Medical diagnosis in resource-poor tropical countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos-Rincón, J M; Cuadros-González, J; Malmierca-Corral, E; de Górgolas-Hernández, M

2015-01-01

When working in healthcare centers in developing countries where diagnostic resources are limited, clinical skills are of considerable importance. This study presents the diagnostic tools available in resource-poor areas. Anamnesis and physical examination are key components for reaching a correct diagnosis. The laboratory has at its disposal hemograms, basic blood chemistry and urinalysis. The available basic microbiological tests are the study of fresh feces, smears for malaria, direct smears for bacilli in sputum and Gram staining of clinical exudates. Basic radiography of the chest, abdomen, bones and soft tissues are of considerable usefulness but are not available in all centers. Ultrasonography can be of considerable usefulness due to its simplicity and versatility. The diagnosis in low resource conditions should sharpen our clinical skills and should be supported by the use of additional basic tests. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Cervical cancer screening and practice in low resource countries ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Key words: Cervical cancer screening; human papillomavirus, low resource countries; Nigeria; premalignant disease. ... has led to a significant decline in the incidence of cervical .... and malignant lesions as integration of the viral DNA into the.

Development and human resources in the Islamic world: a study of selected countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Duza, M B

1987-01-01

"The present paper attempts to provide an analytical profile of development and human resources in [12] selected [Islamic] countries." The countries--Bangladesh, Somalia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia, Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates--vary in income levels from low to high and in population size from 1 million to 159 million. Using data from the World Bank and the Population Council, comparisons are made on the basis of mortality and fertility levels, family size, income, urbanization, labor force size and growth, education, nutrition, and health. Governmental policy changes and future directions are discussed. excerpt

Resource nationalism and credit growth in FSU countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalyuzhnova, Yelena; Nygaard, Christian

2009-01-01

This paper analyses the connection between resource nationalism and financial sector intervention in the FSU countries. We consider recent financial development in the FSU and the special features of energy rich emerging economies (Russia and Kazakhstan, in particular) which are influencing recent credit expansions. We find that the hydrocarbon sector has boosted boosting domestic credits through a number of direct and indirect routes. Recent decline in oil prices may change government attitudes to a continued resource nationalist strategy. Sovereign wealth funds that were established in a majority of energy rich emerging economies may, to the extent that they enable the selection of winners in specific economic sectors, create path dependency or exacerbate longer term allocative inefficiency arising from the governance structure associated with resource nationalism.

Resource nationalism and credit growth in FSU countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalyuzhnova, Yelena; Nygaard, Christian [The Centre for Euro-Asian Studies, The University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 218, Reading RG6 6AA (United Kingdom)

2009-11-15

This paper analyses the connection between resource nationalism and financial sector intervention in the FSU countries. We consider recent financial development in the FSU and the special features of energy rich emerging economies (Russia and Kazakhstan, in particular) which are influencing recent credit expansions. We find that the hydrocarbon sector has boosted boosting domestic credits through a number of direct and indirect routes. Recent decline in oil prices may change government attitudes to a continued resource nationalist strategy. Sovereign wealth funds that were established in a majority of energy rich emerging economies may, to the extent that they enable the selection of winners in specific economic sectors, create path dependency or exacerbate longer term allocative inefficiency arising from the governance structure associated with resource nationalism. (author)

Risk management and nuclear human resources management in construction nuclear power plants in the Gulf Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saeed Hakami; Salim Almarmary

2009-01-01

The countries of the Gulf region have the capacity to rapidly expand their economic growth and gross domestic product (GDP). Also, one may observe that their growth rate is very high. To match this, they need a mix of energy sources for this economic growth. Nuclear power plants can have a significant role as a source of energy in the Gulf countries. Although, some of the Gulf countries signed contracts to construct nuclear power plants, they still require high a level of education as well as sufficient and adequate human resources in order to solve complex issues which may happen at nuclear power plants. The objective of this paper is to identify the complex issues that may arise at a nuclear site. Then the paper goes on to discuss how to evaluate these issues. Finally, the paper studies how to manage and control such complex issues in the work place. The advantage of highly educated people as well as sufficient and adequate human resource can increasingly protect and save human health and the natural environment from issues relating to the use of nuclear energy. There are vast theories, strategies and tools that have discussed in regards to human resources management in the nuclear industries. However, this paper chiefly provides a new risk management methodology. This methodology helps to highlight the risk factors and their consequences at nuclear sites. This paper is intended to decrease risks; to protect human health in the work place at nuclear power plants and save the environment within and beyond national borders and for future generations. It aims to increase safety from the use of nuclear energy, particularly in the Gulf countries.(Author)

A kidney transplantation model in a low-resource country: an experience from Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizvi, Syed Adibul Hasan; Naqvi, Syed Ali Anwar; Zafar, Mirza Naqi; Akhtar, Syed Fazal

2013-05-01

Pakistan is a low-resource country with a population of 185 million where expenditure on health is 1.3% of the gross national product. The estimated incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is 100 per million of the population. The paucity and high costs of renal replacement therapy render more than 90% of the ESRD population disenfranchised from replacement therapy. Our center, which is a government sector organization, established as an integrated dialysis and living related renal transplant program in the 1980s, where all services were provided free of cost to all patients with life-long follow-up care including medications. The model was based on a concept of community/government partnership where the contributions to funds vary between 40% and 60% for each partner. The model has been self sustaining for 25 years, with an annual budget of $28 million in 2010. Presently, over 600 patients are dialyzed each day and each week, 7-10 patients have received live related transplants. The overall 1- and 5-year graft survival rate of 3150 transplants is 92% and 85%, respectively. Free dialysis and transplantation established our institute as a focus of transplantation in the country. This model therefore allowed the institute to have a vital role in the campaign against transplant tourism and in the promulgation of the transplant law. It shows that in low-resource countries, specialized centers in the government sector can, with community support, provide high-quality ESRD care to the disenfranchised population.

How Emerging Market Resource-poor Firms Compete and Outcompete Advanced Country Resource-Rich Rivals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Xin

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to comment on Professor Ming-Jer Chen’s recent publication titled “Competitive dynamics: Eastern roots, Western growth” and present an asymmetry reversing perspective on the competitive dynamics between two nonobvious, invisible or indirect competitors, namely......, how emerging market resource-poor firms compete and outcompete advanced country resource-rich rivals. Design/methodology/approach: The author first identifies an important neglect in Professor Chen’s scholarship on competitive dynamics, i.e., the neglect of the ubiquity of the less visible competition...... position, and try to avoid any direct competition with the strong incumbents. They often tactically appear to pursue different paths of development from those of the strong incumbents by focusing on particular product categories and market segments. Doing so allows the resource-poor firms to win times...

BK Virus-Associated Nephropathy: Current Situation in a Resource-Limited Country.

Science.gov (United States)

Yooprasert, P; Rotjanapan, P

Data on BK virus-associated nephropathy (BKVAN) and treatment strategy in a resource-limited country are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate epidemiology of BKVAN and its situation in Thailand. A retrospective analysis was conducted among adult kidney transplant recipients at Ramathibodi Hospital from October 2011 to September 2016. Patients' demographic data, information on kidney transplantation, immunosuppressive therapy, cytomegalovirus and BK virus infections, and allograft outcomes were retrieved and analyzed. This study included 623 kidney transplant recipients. Only 327 patients (52.49%) received BK virus infection screening, and 176 of 327 patients had allograft dysfunction as a trigger for screening. BKVAN was identified in 39 of 327 patients (11.93%). Deceased donor transplantation and cytomegalovirus infection were associated with a higher risk of BKVAN (odds ratio = 2.2, P = .024, 95% confidence intervals [1.1, 4.43], and odds ratio = 2.6, P = .006, 95% confidence intervals [1.29, 5.26], respectively). BKVAN patients were at significantly higher risk for allograft rejection (P < .001) and allograft failure (P = .036). At the end of the study, 4 graft losses were documented (12.12%). BKVAN was associated with high rate of allograft rejection and failure. However, surveillance of its complications has been underperformed at our facility. Implementing a formal practice guideline may improve allograft outcome in resource-limited countries. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Examining Container Port Resources and Environments to Enhance Competitiveness: A Cross-Country Study from Resource-Based and Institutional Perspectives1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyuksoo CHO

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims to analyze the competitiveness of container ports using a cross-country analysis with theoretical foundations. Tangible and intangible resources are discussed as determinants of container port competitiveness using the resource-based view and the institutional theory. This study analyzes the relationships among six variables: container port competitiveness, traffic volume, quality of infrastructure, linear shipping connectivity, operating efficiency, and institutional influence. This study retrieved country-level data on different indicators and countries from several trade and maritime databases. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM is used to test various hypotheses and to evaluate the casual relationships among six variables. Additionally, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS regression is used to test the moderating effects of institutional influence.

Ruminant production systems in developing countries: Resource utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devendra, C.

1989-01-01

Ruminant production systems are discussed with specific reference to the resource utilization required to support them. Particular focus is placed on the main production resources (animals and feeds) and their underutilization. The ruminant animals include buffaloes, cattle, goats, sheep and camels. With the exception of cattle and sheep, their numbers in developing countries account for between 94 and 100% of total world population. Their biological attributes, including inherent characteristics, feeding behaviour and metabolism, are summarized. The extent and availability of feed resources are considered; resources include permanent pastures, crop residues, agroindustrial by-products and non-conventional feeds. The prevailing ruminant production systems are classified into three main categories: extensive systems, systems incorporating arable cropping (roadside, communal and arable grazing systems; tethering and cut-and-carry feeding), and systems integrated with tree cropping. Their genesis and endurance with patterns of crop production and farming systems are discussed. Integrated systems, involving animals and tree crops, are potentially important. Prevailing ruminant production systems are unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, unless there are major shifts in resource use and the proposed new systems are demonstrably superior. Factors likely to influence future ruminant production systems are market requirements, available feed resources and growth in human populations. Two associated strategies for improvement are proposed: increased priority to buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels, consistent with their potential contribution to meat, milk and fibre supplies and draught power; and more complete utilization of the available feed ingredients and increased feed supplies

If diversification is good, why don't countries diversify more? The political economy of diversification in resource-rich countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiig, Arne; Kolstad, Ivar

2012-01-01

For resource-rich countries, diversification is claimed to represent a strategy for reducing resource curse problems. This, however, depends on whether diversification has a positive effect on the country's institutions. While there is a lot of evidence that exports of oil have a negative impact on institutions, we know much less about the extent to which diversification leads to better institutions. This article applies recent political economy theory to the phenomenon of diversification. Theoretical arguments suggest that it is the pattern of industrial activity rather than diversification per se, which affects institutions like democracy. In other words, not all forms of diversification lead to better institutions. Furthermore, where diversification has a positive impact on institutions, diversification may be difficult to attain when it threatens the power base of the ruling elite. A possible implication of these arguments is that policies for diversification should focus on international regulation affecting elite incentives, rather than domestic industrial policy. - Highlights: ► Diversification can be a strategy for reducing resource curse problems in oil-rich countries. ► But this requires that diversification has a positive effect on the institutions of a country. ► It is the pattern of industrial activity rather than diversification per se, which affects institutions like democracy. ► Diversification may be difficult to attain when it threatens the power basis of the ruling elite. ► Policies for diversification should focus on international ruling affect elite incentives, rather than home industrial policy.

Housing Quality and Access to Material and Learning Resources within the Home Environment in Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Robert H.; Putnick, Diane L.

2012-01-01

This study examined home environment conditions (housing quality, material resources, formal and informal learning materials) and their relations with the Human Development Index (HDI) in 28 developing countries. Home environment conditions in these countries varied widely. The quality of housing and availability of material resources at home were…

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...

