, Wei-Chuen; Kongkaew, Chuenjid

    2016-09-01

    This study aimed to explore the current landscape and identify challenges of pharmacovigilance (PV) among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. This cross-sectional survey collected data from May 2014 to December 2015. Questionnaires seeking to collect information on resources, processes, roles and responsibility, and functions of PV systems were sent to relevant persons in the ASEAN countries. Functions of PV centers were measured using the minimum World Health Organization requirements for a functional national PV system. Performances of PV centers were measured by the following: (1) the indicators related to the average number of individual case safety reports (ICSR); (2) presence of signal detection activities and subsequent action; and (3) contribution to the global vigilance database. Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam completed the survey. PV systems in four surveyed countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) achieved all aspects of the World Health Organization minimum requirement for a functional national PV system; the remaining countries were deemed to have unclear communication strategies and/or no official advisory committee. Average numbers of recent ICSR national returns ranged from 7 to 3817 reports/year/million population; three countries (Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand) demonstrated good performance in reporting system and reported signal detection activities and subsequent actions. All participating countries had submitted ICSRs to the Uppsala Monitoring Center during the survey period (2013-2015). Four participating countries had functional PV systems. PV capacity, functionality, and legislative framework varied depending on local healthcare ecosystem networks. Implementing effective communication strategies and/or technical assistance from the advisory committee are needed to strengthen PV in ASEAN. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright

  13. Nuclear power for developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kendall, J.; Kupitz, J.; Rogner, H. H.

    2000-01-01

    Nuclear power is a proven technology which currently makes a large contribution to the electricity supply in a number of countries and, to a much less extent, to heat supply in some countries. Nuclear power is economically competitive with fossil fuels for base load electricity generation in many countries, and is one of the commercially proven energy supply options that could be expanded in the future to reduce environmental burdens, especially greenhouse gas emissions, from the electricity sector. Over the past five decades, nearly ten thousand reactor-years of operating experience have been accumulated with current nuclear power plants. Building upon this background of success and applying lessons learned from the experience of operating plants, new generations of nuclear power plants have been, or are being developed. Improvements incorporated into these advance designs include features that will allow operators more time to perform equipment protection and safety actions in response to equipment failures and other off normal operating conditions, and that will reduce and simplify the actions required. Great attention is also paid to making new plants simpler to operate, inspect, maintain and repair, thus increasing their overall cost efficiency and their compatibility with the infrastructure of developing countries. The paper provides a discussion of future world energy supply and demand projections, current status and prospects for nuclear power, a short summary of advanced reactor concepts and non-electrical applications of nuclear energy for developing countries, and a review of the role of the IAEA. (author)

  14. The Security of Energy Supply and the Contribution of Nuclear Energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    What contribution can nuclear energy make to improve the security of energy supply? This study, which examines a selection of OECD member countries, qualitatively and quantitatively validates the often intuitive assumption that, as a largely domestic source of electricity with stable costs and no greenhouse gas emissions during production, nuclear energy can make a positive contribution. Following an analysis of the meaning and context of security of supply, the study uses transparent and policy-relevant indicators to show that, together with improvements in energy efficiency, nuclear energy has indeed contributed significantly to enhanced energy supply security in OECD countries over the past 40 years. Content: Foreword; Executive Summary; 1. The Security of Energy Supply and the Contribution of Nuclear Energy - Concepts and Issues: - Energy supply security: An introduction, - Why security of energy supply remains a policy issue in OECD countries, - The external dimension: import dependence, resource exhaustion and carbon policy, - The internal dimension: economic, financial and technical considerations for energy supply security - Orientations for government policies to enhance the security of energy supply, - Conclusions; 2. Indicators and Models for Measuring Security of Energy Supply Risks: - Introduction, - Different approaches towards designing the Supply/Demand Index, - A detailed review of selected security of supply indicators, - Comprehensive models for assessing the security of energy supply, - The Supply/Demand Index, - Concluding observations; 3. Evolution of the Security of Energy Supply in OECD Countries: - Time-dependent quantification of the security of energy supply, - Changes in security of supply in selected OECD countries, - Electricity generation and the security of energy supply, - The contribution of nuclear energy and energy intensity to the security of energy supply, - The geographical distribution of SSDI values, - Conclusions; 4. Public

  15. Historical contribution by country of three greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) to the climate change and Equity principle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muylaert, M.S.; De Campos, C.P.; Pinguelli Rosa, L.

    2003-11-01

    The historical contribution by country to climate change can be used as a basis of analysis for a second period of commitments to the burden share. The historical greenhouse gases emission inventory is an important tool to evaluate the common but differentiated responsibilities of groups according to the principle of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Convention (1992). This paper aims to discuss the differences among the meaning of the GHG historical emissions in terms of development patterns and suggests that different weights for different sectors should be taken into account. GHG emissions due to enteric fermentation from domestic livestock, for example, are linked to different regional activities such as food production, cultural expression or even religion meaning, depending on the region analyzed. Emissions due to fossil fuel sector represent in the majority a not feasible consumption pattern in terms of sustainable development

  16. Cohort fertility decline in low fertility countries: Decomposition using parity progression ratios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krystof Zeman

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: The long-term decline in cohort fertility in highly developed countries has been widely documented. However, no systematic analysis has investigated which parity contributed most to the fertility decline to low and very low levels. Objective: We examine how the contribution of changing parity progression ratios varied across cohorts, countries, and broader regions in Europe, North America, Australia, and East Asia. We pay special attention to countries that reached very low completed cohort fertility, below 1.75 children per woman. Methods: Using population censuses and large-scale surveys for 32 low fertility countries, we decompose the change in completed cohort fertility among women born between 1940 and 1970. The decomposition method takes into account the sequential nature of childbearing as a chain of transitions from lower to higher parities. Results: Among women born between 1940 and 1955, the fertility decline was mostly driven by reductions in the progression ratios to third and higher-order births. By contrast, among women born between 1955 and 1970, changes in fertility showed distinct regional patterns: in Central and Eastern Europe they were fuelled by falling second-birth rates, whereas in the German-speaking countries, Southern Europe, and East Asia decreases in first-birth rates played the major role. Conclusions: Pathways to low and very low fertility show distinct geographical patterns, which reflect the diversity of the cultural, socioeconomic, and institutional settings of low fertility countries. Contribution: Our study highlights the importance of analysing parity-specific components of fertility in order to understand fertility change and variation. We demonstrate that similar low levels of completed cohort fertility can result from different combinations of parity-specific fertility rates.

  17. Victim countries of transnational terrorism: an empirical characteristics analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbakidze, Levan; Jin, Yanhong

    2012-12-01

    This study empirically investigates the association between country-level socioeconomic characteristics and risk of being victimized in transnational terrorism events. We find that a country's annual financial contribution to the U.N. general operating budget has a positive association with the frequency of being victimized in transnational terrorism events. In addition, per capita GDP, political freedom, and openness to trade are nonlinearly related to the frequency of being victimized in transnational terrorism events. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

  18. Environmental and resource economics in South Africa: status quo and lessons for developing countries

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Nahman, Anton

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper reviews the potential contributions of environmental and resource economics (ERE) to the achievement of sustainable development in developing countries and highlights the limitations associated with applying ERE within a developing country...

  19. The insulin-like growth factor axis and collagen turnover during prednisolone treatment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wolthers, O D; Juul, A; Hansen, M

    1994-01-01

    Serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), the carboxyterminal propeptide of type I collagen (PICP), the carboxyterminal pyridinoline crosslinked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), and the aminoterminal propeptide...... of type III procollagen (PIIINP) were studied in 10 prepubertal children with asthma (mean age 9.0 years). The children were treated with 2.5 and 5.0 mg/day prednisolone in a randomised double blind crossover trial with run in, treatment, and washout periods of two weeks. No statistically significant...... effects on serum concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were found. Dose related reductions of PICP, ICTP, and PIIINP were observed: the mean (SEM) reduction in PICP was 33.4 (26.3) and 68.4 (20.6) micrograms/l, in ICTP 2.5 (0.5) and 2.9 (0.6) micrograms/l, and in PIIINP 2.1 (0.7) and 3.1 (1.8) micrograms...

  20. Biochemical markers of bone metabolism in draught and warmblood horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lepage, O M; Hartmann, D J; Eicher, R; Uebelhart, B; Tschudi, P; Uebelhart, D

    1998-11-01

    Concentrations of the cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and osteocalcin (OC) have been determined in the serum of one hundred clinically healthy adult Draught or Warmblood horses. The correlation between these two markers has been evaluated and the influence of gender, age and type of horse described. No significant variations were observed between animals of different sex, but a significant inverse correlation (P Draught [adjusted least square mean (LSM) = 6.612 micrograms.L-1] than in Warmblood horses (adjusted LSM = 8.596 micrograms.L-1), whereas levels of ICTP were higher in Draughts (adjusted LSM = 8.035 micrograms.L-1) than in Warmbloods (adjusted LSM = 6.643 micrograms.L-1). A significant correlation (P Draught horses might reflect a higher bone remodelling level of horses submitted to regular daily work. It was concluded that ICTP and OC are influenced by the type of horse, and probably reflect a physiological difference in bone remodelling between these animals.

  1. VIRAL HEPATITIS A TO E IN SOUTH MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanaa M. Kamal

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Viral hepatitis represents an important health problem in the South Mediterranean countries, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.  Emerging natural history and epidemiological information reveal differences in the overall epidemiology, risk factors and modes of transmission of viral hepatitis A, B, C, D, E infections in the South Mediterranean region. The differences in the in incidence and prevalence of viral hepatitis across North African countries is attributed to variations in health care  and sanitation standards, risk factors and immunization strategies. The active continuous population movement through travel, tourism and migration from and to the South Mediterranean countries contribute to the spread of infections due to hepatitis viruses across borders leading to outbreaks and emergence of new patterns of infection or introduction of uncommon genotypes in other countries, particularly in Europe.

  2. Personality traits across countries: Support for similarities rather than differences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kajonius, Petri; Mac Giolla, Erik

    2017-01-01

    In the current climate of migration and globalization, personality characteristics of individuals from different countries have received a growing interest. Previous research has established reliable differences in personality traits across countries. The present study extends this research by examining 30 personality traits in 22 countries, based on an online survey in English with large national samples (NTotal = 130,602). The instrument used was a comprehensive, open-source measure of the Five Factor Model (FFM) (IPIP-NEO-120). We postulated that differences in personality traits between countries would be small, labeling this a Similarities Hypothesis. We found support for this in three stages. First, similarities across countries were observed for model fits for each of the five personality trait structures. Second, within-country sex differences for the five personality traits showed similar patterns across countries. Finally, the overall the contribution to personality traits from countries was less than 2%. In other words, the relationship between a country and an individual's personality traits, however interesting, are small. We conclude that the most parsimonious explanation for the current and past findings is a cross-country personality Similarities Hypothesis.

  3. Distribution of country of origin in studies used in Cochrane Reviews.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert F Wolff

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Inclusion in systematic reviews is one important component in judging the potential impact of clinical studies upon practice and hence the 'value for money' of spending for clinical research. This study aims to quantify the distribution of countries of origin of clinical studies used in Cochrane Reviews (CRs, and to link these data to the size of a country and to its spending on research. METHODS: Random sample of publications used for CRs published in Issue 1 2008 and of publications used in CRs in the field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM. Publications without original data were excluded. Likely countries of origin determined based on abstracts/full texts. CIA World Factbook (population data and OECD database (economic data were used. RESULTS: 1,000 random entries out of 140,005 references available in all specialities. In 876 (91.4% of 959 eligible studies, country of origin was determined. The USA was the leading contributor (36.0% of the studies, followed by UK (13.4%, Canada (5.3%, Australia and Sweden (3.7%. In the CAM sample, country of origin was determined in 458 (93.5% of 497 assessed studies. Again, the USA was the leading contributor (24.9%, with China also emerging as a significant contributor (24.7% in this field. For both samples, the contribution of smaller countries (especially Scandinavian countries, Greece, and Ireland became more noteworthy when considered in relation to population size and research spending. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the leading roles of both the USA and the UK in publishing clinical papers. The emerging role of China can be seen, particularly related to CAM studies. Taking into account size of population and economic power, countries like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain provide small contributions. In contrast, smaller countries like Australia, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and Sweden also play major roles.

  4. Country Nuclear Power Profiles - 2012 Edition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-08-01

    The Country Nuclear Power Profiles compile background information on the status and development of nuclear power programmes in Member States. The CNPP's main objectives are to consolidate information about the nuclear power infrastructures in participating countries, and to present factors related to the effective planning, decision making and implementation of nuclear power programmes that together lead to safe and economical operations of nuclear power plants. The CNPP summarizes organizational and industrial aspects of nuclear power programs and provides information about the relevant legislative, regulatory, and international framework in each country. Its descriptive and statistical overview of the overall economic, energy, and electricity situation in each country and its nuclear power framework is intended to serve as an integrated source of key background information about nuclear power programs in the world. Topics such as reactor safety, nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management and research programmes are for the most part not discussed in detail. Statistical data about nuclear plant operations, population, energy and electricity use are drawn from the PRIS, EEDB, World Development Indicators (WDI) of the World Bank and the national contributions. This publication is updated and the scope of coverage expanded annually. This is the 2012 edition, issued on CD-ROM and Web pages. It contains updated country information for 51 countries. The CNPP is updated based on information voluntarily provided by participating IAEA Member States. Participants include the 29 countries that have operating nuclear power plants, as well as 22 countries with past or planned nuclear power. Each of the 51 profiles in this publication is self-standing, and contains information officially provided by the respective national authorities. For the 2012 edition, 20 countries provided updated or new profiles. These are Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Chile, Germany, Ghana

  5. The insulin-like growth factor axis and collagen turnover in asthmatic children treated with inhaled budesonide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wolthers, O D; Juul, A; Hansen, M

    1995-01-01

    Serum concentrations of growth hormone-dependent insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), the carboxy terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), the carboxy terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and ...... the calculations (p reduced synthesis of type III collagen. A similar trend was observed in ICTP levels when the 400 micrograms period was excluded from the calculations (p = 0.05; z = -1.9). No other statistically significant variations were seen....

  6. International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Scientific activities in 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-12-01

    A review of the scientific activities of the ICTP Trieste in 1987, including workshops, research and training for research is presented. The scientific program consists of eight main fields: fundamental physics, condensed matter, atomic and molecular physics, mathematics, physics and energy, physics and environment, applied physics and high technology, physics and development. In addition to a brief description of each workshop, symposium, college, meeting and activity or project sponsored by ICTP, a list of preprints and internal reports issued in 1987 is included. Tabs

  7. Collagen derived serum markers in carcinoma of the prostate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudnicki, M; Jensen, L T; Iversen, P

    1995-01-01

    Three new collagen markers deriving from the collagenous matrix, e.g. carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), and aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) were used for the diagnose...... of prostatic bone metastases. Blood samples were obtained prior to biopsy or TURP. Serum PICP, PIIINP and ICTP were measured with commercial available RIAs and PSA by IRMA. Serum PSA was increased in patients with local prostatic cancer compared with patients with hyperplasia (p

  8. Tanzania. A developing mining country; Tansania. Bergbauland im Aufbruch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elsner, Harald [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover (Germany). Fachbereich Wirtschaftsgeologie der mineralischen Rohstoffe

    2009-03-19

    Tanzania is the rising country in East Africa, to which not least of all the booming mining sector contributes. Many large gold mines, two precious stone mines, three cement works and smaller facilities for extraction of salt, phosphates, gypsum, pozzolana, coal and coloured gemstones currently characterise the mining sector. The high mineral potential of the country combined with the mining legislation favouring investment will also lead in future to the development of further deposits in particular, nickel, gold, coal and graphite. (orig.)

  9. Perspectives on climate change and adaptation funding in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P Lalthapersad-Pillay

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Most studies concur that climate change could seriously affect the sustainability and well-being of developing countries as they depend directly on climate-sensitive natural resources for their livelihood endeavours. This could primarily occur through reduced agricultural productivity, a higher incidence of diseases, the displacement of people, loss of livelihood and food price increases, all of which could contribute to food insecurity, malnourishment and escalating poverty. Although developing countries have contributed the least to Green house Gas (GHG emissions, they stand to lose the most and it is likely that many of the development gains that have been made thus far will be reversed. To ensure that poverty reduction and economic growth do not become elusive goals for developing countries, it will be necessary to provide funds for potential adaptation measures to prevent these countries slipping further down the Human Development Index (HDI ranking. In this paper, we will use Africa as a reference and look at the funds required for adaptation, the possible sources of funds and the conflict that may occur in prioritizing development objectives. Keywords: Climate change, sustainability, Greenhouse Gas (GHG emissions, poverty reduction, Human Development Index (HDI Disciplines: Economics, Environmental Studies, Sustainabiilty Studies, African Studies

  10. Exploring fair and ambitious mitigation contributions under the Paris Agreement goals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pan, Xunzhang; Elzen, den Michel; Höhne, Niklas; Teng, Fei; Wang, Lining

    2017-01-01

    In order to achieve the Paris Agreement goals of keeping the temperature rise well below 2 °C or even 1.5 °C, all countries would need to make fair and ambitious contributions to reducing emissions. A vast majority of countries have adopted reduction targets by 2030 in their Nationally Determined

  11. Contributions of fast breeder test reactor to the advanced technology in India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapoor, R.P.

    2001-01-01

    Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) is a 40 MWt/13.2 MWe loop type, sodium cooled, plutonium rich mixed carbide fuelled reactor. Its operation at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, since first criticality in 1985, has contributed immensely to the advancement of this multidisciplinary and complex fast breeder technology in the country. It has also given a valuable operational feedback for the design of 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor. This paper highlights FBTR's significant contributions to this important technology which has a potential to provide energy security to the country in future. (author)

  12. Brain drain: Do economic conditions "push" doctors out of developing countries?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okeke, Edward N

    2013-12-01

    Health worker migration is an issue of first order concern in global health policy circles and continues to be the subject of much policy debate. In this paper, we contribute to the discussion by studying the impact of economic conditions on the migration of physicians from developing countries. To our knowledge, this is one of the first papers to do so. A major contribution of this paper is the introduction of a new panel dataset on migration to the US and the UK from 31 sub-Saharan Africa countries. The data spans the period 1975-2004. Using this data, we estimate the impact of changes in economic conditions on physician migration. In our preferred specification that allows for country-specific time trends, we find that a temporary one percentage point decline in GDP per capita increases physician migration in the next period by approximately. 3 percent. In our IV models a one percentage point decline in GDP per capita increases physician migration in the next period by between 3.4 and 3.6 percent. Overall, our results suggest a significant effect of developing country economic conditions on physician migration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Career Satisfaction and Willingness to Contribute to Malaysian Economy: Skilled Migrants in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuie-Hong TAN

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available This article examines the effects of immigrants’ perceptions of their contribution to the host country, access to equal opportunities and government support on their career satisfaction. Results suggested that expatriates’ willingness to contribute to the host country have a significant positive association with their career satisfaction. Expatriates’ positive perceptions on equal opportunities to be successful are also significantly related directly to their career satisfaction. Results support the view that the expatriates’ optimistic perceptions towards the host country will enhance the quality of their career undertakings. Government should adopt a light touch towards the problem, by providing entry relaxation for them and promoting Malaysia as an attractive working and living environment.

  14. Income inequality in post-communist Central and Eastern European countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara ROSE

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Income inequality has become an important issue in Central and Eastern European countries during their transition process. This study constructs a model incorporating different categories of factors that impact inequality and tests whether the wealth of a country makes a difference in these relationships. This article shows that different income categories of Central and Eastern European transition countries do experience different relationships between income inequality and its contributing factors: economic, demographic, political, and cultural and environmental. The resulting Random Effects models of the best fit incorporate economic and political factors and show differences in magnitude, direction, and in their significance. These findings add to the literature by taking a cross-country and cross-income view on the impact of various factors.

  15. Marcadores séricos do metabolismo ósseo no hipertireoidismo felino Serum markers of bone metabolism in feline hyperthyroidism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro José Lahm Cardoso

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Os efeitos do hipertireoidismo experimental (150mg kg-1 d-1 42d-1 de levotiroxina sobre os marcadores do metabolismo ósseo foi estudado em 14 gatos sem raça definida, nove fêmeas e cinco machos, não-castrados, com idade entre um e três anos. As variáveis estudadas foram tiroxina total (T4, tiroxina livre (FT4 e o telopeptídeo carboxiterminal do colágeno tipo I (ICTP mensurados por radioimunoensaio, a osteocalcina (OC foi mensurada por ensaio radioimunométrico e a densidade mineral óssea (DMO foi mensurada pela técnica da densitometria óptica. As concentrações séricas da OC apresentaram diferença significativa (PThe effect of experimental hyperthyroidism (150mg kg-1 d-1 42d-1 levothyroxine on markers of bone metabolism was studied in fourteen shorthair intact cats, nine females and five males, from 1 to 3 years of age. Total thyroxine (T4, free thyroxine (FT4, carboxi-terminal telopeptides of collagen type I (ICTP (measured by radioimmunoassay, osteocalcin (OC (measured by immunoradiometric assay and bone mineral density (DMO (measured by the optic densitometria were evaluated. Serum concentrations of OC were significantly different (P<0.05 between all four moments (before the induction, 14, 28 and 42 days. The DMO presented significant difference (P<0.05 at the 14 days in comparison to the initial moment. Bone remodeling was probably caused by the hyperthyroid state, since both OC and ICTP presented strong positive correlation with TT4 and a little lowerth FT4. The FT4 concentrations did not present positive correlation with ICTP, except at 28 days. Correlation between markers of bone metabolism and the bone mineral density was low in all the moments. High correlation was observed between thyroid hormones and markers of bone metabolism. In conclusion, this excess of thyroid hormones in cats may cause an increase of bone remodeling. Moreover, thyrotoxicosis in this study was not enough to raise the serum levels of ICTP, suggesting

  16. Mathematical control theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agrachev, A.A.

    2002-01-01

    This volume is based on the lecture notes of the minicourses given in the frame of the school on Mathematical Control Theory held at the Abdus Salam ICTP from 3 to 28 September 2001. Mathematical Control Theory is a rapidly growing field which provides strict theoretical and computational tools for dealing with problems arising in electrical and aerospace engineering, automatics, robotics, applied chemistry, and biology etc. Control methods are also involved in questions pertaining to the development of countries in the South, such as wastewater treatment, agronomy, epidemiology, population dynamics, control of industrial and natural bio-reactors. Since most of these natural processes are highly nonlinear, the tools of nonlinear control are essential for the modelling and control of such processes. At present regular courses in Mathematical Control Theory are rarely included in the curricula of universities, and very few researchers receive enough background in the field. Therefore it is important to organize specific activities in the form of schools to provide the necessary background for those embarking on research in this field. The school at the Abdus Salam ICTP consisted of several minicourses intended to provide an introduction to various topics of Mathematical Control Theory, including Linear Control Theory (finite and infinite-dimensional), Nonlinear Control, and Optimal Control. The last week of the school was concentrated on applications of Mathematical Control Theory, in particular, those which are important for the development of non-industrialized countries. The school was intended primarily for mathematicians and mathematically oriented engineers at the beginning of their career. The typical participant was expected to be a graduate student or young post-doctoral researcher interested in Mathematical Control Theory. It was assumed that participants have sufficient background in Ordinary Differential Equations and Advanced Calculus. The volume

  17. Mathematical control theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Agrachev, A A [Steklov Mathematical Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation); SISSA, Trieste [Italy; ed.

    2002-07-15

    This volume is based on the lecture notes of the minicourses given in the frame of the school on Mathematical Control Theory held at the Abdus Salam ICTP from 3 to 28 September 2001. Mathematical Control Theory is a rapidly growing field which provides strict theoretical and computational tools for dealing with problems arising in electrical and aerospace engineering, automatics, tics, applied chemistry, and biology etc. Control methods are also involved in questions pertaining to the development of countries in the South, such as wastewater treatment, agronomy, epidemiology, population dynamics, control of industrial and natural bio-reactors. Since most of these natural processes are highly nonlinear, the tools of nonlinear control are essential for the modelling and control of such processes. At present regular courses in Mathematical Control Theory are rarely included in the curricula of universities, and very few researchers receive enough background in the field. Therefore it is important to organize specific activities in the form of schools to provide the necessary background for those embarking on research in this field. The school at the Abdus Salam ICTP consisted of several minicourses intended to provide an introduction to various topics of Mathematical Control Theory, including Linear Control Theory (finite and infinite-dimensional), Nonlinear Control, and Optimal Control. The last week of the school was concentrated on applications of Mathematical Control Theory, in particular, those which are important for the development of non-industrialized countries. The school was intended primarily for mathematicians and mathematically oriented engineers at the beginning of their career. The typical participant was expected to be a graduate student or young post-doctoral researcher interested in Mathematical Control Theory. It was assumed that participants have sufficient background in Ordinary Differential Equations and Advanced Calculus. The volume contains

  18. Moving from payg pensions to defined-contribution plan in the Russian Federation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnautova Yulia Valerievna

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This article is devoted to the moving from PAYG Pensions to Defined-Contribution Plan. The special aspects of this reorganization are analyzed. Pen-sion models of OECD countries are compared. Inability of the Defined-Contribution Plan in Russia is being proved. The present paper provides modern ways to improve the Defined-Contribution pension schemes.

  19. Authorship ethics in global health research partnerships between researchers from low or middle income countries and high income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Elise; Hunt, Matthew; Master, Zubin

    2014-05-28

    Over the past two decades, the promotion of collaborative partnerships involving researchers from low and middle income countries with those from high income countries has been a major development in global health research. Ideally, these partnerships would lead to more equitable collaboration including the sharing of research responsibilities and rewards. While collaborative partnership initiatives have shown promise and attracted growing interest, there has been little scholarly debate regarding the fair distribution of authorship credit within these partnerships. In this paper, we identify four key authorship issues relevant to global health research and discuss their ethical and practical implications. First, we argue that authorship guidance may not adequately apply to global health research because it requires authors to write or substantially revise the manuscript. Since most journals of international reputation in global health are written in English, this would systematically and unjustly exclude non-English speaking researchers even if they have substantially contributed to the research project. Second, current guidance on authorship order does not address or mitigate unfair practices which can occur in global health research due to power differences between researchers from high and low-middle income countries. It also provides insufficient recognition of "technical tasks" such as local participant recruitment. Third, we consider the potential for real or perceived editorial bias in medical science journals in favour of prominent western researchers, and the risk of promoting misplaced credit and/or prestige authorship. Finally, we explore how diverse cultural practices and expectations regarding authorship may create conflict between researchers from low-middle and high income countries and contribute to unethical authorship practices. To effectively deal with these issues, we suggest: 1) undertaking further empirical and conceptual research regarding

  20. Measures which host countries and countries of origin could adopt to promote the return of migrants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debart, M H

    1986-03-01

    The immigration wave in the 1960s and 1970s brought scores of migrants to Europe. Most intended to work a few years in a foreign country and return to their homeland; however, poor economies in their own countries discouraged their return. At the same time, jobs became scarcer in their host countries. Several European countries today are resorting to measures designed to promote the return of migrants to their countries of origin. This paper outlines the two major options open to governments in their reintegration efforts. Option 1 requires instituting a definite reintegration policy. Public aid to promote reintegration may be provided. For example, the French give aid contingent upon the return of foreign workers in the labor force to the country of origin and not just upon their departure from the host country. Classical methods pay conpensation to the foreign worker; the problem then is to determine at what point to limit the funds. It must be decided whether or not unemployment benefits should be capitalized and whether or not to reimburse social security and old age contributions. It is also desirable for foreign workers to have access to a specialized organization which is able to advise them on setting up a project or business on their return; ideally, this organization should finance the project. Perhaps the best solution is to enlist participation of the governments of the countries of origin to make job openings known to their nationals desiring to return. Option 2 requires that reintegration be introduced into other economic and social programs. Returning foreign workers would be included as a factor in overall policy planning. Vocational training for return migrants could be proposed to job seekers as well as to dismissed workers. A portion of money used to finance housing projects could be earmarked for construction or reservation of housing in the country of origin. Bilateral vocational training programs can be addressed to nationals who want to

  1. The Clean Development Mechanism: benefits of the CDM for developing countries. Executive summary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pearce, D.; Day, B.; Newcombe, J.; Brunello, T.; Bello, T.

    1998-11-01

    This report is a summarized version of a 169 page report under the same title and authorship. The Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change enables countries with mandatory greenhouse gas reduction commitments to offset some of their domestic emissions by reductions in emissions and enhancement of carbon sinks in other countries. One of three types of offsets in the Protocol is the Clean Development Mechanism, a form of joint implementation between Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 countries which stresses the development gains to developing countries (Article 12). This report focuses on the provision of Article 12 and aims to establish a framework for determining the net benefits of such offsets or trades to developing countries. It looks at some estimates of the likely size of the CDM market, addresses the issue of risks, and takes a brief look at the issue of sharing credits between hosts and investors. It addresses how CDM projects might be screened for their contribution to sustainable development in developing countries and introduces the framework for assessing that contribution and then applies that framework to evaluate different types of potential CDM projects (in the energy, transport, forests and agricultural sectors). 10 tabs.

  2. Do GCI indicators predict SME creation? A Western Balkans cross-country comparative analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fëllënza Lushaku

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In early stages SMEs were seen as insignificant supplement to large business supply, whereas today they have a very important social and economic role, because of their contribution to job creation. These contributions are very valuable in times of crises and rising unemployment. In Kosovo and the Western Balkan countries, including countries such as Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the development of SMEs can contribute in facing many challenges, effects of inequality, high level of unemployment and demographic challenges. In addition, SME development can contribute to strengthening the competitiveness and productivity, while also promoting the growth of income per capita. Besides the positive perception the creation of small and medium enterprises has, it is also indispensable to consider their extinction rate, being the most affected category of businesses, especially in the initial stages. It is proved that the net SME creation and cross-country differences in the relationship between new businesses and extinct businesses, can serve as a recommendation for policy makers in order to create a favorable climate for small and medium enterprises. GCI indicators that measures global competitiveness are used to determine if the climate of competitiveness predicts the development of SMEs.

  3. CONSIDERATIONS ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY`S ROLE IN PROMOTING COUNTRY BRAND

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    POPESCU Ruxandra Irina

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The study addresses the issue of the country brand from a new perspective, aiming to identify and analyse the ways in which public diplomacy can support the branding process. An important part of this study presents a comparative analysis on public diplomacy activities undertaken in order to support the brand of economically developed countries and some countries from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the elements that define each country's public diplomacy. The most important contribution of the current paper represent the identification of 8 fundamental aspects (the allocation of financial resources, defining factors for the goals of the foreign policy and public diplomacy, the features that are promoted, the involvement of stakeholders in the image branding / promotion, the use of new technologies, the study on the perceptions of foreigners, social and environmental issues, the transfer of responsibilities against which we can assess the relationship between the country brand strategy and public diplomacy, as well as their manifestation in several countries. Thus obtaining resources of possible good practices for developing Romanian's country brand.

  4. Assessing public and private sector contributions in reproductive health financing and utilization for six sub-Saharan African countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Ha; Snider, Jeremy; Ravishankar, Nirmala; Magvanjav, Oyunbileg

    2011-05-01

    The present study provides evidence to support enhanced attention to reproductive health and comprehensive measures to increase access to quality reproductive health services. We compare and contrast the financing and utilization of reproductive health services in six sub-Saharan African countries using data from National Health Accounts and Demographic and Health Surveys. Spending on reproductive health in 2006 ranged from US$4 per woman of reproductive age in Ethiopia to US$17 in Uganda. These are below the necessary level for assuring adequate services given that an internationally recommended spending level for family planning alone was US$16 for 2006. Moreover, reproductive health spending shows signs of decline in tandem with insufficient improvement in service utilization. Public providers played a predominant role in antenatal and delivery care for institutional births, but home deliveries with unqualified attendants dominated. The private sector was a major supplier of condoms, oral pills and IUDs. Private clinics, pharmacies and drug vendors were important sources of STI treatment. The findings highlight the need to commit greatly increased funding for reproductive health services as well as more policy attention to the contribution of public, private and informal providers and the role of collaboration among them to expand access to services for under-served populations. Copyright © 2011 Reproductive Health Matters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Bibliometric Analysis of Orthopedic Literature on Total Knee Arthroplasty in Asian Countries: A 10-year Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eom, Sang Hwa; Bamne, Ankur B; Chowdhry, Madhav; Chae, Ihn Seok; Kim, Tae Kyun

    2015-09-01

    We aimed to determine the quantity and quality of research output of selected Asian countries in the field of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the last 10 years. Top 15 Asian countries were selected according to their gross domestic product. The Science Citation Index Expanded database was used to search for the literature published between 2004 and 2013 using "Total Knee Arthroplasty". The numbers of articles, journals and citations and the contribution of each country were analyzed. The articles were classified according to the type of study and the relative proportion of each type was analyzed. Asian surgeons have increasingly contributed to orthopedic literature on TKA for the past 10 years, but the dominant contribution came from only a few countries. The total number of articles published by Asian countries increased by 261%, with Japan producing most of the studies and China showing the maximum growth rate. The majority of studies were published in low impact factor journals. Korea published the highest proportion of articles in high impact factor journals. Clinical papers were most frequent. Our identification of research productivity pertaining to TKA among Asian countries gives a unique insight into the level of academic research in the field of TKA in these countries. There is a need to improve the quality of research to enhance the publishing power in high impact journals as well as the need for more basic research and epidemiological studies considering the unique differences among Asian patients undergoing TKA.

  6. Country branding: an imperative for developing countries | Akotia ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Clarifying what a country brand and country branding encompasses, this paper examines the competitive advantage a country brand engenders for developing countries. Furthermore, emphasising country branding as a social construction, this paper argues that for developing countries entrenched in the poverty cycle there ...

  7. Proceedings of the IRI Task Force Activity 2002. 1. ed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radicella, S.M.

    2003-06-01

    This ICTP Internal Report contains the list of papers presented, activity reports and the write up of a number of presentations delivered during the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) Task Force Activity 2002 which took place at the Abdus Salam ICTP during August 2002. The 2002 Task Force Activity is the ninth successful encounter of specialists organized by the URSI-Cospar IRI Working Group and the Aeronomy and Radiopropagation Laboratory of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics of Trieste, Italy. The main topics of the meeting were ionosphere variability and topside ionosphere

  8. Contributions to cities' ambient particulate matter (PM): A systematic review of local source contributions at global level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karagulian, Federico; Belis, Claudio A.; Dora, Carlos Francisco C.; Prüss-Ustün, Annette M.; Bonjour, Sophie; Adair-Rohani, Heather; Amann, Markus

    2015-11-01

    For reducing health impacts from air pollution, it is important to know the sources contributing to human exposure. This study systematically reviewed and analysed available source apportionment studies on particulate matter (of diameter of 10 and 2.5 microns, PM10 and PM2.5) performed in cities to estimate typical shares of the sources of pollution by country and by region. A database with city source apportionment records, estimated with the use of receptor models, was also developed and available at the website of the World Health Organization. Systematic Scopus and Google searches were performed to retrieve city studies of source apportionment for particulate matter. Six source categories were defined. Country and regional averages of source apportionment were estimated based on city population weighting. A total of 419 source apportionment records from studies conducted in cities of 51 countries were used to calculate regional averages of sources of ambient particulate matter. Based on the available information, globally 25% of urban ambient air pollution from PM2.5 is contributed by traffic, 15% by industrial activities, 20% by domestic fuel burning, 22% from unspecified sources of human origin, and 18% from natural dust and salt. The available source apportionment records exhibit, however, important heterogeneities in assessed source categories and incompleteness in certain countries/regions. Traffic is one important contributor to ambient PM in cities. To reduce air pollution in cities and the substantial disease burden it causes, solutions to sustainably reduce ambient PM from traffic, industrial activities and biomass burning should urgently be sought. However, further efforts are required to improve data availability and evaluation, and possibly to combine with other types of information in view of increasing usefulness for policy making.

  9. Development performances of agriculture in the Danube region countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gajić Milivoj

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the recent decades, the Danube Region countries profile their policies towards a more efficient way of exploiting the natural resources of the Danube basin. The Danube can contribute to a better integration of the countries, enhancing economic opportunities through diversification and promotion of rural development. The trend analysis in the agricultural sector of the Danube Region countries refers to the first decade of this century, and it begins with the determination of the agricultural importance in the overall economy. The development performances of agriculture in the Danube Region countries are considered according to the production and export performances of this economic sector, using a comparative approach. The agricultural production growth, level and growth of the partial agricultural productivities - labour and land, as well as the value of exports in relation to engaged labour and agricultural land, are analysed in such a context.

  10. India's contribution in fulfilling the energy needs of third countries: present as well as future

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhargava, R. C.

    1980-03-15

    A combiation of skilled manpower, infrastructural development, and a sound industrial base puts India into a position for meeting not only the energy needs of developing countries, but for assiting them in their all-around development. This paper is confined to energy: petroleum, noncommercial energy sources, hydroelectric, electrical equipment, etc. (DLC)

  11. Does globalization contribute to economic growth in developing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper examines empirically whether or not globalization contributes to economic growth in developing countries, drawing empirical lessons from Nigeria. The globalization – growth link, is anchored on Husain Schematic representation, Solow model, and the new growth (endogenous growth) theory. The paper adopts ...