Assessment and Evaluation of National Human Resource Development System Competitiveness in Emerging Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, HunSeok; Seo, DongIn; Kim, JuSeuk; Yoo, SangOk; Seong, HeeChang

2015-01-01

This study assessed and evaluated the competitiveness of national human resource development (NHRD) systems in emerging countries with potential for growth. The literature on emerging countries and NHRD systems was reviewed. The study developed a model mechanism with forty-one indices and nine sub-components for the NHRD system assessment in…

Renewable energy resources and their role in the energy balance of the country

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, P.; Trifonova, L.

2001-01-01

The role of the renewable energy sources in the energy production sector is discussed. The main features of solar, wind and biomass energy are reviewed. Studies for Bulgaria show a total solar radiation above 1600 kWh/m 2 for the Southern regions. The assessment of the solar resources, made by the DOE gives about 170 000 TWh/y for the whole territory. The economically advantageous resources for passive heating are 10.6 TWh till 2020. For the same period the utilization of 0.92 TWh solar energy is possible. Solar installations with surface about 14 000 m 2 are currently in operation. 54% of them are in the tourism sphere and only 8% are in industry (due to some economical difficulties about 44% of the industrial installations are shut down). On the base of processing of the data from more that 100 meteorological stations on the country territory, a spatial assessment of the resources has been done. For the whole territory the wind potential is estimated to about 15800 GW. Theoretical average annual wind resources at 10 km above the surface are 125 000 TWh. There are several areas with wind velocity 5-6 m/s which are suitable for wind energy production. The energy resources of biomass for the country are large - around 35.5 TWh. Under the programmes 'Country Study Project' and PHARE, different scenarii for the renewable energy source utilization till 2020 are developed. Estimation for the possibilities for wider application of the renewable sources in the market are done

Comparative meta-analysis of tuberculosis contact investigation interventions in eleven high burden countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blok, Lucie; Sahu, Suvanand; Creswell, Jacob; Alba, Sandra; Stevens, Robert; Bakker, Mirjam I.

2015-01-01

Screening of household contacts of tuberculosis (TB) patients is a recommended strategy to improve early case detection. While it has been widely implemented in low prevalence countries, the most optimal protocols for contact investigation in high prevalence, low resource settings is yet to be

Present status of development of uranium resources in foreign countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-10-01

The book with the same title as this was published in 1981. Thereafter, the necessity to correct the contents arose, such as the remarkable change in uranium market condition and the change of uranium resource policy in Australia accompanying the change of regime, accordingly, the revision was carried out by adding more new information. As the main sources of the information collected in this book, 25 materials are shown. The confirmed resources of uranium in the free world as of the beginning of 1981 amounted to 2,293,000 t U, and the estimated additional resources were 2,720,000 t U. The political system and uranium policy, the present status of uranium export, the quantity of resources and the estimated amount of deposits, the uranium production and the status of uranium exploration and development of 25 foreign countries are reported. Japan has carried out uranium development activities in Australia, Canada, Niger, Gabon, Zambia and so on. (Kako, I.)

Childbearing in adolescents aged 12-15 years in low resource countries: a neglected issue. New estimates from demographic and household surveys in 42 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Neal, Sarah; Matthews, Zoë; Frost, Melanie; Fogstad, Helga; Camacho, Alma V; Laski, Laura

2012-09-01

There is strong evidence that the health risks associated with adolescent pregnancy are concentrated among the youngest girls (e.g. those under 16 years). Fertility rates in this age group have not previously been comprehensively estimated and published. By drawing data from 42 large, nationally representative household surveys in low resource countries carried out since 2003 this article presents estimates of age-specific birth rates for girls aged 12-15, and the percentage of girls who give birth at age 15 or younger. From these we estimate that approximately 2.5 million births occur to girls aged under 16 in low resource countries each year. The highest rates are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, where in Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique, Niger and Sierra Leone more than 10% of girls become mothers before they are 16. Strategies to reduce these high levels are vital if we are to alleviate poor reproductive health. © 2012 The Authors  Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica© 2012 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Limited resources of genome sequencing in developing countries: Challenges and solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Helmy

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The differences between countries in national income, growth, human development and many other factors are used to classify countries into developed and developing countries. There are several classification systems that use different sets of measures and criteria. The most common classifications are the United Nations (UN and the World Bank (WB systems. The UN classification system uses the UN Human Development Index (HDI, an indicator that uses statistic of life expectancy, education, and income per capita for countries' classification. While the WB system uses gross national income (GNI per capita that is calculated using the World Bank Atlas method. According to the UN and WB classification systems, there are 151 and 134 developing countries, respectively, with 89% overlap between the two systems. Developing countries have limited human development, and limited expenditure in education and research, among several other limitations. The biggest challenge facing genomic researchers and clinicians is limited resources. As a result, genomic tools, specifically genome sequencing technologies, which are rapidly becoming indispensable, are not widely available. In this report, we explore the current status of sequencing technologies in developing countries, describe the associated challenges and emphasize potential solutions.

The new context for industrializing around natural resources: an opportunity for Latin America (and other resource rich countries)?

OpenAIRE

Carlota Perez

2015-01-01

This chapter argues that development is a moving target, and that windows of opportunity to both ‘catch up’ and ‘leap ahead’ present themselves at certain times and in specific regions due to technological revolutions and paradigm shifts. Having examined the historical precedents, it observes that the exploitation and processing of natural resources (NR), once seen as a ‘curse’ for developing nations, present such an opportunity for Latin America and other resource-rich countries at this stag...

Energy needs, uses, and resources in developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmedo, P.F.; Nathans, R.; Beardsworth, E.; Hale, S. Jr.

1978-03-01

The report identifies the energy needs, uses, and resources in the developing countries of the world and examines the energy options available to them for their continued social and economic growth. If traditional patterns of development are to continue, oil consumption in the non-OPEC LDCs will grow steadily to become comparable with current U.S. consumption between 2000 and 2020. Attempts to exploit indigenous hydrocarbon resources even in those LDCs with untapped reserves will be limited by shortages of capital and technical manpower. In the absence of major actions to replace noncommercial fuels or to increase the effectiveness with which they are used, a large fraction of the 3 to 4 billion LDC rural population in the year 2000 will not be able to raise their energy usage above subsistence levels. There is a wide variety of solutions to these problems, many of them emerging directly from the changed economics of energy. For example, most LDCs have not adequately explored and developed their own indigenous resources; in virtually all energy conversion and utilization processes there are opportunities for improvements in efficiency and substitution of renewable energy forms. In virtually all these areas there are opportunities for effective assistance activities.

The impact of health care resources, socioeconomic status, and demographics on life expectancy: a cross-country study in three Southeast Asian countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Moon Fai

2015-03-01

This study aimed to examine the impact of health care resources, socioeconomic status, and demographic changes on life expectancy in Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. This was a cross-country study to collect annual data (1980-2008) from each target country. Life expectancy was the dependent variable and health care resources, socioeconomic status, and demographics were the 3 main determinants. Structural equation modeling was employed, and the results indicate that the availability of more health care resources (Indonesia: coefficient = .47, P = .008; Philippines: coefficient = .48, P = .017; Vietnam: coefficient = .48, P = .004) and higher levels of socioeconomic advantages (Indonesia: coefficient = .41, P = .014; Vietnam: coefficient = .34, P = .026) are more likely to increase life expectancy. In contrast, demographic changes are more likely to increase life expectancy because of the wide range of health care resources. These findings suggest that more effort, particularly during economic downturns, should be put into removing the barriers that impede access to health care services and increasing preventive care for the population that currently has less access to health care in communities where there is a shortage of medical resources. © 2013 APJPH.

TOWARDS TO NEW ILLUSTRATION OF RESOURCE CURSE: FDI CHANNEL EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC COUNTRIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed M. Elheddad

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This paper extends a high influential contribution by Poelhekke and Van der Ploeg (2013, on the new mechanism of natural resource curse which is FDI. Using panel data of FDI inflows (aggregate and disaggregate for six oil dependent countries (GCC during a period 1980-2013; our main findings are as follows. First, total FDI is negatively correlated with natural resources measured by oil prices constant 2000 in the long run and short term. This negative impact ranged between 0.21% and 0.41% if oil prices changed by one percent increase. Secondly, FDI in resource sector falls by around 0.44-0.47%, but non-resource FDI increased by about 0.21- 0.29% when the interaction term between oil revenues and initial oil prices (1980 increases by 1%. These results are robust even after including other FDI determinants.

Comparative Analysis of OECD Member Countries' Competitive Advantage in National Human Resource Development System

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Hunseok; Choi, Yeseul; Choi, Myungweon

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess, evaluate, and compare the competitive advantages of the human resource development systems of advanced countries. The Global Human Resource Development Index was utilized for this study, since it has been validated through an expert panel's content review and analytic hierarchy process. Using a sample of 34…

The role of food-security solutions in the protection of natural resources and environment of developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lashgarara, Farhad; Mirdamadi, Seyyed Mehdi; Hosseini, Seyyed Jamal Farajollah; Chizari, Mohammad

2008-10-01

The majority of the countries of the world, especially developing countries, face environmental problems. Limitations of basic resources (water and soil) and population growth have been the cause of these environmental problems that countries are confronted with. Developing countries have numerous problems, including destruction of forests, vegetable and animal species, and pollution of the environment. Damage to natural resources and the environment can influence the food-security situation. One of the main millennium development goals (MDGs) is protection of the environment and people's health. This cannot obtained unless there is ensured food security. Food security has been defined as a situation when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food needed to maintain a healthy and active life. At the same time, with ensured food security, we can hope to protect the natural resources and environment. The methodology used is descriptive-analytical, and its main purpose is determining the importance and role of food-security solutions in the reduction of environmental hazards and improvement of natural resources and the environmental situation in developing countries. Therefore, some of the most important food-security solutions that can play an important role in this relation were discussed, including conventional research-based technology, biotechnology, information and communication technologies (ICTs), alternative energy sources, and food irradiation.

Turkey's High Temperature Geothermal Energy Resources and Electricity Production Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Bilgin, Ö.

2012-04-01

Turkey is in the first 7 countries in the world in terms of potential and applications. Geothermal energy which is an alternative energy resource has advantages such as low-cost, clean, safe and natural resource. Geothermal energy is defined as hot water and steam which is formed by heat that accumulated in various depths of the Earth's crust; with more than 20oC temperature and which contain more than fused minerals, various salts and gases than normal underground and ground water. It is divided into three groups as low, medium and high temperature. High-temperature fluid is used in electricity generation, low and medium temperature fluids are used in greenhouses, houses, airport runways, animal farms and places such as swimming pools heating. In this study high temperature geothermal fields in Turkey which is suitable for electricity production, properties and electricity production potential was investigated.

Stillbirths : recall to action in high-income countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flenady, Vicki; Wojcieszek, Aleena M.; Middleton, Philippa; Ellwood, David; Erwich, Jan Jaap; Coory, Michael; Khong, T. Yee; Silver, Robert M.; Smith, Gordon C. S.; Boyle, Frances M.; Lawn, Joy E.; Blencowe, Hannah; Leisher, Susannah Hopkins; Gross, Mechthild M.; Horey, Dell; Farrales, Lynn; Bloomfield, Frank; McCowan, Lesley; Brown, Stephanie J.; Joseph, K. S.; Zeitlin, Jennifer; Reinebrant, Hanna E.; Ravaldi, Claudia; Vannacci, Alfredo; Cassidy, Jillian; Cassidy, Paul; Farquhar, Cindy; Wallace, Euan; Siassakos, Dimitrios; Heazell, Alexander E. P.; Storey, Claire; Sadler, Lynn; Petersen, Scott; Froen, J. Frederik; Goldenberg, Robert L.

2016-01-01

Variation in stillbirth rates across high-income countries and large equity gaps within high-income countries persist. If all high-income countries achieved stillbirth rates equal to the best performing countries, 19 439 late gestation ( 28 weeks or more) stillbirths could have been avoided in 2015.

EVALUATION OF FINANCIAL AUTONOMY PROCESS OF BINH THUAN PROVINCE IN TRAINING PUBLIC HUMAN RESOURCES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

OpenAIRE

NGUYEN THANH, NHAN

2012-01-01

This paper will discuss the financial autonomy in training public human resources in foreign countries in Binh Thuan province. The process of financial autonomy helps Binh Thuan province be proactive in dealing with its performances in many aspects, especially in training public human resources. Although central government has built many training policies, the training focuses on the fields that meet the general requirements of the whole country. This leads to the situation that the trained m...

Fuel forests: a spreading energy resource in developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, N J.H.

1981-09-01

The fuel potential of forests, particularly in Third World countries, to raise the contribution of fuelwood to global energy resources is receiving positive notice in the incentive programs for forestry projects offered by lending institutions and actions taken by governments to arrest the loss of forest cover. Residential and industrial use of wood must be balanced by rigorous woodland protection and management to increase tree planting. The example of Korea's success in increasing fuelwood supplies illustrates the importance of public understanding and community involvement so that local environmental and cultural factors are considered and local leaders are involved. 56 references, 1 table. (DCK)

Regional energy resource development and energy security under CO2 emission constraint in the greater Mekong sub-region countries (GMS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watcharejyothin, Mayurachat; Shrestha, Ram M.

2009-01-01

The paper evaluates effects of energy resource development within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) on energy supply mix, energy system cost, energy security and environment during 2000-2035. A MARKAL-based integrated energy system model of the five GMS countries was developed to examine benefits of regional energy resource development for meeting the energy demand of these countries. The study found that an unrestricted energy resource development and trade within the region would reduce the total-regional energy systems cost by 18% and would abate the total CO 2 emission by 5% as compared to the base case. All the five countries except Myanmar would benefit from the expansion of regional energy resource integration in terms of lower energy systems costs and better environmental qualities. An imposition of CO 2 emission reduction constraint by 5% on each of the study countries from that of the corresponding emissions under the unrestricted energy resource development in the GMS is found to improve energy security, reduce energy import and fossil fuels dependences and increase volume of power trade within the region. The total energy system cost under the joint CO 2 emission reduction strategy would be less costly than that under the individual emission targets set for each country.

GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF MENA AND AFRICAN COUNTRIES: IMPACTS OF THE VARIATIONS IN LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCE OWNERSHIP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ece H. Guleryuz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the primary determinants of the contemporary economic growth performance in MENA and African countries using a panel data estimation and random effects model during the period 1996-2014 for 24 countries. It is hypothesized that the variation in natural resources rents, initial human capital stock, and initial inequality in land ownership have significant impacts on contemporary economic growth rates in different countries. Furthermore, various political economy factors are controlled for in order to measure the effect of institutional quality. The estimation results show that the natural resources rents, initial inequality in land ownership, initial income, and government effectiveness influence GDP per capita growth rates with a statistical significance.

Equity in the allocation of public sector financial resources in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Anselmi, Laura; Lagarde, Mylene; Hanson, Kara

2015-05-01

This review aims to identify, assess and analyse the evidence on equity in the distribution of public health sector expenditure in low- and middle-income countries. Four bibliographic databases and five websites were searched to identify quantitative studies examining equity in the distribution of public health funding in individual countries or groups of countries. Two different types of studies were identified: benefit incidence analysis (BIA) and resource allocation comparison (RAC) studies. Quality appraisal and data synthesis were tailored to each study type to reflect differences in the methods used and in the information provided. We identified 39 studies focusing on African, Asian and Latin American countries. Of these, 31 were BIA studies that described the distribution, typically across socio-economic status, of individual monetary benefit derived from service utilization. The remaining eight were RAC studies that compared the actual expenditure across geographic areas to an ideal need-based distribution. Overall, the quality of the evidence from both types of study was relatively weak. Looking across studies, the evidence confirms that resource allocation formulae can enhance equity in resource allocation across geographic areas and that the poor benefits proportionally more from primary health care than from hospital expenditure. The lack of information on the distribution of benefit from utilization in RAC studies and on the countries' approaches to resource allocation in BIA studies prevents further policy analysis. Additional research that relates the type of resource allocation mechanism to service provision and to the benefit distribution is required for a better understanding of equity-enhancing resource allocation policies. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

Possible transfer of traditional energy intensive industries towards developing countries. Offers of energy resource in the CIER [Comision de Integracion Electrica Regional] area in relation to this transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Facchini Ferro, A.; D'Amado Campo, R.

1989-01-01

Due to the steep rise in oil prices in the early 1970s, South American countries became aware of the advisability of developing their abundant and renewable hydroelectric resources. The second energy crisis of 1979 pushed up oil prices still further and the consequences in the South American electricity sector included contractions in markets, overcapacity, and difficult financial circumstances. Increases in exports were seen as a way to reduce the burden of those countries' heavy debts and to improve economic conditions. To harmonize the interests of development of highly energy intensive industries in developed countries and the economic development of developing countries, the possibility of marketing energy as an industrial input should be considered. Evidence of the advantages that South American countries can offer to such industrial transfers is presented. These countries offer a source of plentiful hydropower from installations in operation, under construction, or projected as major developments. These installations are already largely interconnected through high- and extra-high-voltage power transmission networks. Technical information is given on the installed generating capacities, including thermal reserve plants; utilization levels; transmission line interconnections; and remaining renewable and non-renewable energy resources. Considerations regarding the political and financial implications of industrial transfers are discussed. 6 refs., 9 figs

Characteristics and critical success factors for implementing problem-based learning in a human resource-constrained country.

Science.gov (United States)

Giva, Karen R N; Duma, Sinegugu E

2015-08-31

Problem-based learning (PBL) was introduced in Malawi in 2002 in order to improve the nursing education system and respond to the acute nursing human resources shortage. However, its implementation has been very slow throughout the country. The objectives of the study were to explore and describe the goals that were identified by the college to facilitate the implementation of PBL, the resources of the organisation that facilitated the implementation of PBL, the factors related to sources of students that facilitated the implementation of PBL, and the influence of the external system of the organisation on facilitating the implementation of PBL, and to identify critical success factors that could guide the implementation of PBL in nursing education in Malawi. This is an ethnographic, exploratory and descriptive qualitative case study. Purposive sampling was employed to select the nursing college, participants and documents for review.Three data collection methods, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document reviews, were used to collect data. The four steps of thematic analysis were used to analyse data from all three sources. Four themes and related subthemes emerged from the triangulated data sources. The first three themes and their subthemes are related to the characteristics related to successful implementation of PBL in a human resource-constrained nursing college, whilst the last theme is related to critical success factors that contribute to successful implementation of PBL in a human resource-constrained country like Malawi. This article shows that implementation of PBL is possible in a human resource-constrained country if there is political commitment and support.

First report on the state of the world's animal genetic resources. Views on biotechnology as expressed in country reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardellino, R.; Hoffmann, I.; Tempelman, K.A.

2005-01-01

As part of the country-driven strategy for the management of farm animal genetic resources, FAO invited 188 counties to participate in the First Report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources, with 145 consenting. Their reports are an important source of information on the use of biotechnology, particularly biotechnical products and processes. This paper analyses information from country reports so far submitted, and is therefore preliminary. There is clearly a big gap in biotechnology applications between developed and developing countries, with artificial insemination the most common technology used in developing countries, although not everywhere. More complex techniques, such as embryo transfer (ET) and molecular tools, are even less frequent in developing countries. Most developing countries wish to expand ET and establish gene banks and cryoconservation techniques. There are very few examples in developing countries of livestock breeding programmes capable of incorporating molecular biotechnologies in livestock genetic improvement programmes. (author)

Regional energy resource development and energy security under CO{sub 2} emission constraint in the greater Mekong sub-region countries (GMS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watcharejyothin, Mayurachat; Shrestha, Ram M. [School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand)

2009-11-15

The paper evaluates effects of energy resource development within the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) on energy supply mix, energy system cost, energy security and environment during 2000-2035. A MARKAL-based integrated energy system model of the five GMS countries was developed to examine benefits of regional energy resource development for meeting the energy demand of these countries. The study found that an unrestricted energy resource development and trade within the region would reduce the total-regional energy systems cost by 18% and would abate the total CO{sub 2} emission by 5% as compared to the base case. All the five countries except Myanmar would benefit from the expansion of regional energy resource integration in terms of lower energy systems costs and better environmental qualities. An imposition of CO{sub 2} emission reduction constraint by 5% on each of the study countries from that of the corresponding emissions under the unrestricted energy resource development in the GMS is found to improve energy security, reduce energy import and fossil fuels dependences and increase volume of power trade within the region. The total energy system cost under the joint CO{sub 2} emission reduction strategy would be less costly than that under the individual emission targets set for each country. (author)

Designing equitable antiretroviral allocation strategies in resource-constrained countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David P Wilson

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Recently, a global commitment has been made to expand access to antiretrovirals (ARVs in the developing world. However, in many resource-constrained countries the number of individuals infected with HIV in need of treatment will far exceed the supply of ARVs, and only a limited number of health-care facilities (HCFs will be available for ARV distribution. Deciding how to allocate the limited supply of ARVs among HCFs will be extremely difficult. Resource allocation decisions can be made on the basis of many epidemiological, ethical, or preferential treatment priority criteria.Here we use operations research techniques, and we show how to determine the optimal strategy for allocating ARVs among HCFs in order to satisfy the equitable criterion that each individual infected with HIV has an equal chance of receiving ARVs. We present a novel spatial mathematical model that includes heterogeneity in treatment accessibility. We show how to use our theoretical framework, in conjunction with an equity objective function, to determine an optimal equitable allocation strategy (OEAS for ARVs in resource-constrained regions. Our equity objective function enables us to apply the egalitarian principle of equity with respect to access to health care. We use data from the detailed ARV rollout plan designed by the government of South Africa to determine an OEAS for the province of KwaZulu-Natal. We determine the OEAS for KwaZulu-Natal, and we then compare this OEAS with two other ARV allocation strategies: (i allocating ARVs only to Durban (the largest urban city in KwaZulu-Natal province and (ii allocating ARVs equally to all available HCFs. In addition, we compare the OEAS to the current allocation plan of the South African government (which is based upon allocating ARVs to 17 HCFs. We show that our OEAS significantly improves equity in treatment accessibility in comparison with these three ARV allocation strategies. We also quantify how the size of the

Essential Medicines in a High Income Country: Essential to Whom?