  12. Excellence in Physics Education Award Talk: Sharing Active Learning Strategies in the Developed and Developing Worlds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokoloff, David

    2010-02-01

    Since the first series of National Microcomputer Based Laboratory (MBL) Institutes for Teachers of Physics in Summer, 1987, the Activity Based Physics Group (ABP) has presented numerous professional development institutes and workshops to thousands of high school, college and university faculty, sponsored by National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and others. An overview of these programs and details of our instructional strategies will be presented. Some common features of these include: (1) motivating participants through introduction to active learning research literature, including exposure to conceptual evaluations and student learning gains in traditional and active learning courses, (2) exposing participants to active learning strategies through intensive hands-on work using classroom tested curricular materials, (3) relying on these materials to enhance teacher knowledge and correct misconceptions---when necessary, (4) providing opportunities to practice active learning instruction with other participants and (5) distributing or facilitating procurement of equipment and supplies needed to get started. Recently, ABP group members have been working with physics educators from other countries to introduce active learning strategies in the developing world. New programs such as Active Learning in Optics and Photonics (ALOP, UNESCO) and Physware (ICTP/UNESCO/IUPAP), that support active learning using low-cost equipment, have been developed for this purpose. To date, ALOP workshops have been presented to over 500 secondary and college faculty in Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, India, Tanzania, Brazil, Mexico, Zambia, Cameroon, Colombia, Nepal and Chile, and the ALOP Training Manual has been translated into French and Spanish. The first Physware workshop, held at ICTP in Trieste in 2009, had 32 participants most of whom were from developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America. These programs will be described. )

  13. Contribution from I4CE on how to address double counting within voluntary projects in Annex B countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foucherot, Claudine; Grimault, Julia; Morel, Romain

    2014-01-01

    The development of voluntary offsetting projects in Annex B countries is hampered by one difficulty: in some cases, voluntary certification schemes require the cancellation of Kyoto units in the country hosting the project, equal to the emission reductions produced. Joint Implementation (JI) requires the cancellation of units in order to prevent the same reduction in emissions from being counted twice as part of meeting the Kyoto requirements: firstly and directly, in the form of joint implementation units (ERUs) and, secondly and indirectly, in the form of the Kyoto units resulting from a reduction in the host country's emissions which are listed in their UNFCCC inventory. However, under certain conditions, AAUs do not need to be cancelled to ensure the environmental integrity of international agreements. This is the case when carbon credits result from projects certified by voluntary schemes because these credits have no value in terms of Kyoto compliance. Above and beyond the problem of environmental integrity, the issue of double monetization of the same emission reduction is often raised. To address this dilemma, we must identify whether the aim of voluntary offsetting is to increase the country's efforts to reduce emissions or rather help it achieve its Kyoto targets

  14. Internationalization and firm performance in Chindia countries: a meta-analytic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LINDA SCHULZE

    Full Text Available For more than four decades, researchers have examined theoretically and empirically the relationship between internationalization and firm performance. While existing studies have provided important contributions, the stream of research still lacks consistency due to ambiguous findings on the internationalization-firm performance relationship. Moreover, previous research has often been limited to developed countries. The present study focuses on the emerging Chindia countries and determines the direction and the strength of the internationalization-firm performance relationship. Additionally, we have identified moderators of the relationship. Drawing on 21 studies, based on 9026 firms, we utilize a meta-analytic review to assess our hypotheses. Our results show that there is a significant and positive internationalization-firm performance relationship in Chindia countries. The effect of internationalization in India and China does not significantly differ. Moreover, we find that the effect of internationalization is significantly stronger in the United States as compared to the Chindia countries. The time period of data collection did not play an important role as a moderator. The present study contributes to the International Business literature by examining how and to which extent internationalization influences firm performance and offers implications for theory and practice as well as recommendations for future research.

  15. Risk assessment of methylmercury in five European countries considering the national seafood consumption patterns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobs, Silke; Sioen, Isabelle; Jacxsens, Liesbeth

    2017-01-01

    confirms the substantial contribution of tuna to MeHg exposure in each of the countries. Also hake, cod, sea bream, sea bass and octopus are identified as important contributors. From this study, it is concluded that a country-specific seafood consumption advice is needed. Policy makers may adopt...

  16. Which countries bid for the Olympic Games? Economic, political, and social factors and chances of winning

    OpenAIRE

    Maennig, Wolfgang; Vierhaus, Christopher

    2016-01-01

    This contribution analyzes 132 factors on their potential to discriminate countries bidding for hosting the Olympic Games from non-bidding countries. Our binary, clustered model using generalized estimating equations (GEE) shows that countries recording long-term economic growth and pursuing a liberalization and globalization policy will consider an Olympic bid. In addition, countries with an urban population above 10 million, with stable election results and an improvement in health standard...

  17. Promoting energy efficiency in developing countries: The role of NGOs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wojtaszek, E.I.

    1993-06-01

    Developing countries need energy growth to spur economic growth. Yet energy activities contribute significantly to local water pollution and global greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency offers the means to achieve the twin goals of sustainable economic/social development and environmental protection. Energy efficiency increases industrial competitiveness and frees up capital so it can be applied to other uses, such as health and education. The key to improving energy efficiency in developing countries will be acquiring and applying Western technologies, practices, and policies and building national institutions for promoting energy efficiency. Relevant energy-efficient technologies include the use of better electric motors, adjustable speed controls, combined cycle power cogeneration, improved lighting, better refrigeration technologies, and improved electric power transmission and distribution systems. Western countries can best help developing countries by providing guidance and resources to support nongovernmental organizations (NGOS) staffed by local experts; these institutions can capture the energy efficiency potential and ensure environmental protection in developing countries

  18. The implications of IFRS adoption on foreign direct investment in poor countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catalina Florentina PRICOPE

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Globalisation has contributed to the acceleration of international capital transactions and has increased investors’ need to access homogeneous, reliable and comparable financial reports. The objective of the study is to investigate the impact of International Financial Reporting Standards adoption on foreign direct investment flows in poor countries. In order to achieve this objective, the propensity score matching method was applied on a sample of 38 poor countries between 2008 and 2014. Results indicate that International Financial Reporting Standards adoption has a positive impact on foreign direct investment flows in poor countries.

  19. Bargaining for Social Rights (BARSORI) project: Country report on Spain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ramos Martin, N.E.

    2012-01-01

    The Barsori project studied social partners' initiatives contributing to the reduction of precarious employment through collective bargaining and social dialogue. The project compared experiences in seven EU countries: Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and the UK. Trade

  20. Ramses 2015 - The challenge for the emerging countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montbrial, Thierry de; Moreau Defarges, Philippe; Nicolas, Francoise; Mondon-Navazo, Mathilde; Kastoueva-Jean, Tatiana; Saint-Mezard, Isabelle; Ekman, Alice; Vircoulon, Thierry; Boisseau du Rocher, Sophie; Schmid, Dorothee; Nicouleaud, Francois; Dazi-Heni, Fatiha; Letrilliart, Philippe; Recondo, David; Goussot, Michel; Pertusot, Vivien; Pajon, Celine; Maisonneuve, Cecile; Auge, Benjamin; Seaman, John; Boncourt, Maite de; Aoun, Marie-Claire; Faure, Aurelie; Durand, Etienne de; Niquet, Valerie; Pajon, Celine; Seaman, John; Brustlein, Corentin; Penent, Guilhem; Moulin, Emmanuel; Bertossi, Christophe; Broughton, Emma; Delaplace, Juliette; Tardis, Matthieu; Kastoueva-Jean, Tatiana; Nocetti, Julien; Stark, Hans; Rittelmeyer, Yann-Sven; Tolksdorf, Dominik; Tinguy, Anne de; Schreiber, Thomas; Bauchard, Denis; Hecker, Marc; Mokhefi, Mansouria; Nardon, Laurence; Antil, Alain; Quenot-Suarez, Helene; Vircoulon, Thierry; Letrilliart, Philippe; Joffres, Adeline; Rodriguez, Dario A.; Messerlin, Patrick; Mistral, Jacques; Levy-Lang, Andre; Quatrepoint, Jean-Michel; Charentenay, Pierre de

    2014-01-01

    This annual world report on the economic system and strategies (RAMSES) first proposes a synthesis of 2014 in terms of international relationships. The first part addresses the emerging countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico) and the redistribution of world balances (the question of the decline of the USA, Europe in front of emerging countries, Japan in front of China). The contributions of the second part discuss the stakes and challenges between established and emerging powers (energy powers, military powers, economic powers) and the associated issues (geopolitical balance, migrations, cooperation and competition, Internet governance). The contributions of the third part address various European and world issues: EU and Russia, the Ukrainian issue, the presence of China in Eastern Europe, religious and political conflict between Shiites and Sunnis, terrorism, the situation in the Middle-East, crisis in Africa, China in Africa, the end of populist regimes in Cuba, Venezuela and Argentina, the missed emergence of Thailand, the issue of a financial world regulation, the role of the new pope). A chronology, maps and figures are provided

  1. Satisfaction with job and income among older individuals across European countries

    OpenAIRE

    Bonsang, E.D.M.; van Soest, A.

    2010-01-01

    Using data on individuals of age 50 and older from 11 European countries, we analyze two economic aspects of subjective well-being of older Europeans: satisfaction with household income, and job satisfaction. Both have been shown to contribute substantially to overall well-being (satisfaction with life or happiness). We use anchoring vignettes to correct for potential differences in response scales across countries. The results highlight a large variation in self-reported income satisfaction,...

  2. Christian nursing in a non-Christian country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Zenobia C Y

    2010-01-01

    Reflecting on Christian nursing in a non-Christian country, a Chinese nurse shares about encouraging a mother of a sick child using the Bible. Christianity offers distinct contributions in nursing that non-Christian religions in China do not offer: an internalized and externalized God, opportunity for prayer, and Bible verses for any patient need. Insights are offered on how to use Scripture in nursing practice.

  3. People and things. CERN Courier, May 1986, v. 26(4)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    1986-05-15

    The article reports on achievements of various people, staff changes and position opportunities within the CERN organization and contains news updates on upcoming or past events. At the recent symposium on 'Perspectives in Particle Physics' at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, ICTP Director Abdus Salam presided over the first award ceremony for the Institute's Dirac Medals. The Guthrie Prize and Medal of the UK Institute of Physics this year goes to Sir Denys Wilkinson of Sussex for his many contributions to nuclear physics. The 1985 Third World Academy of Sciences Physics Prize has been awarded to E. C. G. Sudarshan from India for his fundamental contributions to the understanding of the weak nuclear force. The Academy's Mathematics Prize goes to Liao Shan Tao from China for his fundamental contributions to the periodic transformations of spheres and the qualitative theory of dynamics.

  4. Assessing variation in tolerance in 23 Muslim-majority and Western countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milligan, Scott; Andersen, Robert; Brym, Robert

    2014-08-01

    Scholars disagree over whether Islam hinders the development of liberal democracy in Muslim-majority countries. We contribute to this debate by assessing the influence of Islam at the individual and national levels on ethnic, racial, and religious tolerance in 23 countries. Our analyses are based on a set of multilevel models fitted to World Values Survey data and national-level contextual information from various sources. Our findings suggest that people living in Muslim-majority countries tend to be less tolerant than are those living in Western countries. Although a significant part of this difference is attributable to variation in level of economic development and income inequality, Muslim countries remain less tolerant even after controlling for these factors. On the other hand, controlling for other individual-level factors, nonpracticing Muslims in Western countries are more tolerant than are all others in both Muslim-majority and Western countries. This finding challenges common claims about the effects of Islam as a religion on tolerance, suggesting that it is Islamic political regimes--not Islam itself--that pose problems for social tolerance.

  5. Country nuclear power profiles. 2000 ed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-03-01

    The preparation of Country Nuclear Power Profiles was initiated within the framework of the IAEA programme on assessment and feedback of nuclear power plant performance. It responded to a need for a database and a technical document containing a description of the economic situation, the energy and the electricity sector and the primary organizations involved in nuclear power in IAEA Member States. In 1998, the first edition of the Country Nuclear Power Profiles was published focusing on the overall economic, energy and electricity situation in the country and on its nuclear power industrial structure and organizational framework. The compilation was made based on of 29 Member States with operating nuclear power plants by the end of 1995 and incorporated the 'Fact Sheets' on international, multilateral and bilateral agreements as collected by EXPO. In May 1999, an Advisory Group Meeting was organized with the purpose of updating the information in the Country Nuclear Power Profiles of each country, to reflect the new approaches and conditions of the national nuclear power programmes. The impact of the open electricity market, privatization and deregulation on the nuclear sector was an important aspect recommended by the experts to be taken in consideration. It was also recommended to periodically review the status and trends of nuclear industries in IAEA Member States and exchange information among experts of the lessons learned from the countries engaged in nuclear programmes, with a view to update the profiles at two year intervals. This second edition covers the changes in the new environment in the electricity as well as in the nuclear sector, be it that the situation differs from country to country. In general, the information is updated to 1999. For the preparation of this second edition, the IAEA received contributions from all 31 countries with operating power plants by the end of 1999, as well as Italy and the Islamic Republic of Iran. A database has been

  6. Bringing developing countries into the energy equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colombier, M.; Loup, J.; Laponche, Bernard; Martin-Amouroux, Jean-Marie; Chateau, Bertrand; Heller, Thomas C.; Kieken, Hubert; Kleiche, Mustapha; Mathy, Sandrine; Hourcade, Jean-Charles; Goldemberg, Jose; Pizer, William A.

    2006-01-01

    This compilation of articles on energy and climate change is a selection of contributions to the first edition of Regards sur la Terre, an annual reference in French on the international dimension of sustainable development, launched on the initiative of the French development agency, AFD (Agence francaise de developpement) and the institute for sustainable development and international relations, IDDRI (Institut du developpement durable et des relations internationales), and published by Presses de Sciences Po (Paris) in November 2006. Regards sur la terre includes an analysis of the most important international meetings and events of the last 12 months in the field of sustainable development, along with a thematic report, which focuses this year on energy and climate change. For almost two hundred years, the economic development of industrialized countries has gone hand in hand with growing consumption of fossil fuels, first coal, then oil and gas. The oil shocks of the 1970's had already revealed the fragility of this model, without however generating any major changes. The disconnection observed in the 1980's between a rapid return to economic growth and stagnating energy consumption was only provisional, and energy demand in the richest countries has again been rising since the 1990's; the development of alternative energy sources (nuclear power and renewables) has remained marginal and has failed to dethrone fossil fuels on which, paradoxically, the economies of industrialized countries are even more dependent today than they were 20 years ago. But with the turn of the century came major developments in the global energy landscape following the emergence of new and hitherto marginal actors: the rapid economic development of emerging countries is also dependent on an increasing supply of energy. Today this growing demand adds to tension on the oil and gas market, where the poorest countries are also the first victims. It could give new impetus to the

  7. California Considers Adding Gays' Contributions to Textbooks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy

    2006-01-01

    A bill that has been sent to the floor of the California Senate would require textbooks used in public schools to include information on the roles and contributions of gay people throughout history, a move that could affect the content of instructional materials throughout much of the country. The measure would help build tolerance of diverse…

  8. Early determinants of chronic disease in developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowther, Nigel J

    2012-10-01

    The prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is rising in developing countries. The extent to which this is due to a nutritional mismatch in foetal and adult life is unknown however, studies in such countries show that the risk of chronic diseases is increased in low birthweight subjects who become obese adults. Immune dysfunction is also linked to low birthweight. Therefore, in countries where communicable diseases are prevalent, infection may be exacerbated by factors acting in utero. It is also possible that the foetal growth-retarding effects of maternal Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and malaria infection may contribute to an increased risk of NCDs later in life. Low birthweight and postnatal growth faltering followed by rapid weight gain define subjects who develop NCDs. Dietary interventions at specific time points in the life course may therefore be important for reducing disease risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Medication Errors in the Southeast Asian Countries: A Systematic Review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahrzad Salmasi

    Full Text Available Medication error (ME is a worldwide issue, but most studies on ME have been undertaken in developed countries and very little is known about ME in Southeast Asian countries. This study aimed systematically to identify and review research done on ME in Southeast Asian countries in order to identify common types of ME and estimate its prevalence in this region.The literature relating to MEs in Southeast Asian countries was systematically reviewed in December 2014 by using; Embase, Medline, Pubmed, ProQuest Central and the CINAHL. Inclusion criteria were studies (in any languages that investigated the incidence and the contributing factors of ME in patients of all ages.The 17 included studies reported data from six of the eleven Southeast Asian countries: five studies in Singapore, four in Malaysia, three in Thailand, three in Vietnam, one in the Philippines and one in Indonesia. There was no data on MEs in Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Timor. Of the seventeen included studies, eleven measured administration errors, four focused on prescribing errors, three were done on preparation errors, three on dispensing errors and two on transcribing errors. There was only one study of reconciliation error. Three studies were interventional.The most frequently reported types of administration error were incorrect time, omission error and incorrect dose. Staff shortages, and hence heavy workload for nurses, doctor/nurse distraction, and misinterpretation of the prescription/medication chart, were identified as contributing factors of ME. There is a serious lack of studies on this topic in this region which needs to be addressed if the issue of ME is to be fully understood and addressed.

  10. Experts' conference on the Climate and Energy Contribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-06-01

    This document first proposes the White Paper prepared for the experts' conference. After a presentation of the Emission Trading System (ETS), this paper highlights the benefit of the introduction of economical instruments rather than regulatory instruments to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It underlines the distinction between the proposed 'climate-energy contribution' (or carbon tax) and the Cambridge tax. Then, it describes how to implement such a contribution, i.e. how to define its base, and how to relate it with existing taxes. Some graphs compare the tax rates on fuels, gas and domestic oil in European countries. The paper then defines what the field of application of the contribution could be, how to make this contribution more efficient, and what could be its economical consequences. Then, the document proposes the text of Michel Rocard's intervention on the stakes of conference on this climate-energy contribution

  11. Does Country Context Distance Determine Subsidiary Decision-Making Autonomy?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Jong, Gjalt; Van Vo, Dut; Marek, Philipp

    2015-01-01

    enterprises, highlighting the importance of such intra-firm collaboration. The division of decision-making autonomy is a core issue in the management of headquarters–subsidiary relationships. The main contribution of our paper is that we confront two valid theoretical frameworks – business network theory......We studied an underrepresented area in the international business (IB) literature: the effect of country context distance on the distribution of decision-making autonomy across headquarters and foreign affiliates. Foreign affiliates directly contribute to the competitive advantages of multinational...... approach to the study of subsidiary decision-making autonomy...

  12. The geography of references in elite articles: Which countries contribute to the archives of knowledge?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    This study asks the question on which national “shoulders” the world’s top-level research stands. Traditionally, the number of citations to national papers has been the evaluative measures of national scientific standings. We raise a different question: instead of analyzing the citations to a countries’ articles (the forward view), we examine references to prior publications from specific countries cited in the most elite publications (the backward—citing—view). “Elite publications” are operationalized as the top-1% most-highly cited articles. Using the articles published from 2004 to 2013, we examine the research referenced in these works. Our results confirm the well-known fact that China has emerged to become a major player in science. However, China still belongs to the low contributors when countries are ranked as contributors to the cited references in top-1% articles. Using this perspective, the results do not support a decreasing trend for the USA; in fact, the USA exceeds expectations (compared to its publication share) in terms of references in the top-1% articles. Switzerland, Sweden, and the Netherlands also appear at the top of the list. However, the results for Germany are lower than statistically expected. PMID:29579088

  13. The Market Positioning and the Selection of Destination Countries for Music Students from Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li-Ping; Ho, Hsuan-fu

    2014-01-01

    Students now-a-days have to develop international skills to be successful in this global environment, and choosing a sound destination country is a crucial issue to the success of their overseas study. On the other hand, since international students may contribute a great deal to the host country's educational quality and its economy, countries…

  14. Origins of food crops connect countries worldwide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achicanoy, Harold A.; Bjorkman, Anne D.; Navarro-Racines, Carlos; Guarino, Luigi; Flores-Palacios, Ximena; Engels, Johannes M. M.; Wiersema, John H.; Dempewolf, Hannes; Sotelo, Steven; Ramírez-Villegas, Julian; Castañeda-Álvarez, Nora P.; Fowler, Cary; Jarvis, Andy; Rieseberg, Loren H.; Struik, Paul C.

    2016-01-01

    Research into the origins of food plants has led to the recognition that specific geographical regions around the world have been of particular importance to the development of agricultural crops. Yet the relative contributions of these different regions in the context of current food systems have not been quantified. Here we determine the origins (‘primary regions of diversity’) of the crops comprising the food supplies and agricultural production of countries worldwide. We estimate the degree to which countries use crops from regions of diversity other than their own (‘foreign crops’), and quantify changes in this usage over the past 50 years. Countries are highly interconnected with regard to primary regions of diversity of the crops they cultivate and/or consume. Foreign crops are extensively used in food supplies (68.7% of national food supplies as a global mean are derived from foreign crops) and production systems (69.3% of crops grown are foreign). Foreign crop usage has increased significantly over the past 50 years, including in countries with high indigenous crop diversity. The results provide a novel perspective on the ongoing globalization of food systems worldwide, and bolster evidence for the importance of international collaboration on genetic resource conservation and exchange.

  15. The Importance of Government Effectiveness for Transitions toward Greater Electrification in Developing Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rohan Best

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Electricity is a vital factor underlying modern living standards, but there are many developing countries with low levels of electricity access and use. We seek to systematically identify the crucial elements underlying transitions toward greater electrification in developing countries. We use a cross-sectional regression approach with national-level data up to 2012 for 135 low- and middle-income countries. The paper finds that the effectiveness of governments is the most important governance attribute for encouraging the transition to increased electrification in developing countries, on average. The results add to the growing evidence on the importance of governance for development outcomes. Donors seeking to make more successful contributions to electrification may wish to target countries with more effective governments.

  16. Country-to-country transfer of patients and the risk of multi-resistant bacterial infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Benjamin A; Aminzadeh, Zohreh; Hayashi, Yoshiro; Paterson, David L

    2011-07-01

    Management of patients with a history of healthcare contact in multiple countries is now a reality for many clinicians. Leisure tourism, the burgeoning industry of medical tourism, military conflict, natural disasters, and changing patterns of human migration may all contribute to this emerging epidemiological trend. Such individuals may be both vectors and victims of healthcare-associated infection with multiresistant bacteria. Current literature describes intercountry transfer of multiresistant Acinetobacter spp and Klebsiella pneumoniae (including Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase- and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-producing strains), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and hypervirulent Clostridium difficile. Introduction of such organisms to new locations has led to their dissemination within hospitals. Healthcare institutions should have sound infection prevention strategies to mitigate the risk of dissemination of multiresistant organisms from patients who have been admitted to hospitals in other countries. Clinicians may also need to individualize empiric prescribing patterns to reflect the risk of multiresistant organisms in these patients. © The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved.

  17. Introduction of small and medium reactors in developing countries. Proceedings of two advisory group meetings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    This publication presents material submitted both by vendor and interested buyer organizations and conclusions drawn from the discussions of these contributions at two Advisory Group meetings on the SMR introduction in developing countries. A few papers were prepared as follow-up contributions to the proceedings. The summary presents a review of the main areas related to SMR introduction and of relevant situations and activities in both industrialized and developing countries. It includes an assessment of the expected potential market and of relevant experience that may help developing countries in their efforts to introduce SMRs. Owing to the inclusion of several new designs, this TECDOC provides an update of the SMR status report (IAEA-TECDOC-881) published in 1996. It also reviews real time compact nuclear power plant simulators. Refs, figs, tabs.

  18. Introduction of small and medium reactors in developing countries. Proceedings of two advisory group meetings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-02-01

    This publication presents material submitted both by vendor and interested buyer organizations and conclusions drawn from the discussions of these contributions at two Advisory Group meetings on the SMR introduction in developing countries. A few papers were prepared as follow-up contributions to the proceedings. The summary presents a review of the main areas related to SMR introduction and of relevant situations and activities in both industrialized and developing countries. It includes an assessment of the expected potential market and of relevant experience that may help developing countries in their efforts to introduce SMRs. Owing to the inclusion of several new designs, this TECDOC provides an update of the SMR status report (IAEA-TECDOC-881) published in 1996. It also reviews real time compact nuclear power plant simulators

  19. Composting projects under the Clean Development Mechanism: Sustainable contribution to mitigate climate change

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogger, Cyrill; Beaurain, Francois; Schmidt, Tobias S.

    2011-01-01

    The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and at the same time to assist these countries in sustainable development. While composting as a suitable mitigation option in the waste sector can clearly contribute to the former goal there are indications that high rents can also be achieved regarding the latter. In this article composting is compared with other CDM project types inside and outside the waste sector with regards to both project numbers and contribution to sustainable development. It is found that, despite the high number of waste projects, composting is underrepresented and a major reason for this fact is identified. Based on a multi-criteria analysis it is shown that composting has a higher potential for contribution to sustainable development than most other best in class projects. As these contributions can only be assured if certain requirements are followed, eight key obligations are presented.

  20. Comparison of Radiation Protection Training in European Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozelj, M.

    2001-01-01

    Full text: Practice and implementation of radiation protection in European countries and in majority of other countries all over the world relies on common principles and recommendations established by international organisations. These principles and recommendations were incorporated in national legislation ensuring similar and compatible standards of protection for occupationally exposed workers and members of the public. One of the basic requirements derived from international recommendations is also formal request for training of occupationally exposed workers. The final goals of the training are defined only indirectly through standards of safety and protection. Therefore national regulation regarding radiation protection training in particular country is a result of general approach to education and training, historical circumstances, influence and importance of nuclear technology and other factors influencing health protection and national well-being in general. The result is variety of national regulations ranging from very stringent and detailed to rather general and flexible. Nevertheless, results of implemented training do not differ sufficiently to significantly affect achieved standards of radiation protection. According to available information European countries implement radiation protection training in dissimilar ways. Institutions and organisations involved, as well as form and duration of training varies from country to country. Therefore, it is not possible to determine common rules just by reviewing radiation protection training in different countries. It is the intention of this contribution to analyse and discuss available information regarding radiation protection training and point out the necessity of international co-operation in this field, especially in the sense of the future trends. (author)

  1. Introductory lecture the epidemiology and determinants of obesity in developed and developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shetty, P; Schmidhuber, J

    2006-07-01

    Obesity is recognized as a serious problem in the industrialized and developed countries of the world. However, little attention is paid to the fact that obesity is becoming an increasing problem in developing countries too, with some countries showing increasing rates of obesity in the midst of the persisting occurrence of childhood malnutrition and stunting. As developing countries embrace the dominant western economic ways of development, industrialization and urbanization they contribute to improvements in living standards, with consequent dramatic changes in diets and lifestyles leading to weight gain and obesity which in turn poses a growing threat to the health. Overweight and obesity is associated with an increased likelihood of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyper-lipidaemia, and cardiovascular disease. It is also associated with increased rates of breast, colo-rectal and uterine cancer. Obesity is thus an important factor in the increasing morbidity and mortality due to chronic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and thereby contributes to premature mortality in the population. Thus, while the problem of undernutrition persists in much of the developing world, overweight and obesity and its related co-morbidities are posing an increasingly important public health problem both in the developed and developing world.

  2. Focusing the HIV response through estimating the major modes of HIV transmission: a multi-country analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gouws, Eleanor; Cuchi, Paloma

    2012-01-01

    Objective An increasing number of countries have been estimating the distribution of new adult HIV infections by modes of transmission (MOT) to help prioritise prevention efforts. We compare results from studies conducted between 2008 and 2012 and discuss their use for planning and responding to the HIV epidemic. Methods The UNAIDS recommended MOT model helps countries to estimate the proportion of new HIV infections that occur through key transmission modes including sex work, injecting drug use (IDU), men having sex with men (MSM), multiple sexual partnerships, stable relationships and medical interventions. The model typically forms part of a country-led process that includes a comprehensive review of epidemiological data. Recent revisions to the model are described. Results Modelling results from 25 countries show large variation between and within regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, new infections occur largely in the general heterosexual population because of multiple partnerships or in stable discordant relationships, while sex work contributes significantly to new infections in West Africa. IDU and sex work are the main contributors to new infections in the Middle East and North Africa, with MSM the main contributor in Latin America. Patterns vary substantially between countries in Eastern Europe and Asia in terms of the relative contribution of sex work, MSM, IDU and spousal transmission. Conclusions The MOT modelling results, comprehensive review and critical assessment of data in a country can contribute to a more strategically focused HIV response. To strengthen this type of research, improved epidemiological and behavioural data by risk population are needed. PMID:23172348

  3. How People Interpret Healthy Eating: Contributions of Qualitative Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisogni, Carole A.; Jastran, Margaret; Seligson, Marc; Thompson, Alyssa

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To identify how qualitative research has contributed to understanding the ways people in developed countries interpret healthy eating. Design: Bibliographic database searches identified reports of qualitative, empirical studies published in English, peer-reviewed journals since 1995. Data Analysis: Authors coded, discussed, recoded, and…

  4. Interventions of state in favour of mining industry in EU countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaroslav Dvoracek; Vladimir Slivka [VSB-Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic)

    2008-03-15

    This contribution is based on a study dealing with the limitation or withdrawal of ownership rights to real estates in favour of the mining industry. All EU countries are included as of the year 2006. The interventions of the state concern ensuring entry to other people's lands to carry out exploration activities and restraining the proprietary rights of landowners in favour of mining, including expropriation. The countries where mining legislation does not cover state interventions are also presented.

  5. Status of radiation applications in developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roushdy, H.M.

    1979-01-01

    A summary is given of the following applications: radiotherapy; sterilization of medical products and biological tissues; inactivation of virus; food preservation; insect control and eradication; improvement in field crops; treatment of waste waters and sewage sludge. In industry, irradiation technology has contributed to the manufacturing industries for new product developments in the plastics, textiles, wood, rubber, petroleum, concrete and chemical industries. Irradiation technology offers a fascinating outlet for developing countries for improving their condition of medical care, upgrading of their natural materials, stimulating their industrial development, decreasing their food losses and increasing their crop production. These lines would certainly contribute to their national economy and would result in an enhanced rate of development. However, transfer of radiation technology to developing countries should be undertaken in view of the actual national and regional needs and supported by an overall well studied national and regional planning for trained manpower development. The choice of a radiation source for a potential application should be based on the demand of the process, compromise between desirability and cost and quantitative data on installation, operation and maintenance conditions, and costs. The program developed and implemented by Egypt is herein presented. Facilities, organization, personnel, current and past activities, and future plans are described. (author)

  6. Science's disparate responsibilities: Patterns across European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejlgaard, Niels

    2018-04-01

    It is a distinctive feature of European science policy that science is expected to meet economic and broader societal objectives simultaneously. Science should be governed democratically and take significant responsibilities towards the economy, the political system and civil society, but the coherency of these multiple claims is underexplored. Using metrics that emerge from both quantitative and qualitative studies, we examine the interrelatedness of different responsibilities at the level of countries. A total of 33 European Union member states and associated countries are included in the analysis. We find no trade-off between economic and broader societal contributions. Europe is, however, characterised by major divisions in terms of the location of science in society. There is a significant East-West divide, and Europe appears to be far from accomplishing an integrated European Research Area.

  7. Trauma research in the Baltic countries: from political oppression to recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kazlauskas, Evaldas; Zelviene, Paulina

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of traumatic stress studies from the three Baltic countries-Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia-and reveal how specific social context contributes to the topics relevant in traumatic stress field in the region. Traumatic stress studies in the Baltic countries are closely related to the complicated history of the region. It was only since the restoration of independence of the Baltic States in the 1990s when traumatic stress studies could emerge. The start of the psychotraumatology in the Baltic States was inspired by the interest of the psychological effects of political violence. Four major topics in traumatic stress literature from the Baltic countries were identified in this article: political violence studies, epidemiology of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), disaster studies, and developmental aspects of trauma. Traumatic events prevalence was reported between 70 and 75%, and PTSD prevalence range 2-7% in the Baltic countries. The interest in psychotraumatology in the Baltic countries is rising.

  8. Climate Change and Developing-Country Cities: Implications For Environmental Health and Equity

    OpenAIRE

    Campbell-Lendrum, Diarmid; Corvalán, Carlos

    2007-01-01

    Climate change is an emerging threat to global public health. It is also highly inequitable, as the greatest risks are to the poorest populations, who have contributed least to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The rapid economic development and the concurrent urbanization of poorer countries mean that developing-country cities will be both vulnerable to health hazards from climate change and, simultaneously, an increasing contributor to the problem. We review the specific health vulnerabilitie...

  9. Jesuits' Contribution to Meteorology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Udías, Agustín

    1996-10-01

    Starting in the middle of the nineteenth century, as part of their scientific tradition, Jesuits founded a considerable number of meteorological observatories throughout the world. In many countries, Jesuits established and maintained the first meteorological stations during the period from 1860 to 1950. The Jesuits' most important contribution to atmospheric science was their pioneer work related to the study and forecast of tropical hurricanes. That research was carried out at observatories of Belén (Cuba), Manila (Philippines), and Zikawei (China). B. Viñes, M. Decheyrens, J. Aigué, and C.E. Deppermann stood out in this movement.

  10. Green product development : What does the country product space imply?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fraccascia, Luca; Giannoccaro, Ilaria; Albino, Vito

    This paper contributes to green product development by identifying the green products with the highest potential for growth in a country. To address our aim, we use the concept of product proximity and product space and, borrowing from the results of recent studies on complexity economics, we

  11. INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Mahbubur Rahman

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available All Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC were requested to communicate intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs in a clear, transparent and understandable way before the Conference of the Parties (known as COP21 held in Paris in 2015. The Contributions were supposed to be balanced and comprehensive to ensure sustainable development and expected to include finance, technology requires, technology transfer and capacity building aiming at mitigation and adaptation. This research focuses on investigating the INDCs prepared by countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA, one of the most water-scarce and dry regions in the world. Following a content analysis, this research has found that INDCs from the region have not been able to reflect the desired output. Submissions were also not timely and not sufficiently ahead of time. Many countries were not able to disclose the current status. INDCs can play a significant role by providing objective, timely, and reliable information, which is missing at present in the countries from MENA.

  12. Developed-developing country partnerships: Benefits to developed countries?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Shamsuzzoha B

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract 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

  13. Developed-developing country partnerships: benefits to developed countries?

    Science.gov (United States)

    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

  14. COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN EFFECTS ON PURCHASING DOMESTIC PRODUCTS: THE CASE OF ROMANIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roxana-Denisa STOENESCU

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Previous studies revealed that ethnocentric consumers are more willing to purchase a domestic product. Furthermore, country-of-origin has a direct impact on consumers’ decision to buy a product in such a manner that a positive country image can substitute other missing qualities of the product. On the other hand, a strong brand is not expected to compensate for a negative country-of-origin perception. Many brands rely on their home country as a warranty for quality and prestige, in order to gain consumers’ interest and attention. This paper examines the moderating role of variables such as perceived quality, ethnocentrism and familiarity in determining a consumer to buy a domestic product. Through exploratory research, this study aims to investigate to what extent Romania, as country-of-origin for its local products, influences consumers’ decision making process. The major contributions of the study consist of identifying the elements that play a role in consumers’ product evaluation based on the country-of-origin and to improve the understanding of country image effects on the buying intention.

  15. Contribution Index Based on Green Building Certification Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuting Sun

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Green Building Certification Systems (GBCS are carried out in many countries due to the rising awareness of the importance of sustainability in the building industry. The intention should have motivated participants to construct and operate buildings sustainably, however, there is not yet a method developed to investigate the motivation of the participants. Based on the GBCS, this paper proposes the contribution index as a standard global method to analyze the performance of participants in the green building industry. Three contribution indices, namely Frequency Contribution Index (FCI, Intensity Contribution Index (ICI and Comprehensive Contribution Index (CCI that concern each different category of participant, have been formulated. Three further analyses based on the index were undertaken to investigate some features of the industry. A case study of Singapore was conducted to show how the contribution index could be used to extract industry patterns and trends and assess the participants’ performance in the green building industry. Interviews with experts provide some suggested applications and support for the findings.

  16. A report of the study committee on problems of the cooperation with developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-01-01

    In the long-range program of nuclear energy development and utilization, the need for cooperation with developing countries, meeting their expectations, is stated, while such expectations toward Japan are rising recently. Various aspects in this cooperation have been studied by the ad hoc committee. and the results are presented in this report. The cooperation with developing countries in the nuclear field is significant in its contribution to the economic advances in those countries, Japan's responsibility of lending the aid to the countries, and so on. Contents are the following: significance of the cooperation, the present states of nuclear energy research and development in the developing countries and the expectations, the present state of cooperation and problems in Japan, future aspects of the cooperation with developing countries. (Mori, K.)

  17. Regulations in the German countries in the field of green public procurement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hermann, Andreas; Acker, Hendrik [Oeko-Institut e.V. - Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie e.V., Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany)

    2011-12-15

    The task of the Oeko-Institut e.V. (Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany) consisted in creating an overview of the regulations currently in force at country level concerning the promotion of green public procurement. The investigation focused on legally binding targets contributing to the green public procurement of goods and services. Of particular interest to the investigation was the question of whether the countries have in the intervening period heeded the call of the Federal government on the procurement of energy-intensive products and services or the joint instruction on the procurement of wood products. The aim of the investigation under consideration was to use the overview to make a contribution to the description of the status quo in green public procurement in Germany and, where applicate, to identify examples of best practice.

  18. Influence of country-level differences on COPD prevalence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron SD

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Shawn D Aaron,1 Andrea S Gershon,2 Yuan Gao,1 Jenna Yang,1 GA Whitmore1,3 On behalf of the Canadian Respiratory Research Network 1Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, 2Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, ON, 3Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada Purpose: Studies suggest that COPD prevalence may vary between countries. We conducted an ecological study of data from COPD prevalence articles to assess the influence of differences in country-level risk factors on COPD prevalence. Patients and methods: Our study covered English language articles published during 2003–2014. Qualified articles used spirometry to assess COPD prevalence and used representative samples from national or subnational populations. Stepwise binomial regression was used to analyze associations between study- and country-level factors and COPD prevalence. Results: Eighty articles provided 1,583 measures of COPD prevalence for subjects in different sex, age, and smoking categories for 112 districts in 41 countries. Adjusted prevalence rates for COPD were significantly lower for Australia/New Zealand and the Mediterranean and significantly higher for Latin America, compared to North America, Southeast Asia, and Northern Europe. Country-level socioeconomic development variables had an uneven and mixed association with COPD prevalence. High elevation above sea level was shown to be a protective factor for COPD. Study-level variables for the established risk factors of sex, age, and smoking explained 64% of variability in COPD prevalence. Country-level risk factors raised the explanatory power to 72%. Approximately 28% of worldwide variability in COPD prevalence remained unexplained. Conclusion: Our study suggests that COPD prevalence varies across world regions, even after adjustment for established risk factors. Major country-level risk factors contributing to the worldwide epidemic of COPD remain

  19. Contribution of Sudanese medical diaspora to the healthcare delivery system in Sudan: exploring options and barriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdalla, Fayrouz Mohammed; Omar, Maye Abu; Badr, Elsheikh Elsiddig

    2016-06-30

    Medical diaspora options, including the engagement of expatriate physicians in development efforts within their home country, are being called for to reverse the effects of brain drain from developing countries. This paper presents the results of a study exploring the potential contributions for the Sudanese Medial Diaspora Options to the healthcare delivery system (HCDS) in Sudan, focusing on the options of temporal and permanent returns and the likely obstacles faced in their implementation. This was a cross-sectional study using a mixed methods design including quantitative and qualitative approaches. For the quantitative approach, the study, which focused on the possible contribution of the diaspora to healthcare delivery in Sudan, was based on an online survey using random purposive and snowballing sampling techniques involving 153 Sudanese physicians working in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the United States of America. The qualitative approach involved in-depth interviews with returnee physicians and key informants in Sudan, focusing on the return experiences, the barriers for return, and the options to improve future contributions. Despite contributions of the Sudanese medical diaspora being of a small scale considering the size of the phenomenon, as well as infrequent and not appropriately organized, their inputs to academia and the links built with overseas institutions and specialist clinical services were nevertheless remarkable. The main barrier to temporal return was inappropriate organization by the local counterparts, while those for permanent return of physicians were poor work environment, insufficient financial payment, unsecured accommodation, and offspring education. The study identified short-term return as a feasible option considering the country's current conditions. Proper coordination mechanisms for short-term returns and facilitation of permanent return through stakeholders

  20. Wine prices in the Nordic countries: Are they lower than in the region of origin?

    OpenAIRE

    Jan Bentzen; Valdemar Smith

    2002-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to analyse the retail prices on wine in different countries. In general, country-specific price differences on identical wines are expected to reflect differences in taxes, import prices, transportation and other costs. Also the competitive conditions on the retail markets in the relevant countries are important. Accordingly, lack of competition at the retail level, high import prices and high duties on wine all contribute to increase wine prices. Next, consumer price...