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, Mai; Moles, Rebekah J; Chaar, Betty; Chen, Timothy F

2015-01-01

To explore the perspectives of a diverse group of stakeholders engaged in medicines decision making around what constitutes an "essential" medicine, and how the Essential Medicines List (EML) concept functions in a high income country context. In-depth qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 Australian stakeholders, recognised as decision makers, leaders or advisors in the area of medicines reimbursement or supply chain management. Participants were recruited from government, pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical wholesale/distribution companies, medicines non-profit organisations, academic health disciplines, hospitals, and consumer groups. Perspectives on the definition and application of the EML concept in a high income country context were thematically analysed using grounded theory approach. Stakeholders found it challenging to describe the EML concept in the Australian context because many perceived it was generally used in resource scarce settings. Stakeholders were unable to distinguish whether nationally reimbursed medicines were essential medicines in Australia. Despite frequent generic drug shortages and high prices paid by consumers, many struggled to describe how the EML concept applied to Australia. Instead, broad inclusion of consumer needs, such as rare and high cost medicines, and consumer involvement in the decision making process, has led to expansive lists of nationally subsidised medicines. Therefore, improved communication and coordination is needed around shared interests between stakeholders regarding how medicines are prioritised and guaranteed in the supply chain. This study showed that decision-making in Australia around reimbursement of medicines has strayed from the fundamental utilitarian concept of essential medicines. Many stakeholders involved in medicine reimbursement decisions and management of the supply chain did not consider the EML concept in their approach. The wide range of views of what stakeholders

Essential Medicines in a High Income Country: Essential to Whom?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mai Duong

Full Text Available To explore the perspectives of a diverse group of stakeholders engaged in medicines decision making around what constitutes an "essential" medicine, and how the Essential Medicines List (EML concept functions in a high income country context.In-depth qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 Australian stakeholders, recognised as decision makers, leaders or advisors in the area of medicines reimbursement or supply chain management. Participants were recruited from government, pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical wholesale/distribution companies, medicines non-profit organisations, academic health disciplines, hospitals, and consumer groups. Perspectives on the definition and application of the EML concept in a high income country context were thematically analysed using grounded theory approach.Stakeholders found it challenging to describe the EML concept in the Australian context because many perceived it was generally used in resource scarce settings. Stakeholders were unable to distinguish whether nationally reimbursed medicines were essential medicines in Australia. Despite frequent generic drug shortages and high prices paid by consumers, many struggled to describe how the EML concept applied to Australia. Instead, broad inclusion of consumer needs, such as rare and high cost medicines, and consumer involvement in the decision making process, has led to expansive lists of nationally subsidised medicines. Therefore, improved communication and coordination is needed around shared interests between stakeholders regarding how medicines are prioritised and guaranteed in the supply chain.This study showed that decision-making in Australia around reimbursement of medicines has strayed from the fundamental utilitarian concept of essential medicines. Many stakeholders involved in medicine reimbursement decisions and management of the supply chain did not consider the EML concept in their approach. The wide range of views of

How Can We Assess and Evaluate the Competitive Advantage of a Country's Human Resource Development System?

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Hunseok; Ryu, Hyue-Hyun; Choi, Myungweon

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an index to assess and evaluate the competitive advantage of a country's human resource development system. Based on an extensive literature review, a theoretical model of a human resource development system at the national level (named National Human Resource Development: NHRD) was constructed. The…

Using mobile electronic devices to deliver educational resources in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazal, Jonathan Robert; Ludwig, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Developing countries have far fewer trained radiography professionals than developed countries, which exacerbates the limited access to imaging services. The lack of trained radiographers reflects, in part, limited availability of radiographer-specific educational resources. Historically, organizations that provided such resources in the developing world faced challenges related to the limited stock of current materials as well as expenses associated with shipping and delivery. Four mobile electronic devices (MEDs) were loaded with educational content (e-books, PDFs, and digital applications) spanning major radiography topics. The MEDs were distributed to 4 imaging departments in Ghana, India, Nepal, and Nigeria based on evidence of need for radiography-specific resources, as revealed by survey responses. A cost comparison of postal delivery vs digital delivery of educational content was performed. The effectiveness of delivering additional content via Wi-Fi transmission also was evaluated. Feedback was solicited on users' experience with the MEDs as a delivery tool for educational content. An initial average per e-book expense of $30.05, which included the cost of the device, was calculated for the MED delivery method compared with $15.56 for postal delivery of printed materials. The cost of the MED delivery method was reduced to an average of $10.05 for subsequent e-book deliveries. Additional content was successfully delivered via Wi-Fi transmission to all recipients during the 3-month follow-up period. Overall user feedback on the experience was positive, and ideas for enhancing the MED-based method were identified. Using MEDs to deliver radiography-specific educational content appears to be more cost effective than postal delivery of printed materials on a long-term basis. MEDs are more efficient for providing updates to educational materials. Customization of content to department needs, and using projector devices could enhance the usefulness of MEDs for

Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

2018-04-05

Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. NCT02179112.

Treatment of chancroid in resource-poor countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Annan, Naa Torshie; Lewis, David A

2005-04-01

Chancroid, formerly a major cause of the genital ulcer disease syndrome, remains an important cofactor in both the transmission and acquisition of HIV-1 infection. Those countries with the greatest burden of HIV also have some of the highest prevalence rates of chancroid worldwide. The diagnosis of chancroid, caused by the fastidious bacterium Haemophilus ducreyi, is both expensive and difficult in many resource-poor areas. These areas of the world use syndromic management to treat genital ulcers and such an approach has proven effective in reducing rates of bacterial genital ulcer diseases. There are currently inexpensive and effective single-dose therapies available to treat chancroid. Single-dose regimens, given at first presentation, improve compliance and reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Bacterial resistance to several antimicrobial agents has increased over the years and remains a continued threat to effective antimicrobial therapy. Follow-up of cases, and partner notification and treatment is carried out to limit reinfection and onward transmission of chancroid. Patients with coexistent HIV may be particularly at risk of failing single-dose therapy and should therefore be reviewed wherever possible.

Productive diversification in natural resource abundant countries : limitations, policies and the experience of Argentina in the 2000s

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L.A. Serino (Leandro)

2009-01-01

textabstractThe debate on the pattern of specialization in natural resource abundant countries has re-emerged as demand for raw materials and food products from the rapidly growing East Asian countries, speculation in financial markets, and changes in production techniques augmented the

Technological Innovation and Developmental Strategies for Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources in Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Agboola, Julius Ibukun

2014-12-01

Sustainable use and allocation of aquatic resources including water resources require implementation of ecologically appropriate technologies, efficient and relevant to local needs. Despite the numerous international agreements and provisions on transfer of technology, this has not been successfully achieved in developing countries. While reviewing some challenges to technological innovations and developments (TID), this paper analyzes five TID strategic approaches centered on grassroots technology development and provision of localized capacity for sustainable aquatic resources management. Three case studies provide examples of successful implementation of these strategies. Success requires the provision of localized capacity to manage technology through knowledge empowerment in rural communities situated within a framework of clear national priorities for technology development.

Pharmacovigilance in resource-limited countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsson, Sten; Pal, Shanthi N; Dodoo, Alex

2015-01-01

In the past 20 years, many low- and middle-income countries have created national pharmacovigilance (PV) systems and joined the WHO's global PV network. However, very few of them have fully functional systems. Scientific evidence on the local burden of medicine-related harm and their preventability is missing. Legislation and regulatory framework as well as financial support to build sustainable PV systems are needed. Public health programs need to integrate PV to monitor new vaccines and medicines introduced through these programs. Signal analysis should focus on high-burden preventable adverse drug problems. Increased involvement of healthcare professionals from public and private sectors, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and the public at large is necessary to assure a safe environment for drug therapy. WHO has a major role in supporting and coordinating these developments.

A Life-cycle Approach to Improve the Sustainability of Rural Water Systems in Resource-Limited Countries

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Nicholas Stacey

2012-11-01

Full Text Available A WHO and UNICEF joint report states that in 2008, 884 million people lacked access to potable drinking water. A life-cycle approach to develop potable water systems may improve the sustainability for such systems, however, a review of the literature shows that such an approach has primarily been used for urban systems located in resourced countries. Although urbanization is increasing globally, over 40 percent of the world’s population is currently rural with many considered poor. In this paper, we present a first step towards using life-cycle assessment to develop sustainable rural water systems in resource-limited countries while pointing out the needs. For example, while there are few differences in costs and environmental impacts for many improved rural water system options, a system that uses groundwater with community standpipes is substantially lower in cost that other alternatives with a somewhat lower environmental inventory. However, a LCA approach shows that from institutional as well as community and managerial perspectives, sustainability includes many other factors besides cost and environment that are a function of the interdependent decision process used across the life cycle of a water system by aid organizations, water user committees, and household users. These factors often present the biggest challenge to designing sustainable rural water systems for resource-limited countries.

Providing anesthesia in resource-limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Dohlman, Lena E

2017-08-01

The article reviews the reality of anesthetic resource constraints in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Understanding these limitations is important to volunteers from high-income countries who desire to teach or safely provide anesthesia services in these countries. Recently published information on the state of anesthetic resources in LMICs is helping to guide humanitarian outreach efforts from high-income countries. The importance of using context-appropriate anesthesia standards and equipment is now emphasized. Global health experts are encouraging equal partnerships between anesthesia health care providers working together from different countries. The key roles that ketamine and regional anesthesia play in providing well tolerated anesthesia for cesarean sections and other common procedures is increasingly recognized. Anesthesia can be safely given in LMICs with basic supplies and equipment, if the anesthesia provider is trained and vigilant. Neuraxial and regional anesthesia and the use of ketamine as a general anesthetic appear to be the safest alternatives in low-resource countries. Environmentally appropriate equipment should be encouraged and pulse oximeters should be in every anesthetizing location. LMICs will continue to need support from outside sources until capacity building has made more progress.

Beyond Wage Bill Ceilings : The Impact of Government Fiscal and Human Resource Management Policies on the Health Workforce in Developing Countries, Background Country Study for Rwanda

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2008-01-01

One of the main explanations put forth on why access to health workers is so low in developing countries is that there are insufficient resources within the public sector to pay the wage bill - the salary and allowance payments - of an expanded health workforce. In turn, the lack of wage bill resources for the health sector is thought to be a direct result of restrictive macroeconomic poli...

Human Resource Management in Public Higher Education in the Tempus Partner Countries. A Tempus Study. Issue 10

Science.gov (United States)

Dubosc, Flora; Kelo, Maria

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to give an overview of the ways in which human resources are managed in public higher education institutions in the Tempus Partner Countries. It is based on a survey addressed to individuals involved in Tempus projects and on information gathered at the level of the national authorities. In all the countries covered by the…

Paediatric Palliative Care in Resource-Poor Countries

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Julia Downing

2018-02-01

Full Text Available There is a great need for paediatric palliative care (PPC services globally, but access to services is lacking in many parts of the world, particularly in resource-poor settings. Globally it is estimated that 21.6 million children need access to palliative care, with 8.2 needing specialist services. PC has been identified as important within the global health agenda e.g., within universal health coverage, and a recent Lancet commission report recognised the need for PPC. However, a variety of challenges have been identified to PPC development globally such as: access to treatment, access to medications such as oral morphine, opiophobia, a lack of trained health and social care professionals, a lack of PPC policies and a lack of awareness about PPC. These challenges can be overcome utilising a variety of strategies including advocacy and public awareness, education, access to medications, implementation and research. Examples will be discussed impacting on the provision of PPC in resource-poor settings. High-quality PPC service provision can be provided with resource-poor settings, and there is an urgent need to scale up affordable, accessible, and quality PPC services globally to ensure that all children needing palliative care can access it.

Global Pediatric Oncology: Lessons From Partnerships Between High-Income Countries and Low- to Mid-Income Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Antillon, Federico; Pedrosa, Francisco; Pui, Ching-Hon

2016-01-01

Partnerships between medical institutions in high-income countries (HICs) and low- to mid-income countries (LMICs) have succeeded in initiating and expanding pediatric cancer control efforts. The long-term goal is consistently a sustainable national pediatric cancer program. Here, we review the elements required for successful implementation, development, and long-term sustainability of pediatric cancer programs in LMICs that first arise as partnerships with institutions in HICs. Although plans must be adapted to each country's resources, certain components are unfailingly necessary. First, an essential step is provision of treatment regardless of ability to pay. Second, financial support for program development and long-term sustainability must be sought from sources both international and local, public and private. A local leader, typically a well-trained pediatric oncologist who devotes full-time effort to the project, should direct medical care and collaborate with hospital, governmental, and community leadership and international agencies. Third, nurses must be trained in pediatric cancer care and allowed to practice this specialty full-time. It is also essential to develop a grassroots organization, such as a foundation, dedicated solely to pediatric oncology. Its members must be trained and educated to provide pediatric cancer advocacy, fundraising, and (in concert with government) program sustainability. Finally, a project mentor in the HIC is crucial and should explore the possibility of collaborative research in the LMIC, which may offer significant opportunities. Relationships between the partnership's leaders and influential individuals in the community, hospital, grassroots foundation, and government will lay the foundation for productive collaboration and a sustainable pediatric oncology program. PMID:26578620

FOOD SECURITY SITUATION OF SELECTED HIGHLY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AGAINST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

OpenAIRE

Karolina Pawlak

2016-01-01

The aim of the paper is to present the food security situation in selected highly developed countries and to identify consumption disparities between them and developing countries. The research is based on the data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the United Nations Statistics Division, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Food Programme (WFP) and selected measures used...

The relationship between air pollution, fossil fuel energy consumption, and water resources in the panel of selected Asia-Pacific countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rafindadi, Abdulkadir Abdulrashid; Yusof, Zarinah; Zaman, Khalid; Kyophilavong, Phouphet; Akhmat, Ghulam

2014-10-01

The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between air pollution, fossil fuel energy consumption, water resources, and natural resource rents in the panel of selected Asia-Pacific countries, over a period of 1975-2012. The study includes number of variables in the model for robust analysis. The results of cross-sectional analysis show that there is a significant relationship between air pollution, energy consumption, and water productivity in the individual countries of Asia-Pacific. However, the results of each country vary according to the time invariant shocks. For this purpose, the study employed the panel least square technique which includes the panel least square regression, panel fixed effect regression, and panel two-stage least square regression. In general, all the panel tests indicate that there is a significant and positive relationship between air pollution, energy consumption, and water resources in the region. The fossil fuel energy consumption has a major dominating impact on the changes in the air pollution in the region.

An investigation on e-resource utilisation among university students in a developing country: A case of Great Zimbabwe University

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Talent Mawere

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Electronic libraries are the recent development in the ever-changing technological world today. Students nowadays have the ability to carry the library wherever they are, their Internet-enabled devices being the only requirement. Most universities worldwide have subscribed to various online databases and other e-resources as a way of availing resources to their students. To their credit, most institutions of higher learning in developing countries have not been left out in this stampede.   Objectives: The study aimed at investigating the adoption and utilisation of e-resources by students at a university in a developing country.   Method: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM model was used to conceptualise the study. A survey questionnaire was designed and distributed through social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS. The Chi-squared test was used to test for casual relationships within the developed model. A thematic approach was used to analyse qualitative data. Results: Despite the fact that many Zimbabwean academic institutions have made the facility of e-libraries top agenda in their strategic plans, the adoption rate among students is still very limited. This can be attributed to a myriad of facts, inter alia, poor marketing strategies, lack of resources among the students and exorbitant data charges by Internet Service Providers (ISPs.   Conclusion: This study has provided some basic insights in utilisation of e-resources in universities of developing countries. Despite the younger generation being described as digital natives, it is, quite evident that their uptake of technological innovations especially in education is quite poor. This research will assist both researchers and management of institutions of higher learning to provide and design amicable solutions to the problem of poor utilisation of e-resources as

The global burden of visual difficulty in low, middle, and high income countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellen E Freeman

Full Text Available Using a world-wide, population-based dataset of adults, we sought to determine the frequency of far visual difficulty and its associated risk factors.The World Health Survey (WHS was conducted in 70 countries throughout the world in 2003 using a random, multi-stage, stratified, cluster sampling design of adults ages 18 years and older. Far vision was assessed by asking "In the last 30 days, how much difficulty did you have in seeing and recognizing a person you know across the road (i.e. from a distance of about 20 meters?". Responses included none, mild, moderate, severe, or extreme/unable. The income status of countries was estimated using gross national income per capita data from 2003 from the World Bank. Prevalence and regression estimates were adjusted to account for the complex sample design.21% of adults reported any visual difficulty. The rate varied by the income status of the country with the percentage who had any visual difficulty being 24%, 23%, and 13% in low, middle, and high income countries, respectively. Five percent of people reported severe or extreme visual difficulty with rates in low, middle, and high income countries of 6%, 5%, and 2% respectively. Risk factors for visual difficulty included older age, female sex, poorer socioeconomic status, little to no formal education, and diabetes (P<0.05.One out of five adults in the WHS reported some degree of far visual difficulty. Given the importance of vision to living an independent life, better access to quality eye care services and life course factors affecting vision health (e.g. repeated eye infections, diet lacking vitamin A must receive adequate attention and resources, especially in low and middle income countries.

Research status of geothermal resources in China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lincheng; Li, Guang

2017-08-01

As the representative of the new green energy, geothermal resources are characterized by large reserve, wide distribution, cleanness and environmental protection, good stability, high utilization factor and other advantages. According to the characteristics of exploitation and utilization, they can be divided into high-temperature, medium-temperature and low-temperature geothermal resources. The abundant and widely distributed geothermal resources in China have a broad prospect for development. The medium and low temperature geothermal resources are broadly distributed in the continental crustal uplift and subsidence areas inside the plate, represented by the geothermal belt on the southeast coast, while the high temperature geothermal resources concentrate on Southern Tibet-Western Sichuan-Western Yunnan Geothermal Belt and Taiwan Geothermal Belt. Currently, the geothermal resources in China are mainly used for bathing, recuperation, heating and power generation. It is a country that directly makes maximum use of geothermal energy in the world. However, China’s geothermal power generation, including installed generating capacity and power generation capacity, are far behind those of Western European countries and the USA. Studies on exploitation and development of geothermal resources are still weak.

The carbon curse: Are fuel rich countries doomed to high CO2 intensities?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedrichs, Jörg; Inderwildi, Oliver R.

2013-01-01

The carbon curse is a new theory, related to but distinct from the resource curse. It states that fossil-fuel rich countries tend to follow more carbon-intensive developmental pathways than [if they were] fossil-fuel poor countries, due to a hitherto unappreciated syndrome of causal mechanisms. First, fuel rich countries emit significant amounts of CO 2 in the extraction of fuel and through associated wasteful practices such as gas flaring. Second, easy access to domestic fuel in such countries leads to crowding-out effects for their energy mix and economic structure (for example, abundant oil may displace other fuels from the energy mix and lead to the “Dutch Disease”). Third, fuel abundance weakens the economic incentive to invest in energy efficiency. Fourth, governments in fuel rich countries are under considerable pressure to grant uneconomic fuel consumption subsidies, which further augments the carbon intensity of their economic output. Due to the combined effect of these causal mechanisms, it is genuinely difficult for fuel rich countries to evade carbon-intensive developmental pathways. And yet there are remarkable exceptions like Norway. Such positive outliers indicate that the carbon curse is not destiny when appropriate policies are adopted. - Highlights: • Fuel rich countries appear doomed to high carbon intensity, for four reasons. • First, extractive emissions; and, second, fuel-related crowding-out effects. • Third, weaker incentives to invest in improvements of energy efficiency. • Fourth, significant pressure to grant uneconomic fuel consumption subsidies. • But the carbon curse is not destiny, as indicated by positive outliers like Norway

Burden of diseases in poor resource countries: meeting the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In Tanzania morbidity due to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria leads to ... Key words: HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, burden, poverty, research. Introduction ... children and women in particular, die without ever accessing ... 1990s in Tanzania show a mixed picture despite .... percent of the country is highly endemic for the.

Symposium on development and utilization of biomass energy resources in developing countries. Proceedings. V. 1: Thematic papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-12-01

The present publication consists of papers, each with a separate abstract, from fourteen countries giving broad perspectives on the development and utilisation of biomass energy resources. Emphasis is put on identifying regional biomass energy resources. Policies and strategies governing as well as barriers limiting the development and utilization of biomass energy are discussed. Innovative technologies as well as technology transfer related to biomass energy utilisation are dealt with, together with economic and environmental issues

The practice of career development in the international human resource management of the European countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berber Nemanja

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The function very close to the training in the management of human resources is certainly the human resource development. Specifically, the employees acquire new knowledge, abilities and skills during the training process, but also gain new experiences through various business tasks during their working life, developing themselves both, in private life and in the professional sense. Human resource development is seen as the development of the expertise of people through organizational development and training of employees in order of improvement of the performances. In this paper authors explored the practice of carrier development in European countries. Research was based on data from international project, CRANET, in the period from 2008 to 2010. The authors presented data about the usage of techniques for evaluation of career development and investigated obtained results.

Biomedical laboratory science education: standardising teaching content in resource-limited countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wendy Arneson

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Background: There is a worldwide shortage of qualified laboratory personnel to provide adequate testing for the detection and monitoring of diseases. In an effort to increase laboratory capacity in developing countries, new skills have been introduced into laboratory services. Curriculum revision with a focus on good laboratory practice is an important aspect of supplying entry-level graduates with the competencies needed to meet the current needs. Objectives: Gaps in application and problem-solving competencies of newly graduated laboratory personnel were discovered in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya. New medical laboratory teaching content was developed in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya using national instructors, tutors, and experts and consulting medical laboratory educators from the United States of America (USA. Method: Workshops were held in Ethiopia to create standardised biomedical laboratory science (BMLS lessons based on recently-revised course objectives with an emphasis on application of skills. In Tanzania, course-module teaching guides with objectives were developed based on established competency outcomes and tasks. In Kenya, example interactive presentations and lesson plans were developed by the USA medical laboratory educators prior to the workshop to serve as resources and templates for the development of lessons within the country itself. Results: The new teaching materials were implemented and faculty, students and other stakeholders reported successful outcomes. Conclusions: These approaches to updating curricula may be helpful as biomedical laboratory schools in other countries address gaps in the competencies of entry-level graduates.

Republic of Ecuador Country Environmental Analysis : Environmental Quality and Natural Resource Management for Sustained Economic Growth and Poverty Alleviation

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2007-01-01

Ecuador is a country with exceptional natural resource and environmental advantages and challenges. It is strategically located and has considerable oil reserves in the interior and the coastal region. This document does not aim to describe the state of the environment in Ecuador. Rather, its main objective is to provide an analytical foundation to identify the country's institutional weak...

Symposium on development and utilization of biomass energy resources in developing countries. Proceedings. V. 1: Thematic papers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-01

The present publication consists of papers, each with a separate abstract, from fourteen countries giving broad perspectives on the development and utilisation of biomass energy resources. Emphasis is put on identifying regional biomass energy resources. Policies and strategies governing as well as barriers limiting the development and utilization of biomass energy are discussed. Innovative technologies as well as technology transfer related to biomass energy utilisation are dealt with, together with economic and environmental issues Refs, figs, tabs

Leadership Development of Rehabilitation Professionals in a Low-Resource Country: A Transformational Leadership, Project-Based Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascal, Maureen Romanow; Mann, Monika; Dunleavy, Kim; Chevan, Julia; Kirenga, Liliane; Nuhu, Assuman

2017-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the activities and outcomes of the Leadership Institute (LI), a short-term leadership development professional development course offered to physiotherapists in a low-resource country. Previous studies have provided examples of the benefits of such programs in medicine and nursing, but this has yet to be documented in the rehabilitation literature. The prototype of leadership development presented may provide guidance for similar trainings in other low-resource countries and offer the rehabilitation community an opportunity to build on the model to construct a research agenda around rehabilitation leadership development. The course used a constructivist approach to integrate participants' experiences, background, beliefs, and prior knowledge into the content. Transformational leadership development theory was emphasized with the generation of active learning projects, a key component of the training. Positive changes after the course included an increase in the number of community outreach activities completed by participants and increased involvement with their professional organization. Thirteen leadership projects were proposed and presented. The LI provided present and future leaders throughout Rwanda with exposure to transformative leadership concepts and offered them the opportunity to work together on projects that enhanced their profession and met the needs of underserved communities. Challenges included limited funding for physiotherapy positions allocated to hospitals in Rwanda, particularly in the rural areas. Participants experienced difficulties in carrying out leadership projects without additional funding to support them. While the emphasis on group projects to foster local advocacy and community education is highly recommended, the projects would benefit from a strong long-term mentorship program and further budgeting considerations. The LI can serve as a model to develop leadership skills and spur professional

On the nature and scope of reported child maltreatment in high-income countries: opportunities for improving the evidence base.