  1. Foreign direct investment and their impact on economic development countries in transition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marijana Joksimovic

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Foreign direct investment (FDI is among the key developmental factors that, along with international trade, contributes to the globalisation of the world economy and business. It is therefore necessary to ensure FDI improves economic development. Attracting investors, a favourable investment climate, and investment attractiveness compared to other countries in the region are some of the prerequisites for effective economic development of the Republic of Serbia. The authors in the paper analyse the impact of FDI on the economic development of Republic of Serbia. Based on available countries from 2012 to 2014, the paper presents a comparative view of the Republic of Serbia and the countries in the region.

  2. Risk management for sulfur dioxide abatement under multiple uncertainties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, C.; Sun, W.; Tan, Q.; Liu, Y.; Lu, W. T.; Guo, H. C.

    2016-03-01

    In this study, interval-parameter programming, two-stage stochastic programming (TSP), and conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) were incorporated into a general optimization framework, leading to an interval-parameter CVaR-based two-stage programming (ICTP) method. The ICTP method had several advantages: (i) its objective function simultaneously took expected cost and risk cost into consideration, and also used discrete random variables and discrete intervals to reflect uncertain properties; (ii) it quantitatively evaluated the right tail of distributions of random variables which could better calculate the risk of violated environmental standards; (iii) it was useful for helping decision makers to analyze the trade-offs between cost and risk; and (iv) it was effective to penalize the second-stage costs, as well as to capture the notion of risk in stochastic programming. The developed model was applied to sulfur dioxide abatement in an air quality management system. The results indicated that the ICTP method could be used for generating a series of air quality management schemes under different risk-aversion levels, for identifying desired air quality management strategies for decision makers, and for considering a proper balance between system economy and environmental quality.

  3. The Contribution of Local Environments to Competence Creation in Multinational Enterprises

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, Ulf; Dellestrand, Henrik; Pedersen, Torben

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines the competence development of subsidiaries in multinational enterprises. We analyze how local subsidiary environments affect the development of technological and business competencies among other units in the multinational enterprise. We test our predictions using data from 2......,107 foreign-owned subsidiaries located in seven European countries, by means of structural equation modeling — namely, LISREL. By bringing the local environment to the fore, we contribute to the literature on the emergence and determinants of firm-specific advantages. We link local subsidiary environments...... throughout the organization. Thus, we contribute to an enhanced understanding of location as a determinant of the creation of units of competence and centers of excellence within multinational enterprises. In other words, we demonstrate that country-specific advantages are beneficial for competence creation...

  4. Contributions of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to Quality Education: A Synthesis of Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurie, Robert; Nonoyama-Tarumi, Yuko; Mckeown, Rosalyn; Hopkins, Charles

    2016-01-01

    This research is a synthesis of studies carried out in 18 countries to identify contributions of education for sustainable development (ESD) to quality education. Five common questions were used for the interviews in each country to solicit education leaders and practitioners' views on the outcome and implementation of ESD. The analysis revealed…

  5. People and things. CERN Courier, May 1986, v. 26(4)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1986-01-01

    The article reports on achievements of various people, staff changes and position opportunities within the CERN organization and contains news updates on upcoming or past events. At the recent symposium on 'Perspectives in Particle Physics' at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, ICTP Director Abdus Salam presided over the first award ceremony for the Institute's Dirac Medals. The Guthrie Prize and Medal of the UK Institute of Physics this year goes to Sir Denys Wilkinson of Sussex for his many contributions to nuclear physics. The 1985 Third World Academy of Sciences Physics Prize has been awarded to E. C. G. Sudarshan from India for his fundamental contributions to the understanding of the weak nuclear force. The Academy's Mathematics Prize goes to Liao Shan Tao from China for his fundamental contributions to the periodic transformations of spheres and the qualitative theory of dynamics

  6. Assessing ambition of nationally determined contributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Höhne, Niklas

    2015-01-01

    A key for a successful new international climate agreement by December 2015 will be the collective assessment of ambition of individual proposals by countries on how and how much to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We conclude that there is nothing right or wrong in choosing one or several of these approaches to assess the level of ambition of contributions. An approach using several of many methods described can take into account the difference in national circumstances.

  7. MALDI-TOF MS contribution to diagnosis of melioidosis in a nonendemic country in three French travellers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Walewski

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Melioidosis is an endemic disease in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. An increasing number of cases are being reported in nonendemic countries, making the diagnosis less obvious. We discuss the identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei using matrix-assisted desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry on the occasion of recent cases of imported melioidosis in French travellers.

  8. The contribution of the Saudi woman in economic development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haga Elimam

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of the study is to analyze the contribution of Saudi woman in economic development of the country. This report develops an understanding of women contributions towards economic development. The method used to analyze the data was Pearson correlation. Through correlation we can determine the relationship between the variables. The study was a quantitative study. The data for five years was taken. Hypotheses development proceeded by focusing on labor work force participation, literacy rate of adult females and GDP rate within Saudi Arabia. Analysis was done on the results and the findings confirmed that there is a significant relationship between the variables. This study was of exploratory nature, it is recommended that this research be expanded to a statistically valid base within Saudi Arabia and then expand the study to additional countries. The findings showed that there was a high significant relationship between women labor work force participation and GDP. Whereas, there was moderate significant relationship between labor work force and literacy rate. Hence, there is a positive relationship between women contribution and economic development. The research is conducted within the context of Saudi Arabia and has certain limitation with further directions of conducting research in related field to get more accurate results.

  9. Use of migrants' remittances in labor-exporting countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandavarkar, A G

    1980-06-01

    For many developing countries, migrant workers' remittances comprise a substantial proportion of foreign exchange earnings. The most important macroeconomic requisite for inducing remittances through official channels is a realistic single rate of exchange for the currency of the labor exporting country. Convenient facilities for holding remittances in approved foreign currency accounts with banks in the country of origin are another useful incentive for attracting migrants' funds. In addition, policies must be formulated to ensure the optimal use, sectoral and regional, of cash remittances. There is a choice between consumption, saving, and investment. Generally, remittances have contributed little to the longterm development potential of most labor exporting countries. This reflects the lack of a coherent policy to mobilize the savings from remittances into productive investment. The 1st priority, given the lack of financial and managerial skills in many migrant households, is the creation of a specialized institution or specialized units within existing banks for remittances. It is important as well to ensure that remittances are utilized to inculcate a savings psychology among recipients. This can be achieved through the creation of contractual savings schemes and the linkage of savings to credit facilities. Such measures are contingent upon an adequate spread of banking facilities in rural areas and the development of an appropriate intermediate financial technology in the labor exporting countries. Institutional banking will have to adapt lending procedures to the viability of projects rather than to the availability of collateral. Advantageous interest rates in rural areas are also necessary to redress the urban bias of the financial system in developing countries.

  10. Contribution of the G20 economies to the global impact of the Paris agreement climate proposals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    den Elzen, Michel; Admiraal, Annemiek; Roelfsema, Mark; van Soest, Heleen; Hof, Andries F.; Forsell, Nicklas

    2016-01-01

    By 15 December 2015, 187 countries had submitted their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) summarising their climate actions after 2020 in the context of the Paris Agreement. We used a unified framework to assess the mitigation components of INDCs covering 105 countries

  11. No-lose targets as an option to integrate non-Annex I countries in global emission reduction efforts. A game-theoretical analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duscha, Vicki

    2012-07-01

    Substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions of 50% and more below 1990 levels by 2050 are necessary, to limit mean temperature increase below 2 C above pre-industrial levels. While the Kyoto Protocol foresees emission reduction targets for Annex I countries only, current and projected greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the growing economic importance of emerging economies call for an integration of non-Annex I countries in global reduction efforts. No-lose targets set emission reduction targets and define incentives for meeting the target, in contrast to binding reduction targets that use penalties to ensure compliance. One form of incentive is the participation in an international emissions trading market. While a few conceptual and quantitative analyses of no-lose targets can be found in the literature, economic analyses have not been carried out so far. In this thesis, two theoretical frameworks are introduced to analyze the potential of no-lose targets to contribute to global emission reduction efforts. First, a two-player, two-stage model is developed to model a non-Annex I country's participation decision and derive the contribution to global emission reductions. Then a two-player participation game is introduced to analyze the effects that the participation decision of one non-Annex I country has on another non-Annex I country also facing a no-lose target. Two market forms, a perfectly competitive market, and a market with market power on the side of the non-Annex I country are analyzed. In order to complement the highly stylized theoretical frameworks, a quantitative analysis applying marginal abatement cost curves is conducted to estimate the contribution of no-lose targets to reaching the 2 C target. The analyses show that no-lose targets can result in substantial contributions from non-Annex I countries to global emission reductions, in particular if the reduction potential in the non-Annex I countries is large, compared to that of the Annex I

  12. XRF Newsletter, No. 24, March 2013

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-03-01

    The Physics Section (PS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supports through its dedicated programs and activities the development of interdisciplinary applications of laboratory and accelerator based X ray spectrometry techniques. In particular, the IAEA in recognition of the contribution of the Synchrotron Radiation (SR) and of its unique properties in the research and development has designated the Elettra Laboratory at Syncrotrone Trieste (EST) as an IAEA collaborative centre. The IAEA and EST have been in cooperation since 2005 in the organization of many training (schools) and promotion (workshop) activities for the SR analytical techniques with the continuous support of the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste

  13. Satisfaction with job and income among older individuals across European countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bonsang, E.; van Soest, A.H.O.

    2012-01-01

    Using data on individuals of age 50 and older from 11 European countries, we analyze two economic aspects of subjective well-being of older Europeans: satisfaction with household income, and job satisfaction. Both have been shown to contribute substantially to overall well-being (satisfaction with

  14. IEA Bioenergy Countries' Report: Bioenergy policies and status of implementation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bacovsky, Dina [Bioenergy 2020+ GmbH, Graz (Austria); Ludwiczek, Nikolaus [Bioenergy 2020+ GmbH, Graz (Austria); Pointner, Christian [Bioenergy 2020+ GmbH, Graz (Austria); Verma, Vijay Kumar [Bioenergy 2020+ GmbH, Graz (Austria)

    2016-08-05

    This report was prepared from IEA statistical data, information from IRENA, and IEA Bioenergy Tasks’ country reports, combined with data provided by the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee. All individual country reports were reviewed by the national delegates to the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee, who have approved the content. In the first section of each country report, national renewable energy targets are presented (first table in each country report), and the main pieces of national legislation are discussed. In the second section of each country report the total primary energy supply (TPES) by resources and the contribution of bioenergy are presented. All data is taken from IEA statistics for the year 2014. Where 2014 data was not available, 2013 data was used. It is worth noting that data reported in national statistics can differ from the IEA data presented, as the reporting categories and definitions are different. In the third section of each country report, the research focus related to bioenergy is discussed. Relevant funding programs, major research institutes and projects are described. In the fourth section, recent major bioenergy developments are described. Finally, in the fifth section, links to sources of information are provided.

  15. Cesarean section trends in the Nordic Countries – a comparative analysis with the Robson classification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pyykönen, Aura; Gissler, Mika; Løkkegaard, Ellen

    2017-01-01

    (3 398 586) between 2000 and 2011 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The Robson group distribution, cesarean rate and contribution of each Robson group were analyzed nationally for four 3-year time periods. For each country, we analyzed which groups contributed to the change......Introduction: The cesarean rates are low but increasing in most Nordic countries. Using the Robson classification, we analyzed which obstetric groups have contributed to the changes in the cesarean rates. Material and methods: Retrospective population-based registry study including all deliveries...... in the total cesarean rate. Results: Between the first and the last time period studied, the total cesarean rates increased in Denmark (16.4 to 20.7%), Norway (14.4 to 16.5%) and Sweden (15.5 to 17.1%), but towards the end of our study, the cesarean rates stabilized or even decreased. The increase...

  16. ADOLESCENT IMMIGRANTS’ HOST SATISFACTION IN A RECENT IMMIGRATION RECEIVING COUNTRY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena BRIONES

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Host country satisfaction, as an index of immigr ants’ psychological adaptation, has particular importance for immigrant communities in the destination country. We explain immigrant adolescents’ satisfaction with their level of life in Spain by examining the contribution of sociodemographic variables, ethnic and mainstream identification, the perception of ethnic group discrimination, and the length of time lived in the host country. We examine a group of 347 Moroccans and Ecuadorians adolescent immigrants, two of the biggest immigrant communities in Spain that differ in their cultural distance (e.g., language, religion to the mainstream culture. We provide empirical evidences that; first, Spanish language proficiency, mainstream (and not ethnic identification, and time lived in Spain are positivel y related to host country satisfaction; second, immigrants’ perception of ethnic discrimination is negatively associated with host country satisfaction; and third, cultural distance to the mainstream does not significantly moderate these associations (i.e. the relationships are similar for the two ethnic groups. Considering these results, social policies aimed at promoting positive attitudes towards cultural diversity and supporting immigrants’ participation in the host society should be encouraged.

  17. [The manpower market for physicians in the Nordic countries 1980-2000].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skoglund, E; Taraldset, A

    2000-06-30

    The ratio between population and active physicians in the Nordic countries has improved from 488 inhabitants per physician in 1980 to 315 in 2000. There is a large mobility of physicians between the countries, contributing to levelling out swings in demand and supply of manpower. Language and culture being similar, physicians can easily adjust to working in a neighbouring country. Iceland is special in this respect, as a surplus of Icelandic physicians has always found work in the other Nordic countries. Of course, their numbers are small relative to the total number of active physicians in the Nordic countries, now approximately 76,000. The number of students admitted to Nordic medical faculties has changed in line with swings in estimated future demand for manpower. Today, numbers are increasing again; this year, approximately 2,900 students will be admitted. Norway stands apart from the other Nordic countries in terms of medical manpower needs. During the last 20 years there has been a continuous shortage of physicians while all the other countries have been through periods of surplus and unemployment among physicians. Manpower forecasts in the early 1980s underestimated the growth in the health care system and hence the demand for medical manpower.

  18. Rural Finance and Microfinance Development in Transition Countries in Southeast and East Asia

    OpenAIRE

    Llanto, Gilberto M.; Fukui, Ryu

    2006-01-01

    Microfinance is an emerging important financial subsector in Asian transition countries. Its role is to improve financial access of the poor and small economic players and thus help them to build assets, thereby contribute to poverty alleviation. This paper provides an overview of rural finance and microfinance development in transition countries in Southeast and East Asia—Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Mongolia—focusing on the institutional evolution and the inter-relation between ...

  19. World gynecologic oncology publications and the Turkish contribution to the literature between 2000 and 2007.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dursun, Polat; Gultekin, Murat; Ayhan, Ali

    2011-01-01

    To investigate the number of publications and the contribution from top-ranking countries, institutions, and authors in 3 gynecologic oncology journals (Gynecologic Oncology [GO], International Journal of Gynecological Cancer [IJGC], and European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology [EJGO]),as well as the degree of Turkish contribution between 2000 and 2007. Articles published between 2000 and 2007 in 3 gynecologic oncology journals indexed by the Science Citation Index were accessed via the ISI-Thomson website. Additionally, PubMed, Sciencedirect, and Blackwell-Synergy databases were used to identify the originating countries and institutions of the published articles. The types of articles, originating countries, and names of the institutions and authors were determined. Furthermore, the number of articles affiliated with Turkish institutions and the publication year were also determined. We located 6,851 articles published in the 3 journals. During this period 36.1%, 7.7%, 7.2%, 5.8% and 4.8% of the papers originated from the USA, Japan, Italy, Turkey, and England, respectively. The 5 most productive institutions were the University of Texas, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University of Alabama, and University of Athens. The 5 most productive authors were Markman (USA), Chi (USA), Ayhan (Turkey), Barakat (USA), and Vergote (Belgium), respectively. In all, 36.1% of the papers originated from the USA, while 44% originated from 17 European countries. The USA was the first-ranked country of origin in GO and IJGC, while Turkey was the first-ranked country of origin in EJGO. Overall, 399 (5.8%) papers originated from Turkish institutions. Most of the gynecologic oncology publications originated from the USA and Western European countries, where gynecologic oncology training is available and surgical and research traditions are well established. On the other hand, Turkish researchers made an important contribution to gynecologic

  20. Does ICT Participate in Economic Convergence among Asian Countries: Evidence from Dynamic Panel Data Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bilal MEHMOOD

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Conventional Convergence models usually oversee the role of information and communications technology (ICT as a determinant of convergence. This paper introduces ICT as a factor contributing towards economic convergence in Asian countries. In addition to ICT, other factors like demographic traits, level of human development and electricity consumption are used as regressors. System GMM technique is used to estimate convergence regression for se-lected Asian countries for data of time span 2001-2010. Support for ICT-augmented conver-gence is found, implying that ICT has the tendency to participate in convergence process. Suitable demographic features, human development and electricity consumption are also found to contribute to economic convergence in the sample countries of Asia. Findings of this paper indicate the need to complement the favorable demographic endowments in Asian economies with economically productive usage of ICT to proceed towards economic convergence in Asian Region.

  1. Does energy efficiency improve technological change and economic growth in developing countries?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cantore, Nicola; Calì, Massimiliano; Velde, Dirk Willem te

    2016-01-01

    Does a trade-off exist between energy efficiency and economic growth? This question underlies some of the tensions between economic and environmental policies, especially in developing countries that often need to expand their industrial base to grow. This paper contributes to the debate by analyzing the relationship between energy efficiency and economic performance at the micro- (total factor productivity) and macro-level (countries' economic growth). It uses data on a large sample of manufacturing firms across 29 developing countries to find that lower levels of energy intensity are associated with higher total factor productivity for the majority of these countries. The results are robust to a variety of checks. Suggestive cross-country evidence points towards the same relation measured at the macro-level as well. - Highlights: •Total factor productivity is an accurate proxy of technological change. •Energy efficiency triggers total factor productivity especially in manufacturing. •Technological change via energy efficiency in manufacturing is an engine of growth.

  2. Drug design and discovery: translational biomedical science varies among countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weaver, Ian N; Weaver, Donald F

    2013-10-01

    Drug design and discovery is an innovation process that translates the outcomes of fundamental biomedical research into therapeutics that are ultimately made available to people with medical disorders in many countries throughout the world. To identify which nations succeed, exceed, or fail at the drug design/discovery endeavor--more specifically, which countries, within the context of their national size and wealth, are "pulling their weight" when it comes to developing medications targeting the myriad of diseases that afflict humankind--we compiled and analyzed a comprehensive survey of all new drugs (small molecular entities and biologics) approved annually throughout the world over the 20-year period from 1991 to 2010. Based upon this analysis, we have devised prediction algorithms to ascertain which countries are successful (or not) in contributing to the worldwide need for effective new therapeutics. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Agricultural biotechnology and smallholder farmers in developing countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anthony, Vivienne M; Ferroni, Marco

    2012-04-01

    Agricultural biotechnology holds much potential to contribute towards crop productivity gains and crop improvement for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Over 14 million smallholder farmers are already benefiting from biotech crops such as cotton and maize in China, India and other Asian, African and Central/South American countries. Molecular breeding can accelerate crop improvement timescales and enable greater use of diversity of gene sources. Little impact has been realized to date with fruits and vegetables because of development timescales for molecular breeding and development and regulatory costs and political considerations facing biotech crops in many countries. Constraints to the development and adoption of technology-based solutions to reduce yield gaps need to be overcome. Full integration with broader commercial considerations such as farmer access to seed distribution systems that facilitate dissemination of improved varieties and functioning markets for produce are critical for the benefits of agricultural biotechnology to be fully realized by smallholders. Public-private partnerships offer opportunities to catalyze new approaches and investment while accelerating integrated research and development and commercial supply chain-based solutions. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Contributions of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Implementing the Global Health Security Agenda in 17 Partner Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzmaurice, Arthur G; Mahar, Michael; Moriarty, Leah F; Bartee, Maureen; Hirai, Mitsuaki; Li, Wenshu; Gerber, A Russell; Tappero, Jordan W; Bunnell, Rebecca

    2017-12-01

    The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), a partnership of nations, international organizations, and civil society, was launched in 2014 with a mission to build countries' capacities to respond to infectious disease threats and to foster global compliance with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assists partner nations to improve IHR 2005 capacities and achieve GHSA targets. To assess progress through these CDC-supported efforts, we analyzed country activity reports dating from April 2015 through March 2017. Our analysis shows that CDC helped 17 Phase I countries achieve 675 major GHSA accomplishments, particularly in the cross-cutting areas of public health surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce development, and emergency response management. CDC's engagement has been critical to these accomplishments, but sustained support is needed until countries attain IHR 2005 capacities, thereby fostering national and regional health protection and ensuring a world safer and more secure from global health threats.

  5. Practice of nuclear medicine in a developing country

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasan, M.M.; Karim, M.A.; Nahar, N.; Haque, M.M.

    2002-01-01

    For more than a half a century nuclear medicine is contributing in the field of medicine. Still nuclear medicine is not widely available in many countries. Especially in developing countries due to many a reasons nuclear medicine could not flourish in that way. Availability of radioisotope, high cost of instrument and sophistication of the branch are the three main reasons behind. Even the countries where nuclear medicine is functioning for quite a long time, the facilities for proper function are still not adequate. Training of manpower, maintenance of instruments, regular supply of isotopes and kit and cost effectiveness are some of the major problems. We have seen some fast developments in nuclear medicine in last few decades. Development of gamma detecting systems with SPECT, positron emission detector (PET), supported computer technology and introduction of some newer radiopharmaceuticals for functional studies are few of the examples. The developing countries also have a problem to go on parallel with these rapid development of nuclear medicine in other part of the world. In last few decades we have also witnessed development of CT, MRI, Ultrasound and other imaging modalities as our competitor. Specially for developing countries these have posed as a major challenge for nuclear medicine. A better understanding between developed and developing nations is the key point of todays ultimate success in any sector. For real development of nuclear medicine and to give the majority of the people the benefit of nuclear medicine a better and more active co-operation is needed between all the countries. The paper presents the difficulties and some practical problems of practicing nuclear medicine in a developing country. And also appeals for global co-operation to solve the problems for better interest of the subject

  6. Contributing to Peace, Health and Prosperity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amano, Yukiya

    2013-01-01

    This issue of the IAEA Bulletin edition considers the ideas and innovations that led to the IAEA’s formation and influenced its evolution. In this issue of the IAEA Bulletin, you will learn more about how countries use nuclear technology to improve health and prosperity and protect the environment through the technical cooperation programme. Together, the Member States and the IAEA are making a lasting contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals that challenge us to significantly reduce hunger, poverty and disease

  7. Indoor radon measurements and methodologies in Latin American countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canoba, A.; Lopez, F.O.; Arnaud, M.I.; Oliveira, A.A.; Neman, R.S.; Hadler, J.C.; Iunes, P.J.; Paulo, S.R.; Osorio, A.M.; Aparecido, R.; Rodriguez, C.; Moreno, V.; Vasquez, R.; Espinosa, G.; Golzarri, J.I.; Martinez, T.; Navarrete, M.; Cabrera, I.; Segovia, N.; Pena, P.; Tamez, E.; Pereyra, P.; Lopez-Herrera, M.E.; Sajo-Bohus, L.

    2001-01-01

    According to the current international guidelines concerning environmental problems, it is necessary to evaluate and to know the indoor radon levels, specially since most of the natural radiation dose to man comes from radon gas and its progeny. Several countries have established National Institutions and National Programs for the study of radon and its connection with lung cancer risk and public health. The aim of this work is to present the indoor radon measurements and the detection methods used for different regions of Latin America (LA) in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. This study shows that the passive radon devices based on alpha particle nuclear track methodology (NTM) is one of the more generalized methods in LA for long term indoor radon measurements, CR-39, LR-115 and Makrofol being the more commonly used detector materials. The participating institutions and the radon level measurements in the different countries are presented in this contribution

  8. Household expenditure for dental care in low and middle income countries.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohd Masood

    Full Text Available This study assessed the extent of household catastrophic expenditure in dental health care and its possible determinants in 41 low and middle income countries. Data from 182,007 respondents aged 18 years and over (69,315 in 18 low income countries, 59,645 in 15 lower middle income countries and 53,047 in 8 upper middle income countries who participated in the WHO World Health Survey (WHS were analyzed. Expenditure in dental health care was defined as catastrophic if it was equal to or higher than 40% of the household capacity to pay. A number of individual and country-level factors were assessed as potential determinants of catastrophic dental health expenditure (CDHE in multilevel logistic regression with individuals nested within countries. Up to 7% of households in low and middle income countries faced CDHE in the last 4 weeks. This proportion rose up to 35% among households that incurred some dental health expenditure within the same period. The multilevel model showed that wealthier, urban and larger households and more economically developed countries had higher odds of facing CDHE. The results of this study show that payments for dental health care can be a considerable burden on households, to the extent of preventing expenditure on basic necessities. They also help characterize households more likely to incur catastrophic expenditure on dental health care. Alternative health care financing strategies and policies targeted to improve fairness in financial contribution are urgently required in low and middle income countries.

  9. Summary of nuclear power and fuel cycle data in OECD Member countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-03-01

    A questionnaire on Electricity Generation, Nuclear Power and Fuel Cycle Data is distributed annually to OECD Member countries. Member countries were asked to provide, where available, various statistics for the previous calendar year (1982) and modified projections up to the year 2000. Tables 1 to 8 are based on the responses received and update the March 1982 issue. Tables 3 to 8 show the revised electricity, nuclear power and fuel cycle supply and demand projections in OECD Member countries to the year 2000. Figure 1 illustrates the contribution of the different fuel sources to the OECD's electricity generation from 1974 to 1982. Figure 2 shows the nuclear share of electricity generation in the OECD countries for 1982 and 1985. Figure 3 gives the fuel cycle supply and demand from the Tables 5, 6 and 8 in the OECD area

  10. Quantification of social contributions to earthquake mortality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Main, I. G.; NicBhloscaidh, M.; McCloskey, J.; Pelling, M.; Naylor, M.

    2013-12-01

    Death tolls in earthquakes, which continue to grow rapidly, are the result of complex interactions between physical effects, such as strong shaking, and the resilience of exposed populations and supporting critical infrastructures and institutions. While it is clear that the social context in which the earthquake occurs has a strong effect on the outcome, the influence of this context can only be exposed if we first decouple, as much as we can, the physical causes of mortality from our consideration. (Our modelling assumes that building resilience to shaking is a social factor governed by national wealth, legislation and enforcement and governance leading to reduced levels of corruption.) Here we attempt to remove these causes by statistically modelling published mortality, shaking intensity and population exposure data; unexplained variance from this physical model illuminates the contribution of socio-economic factors to increasing earthquake mortality. We find that this variance partitions countries in terms of basic socio-economic measures and allows the definition of a national vulnerability index identifying both anomalously resilient and anomalously vulnerable countries. In many cases resilience is well correlated with GDP; people in the richest countries are unsurprisingly safe from even the worst shaking. However some low-GDP countries rival even the richest in resilience, showing that relatively low cost interventions can have a positive impact on earthquake resilience and that social learning between these countries might facilitate resilience building in the absence of expensive engineering interventions.

  11. Social Security Contributions and Return Migration Among Older Male Mexican Immigrants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aguila, Emma; Vega, Alma

    2017-06-01

    For decades, scholars have studied the effects of immigration on the U.S. social security system. To date, this research has been primarily limited to migrants within the United States and does not consider those who return to their countries of origin. We estimate the proportion of male Mexican return migrants who contributed to the U.S. social security system and analyze their socioeconomic characteristics and migration histories. We also estimate the proportion that receive or expect to receive U.S. social security benefits. Using probit regression on the 2012 Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), we describe the predictors of having contributed to the U.S. social security system among Mexican males in Mexico aged 50 years and older who at some point lived in the United States. We find that 32% of male return migrants reported having contributed to the U.S. social security system, but only 5% of those who contributed, received or expected to receive benefits. Those who reported having contributed spent more years in the United States and were more likely to be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents than those who did not contribute. Immigrants often pay Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance taxes using legitimate or illegitimate social security numbers and return to their home countries without collecting U.S. social security benefits. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Uganda Country Economic Memorandum : Economic Diversification and Growth in the Era of Oil and Volatility

    OpenAIRE

    World Bank; Government of Uganda

    2015-01-01

    The objective of the Ugandan government is to make Uganda an upper - middle income country within thirty years. Economic diversification is a key component of that strategy. The country economic memorandum (CEM) report discusses how the emergence of oil and mineral production can contribute to Uganda’s effort to promote economic diversification as a means to achieve sustainable and shared ...

  13. Income inequality, trust, and population health in 33 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elgar, Frank J

    2010-11-01

    I examined the association between income inequality and population health and tested whether this association was mediated by interpersonal trust or public expenditures on health. Individual data on trust were collected from 48 641 adults in 33 countries. These data were linked to country data on income inequality, public health expenditures, healthy life expectancy, and adult mortality. Regression analyses tested for statistical mediation of the association between income inequality and population health outcomes by country differences in trust and health expenditures. Income inequality correlated with country differences in trust (r = -0.51), health expenditures (r = -0.45), life expectancy (r = -0.74), and mortality (r = 0.55). Trust correlated with life expectancy (r = 0.48) and mortality (r = -0.47) and partly mediated their relations to income inequality. Health expenditures did not correlate with life expectancy and mortality, and health expenditures did not mediate links between inequality and health. Income inequality might contribute to short life expectancy and adult mortality in part because of societal differences in trust. Societies with low levels of trust may lack the capacity to create the kind of social supports and connections that promote health and successful aging.

  14. [The contribution of diet and sun exposure to the nutritional status of vitamin D in elderly Spanish women: the five countries study (OPTIFORD Project)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez Sangrador, M; Beltrán de Miguel, B; Quintanilla Murillas, L; Cuadrado Vives, C; Moreiras Tuny, O

    2008-01-01

    Vitamin D deficiency represents an important public health problem, especially among elderly people, by increasing the morbimortality. Because of the importance of this, in the year 2001 the "Five Countries Study" was put in place, within the European OPTIFORD project (Towards a strategy for optimal vitamin D fortification). This cross-sectional and observational study aims at knowing the vitamin D status in adolescent and elder women from five European countries, including Spain, according to different dietary and behavioral habits. This work analyzes the relative contribution of sun exposure and diet to the vitamin D status in 53 Caucasian Spanish elder women (72 +/- 1.6 years), with an autonomous life, participating at the Five Countries Study. The information was gathered in summer and winter time, by using homologated and validated questionnaires: health status and life style questionnaire; assessment of sun exposure by a standardized test and using a Viospor UV dosimeter (only in summer time); biochemical analysis of 25 hydroxyvitamin D (S-25-OHD) and parathyroid hormone; and questionnaire of frequency of selective intake. We observed a direct relationship between sun exposure measured with the dosimeter (741 +/- 624 J/m2) and the number of hours outdoors during the measuring week (3.4 +/- 1.9 hours/day) (p 50 nmol/L (p = 0.01). There is also a direct association between the number of hours outdoors and S-25-OHD (p = 0.09), with differences between the participants in the S-25-OHD 50 nmol/L group. In more than 95% of the sample, mean dietary intakes of vitamin D (5.17 +/- 4.84 microg/day in summer time and 4.70+/- 4.72 microg/day in winter time), the main source of which being fish, did not cover the Recommended Allowances. We did not observe a relationship between the dietary intake and blood levels of vitamin D. By contrast, those participants taking vitamin D supplements presented higher S-25-OHD levels (summer = 69.64 nmol/L and winter = 55 nmol/L) than

  15. Influence of country brand slogan and logo in country positioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gina Pipoli de Azambuja

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available To build the image of a country minds consumers’ minds, countries apply marketing strategies that are based on their country brand development, in the same way that companies apply marketing to their products and services. The development of the logo and slogan to be used in the communication strategy, are two key elements of its success in the process of building the country brand (Keller 2008. Thus the objective of this research is to know the importance of using the logo and slogan in international marketing strategies of countries. To do this, this research analyzes the use of the logo and slogan, in country brand strategies of countries in the top places in the Country Brand Index (2009 of Future Brand.

  16. Regulatory Inspection of Nuclear Power Plants in NEA Member Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    Based on the replies to a questionnaire, this report gives a description and comparative evaluation of the regulatory inspection activities in several NEA Member countries. The questionnaire which was circulated to all Member countries requested details on the organisation, system, scope and objectives of nuclear regulatory inspection and the effort required throughout all stages of the life of a nuclear plant including the use of independent bodies or consultants. Additional information was requested on the documentation concerned with regulatory inspections, incident and accident reporting procedures, and the duties, powers and bases for recruitment of regulatory personnel with the object of covering all related aspects. However, because of the differences in national practices and perhaps in the interpretation of the questionnaire, it proved to be extremely difficult to make an evaluation and comparison of inspection activities and effort involved in these Member countries. This report, which includes a section on the nuclear power programme in Member countries, should therefore only be regarded as an initial review but it provides a useful contribution to the exchange of experience and views on regulatory inspection practices

  17. 2. Industrial countries: Promoting sustainable growth in a global economy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hammond, A.; MacKenzie, J.

    1992-01-01

    The chapter discusses the following topics: dimensions of sustainable development; energy resources (energy transitions, energy efficiency, renewable energy resources, economic and regulatory policies); agricultural and forest resources (effects of present policies, unsustainable practices, needed policy reform); waste, pollution, and sustainable technologies (cleanup strategies, more efficient manufacturing, emerging technologies); and a global context. It is concluded that the US could markedly improve its efficiency in using energy and other natural resources and, at the same time, reduce local and regional pollution, avoid waste, and lower its contribution to the threat of global warming. With appropriate, market-based policies, these steps need not carry heavy economic penalties and could indeed improve the country's economic competitiveness. To a large degree, similar steps could be taken, with equal benefit, in other OECD countries. Many promising new technologies exist that are both more efficient and more sustainable. The US and other OECD countries will need to move toward such technologies, and toward policies that encourage their development and use, to improve not only their own destinies but also those of other countries

  18. Peer Review Audit of Trauma Deaths in a Developing Country

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afzal Ali Jat

    2004-01-01

    Results and Conclusions: A total of 279 patients were registered in the trauma registry during the study period, including 18 trauma deaths. Peer review judged that six were preventable, seven were potentially preventable, and four were non-preventable. One patient was excluded because the record was not available for review. The proportion of preventable and potentially preventable deaths was significantly higher in our study than from developed countries. Of the multiple contributing factors identified, the most important were inadequate prehospital care, inappropriate interhospital transfer, limited hospital resources, and an absence of integrated and organized trauma care. This study summarizes the challenges faced in trauma care in a developing country.

  19. Protected area connectivity: Shortfalls in global targets and country-level priorities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saura, Santiago; Bertzky, Bastian; Bastin, Lucy; Battistella, Luca; Mandrici, Andrea; Dubois, Grégoire

    2018-03-01

    Connectivity of protected areas (PAs) is crucial for meeting their conservation goals. We provide the first global evaluation of countries' progress towards Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity that is to have at least 17% of the land covered by well-connected PA systems by 2020. We quantify how well the terrestrial PA systems of countries are designed to promote connectivity, using the Protected Connected (ProtConn) indicator. We refine ProtConn to focus on the part of PA connectivity that is in the power of a country to influence, i.e. not penalizing countries for PA isolation due to the sea and to foreign lands. We found that globally only 7.5% of the area of the countries is covered by protected connected lands, which is about half of the global PA coverage of 14.7%, and that only 30% of the countries currently meet the Aichi Target 11 connectivity element. These findings suggest the need for considerable efforts to improve PA connectivity globally. We further identify the main priorities for improving or sustaining PA connectivity in each country: general increase of PA coverage, targeted designation of PAs in strategic locations for connectivity, ensuring permeability of the unprotected landscapes between PAs, coordinated management of neighbouring PAs within the country, and/or transnational coordination with PAs in other countries. Our assessment provides a key contribution to evaluate progress towards global PA connectivity targets and to highlight important strengths and weaknesses of the design of PA systems for connectivity in the world's countries and regions.

  20. Productivity of goats and their contribution to household food ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Productivity of goats and their contribution to household food security in high potential areas of East Africa: A case of Mgeta, Tanzania. ... milk and meat, manure is also an important by-product for farmers in this area, and is used to fertilize ... particularly in developing countries, livestock remains a desired source of food for

  1. Routine clinical use of radiopharmaceuticals in Latin American developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitta, A.E.