Science.gov (United States)

Jud, Andreas; Fluke, John; Alink, Lenneke R A; Allan, Kate; Fallon, Barbara; Kindler, Heinz; Lee, Bong Joo; Mansell, James; van Puyenbroek, Hubert

2013-11-01

Although high-income countries share and value the goal of protecting children from harm, national data on child maltreatment and the involvement of social services, the judiciary and health services remain relatively scarce. To explore potential reasons for this, a number of high-income countries across the world (Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States) were compared. Amongst other aspects, the impact of service orientation (child protection-vs-family-services-orientated), the complexity of systems, and the role of social work as a lead profession in child welfare are discussed. Special consideration is given to indigenous and minority populations. The call for high-income countries to collect national data on child maltreatment is to promote research to better understand the risks to children. Its remit ranges well beyond these issues and reflects a major gap in a critical resource to increase prevention and intervention in these complex social situations. Fortunately, initiatives to close this gap are increasing.

What Makes MNCs Succeed in Developing countries?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Michael W.; Gwozdz, Wencke

MNCs are increasingly investing in developing countries to be part of rapid market growth, to enhance the efficiency of their value chains, and to access abundant resources and talent. The potential gains are high, however so are the risks. Some developing country subsidiaries become top performers...... regardless of location and industry. The findings of the study have important implications for the IB literature, for managers and for policy aimed at promoting FDI in developing countries....

From Smart-Eco Building to High-Performance Architecture: Optimization of Energy Consumption in Architecture of Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Mahdavinejad, M.; Bitaab, N.

2017-08-01

Search for high-performance architecture and dreams of future architecture resulted in attempts towards meeting energy efficient architecture and planning in different aspects. Recent trends as a mean to meet future legacy in architecture are based on the idea of innovative technologies for resource efficient buildings, performative design, bio-inspired technologies etc. while there are meaningful differences between architecture of developed and developing countries. Significance of issue might be understood when the emerging cities are found interested in Dubaization and other related booming development doctrines. This paper is to analyze the level of developing countries’ success to achieve smart-eco buildings’ goals and objectives. Emerging cities of West of Asia are selected as case studies of the paper. The results of the paper show that the concept of high-performance architecture and smart-eco buildings are different in developing countries in comparison with developed countries. The paper is to mention five essential issues in order to improve future architecture of developing countries: 1- Integrated Strategies for Energy Efficiency, 2- Contextual Solutions, 3- Embedded and Initial Energy Assessment, 4- Staff and Occupancy Wellbeing, 5- Life-Cycle Monitoring.

WE-FG-201-00: High Impact Technologies for Low Resource Environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Many low- and middle-income countries lack the resources and services to manage cancer, from screening and diagnosis to radiation therapy planning, treatment and quality assurance. The challenges in upgrading or introducing the needed services are enormous, and include severe shortages in equipment and trained staff. In this symposium, we will describe examples of technology and scientific research that have the potential to impact all these areas. These include: (1) the development of high-quality/low-cost colposcopes for cervical cancer screening, (2) the application of automated radiotherapy treatment planning to reduce staffing shortages, (3) the development of a novel radiotherapy treatment unit, and (4) utilizing a cloud-based infrastructure to facilitate collaboration and QA. Learning Objectives: Understand some of the issues in cancer care in low- resource environments, including shortages in staff and equipment, and inadequate physical infrastructure for advanced radiotherapy. Understand the challenges in developing and deploying diagnostic and treatment devices and services for low-resource environments. Understand some of the emerging technological solutions for cancer management in LMICs. NCI; L. Court, NIH, Varian, Elekta; I. Feain, Ilana Feain is founder and CTO of Nano-X Pty Ltd

WE-FG-201-00: High Impact Technologies for Low Resource Environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-06-15

Many low- and middle-income countries lack the resources and services to manage cancer, from screening and diagnosis to radiation therapy planning, treatment and quality assurance. The challenges in upgrading or introducing the needed services are enormous, and include severe shortages in equipment and trained staff. In this symposium, we will describe examples of technology and scientific research that have the potential to impact all these areas. These include: (1) the development of high-quality/low-cost colposcopes for cervical cancer screening, (2) the application of automated radiotherapy treatment planning to reduce staffing shortages, (3) the development of a novel radiotherapy treatment unit, and (4) utilizing a cloud-based infrastructure to facilitate collaboration and QA. Learning Objectives: Understand some of the issues in cancer care in low- resource environments, including shortages in staff and equipment, and inadequate physical infrastructure for advanced radiotherapy. Understand the challenges in developing and deploying diagnostic and treatment devices and services for low-resource environments. Understand some of the emerging technological solutions for cancer management in LMICs. NCI; L. Court, NIH, Varian, Elekta; I. Feain, Ilana Feain is founder and CTO of Nano-X Pty Ltd.

Present and future nuclear power generation as a reflection of individual countries' resources and objectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borg, I.Y.

1987-01-01

The nuclear reactor industry has been in a state of decline for more than a decade in most of the world. The reasons are numerous and often unique to the energy situation of individual countries. Two commonly cited issues influence decisions relating to construction of reactors: costs and the need, or lack thereof, for additional generating capacity. Public concern has ''politicized'' the nuclear industry in many non-communist countries, causing a profound effect on the economics of the option. The nuclear installations and future plans are reviewed on a country-by-country basis for 36 countries in the light of the resources and objectives of each. Because oil and gas for power production throughout the world are being phased out as much as possible, coal-fired generation currently tends to be the chosen alternative to nuclear power production. Exceptions occur in many of the less developed countries that collectively have a very limited operating experience with nuclear reactors. The Chernobyl accident in the USSR alarmed the public; however, national strategies and plans to build reactors have not changed markedly in the interim. Assuming that the next decade of nuclear power generation is uneventful, additional electrical demand would cause the nuclear power industry to experience a rejuvenation in Europe as well as in the US. 80 refs., 3 figs., 22 tabs

Modelling Oil‑Sector Dependency of Tax Revenues in a Resource Rich Country: Evidence from Azerbaijan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akif Musayev

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Forecasting tax revenues is an important issue in budget planning. As a resource rich country, Azerbaijan’s budget revenues is severely depend on oil price and production levels. This study investigates oil sector dependency of state budget tax revenues in case of Azerbaijan by employing FMOLS, DOLS and CCR cointegration methods for the period of 2000Q1 – 2015Q2. Empirical results indicate statistically and economically significant positive long‑run impact of both oil related factors on tax revenues. Considering current fiscal challenges in the country, research findings are very useful for policy purposes and fills the gap in the literature by drawing mechanism of the association and estimating the relationship empirically.

Assessment of human resources for health using cross-national comparison of facility surveys in six countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dal Poz Mario R

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Health facility assessments are being increasingly used to measure and monitor indicators of health workforce performance, but the global evidence base remains weak. Partly this is due to the wide variability in assessment methods and tools, hampering comparability across and within countries and over time. The World Health Organization coordinated a series of facility-based surveys using a common approach in six countries: Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Jamaica, Mozambique, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The objectives were twofold: to inform the development and monitoring of human resources for health (HRH policy within the countries; and to test and validate the use of standardized facility-based human resources assessment tools across different contexts. Methods The survey methodology drew on harmonized questionnaires and guidelines for data collection and processing. In accordance with the survey's dual objectives, this paper presents both descriptive statistics on a number of policy-relevant indicators for monitoring and evaluation of HRH as well as a qualitative assessment of the usefulness of the data collection tool for comparative analyses. Results The findings revealed a large diversity in both the organization of health services delivery and, in particular, the distribution and activities of facility-based health workers across the sampled countries. At the same time, some commonalities were observed, including the importance of nursing and midwifery personnel in the skill mix and the greater tendency of physicians to engage in dual practice. While the use of standardized questionnaires offered the advantage of enhancing cross-national comparability of the results, some limitations were noted, especially in relation to the categories used for occupations and qualifications that did not necessarily conform to the country situation. Conclusion With increasing experience in health facility assessments for HRH monitoring comes

Screening for neonatal deafness in resource-poor countries: challenges and solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olusanya BO

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Bolajoko O Olusanya Centre for Healthy Start Initiative, Ikoyi, Nigeria Abstract: Newborn or neonatal hearing screening (NHS is offered routinely in high-income countries as an essential and mandatory intervention for the early detection of infants with permanent congenital or early-onset hearing loss. However, NHS is rarely offered presently in the vast majority of low- and middle-income countries, which account for over 80% of the incidence and burden of permanent congenital or early-onset hearing loss worldwide. This review provides an overview of the current status of NHS programs in the most developmentally disadvantaged low-and middle-income countries with a per capita income of approximately US$6,000 or less against the backdrop of relevant recommendations for effective NHS programs. It highlights the key obstacles to the delivery and uptake of NHS services based on a review of available literature from the eligible countries. It proposes strategies for addressing these challenges and examines the crucial role of pediatricians and primary care physicians in providing leadership for the requisite multidisciplinary efforts to develop and promote effective NHS services in low- and middle-income countries. Keywords: early detection, intervention, newborn screening, early childhood development, developing countries

The HIV Treatment Gap: Estimates of the Financial Resources Needed versus Available for Scale-Up of Antiretroviral Therapy in 97 Countries from 2015 to 2020.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arin Dutta

2015-11-01

% CI 47.8, 49.6 billion under the WHO 2013 scenario, and US$52.5 (95% CI 51.4, 53.6 billion under the 90-90-90 scenario. After projecting recent external and domestic funding trends, the estimated 6-y financing gap ranges from US$19.8 billion to US$25.0 billion, depending on the costing scenario and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief contribution level, with the gap for ART commodities alone ranging from US$14.0 to US$16.8 billion. The study is limited by excluding above-facility and other costs essential to ART service delivery and by the availability and quality of country- and region-specific data.The projected number of people receiving ART across three scenarios suggests that countries are unlikely to meet the 90-90-90 treatment target (81% of people living with HIV on ART by 2020 unless they adopt a test-and-offer approach and increase ART coverage. Our results suggest that future resource needs for ART scale-up are smaller than stated elsewhere but still significantly threaten the sustainability of the global HIV response without additional resource mobilization from domestic or innovative financing sources or efficiency gains. As the world moves towards adopting the WHO 2015 guidelines, advances in technology, including the introduction of lower-cost, highly effective antiretroviral regimens, whose value are assessed here, may prove to be "game changers" that allow more people to be on ART with the resources available.

Pediatric tuberculosis immigration screening in high-immigration, low-incidence countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez, G G; Clark, M; Altpeter, E; Douglas, P; Jones, J; Paty, M-C; Posey, D L; Chemtob, D

2010-12-01

Tuberculosis (TB) screening in migrant children, including immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, is an ongoing challenge in low TB incidence countries. Many children from high TB incidence countries harbor latent TB infection (LTBI), and some have active TB disease at the point of immigration into host nations. Young children who harbor LTBI have a high risk of progression to TB disease and are at a higher risk than adults of developing disseminated severe forms of TB with significant morbidity and mortality. Many countries have developed immigration TB screening programs to suit the needs of adults, but have not focused much attention on migrant children. To compare the TB immigration medical examination requirements in children in selected countries with high immigration and low TB incidence rates. Descriptive study of TB immigration screening programs for systematically selected countries. Of 18 eligible countries, 16 responded to the written survey and telephone interview. No two countries had the same approach to TB screening among migrant children. The optimal evidenced-based manner in which to screen migrant children requires further research.