    1985-01-01

    The paper describes the routine clinical use of radiopharmaceuticals in the developing countries of Latin America made possible by: (1) the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which sent experts and equipment to many countries and made a substantial bibliographic contribution on the subject; (2) the Latin American Association of Societies of Nuclear Biology and Medicine (ALASBIMN), which fostered the exchange of data on techniques of radiopharmaceutical preparation and quality control by providing materials for tests, etc., and by publishing quality control manuals in some countries, finally in 1982 producing the Manual of Radiopharmaceutical Quality Control, in collaboration with the Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission (CIEN) and published by the Organization of American States (OAS); (3) the countries themselves under agreements between their atomic energy commissions; (4) radiopharmacy courses organized by universities, either alone or in collaboration with the IAEA, WHO, etc.; (5) professional workers who established radiopharmaceutical services at private centres. Finally, the societies of nuclear medicine and biology in each country, the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology, the ALASBIMN, the IAEA, etc. organized symposia and meetings which afforded opportunities to professionals of these countries to receive and exchange information, since in Latin America, given its language and human characteristics, the problems are similar. The countries referred to are Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Panama; little is known about Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. (author)

  2. FDI in small accession countries: The Baltic states

    OpenAIRE

    Hunya, Gábor

    2004-01-01

    Analysing the evolution and determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, this paper argues that sound economic policies have created an environment conducive for FDI. Overall, FDI has contributed to economic growth in the Baltic economies, having financed around one-fifth of fixed investment. However, their small size makes the Baltic countries relatively less attractive for market-seeking FDI in manufacturing. Moreover, at the outset of transition, their ...

  3. What Goods Do Countries Trade? New Ricardian Predictions

    OpenAIRE

    Arnaud Costinot; Ivana Komunjer

    2007-01-01

    Though one of the pillars of the theory of international trade, the extreme predictions of the Ricardian model have made it unsuitable for empirical purposes. A seminal contribution of Eaton and Kortum (2002) is to demonstrate the stochastic productivity differences at the firm-level are sufficient to make the Ricardian model empirically relevant. While successful at explaining trade volumes, their model remains silent with regards to one important question: What goods do countries trade? ...

  4. CONTRIBUTION OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FOR THE REGION DEVELOPMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KATARÍNA ČULKOVÁ

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Foreign direct investments contribute to the important solving of the economical growth and regionaldevelopment and it presents part of the state’s effort to increase living level of the state. Slovakia government ismotivated to support any foreign investment and it competes for such investments with other transforming countries.Goal of the contribution is to provide idea about main factors that influence inflow of the foreign investments to theindividual regions of Slovakia and to evaluate their contribution through characteristics and main determinants of theforeign investments. Only through careful choice can Slovakia obtain successfully investors that would come to thecountry with production, research and development since in modern economy we cannot be competitive without suchactivities, neither in regional, nor in the international level.

  5. Wellbeing Research in Developing Countries: Reviewing the Role of Qualitative Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camfield, Laura; Crivello, Gina; Woodhead, Martin

    2009-01-01

    The authors review the contribution of qualitative methods to exploring concepts and experiences of wellbeing among children and adults living in developing countries. They provide examples illustrating the potential of these methods for gaining a holistic and contextual understanding of people's perceptions and experiences. Some of these come…

  6. Eastern countries - WIN activity review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stiopol, Mihaela

    1998-01-01

    Women can play this important role in informing people about nuclear energy. WIN is a world-wide association of women working professionally in the fields of nuclear energy and radiation application who want to devote their time to public information. The main goal of the WIN is to establish an objective and effective communication with the public through educational programmes, information exchange and arranging study visits. The membership includes women working in medicine and health care, in regulatory authorities, in industry and as independent researches at Universities. They want to contribute to objectively informing the public by making presentation, discussing and giving information materials on subjects such as; radiation, radioactivity and health effects medical applications nuclear energy nuclear power plants and their safety nuclear and environment uranium mining radiation protection energy sustainable development WIN is also open to men, supporting the goals of WIN. The intention of this paper was to underline the main aspects which reflect WIN activity in some Eastern and Central countries. There are common features and also specific elements for each country. But the goal is the same: to assure an effective and a real information of the public related to the nuclear field

  7. Water footprint as an indicator of agricultural productivity in African countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chico Zamanillo, Daniel; Zhang, Guoping; Mathews, Ruth

    2017-04-01

    Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions with the largest scope for improved agricultural development that would contribute to global food security while respecting environmental boundaries. More importantly, undernourishment is a challenge for many African countries and needs to be addressed to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This study was conducted to support the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affair's Inclusive Green Growth aim of increasing water use efficiency by 25% in Dutch financed projects. A water footprint profile was developed for 7 Sub-Saharan countries; Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique and Rwanda. The profiles provide an overview of water use from the perspective of the goods produced within the country, the consumption of goods, in particular agricultural crops, whether these goods are produced domestically or imported from other countries and the level of blue water scarcity experienced in the country. Across all countries, key food crops such as maize, and sorghum have low water productivity relative to the global water footprint benchmark. Export crops such as tea in Kenya or cocoa in Ghana show a good performance over global production. Furthermore, the water footprint of crops over the period 2006-2013 was compared to data from the period 1996-2005. Changes in yield and the resulting changes in the water footprint were assessed for both food and export crops. Yields in food crops improved in some countries, and in some years, but not consistently across all countries and years. The greatest gains in water productivity were in key export crops. The results provide insights into whether improvements have been made in water productivity in recent years and through comparison with the global water footprint benchmark, remaining opportunities for further gains in water productivity were identified. Going forward, policies that will enhance further improvement in water productivity and support greater food and

  8. An Integrated Approach for Estimating the Energy Efficiency of Seventeen Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chia-Nan Wang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Increased energy efficiency is one of the most effective ways to achieve climate change mitigation. This study aims to evaluate the energy efficiency of seventeen countries. The evaluation is based on an integrated method that combines the super slack-based (super SBM model and the Malmquist productivity index (MPI to investigate the energy efficiency of seventeen countries during the period of 2010–2015. The results in this study are that the United States, Columbia, Japan, China, and Saudi Arabia perform the best in energy efficiency, whereas Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, and India perform the worst during the entire sample period. The energy efficiency of these countries arrived mainly from technological improvement. The study provides suggestions for the seventeen countries’ government to control the energy consumption and contribute to environmental protection.

  9. Income-environment relationship in Sub-Saharan African countries: Further evidence with trade openness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zerbo, Eléazar

    2017-07-01

    This paper examines the dynamic relationship between energy consumption, income growth, carbon emissions and trade openness in fourteen Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration and the Toda-Yamamoto causality test were used to investigate the long-run and short-run properties, respectively. The long-run estimations give evidence against the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in SSA countries. In contrast, the results highlight the significant and monotonically contribution of income growth and energy consumption in explaining carbon emissions in the long-run and short-run in several countries. Furthermore, the results show that trade openness enhances economic growth and is not linked to causing carbon emissions in these countries. Hence, a trade incentive policy may be implemented without harmful effect on the quality of the environment.

  10. Plasma Physics Network Newsletter, no. 5

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-08-01

    The fifth Plasma Physics Network Newsletter (IAEA, Vienna, Aug. 1992) includes the following topics: (1) the availability of a list of the members of the Third World Plasma Research Network (TWPRN); (2) the announcement of the fourteenth IAEA International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research to be held in Wuerzburg, Germany, from 30 Sep. to 7 Oct. 1992; (3) the announcement of a Technical Committee Meeting on research using small tokamaks, organized by the IAEA as a satellite meeting to the aforementioned fusion conference; (4) IAEA Fellowships and Scientific Visits for the use of workers in developing member states, and for which plasma researchers are encouraged to apply through Dr. D. Banner, Head, Physics Section, IAEA, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria; (5) the initiation in 1993 of a new Coordinated Research Programme (CRP) on 'Development of Software for Numerical Simulation and Data Processing in Fusion Energy Research', as well as a proposed CRP on 'Fusion Research in Developing Countries using Middle- and Small-Scale Plasma Devices'; (6) support from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) for meetings held in Third World countries; (7) a report by W. Usada on Fusion Research in Indonesia; (8) News on ITER; (9) the Technical Committee Meeting planned 8-12 Sep. 1992, Canada, on Tokamak Plasma Biasing; (10) software made available for the study of tokamak transport; (11) the electronic mail address of the TWPRN; (12) the FAX, e-mail, and postal address for contributions to this plasma physics network newsletter.

  11. Plasma physics network newsletter. No. 5

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-08-01

    The fifth Plasma Physics Network Newsletter (IAEA, Vienna, August 1992) includes the following topics: (i) the availability of a list of the members of the Third World Plasma Research Network (TWPRN); (ii) the announcement of the fourteenth IAEA International Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research to be held in Wuerzburg, Germany, from September 30 to October 7, 1992; (iii) the announcement of a Technical Committee Meeting on research using small tokamaks, organized by the IAEA as a satellite meeting to the aforementioned fusion conference; (iv) IAEA Fellowships and Scientific Visits for the use of workers in developing member states, and for which plasma researchers are encouraged to apply through Dr. D. Banner, Head, Physics Section, IAEA, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria; (v) the initiation in 1993 of a new Coordinated Research Programme (CRP) on ''Development of Software for Numerical Simulation and Data Processing in Fusion Energy Research'', as well as a proposed CRP on ''Fusion Research in Developing Countries using Middle- and Small-Scale Plasma Devices''; (vi) support from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) for meetings held in Third World countries; (vii) a report by W. Usada on Fusion Research in Indonesia; (viii) News on ITER; (ix) the Technical Committee Meeting planned September 8-12, 1992, Canada, on Tokamak Plasma Biasing; (x) software made available for the study of tokamak transport; (xi) the electronic mail address of the TWPRN; (xii) and the FAX, e-mail and postal address for contributions to this plasma physics network newsletter (FAX: (43-1)-234564)

  12. Quantifying emission reduction contributions by emerging economics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moltmann, Sara; Hagemann, Markus; Eisbrenner, Katja; Hoehne, Niklas [Ecofys GmbH, Koeln (Germany); Sterk, Wolfgang; Mersmann, Florian; Ott, Hermann E.; Watanabe, Rie [Wuppertal Institut (Germany)

    2011-04-15

    Further action is needed that goes far beyond what has been agreed so far under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol to 'prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system', the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC. It is out of question that developed countries (Annex I countries) will have to take a leading role. They will have to commit to substantial emission reductions and financing commitments due to their historical responsibility and their financial capability. However, the stabilisation of the climate system will require global emissions to peak within the next decade and decline well below half of current levels by the middle of the century. It is hence a global issue and, thus, depends on the participation of as many countries as possible. This report provides a comparative analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including their national climate plans, of the major emitting developing countries Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. It includes an overview of emissions and economic development, existing national climate change strategies, uses a consistent methodology for estimating emission reduction potential, costs of mitigation options, provides an estimate of the reductions to be achieved through the national climate plans and finally provides a comparison of the results to the allocation of emission rights according to different global effort-sharing approaches. In addition, the report discusses possible nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) the six countries could take based on the analysis of mitigation options. This report is an output of the project 'Proposals for quantifying emission reduction contributions by emerging economies' by Ecofys and the Wuppertal Institute for the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau. It builds upon earlier joint work ''Proposals for contributions of emerging economies to the climate

  13. Challenges of Epidemiologists of Developing Countries in the 21st Century

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen Rezaeian

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available There are many published articles which cover current and future challenges of epidemiology. However, up until now, most of them are written by developed world epidemiologists. Therefore, despite a common use of assumptions, they did not have the opportunity to discuss the different range of practical tasks and priorities away from developed countries. The topics covered are; facing poverty, non-democratic government that has links to developed countries, man-made and natural disasters, handling low-quality data and accessing it, and finally improving contribution to the world epidemiological knowledge for the 21st century.

  14. Islamic Banking Existence and Domestic Credit: Study at Seven Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamdan Yuafi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper empirically investigates the determinants of domestic credit across a wide range of 7 countries; these are United Kingdom, Malaysia, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Indonesia. We use dynamic panel estimation to examine effects of exchange rate, inflation, lending interest rate, banking crisis and existence of wholesale Islamic banking on domestic credit. We obtain several notable empirical results. First, the lending interest rate, banking crisis negatively and insignificantly contribute to domestic credit. The existence of Islamic bank has positive and insignificant contribution to domestic credit, while exchange rate positively and significantly contributes to domestic credit.  Inflation negatively and significantly contributes to domestic credit. Second, banking crisis and existence of wholesale Islamic banking show insignificant effect on domestic credit. Third, we find that today’s domestic credit is depended on domestic credit in the previous year.DOI: 10.15408/aiq9i2.4906

  15. Know Your Noodles! Assessing Variations in Sodium Content of Instant Noodles across Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrand, Clare; Charlton, Karen; Crino, Michelle; Santos, Joseph; Rodriguez-Fernandez, Rodrigo; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Webster, Jacqui

    2017-06-16

    Reducing salt intake is a cost-effective public health intervention to reduce the global burden of non-communicable disease (NCDs). Ultra-processed foods contribute ~80% of dietary salt in high income countries, and are becoming prominent in low-middle income countries. Instant noodle consumption is particularly high in the Asia Pacific region. The aim of this study was to compare the sodium content of instant noodles sold worldwide to identify potential for reformulation. Analysis was undertaken for 765 instant noodle products from 10 countries using packaged food composition databases of ultra-processed foods compiled by the Global Food Monitoring Group (GFMG) and national shop survey data. Sodium levels were high and variable, within and between countries. Instant noodles in China had the highest mean sodium content (1944 mg/100 g; range: 397-3678/100 g) compared to New Zealand (798 mg/100 g; range: 249-2380 mg/100 g). Average pack size ranged from 57 g (Costa Rica) to 98 g (China). The average packet contributed 35% to 95% of the World Health Organization recommended daily salt intake of <5 g. Forty-one percent of products met the Pacific Island (PICs) regional sodium targets, 37% met the South Africa 2016 targets, and 62% met the UK 2017 targets. This study emphasises a need for stronger regulation and closer monitoring to drive rigorous reformulation of salt in ultra-processed foods.

  16. Know Your Noodles! Assessing Variations in Sodium Content of Instant Noodles across Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrand, Clare; Charlton, Karen; Crino, Michelle; Santos, Joseph; Rodriguez-Fernandez, Rodrigo; Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Webster, Jacqui

    2017-01-01

    Reducing salt intake is a cost-effective public health intervention to reduce the global burden of non-communicable disease (NCDs). Ultra-processed foods contribute ~80% of dietary salt in high income countries, and are becoming prominent in low-middle income countries. Instant noodle consumption is particularly high in the Asia Pacific region. The aim of this study was to compare the sodium content of instant noodles sold worldwide to identify potential for reformulation. Analysis was undertaken for 765 instant noodle products from 10 countries using packaged food composition databases of ultra-processed foods compiled by the Global Food Monitoring Group (GFMG) and national shop survey data. Sodium levels were high and variable, within and between countries. Instant noodles in China had the highest mean sodium content (1944 mg/100 g; range: 397–3678/100 g) compared to New Zealand (798 mg/100 g; range: 249–2380 mg/100 g). Average pack size ranged from 57 g (Costa Rica) to 98 g (China). The average packet contributed 35% to 95% of the World Health Organization recommended daily salt intake of sodium targets, 37% met the South Africa 2016 targets, and 62% met the UK 2017 targets. This study emphasises a need for stronger regulation and closer monitoring to drive rigorous reformulation of salt in ultra-processed foods. PMID:28621720

  17. Violence as a public health problem: an ecological study of 169 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, Achim; Gray, Ron; Fazel, Seena

    2014-03-01

    Individual level risk factors for violence have been widely studied, but little is known about country-level determinants, particularly in low and middle-income countries. We hypothesized that income inequality, through its detrimental effects on social cohesion, would be related to an increase in violence worldwide, and in low and middle-income countries in particular. We examined country-level associations of violence with socio-economic and health-related factors, using crime statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and indicators from the Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Programme. Using regression models, we measured relationships between country-level factors (age, education, measures of income, health expenditure, and alcohol consumption) and four violent outcomes (including measures of violence-related mortality and morbidity) in up to 169 countries. We stratified our analyses comparing high with low and middle-income countries, and analysed longitudinal data on homicide and income inequality in high-income countries. In low and middle-income countries, income inequality was related to homicide, robbery, and self-reported assault (all p's public policy interventions reducing alcohol consumption may contribute to reducing violence rates. Our main finding was that income inequality was related to violence in low and middle-income countries. Public health should advocate for global action to moderate income inequality to reduce the global health burden of violence. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  18. Collagen derived serum markers in carcinoma of the prostate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rudnicki, M; Jensen, L T; Iversen, P

    1995-01-01

    of prostatic bone metastases. Blood samples were obtained prior to biopsy or TURP. Serum PICP, PIIINP and ICTP were measured with commercial available RIAs and PSA by IRMA. Serum PSA was increased in patients with local prostatic cancer compared with patients with hyperplasia (p ..., ICTP, and PICP did not differ between these two groups. In patients with metastatic prostatic cancer all five markers were increased compared to the level measured in patients with localized cancer (p .... The sensitivity ranged from 0.53 to 0.62 and specificity from 0.91 to 0.95. The sensitivity for alkaline phosphatase and PSA was 0.69 and 0.66 and specificity 0.91 and 0.68, respectively....

  19. Challenges and considerations for planning toward sustainable biodiesel development in developing countries: Lessons from the Greater Mekong Subregion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sukkasi, Sittha; Chollacoop, Nuwong; Ellis, Wyn; Grimley, Simon; Jai-In, Samai

    2010-01-01

    Biodiesel has the potential to economically, socially, and environmentally benefit communities as well as countries, and to contribute toward their sustainable development. Nonetheless, the complex nature of biodiesel development makes it susceptible to exogenous problems that could hinder sustainable development. To ensure that biodiesel development actually leads to a sustainable path, all possible issues and challenges need to be identified and analyzed up front, so that they can be prepared for and handled in the planning and management stages. Building upon lessons learned from biodiesel developments in the Greater Mekong Subregion, this work examines biodiesel development in developing countries in the aspects of policy, governance, management, infrastructure, technology, feedstock, impacts on the rural poor and local livelihood, climate change, and the environment. Issues within each aspect are also analyzed in the context of developing countries. As a result, this review can serve as a guideline for ensuring that biodiesel development contributes toward sustainable development in developing countries. (author)

  20. Mingadhuga Mingayung: Respecting Country through Mother Mountain's Stories to Share Her Cultural Voice in Western Academic Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKnight, Anthony

    2015-01-01

    The cultural invasion of Yuin Country in Australia not only colonized the Yuin people and Yuin Country itself, but also contributed to non-Aboriginal people's continual colonized journey of disconnecting self from Mother Earth. Cultural awareness is a process driven by Western theories informed by the colonial dualism that functions on separation…

  1. [Contribution of migrations to the process of urbanization].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bocquier, P

    1997-10-01

    An average of 22% of the populations of the Sahel countries resided in urban areas in the mid-1970s, a lower level than in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. The proportion urban has increased by about 5.5% annually over the past 2 decades. By 1993, four Sahel countries had over 30% of their populations in urban areas, and only Burkina Faso had less than 20% urban. The landlocked Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad have maintained rates of urbanization comparable to those of the coastal countries (Cape Verde, Gambia, Mauritania, and Senegal), which had more significant levels of urbanization in the past. The rate of growth of the urban population of all of sub-Saharan Africa was around 5.0% during the past 20 years. Only Dakar among the Sahel capitals has a population of over 1 million. Cities are small, and the urban environment is usually limited to the capital. In Guinea-Bissau, for example, the capital concentrates nearly 85% of the urban population. The increased rates of urbanization are due mainly to migration. In the landlocked countries covered by surveys of the Migration and Urbanization Networks in Western Africa (Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger), the rural exodus was directed primarily to other countries. In Senegal and Mauritania, on the other hand, around two-thirds of migrations were internal. Women contribute more than men to urban growth in the Sahel. Returning migrants also show a strong preference for capital cities. Labor markets are international for men but national for women. Urban unemployment rates in the Sahel countries studied were lower for migrants than nonmigrants.

  2. Worldwide burden of cancer attributable to HPV by site, country and HPV type

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plummer, Martyn; Vignat, Jerome; Franceschi, Silvia

    2017-01-01

    HPV is the cause of almost all cervical cancer and is responsible for a substantial fraction of other anogenital cancers and oropharyngeal cancers. Understanding the HPV‐attributable cancer burden can boost programs of HPV vaccination and HPV‐based cervical screening. Attributable fractions (AFs) and the relative contributions of different HPV types were derived from published studies reporting on the prevalence of transforming HPV infection in cancer tissue. Maps of age‐standardized incidence rates of HPV‐attributable cancers by country from GLOBOCAN 2012 data are shown separately for the cervix, other anogenital tract and head and neck cancers. The relative contribution of HPV16/18 and HPV6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 was also estimated. 4.5% of all cancers worldwide (630,000 new cancer cases per year) are attributable to HPV: 8.6% in women and 0.8% in men. AF in women ranges from 20% in India and sub‐Saharan Africa. Cervix accounts for 83% of HPV‐attributable cancer, two‐thirds of which occur in less developed countries. Other HPV‐attributable anogenital cancer includes 8,500 vulva; 12,000 vagina; 35,000 anus (half occurring in men) and 13,000 penis. In the head and neck, HPV‐attributable cancers represent 38,000 cases of which 21,000 are oropharyngeal cancers occurring in more developed countries. The relative contributions of HPV16/18 and HPV6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 are 73% and 90%, respectively. Universal access to vaccination is the key to avoiding most cases of HPV‐attributable cancer. The preponderant burden of HPV16/18 and the possibility of cross‐protection emphasize the importance of the introduction of more affordable vaccines in less developed countries. PMID:28369882

  3. Youth Entrepreneurship in Visegrad Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian Holienka

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of our paper is to analyse the entrepreneurial activity drivers of youth and young adults in Visegrad countries, considering the opportunity/necessity motivation dichotomy. Research Design & Methods: We employ the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data for young individuals (18 to 34 years from V4 countries for years 2011 to 2013. We use the binomial logistic regression modelling with logit transformation. Separate models are constructed for youth and young adults, as well as for opportunity- and necessity-driven entrepreneurial activity. Findings: We found common drivers and distinctive attributes affecting involvement of young people in business start-up according to its motivation. Self-confidence and access to networks are universally important factors. In most examined cases, fear of failure and being a female reduces chance of business start-up. Especially among youth, being a student significantly inhibits involvement in enterprising efforts. Implications & Recommendations: In order to support youth entrepreneurship, an emphasis should be put on education and training to build skills and knowledge required to business start-up, together with capacity to spot opportunities, and reduce fear of failure.  Also, formal and informal networking plays an important role. Contribution & Value Added: Based on empirical analysis, our findings point out the key drivers of entrepreneurial activity among young people in V4 countries. We show directions for policy makers aiming to foster entrepreneurship within young generation as both way to exploit available business opportunities, as well as reaction to necessity situations.

  4. COUNTRY IMAGE VS. COUNTRY BRAND: DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denisa Adriana COTÎRLEA

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This article was written in order to provide an overview regarding the differences and similarities regarding two congruent, yet different concepts: country brand and country image. The geopolitical context and, implicitly, the current global context require a redefinition – or a more complex circumscription – of the “country image” and “country branding” concepts. In this paper, the author aimed to highlight the characteristics and particularities of the approached concepts in order to shape a framework of the context within these two operate; a brief analysis of the literature is presented, trying to emphasize the slight difference between the approached concepts

  5. What drives donor funding in population assistance programs? Evidence from OECD countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dalen, H.P.; Reuser, M.

    2006-01-01

    The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) established goals for the expansion of population assistance. To date, the financial promises made by donor countries in 1994 have not been met. To unravel the gap between ambitions and contributions, we use panel estimation

  6. Using Astronomy to shape a country's science and technology landscape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokhele, Khotso

    2015-03-01

    There is data abundant to show a positive correlation between a nation's investment in science, engineering and technology and the economic prosperity of that nation. Yet, there remain many countries in the world, particularly in developing countries, where little, if any, serious investment in science, engineering and technology is evident. Even in these countries, policy documents speak positively about the positive correlation between investment in science, engineering and technology and national development and prosperity. Unfortunately these positive policy statements rarely get converted into real investment. When the National Research Foundation was founded in Post-Apartheid South Africa it set out to ``. . .contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of all people. . .'' and its inspiring vision was to achieve ``A prosperous South Africa and African continent steeped in a knowledge culture, free of widespread diseases and poverty, and proud contributors to the well-being of humanity." This organisation, with its altruistic vision, succeeded in convincing the emerging government to invest in and support the construction of the Southern African Large Telescope as one of its flagship projects. This decision was subsequently followed by a high level national decision to leverage South Africa's geographical advantage to host major global astronomy facilities such as the Square Kilometer Array. This presentation highlighted the reasons for such decisions and how we went about motivating government organs that investing in astronomy would contribute to addressing societal challenges by stimulating the science and technology landscape.

  7. Countries three wise men: Sustainability, Innovation, and Competitiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Miguel Fonseca

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The studies on links between sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness have been mainly focused at organizational and business level. The purpose of this research is to investigate if there is a correlation between these three variables at country level. Using international well recognized rankings of countries sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness, correlation analysis was performed allowing for the conclusion that there are indeed high correlations (and possible relationships between the three variables at country level. Design/methodology/approach: Sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness literature were reviewed identifying a lack of studies examining these three variables at country level. Three major well recognized indexes were used to support the quantitative research: The World Economic Forum (2013 Sustainability-adjusted global competitiveness index, the Global Innovation Index (2014 issued by Cornell University, INSEAD, and WIPO and the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (2014. After confirming the distributions normality, Pearson correlation analysis was made with results showing high linear correlations between the three indexes. Findings: The results of the correlation analysis using Pearson correlation coefficient (all correlation coefficients are greater than 0.73 give a strong support to the conclusion that there is indeed a high correlation (and a possible relationship between social sustainability, innovation and competitiveness at country level. Research limitations/implications: Further research is advisable to better understand the factors that contribute to the presented results and to establish a global paradigm linking these three main constructs (social sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness. Some authors consider that these measurements are not fully supported (e.g. due to different countries standards, however, it is assumed these differing underlying methodological approaches

  8. THE SOUNDNESS OF THE FINANCIALSYSTEMS IN CEE COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioana-Iuliana TOMULEASA

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The financial system is vitally important for the real economy, contributing decisively to economic activities. The paper aims to examine the features of the financial system of Central and Eastern European countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania, the major imbalances accumulated during the period preceding the onset of the current global economic crisis and the measures taken by monetary and financial authorities to ensure the continuity of European financial integration. Moreover, in this paper an empirical analysis was developed, investigating the major implications of the crisis on the financial soundness indicators perceived in the selected countries, in the period 2008-2013. The analysis conducted in this paper suggests that the financial system is characterized by a high sensitivity, being subjected to pressures from the international financial turmoil, observing the increasing tendency of current risks.

  9. Exploring Modular Architecture for Nano Satellite and Opportunity for Developing Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhaman, M. K.; Monowar, M. I.; Shakil, S. R.; Kafi, A. H.; Antara, R. S. I.

    2015-01-01

    SPACE Technology has the potential to provide information, infrastructure and inspiration that meets national needs in developing countries like Bangladesh. Many countries recognize this; in response they are investing in new national satellite programs to harness satellite services. Technology related to space is one example of a tool that can contribute to development both by addressing societal challenges and by advancing a nation's technological capability. To cope up with the advanced world in space technology Bangladesh seems to be highly potential country for satellite, Robotics, embedded systems and renewable energy research. BRAC University, Bangladesh is planning to launch a nano satellite with the collaboration of KIT, Japan. The proposed nano satellite project mission is to experiment about social, commercial and agricultural survey needs in Bangladesh. Each of the proposed applications of the project will improve the lives of millions of people of Bangladesh and it will be a pathfinder mission for the people of this country. Another intention of this project is to create a cheap satellite based remote sensing for developing countries as the idea of large space systems is very costly for us therefore we have decided to make a Nano-satellite.

  10. Exploring Modular Architecture for Nano Satellite and Opportunity for Developing Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhaman, M K; Monowar, M I; Shakil, S R; Kafi, A H; Antara, R S I

    2015-01-01

    SPACE Technology has the potential to provide information, infrastructure and inspiration that meets national needs in developing countries like Bangladesh. Many countries recognize this; in response they are investing in new national satellite programs to harness satellite services. Technology related to space is one example of a tool that can contribute to development both by addressing societal challenges and by advancing a nation's technological capability. To cope up with the advanced world in space technology Bangladesh seems to be highly potential country for satellite, Robotics, embedded systems and renewable energy research. BRAC University, Bangladesh is planning to launch a nano satellite with the collaboration of KIT, Japan. The proposed nano satellite project mission is to experiment about social, commercial and agricultural survey needs in Bangladesh. Each of the proposed applications of the project will improve the lives of millions of people of Bangladesh and it will be a pathfinder mission for the people of this country. Another intention of this project is to create a cheap satellite based remote sensing for developing countries as the idea of large space systems is very costly for us therefore we have decided to make a Nano-satellite

  11. C-reactive protein and fibrinogen of bedridden older patients in a six-month vitamin D supplementation trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjorkman, M P; Sorva, A J; Tilvis, R S

    2009-05-01

    To elucidate the association between vitamin D status, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen. Secondary analysis of a randomised double-blind placebo controlled trial. Four longterm care hospitals (1215 beds) in Helsinki, Finland. 218 long-term inpatients aged over 65 years. Eligible patients (n = 218) were randomized to receive 0 IU/d, 400 IU/d, or 1200 IU/d cholecalciferol for six months. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), parathyroid hormone (PTH), high sensitive CRP, fibrinogen, amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP), and carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) were measured. The patients were aged (84.5 +/- 7.5 years), vitamin D deficient (25-OHD = 23 +/- 10 nmol/l), chronically bedridden and in stable general condition. The mean baseline CRP and fibrinogen were 10.86 mg/l (0.12 mg/l - 125.00 mg/l) and 4,7 g/l (2.3 g/l - 8.6 g/l), respectively. CRP correlated with ICTP (r = 0.217, p = 0.001), but not with vitamin D status. Supplementation significantly increased 25-OHD concentrations, but the changes in CRP and fibrinogen were insignificant and inconsistent. The post-trial CRP concentrations (0.23 mg/l -138.00 mg/l) correlated with ICTP (r = 0.156, p bedridden older patients.

  12. Markets, marketing and developing countries : where we stand and where we are heading

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trijp, van J.C.M.; Ingenbleek, P.T.M.

    2010-01-01

    Markets are increasingly seen as vehicles to solve problems in developing countries. For example, improvements in market performance make potentially important contributions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Access of smallholders to well-functioning markets is increasingly expected to

  13. Satisfaction with Job and Income among Older Individuals across European Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonsang, Eric; van Soest, Arthur

    2012-01-01

    Using data on individuals of age 50 and older from 11 European countries, we analyze two economic aspects of subjective well-being of older Europeans: satisfaction with household income, and job satisfaction. Both have been shown to contribute substantially to overall well-being (satisfaction with life or happiness). We use anchoring vignettes to…

  14. Analysis of the frequency of interventional cardiology in various European countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faulkner, K.; Werduch, A.

    2008-01-01

    The contribution of interventional cardiology procedures to the population dose in Europe is poorly known. The estimation of the population dose from these procedures requires knowledge of both the typical dose received by patients and an estimate of the number of procedures undertaken annually. Data on the number of cardiology procedures in various European countries are available on the internet for a number of countries. However, this data set is incomplete or out of date. This paper describes the statistical analysis undertaken to estimate the number of interventional cardiology procedures in a number of European countries for 2007. Estimates of the number of procedures are given. On average, the number of cardiac catheterizations per million population is 5346, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is 1599 and 1214 stent procedures. In addition, there are an estimated 973 pacemaker insertions per million population. (authors)

  15. Genetic influences on exercise participation in 37.051 twin pairs from seven countries.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stubbe, J.H.; Boomsma, D.I.; Vink, J.M.; Cornes, B.; Martin, N.G.; Skytthe, A.; Kyvik, K.; Rose, R.J.; Kujala, U.; Kaprio, J.; Harris, J.R.; Pedersen, N.L.; Hunkin, J.; Spector, T.D.; de Geus, E.J.C.

    2006-01-01

    Background. A sedentary lifestyle remains a major threat to health in contemporary societies. To get more insight in the relative contribution of genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in exercise participation, twin samples from seven countries participating in the

  16. Renewable energy. Market and policy trends in IEA countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    Renewable energy has received high levels of attention in recent years as an alternative to traditional hydrocarbons. Governments, industry and consumers have adopted and promoted renewable technologies in response to concerns about energy security and the environment, and as a solution to electricity access problems in developing countries. To what degree has renewable energy gained a share in the energy mix? What lessons can be learned from efforts made thus far? Renewable Energy - Market and Policy Trends in IEA Countries reviews the experience of IEA countries after the oil crisis in the 1970's initiated a surge of investments in renewables research and development. While use of renewables has grown rapidly, they still account for only a small portion of the IEA energy mix. Hydropower, bio-energy and geothermal energy are mature technologies that contribute about 5 - 6% to primary energy supply. Solar, wind, and other new renewables have experienced rapid technology development, but as yet they represent only a small share. This work examines policies and measures that have been introduced in IEA countries to increase the cost effective deployment of renewables, reviews the objectives behind these policies, and evaluates the results. The aim is to identify best practices in order to assist governments in making future policy decisions

  17. The climate-energy contribution. Understand it, and you will adopt it

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-10-01

    This publication explains why the climate-energy contribution has a crucial role in the protection of climate, how everybody should be concerned, and whether it's a constraint or an opportunity for a successful energy transition. It outlines that this contribution is an application of the 'polluter pays' principle, describes how this contribution can be efficient and fair (all energies and all sectors are concerned). It briefly describes how revenues can be redistributed and how to invest in energy transition. By referring to some European countries (UK, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland), it outlines that this contribution has already been implemented, and that it could be a tool for innovation and jobs. It indicates the impact of this contribution on households (costs for housing and for mobility, possible actions to reduce energy consumption in housing and in mobility practices)

  18. Developing Renewable Energy: Comparative Scenarios and Public Policy Perspectives from some Latin American Countries

    OpenAIRE

    Claudia Cecilia Lardizabal; Ismene Rosales; Janaina Camile Pasqual; Gricelda Herrera; Sandra Mejia; Mariel Álvarez Cancino

    2014-01-01

    The energy matrix of Latin American and the Caribbean countries has one of the largest renewable energy components when compared to other regions of the world. Nonetheless, by 2009 nearly three-quarters of its structure corresponded to fossil fuels, with most of the countries being net importers of these fuels. This situation marks the region´s dependence on the effects of changes in energy commodities. Therefore, the opportunity lies in higher use of renewable energy sources that contribute ...

  19. Managing Nuclear Corporate Memories: Malaysia Contribution to INIS Development, 2010-2015

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohd Hafizal Yusof; Habibah Adnan

    2016-01-01

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS) has been developed since 1969 in cooperation between Member states under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This paper produced in aim to ensure that Malaysia also contribute into INIS development in acquiring, managing and disseminating nuclear related information within this countries. (author)

  20. Problems for the seminar, ICTP, 2007-2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnold, V.

    2008-01-01

    The following problems for the ICPT seminar 2007-2008 are specified: topological classification of polynomials; equipartition of indivisible integer vectors; geometrical progressions? fractional parts? equipartitions; statistics of continued fractions of eigenvalues of matrices; growth rate of elements of periodic continued fractions; periods of geometrical progressions of residues; Kolmogorov?s distributions; stochasticity degree of arithmetical progressions of fractional parts; is a generic geometrical progression of fractional parts random?; prime numbers distribution?s randomness; algorithmic unsolvability of problems of higher dimensional continued fractions; periods of continued fractions of roots of quadratic equations; statistics of lengths of periods of continued fractions of quadratic irrational numbers; random matrices? characteristic polynomials distributions

  1. Climate change and developing-country cities: implications for environmental health and equity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell-Lendrum, Diarmid; Corvalán, Carlos

    2007-05-01

    Climate change is an emerging threat to global public health. It is also highly inequitable, as the greatest risks are to the poorest populations, who have contributed least to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The rapid economic development and the concurrent urbanization of poorer countries mean that developing-country cities will be both vulnerable to health hazards from climate change and, simultaneously, an increasing contributor to the problem. We review the specific health vulnerabilities of urban populations in developing countries and highlight the range of large direct health effects of energy policies that are concentrated in urban areas. Common vulnerability factors include coastal location, exposure to the urban heat-island effect, high levels of outdoor and indoor air pollution, high population density, and poor sanitation. There are clear opportunities for simultaneously improving health and cutting GHG emissions most obviously through policies related to transport systems, urban planning, building regulations and household energy supply. These influence some of the largest current global health burdens, including approximately 800,000 annual deaths from ambient urban air pollution, 1.2 million from road-traffic accidents, 1.9 million from physical inactivity, and 1.5 million per year from indoor air pollution. GHG emissions and health protection in developing-country cities are likely to become increasingly prominent in policy development. There is a need for a more active input from the health sector to ensure that development and health policies contribute to a preventive approach to local and global environmental sustainability, urban population health, and health equity.

  2. Biomedical engineering education in developing countries: research synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Tania S

    2011-01-01

    Biomedical engineering (BME) contributes to development through improving human health. This paper examines BME education to address the needs of developing countries. Components of different BME programs described in the literature are synthesized to represent what has been proposed or implemented for the production of graduates able to address health problems in a manner suited to the local environment in which they occur. Published research on BME education is reviewed with reference to problem context, interventions and their mechanisms, and intended outcomes.

  3. Education, Income, and Support for Suicide Bombings: Evidence from Six Muslim Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shafiq, M. Najeeb; Sinno, Abdulkader H.

    2010-01-01

    The authors examine the effect of educational attainment and income on support for suicide bombing among Muslim publics in six predominantly Muslim countries that have experienced suicide bombings: Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey. The authors make two contributions. First, they present a conceptual model, which has been…

  4. Consumption of food in EC countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ven-Breken, T.J. van de; Brenot, J.; Bonnefous, S.; Noordijk, H.; Leenhouts, H.P.