Urban Mining's Potential to Relieve China's Coming Resource Crisis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wen, Zongguo; Zhang, Chenkai; Ji, Xiaoli; Xue, Yanyan

2015-01-01

China's mineral resource consumption has gone through multiple increases since 1980, resulting in the inadequacy of important strategic resources and a high level of external dependence. Some developed countries have already reduced primary resources consumption through urban mining. Can China also

Public sector refraction and spectacle dispensing in low-resource countries of the Western Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramke, Jacqueline; du Toit, Rènée; Palagyi, Anna; Williams, Carmel; Brian, Garry

2008-05-01

Given that uncorrected refractive error is a frequent cause of vision impairment, and that there is a high unmet need for spectacles, an appraisal of public sector arrangements for the correction of refractive error was conducted in eight Pacific Island countries. Mixed methods (questionnaire and semi-structured interviews) were used to collect information from eye care personnel (from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu) attending a regional eye health workshop in 2005. Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu had Vision 2020 eye care plans that included refraction services, but not spectacle provision. There was wide variation in public sector spectacle dispensing services, but, except in Samoa, ready-made spectacles and a full cost recovery pricing strategy were the mainstay. There were no systems for the registration of personnel, nor guidelines for clinical or systems management. The refraction staff to population ratio varied considerably. Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu had the best coverage by services, either fixed or outreach. Most services had little promotional activity or community engagement. To be successful, it would seem that public sector refraction services should answer a real and perceived need, fit within prevailing policy and legislation, value, train, retain and equip employees, be well managed, be accessible and affordable, be responsive to consumers, and provide ongoing good quality outcomes. To this end, a checklist to aid the initiation and maintenance of refraction and spectacle systems in low-resource countries has been constructed.

The energy situation in five Central American countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trocki, L.; Booth, S.R.; Umana Q, A.

1987-06-01

This study describes the energy resources and the changes that have taken place in energy supply and demand in five Central American countries between 1970 and 1984. Economic changes are also reviewed because they influence and are affected by changes in the energy sector. The work was performed under the auspices of the US Agency for International Development. The Central American countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama are highly dependent on fuel wood as a source of energy, particularly in the residential sector. They also rely upon imported oil products to supply a growing modern sector. Most countries have significant hydroelectric and geothermal resources, and most countries produce a large portion of their electricity from hydroelectric projects. Demand for electricity has grown rapidly. Relative shares of primary versus secondary energy in the five countries vary significantly and strongly correlate with average per capita income. Consumption of secondary energy has declined during the recent economic recession suffered by the region.

Clinical Neurophysiology Training in a Developing Country: Institutional Resources and Profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Sámano, Arturo G; Ochoa Mena, José D; Padilla, Silvana P; Acevedo, Gerardo R; Orenday Barraza, José M; San-Juan, Daniel

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and preferences of clinical neurophysiology (CN) fellows, as well as the resources available for their training, in a developing country such as Mexico. An online survey (25 questions) was given to Mexican CN fellows from May to June 2017, covering their reasons for choosing the CN subspecialty, their activities, future plans, institutional resources, and administrative staff. Descriptive statistics were used. Total respondents: 20/22 (90%), 65% female from 7 CN centers (80% public and 20% private hospitals) in Mexico City. Seventy-five percent chose CN out of personal interest, and all were not unsatisfied with their academic program. Most plan to work in private practice (75%) and are interested in learning EEG (85%) and intraoperative monitoring (75%-85%). The highest-reported training time by CN area allocated by the programs was as follows: EEG (27%), electromyography (22%), and evoked potentials (16%). The average number of fellows per center was 4; 75% of the centers perform epilepsy surgery, of which 60% offer invasive intracranial studies for the evaluation of surgical candidates. Mexican CN fellows are satisfied with their choice and with the academic program. They are increasingly interested in intraoperative monitoring, which is not addressed in current Mexican CN Programs.

Human resource management interventions to improve health workers' performance in low and middle income countries : a realist review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dieleman, Marjolein; Gerretsen, Barend; van der Wilt, Gert Jan

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Improving health workers' performance is vital for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In the literature on human resource management (HRM) interventions to improve health workers' performance in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), hardly any attention has been paid to the

Human resource management interventions to improve health workers' performance in low and middle income countries: a realist review.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dieleman, M.; Gerretsen, B.; Wilt, G.J. van der

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Improving health workers' performance is vital for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In the literature on human resource management (HRM) interventions to improve health workers' performance in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), hardly any attention has been paid to the

Addressing Factors Associated with Arab Women's Socioeconomic Status May Reduce Breast Cancer Mortality: Report from a Well Resourced Middle Eastern Country.

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Tam Truong; Al Khater, Al-Hareth; Al Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith; Al-Bader, Salha Bujassoum; Abdulmalik, Mariam; Al-Meer, Nabila; Singh, Rajvir; Fung, Tak

2015-01-01

Differences in socioeconomic status (SES) such as income levels may partly explain why breast cancer screening (BCS) disparities exist in countries where health care services are free or heavily subsidized. However, factors that contribute to such differences in SES among women living in well resourced Middle East countries are not fully understood. This quantitative study investigated factors that influence SES and BCS of Arab women. Understanding of such factors can be useful for the development of effective intervention strategies that aim to increase BCS uptake among Arab women. Using data from a cross-sectional survey among 1,063 Arabic-speaking women in Qatar, age 35+, additional data analysis was performed to determine the relationship between socioeconomic indicators such as income and other factors in relation to BCS activities. This study found that income is determined and influenced by education level, occupation, nationality, years of residence in the country, level of social activity, self-perceived health status, and living area. Financial stress, unemployment, and unfavorable social conditions may impede women's participation in BCS activities in well resourced Middle East countries.

Natural resources endowment and economic growth: The West African Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Jalloh

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims at investigating the nexus between natural resource endowment and economic growth using a sample of West African countries. The study adopted a Barrow-type growth model to analyse the impact of natural resource wealth on economic growth. A dynamic panel estimation technique was employed using relevant data from West African Countries. The results from the panel regressions indicate that natural resource endowments have very minimal impact in terms of promoting economic growth in West Africa, more so in resource rich countries. In terms of relative effects, the results indicate that a 10% increase in natural resource export reduces growth in income per capita by approximately 0.4%. Part of the factors explaining this finding amongst others; include high corruption in the public sector as well as the frequency of civil conflicts in resource rich economies of West Africa. For the natural resources of the region to fully benefit its citizens, these countries require , urgently, to improve management of natural resource export revenues and to apply effective policy measures to eradicate/ mitigate incidences of rampant corruption in the public sector.

Techniques for assessing water resource potentials in the developing countries: with emphasis on streamflow, erosion and sediment transport, water movement in unsaturated soils, ground water, and remote sensing in hydrologic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, George C.

1971-01-01

Hydrologic instrumentation and methodology for assessing water-resource potentials have originated largely in the developed countries of the temperature zone. The developing countries lie largely in the tropic zone, which contains the full gamut of the earth's climatic environments, including most of those of the temperate zone. For this reason, most hydrologic techniques have world-wide applicability. Techniques for assessing water-resource potentials for the high priority goals of economic growth are well established in the developing countries--but much more are well established in the developing countries--but much more so in some than in other. Conventional techniques for measurement and evaluation of basic hydrologic parameters are now well-understood in the developing countries and are generally adequate for their current needs and those of the immediate future. Institutional and economic constraints, however, inhibit growth of sustained programs of hydrologic data collection and application of the data to problems in engineering technology. Computer-based technology, including processing of hydrologic data and mathematical modelling of hydrologic parameters i also well-begun in many developing countries and has much wider potential application. In some developing counties, however, there is a tendency to look on the computer as a panacea for deficiencies in basic hydrologic data collection programs. This fallacy must be discouraged, as the computer is a tool and not a "magic box." There is no real substitute for sound programs of basic data collection. Nuclear and isotopic techniques are being used increasingly in the developed countries in the measurement and evaluation of virtually all hydrologic parameter in which conventional techniques have been used traditionally. Even in the developed countries, however, many hydrologists are not using nuclear techniques, simply because they lack knowledge of the principles involved and of the potential benefits

Stillbirths 5. Stillbirths : the way forward in high-income countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flenady, Vicki; Middleton, Philippa; Smith, Gordon C.; Duke, Wes; Erwich, Jan Jaap; Khong, T. Yee; Neilson, Jim; Ezzati, Majid; Koopmans, Laura; Ellwood, David; Fretts, Ruth; Froen, J. Frederik

2011-01-01

Stillbirth rates in high-income countries declined dramatically from about 1940, but this decline has slowed or stalled over recent times. The present variation in stillbirth rates across and within high-income countries indicates that further reduction in stillbirth is possible. Large disparities

Carbon emissions from the Persian Gulf countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Shatti, A.M.

1991-01-01

The wealth of indigenous oil resources has largely determined the economic and energy use patterns in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Sizable profits accrued from the inflation of world oil prices spurred tremendous economic growth across the Gulf during the 1970s. The GCC nations channeled this oil wealth into the rapid development of infrastructure and the creation of super-welfare states. Today, these highly affluent societies enjoy benefits ranging from free medical care, schooling and housing to subsidized electricity and gasoline supplies. The combination of great personal prosperity, abundant petroleum resources and highly subsidized energy prices has led to excessive energy use in the Gulf nations. These countries consume among the highest amounts of energy per capita in the world. Correspondingly, these nations generate among the highest levels of energy-related carbon per capita

FOOD SECURITY SITUATION OF SELECTED HIGHLY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AGAINST DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karolina Pawlak

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to present the food security situation in selected highly developed countries and to identify consumption disparities between them and developing countries. The research is based on the data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat, the United Nations Statistics Division, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, World Food Programme (WFP and selected measures used by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU for the construction of the Global Food Security Index. It has been showed that to the greatest extent the problem of maintaining food security occur in developing countries which are characterised by low per capita income, while in developed countries the scale of hunger is marginal and it afflicts less than 1% of the population. On a regional scale the daily dietary energy supply is greater than the minimum dietary energy requirement in all regions of the world, but the extent to which the dietary needs are satisfied increases along with the increase in national income. In order to reduce the problem of hunger it is necessary to solve the problem of asymmetrical distribution of global income, e.g. by taking actions to accelerate the economic growth in less developed regions and increase the purchasing power of the population.

Potential for Zika virus introduction and transmission in resource limited countries in Africa and Asia-Pacific: A modeling study

Science.gov (United States)

German, Matthew; Creatore, Maria I.; Brent, Shannon; Watts, Alexander G.; Hay, Simon I.; Kulkarni, Manisha A.; Brownstein, John S.; Khan, Kamran

2016-01-01

Summary Background As the epidemic of Zika virus expands in the Americas, countries across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region are becoming increasingly susceptible to the importation and possible local spread of the virus. To support public health readiness, we aim to identify regions and times where the potential health, economic, and social effects from Zika virus are greatest, focusing on resource-limited countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Methods Our model combined transportation network analysis, ecological modelling of mosquito occurrences, and vector competence for flavivirus transmission, using data from the International Air Transport Association, entomological observations from Zika’s primary vector species, and climate conditions using WorldClim. We overlaid monthly flows of airline travellers arriving to Africa and the Asia-Pacific region from areas of the Americas suitable for year-round transmission of Zika virus with monthly maps of climatic suitability for mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus within Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Findings An estimated 2·6 billion people live in areas of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region where the presence of competent mosquito vectors and suitable climatic conditions could support local transmission of Zika virus. Countries with large volumes of travellers arriving from Zika affected areas of the Americas and large populations at risk of mosquito-borne Zika virus infection include, India (67 422 travellers arriving per year; 1·2 billion residents in potential Zika transmission areas), China (238 415 travellers; 242 million residents), Indonesia (13 865 travellers; 197 million residents), Philippines (35 635 travellers; 70 million residents), and Thailand (29 241 travellers; 59 million residents). Interpretation Many countries across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region are vulnerable to Zika virus. Strategic use of available health and human resources is essential to prevent or mitigate

Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries

CERN Document Server

2012-01-01

Industrial production in high-wage countries like Germany is still at risk. Yet, there are many counter-examples in which producing companies dominate their competitors by not only compensating for their specific disadvantages in terms of factor costs (e.g. wages, energy, duties and taxes) but rather by minimising waste using synchronising integrativity as well as by obtaining superior adaptivity on alternating conditions. In order to respond to the issue of economic sustainability of industrial production in high-wage countries, the leading production engineering and material research scientists of RWTH Aachen University together with renowned companies have established the Cluster of Excellence “Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries”. This compendium comprises the cluster’s scientific results as well as a selection of business and technology cases, in which these results have been successfully implemented into industrial practice in close cooperation with more than 30 companies of ...