    1990-08-01

    Annual consumption of 10 classes of food and drink is reported for the total population of each EC-country. National food consumption data are generalized by distinguishing groups of countries with similar diet. Group 1: UK and Ireland (low consumption of fruit, high consumption of potatoes and fresh dairy products). Group 2: Italy and Greece (high consumption of cereals, vegetables and fruit, low consumption of fresh dairy products). Group 3: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, FRG and Spain (intermediate consumption of most foodstuffs). Portugal and Denmark could not be classified in any group. Changes in food consumption related to differences in age, sex, social class, regional habits and level of urbanisation are reported.In some cases, variation of annual food consumption over the different seasons on the relative contribution of food from local origin to the total diet, could be estimated. Differences of region, age and level of urbanisation appear to have the largest influence on consumed amounts. As for age, the values for the different age-groups range from 50 to 80 percent of the adult diet. Regional consumption may diverge from 70-130 percent of the average national consumption, with values of 200 percent for potatoes and fruit. Consumption in urban areas compared with the entire country diverges from 70-100 percent. In rural areas the values diverge from 100-140 percent. Self-support of vegetables and milk seems to be important for most countries. Of the other products, self-support of wheat and cheese is only of importance in the south of the EC. When combining the effects of the different factors, a range of consumed amounts for specific population groups of 50 to 200 percent of the average national consumption was determined. (author). 38 refs.; 13 figs.; 75 tabs

  5. SEA effectiveness criteria-equally valid in all countries? The case of Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, Thomas B.; Gazzola, Paola

    2006-01-01

    Recent years have seen the introduction of various sets of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) effectiveness criteria in the professional international literature. Content analysis of key international SEA publications suggest that these have been developed based on the experiences of a selected number of countries only, and to date, the question whether they are fully valid in all systems and countries world-wide has not been addressed sufficiently, yet. In this context, the paper discusses the validity of effectiveness criteria for Italy, a country from which authors have only contributed to a very limited extent to the international SEA literature. It is concluded that, particularly in the light of experiences with a 'flexible', but ineffective EIA system, in Italy SEA needs to be applied in a systematic and rigorous manner, aided by strong enforcement mechanisms

  6. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Its Partners' Contributions to Global Health Security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tappero, Jordan W; Cassell, Cynthia H; Bunnell, Rebecca E; Angulo, Frederick J; Craig, Allen; Pesik, Nicki; Dahl, Benjamin A; Ijaz, Kashef; Jafari, Hamid; Martin, Rebecca

    2017-12-01

    To achieve compliance with the revised World Health Organization International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), countries must be able to rapidly prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. Most nations, however, remain unprepared to manage and control complex health emergencies, whether due to natural disasters, emerging infectious disease outbreaks, or the inadvertent or intentional release of highly pathogenic organisms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works with countries and partners to build and strengthen global health security preparedness so they can quickly respond to public health crises. This report highlights selected CDC global health protection platform accomplishments that help mitigate global health threats and build core, cross-cutting capacity to identify and contain disease outbreaks at their source. CDC contributions support country efforts to achieve IHR 2005 compliance, contribute to the international framework for countering infectious disease crises, and enhance health security for Americans and populations around the world.

  7. Risk factors for ischaemic and intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke in 22 countries (the INTERSTROKE study): a case-control study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O'Donnell, M.J.; Serpault, Damien Xavier; Xiufeng, Liu

    2010-01-01

    Background The contribution of various risk factors to the burden of stroke worldwide is unknown, particularly in countries of low and middle income. We aimed to establish the association of known and emerging risk factors with stroke and its primary subtypes, assess the contribution of these ris...

  8. Contribution of milk production to global greenhouse gas emissions. An estimation based on typical farms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagemann, Martin; Ndambi, Asaah; Hemme, Torsten; Latacz-Lohmann, Uwe

    2012-02-01

    Studies on the contribution of milk production to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are rare (FAO 2010) and often based on crude data which do not appropriately reflect the heterogeneity of farming systems. This article estimates GHG emissions from milk production in different dairy regions of the world based on a harmonised farm data and assesses the contribution of milk production to global GHG emissions. The methodology comprises three elements: (1) the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN) concept of typical farms and the related globally standardised dairy model farms representing 45 dairy regions in 38 countries; (2) a partial life cycle assessment model for estimating GHG emissions of the typical dairy farms; and (3) standard regression analysis to estimate GHG emissions from milk production in countries for which no typical farms are available in the IFCN database. Across the 117 typical farms in the 38 countries analysed, the average emission rate is 1.50 kg CO(2) equivalents (CO(2)-eq.)/kg milk. The contribution of milk production to the global anthropogenic emissions is estimated at 1.3 Gt CO(2)-eq./year, accounting for 2.65% of total global anthropogenic emissions (49 Gt; IPCC, Synthesis Report for Policy Maker, Valencia, Spain, 2007). We emphasise that our estimates of the contribution of milk production to global GHG emissions are subject to uncertainty. Part of the uncertainty stems from the choice of the appropriate methods for estimating emissions at the level of the individual animal.

  9. Electricity Consumption and GHG Emissions in GCC Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed Redha Qader

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available CO2, N2O, and CH4 are the three most widespread Greenhouse Gases (GHGs. Electricity consumption and the related CO2-equivalent gas emissions resulting from oil and gas combustion for the six countries that comprise the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE and Qatar; also referred to as the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC] have been compared. The analysis of the relevant data shows that GCC countries contribute significantly to the global CO2 emissions, and that the majority of their emissions are concentrated in the energy extraction and conversion sectors, mainly from oil drilling and electricity production. Some analysis is offered as to the reasons behind the excessive increase in the electrical demand that is obviously linked to a non-rational pattern of electricity consumption.

  10. Electricity consumption and GHG emissions in GCC countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qader, M. R.

    2009-01-01

    CO 2 , N 2 O, and CH 4 are the three most widespread Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). Electricity consumption and the related CO 2 -equivalent gas emissions resulting from oil and gas combustion for the six countries that comprise the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SA), Kuwait (KW), Bahrain (BH), Oman (OM), United Arab Emirates (AE) and Qatar (QA); also referred to as the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC)] have been compared. The analysis of the relevant data shows that GCC countries contribute significantly to the global CO 2 emissions, and that the majority of their emissions are concentrated in the energy extraction and conversion sectors, mainly from oil drilling and electricity production. Some analysis is offered as to the reasons behind the excessive increase in the electrical demand that is obviously linked to a non-rational pattern of electricity consumption. (author)

  11. Over-urbanization and air pollution: a cross-country analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Raufan Salahodajev

    2014-01-01

    This paper investigates the effect of overurbanization on different measures of air pollution in a diverse sample of developed and developing countries. The main finding is that overurbanization increases greenhouse gas emissions, measured by CO2, NOx and SO2 emissions per capita. This effect is robust to controlling for various antecedents of air pollution. Our findings provide a contribution to the ongoing debate over the role of urbanization in environmental changes.

  12. Current situation in the Arab countries and the AAEA Role

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takriti, Salaheddin

    2013-01-01

    Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) is one of the organizations of the League of Arab States (LAS). AAEA is working within the framework of the LAS to coordinate the scientific efforts of the Arab Countries in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy. So, AAEA works hard to enhance the socio-economical development in Arab countries by promoting the peaceful applications of atomic energy in many aspects of life. The Arab Authority contributes for the implementation of training programs for Arab staff in the field of parameters mentioned above through the implementation of training courses, workshops and expert meetings in addition to scientific visits exchanged between the researchers and Arabs scientists and translation of books from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Arabic language and circulated to the Arab countries. At Arab Summits (Riyadh - 2007 - Damascus and Doha 2008 - 2009), AAEA elaborates 12 projects on the Arab strategy for the peaceful uses of atomic energy until 2020 and planed all applications of atomic energy. Integration of radioisotopes production in the Arab countries is among these projects. This project aims to unify efforts and coordinate cooperation between the Arab countries together to develop the human potential and benefit from the expertise available in some Arab countries in the production of radioisotopes to insure the integration between Arab countries. Nuclear and radioactive facilities in Arab countries are:- Research reactors (RRs) that can produce isotopes (Egypt -2, -2 Algeria, Libya -1) and (-1 Morocco, Syria -1).- Ions accelerators (cyclotron) for isotope production (Morocco, Algeria, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt).- Ions accelerators (VDG) for research and analysis (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria and Jordan).- Electron accelerator (LINAC) for research and industry applications (Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, UAE and Kuwait).- Electron accelerators (LINAC) for nuclear medicine therapy

  13. Contribution Index Based on Green Building Certification Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Yuting Sun; Bee Hua Goh

    2015-01-01

    Green Building Certification Systems (GBCS) are carried out in many countries due to the rising awareness of the importance of sustainability in the building industry. The intention should have motivated participants to construct and operate buildings sustainably, however, there is not yet a method developed to investigate the motivation of the participants. Based on the GBCS, this paper proposes the contribution index as a standard global method to analyze the performance of participants in ...

  14. Staged Introduction of Non-power and Power Nuclear Technologies to Newcomer Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uesaka, M.

    2016-01-01

    Full text: Staged introduction of non-power and power nuclear technologies to new comer countries and related knowledge management are presented. Contribution and benefit of radiation technology to medicine and society are very important before nuclear power plants are introduced. Recently, not only new nuclear power technologies but also compact and high performance accelerators for medicine and industrial/social infrastructure maintenance have been developed and used. Such staged introduction with respect to technology, education and economy contributes to enhancement of PA (Public Acceptance). Organized education, knowledge management and network should be associated. (author

  15. Role of the private sector in the provision of immunization services in low- and middle-income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, Ann; Kaddar, Miloud

    2011-07-01

    The authors conducted a literature review on the role of the private sector in low- and middle-income countries. The review indicated that relatively few studies have researched the role of the private sector in immunization service delivery in these countries. The studies suggest that the private sector is playing different roles and functions according to economic development levels, the governance structure and the general presence of the private sector in the health sector. In some countries, generally low-income countries, the private for-profit sector is contributing to immunization service delivery and helping to improve access to traditional EPI vaccines. In other countries, particularly middle-income countries, the private for-profit sector often acts to facilitate early adoption of new vaccines and technologies before introduction and generalization by the public sector. The not-for-profit sector plays an important role in extending access to traditional EPI vaccines, particularly in low-income countries. Not-for-profit facilities are situated in rural as well as urban areas and are more likely to be coordinated with public services than the private for-profit sector. Although numerous studies on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) suggest that the extent of NGO provision of immunization services in low- and middle-income countries is substantial, the contribution of this sector is poorly documented, leading to a lack of recognition of its role at national and global levels. Studies on quality of immunization service provision at private health facilities suggest that it is sometimes inadequate and needs to be monitored. Although some articles on public-private collaboration exist, little was found on the extent to which governments are effectively interacting with and regulating the private sector. The review revealed many geographical and thematic gaps in the literature on the role and regulation of the private sector in the delivery of immunization

  16. The Effect of Shadow Economy – Country'S Tax Losses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jolita Krumplytė

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The article analyzes the content of shadow economy through the prism of the tax administration. The author provides the limitations of the study and methodologically based relationship between the shadow economy and the tax revenue not to be received to the national consolidate budget. Country’s tax losses (tax gap is the amount of the tax revenue that is not received to the country's consolidated budget in the tax non-payment effects: tax avoidance and tax evasion. Tax losses (tax gap is treated as the difference between the amount of potential taxes and contributions that could be collected if the taxpayers correctly calculated and paid on time in accordance with the provisions of the legislation and actually paid taxes and contributions.Article in Lithuanian

  17. Financial Reforms and Determinants of FDI: Evidence from Landlocked Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Husam Rjoub

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The recognition of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI as a source of funding to foster economic development in both developed and developing countries has been in ascendancy. The prime purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the determinants of FDI for the “landlocked countries” in Sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1995–2013. By employing panel data analysis, the result of the study revealed that domestic investment, trade (openness, human capital, political constraint, natural resource endowment and the market size (with the GDP growth as proxy as having positive impact on determining FDI flow into the sample countries with only the countries’ tax policies seen otherwise. Our study not only contributes to existing literature on FDI determinants by investigating landlocked countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA for the first time but also includes natural resources that the landlocked countries are endowed with, tax policies and political constraints in such countries for the stipulated period.

  18. Private sector contributions and their effect on physician emigration in the developing world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loh, Lawrence C; Ugarte-Gil, Cesar; Darko, Kwame

    2013-03-01

    The contribution made by the private sector to health care in a low- or middle-income country may affect levels of physician emigration from that country. The increasing importance of the private sector in health care in the developing world has resulted in newfound academic interest in that sector's influences on many aspects of national health systems. The growth in physician emigration from the developing world has led to several attempts to identify both the factors that cause physicians to emigrate and the effects of physician emigration on primary care and population health in the countries that the physicians leave. When the relevant data on the emerging economies of Ghana, India and Peru were investigated, it appeared that the proportion of physicians participating in private health-care delivery, the percentage of health-care costs financed publicly and the amount of private health-care financing per capita were each inversely related to the level of physician expatriation. It therefore appears that private health-care delivery and financing may decrease physician emigration. There is clearly a need for similar research in other low- and middle-income countries, and for studies to see if, at the country level, temporal trends in the contribution made to health care by the private sector can be related to the corresponding trends in physician emigration. The ways in which private health care may be associated with access problems for the poor and therefore reduced equity also merit further investigation. The results should be of interest to policy-makers who aim to improve health systems worldwide.

  19. INFLUENCE OF IMMIGRANTS ON THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN THE HOST COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roman Stakanov

    2016-11-01

    migrants’ labor force importer countries. Migrant entrepreneurs, especially when they work in the field of innovation or in sectors with high added value, play a great potential role in economic growth and competitiveness of host countries. Such migration can make a significant contribution in supporting economic activity and contribute to the social adaptation of migrants in destination countries. Conclusion. Entrepreneur migrants can help to stabilize the labor market, which will benefit both migrant workers and local residents. Given the fact that not all immigrants have the appropriate skills, ability, desire and opportunity to be entrepreneurs in the host countries, the introduction of a single incentive policy for immigration only entrepreneurs and investors, without taking into account the needs of the labor market seems to be counterproductive.

  20. Vitamin A Supplementation Programs and Country-Level Evidence of Vitamin A Deficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James P. Wirth

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Vitamin A supplementation (VAS programs targeted at children aged 6–59 months are implemented in many countries. By improving immune function, vitamin A (VA reduces mortality associated with measles, diarrhea, and other illnesses. There is currently a debate regarding the relevance of VAS, but amidst the debate, researchers acknowledge that the majority of nationally-representative data on VA status is outdated. To address this data gap and contribute to the debate, we examined data from 82 countries implementing VAS programs, identified other VA programs, and assessed the recentness of national VA deficiency (VAD data. We found that two-thirds of the countries explored either have no VAD data or data that were >10 years old (i.e., measured before 2006, which included twenty countries with VAS coverage ≥70%. Fifty-one VAS programs were implemented in parallel with at least one other VA intervention, and of these, 27 countries either had no VAD data or data collected in 2005 or earlier. To fill these gaps in VAD data, countries implementing VAS and other VA interventions should measure VA status in children at least every 10 years. At the same time, the coverage of VA interventions can also be measured. We identified three countries that have scaled down VAS, but given the lack of VA deficiency data, this would be a premature undertaking in most countries without appropriate status assessment. While the global debate about VAS is important, more attention should be directed towards individual countries where programmatic decisions are made.

  1. Contribuição da fitoquímica para o desenvolvimento de um país emergente Phytochemical contribution to development of a emergent country

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raimundo Braz Filho

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The sustainable development of an emergent country is dependent on a consistent scientific, technologic and innovative policy, on nature and biodiversity, on a rational exploration of natural resources to feeding, social advance and economical aim along with maintenance of health and diseases treatment. Phytochemical investigations may be used to contribute with development throughout undergraduate and graduate career preparing professionals with qualification to these activities, as researcher and professor, including discovering and divulgation of new scientific knowlegments. The role of organic compounds produced by secondary metabolism of plants in the development of new drugs is presented (e. g. throughout exposition using examples of features involved in this activity, since the recognition of a plant-derived popular medicine, until the laboratory semi-synthesis of its main constituents. Several aspects related to the use of some vegetable species in treatment of many tropical diseases are pointed. Economical and social importance of isolation, structural characterization, pharmacological investigation and chemical transformations of new natural organic substances isolated from the plants are related.

  2. Adult Civic Education in Former Socialist Countries in the Transition Period

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoran Jelenc

    1995-12-01

    Full Text Available In the period of transition former European socialist countries demonstrate a great number of contradictions resulting from specific social circumstances. The latter exert a crucial impact on educational opportunities for adults. Thus, in most of the examined countries adult education is undergoing an important crisis. Civic education and non-formal education, however, can contribute considerably towards overcoming the typical traits of this transitional period, especially its societal and psychological phenomena. In these countries has been recorded a huge need for civic education on one band, while on the other hand, the demand for it is relatively small. Moreover, civic education gets little or no societal support. Also, due to relatively negative experiences from the past period when it was compulsory for people to participate in civic education (termed sociopolitical education, and due to the fact that it was ideologically and politically directed, people are averse and resistant to any kind of education reminding them of the former socio-political one. Therefore, as a rule, they do not participate in it. The important role of adult education and andragogy is therefore to find a way out from this situation and to motivate people in view to get them actively involved in civic education. In our contribution we are dealing with some possibilities for that, using here our own research findings ('State of the Art' Study of Research on the Education of Adults.

  3. Religious Diversity and Freedom of Conscience in the Arabic Countries Facing Globalization and Migration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raoudha Elguédri

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Muslim societies are facing the new challenges of cultural and religious diversity. They are experiencing migratory phenomena, or because they are countries of immigration (such as in the Persian Gulf monarchies and emirates or countries that are becoming a new destination of migrants (such as Morocco and other North African nations. These challenges are increasingly urgent due to the effects of other globalization vectors such as new communication technologies that cross all boundaries and foster unprecedented conversions. The purpose of this contribution is limited to the religious aspect of the new forms of diversification faced by Muslim countries. The goal is to analyze to what extent this process biases traditional ways of managing religious diversity.

  4. The economics of soil conservation in developing countries: the case of crop residue mulching

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Erenstein, O.C.A.

    1999-01-01

    The study contributes to the search for a methodology to assess soil conservation, particularly in developing countries. The study first assesses the economics of soil conservation in general - with special emphasis on the relationships between technology, economic analysis and policy implications.

  5. Canada's contribution to global research in cardiovascular diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Hai V; de Oliveira, Claire; Wijeysundera, Harindra C; Wong, William W L; Woo, Gloria; Grootendorst, Paul; Liu, Peter P; Krahn, Murray D

    2013-06-01

    The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Canada and other developed countries is growing, in part because of the aging of the population and the alarming rise of obesity. Studying Canada's contribution to the global body of CVD research output will shed light on the effectiveness of investments in Canadian CVD research and inform if Canada has been responding to its CVD burden. Search was conducted using the Web-of-Science database for publications during 1981 through 2010 on major areas and specific interventions in CVD. Search was also conducted using Canadian and US online databases for patents issued between 1981 and 2010. Search data were used to estimate the proportions of the world's pool of research publications and of patents conducted by researchers based in Canada. The results indicate that Canada contributed 6% of global research in CVD during 1981 through 2010. Further, Canada's contribution shows a strong upward trend during the period. Based on patent data, Canada's contribution level was similar (5%-7%). Canada's contribution to the global pool of CVD research is on par with France and close to the UK, Japan, and Germany. Canada's contribution in global CVD research is higher than its average contribution in all fields of research (6% vs 3%). As the burden of chronic diseases including CVD rises with Canada's aging population, the increase in Canadian research into CVD is encouraging. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Cesarean section trends in the Nordic Countries - a comparative analysis with the Robson classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pyykönen, Aura; Gissler, Mika; Løkkegaard, Ellen; Bergholt, Thomas; Rasmussen, Steen C; Smárason, Alexander; Bjarnadóttir, Ragnheiður I; Másdóttir, Birna B; Källén, Karin; Klungsoyr, Kari; Albrechtsen, Susanne; Skjeldestad, Finn E; Tapper, Anna-Maija

    2017-05-01

    The cesarean rates are low but increasing in most Nordic countries. Using the Robson classification, we analyzed which obstetric groups have contributed to the changes in the cesarean rates. Retrospective population-based registry study including all deliveries (3 398 586) between 2000 and 2011 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The Robson group distribution, cesarean rate and contribution of each Robson group were analyzed nationally for four 3-year time periods. For each country, we analyzed which groups contributed to the change in the total cesarean rate. Between the first and the last time period studied, the total cesarean rates increased in Denmark (16.4 to 20.7%), Norway (14.4 to 16.5%) and Sweden (15.5 to 17.1%), but towards the end of our study, the cesarean rates stabilized or even decreased. The increase was explained mainly by increases in the absolute contribution from R5 (women with previous cesarean) and R2a (induced labor on nulliparous). In Finland, the cesarean rate decreased slightly (16.5 to 16.2%) mainly due to decrease among R5 and R6-R7 (breech presentation, nulliparous/multiparous). In Iceland, the cesarean rate decreased in all parturient groups (17.6 to 15.3%), most essentially among nulliparous women despite the increased induction rates. The increased total cesarean rates in the Nordic countries are explained by increased cesarean rates among nulliparous women, and by an increased percentage of women with previous cesarean. Meanwhile, induction rates on nulliparous increased significantly, but the impact on the total cesarean rate was unclear. The Robson classification facilitates benchmarking and targeting efforts for lowering the cesarean rates. © 2017 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  7. New world balance and emerging countries - democracy, energy, technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coulom, Steve

    2011-01-01

    The serious economic crisis which rages since 2008 has been the result of a troubled era which started years before and contributed to aggravate the phenomenon. Energy crisis, biodiversity loss, global warming and its effects, markets deregulation have added up to economic recession. We are today the witnesses of a new deal of the cards illustrated by the social revolts of several Arab countries around the Mediterranean Sea. In this changing world, the declining occident cannot impose its economical or political leadership and the main emerging countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa: BRICS) play a more and more important role. With 30% of population increase expected in 2050, the emerging countries represent the driver of the world growth and have become the keys of development questions. In front of this irreversible movement, urgent and worldwide changes have to be done. First of all, huge technological efforts and changes of the existing international institutions (IMF, UNO, WTO) and of their governance are necessary to build up a sustainable economy and energy policy with emerging countries. Such a transformation will be painful for the Occident as it will change its vision of growth based on political domination and search of financial wealth, energy and resources. It is this effort that the author aims to present in this book in a practical and visionary way, where technological progress occupies an important place

  8. Essays in Institutional Economics, with special focus on Muslim-majority countries

    OpenAIRE

    Gouda, Moamen

    2014-01-01

    This thesis is an attempt to gain a better understanding of how institutions, whether formal or informal, influence individual- and societal-level economic choices, especially in the Muslim-majority countries. It consists of six research papers that contribute to the economic analysis of institutions. The first paper, published in the Journal of World Intellectual Property in 2011, investigates the relationship between intellectua...

  9. THE IMPACT OF FISCAL POLICY ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE

    OpenAIRE

    BOLDEANU Florin Teodor; TACHE Ileana; ION Mădălin-Sebastian

    2015-01-01

    This paper deals with the effects of fiscal policy on economic growth in 10 countries of Eastern Europe. For this analysis we to use two regression models. The results of the first model provide information on the factors that influence economic growth. Thus, direct taxes, indirect taxes, total income taxes, social contributions and the economic crisis had an effect on economic growth. Of these variables, total taxable income had a positive effect and indirect taxes and social contributions h...

  10. EUPOS and SLR Contribution to GOCE Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balodis, J.; Caunite, M.; Janpaule, I.; Kenyeres, A.; Rubans, A.; Silabriedis, G.; Rosenthal, G.; Zarinsjh, A.; Zvirgzds, J.; Abel, M.

    2010-12-01

    After the interest of geodesists from several East European countries on successful use of SAPOS in Germany the European Position Determination System EUPOS® project has been established at 2002 under the leadership of Gerd Rosenthal, Berlin State Department of Urban Development. Currently the ground based GNSS augmentation system EUPOS® sub-networks has been developed successfully in 17 countries and the wish to join has been expressed by several other countries. EUPOS® is widely used in many practical applications. Two proposals - "EUPOS® Contribution to GOCE Mission" (Id 4307), "GOCE Observations using SLR for LEO satellites" (Id 4333), were submitted to ESA when ESA in autumn 2006 invited research people to submit proposals for GOCE mission applications. The report is presented in this article on the work which has been done in EUPOS® community and at the University of Latvia. During last 3 years the EUPOS® sub- networks has been completed (Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, they tied to the National levelling networks, detailed system behaviour has been depicted on the bases of EUPOS®-Riga network. The development of the SLR for LEO satellites is presented. Initially it was developed for GOCE spacecraft positioning. However, SLR till now was able to observe satellites at night.

  11. Electricity consumption and GHG emissions in GCC countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qader, M. R. [Applied Studies College, University of Bahrain, P.O. Box 32038 (Bahrain)

    2009-07-01

    CO{sub 2}, N{sub 2}O, and CH{sub 4} are the three most widespread Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). Electricity consumption and the related CO{sub 2}-equivalent gas emissions resulting from oil and gas combustion for the six countries that comprise the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SA), Kuwait (KW), Bahrain (BH), Oman (OM), United Arab Emirates (AE) and Qatar (QA); also referred to as the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC)] have been compared. The analysis of the relevant data shows that GCC countries contribute significantly to the global CO{sub 2} emissions, and that the majority of their emissions are concentrated in the energy extraction and conversion sectors, mainly from oil drilling and electricity production. Some analysis is offered as to the reasons behind the excessive increase in the electrical demand that is obviously linked to a non-rational pattern of electricity consumption. (author)

  12. The Contribution of the Diaspora to the Reconstruction of Education in South Sudan: The Challenge of Being Involved from a Distance

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Linden, Josje; Blaak, Marit; Andrew, Florence Aate

    2013-01-01

    Conflicts all over the world result in people living in diaspora, usually maintaining strong ties with their countries of origin. As many of them are well educated and dedicated to their country, expectations of the role they can play in the development of their home country are high. This article reflects on the contribution of the South Sudanese…

  13. Potential for sharing nuclear power infrastructure between countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-10-01

    The introduction or expansion of a nuclear power programme in a country and its successful execution is largely dependent on the network of national infrastructure, covering a wide range of activities and capabilities. The infrastructure areas include legal framework, safety and environmental regulatory bodies, international agreements, physical facilities, finance, education, training, human resources and public information and acceptance. The wide extent of infrastructure needs require an investment that can be too large or onerous for the national economy. The burden of infrastructure can be reduced significantly if a country forms a sharing partnership with other countries. The sharing can be at regional or at multinational level. It can include physical facilities, common programmes and knowledge, which will reflect in economic benefits. The sharing can also contribute in a significant manner to harmonization of codes and standards in general and regulatory framework in particular. The opportunities and potential of sharing nuclear power infrastructure is determined by the objectives, strategy and scenario of the national nuclear power programme. A review of individual infrastructure items shows that there are several opportunities for sharing of nuclear power infrastructure between countries if they cooperate with each other. International cooperation and sharing of nuclear power infrastructure are not new. This publication provides criteria and guidance for analyzing and identifying the potential for sharing of nuclear power infrastructure during the stages of nuclear power project life cycle. The target users are decision makers, advisers and senior managers in utilities, industrial organizations, regulatory bodies and governmental organizations in countries adopting or extending nuclear power programmes. This publication was produced within the IAEA programme directed to increase the capability of Member States to plan and implement nuclear power

  14. Gastronomy Tourism in Several Neighbor Countries of Indonesia: a Brief Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kurniasih Sukenti

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Gastronomy tourism, also called culinary tourism or food tourism, is a kind of tourism that provide attractions based on the culinary aspect owned by a country, region, or area. It is not only offers food and beverages as the main objects in its attractions, but also everything related to food activities ranging from food ingredients, preparation, processing, serving, as well as the cultural and local values. A well-managed culinary tourism will be a supportive program in developing and enhancing the tourism sector in a country. The objective of this paper is to describe the profile of gastronomy tourism in several neighbor countries of Indonesia, i.e. Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. This brief review is also discussed the potential of Indonesia gastronomy in supporting government’s tourism program. Basically, Indonesia has more enormous potential asset in managing its cultural heritages in term of culinary than its neighbor countries. A well-managed gastronomy tourism plays not only an important role in enhancing the economic sector, but also contribute in preserving the natural and cultural resources. Keywords: gastronomy tourism, culinary tourism, food tourism.

  15. Explaining Journalists' Trust in Public Institutions across 20 Countries: Media Freedom, Corruption and Ownership Matter Most

    OpenAIRE

    Hanitzsch, Thomas; Berganza, Rosa

    2012-01-01

    Building on the assumption that journalists' attitudes toward public institutions can contribute to a decline in public trust, this article sets out to identify the driving forces behind journalists' confidence in public institutions. Based on interviews with 2000 journalists from 20 countries, variation in trust is modeled across the individual level of journalists, the organizational level of news media, and the societal level of countries. Our findings suggest that the principal determinan...

  16. The Role of Nuclear Power Plants in the Development of a Country

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cintra do Prado, L.

    1966-01-01

    Nuclear power plants oan contribute to the economic development of a country in two ways - as generators of power and as stimuli for the growth of new national industries. Some countries build nuclear power plants because other sources of cheap power are lacking. Other countries engage in nuclear activities such as the production of nuclear components and the purification of reactor materials before there is an immediate need for nuclear power in an attempt to plan for future national requirements and to create a nuclear export industry. A country can also import all or nearly all the components needed for the construction of nuclear power plants. In this case the importing country enjoys the benefits of facilities generating power without the advantages of a national nuclear industry. Industrialised countries generally find this solution undesirable save in exceptional circumstances, for example in the initial stages of a nuclear programme or in the case of specific nuclear components. Developing countries can also aim at a phased introduction of nuclear energy and try to combine the advantages of nuclear power production and the development of a national nuclear industry. Thus, in addition to the inherent advantages of nuclear plants as sources of electricity there are various ways in which the establishment of such plants can stimulate industry, namely through the use of nuclear and other ores utilizable in reactors, the promotion of ore-exploration activities, and the development of transformation industries

  17. The Role of Nuclear Power Plants in the Development of a Country

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cintra do Prado, L. [Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (Brazil)

    1966-07-01

    Nuclear power plants oan contribute to the economic development of a country in two ways - as generators of power and as stimuli for the growth of new national industries. Some countries build nuclear power plants because other sources of cheap power are lacking. Other countries engage in nuclear activities such as the production of nuclear components and the purification of reactor materials before there is an immediate need for nuclear power in an attempt to plan for future national requirements and to create a nuclear export industry. A country can also import all or nearly all the components needed for the construction of nuclear power plants. In this case the importing country enjoys the benefits of facilities generating power without the advantages of a national nuclear industry. Industrialised countries generally find this solution undesirable save in exceptional circumstances, for example in the initial stages of a nuclear programme or in the case of specific nuclear components. Developing countries can also aim at a phased introduction of nuclear energy and try to combine the advantages of nuclear power production and the development of a national nuclear industry. Thus, in addition to the inherent advantages of nuclear plants as sources of electricity there are various ways in which the establishment of such plants can stimulate industry, namely through the use of nuclear and other ores utilizable in reactors, the promotion of ore-exploration activities, and the development of transformation industries.

  18. UNO contribution to attract energy investments in transition economy countries in cooperation with international organizations, banks, and the business community

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groza, L.

    1996-01-01

    Limited financial resources hamper the ability of transition economy countries to take advantage of recent technological progress in energy production, distribution, and consumption. Increased cooperation within and outside the UN system imposed new approaches and action programs to identify financing channels in view of implementing the economic development projects. Since the CNE'94 round table discussions on the role of the UN Economic Commission for Europe in energy cooperation for sustainable development and assistance for transition economy countries, new actions initiated by UN are supported by international organizations, banks, and the business community. The paper is based on recent UN documents, data, and information after six years of reforms. (author). 14 refs

  19. Renewable sources of energy in Africa: status of development and future contribution to the energy mix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mwanza, P.N.; Pashkov, Y.V.

    1995-01-01

    Renewable sources of energy in Africa are widely regarded as alternatives to fossil fuels. Being an abundant indigenous reserve, they offer considerable savings of foreign exchange. Also, they are usually regarded as environmentally friendly and thus do not contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect. However, present contributions of renewable energy to the African energy supply remain negligible despite substantial claims often made about the potential scope for renewable energy forms. This paper is based on a comprehensive study undertaken by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in 1993-94. The assessment of renewable energy contributions to the energy mix has been made based on data obtained from African countries. A formula reflecting new and renewable sources of energy (NRSE) utilisation was developed and an attempt was made to delineate some zones with identical patterns of utilisation. Some of the difficulties encountered in the dissemination of NRSE and incentives introduced by African countries are also discussed. The conclusion is that African countries acknowledge the role of NRSE technologies in the development of future world energy systems. Yet the probability of NRSE assuming a greater share in energy supplies within the next two decades in Africa is doubtful. (author) 3 tabs., 1 fig., 7 refs

  20. Disparity in dental attendance among older adult populations: a comparative analysis across selected European countries and the USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manski, Richard; Moeller, John; Chen, Haiyan; Widström, Eeva; Listl, Stefan

    2016-02-01

    The current study addresses the extent to which diversity in dental attendance across population subgroups exists within and between the USA and selected European countries. The analyses relied on 2006/2007 data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and 2004-2006 data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in the USA for respondents≥51 years of age. Logistic regression models were estimated to identify impacts of dental-care coverage, and of oral and general health status, on dental-care use. We were unable to discern significant differences in dental attendance across population subgroups in countries with and without social health insurance, between the USA and European countries, and between European countries classified according to social welfare regime. Patterns of diverse dental use were found, but they did not appear predominately in countries classified according to welfare state regime or according to the presence or absence of social health insurance. The findings of this study suggest that income and education have a stronger, and more persistent, correlation with dental use than the correlation between dental insurance and dental use across European countries. We conclude that: (i) higher overall rates of coverage in most European countries, compared with relatively lower rates in the USA, contribute to this finding; and that (ii) policies targeted to improving the income of older persons and their awareness of the importance of oral health care in both Europe and the USA can contribute to improving the use of dental services. © 2015 FDI World Dental Federation.

  1. Distinguishing new physics scenarios with polarized electron

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Author Affiliations. A A Pankov1 N Paver2 A V Tsytrinov. ICTP Affiliated Centre, Pavel Sukhoi Technical University, Gomel 246746, Belarus; University of Trieste and INFN-Trieste Section, 34100 Trieste, Italy ...

  2. Energy Innovations-GHG Emissions Nexus: Fresh Empirical Evidence from OECD Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Álvarez-Herránz, Agustín; Balsalobre, Daniel; Cantos, José María; Shahbaz, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the impact of improvements in energy research development (ERD) on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis for 28 OECD countries over the period of 1990–2014. In doing so, we have employed a panel data where public budget in energy research development and demonstration (ERD&D) has transformed into a finite inverted V-lag distribution model developed by De Leeuw (1962). This model considers that energy innovation accumulates in time and presents empirical evidence, how energy innovation contributes in reducing energy intensity and environmental pollution as well. Our results indicate that energy innovation measures require lapses of time to reach their full effect i.e. innovation applied to measures for environmental correction does not reach its whole effect immediately, requiring instead a certain amount of time to pass. Innovation policies have recommended for improving environmental quality. - Highlights: • This study analyses the impact of public budget in energy RD&D for 28 OECD countries on environmental quality. • Energy innovation contributes positively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. • Advances in energy technology seem to be the key of improved environmental quality.

  3. The ESTHER hospital partnership initiative: a powerful levy for building capacities to combat the HIV pandemic in low-resource countries

    OpenAIRE

    Raguin, Gilles

    2016-01-01

    Partnerships between hospitals in high income countries and low resource countries are uniquely capable of fulfilling the tripartite needs of care, training, and research required to address health care crises in low resource countries. Of particular interest, at a time when the EBOLA crisis highlights the weaknesses of health systems in resource-poor settings, the institutional resources and expertise of hospitals can also contribute to strengthening health systems with long-term sustainabil...

  4. The Bracale Opera Company in Colombia (1922-1933: a music culture agent for the country

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Cárdenas Velásquez

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The opera company of Adolfo Bracale visited Colombia several times between 1922 and 1933. This opera company made contributions to the musical environment of that period. It brought opera singers, orchestral members and conductors internationally recognized at the time, and incorporated repertoire not heard before in Colombia. The musical environment of the country was also enriched by the mobilization of a series of cultural, social and commercial factors that had to do with these opera seasons. The last performance of the Bracale opera company took place in Medellín in 1933, some months before it went bankrupt. Because of this, some of its musicians, including Bracale, decided to stay in the country, and thus they contributed to the formation of musicians and orchestras that made part of the musical culture of the moment and of generations to come.

  5. Standardised Testing and Assessment in Comprehensive School in Scandinavian Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andreasen, Karen Egedal; Eva, Hjörne,

    Assessments can be considered to be an integrated part of formal educational settings, in different forms and used for different purposes. In this contribution we will discuss and analyse the use of assessments in comprehensive school in Scandinavian countries through time, as we will include....... If the comprehensive school is based on the general idea of a school for all, how can different ways of practising assessment support or work against this idea? What conclusions can be drawn from the experiences in the Scandinavian countries?...... different kinds of documentary and empirical studies in the argumentation. We will focus on which kinds of assessments has been used, for which purposes and the role of this in the perspective of society. More contemporary trends will be discussed, specially the use of standardised testing. Scandinavian...

  6. Radiotherapy in small countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton, Michael B; Zubizarreta, Eduardo H; Polo Rubio, J Alfredo

    2017-10-01

    To examine the availability of radiotherapy in small countries. A small country was defined as a country with a population less than one million persons. The economic status of each country was defined using the World Bank Classification. The number of cancers in each country was obtained from GLOBOCAN 2012. The number of cancer cases with an indication or radiotherapy was calculated using the CCORE model. There were 41 countries with a population of under 1 million; 15 were classified as High Income, 15 Upper Middle Income, 10 Lower Middle Income and one Low Income. 28 countries were islands. Populations ranged from 799 (Holy See) to 886450 (Fiji) and the total number of cancer cases occurring in small countries was 21,043 (range by country from 4 to 2476). Overall the total number of radiotherapy cases in small countries was 10982 (range by country from 2 to 1239). Radiotherapy was available in all HIC islands with 80 or more new cases of cancer in 2012 but was not available in any LMIC island. Fiji was the only LMIC island with a large radiotherapy caseload. Similar caseloads in non-island LMIC all had radiotherapy services. Most non-island HIC did not have radiotherapy services presumably because of the easy access to radiotherapy in neighbouring countries. There are no radiotherapy services in any LMIC islands. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. EACTS in the future: second strategic conference. The view from the BRICS countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Walter J

    2013-01-01

    BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and has emerged as the symbol of the shift in global economic power, developing at a faster pace than industrialized countries. BRICS accounted for 53% of the entire global GDP growth during the period 2007-2010 and, in the next 40 years, as much as 80% of the world's economic growth will come from emerging market countries. Despite the fact that infrastructure in BRICS has improved markedly in recent years, these countries have not created a modern, broad healthcare system as encountered in the G7 industrialized countries and extensive regional differences in health expenditure exist between them. Nevertheless, the BRICS countries are quickly taking the lead in encouraging innovation, simplifying devices and processes and applying newer technologies that are more adapted to consumers' needs and less costly. Cardiovascular surgery in the BRICS countries remains far lower when compared with the G7 countries and the cardiovascular surgical training also varies widely. However, this huge shift in the global economy and the regional discrepancies might represent a unique opportunity for co-operation, interaction and partnership to integrate cardiovascular societies and surgeons all over the globe for the best care of our patients: surely it will contribute to making our world more egalitarian, fairer and better.

  8. Ombudsman institutions in the candidate countries on the road to EU membership: a comparative view

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vahap Atilla OĞUŞGİL

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The European Union has been attaching great importance to the values of democracy and human rights in its external policy, including to its relationship with candidate countries seeking membership in the Union. In accordance with the significance of the values stipulated by the Copenhagen political criteria, as well, it urges the countries in question, for example, to build or strengthen national oversight mechanisms that are tasked to promote the democratic governance of the state and protect human rights. This paper examines one of those oversight mechanisms – ombudsman institutions – in the candidate states conducting accession negotiations with the EU. It specifically scrutinises a fundamental characteristic for the effective functioning of these institutions – the jurisdiction and powers granted by their statutes. Relying on the findings to be noted, the paper also seeks an answer to the question of which ombudsman institution(s score(s better in terms of effectiveness and thus play(s a more significant role in the improvement and consolidation of democracy and protection of human rights in its or their countries, and as a result, contribute(s more to the fulfilment of Copenhagen political criteria during the EU accession processes.

  9. Country's Competitiveness and Sustainability in the Context of the Higher Education System Reforms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jermolajeva, Elita; Aleksejeva, Ludmila

    2013-01-01

    The accumulation of knowledge and its use have become important factors that promote economic development as they contribute to a country's competitiveness in the global economy. The basic significance of research is obtained by defining new approaches in the organisation, function and efficiency of the higher education system (HES) by emphasising…

  10. G8 Global Partnership: Germany's contribution to strengthening international security

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pfaffernoschke, A.

    2013-01-01

    This series of slides presents the German contribution to the G8 Global partnership whose aim is to support specific cooperation projects to address non-proliferation, disarmament, counter-terrorism and nuclear safety issues. 4 priorities have been identified: -) destruction of chemical weapons, -) dismantlement of decommissioned nuclear submarines, -) disposition of fissile materials, and -) employment of former weapon scientists. Today there are 23 donor countries and 2 official recipient countries (Russian Federation and Ukraine). Since the beginning Germany's activities in the G8 Global partnership have focused on chemical weapon destruction (340 million euros), dismantlement of nuclear submarines (600 million euros) and physical protection of nuclear materials (170 million euros). In the Gorny project (1995-2005) German provided the incinerator for the thermal treatment of liquid and solid residues and the equipment for destruction by hydrolysis. Germany's contribution to the following projects: -) the Kambarka project (2003-2007) for the destruction of lewisite, -) the Pochep project (2007-2010) for the destruction of munition containing nerve agents, and -) the Sajda-Bay project for the construction of a long-term storage site for reactor sections of decommissioned submarines, are detailed

  11. Innovation Forms and Firm Export Performance: Empirical Evidence from ECA Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Cieślik

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The main objective of this paper is to verify empirically the relationship between various forms of innovation and export performance of firms from European and Central Asian (ECA countries. Research Design & Methods: In our empirical approach we refer to the self-selection hypothesis derived from the Melitz (2003 model which proposed the existence of a positive relationship between firm productivity and the probability of exporting. We argue that innovation activities should be regarded as a key element that can increase the level of firm productivity. We focus our analysis on four forms of innovation activities: product, process, marketing, organizational and managerial innovation. The empirical implementation of our analytical framework is based on the probit model, applied to the fifth edition of the BEEPS firm level dataset covering 2011-2014. Findings: Our empirical results indicate that the probability of exporting is positively related to both product and process innovations. The marketing and managerial innovations do not seem to affect positively export performance of firms from ECA countries. Implications & Recommendations: It is recommended to develop innovation supporting mechanisms that would target both product and process innovations rather than other forms of innovation in the ECA countries. Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in the use of the multi-country firm level dataset that allows distinguishing between various forms of innovations in the ECA countries.

  12. Height-income association in developing countries: Evidence from 14 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Pankaj C; Devaraj, Srikant

    2017-12-28

    The purpose of this study was to assess whether the height-income association is positive in developing countries, and whether income differences between shorter and taller individuals in developing countries are explained by differences in endowment (ie, taller individuals have a higher income than shorter individuals because of characteristics such as better social skills) or due to discrimination (ie, shorter individuals have a lower income despite having comparable characteristics). Instrumental variable regression, Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, quantile regression, and quantile decomposition analyses were applied to a sample of 45 108 respondents from 14 developing countries represented in the Research on Early Life and Aging Trends and Effects (RELATE) study. For a one-centimeter increase in country- and sex-adjusted median height, real income adjusted for purchasing power parity increased by 1.37%. The income differential between shorter and taller individuals was explained by discrimination and not by differences in endowments; however, the effect of discrimination decreased at higher values of country- and sex-adjusted height. Taller individuals in developing countries may realize higher income despite having characteristics similar to those of shorter individuals. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. An analysis of the macroeconomic conditions required for SME lending: Evidence from Turkey and other emerging market countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jenkins Hatice

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Providing small and medium enterprises (SMEs with access to external finance has been a major concern for many governments and international organizations for three decades. In recent years the experiences of emerging market countries suggest that a paradigm shift is taking place in SME finance. Particularly in fast-growing emerging market countries such as Turkey, banks are increasingly targeting SMEs as a new line of banking business. This research analyzes how macroeconomic factors have contributed to increased commercial bank lending to SMEs in six emerging market countries: Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Poland. Based on time series and panel data analysis, we find that a high GDP growth rate and increased competition in the banking sector have contributed to increased banking sector credit to SMEs. The findings also reveal that curbing the high inflation rate and reducing government domestic borrowing have significantly encouraged bank lending to the SME segment.

  14. Firm and Country Determinants of the Quality of Financial Information

    OpenAIRE

    Bonetti, Pietro

    2013-01-01

    This thesis is made of three chapters which contribute to the international accounting literature. The first chapter investigates the effect of the legal enforcement on the use of income increasing earnings management (EAR) and downward expectation management (EXP) to meet or beat analyst earnings forecasts. Using a sample of 4,934 firms from fourteen European countries, we document that the strength of the legal enforcement is negatively associated with EAR and positively associated wit...

  15. Present contribution of bioresources to satisfy the energy needs of Greece

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koukios, E.G.; Umealu, O.S.

    1992-01-01

    Data on the present use of bioresources, i.e. fuelwood, charcoal, and agroindustrial wastes, were collected and analyzed with respect to the national and regional energy balances in Greece. In the period 1980 - 1985, biomass was found to be the third significant energy source in this country, contributing a fairly constant 5 % of the total energy needs. The contribution of bioenergy at the regional level was found to be considerably higher, i.e. more than 10% in most Greek regions, whereas in three major regions there is a clearly increasing trend towards the use of bioenergy. (author)

  16. Virtual water trade and country vulnerability: A network perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sartori, Martina; Schiavo, Stefano

    2015-04-01

    This work investigates the relationship between countries' participation in virtual water trade and their vulnerability to external shocks from a network perspective. In particular, we investigate whether (i) possible sources of local national crises may interact with the system, propagating through the network and affecting the other countries involved; (ii) the topological characteristics of the international agricultural trade network, translated into virtual water-equivalent flows, may favor countries' vulnerability to external crises. Our work contributes to the debate on the potential merits and risks associated with openness to trade in agricultural and food products. On the one hand, trade helps to ensure that even countries with limited water (and other relevant) resources have access to sufficient food and contribute to the global saving of water. On the other hand, there are fears that openness may increase the vulnerability to external shocks and thus make countries worse off. Here we abstract from political considerations about food sovereignty and independence from imports and focus instead on investigating whether the increased participation in global trade that the world has witnessed in the last 30 years has made the system more susceptible to large shocks. Our analysis reveals that: (i) the probability of larger supply shocks has not increased over time; (ii) the topological characteristics of the VW network are not such as to favor the systemic risk associated with shock propagation; and (iii) higher-order interconnections may reveal further important information about the structure of a network. Regarding the first result, fluctuations in output volumes, among the sources of shock analyzed here, are more likely to generate some instability. The first implication is that, on one side, past national or regional economic crises were not necessarily brought about or strengthened by global trade. The second, more remarkable, implication is that, on

  17. Has the Economic Crisis Contributed to More Segmentation in Labour Market and Welfare Outcomes?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leschke, Janine

    This paper analyses whether developments on the labour market and in the welfare system during the economic crisis can be seen as perpetuating the trend towards labour market segmentation or whether the crisis may actually have contributed to containing some of the divisions forged in recent...... decades. The emphasis is placed on (involuntary) part-time and temporary employment. With regard to labour market developments, the author demonstrates a further segmentation during the crisis, in particular for youth and people with low educational levels who have been disproportionately affected...... by unemployment. Due to data deficiencies, it is difficult to judge conclusively whether the crisis has contributed to more or to less segmentation in welfare coverage. In fact, there seems to be a division between countries in this regard and the deliberate opening up of unemployment schemes in several countries...

  18. Multipurpose Masculinities: Gender and Power in Low Countries Histories of Masculinity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Dudink

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available This article introduces the contributions to a BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review special issue on Low Countries masculinities. It outlines a shared theoretical framework that focuses on what historian Mrinalini Sinha has called, 'the rhetorical and ideological efficacy' of notions of masculinity 'in underwriting various arrangements of power'. The article's central argument is that the history of masculinity should move 'beyond masculinity' by analysing the deployment of masculinity in the making, legitimisation and contestation of not just power relations of gender, but also other power relations. It points to the origins of this framework in post-structuralist strands of women's and gender history and evaluates critically the usefulness of the notion of 'hegemonic masculinity' for such an approach.

  19. Carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector in major countries: a decomposition analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiangzheng; Liao, Hua; Du, Yun-Fei; Wang, Ce; Wang, Jin-Wei; Liu, Yanan

    2018-03-01

    The electric power sector is one of the primary sources of CO 2 emissions. Analyzing the influential factors that result in CO 2 emissions from the power sector would provide valuable information to reduce the world's CO 2 emissions. Herein, we applied the Divisia decomposition method to analyze the influential factors for CO 2 emissions from the power sector from 11 countries, which account for 67% of the world's emissions from 1990 to 2013. We decompose the influential factors for CO 2 emissions into seven areas: the emission coefficient, energy intensity, the share of electricity generation, the share of thermal power generation, electricity intensity, economic activity, and population. The decomposition analysis results show that economic activity, population, and the emission coefficient have positive roles in increasing CO 2 emissions, and their contribution rates are 119, 23.9, and 0.5%, respectively. Energy intensity, electricity intensity, the share of electricity generation, and the share of thermal power generation curb CO 2 emissions and their contribution rates are 17.2, 15.7, 7.7, and 2.8%, respectively. Through decomposition analysis for each country, economic activity and population are the major factors responsible for increasing CO 2 emissions from the power sector. However, the other factors from developed countries can offset the growth in CO 2 emissions due to economic activities.

  20. PREFACE: APCTP-ASEAN Workshop on Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology (AMSN08)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Hieu, Nguyen

    2009-09-01

    Dear friends To contribute to the enhancement of the international scientific cooperation of the ASEAN countries and in reply to the proposal of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), the Asia-Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP) and the Sub Committee on Materials Science and Technology (SCMST) of the ASEAN Committee of Science and Technology (ASEAN COST) agreed to organize this APCTP-ASEAN Workshop on Advanced Materials Science and Nanotechnology with the participation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Rencontres du Vietnam, the Vietnam Physical Society, the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam National University in Hanoi. As well as the participants from 9 of the 10 ASEAN countries and many other countries/regions of APCTP (Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan and Korea) we warmly welcome the guests from Europe, the United States, Canada and Israel. Without the financial support of the Asia-Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics APCTP, Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics ICTP, the Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development AOARD, the US Office of Naval Research Global-Asia ONRG, the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam MOST, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology VAST, the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City VNU HCMC and other Sponsors, we would have been unable to hold this Workshop. On behalf of the International and Local Organizing Committees I would like to express our deep gratitude to the Sponsors. We highly appreciate the support and advice of the members of the International Advisory Committee, the scientific contribution of the invited speakers and all participants. We acknowledge the warm reception of the Khanh Hoa province Administration and citizens, and the hard work of the VAST staff for the success of the Workshop. We cordially wish all participants lively scientific

  1. Improved outcome of childhood acute myeloid leukemia in an Eastern European country: Lithuanian experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kairiene, Igne; Pasauliene, Ramune; Lipunova, Nadezda; Vaitkeviciene, Goda; Rageliene, Lina; Rascon, Jelena

    2017-10-01

    The reported treatment outcomes of children treated for cancer in Eastern European countries are inferior to those in Northern/Western Europe. We hypothesized that recent survival rates could be comparable to the current standards and performed a population-based analysis of treatment outcome of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Lithuania, a small Eastern European country. Children  80% in high-income countries. The difference in survival rates between Northern/Western and Eastern European countries as well as between high- and middle-/low-income countries is as much as 20%. Recently, the 5-year event-free survival rate of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has reached > 60% in high-income countries. The survival rates for myeloproliferative diseases were the lowest in Eastern European countries. • The reported inferior survival rates were calculated based on outcome data of patients treated until 2007. The recent survival rates in Eastern European countries are unknown. What is New: • Being a small Eastern European country, Lithuania has experienced good economic growth during the last decade. We hypothesized that economic growth and gain of experience could result in better survival rates of children treated for cancer in our country in recent years. • A population-based analysis of treatment outcome of childhood AML treated in Lithuania in the recent years was performed for the first time. The survival rates of childhood AML in Lithuania are comparable to those of other high-income countries. Current survival rates of children treated for cancer in Eastern European countries could be comparable to the best current standards contributing to better European survival rates of childhood cancer in general.

  2. Productivity in physical and chemical science predicts the future economic growth of developing countries better than other popular indices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaffe, Klaus; Caicedo, Mario; Manzanares, Marcos; Gil, Mario; Rios, Alfredo; Florez, Astrid; Montoreano, Claudia; Davila, Vicente

    2013-01-01

    Scientific productivity of middle income countries correlates stronger with present and future wealth than indices reflecting its financial, social, economic or technological sophistication. We identify the contribution of the relative productivity of different scientific disciplines in predicting the future economic growth of a nation. Results show that rich and poor countries differ in the relative proportion of their scientific output in the different disciplines: countries with higher relative productivity in basic sciences such as physics and chemistry had the highest economic growth in the following five years compared to countries with a higher relative productivity in applied sciences such as medicine and pharmacy. Results suggest that the economies of middle income countries that focus their academic efforts in selected areas of applied knowledge grow slower than countries which invest in general basic sciences.

  3. Risk factors for ischaemic and intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke in 22 countries (the INTERSTROKE study)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    O'Donnell, Martin J; Xavier, Denis; Liu, Lisheng

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The contribution of various risk factors to the burden of stroke worldwide is unknown, particularly in countries of low and middle income. We aimed to establish the association of known and emerging risk factors with stroke and its primary subtypes, assess the contribution of these risk...... factors to the burden of stroke, and explore the differences between risk factors for stroke and myocardial infarction. METHODS: We undertook a standardised case-control study in 22 countries worldwide between March 1, 2007, and April 23, 2010. Cases were patients with acute first stroke (within 5 days......; 18.8%, 11.2-29.7); regular physical activity (0.69, 0.53-0.90; 28.5%, 14.5-48.5); diabetes mellitus (1.36, 1.10-1.68; 5.0%, 2.6-9.5); alcohol intake (1.51, 1.18-1.92 for more than 30 drinks per month or binge drinking; 3.8%, 0.9-14.4); psychosocial stress (1.30, 1.06-1.60; 4.6%, 2...

  4. (ajst) intersystem interference due to hydrometeor

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    telecommunication services and to expand existing ones continues to receive ..... Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy for travel support and the facilities used in ... Commission of the European Communities on Cooperation in the Fields of ...

  5. Country policy profile - Italy. August 2015

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-08-01

    In Italy, Renewable energy sources in are promoted through price and tax regulations mechanisms. Several kinds of feed-in and premium tariffs co exist besides tendering schemes depending on technology and size of RES systems. Additionally regional support schemes exist for RES electricity. The thermal (heating and cooling) energy generated from renewable energies is incentivized through tax regulation and loans. A quota system is presently used for bio-fuels (transport). In the year 2012 the major share of renewable electricity generation is accounted for by hydropower (3796 ktoe), mainly large plants. PV (1622 ktoe and wind power (1066 ktoe) provide the next largest contributions. As for renewable heating, solid biomass makes the largest contribution with 4671 ktoe ktoe, followed by geo thermal at 3228 ktoe. bio-fuels used in renewable transport amount to 1343 ktoe (source: EurObserv'ER, 2014, www.eurobserv-er.org). Under the country's NREAP, Italy has set a renewable energy target (electricity) of 26% to be achieved by 2020. The 2012 total share of renewable energy in Italy amounted to 13.5%; the target for 2020 has been defined as 17% (source: 'The State of Renewable Energies in Europe', 2013 edition)

  6. On the contribution of labelled Certified Emission Reductions to sustainable development: A multi-criteria evaluation of CDM projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nussbaumer, Patrick

    2009-01-01

    The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has a twofold objective, to offset greenhouse gas emissions and to contribute to sustainable development in the host country. The contribution to the latter objective seems marginal in most CDM activities. Also, CDM activities are unevenly spread among developing countries. In response to these concerns, initiatives with the objective of promoting CDM projects with broad local sustainable development dividends have been launched, such as the Gold Standard and the Community Development Carbon Fund. The Gold Standard label rewards best-practice CDM projects while the Community Development Carbon Fund focuses on promoting CDM activities in underprivileged communities. Using a multi-criteria method, the potential contribution to local sustainable development of those CDM projects with particular attributes is compared with ordinary ones. This evaluation suggests that labelled CDM activities tend to slightly outperform comparable projects, although not unequivocally

  7. The influence of actor capacities on EIA system performance in low and middle income countries -Cases from Georgia and Ghana

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kolhoff, A.J.; Runhaar, H.A.C.; Gugushvili, Tamar; Sonderegger, Gabi; Leest, Van der Bart; Driessen, P.P.J.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we aim to better understand the factors that contribute to the substantive performance of EIA systems in low and middle income countries. Substantive performance is defined as the extent to which the EIA process contributes to the EIA objectives for the long term, namely

  8. The influence of actor capacities on EIA system performance in low and middle income countries -Cases from Georgia and Ghana

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kolhoff, Arend J.; Runhaar, Hens A C; Gugushvili, Tamar; Sonderegger, Gabi; Van der Leest, Bart; Driessen, Peter

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we aim to better understand the factors that contribute to the substantive performance of EIA systems in low and middle income countries. Substantive performance is defined as the extent to which the EIA process contributes to the EIA objectives for the long term, namely environmental

  9. A Comparative Study of Suicide Rates among 10–19-Year-Olds in 29 OECD Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roh, Beop-Rae; Jung, Eun Hee; Hong, Hyun Ju

    2018-01-01

    Objective This study had two main objectives: to compare current suicide rates in OECD countries among 10–19-year-olds and to identify patterns of suicide rates based on age, gender and time. Furthermore we investigated the main dimensions that contributed to the variation in child and adolescent suicide rates across countries. Methods We combined the WHO mortality data and the population data released by OECD to calculate the suicide rates in 29 OECD countries. A self-organizing map (SOM), k-means clustering analysis, and multi-dimensional scaling were used to classify countries based on similarities in suicide rate structure and to identify the important dimensions accounting for differences among groups. Results We identified significant differences in suicide rates depending on age, sex, country, and time period. Late adolescence and male gender were universal risk factors for suicide, and we observed a general trend of declining suicide rates in OECD countries. The SOM analysis yielded eight types of countries. Most countries showed gender gaps in suicide rates of similar magnitudes; however, there were outliers in which the gender gap was particularly large or small. Conclusion Significant variation exists with respect to suicide rates and their associated gender gaps in OECD countries. PMID:29486551

  10. Disparity in Dental Attendance Among Older Adult Populations: A Comparative Analysis Across Selected European Countries and the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manski, Richard; Moeller, John; Chen, Haiyan; Widström, Eeva; Listl, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Background The current study addresses the extent to which diversity in dental attendance across population subgroups exists within and between the United States and selected European countries. Method The analyses relied on 2006/2007 data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and 2004–2006 data from of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in the United States for respondents aged 51 years and older. Logistic regression models were estimated to identify impacts of dental care coverage and oral as well as general health status on dental care use. Results We were unable to discern significant differences in dental attendance across population subgroups in countries with and without social health insurance, between the USA and European countries, and between European countries classified by social welfare regime. Patterns of diverse dental use were found, but they did not appear predominately in countries classified by welfare state regime or by presence or absence of social health insurance. Conclusions Findings of this study suggest that income and education have stronger and more persistent correlation with dental use than the correlation between dental insurance and dental use across European countries. We conclude that (1) higher overall rates of coverage in most European countries, compared to relatively lower rates in the USA, contribute to this finding and that (2) policies targeted to improving the income of older persons and their awareness of the importance of oral health care in both Europe and the USA can contribute to improving the use of dental services. PMID:26465093

  11. Under-representation of developing countries in the research literature: ethical issues arising from a survey of five leading medical journals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siribaddana Sisira

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It is widely acknowledged that there is a global divide on health care and health research known as the 10/90 divide. Methods A retrospective survey of articles published in the BMJ, Lancet, NEJM, Annals of Internal Medicine & JAMA in a calendar year to examine the contribution of the developing world to medical literature. We categorized countries into four regions: UK, USA, Other Euro-American countries (OEAC and (RoW. OEAC were European countries other than the UK but including Australia, New Zealand and Canada. RoW comprised all other countries. Results The average contribution of the RoW to the research literature in the five journals was 6.5%. In the two British journals 7.6% of the articles were from the RoW; in the three American journals 4.8% of articles were from RoW. The highest proportion of papers from the RoW was in the Lancet (12%. An analysis of the authorship of 151 articles from RoW showed that 104 (68.9% involved authorship with developed countries in Europe or North America. There were 15 original papers in these journals with data from RoW but without any authors from RoW. Conclusions There is a marked under-representation of countries in high-impact general medical journals. The ethical implications of this inequity and ways of reducing it are discussed.

  12. Nuclear power and sustainable development: a vision from a developing country

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sbaffoni, Monica; Harriague, Santiago

    2008-01-01

    From the understanding of sustainable development as 'growing assets and opening options - not foreclosing them' (IAEA, 2006a), an analysis is made on sustainability conditions for nuclear power in a developing country, based on Argentinean experience. The necessity of developing an autonomous decision-making capability and a technological-industrial infrastructure is stressed. As an example, a brief history of nuclear power in Argentina is summarized, focusing in key elements that contributed to sustainability and also pointing out some draw-backs that may have affected it. Finally, some lessons learned are presented, with the aim of sharing the experience and offering a contribution to the present debate on nuclear energy deployment in the periphery. (authors)

  13. Problems of Foreign Economic Relations Development of Ural Regions with BRICS Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhail Ivanovich Maslennikov

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In the article, the basic vocabulary of BRICS countries, its regional tendencies of business development, and its share taken in the foreign-economic activity are analyzed. Contribution of different foreign trade fields of regions into economic development is revealed. Indicators of development levels of external economic links are reviewed. Alternative options of the foreign trade development, expenses and benefits from its reorientation, and the reason of low indicators of development of foreign trade activity of the Ural regions with BRICS countries are evaluated, and measures for their improvement and development are offered. The mechanism and tools of stimulation of foreign economic relations development of regions with BRICS countries are investigated. The internal and external motives and incentives of expansion of these relations are examined. The factors influencing the regional markets development and revealing multidirectional tendencies in activities of business, government, society for development of foreign economic relations of the Ural regions with BRICS countries, and first of all with Brazil, India, China and the Republic of South Africa are investigated. The export-import features of the foreign trade operations with these countries, and also possible ways and the directions of expansion of the prognostics of foreign economic relations in the conditions of toughening and restriction of similar operations and financial sources from the developed countries, first of all the USA and EU countries are represented. Author examines the reasons and scenario, problems and difficulties for the country and the Ural regions in refocusing of international economic relation from Western Europe to the South-East Asia countries. Real opportunities of participation of regions of the country in the import substitution and development of own resource and production base are analyzed. The research is focused on analysis of international economic

  14. Multi-actor governance of sustainable biofuels in developing countries: The case of Mozambique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schut, Marc; Cunha Soares, Núria; Ven, Gerrie van de; Slingerland, Maja

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes and analyses the multi-actor governance process that made Mozambique the first African nation-state to develop a national policy framework for sustainable biofuels. The paper draws on findings from action research conducted in Mozambique between December 2008 and July 2012. We analyse interactions between the changing governance context, the course of the multi-actor governance process, and the choices in relation to governance framework characteristics and content for four successive stages of governance framework development. This provides the basis for reflection on the competences required for effective multi-actor sustainability governance, and a discussion about the role of the nation-state in sustainability governance of global economies such as biofuels. The governance framework for sustainable biofuels has contributed to a more transparent and secure investment climate for biofuels in Mozambique. Key factors for success were (1) the presence of different types of competences during the various stages of the governance framework development, (2) closing the gap between ‘licences to sell’ and ‘licences to produce’ across different governance levels, and (3) balancing between the short- and long-term objectives for biofuel production in Mozambique and requirements of global biofuel markets. Developing-country nation-states can provide an essential contribution to these success-factors for global governance of sustainable biofuels. - Highlights: • Mozambique is the first African country that developed a national governance framework for sustainable biofuels. • Independence, representation, expertise and operational capacity are essential competences in multi-actor sustainability governance. • Developing country's nation-states play an essential role in harmonizing short- and long-term objectives across different governance levels. • Synergies between licences to sell and licences to produce biofuels sustainably should

  15. THE CURRENT STATE OF CLOTHING TRADE IN THE BALKAN COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TRIPA Simona

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The study presented here is aimed at analysing the current state of clothing trade in the Balkan states. The dynamics of change over a 15‐year period following economic reforms are revealed. The clothing industries play a significant role and continue to contribute to the economic prosperity of countries with an inexpensive labour force. For most Balkan States clothing’s export plays an important role in promoting economic growth and development – for example, exports of garments Albania was in 2015, 16.81% of its exports, Republic of Macedonia 11.75% of its exports, in Turkey10.51% etc. The main factors which influence the level of competitiveness of clothing products from the Balkans are the gross value added per employee and wages. When the producers of the Balkan countries will create products with higher added value in garment industry the competitiveness of these countries will decrease. Also rising wages in this industry, as a result of trade union pressure or government policy, will lead to decreasing competitiveness of these products on the EU market and implicitly to the decrease of exports of garments from these countries. The main challenges that must face the Balkan States are related to restructuring of economic system, changing trade markets and patterns, declining of domestic demand of most merchandise, reduction of competitive ability, narrow export base, and lower economies of scale. The main opportunities that most of these countries can exploit are related to their geographical position, membership of the EU market, infrastructure in garment sector, and highly skilled workforce.

  16. Sudden infant death syndrome: an unrecognized killer in developing countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ndu IK

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Ikenna Kingsley Ndu Department of Paediatrics, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria Abstract: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS is defined as the sudden unexpected death of an infant <1 year of age, with onset of the fatal episode apparently occurring during sleep, that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation including performance of a complete autopsy and review of the circumstances of death and the clinical history. SIDS contributes to infant mortality and resulted in ~15,000 deaths globally in 2013. Most of the risk factors of SIDS are common in developing countries; yet, there has been little interest in SIDS by researchers in Africa. This review looks at the extent of the attention given to SIDS in a developing country like Nigeria, and factors responsible for the scarce data concerning this significant cause of mortality. Keywords: SIDS, mortality, Nigeria

  17. Building country image process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zubović Jovan

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The same branding principles are used for countries as they are used for the products, only the methods are different. Countries are competing among themselves in tourism, foreign investments and exports. Country turnover is at the level that the country's reputation is. The countries that begin as unknown or with a bad image will have limits in operations or they will be marginalized. As a result they will be at the bottom of the international influence scale. On the other hand, countries with a good image, like Germany (despite two world wars will have their products covered with a special "aura".

  18. The Contribution of Intellectual Capital to Value Creation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena Shakina

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper studies the marginal contribution of intellectual capital (IC components to company value using a hedonic pricing framework. The ANOVA is used to identify group differences among different national markets and industries. Two models have been developed to reflect the time effect: one related to the immediate creation of value and another for the long term. As could be expected, the contribution of IC to companies’ value creation differs significantly between countries and industries. Both models, short- and long-term, are significant and with a normal explanatory power. We have found both positive and negative coefficients. Human capital plays a critical positive role in value creation in the short term. Structural and relational capital becomes more relevant in the long term. However, in the long term, the results obtained regarding the effect of human capital are unclear.

  19. Lectures on the basis of physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, A.

    1990-09-01

    The paper contains the following three lectures given by Alan Cook at ICTP Trieste in August, 1990: ''Metrology and the Structure of Physics'', ''Why does Mathematical Physics Work?'' and ''Probability, Chaos and the Environment. 9 refs

  20. Inpatient forensic-psychiatric care: Legal frameworks and service provision in three European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edworthy, Rachel; Sampson, Stephanie; Völlm, Birgit

    2016-01-01

    Laws governing the detention and treatment of mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) vary widely across Europe, yet little information is available about the features of these laws and their comparative advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of this article is to compare the legal framework governing detention in forensic psychiatric care in three European countries with long-established services for MDOs, England, Germany and the Netherlands. A literature review was conducted alongside consultation with experts from each country. We found that the three countries differ in several areas, including criteria for admission, review of detention, discharge process, the concept of criminal responsibility, service provision and treatment philosophy. Our findings suggest a profound difference in how each country relates to MDOs, with each approach contributing to different pathways and potentially different outcomes for the individual. Hopefully making these comparisons will stimulate debate and knowledge exchange on an international level to aid future research and the development of best practice in managing this population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. IS TAXATION AFFECTING THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE COUNTRIES FOR FDI?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Popovici Oana Cristina

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The target of this paper is to determine whether taxation affects the attractiveness of Central and EasternEurope (CEE countries for foreign investors. In this scope, the paper analyzes the impact of taxation for thelocation decision of foreign direct investment (FDI in CEE countries both in 2007 and 2010. A taxation indexinvesting the effect of multiple host country taxes is developed in order to draw the attractiveness matrix for thecountries taken into account. The taxation level comprises the corporate income tax rate, representing directtaxation, the value-added tax (VAT and the social security contributions expressing indirect taxation and finally theease of paying taxes, as provided in Doing Business report. The results indicate that relieving the burden of payingtaxes by tackling the taxation issue is a mean for improving the FDI attractiveness of a country. Still, there are otherfactors that have higher influence on FDI inflows. The main finding is that there is no perfect correspondencebetween the shifts in taxation rankings and the FDI inflows performance.

  2. Breast Cancer Epidemiology in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Regional and International Comparison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albeshan, Salman M; Mackey, Martin G; Hossain, Syeda Z; Alfuraih, Abdulrahman A; Brennan, Patrick C

    2017-07-13

    Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed noncutaneous malignancy in women living in Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The present report aimed to highlight the similarities and variations in breast cancer incidence, age at diagnosis, clinicopathologic features, molecular characteristics, and lifestyle factors that contribute to an increasing incidence of breast cancer compared with neighboring Arab and westernized countries. The data presented, although having important implications for policy makers, also highlights the need for further research. Such research would ensure that effective prevention and detection strategies are tailored to the specific needs of the Gulf women such that the management of breast cancer is optimized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. An Empirical Investigation of Telecommunications Investment and Economic Development in Developing Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seung-Hoon Yoo

    2001-12-01

    Full Text Available Evaluating the sources of economic development is of obvious importance, and numerous attempts have been made to judge the impact of many different factors on economic development. Since some empirical studies have reported that telecommunications investment is one of the important factors in economic development, this paper empirically investigates the impact of telecommunications investment on economic development using a cross-country analysis based on data from 56 developing countries for the years 1970-98. To this end, a further augmented version of the neoclassical Solow growth model is suggested and applied. Subject to the appropriate caveats, the results provide further support for several key conclusions of the former studies - investment in physical capital, population growth, and human capital seem to be quite important in accounting for economic development in developing countries. In addition, more importantly, it is concluded that telecommunications investment significantly contributes to economic development in the developing world.

  4. Labor market and demographic scenarios for ASEAN countries (2010-35). Education, skill development, manpower needs, migration flows and economic growth

    OpenAIRE

    Michele Bruni

    2013-01-01

    ASEAN countries have been moving at different speeds along the path of the so called Demographic transition and are at present at different stages of this complex process. As a consequence, starting in the very near future, some ASEAN countries will be affected by an increasing structural lack of labor supply, while in other a structural excess of labor supply will persist for at least 30-40 years. This situation has already contributed to divide ASEAN countries into two groups: departure cou...

  5. National greenhouse gas emissions baseline scenarios. Learning from experiences in developing countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-04-15

    This report reviews national approaches to preparing baseline scenarios of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. It does so by describing and comparing in non-technical language existing practices and choices made by ten developing countries - Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. The review focuses on a number of key elements, including model choices, transparency considerations, choices about underlying assumptions and challenges associated with data management. The aim is to improve overall understanding of baseline scenarios and facilitate their use for policy-making in developing countries more broadly. The findings are based on the results of a collaborative project involving a number of activities undertaken by the Danish Energy Agency, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UNEP Risoe Centre (URC), including a series of workshops on the subject. The ten contributing countries account for approximately 40% of current global GHG emissions - a share that is expected to increase in the future. The breakdown of emissions by sector varies widely among these countries. In some countries, the energy sector is the leading source of emissions; for others, the land-use sector and/or agricultural sector dominate emissions. The report underscores some common technical and financial capacity gaps faced by developing countries when preparing baseline scenarios. It does not endeavour to propose guidelines for preparing baseline scenarios. Rather, it is hoped that the report will inform any future attempts at preparing such kind of guidelines. (Author)

  6. Capitalizing the contribution of the nuclear industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donnadieu, G.

    1984-01-01

    The main contributions of the French nuclear industry to the country, and ways to make the most of them are presented. The advantages acquired include the nuclear power stations built; mastering of the combustion cycle; a powerful, well structured nuclear construction industry; and a nuclear-industrial complex giving France an important industrial potential. It is recommended that the industrial and research effort be maintained. The proposed strategy consists of defining an electronuclear program and associated economic development program and sticking to them; promoting exports; possibly merging certain industrial capacities; and strengthening the national position and independence concerning the fuel cycle [fr

  7. Contribution to the strategy of energy efficiency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciconkov, Risto

    2003-01-01

    An explanation for the greenhouse effect, i.e.global warming and reasons which contribute to this effect. Greenhouse gasses (GHG) and GWP (Global Warming Potential) as a factor for estimating their contributing on the greenhouse effect. Indicators of the climate change in the previous period and projecting of likely scenarios for the future. Consequences on the environment and human activities: industry, energy, agriculture, water resource. The main lines of the Kyoto Protocol and problems in its realization. Suggestions to the country strategy concerning to the acts of the Kyoto Protocol. A special attention is pointed out on the energy, its resource, the structure of energy consumption and energy efficiency. Main sectors of the energy efficiency: buildings, industry and transport. Buildings: importance of heat insulation. District heating, suggestions for space heating. Heat pumps and CHP. Air conditioning and refrigeration. Industry: process heating, and integrated energy system heat recovery, refrigeration, compressed air. Need of quality maintenance and servicing. Monitoring and automatic control. Education for energy and its saving. (Original)

  8. Contributions of plant breeding in Brazil: progress and perspectives

    OpenAIRE

    Ramalho, Magno Antonio Patto; Dias, Luiz Antônio dos Santos; Carvalho, Bruna Line

    2012-01-01

    Agribusiness is fundamental for the Brazilian economy. This has become possible due to the use of science and technology in agriculture in the last 35 years. Among the technologies, the use of improved cultivars stands out. This article presents the situation of the species grown in the country in recent years and the contribution of genetic plant breeding to the performance of these species. Challenges multiplied because of populational growth associated with the ever-growing concern of soci...

  9. Decoupling Economic Growth and Energy Use. An Empirical Cross-Country Analysis for 10 Manufacturing Sectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mulder, P. [International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg (Austria); De Groot, H.L.F. [Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2004-07-01

    This paper provides an empirical analysis of decoupling economic growth and energy use and its various determinants by exploring trends in energy- and labour productivity across 10 manufacturing sectors and 14 OECD countries for the period 1970-1997. We explicitly aim to trace back aggregate developments in the manufacturing sector to developments at the level of individual subsectors. A cross-country decomposition analysis reveals that in some countries structural changes contributed considerably to aggregate manufacturing energy-productivity growth and, hence, to decoupling, while in other countries they partly offset energy-efficiency improvements. In contrast, structural changes only play a minor role in explaining aggregate manufacturing labour-productivity developments. Furthermore, we find labour-productivity growth to be higher on average than energy-productivity growth. Over time, this bias towards labour-productivity growth is increasing in the aggregate manufacturing sector, while it is decreasing in most manufacturing subsectors.

  10. Worldwide academic contributions of Japanese neurosurgeons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasaki, Tomio; Hashiguchi, Kimiaki; Yoshimoto, Koji; Nakamizo, Akira; Mizoguchi, Masahiro

    2011-01-01

    Based on the data reported in the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy 2010, Japan is ranked in fourth place in the world in terms of the numbers of the articles in the fields of clinical medicine. However, there had not been any objective data regarding the numbers of publications by neurosurgeons. As it is important for neurosurgeons to realize the extent of academic contributions by the neurosurgeons in different countries, the numbers of publications in the major journals by the members of the Japan Neurosurgical Society and those from neurosurgical institutions around the world were analyzed using both the biomedical literature database PubMed and the publication database "ISI Web of Knowledge." Parts of the results were presented in the 69th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neurosurgical Society. As to the number of neurosurgical publications in English from the top 9 countries, the US has been consistently in first place and Japan in second. However, the number of publications from Japan has been decreasing since 2000. With regards to the "top 8 journals" such as the Lancet and the Journal of the American Medical Association, the number of first-author publications by Japanese neurosurgeons increased in the late 1980s and had been 2-9 articles per year until recently. In the "top 12 neuroscience journals" which include Stroke, Neuro-Oncology, Cancer Research, and others, Japan had been in the third next to the US and UK till 2004, but Germany surpassed Japan in 2005. In the "top 6 clinical journals" such as the Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery, the US has been consistently keeping first place and Japan second place since 1977. Searches using the key word elucidated that Japanese neurosurgeons are greatly contributing in the field of "aneurysm." Regarding the number of publications per neurosurgeon, Canada and UK are in the forefront and Japan is down to eighth place. Japanese neurosurgeons have been contributing greatly next to the

  11. Socioeconomic differential in self-assessment of health and happiness in 5 African countries: Finding from World Value Survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adesanya A, Oluwafunmilade; Rojas, Bomar Mendez; Darboe, Amadou; Beogo, Idrissa

    2017-01-01

    Factors that contribute to wealth related inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) and happiness remains unclear most especially in sub-Saharan countries (SSA). This study aims to explore and compare socioeconomic differentials in SRH and happiness in five SSA countries. Using the 2010/2014 World Values Survey (WVS), we obtained a sample of 9,869 participants of age 16 and above from five SSA countries (Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda and Zimbabwe). Socioeconomic inequalities were quantified using the concentration index. The contribution of each predictor to concentration index's magnitude was obtained by means of regression based decomposition analysis. Poor SRH ranges from approximately 9% in Nigeria to 20% in Zimbabwe, whereas unhappiness was lower in Rwanda (9.5%) and higher in South Africa (23.3%). Concentration index was negative for both outcomes in all countries, which implies that poor SRH and unhappiness are excessively concentrated among the poorest socioeconomic strata. Although magnitudes differ across countries, however, the major contributor to wealth-related inequality in poor SRH is satisfaction with financial situation whereas for unhappiness the major contributors are level of income and satisfaction with financial situation. This study underscores an association between wealth related inequalities and poor SRH and unhappiness in the context of SSA. Improving equity in health, as suggested by the commission of social determinants of health may be useful in fighting against the unfair distribution of resources. Thus, knowledge about the self-rating of health and happiness can serve as proxy estimates for understanding the distribution of health care access and economic resources needed for well-being in resident countries.

  12. Nuclear project finance in developing countries: The multi-country financing alternative

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fleck, J.B.

    1986-01-01

    It is the basic contention of this paper that, because of certain factors in the financial markets, multi-country financing (MCF) is the new alternative if not the imperative for large scale and turnkey nuclear plant programs in developing countries. The point is made that its successful use depends on the ability of the host country, the credit granting countries and suppliers to both recognize the MCF reality and manage its implicit variables. Those who collectively do so will be successful, and those who cannot will not be states the author. The aspects of MCF are described

  13. ASPECTS REGARDING WOOD WELDING IN THE CONTEXT OF APPLICABILITY IN THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramona-Elena DUMITRAȘCU

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Furniture, as traditional sector in Romania, is one of the few areas that bring profit. It is a field that contributes to the economical competitiveness through the variety of products for import and export. In this context, joining wood is essential for the production of wood products. Therefore, knowing the environmentally-friendly methods for wood joints could lead to performance and progress. Welding technology of wood as an alternative method to bonding wood elements or wooden structures has not been addressed in Romania until now. The paper presents a review performed with the aim of contribute to the knowledge of this innovative technology, to show the problems and the possibilities, of least developed countries, to contribute at this area of reasearch. The general aim is to present the main methods and to analyze their advantages and disadvantages in the context of development in the least developed countries. The results showed that both methods, at low and hight temperature, has benefits but there are and some economic and knowledge barriers for extended the technology.The overall conclusion of this research is to find efficient solutions for wood welding in order to obtain new better and cleaner wood products

  14. Agriculture and renewable energies: contribution and opportunities for farming exploitation - Synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leveque, Benjamin; Hajjar, Ali; Noirot-Cosson, Paul-Emile; Oudin, Bertrand; Meiffren, Olivia; Khamlich, Ali; Varchavsky, Marc; Lapierre, Aline; Brinon, Alain; Nguyen, Elodie; Mhiri, Tarek; Bonnard, Philippe; Gagnepain, Bruno; Cardona Maestro, Astrid; Berthomieu, Nadine; Theobald, Olivier; Bardinal, Marc; Mousset, Jerome; Thual, Julien; Fautrad, Alice; Bastide, Guillaume; Parrouffe, Jean-Michel; Dubilly, Anne-Laure; Bellini, Robert; Gerson, Raphael; Mehl, Celine; Mainsant, Armand; Carrere, Tristan; Marchal, David; Duval, Joakim; Huet, Sebastien; Herrera, Joanna; Hascuet, Isabelle; Rousselon, Nicolas; Ollivier, Denis; Lemaignan, Benoit; Jager, Florian; Porcheyre, Edwige; Bealu, Christophe; Denninger, F.; Guggemos, Fabien; Richard, Axel; Duclos, Paul; Flajollet-Millan, Johanna; Roesner, Sven; Begue, Marie; Furois, Timothee; Oriol, Louise; Denoyer, Gerard; Pagnac-Farbiaz, Elisabeth; Guibert, Olivier de; Parisse, Sandrine; Bozonnat, Cedric; Liger, Davy; Molinie, Lea; Jarrige, Leonard; Mery, Yoann; Charrier, Virginie; Ait Amar, Samy

    2018-02-01

    This study aimed at assessing direct and indirect contributions of agriculture to renewable energy production in France from now until 2023, 2030 and 2050. It notably aims at a better knowledge of the economic contribution of renewable energies for the agriculture sector, and of the contribution of this sector to energy transition for the country. Technical, economic and environmental benefits and drawbacks of each renewable energy have been studied in order to identify levers and brakes for the development of renewable energies in this sector. A first part proposes methods of assessment and results for the contribution to renewable energy production. The second part reports an economic analysis of the impact of renewable energies on the agriculture sector. The third part evokes the diversity of business models in relationship with exploitation type. The next part reports a prospective study, while the last one reports main lessons already learned through the deployment of renewable energies in agriculture

  15. Variance components models for physical activity with age as modifier: a comparative twin study in seven countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vink, Jacqueline M; Boomsma, Dorret I; Medland, Sarah E

    2011-01-01

    -reported data from twins aged 19 to 50 from seven countries that collaborated in the GenomEUtwin project: Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom. Results confirmed the importance of genetic influences on physical activity in all countries and showed an age-related decrease......Physical activity is influenced by genetic factors whose expression may change with age. We employed an extension to the classical twin model that allows a modifier variable, age, to interact with the effects of the latent genetic and environmental factors. The model was applied to self...... into account when exploring the genetic and environmental contribution to physical activity. It also suggests that the power of genome-wide association studies to identify the genetic variants contributing to physical activity may be larger in young adult cohorts....

  16. Participation and integration from the perspective of persons with spinal cord injury from five European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruoranen, Kaisa; Post, Marcel W M; Juvalta, Sibylle; Reinhardt, Jan D

    2015-03-01

    To examine the subjective understanding of participation and integration of persons with spinal cord injuries from 5 European countries and to compare these findings with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)'s conceptualization of participation. Semi-structured interviews with 54 persons with acquired spinal cord injuries and 3 with spina bifida from 5 countries were examined using qualitative content analysis. Integration was most often associated with social acceptance and, furthermore, with ordinary performance, equality and freedom of choice. Participation was most often described as ordinary performance, with less emphasis on social acceptance and equality. However, participation and integration overlapped in people's narratives and were difficult to separate. The perception of participation and integration was largely similar across countries. In contrast to others, however, Finnish interviewees were more likely to associate participation with contributing to society. A variety of life domains was identified, of which recreation and leisure, work life, sports and going out were the most prevalent. While participation domains are well covered by the ICF, as is the notion of ordinary performance, interviewees also referred to a rights (e.g. acceptance) and duties (e.g. contribution) perspective.

  17. Are there any top FDI performers among EU-15 and CEE countries? A comparative panel data analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miroslav Mateev

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper examines the major determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI inflows in 26 European Union (EU countries using panel data. Our empirical study takes a different approach by separating European countries into two groups: Western (EU-15 countries and Central and Eastern European (CEE countries. The results from the panel data analysis of FDI inflows to 26 EU countries for the period 1994-2012 show that: (1 traditional location variables such as market size, trade openness, unemployment, infrastructure, tax rate and unit labour costs are able, to a large extent, to explain FDI flows to both groups of countries; (2 there are country-specific factors such as economic growth, unit labour costs and credit risk that contribute to the differences in FDI patterns across EU-15 and CEECs; and (3 policy and institutional quality factors are found to play an important role for both groups of countries. When analyzing host countries based on their relative level of performance, we find that the top ten FDI performers are able to attract a significant amount of FDI because of their macroeconomic stability and high level of institutional development, while for EU countries with low FDI dominance, policy and institutional risk factors play a more important role.

  18. Energy policies of IEA Countries. The Netherlands 1996 review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    As part of the IEA's on-going analysis of Member countries' energy policies, this review assess the Netherlands and offers recommendations taking account of major reforms announced by the Dutch Government in December 1995. The prominence of environmental objectives in Dutch energy policy and the widespread use of voluntary long-term agreements with industry provide constructive lessons for other countries. Targets for energy efficiency and renewability are especially ambitious. Moreover, the Dutch Government has made an important contribution to environmental policy by striving for a combination of market liberalization and a sustainable energy economy. The review recommends that market reforms be further developed, if necessary in the context of developments in European energy market policy. Gas pricing and a tendency for over-capacity to develop in the electricity sector are particular areas of discussion in the report. The review also draws attention to potentially high economic costs which may arise form energy-environment policies and affect the competitiveness of Dutch industry. (author). 18 figs., 13 tabs

  19. The value of symbiotic nitrogen fixation by grain legumes in comparison to the cost of nitrogen fertilizer used in developing countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardarson, G.; Bunning, S.; Montanez, A.; Roy, R.; MacMillan, A.

    2001-01-01

    A great challenge lies in devising more sustainable farming systems without compromising food production levels and food security. Obviously, increasing productivity is necessary to accommodate growth in the global population. World wide, the environmental factors that most severely restrict plant growth are the availability of water and nitrogen. The challenges in developing countries are to find ways of meeting this additional nitrogen demand without concomitant degrading natural productivity. Widespread adoption of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) would contribute to this goal. BNF, together with adequate N management in the ecosystem, appears to be the most promising alternative to increasing the use of inorganic fertiliser nitrogen. BNF technologies represent economic, sustainable and environmentally friendly means of ensuring the nitrogen requirement of an agro-ecosystem. Here we investigate the value of BNF by grain legumes and compares it to the cost of nitrogen fertilizer used in developing countries. Our data show that major grain legumes fix approximately 11.1 million metric tons of nitrogen per annum in developing countries. If this N was supplied by inorganic fertiliser one would have to apply at least double that amount to achieve the same yields, and this would cost approximately 6.7 billion US dollars. As the eight major grain legumes grown in developing countries contribute 30 - 40% of the annual N requirement the contribution of BNF is of great economic and environmental importance. (author)

  20. Development of the human potential in Russian and foreign countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikhail Ivanovich Maslennikov

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available In the article, theoretical and methodical approaches to human development in Russia and foreign countries are analyzed. The contribution of the various countries to its formation and development is revealed. The indicators showing a level of development of human potential and components forming it in the creation of gross domestic product are analyzed. The alternative options of development of education, health care and science, expenses and benefit from their commercialization are revealed. The role of the state, federal regions and local authorities in management and development of health care, education, science during periods of crises, depressions and increases of economic activity is investigated. The interrelation of levels of development of the economy and human potential, with the levels and the population living conditions are revealed. The reasons of close attention of the governments of the developed countries to human development, and also the measures undertaken on minimization of interregional disproportions in its development become clear. Mechanisms and tools of development of health care, education, science in various regions of the world, a way of use of transfers, subsidies and grants on their development are investigated

  1. Does Context Matter? Literacy Disparities in Self-rated Health Using Evidence from 17 Developed Countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yeonjin

    2017-05-01

    The study examines whether adult literacy skills predict self-rated health status beyond educational credentials in 17 developed countries using a cross-national survey, the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The study uses linear regression models with country-level fixed effects to predict self-rated health to account the unobserved country-level heterogeneity. A total of 73,806 respondents aged 25 to 65 were included in the analysis. Although adult literacy is positively associated with better self-rated health in general, the strength of the relationship varies across nations. The literacy-related health inequalities are less severe in countries with the higher public share of health expenditures that may better address the needs of individuals with limited cognitive abilities. Curriculum standardization also contributes to reducing the literacy gradients in health by decreasing variations in skills obtained in school across individuals with different social origins. Overall, this study reveals that promoting equity in adult literacy skills is an important way to improve a population's health. Country-level differences in the strength of the relationship between literacy and self-rated health are systematically related to between-country differences in health financing and educational systems.

  2. CDM Country Guides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    Under the Integrated Capacity Strengthening for the Clean Development Mechanism (ICS-CDM) programme, IGES presents the CDM Country Guides, a series of manuals on CDM project development for Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. These guidebooks aim at facilitating CDM project developments in Asia by providing essential information to both project developers and potential investors. Chapter 1, Introduction, is a summary of issues that developers and investors in CDM projects should be aware of. Includes tips for readers to effectively use the guidebook to find specific information. Chapter 2, Country Profile, comprises a profile that provides a broad picture of the country, including social, economic, and political information, as well as an overview of the country's energy situation, which is important for project development and investment. Chapter 3, The CDM Project Cycle, gives an explanation of the general CDM project cycle, which includes identifying a project, issuance of carbon credits, requirements, and stakeholders for each process. Chapter 4, Possible CDM Projects in the Country, is an overview of the country's potential resources and sectoral or project type categories that hold potential for CDM projects. Chapter 5, Government Authorities, gives a comprehensive picture of the CDM-related institutional framework and its inter-organisational relationships. Chapter 6, CDM Project Approval Procedures and Requirements Steps, informs about obtaining project approval and its requirements (e.g., country-specific provisions on additionality, sustainable development criteria, and environmental impact assessment) in the host country. Chapter 7, Laws and Regulations, is an overview of basic investment-related laws, environmental and property law, and sector-specific regulations relevant to CDM project activities. Chapter 8, Fiscal and Financing Issues, gives practical information on the financial market in the host country (both

  3. Productivity in physical and chemical science predicts the future economic growth of developing countries better than other popular indices.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klaus Jaffe

    Full Text Available Scientific productivity of middle income countries correlates stronger with present and future wealth than indices reflecting its financial, social, economic or technological sophistication. We identify the contribution of the relative productivity of different scientific disciplines in predicting the future economic growth of a nation. Results show that rich and poor countries differ in the relative proportion of their scientific output in the different disciplines: countries with higher relative productivity in basic sciences such as physics and chemistry had the highest economic growth in the following five years compared to countries with a higher relative productivity in applied sciences such as medicine and pharmacy. Results suggest that the economies of middle income countries that focus their academic efforts in selected areas of applied knowledge grow slower than countries which invest in general basic sciences.

  4. The role of micro health insurance in providing financial risk protection in developing countries--a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habib, Shifa Salman; Perveen, Shagufta; Khuwaja, Hussain Maqbool Ahmed

    2016-03-22

    Out of pocket payments are the predominant method of financing healthcare in many developing countries, which can result in impoverishment and financial catastrophe for those affected. In 2010, WHO estimated that approximately 100 million people are pushed below the poverty line each year by payments for healthcare. Micro health insurance (MHI) has been used in some countries as means of risk pooling and reducing out of pocket health expenditure. A systematic review was conducted to assess the extent to which MHI has contributed to providing financial risk protection to low-income households in developing countries, and suggest how the findings can be applied in the Pakistani setting. We conducted a systematic search for published literature using the search terms "Community based health insurance AND developing countries", "Micro health insurance AND developing countries", "Mutual health insurance AND developing countries", "mutual OR micro OR community based health insurance" "Health insurance AND impact AND poor" "Health insurance AND financial protection" and "mutual health organizations" on three databases, Pubmed, Google Scholar and Science Direct (Elsevier). Only those records that were published in the last ten years, in English language with their full texts available free of cost, were considered for inclusion in this review. Hand searching was carried out on the reference lists of the retrieved articles and webpages of international organizations like World Bank, World Health Organization and International Labour Organization. Twenty-three articles were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review (14 from Asia and 9 from Africa). Our analysis shows that MHI, in the majority of cases, has been found to contribute to the financial protection of its beneficiaries, by reducing out of pocket health expenditure, catastrophic health expenditure, total health expenditure, household borrowings and poverty. MHI also had a positive safeguarding effect on

  5. More Health Expenditure, Better Economic Performance? Empirical Evidence From OECD Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fuhmei Wang PhD

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Recent economic downturns have led many countries to reduce health spending dramatically, with the World Health Organization raising concerns over the effects of this, in particular among the poor and vulnerable. With the provision of appropriate health care, the population of a country could have better health, thus strengthening the nation’s human capital, which could contribute to economic growth through improved productivity. How much should countries spend on health care? This study aims to estimate the optimal health care expenditure in a growing economy. Applying the experiences of countries from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD over the period 1990 to 2009, this research introduces the method of system generalized method of moments (GMM to derive the design of the estimators of the focal variables. Empirical evidence indicates that when the ratio of health spending to gross domestic product (GDP is less than the optimal level of 7.55%, increases in health spending effectively lead to better economic performance. Above this, more spending does not equate to better care. The real level of health spending in OECD countries is 5.48% of GDP, with a 1.87% economic growth rate. The question which is posed by this study is a pertinent one, especially in the current context of financially constrained health systems around the world. The analytical results of this work will allow policymakers to better allocate scarce resources to achieve their macroeconomic goals.

  6. More Health Expenditure, Better Economic Performance? Empirical Evidence From OECD Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fuhmei

    2015-01-01

    Recent economic downturns have led many countries to reduce health spending dramatically, with the World Health Organization raising concerns over the effects of this, in particular among the poor and vulnerable. With the provision of appropriate health care, the population of a country could have better health, thus strengthening the nation’s human capital, which could contribute to economic growth through improved productivity. How much should countries spend on health care? This study aims to estimate the optimal health care expenditure in a growing economy. Applying the experiences of countries from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) over the period 1990 to 2009, this research introduces the method of system generalized method of moments (GMM) to derive the design of the estimators of the focal variables. Empirical evidence indicates that when the ratio of health spending to gross domestic product (GDP) is less than the optimal level of 7.55%, increases in health spending effectively lead to better economic performance. Above this, more spending does not equate to better care. The real level of health spending in OECD countries is 5.48% of GDP, with a 1.87% economic growth rate. The question which is posed by this study is a pertinent one, especially in the current context of financially constrained health systems around the world. The analytical results of this work will allow policymakers to better allocate scarce resources to achieve their macroeconomic goals. PMID:26310501

  7. Computing atmospheric transport and deposition of heavy metals over Europe: country budgets for 1985

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartnicki, J.

    1996-01-01

    The Heavy Metal Eulerian Transport (HMET) model has been used to calculate the exchange of As, Cd, Pb and Zn between European countries in 1985. The model was run separately for each emitter country and the computed deposition field used to calculate the contribution of the emitter to each receptor country. The results of these computations are presented in the form of a country budget matrix for each metal. Accuracy of such computations depends on the size and linearity of the numerical method applied to the transport equation. Exchange of heavy metals due to atmospheric transport over Europe is significant. 30% to 90% of the heavy metals emitted from each country is deposited in other countries. The remaining mass is deposited in European seas, Atlantic Ocean and transported outside the model domain. The largest part of the emission from each country is deposited in the same country. The next largest fraction is transported to the nearest neighbours. A significant long range transport of heavy metals is to the Soviet Union. This is partly justified by the size and location of this receptor country, as well as the prevailing meteorological conditions in Europe. However, this large transport to USSR is slightly overestimated due to some artificial properties of the numerical method applied to basic model equations. Export versus import and emission versus deposition of metals were analyzed for each country. The largest positive difference between export and import was found for Poland, Germany and Yugoslavia (As, Cd and Zn), and United Kingdom, Italy and Belgium (Pb). The Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia are the countries where import of all metals is significantly larger than export. The Soviet Union has much higher emissions than deposition of all metals compared to other European countries. 38 refs., 5 figs., 13 tabs

  8. You Can Help Your Country: English Children's Work during the Second World War

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayall, Berry; Morrow, Virginia

    2011-01-01

    Using a rich collection of archives, school histories, photographs and memoirs, this book charts and discusses the contributions English children made to the war effort during World War II. As men and women were increasingly called up for war work, as the country needed to grow as much food as possible, and as the war effort required ever…

  9. Supermarket purchase contributes to nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in urban Kenya

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klasen, Stephan; Nzuma, Jonathan M.; Qaim, Matin

    2017-01-01

    Background While undernutrition and related infectious diseases are still pervasive in many developing countries, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD), typically associated with high body mass index (BMI), is rapidly rising. The fast spread of supermarkets and related shifts in diets were identified as possible factors contributing to overweight and obesity in developing countries. Potential effects of supermarkets on people’s health have not been analyzed up till now. Objective This study investigates the effects of purchasing food in supermarkets on people’s BMI, as well as on health indicators such as fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure (BP), and the metabolic syndrome. Design This study uses cross-section observational data from urban Kenya. Demographic, anthropometric, and bio-medical data were collected from 550 randomly selected adults. Purchasing food in supermarkets is defined as a binary variable that takes a value of one if any food was purchased in supermarkets during the last 30 days. In a robustness check, the share of food purchased in supermarkets is defined as a continuous variable. Instrumental variable regressions are applied to control for confounding factors and establish causality. Results Purchasing food in supermarkets contributes to higher BMI (+ 1.8 kg/m2) (Psupermarkets also contributes to higher levels of FBG (+ 0.3 mmol/L) (PSupermarkets and their food sales strategies seem to have direct effects on people’s health. In addition to increasing overweight and obesity, supermarkets contribute to nutrition-related NCDs. Effects of supermarkets on nutrition and health can mainly be ascribed to changes in the composition of people’s food choices. PMID:28934333

  10. The role and contributions of IMGs: a U.S. perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Jordan J

    2006-12-01

    At 25% of the nation's physician workforce, international medical graduates (IMGs) contribute significantly to the U.S. health care system. Beyond their sheer numbers, however, IMGs have played critically important roles, both in aggregate and as individuals. By choosing to pursue specialties less attractive to U.S. medical graduates, IMGs have filled important gaps that otherwise would have seriously compromised the effectiveness of the U.S. health care system. Moreover, individual IMGs have made notable contributions to the improvement of clinical practice, to biomedical and health services research, and to medical education. The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), through its certification process, has enabled the best and the brightest medical students from other nations to train in the United States and can take justifiable pride in the undeniably positive impact IMGs have had on U.S. health care. It is imperative to note, however, that while the United States and other developing nations have benefited enormously from this "medical migration," there is considerable concern about the damaging effects on many countries in the developing world. Among the options to consider in offsetting the negative consequences of this so-called brain drain is working to improve the medical education available to aspiring physicians in "donor" countries. In facilitating such a process, the ECFMG and its partner, the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research, have the opportunity to amplify their contributions significantly by building on their established programs of international assistance in improving medical education.

  11. Pension Reforms in Countries with Developed and Transitional Economies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergey Anatolyevich Belozyorov

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The subject matter of the research is as follows: pension reforms conducted by some states define the transformation of pension systems. The choice of countries is stipulated by the fact that each of them has different types of pension systems and preconditions for reforms. The purpose is to develop an approach that allows comparing and evaluating changes in disparate systems. The hypothesis is that the ongoing pension reforms, regardless of initial conditions and their type lead to a similar trajectory of pension systems development in all countries. The methodology rests on the comparative analysis that was carried out on the basis of a single algorithm that allows to determine significant modifiable parameters and the overall direction of reform. The novelty is that the authors research the ongoing pension reform from the viewpoint of pension rights formation and distribution of risks. The results are a single trajectory of reforms implementation for the studied countries, which confirms the authors’ hypothesis. The specific features of the Russian pension system do not affect the reform trajectory, which is similar to all countries. The conclusions are the following: the reducing pressure on pension system requires increasing revenues and limiting the number of potential participants. This is achieved by expanding sources of financing, increasing the dependence of pension on an employee’s contributions, transferring the risks of old age into the individual level, and employment motivation during the retirement period. The principle of the intergenerational solidarity loses its value. The obtained results can be used for the pension reform modification in the Russian Federation, the development of voluntary pension insurance based on the experience of other countries and risks faced by the modern Russian pension system.

  12. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES AND FDI IMPACT IN HOST COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zaman Gheorghe

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available This survey analyses aspects of the relationship between FDI and sustainable development within the Romanian economy, focusing in particular on volume, dynamics and structure of FDI companies in Romania, impact on imports and exports as well as ratio between repatriated profit and profit reinvested in the host country. A series of proposals have been made for increasing the contribution of FDI in the sustainable development of Romania by attracting FDI in particular to the tradable sector and for increasing the favourable propagation effects to Romanian companies.

  13. Ecosystem Services and Forest Management in the Nordic Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Filyushkina, Anna

    The main objective of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the impacts of forest management on provision of non-market ecosystem services and identify trade-offs and synergies for forestry decision-making in the Nordic countries. First, existing scientific literature on assessments...... judgment method (the Delphi technique) was applied to preservation of biodiversity and habitat in the boreal zone. Results suggested that management intensity has a negative effect on the potential to preserve biodiversity and habitat. A wide range of estimates was provided by respondents for functional...

  14. Is Tourism Development a Sustainable Economic Growth Strategy in the Long Run? Evidence from GCC Countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdulkarim K. Alhowaish

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this study is to investigate the causal relationship between tourism development and economic growth in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC countries in a multivariate model, using panel data for the period 1995–2012. The study adopts a panel Granger causality analysis approach to assess the contribution of tourism to economic growth in GCC countries as a whole, and in each individual country. In the case of GCC countries as a whole, the results show a one-way Granger causality, from economic growth to tourism growth. Furthermore, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates follow the path of economy-driven tourism growth, as hypothesized. The reverse hypothesis (i.e., tourism-led growth hypothesis holds true for Bahrain, while there is no causal relationship between tourism and economic growth in the case of Oman.

  15. Agricultural support measures of advanced countries and food insecurity in developing countries

    OpenAIRE

    Herrmann, Michael

    2006-01-01

    Many developing nations, especially the least developed countries, are subjected to recurrent spells of food insecurity. In order to understand food insecurity in these countries it is necessary to consider not only immediate or trigger-causes of food crises, but also its underlying or systemic causes. This paper argues that the agricultural support measures of advanced countries may act as a systemic cause for food insecurity in developing countries. While the import of subsidized foods by d...

  16. Factors Contributing to Maternal and Child Mortality Reductions in 146 Low- and Middle-Income Countries between 1990 and 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishai, David M; Cohen, Robert; Alfonso, Y Natalia; Adam, Taghreed; Kuruvilla, Shyama; Schweitzer, Julian

    2016-01-01

    From 1990-2010, worldwide child mortality declined by 43%, and maternal mortality declined by 40%. This paper compares two sources of progress: improvements in societal coverage of health determinants versus improvements in the impact of health determinants as a result of technical change. This paper decomposes the progress made by 146 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in lowering childhood and maternal mortality into one component due to better health determinants like literacy, income, and health coverage and a second component due to changes in the impact of these health determinants. Health determinants were selected from eight distinct health-impacting sectors. Health determinants were selected from eight distinct health-impacting sectors. Regression models are used to estimate impact size in 1990 and again in 2010. Changes in the levels of health determinants were measured using secondary data. The model shows that respectively 100% and 89% of the reductions in maternal and child mortality since 1990 were due to improvements in nationwide coverage of health determinants. The relative share of overall improvement attributable to any single determinant varies by country and by model specification. However, in aggregate, approximately 50% of the mortality reductions were due to improvements in the health sector, and the other 50% of the mortality reductions were due to gains outside the health sector. Overall, countries improved maternal and child health (MCH) from 1990 to 2010 mainly through improvements in the societal coverage of a broad array of health system, social, economic and environmental determinants of child health. These findings vindicate efforts by the global community to obtain such improvements, and align with the post-2015 development agenda that builds on the lessons from the MDGs and highlights the importance of promoting health and sustainable development in a more integrated manner across sectors.

  17. Factors Contributing to Maternal and Child Mortality Reductions in 146 Low- and Middle-Income Countries between 1990 and 2010.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David M Bishai

    Full Text Available From 1990-2010, worldwide child mortality declined by 43%, and maternal mortality declined by 40%. This paper compares two sources of progress: improvements in societal coverage of health determinants versus improvements in the impact of health determinants as a result of technical change.This paper decomposes the progress made by 146 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs in lowering childhood and maternal mortality into one component due to better health determinants like literacy, income, and health coverage and a second component due to changes in the impact of these health determinants. Health determinants were selected from eight distinct health-impacting sectors. Health determinants were selected from eight distinct health-impacting sectors. Regression models are used to estimate impact size in 1990 and again in 2010. Changes in the levels of health determinants were measured using secondary data.The model shows that respectively 100% and 89% of the reductions in maternal and child mortality since 1990 were due to improvements in nationwide coverage of health determinants. The relative share of overall improvement attributable to any single determinant varies by country and by model specification. However, in aggregate, approximately 50% of the mortality reductions were due to improvements in the health sector, and the other 50% of the mortality reductions were due to gains outside the health sector.Overall, countries improved maternal and child health (MCH from 1990 to 2010 mainly through improvements in the societal coverage of a broad array of health system, social, economic and environmental determinants of child health. These findings vindicate efforts by the global community to obtain such improvements, and align with the post-2015 development agenda that builds on the lessons from the MDGs and highlights the importance of promoting health and sustainable development in a more integrated manner across sectors.

  18. Global digital divide: determinants of cross-country ICT development with special reference to Southeast Asia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Debbra Toria Nipo

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Information and communication technology (ICT tools are regarded as imperative not only for enabling the economy to grow at a healthy rate, but also for elevating the socioeconomic conditions and standards of the society. In concurrence with the widespread diffusion of ICT, lies the phenomenon called digital divide – a complex issue pertaining to unequal access, use and applications of ICT among countries and peoples. This paper attempts to measure the contribution of conventional factors such as affordability, infrastructure, trade openness and urbanization, with added emphasis on the role of financial development in explaining cross-country development of ICT among Southeast Asian countries. Using panel data for 4 countries for the period 1994 – 2011, findings of this study revealed that GDP is the most significant determinant in explaining digital divide – consistent with findings from previous research efforts. Financial development also appear significant in most models adopted in all three ICT tools, implying the need for these countries to improve their financial markets to avoid falling further behind in promoting a digitally inclusive society.

  19. WWF Climate Scorecards. Comparison of the climate performance of the G8 countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoehne, N.; Wartmann, S.; Graus, W.

    2005-07-01

    Climate change is a serious and urgent threat to global society. It adds stress to unique and already threatened ecosystems, increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as storms and droughts, and adds stress to agriculture and food production. In addition, glaciers are melting around the world as is the Arctic, contributing to sea level rise. Climate change also increases the risk of large-scale singular events such as the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the shutdown of the thermohaline circulation. The level at which climate change becomes 'dangerous' depends on the values attached to the threatened systems. Several countries, most prominently the EU, but also e.g. the Philippines and Micronesia, have agreed that global average temperature increase in comparison to pre-industrial levels should be kept below 2C. As a consequence, global greenhouse gas emissions will have to peak in the next decade or two and then decline to a fraction of current levels. Leaving some room for growth for developing countries, industrialized countries need to decrease their emission by the order of 80% by the year 2050. This is a major challenge, as current trends are going in the opposite direction with high emissions in developed countries and growing emissions in most developing countries. Individual countries have reacted differently to this challenge. Each country is unique in its starting position, including the economic activities that result in greenhouse gas emissions, its level of development, industrial structure, availability of natural resources and public perceptions. Since the problem was recognized internationally (1992 with the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), governments and the public have reacted differently, also depending on national circumstances. These climate scorecards provide a comparable snapshot of the current situation across the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy

  20. WWF Climate Scorecards. Comparison of the climate performance of the G8 countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoehne, N.; Wartmann, S.; Graus, W. [Ecofys GmbH, Koeln (Germany)

    2005-07-01

    Climate change is a serious and urgent threat to global society. It adds stress to unique and already threatened ecosystems, increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as storms and droughts, and adds stress to agriculture and food production. In addition, glaciers are melting around the world as is the Arctic, contributing to sea level rise. Climate change also increases the risk of large-scale singular events such as the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the shutdown of the thermohaline circulation. The level at which climate change becomes 'dangerous' depends on the values attached to the threatened systems. Several countries, most prominently the EU, but also e.g. the Philippines and Micronesia, have agreed that global average temperature increase in comparison to pre-industrial levels should be kept below 2C. As a consequence, global greenhouse gas emissions will have to peak in the next decade or two and then decline to a fraction of current levels. Leaving some room for growth for developing countries, industrialized countries need to decrease their emission by the order of 80% by the year 2050. This is a major challenge, as current trends are going in the opposite direction with high emissions in developed countries and growing emissions in most developing countries. Individual countries have reacted differently to this challenge. Each country is unique in its starting position, including the economic activities that result in greenhouse gas emissions, its level of development, industrial structure, availability of natural resources and public perceptions. Since the problem was recognized internationally (1992 with the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), governments and the public have reacted differently, also depending on national circumstances. These climate scorecards provide a comparable snapshot of the current situation across the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany

  1. Price comparison of high-cost originator medicines in European countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogler, Sabine; Zimmermann, Nina; Babar, Zaheer-Ud-Din

    2017-04-01

    In recent years, high-cost medicines have increasingly been challenging the public health budget in all countries including high-income economies. In this context, this study aims to survey, analyze and compare prices of medicines that likely contribute to high expenditure for the public payers in high-income countries. We chose the following 16 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Slovakia, Spain and United Kingdom. The ex-factory price data of 30 medicines in these countries were collected in national databases accessible through the Pharmaceutical Price Information (PPI) service of Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (Austrian Public Health Institute). The ex-factory prices (median) per unit (e.g. per tablet, vial) ranged from 10.67 cent (levodopa + decarboxylase inhibitor) to 17,000 euro (ipilimumab). A total of 53% of the medicines surveyed had a unit ex-factory price (median) above 200 Euro. For two thirds of the medicines, price differences between the highest-priced country and lowest-priced country ranged between 25 and 100%; the remaining medicines, mainly low-priced medicines, had higher price differential, up to 251%. Medicines with unit prices of a few euros or less were medicines for the treatment of diseases in the nervous system (anti-depressants, medicines to treat Parkinson and for the management of neuropathic pain), of obstructive airway diseases and cardio-vascular medicines (lipid modifying agents). High-priced medicines were particularly cancer medicines. Medicine prices of Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and UK were frequently at the lower end, German and Swedish, as well as Danish and Irish prices at the upper end. For high-priced medicines, actual paid prices are likely to be lower due to confidential discounts and similar funding arrangements between industry and public payers. Pricing authorities refer to the higher undiscounted prices when they use

  2. Potential emissions reduction in road transport sector using biofuel in developing countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liaquat, A. M.; Kalam, M. A.; Masjuki, H. H.; Jayed, M. H.

    2010-10-01

    Use of biofuels as transport fuel has high prospect in developing countries as most of them are facing severe energy insecurity and have strong agricultural sector to support production of biofuels from energy crops. Rapid urbanization and economic growth of developing countries have spurred air pollution especially in road transport sector. The increasing demand of petroleum based fuels and their combustion in internal combustion (IC) engines have adverse effect on air quality, human health and global warming. Air pollution causes respiratory problems, adverse effects on pulmonary function, leading to increased sickness absenteeism and induces high health care service costs, premature birth and even mortality. Production of biofuels promises substantial improvement in air quality through reducing emission from biofuel operated automotives. Some of the developing countries have started biofuel production and utilization as transport fuel in local market. This paper critically reviews the facts and prospects of biofuel production and utilization in developing countries to reduce environmental pollution and petro dependency. Expansion of biofuel industries in developing countries can create more jobs and increase productivity by non-crop marginal lands and wastelands for energy crops plantation. Contribution of India and China in biofuel industry in production and utilization can dramatically change worldwide biofuel market and leap forward in carbon cut as their automotive market is rapidly increasing with a souring proportional rise of GHG emissions.

  3. Supermarket purchase contributes to nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in urban Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demmler, Kathrin M; Klasen, Stephan; Nzuma, Jonathan M; Qaim, Matin

    2017-01-01

    While undernutrition and related infectious diseases are still pervasive in many developing countries, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD), typically associated with high body mass index (BMI), is rapidly rising. The fast spread of supermarkets and related shifts in diets were identified as possible factors contributing to overweight and obesity in developing countries. Potential effects of supermarkets on people's health have not been analyzed up till now. This study investigates the effects of purchasing food in supermarkets on people's BMI, as well as on health indicators such as fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure (BP), and the metabolic syndrome. This study uses cross-section observational data from urban Kenya. Demographic, anthropometric, and bio-medical data were collected from 550 randomly selected adults. Purchasing food in supermarkets is defined as a binary variable that takes a value of one if any food was purchased in supermarkets during the last 30 days. In a robustness check, the share of food purchased in supermarkets is defined as a continuous variable. Instrumental variable regressions are applied to control for confounding factors and establish causality. Purchasing food in supermarkets contributes to higher BMI (+ 1.8 kg/m2) (Pobese (Pobesity, supermarkets contribute to nutrition-related NCDs. Effects of supermarkets on nutrition and health can mainly be ascribed to changes in the composition of people's food choices.

  4. Oil price shocks and stock markets in the U.S. and 13 European countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jungwook; Ratti, Ronald A.

    2008-01-01

    Oil price shocks have a statistically significant impact on real stock returns contemporaneously and/or within the following month in the U.S. and 13 European countries over 1986:1-2005:12. Norway as an oil exporter shows a statistically significantly positive response of real stock returns to an oil price increase. The median result from variance decomposition analysis is that oil price shocks account for a statistically significant 6% of the volatility in real stock returns. For many European countries, but not for the U.S., increased volatility of oil prices significantly depresses real stock returns. The contribution of oil price shocks to variability in real stock returns in the U.S. and most other countries is greater than that of interest rate. An increase in real oil price is associated with a significant increase in the short-term interest rate in the U.S. and eight out of 13 European countries within one or two months. Counter to findings for the U.S. and for Norway, there is little evidence of asymmetric effects on real stock returns of positive and negative oil price shocks for oil importing European countries. (author)

  5. Our Energy For The Country Project Started Our Via Bona

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon

    2014-01-01

    Slovenske Elektrarne received the main Via Bona award for its complex and extraordinary approach to responsible business. Non-profit fund Pontis has been granting this award since 1998 to companies voluntarily contributing to the mitigation of negative trends and the improvement of positive business aspects beyond legislative requirements. We won with our Energy for the Country programme. The award was given to Paolo Ruzzini, SE CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors by Andrej Kiska, the new Slovak President.

  6. THE CURRENT STATE OF CLOTHING TRADE IN THE BALKAN COUNTRIES

    OpenAIRE

    TRIPA Simona; CUC Sunhilde; YALDIZ Suleyman

    2017-01-01

    The study presented here is aimed at analysing the current state of clothing trade in the Balkan states. The dynamics of change over a 15‐year period following economic reforms are revealed. The clothing industries play a significant role and continue to contribute to the economic prosperity of countries with an inexpensive labour force. For most Balkan States clothing’s export plays an important role in promoting economic growth and development – for example, exports of garments Albania was ...

  7. Preliminary studies on a plasma focus opening switch

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong, C S; Moo, S P; Singh, J P [Univ. of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Physics Dept., Plasma Research Laboratory; Choi, P [Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France). Laboratoire de Physique des Milieux Ionises

    1997-12-31

    The small plasma focus device UNU/ICTP PFF has been modified to assess the operation of a plasma focus based long conduction (> 2 {mu}s) opening switch, with a plasma filled diode as the load. The UNU/ICTP PFF is a Mather type plasma focus device powered by a single 15 kV, 30 {mu}F capacitor delivering a peak current of 150 kA when discharged at 15 kV. The device has been optimized for reproducible focusing in various gases including deuterium, argon, carbon dioxide, helium as well as in air. In particular, the optimum operating pressure for air is between 0.5 to 1.1 mbar, whereas for argon it is between 0.3 to 3 mbar. For the operation of the UNU/ICTP PFF as an opening switch, the electrode geometry is modified to redirect the plasma motion at the end of the axial rundown phase to avoid the normal plasma focus action, and the operating regime is shifted to low pressure to favour plasma opening switch action. With air as the working gas, pressure as low as 10{sup -3} mbar was tested. At such a low pressure, a set of 12 plasma injection cable guns is used to initiate breakdown of the discharge. The design and operating principle is presented and some preliminary results obtained on the operational characteristics of this device are discussed. (author). 5 figs., 4 refs.

  8. Proceedings of the IRI Task Force Activity 2001

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radicella, S.M.

    2002-08-01

    This ICTP Internal Report contains the list of papers presented, activity report and the write up of a number of presentations delivered during the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) Task Force Activity 2001 which took place at the Abdus Salam ICTP during May 2001, particularly centred in the week from 21-25 May. The 2001 Task Force Activity is the eighth successful encounter of specialists organized by the URSI-Cospar IRI Working Group and the Aeronomy and Radiopropagation Laboratory of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics of Trieste, Italy. This project continues the IRI Task Force Activities at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. The primary focus of this activity was the development of a specification model for ionospheric variability. Such a model is high on the wish list of users of ionospheric models. Climatological models like IRI provide monthly mean values of ionospheric parameters. Understandably a satellite designer or operator needs to know not only the monthly average conditions but also the expected deviations from these mean values. The main discussions and presentations took place during the week 21-25 May. The format was similar to last year's activity with presentations and round-table discussions in the morning and follow-on work in small subgroups in front of computer terminals in the afternoon. This Proceedings contains also four papers of the previous IRI Task Force Activity which were omitted

  9. Whistleblowing in the financial industry: The right means to curb illicit flows from developing countries?

    OpenAIRE

    Ledergerber, Zora; Fontana, Alessandra

    2011-01-01

    Information provided by insiders can contribute to the goal of reducing illicit capital flight from developing countries. It helps address one of the most difficult aspects in investigating such flows (the secrecy of the banking industry) and makes accepting illicit money a riskier endeavour for banks.

  10. People and things. CERN Courier, Oct 1995, v. 35(7)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1995-01-01

    The article reports on achievements of various people, staff changes and position opportunities within the CERN organization and contains news updates on upcoming or past events: Gentner-Kastler Prize: T he prestigious Gentner-Kastler Prize, jointly awarded by the French and German Physical Societies, goes this year to Walter Schmidt-Parzefall of DESY, formerly leader of the Argus group at the DORIS electron-positron collider at the DESY Laboratory Hamburg, which has made many significant contributions to heavy quark spectroscopy. Subsequently he joined Hamburg University, and has recently played a prominent role in establishing the HERA-B experiment at DESY's HERA electron-proton collider. Before working at DESY, Schmidt-Parzefall spent some time at CERN's Intersecting Storage Rings.; Thirty ISR years: A discreet lunch event at CERN marked the 30th anniversary of the historic decision to go ahead with the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR) at CERN. Among those present were Victor Weisskopf, CERN's Director General at the time, and Mervyn Hine, responsible for CERN's longterm planning under Weisskopf. The ISR, the world's first proton collider, came into operation in 1971, ahead of schedule, but was shut down in 1984, also ahead of schedule, as part of the bid to divert funds to LEP construction. The ISR, which used the idea of particle stacking to build up the stored beam intensity, was long regarded as a masterpiece of accelerator building, and blazed a trail for CERN's future accelerator projects. Many CERN specialists cut their accelerator teeth at the ISR.; ICTP Dirac Medal: The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, is awarding its 1995 Dirac Medal to Michael Berry of Bristol for his discovery of the non-integrable phase that arises in adiabatic processes in quantum theory. This effect was first detected in 1986 in an optics experiment by Tomita and Chiao in which the rotation of the polarization plane of a

  11. China's Contribution to Anesthesiology Research: A 10-Year Survey of the Literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Guohao; Zhang, Kai; Wood, Chris; Hoeft, Andreas; Liu, Jin; Fang, Xiangming

    2016-05-01

    Anesthesiology has advanced in China over the past decade. We compared the trends in publication of anesthesiology articles from China between 2005 and 2014 with the trends in 5 developed countries. We included all journals listed in the ''Anesthesiology'' category of Journal Citation Reports. Anesthesiology-related publications from 2005 to 2014 were retrieved from the PubMed and Web of Knowledge online databases. The total number of articles, publication type categories, number of citations, and citation rate (number of citations/years since publication) were analyzed. The sample size was the n = 10 years for all confidence intervals and P values. We additionally evaluated the total number of articles published in the 10 top-ranking journals. From 2005 to 2014, 41,344 articles were published in anesthesiology journals. Of these, 3.07% were contributed by authors from Chinese institutions. Although this contribution was less than the Unites States, Great Britain, Germany, France, or Japan, publications from Chinese institutions grew at an annual rate of 13% (95% confidence interval: 3.08%-23.38%, P United States (2.71, P = 0.545), Great Britain (2.57, P = 0.999), Germany (2.35, P = 0.999), France (1.50, P = 0.520), and Japan (1.24, P = 0.065). In the 10 highest impact anesthesiology journals, China published 780 articles during the decade. The 3 journals with the most publications from Chinese institutions were Anesthesia & Analgesia, Anesthesiology, and Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. In the studied decade, anesthesiology research published by Chinese institutions lagged behind publications from developed countries. There was a steady increase in the number of articles every year, resulting in recent rates of publication similar to several developed countries. The citation rate of articles from Chinese institutions was similar to the citation rate of articles from developed countries, indicating that the quality of articles from China in these journals is

  12. The contribution of HRD to tourism-led development in an African context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YH Tecle

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The development potential of tourism is widely recognised, and its promotion has been embraced by many developing countries. While many African countries are among these, in most, tourism’s potential remains underexploited. Africa’s share of the global market remains low despite the region’s advantages. Interlinked reasons for this commonly include poor service standards and a shortage of suitably skilled labour in the sector. Because human interaction forms a crucial component of any destination’s tourism product, a country can enhance the economic contribution of tourism through the development of the people employed (or employable in the industry, i.e. human resource development (HRD. This study uses concepts from management studies and economics to explore the links between tourism, economic development, and HRD, and highlights the role that tourism HRD can play in tourism-led development in an African context.

  13. Fourth Latin-American workshop on plasma physics. Contributed papers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    The main goal of this series of Workshops is to provide a periodic meeting place for Latin-American researchers in plasma physics together with colleagues from other countries around the world. This volume includes the contributed papers presented at the Workshop on Plasma Physics held in Buenos Aires in 1990. The scope of the Workshop can be synthesized in the following main subjects: Tokamak experiments and theory; alternative confinement systems and basic experiments; technology and applications; general theory; astrophysical and space plasmas

  14. Sequential analysis of biochemical markers of bone resorption and bone densitometry in multiple myeloma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abildgaard, Niels; Brixen, K; Eriksen, E.F

    2004-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bone lesions often occur in multiple myeloma (MM), but no tests have proven useful in identifying patients with increased risk. Bone marker assays and bone densitometry are non-invasive methods that can be used repeatedly at low cost. This study was performed to evaluate...... 6 weeks, DEXA-scans performed every 3 months, and skeletal radiographs were done every 6 months as well as when indicated. RESULTS: Serum ICTP and urinary NTx were predictive of progressive bone events. Markers of bone formation, bone mineral density assessments, and M component measurements were...... changes, and our data do not support routine use of sequential DEXA-scans. However, lumbar DEXA-scans at diagnosis can identify patients with increased risk of early vertebral collapses. Sequential analyses of serum ICTP and urinary NTx are useful for monitoring bone damage....

  15. Large amplitude waves and fields in plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Angelis, U. de; Naples Univ.

    1990-02-01

    In this review, based mostly on the results of the recent workshop on ''Large Amplitude Waves and Fields in Plasmas'' held at ICTP (Trieste, Italy) in May 1989 during the Spring College on Plasma Physics, I will mostly concentrate on underdense, cold, homogeneous plasmas, discussing some of the alternative (to fusion) uses of laser-plasma interaction. In Part I an outline of some basic non-linear processes is given, together with some recent experimental results. The processes are chosen because of their relevance to the applications or because new interesting developments have been reported at the ICTP workshop (or both). In Part II the excitation mechanisms and uses of large amplitude plasma waves are presented: these include phase-conjugation in plasmas, plasma based accelerators (beat-wave, plasma wake-field and laser wake-field), plasma lenses and plasma wigglers for Free Electron Lasers. (author)

  16. Applying market-based instruments to environmental policies in China and OECD countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    China's rapid economic growth since the late 1970s has been a remarkable achievement, and is projected to continue. However, this prospect could be compromised by pollution of air, water, and land, the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and the environmental impacts on public health. Air pollution associated with the use of coal for energy and industrial purposes is a particularly serious challenge in China, with important domestic and transboundary implications. This book presents papers from an international workshop co-sponsored by the OECD and China's National Environmental Protection Agency on the application of economic instruments to control air pollution in China and OECD countries. It presents the state-of-the-air in this field, based upon contributions from Chinese and OECD country policy makers and experts

  17. Popular Explanations of Poverty in Europe: Effects of Contextual and Individual Characteristics across 28 European Countries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lepianka, D.; Gelissen, J.; van Oorschot, W.

    2010-01-01

    In this contribution we describe and explain the differences in popular poverty attributions that exist within and between 28 European countries. On the basis of the existing literature we distinguish five predictors: awareness of the existence of poverty, personal experience of disadvantage,

  18. Transforming cold chain performance and management in lower-income countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brison, Mike; LeTallec, Yann

    2017-04-19

    In many countries, one of the common factors limiting full and equitable access to effective immunization is the existence of gaps in cold chain and logistics (CCL) systems. This article focuses on the critical contribution that better management of CCL performance can make in addressing these barriers, as well as some essential practices needed to achieve and sustain these gains. These include (i) an emphasis on continuous improvement in CCL performance indicators, (ii) strong coordination and accountability across multiple stakeholders, and (iii) making the most of limited financial resources. This article is informed by the Clinton Health Access Initiative's (CHAI's) experience working with National Immunization Programs (NIPs) and immunization partners to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of CCL systems (including CCE deployment and maintenance, temperature monitoring and control, stock management and distribution) across ten Gavi-supported "focus" countries. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  19. Malnutrition and vaccination in developing countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prendergast, Andrew J.

    2015-01-01

    Malnutrition contributes to an estimated 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age in developing countries, predominantly due to infections. Malnourished children therefore stand to benefit hugely from vaccination, but malnutrition has been described as the most common immunodeficiency globally, suggesting that they may not be able to respond effectively to vaccines. The immunology of malnutrition remains poorly characterized, but is associated with impairments in mucosal barrier integrity, and innate and adaptive immune dysfunction. Despite this, the majority of malnourished children can mount a protective immune response following vaccination, although the timing, quality and duration of responses may be impaired. This paper reviews the evidence for vaccine immunogenicity in malnourished children, discusses the importance of vaccination in prevention of malnutrition and highlights evidence gaps in our current knowledge. PMID:25964453

  20. Strengthening care for injured persons in less developed countries: a case study of Ghana and Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mock, Charles; Arreola-Risa, Carlos; Quansah, Robert

    2003-01-01

    In all countries, the priority for reducing road traffic injuries should be prevention. Nonetheless, there are low-cost ways to strengthen the care of injured persons, that will help to lower the toll from road traffic. The purpose of this review was to elucidate ways to accomplish this goal in the context of less developed countries. Studies selected for this review were obtained by Medline review, selecting on key words such as trauma, injury, trauma care, essential health services, and developing country. Articles pertaining to any country and all available years were considered. In addition, the authors utilized articles from the gray literature and journals from Mexico and Ghana that are not Medline referenced. Studies surveyed point to road safety and other forms of injury prevention, as well as prehospital care, as likely priorities for developing countries. Nonetheless, hospital-based improvements can contribute to decreases in mortality and, especially, decreases in disability. For both prehospital and hospital based care, studies revealed several critical weak points to address in: (1) human resources (staffing and training); (2) physical resources (equipment, supplies, and infrastructure); and (3) administration and organization. The 'essential services' approach, which has contributed to progress in a variety of fields of international health, needs to be developed for the care of the injured. This would define the trauma treatment services that could realistically be made available to virtually every injured person. It would then address the inputs of human resources, physical resources, and administration necessary to assure these services optimally in the different geographic and socioeconomic environments worldwide. Finally, it would identify and target deficiencies in these inputs that need to be strengthened.

  1. [Deficient information in developing countries: Internet alone is no solution].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sluijs, M B; Veeken, H; Overbeke, A J P M

    2006-06-17

    Health-care personnel in developing countries have poor access to information, partly because the books are out of date and journals and Internet access are lacking, and partly because the information that is available is not appropriate for the local situation. There is too little research aimed at the problems of the Third World. This is due to a lack of interest in Western countries and because local scientists have done too little research. Internet solves the problem of access to information for health-care personnel in large hospitals and institutes, but there is still a shortage of relevant information for them as well. The editorial boards of professional journals could make a contribution by facilitating the publication of relevant research. Health-care personnel in rural areas will remain dependent upon basic books. This basic component of the provision of information should continue to receive attention. For the time being, Internet will remain inaccessible for rural health-care personnel. One of the initiatives being undertaken in order to improve the provision of information to health-care personnel in developing countries is the distribution of the 'blue trunk library' of the WHO with a selection of more than 100 basic books in every trunk. A number of journals have also taken action: the BMJ Publishing Group offers access to its journals free of charge to the 118 poorest countries and the Canadian Medical Association Journal provides free copies to libraries in developing countries. Moreover, a number ofwebsites have been started with a view to enlarging the information for health-care personnel in the Third World.

  2. What drives energy consumption in developing countries? The experience of selected African countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keho, Yaya

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates the drivers of energy consumption in Sub-Saharan African countries. It applies the bounds testing approach to cointegration to time series data at individual country levels over the period from 1970 to 2011. The study finds that energy consumption is cointegrated with real GDP per capita, industrial output, imports, foreign direct investment, credit to private sector, urbanization and population. Furthermore, the sign and magnitude of long-run estimates vary significantly for a single country and across countries depending on the energy consumption variable used. Overall, the findings confirm the leading role of economic growth, industrial output, population and urbanization. Economic growth, industrial output and population have positive effects on energy consumption in the majority of countries. Given the urgent need to address climate change, African countries should adopt policies to improve energy efficiency and accelerate transition toward renewable energy. The African Renewable Energy Initiative launched at the 21st session of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP21) is an opportunity for African countries to provide and maintain widespread access to reliable and affordable environmentally cleaner energy to meet the requirements of rapid economic growth and improved living standards. - Highlights: •Key drivers of energy use in 12 African countries are examined. •Economic growth, industrial GDP, population and urbanization play a leading role in explaining energy use. •Urbanization has a positive effect on energy use in six countries and a negative effect in four countries. •The results obtained have useful policy implications.

  3. Country Presentation Uganda

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oriada, R.; Byakagaba, A.; Kiza, M.; Magembe, M.

    2010-01-01

    Like Many African countries, Uganda is not Immune to the problem of illicit trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive materials. This has been worsened by the porosity of the Ugandan Borders. There is control on the few Entry points and much of the border line does not have adequate control on what enters and leaves the country. Uganda is also used as a transit route with the neighboring countries like Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya,Tanzania.

  4. Contribution of maternal age to preterm birth rates in Denmark and Quebec, 1981-2008

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Auger, Nathalie; Hansen, Anne V; Mortensen, Laust Hvas

    2013-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: We sought evidence to support the hypothesis that advancing maternal age is potentially causing a rise in preterm birth (PTB) rates in high-income countries. METHODS: We assessed maternal age-specific trends in PTB using all singleton live births in Denmark (n = 1 674 308) and Quebec (n...... = 2 291 253) from 1981 to 2008. We decomposed the country-specific contributions of age-specific PTB rates and maternal age distribution to overall PTB rates over time. RESULTS: PTB rates increased from 4.4% to 5.0% in Denmark and from 5.1% to 6.0% in Quebec. Rates increased the most in women aged 20...... to 29 years, whereas rates decreased or remained stable in women aged 35 years and older. The overall increase over time was driven by age-specific PTB rates, although the contribution of younger women was countered by fewer births at this age in both Denmark and Quebec. CONCLUSIONS: PTB rates increased...

  5. Early onset of significant local warming in low latitude countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahlstein, I; Knutti, R; Solomon, S; Portmann, R W

    2011-01-01

    The Earth is warming on average, and most of the global warming of the past half-century can very likely be attributed to human influence. But the climate in particular locations is much more variable, raising the question of where and when local changes could become perceptible enough to be obvious to people in the form of local warming that exceeds interannual variability; indeed only a few studies have addressed the significance of local signals relative to variability. It is well known that the largest total warming is expected to occur in high latitudes, but high latitudes are also subject to the largest variability, delaying the emergence of significant changes there. Here we show that due to the small temperature variability from one year to another, the earliest emergence of significant warming occurs in the summer season in low latitude countries (∼25 deg. S-25 deg. N). We also show that a local warming signal that exceeds past variability is emerging at present, or will likely emerge in the next two decades, in many tropical countries. Further, for most countries worldwide, a mean global warming of 1 deg. C is sufficient for a significant temperature change, which is less than the total warming projected for any economically plausible emission scenario. The most strongly affected countries emit small amounts of CO 2 per capita and have therefore contributed little to the changes in climate that they are beginning to experience.

  6. Antibiotic Resistance in the Food Chain: A Developing Country-Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Founou, Luria Leslie; Founou, Raspail Carrel; Essack, Sabiha Yusuf

    2016-01-01

    Antibiotics are now "endangered species" facing extinction due to the worldwide emergence of antibiotic resistance (ABR). Food animals are considered as key reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with the use of antibiotics in the food production industry having contributed to the actual global challenge of ABR. There are no geographic boundaries to impede the worldwide spread of ABR. If preventive and containment measures are not applied locally, nationally and regionally, the limited interventions in one country, continent and for instance, in the developing world, could compromise the efficacy and endanger ABR containment policies implemented in other parts of the world, the best-managed high-resource countries included. Multifaceted, comprehensive, and integrated measures complying with the One Health approach are imperative to ensure food safety and security, effectively combat infectious diseases, curb the emergence and spread of ABR, and preserve the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations. Countries should follow the World Health Organization, World Organization for Animal Health, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recommendations to implement national action plans encompassing human, (food) animal, and environmental sectors to improve policies, interventions and activities that address the prevention and containment of ABR from farm-to-fork. This review covers (i) the origin of antibiotic resistance, (ii) pathways by which bacteria spread to humans from farm-to-fork, (iii) differences in levels of antibiotic resistance between developed and developing countries, and (iv) prevention and containment measures of antibiotic resistance in the food chain.

  7. Individual, Family, and Culture Level Contributions to Child Physical Abuse and Neglect: A Longitudinal Study in Nine Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lansford, Jennifer E.; Godwin, Jennifer; Uribe Tirado, Liliana Maria; Zelli, Arnaldo; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Bornstein, Marc H.; Chang, Lei; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Di Giunta, Laura; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Malone, Patrick S.; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Alampay, Liane Peña

    2016-01-01

    This study advances understanding of predictors of child abuse and neglect at multiple levels of influence. Mothers, fathers, and children (N = 1,432 families, M age of children = 8.29 years) were interviewed annually in three waves in 13 cultural groups in nine countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States). Multilevel models were estimated to examine predictors of (a) within-family differences across the three time points, (b) between-family within-culture differences, and (c) between-cultural group differences in mothers’ and fathers’ reports of corporal punishment and children’s reports of their parents’ neglect. These analyses addressed to what extent mothers’ and fathers’ use of corporal punishment and children’s perceptions of their parents’ neglect were predicted by parents’ belief in the necessity of using corporal punishment, parents’ perception of the normativeness of corporal punishment in their community, parents’ progressive parenting attitudes, parents’ endorsement of aggression, parents’ education, children’s externalizing problems, and children’s internalizing problems at each of the three levels. Individual-level predictors (especially child externalizing behaviors) as well as cultural-level predictors (especially normativeness of corporal punishment in the community) predicted corporal punishment and neglect. Findings are framed in an international context that considers how abuse and neglect are defined by the global community and how countries have attempted to prevent abuse and neglect. PMID:26535934

  8. Individual, family, and culture level contributions to child physical abuse and neglect: A longitudinal study in nine countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lansford, Jennifer E; Godwin, Jennifer; Uribe Tirado, Liliana Maria; Zelli, Arnaldo; Al-Hassan, Suha M; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Bornstein, Marc H; Chang, Lei; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Di Giunta, Laura; Dodge, Kenneth A; Malone, Patrick S; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Peña Alampay, Liane

    2015-11-01

    This study advances understanding of predictors of child abuse and neglect at multiple levels of influence. Mothers, fathers, and children (N = 1,418 families, M age of children = 8.29 years) were interviewed annually in three waves in 13 cultural groups in nine countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States). Multilevel models were estimated to examine predictors of (a) within-family differences across the three time points, (b) between-family within-culture differences, and (c) between-cultural group differences in mothers' and fathers' reports of corporal punishment and children's reports of their parents' neglect. These analyses addressed to what extent mothers' and fathers' use of corporal punishment and children's perceptions of their parents' neglect were predicted by parents' belief in the necessity of using corporal punishment, parents' perception of the normativeness of corporal punishment in their community, parents' progressive parenting attitudes, parents' endorsement of aggression, parents' education, children's externalizing problems, and children's internalizing problems at each of the three levels. Individual-level predictors (especially child externalizing behaviors) as well as cultural-level predictors (especially normativeness of corporal punishment in the community) predicted corporal punishment and neglect. Findings are framed in an international context that considers how abuse and neglect are defined by the global community and how countries have attempted to prevent abuse and neglect.

  9. RE-EXAMINING STOCK MARKET INTEGRATION AMONG BRICS COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Berzanna Seydou Ouattara

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The main goal of this paper is to contribute to the international investment decision making process among the BRICS countries and to the development or changes of policies in response to the dynamics in these countries. The background is important for international investors seeking diversification benefits abroad and for policy makers reacting to the developments in the aforementioned economies. Thus, the context of this paper is directed to the examination of the stock market interaction among the BRICS countries. The objective of this research paper is to analyze the existence of the short-term linkages and long-term cointegration among the BRICS markets. Augmented Dicker-Fuller (ADF and Philips-Perron tests (PP are used to analyze stationarity among the selected variables. The research applies the correlation test on the stock markets returns to investigate the degree of freedom existing among the markets. The long run and the short run are also investigated using Johansen cointegration test while the Pairwise Granger Causality and the Wald tests are applied to assess the direction of the causality between the stock market indices. The study also extends the investigation by employing the impulse response function and variance decomposition to evaluate the reaction of each stock to a shock from other stock indices. The quarterly data consisted of fifteen years from 2000 to 2015 and are exclusively composed of stock market index of selected countries. One of the key findings of the research is that the Chinese stock markets are mostly independent from other BRICS markets, implying diversification benefits for the international investors both in the short and the long run. Another important finding is that the BRICS stock markets are not cointegrated in the long run, thus, being a favorable destination for the long-term investments.

  10. Contributions of national and global health estimates to monitoring health-related sustainable development goals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bundhamcharoen, Kanitta; Limwattananon, Supon; Kusreesakul, Khanitta; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

    2016-01-01

    The millennium development goals triggered an increased demand for data on child and maternal mortalities for monitoring progress. With the advent of the sustainable development goals and growing evidence of an epidemiological transition toward non-communicable diseases, policymakers need data on mortality and disease trends and distribution to inform effective policies and support monitoring progress. Where there are limited capacities to produce national health estimates (NHEs), global health estimates (GHEs) can fill gaps for global monitoring and comparisons. This paper discusses lessons learned from Thailand's burden of disease (BOD) study on capacity development on NHEs and discusses the contributions and limitations of GHEs in informing policies at the country level. Through training and technical support by external partners, capacities are gradually strengthened and institutionalized to enable regular updates of BOD at national and subnational levels. Initially, the quality of cause-of-death reporting in death certificates was inadequate, especially for deaths occurring in the community. Verbal autopsies were conducted, using domestic resources, to determine probable causes of deaths occurring in the community. This method helped to improve the estimation of years of life lost. Since the achievement of universal health coverage in 2002, the quality of clinical data on morbidities has also considerably improved. There are significant discrepancies between the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study estimates for Thailand and the 1999 nationally generated BOD, especially for years of life lost due to HIV/AIDS, and the ranking of priority diseases. National ownership of NHEs and an effective interface between researchers and decision-makers contribute to enhanced country policy responses, whereas subnational data are intended to be used by various subnational partners. Although GHEs contribute to benchmarking country achievement compared with global health

  11. Socioeconomic differential in self-assessment of health and happiness in 5 African countries: Finding from World Value Survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oluwafunmilade Adesanya A

    Full Text Available Factors that contribute to wealth related inequalities in self-rated health (SRH and happiness remains unclear most especially in sub-Saharan countries (SSA. This study aims to explore and compare socioeconomic differentials in SRH and happiness in five SSA countries.Using the 2010/2014 World Values Survey (WVS, we obtained a sample of 9,869 participants of age 16 and above from five SSA countries (Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Socioeconomic inequalities were quantified using the concentration index. The contribution of each predictor to concentration index's magnitude was obtained by means of regression based decomposition analysis.Poor SRH ranges from approximately 9% in Nigeria to 20% in Zimbabwe, whereas unhappiness was lower in Rwanda (9.5% and higher in South Africa (23.3%. Concentration index was negative for both outcomes in all countries, which implies that poor SRH and unhappiness are excessively concentrated among the poorest socioeconomic strata. Although magnitudes differ across countries, however, the major contributor to wealth-related inequality in poor SRH is satisfaction with financial situation whereas for unhappiness the major contributors are level of income and satisfaction with financial situation.This study underscores an association between wealth related inequalities and poor SRH and unhappiness in the context of SSA. Improving equity in health, as suggested by the commission of social determinants of health may be useful in fighting against the unfair distribution of resources. Thus, knowledge about the self-rating of health and happiness can serve as proxy estimates for understanding the distribution of health care access and economic resources needed for well-being in resident countries.

  12. Clinical nursing and midwifery research in African countries: a scoping review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Carolyn; Larson, Elaine

    2015-05-01

    )/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (36%). Areas most often studied were associated with funding sources (e.g., a large influx of funds for HIV-related research). Major and common health care problems in African countries (e.g. infectious disease other than HIV, and noncommunicable diseases such as malnutrition, diarrheal disease, hypertension and diabetes) were not subjects of the published literature, indicating a clear gap between health care needs and problems and the focus of the majority of clinical nursing research. Additionally, the shortage of doctorally prepared nurses may contribute to the lack of clinical nursing and midwifery research in African countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. [The contribution of the Russian Research Centre of Medical Rehabilitation and Balneotherapeutics to the development of the health resort business in this country].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Povazhnaia, E A; Bobrovnitskiĭ, I P

    2013-01-01

    The definition of the notion of health resort business is proposed in the context of the legislation pertinent to the natural therapeutic resources, health and recreational localities, spa and resort facilities currently in force in this country. The main landmark events in the history of the Russian Research Centre of Rehabilitative Medicine and Balneotherapeutics are highlighted, its role in the development of balneotherapeutic science and health resort business is described. The major achievements of the Centre in the investigations of therapeutic properties of natural physical factors (climate, mineral waters, peloids, etc.), their action on the human organism, the possibilities of their application for the treatment and prevention of various pathological conditions in and outside health resort facilities are presented. The contribution of the specialists of the Centre to the search for and discovery of new resort resources is emphasized. Community needs in balneotheraputic treatment are estimated, scientific basis for its organization, principles and normatives of health resort business are discussed along with the problems of sanitary control and protection. The activities of the Centre as an organizer of the unique system of rehabilitative and balneotherapeutic aid to the population are overviewed. Scientifically substantiated indications and contraindications for the spa and resort-based treatment of various diseases are proposed in conjunction with the methods for the application of physiotherapeutic factors. The tasks currently facing the Centre and prospects for its future research activities in the fields of rehabilitative medicine and balneotherapeutics are discussed.

  14. Explaining the role of proximate determinants on fertility decline among poor and non-poor in Asian countries.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nabanita Majumder

    Full Text Available We examined the overall contributions of the poor and non-poor in fertility decline across the Asian countries. Further, we analyzed the direct and indirect factors that determine the reproductive behaviour of two distinct population sub-groups.Data from several new rounds of DHS surveys are available over the past few years. The DHS provides cross-nationally comparable and useful data on fertility, family planning, maternal and child health along with the other information. Six selected Asian countries namely: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, and Vietnam are considered for the purpose of the study. Three rounds of DHS surveys for each country (except Vietnam are considered in the present study.Economic status is measured by computing a "wealth index", i.e. a composite indicator constructed by aggregating data on asset ownership and housing characteristics using principal components analysis (PCA. Computed household wealth index has been broken into three equal parts (33.3 percent each and the lowest and the highest 33.3 percent is considered as poor and non-poor respectively. The Bongaarts model was employed to quantify the contribution of each of the proximate determinants of fertility among poor and non-poor women.Fertility reduction across all population subgroups is now an established fact despite the diversity in the level of socio-economic development in Asian countries. It is clear from the analysis that fertility has declined irrespective of economic status at varying degrees within and across the countries which can be attributed to the increasing level of contraceptive use especially among poor women. Over the period of time changing marriage pattern and induced abortion are playing an important role in reducing fertility among poor women.Fertility decline among majority of the poor women across the Asian countries is accompanied by high prevalence of contraceptive use followed by changing marriage pattern and induced

  15. Marginal Effects of a Gross Income Increase for a Single Parent Family in Six European Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willumsen, Marie

    the contributions to the combined marginal rate, the marginal effective tax rate, METR, using the OECD term, from taxation, payment for childcare, tapering of housing benefits and sometimes child benefits, when the income varies from a low level to a high level for a single parent family. Six countries are included......High marginal tax rates constitute an issue in several countries because they are supposed to create barriers for increased labour supply. It is, however, often the case that relatively low income families with children face substantially higher combined marginal rates than even the highest...

  16. The Use and Development of Probabilistic Safety Assessment in NEA Member Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    these countries as of 1 April 2002. Since this information is subject to change, due to, advances in methodologies, changes in research programmes, etc., the reader should take these types of occurrences into account. Chapter 2 (PSA Environment) defines the background information on the use of PSA in Member countries. The various political and historical development of each nation contributing to this report has led to differences in how the use PSA has matured. The evolution of PSAs, whether or not they are legally required, who performs the PSA and who reviews them are included in this section. Chapter 3 (Quantitative Safety Guidelines) builds on the information provided in Chapter 1 and presents an overview of each country's practices in regard to the use of quantitative and probabilistic safety guidelines. Chapter 4 (Status of PSA Programmes) provides a summary of the current status of PSA Programmes in Member countries. An appendix is provided to this chapter (Appendix A) which provides a tabular form of the status. Chapter 5 (PSA Applications) presents information on how PSAs are being applied and identifies specific applications being used for decision-making. Chapter 6 (PSA Related Research and Development) provides input from the Member countries on current and proposed area of PSA research activities. Chapter 7 (PSA Plant Based Modifications) presents information on insights that have been gained and the role PSA has had in safety decision-making. References are provided to establish a contact point for obtaining further information or details about the PSA Programmes within the contributing countries and for providing information on specific documents Appendix A provides a tabular form of status of PSA programmes in Member countries

  17. Factors contributing to registered nurse medication administration error: a narrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parry, Angela M; Barriball, K Louise; While, Alison E

    2015-01-01

    To explore the factors contributing to Registered Nurse medication administration error behaviour. A narrative review. Electronic databases (Cochrane, CINAHL, MEDLINE, BNI, EmBase, and PsycINFO) were searched from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2012 in the English language. 1127 papers were identified and 26 papers were included in the review. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. A thematic analysis and narrative synthesis of the factors contributing to Registered Nurses' medication administration behaviour. Bandura's (1986) theory of reciprocal determinism was used as an organising framework. This theory proposes that there is a reciprocal interplay between the environment, the person and their behaviour. Medication administration error is an outcome of RN behaviour. The 26 papers reported studies conducted in 4 continents across 11 countries predominantly in North America and Europe, with one multi-national study incorporating 27 countries. Within both the environment and person domain of the reciprocal determinism framework, a number of factors emerged as influencing Registered Nurse medication administration error behaviour. Within the environment domain, two key themes of clinical workload and work setting emerged, and within the person domain the Registered Nurses' characteristics and their lived experience of work emerged as themes. Overall, greater attention has been given to the contribution of the environment domain rather than the person domain as contributing to error, with the literature viewing an error as an event rather than the outcome of behaviour. The interplay between factors that influence behaviour were poorly accounted for within the selected studies. It is proposed that a shift away from error as an event to a focus on the relationships between the person, the environment and Registered Nurse medication administration behaviour is needed to better understand medication administration error. Copyright © 2014

  18. Food irradiation for developing countries in Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-12-01

    The amount of post-harvest losses of food is considered to be highest on the African continent. As a result, increasing numbers of countries in Africa are suffering from problems of hunger and malnutrition, which range from chronic to acute. Food irradiation could play an important role in reducing the high rate of food losses especially in the case of food grain, root crops and dried food in this continent provided that proper infrastructure to employ this technique could be identified. Irradiation could contribute positively to the safety of food from microbiological and parasitic infection. A panel of experts participated at the round table discussion to assess the potential application of the technology in Africa. Some of the items for which technical feasibility has been established for food irradiation preservation include yams, onions, potatoes, maize, millet, sorghum, cowpeas and other pulses, cocoa beans, spices (pepper) and condiments, meat and poultry, fish and fishery products, animal feed, etc. In considered the local demand, a suitable choice of the type and size of the facility should be made. The design should allow up-grading in both size and automated operation to meet future expansion of the existing facility, but small commercial scale facilities, of low cost, should be considered to start with. Whatever type of equipment chosen, (whether Gamma or Electron Beam) safety, reliability, maintainability, and simplicity of operation should be of major consideration. It is recognized that for a project to be concluded on a reasonable schedule, technology transfer and training should be incorporated into the complete package. In addition back-up technical infrastructure in the country should be strengthened. The effective procedures demonstrated in a number of countries for performing consumer acceptance studies on irradiated foods, should be adopted in a slightly modified form adapted to the different target populations. Such studies should be

  19. A critical overview of industrial energy decoupling programs in six developing countries in Asia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luken, Ralph A.; Piras, Stefano

    2011-01-01

    In reviewing the journal literature on the decoupling of energy use and industrial output in the Asian region, particularly with respect to developing countries, we found little information about most country programs other than for China and India and only one article that compared the programs of these two countries. For this reason, we used diverse sources to identify the key programmatic features that have contributed, but clearly are not totally responsible for, decoupling achievements of two countries ( China and Thailand) and then, on the basis of these findings, reviewed emerging industrial energy decoupling programs in four other countries (India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam). We found that the design of the two successful on-going decoupling programs have common features, which are setting an explicit target for decoupling of energy use and industrial output, a government program that offers financial incentives and imposes specific auditing and reporting requirements and involvement of the manufacturing sector in designing and implementing targets as they apply to individual enterprises. We also found that the emerging programs in the other four countries lack some or all of these essential programmatic features. - Highlights: → We reviewed two on-going and four emerging industrial energy decoupling programs. → These six Asian developing countries have very different rates of decoupling. → The two successful on-going programs share three common features. → These are quantitative targets, supportive programs and industry involvement. → The four emerging programs lack some or all of these features.

  20. Trade Openness and its Effects on Economic Growth in selected Asian Countries

    OpenAIRE

    Ganbold, Delgermaa

    2014-01-01

    This bachelor thesis examines the effect of international trade on economic growth in China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. The determinants of international trade and their impact on economic development are reviewed in the Theoretical background. Subsequently, the countries' major trading factors and trade strategies which contribute to their economic growth are also analysed in this thesis. The main aim - the quantification of relationship between international trade and economic growth is appli...