Cigarette Design Features in Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosalie V. Caruso

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have shown that country income grouping is correlated with cigarette engineering. Cigarettes (=111 brands were purchased during 2008–2010 from 11 low-, middle-, and high-income countries to assess physical dimensions and an array of cigarette design features. Mean ventilation varied significantly across low- (7.5%, middle- (15.3%, and high-income (26.2% countries (≤0.001. Differences across income groups were also seen in cigarette length (=0.001, length of the tipping paper (=0.01, filter weight (=0.017, number of vent rows (=0.003, per-cigarette tobacco weight (=0.04, and paper porosity (=0.008. Stepwise linear regression showed ventilation and tobacco length as major predictors of ISO tar yields in low-income countries (=0.909, 0.047, while tipping paper (<0.001, filter length (<0.001, number of vent rows (=0.014, and per-cigarette weight (=0.015 were predictors of tar yields in middle-income countries. Ventilation (<0.001, number of vent rows (=0.009, per-cigarette weight (<0.001, and filter diameter (=0.004 predicted tar yields in high-income countries. Health officials must be cognizant of cigarette design issues to provide effective regulation of tobacco products.

Acute Kidney Injury Risk Assessment: Differences and Similarities Between Resource-Limited and Resource-Rich Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kianoush Kashani

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI among acutely ill patients is reportedly very high and has vexing consequences on patient outcomes and health care systems. The risks and impact of AKI differ between developed and developing countries. Among developing countries, AKI occurs in young individuals with no or limited comorbidities, and is usually due to environmental causes, including infectious diseases. Although several risk factors have been identified for AKI in different settings, there is limited information on how risk assessment can be used at population and patient levels to improve care in patients with AKI, particularly in developing countries where significant health disparities may exist. The Acute Disease Quality Initiative consensus conference work group addressed the issue of identifying risk factors for AKI and provided recommendations for developing individualized risk stratification strategies to improve care. We proposed a 5-dimension, evidence-based categorization of AKI risk that allows clinicians and investigators to study, define, and implement individualized risk assessment tools for the region or country where they practice. These dimensions include environmental, socioeconomic and cultural factors, processes of care, exposures, and the inherent risks of AKI. We provide examples of these risks and describe approaches for risk assessments in the developing world. We anticipate that these recommendations will be useful for health care providers to plan and execute interventions to limit the impact of AKI on society and each individual patient. Using a modified Delphi process, this group reached consensus regarding several aspects of AKI risk stratification.

The Social Development Summit and the developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnabas, A P; Kulkarni, P D; Nanavatty, M C; Singh, R R

1996-01-01

This article discusses some concerns of the 1996 UN Summit on Social Development. Conference organizers identified the three key conference issues as poverty alleviation, social integration of the marginalized and disadvantaged, and expansion of productive employment. The goal of a "society for all" means dealing with the increasing differences between rich and poor countries, the survival of weaker economies in a competitive market system, wide variations in consumption patterns between countries, attainment of political stability while respecting ethnic identity, the rise in social problems among countries with a high human development index, and increasing joblessness. The Human Development Report for 1994 emphasizes human security. Social development is not the equivalent of human resource development nor a side issue of economic growth. The integration of ethnic groups poses social and political problems. There remains a question about what political system and culture would be best for social integration. Developed countries define poverty as the inability of people and government to provide resources and necessary services for people's productive activity. Poverty in developing countries is blamed on colonialism. Globally, developed countries control 71% of world trade. Sharing resources to meet basic needs throughout the world is not an operational ideal. The highest 20% of income earners receive 83% of the world income. The culture of poverty is the strategy used by the poor to survive. Welfare is not an end in itself but does enable the poor to improve their conditions. Development that focuses on productive employment is uncertain. Developed and developing countries do not share similar perceptions of human rights. There is a question as to who should set the priorities for social development. Sustainable social development is related to preservation of natural resources, control of population growth, and promotion of social security.

Australian uranium resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battey, G.C.; Miezitis, Y.; McKay, A.D.

1987-01-01

Australia's uranium resources amount to 29% of the WOCA countries (world outside centrally-planned-economies areas) low-cost Reasonably Assured Resources and 28% of the WOCA countries low-cost Estimated Additional Resources. As at 1 January 1986, the Bureau of Mineral Resources estimated Australia's uranium resources as: (1) Cost range to US$80/kg U -Reasonably Assured Resources, 465 000 t U; Estimated Additional Resources, 256 000 t U; (2) Cost range US$80-130/kg U -Reasonably Assured Resources, 56 000 t U; Estimated Additional Resources, 127 000 t U. Most resources are contained in Proterozoic unconformity-related deposits in the Alligator Rivers uranium field in the Northern Territory (Jabiluka, Ranger, Koongarra, Nabarlek deposits) and the Proterozoic stratabound deposit at Olympic Dam on the Stuart Shelf in South Australia

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

INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

OpenAIRE

Cristian Marinaş; Aurel Manolescu

2007-01-01

In a global context it is necessary to redefine the role of human resources department that has to offer to high level managers the necessary instruments to react on an international market, which is highly competitive. Speaking about human resources management from an international perspective, it is also important to discuss about the development process of the multinational companies, which are the main way to transfer the managerial know-how between countries and regions. The globalizatio...

E-learning in medical education in resource constrained low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Frehywot, Seble; Vovides, Yianna; Talib, Zohray; Mikhail, Nadia; Ross, Heather; Wohltjen, Hannah; Bedada, Selam; Korhumel, Kristine; Koumare, Abdel Karim; Scott, James

2013-02-04

In the face of severe faculty shortages in resource-constrained countries, medical schools look to e-learning for improved access to medical education. This paper summarizes the literature on e-learning in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and presents the spectrum of tools and strategies used. Researchers reviewed literature using terms related to e-learning and pre-service education of health professionals in LMIC. Search terms were connected using the Boolean Operators "AND" and "OR" to capture all relevant article suggestions. Using standard decision criteria, reviewers narrowed the article suggestions to a final 124 relevant articles. Of the relevant articles found, most referred to e-learning in Brazil (14 articles), India (14), Egypt (10) and South Africa (10). While e-learning has been used by a variety of health workers in LMICs, the majority (58%) reported on physician training, while 24% focused on nursing, pharmacy and dentistry training. Although reasons for investing in e-learning varied, expanded access to education was at the core of e-learning implementation which included providing supplementary tools to support faculty in their teaching, expanding the pool of faculty by connecting to partner and/or community teaching sites, and sharing of digital resources for use by students. E-learning in medical education takes many forms. Blended learning approaches were the most common methodology presented (49 articles) of which computer-assisted learning (CAL) comprised the majority (45 articles). Other approaches included simulations and the use of multimedia software (20 articles), web-based learning (14 articles), and eTutor/eMentor programs (3 articles). Of the 69 articles that evaluated the effectiveness of e-learning tools, 35 studies compared outcomes between e-learning and other approaches, while 34 studies qualitatively analyzed student and faculty attitudes toward e-learning modalities. E-learning in medical education is a means to an end

Joint Evaluation of the Wave and Offshore Wind Energy Resources in the Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugen Rusu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present work is to assess the global wind and wave resources in the vicinity of some developing countries by evaluating 16-year of data (2001–2016, coming from the European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecast (ECMWF. Until now, not much work has been done to evaluate and use the renewable energy sources from these marine environments. This is because most of the attention was focused on more promising areas, such as the European coasts, which are more advanced in terms of technical and economical aspects. A general perspective of the current energy market from the selected target areas is first presented, indicating at the same time the progresses that have been reported in the field of the renewable energy. Besides the spatial and seasonal variations of the marine resources considered, the results also indicate the energy potential of these coastal environments as well as the performances of some offshore wind turbines, which may operate in these regions.

Resource recovery and recycling in OECD countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacNeil, J.W.

It was the importance of the economic issues relevant to resource recovery and re-use that prompted OECD to become involved in this general area, and the author proposes in this talk to describe the principal features of the three main approaches to waste management from an economic perspective. These approaches are reduction of waste generation (i.e. birth control) resource recovery and materials recycling or re-use (reincarnation). Most of OECD's work in this area to date has been on the third of these approaches with particular emphasis on the economics of recycling, so somewhat more attention will be devoted to it. Then some conclusions will be drawn concerning possible policy actions to encourage a rational approach to management of this resource.

Natural resources: A curse on education spending?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cockx, Lara; Francken, Nathalie

2016-01-01

In line with the rising interest in harnessing natural resource revenues for economic and human development through productive government investments, this paper aims to address an important blind spot in our understanding of the “resource curse” by contributing innovative insights on how natural resource wealth impacts government priorities and expenditure practices. Using a large panel dataset of 140 countries covering the period from 1995 to 2009, we find an adverse effect of resource dependence on public education expenditures relative to GDP that is robust to controlling for a range of additional covariates. Furthermore, our findings indicate that this resource curse effect on the government prioritization of education mainly stems from point-source natural resources. These results are of particular importance for the sustainable management of natural resource wealth in developing countries, as they could achieve especially high returns by investing resource revenues in public goods such as education. While this paper underlines the importance of institutions and government accountability, our findings also raise questions on the role of the private sector as a partner in development, as the extractives industry could consider increasing funding for education through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. - Highlights: •We use a panel dataset of 140 countries covering the period from 1995 to 2009. •We find an inverse relationship between resource dependence and education spending. •The effect of resource dependence is robust to controlling for several covariates. •Indirect effects through a decline in accountability and the service industry. •This curse mainly stems from point-source resource dependence.

Leadership Development of Rehabilitation Professionals in a Low-Resource Country: A Transformational Leadership, Project-Based Model

OpenAIRE

Pascal, Maureen Romanow; Mann, Monika; Dunleavy, Kim; Chevan, Julia; Kirenga, Liliane; Nuhu, Assuman

2017-01-01

Background and rationale This paper presents an overview of the activities and outcomes of the Leadership Institute (LI), a short-term leadership development professional development course offered to physiotherapists in a low-resource country. Previous studies have provided examples of the benefits of such programs in medicine and nursing, but this has yet to be documented in the rehabilitation literature. The prototype of leadership development presented may provide guidance for similar tra...

A proven and highly cost-effective method of early detection of breast cancer for developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebentisch, D.P.; Rebentisch, H.D.; Thomas, K.; Karat, S.; Jadhav, A.J.

1995-01-01

Carcinoma of the breast is the third most common cancer in Indian women. With rapid industrialization and effective control of communicable diseases, better diagnostic and treatment facilities, cancer is emerging as a major health problem. Since early detection is the only way to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer, we undertook a pilot project to evaluate efficacy of using existing manpower and resources for screening women in the high risk group. Methodology pros and cons, results, and recommendations are presented. Our method can be adopted by any developing country interested in a screening programme for malignant disease

A proven and highly cost-effective method of early detection of breast cancer for developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rebentisch, D P; Rebentisch, H D; Thomas, K; Karat, S; Jadhav, A J

1995-12-01

Carcinoma of the breast is the third most common cancer in Indian women. With rapid industrialization and effective control of communicable diseases, better diagnostic and treatment facilities, cancer is emerging as a major health problem. Since early detection is the only way to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer, we undertook a pilot project to evaluate efficacy of using existing manpower and resources for screening women in the high risk group. Methodology pros and cons, results, and recommendations are presented. Our method can be adopted by any developing country interested in a screening programme for malignant disease.

A cross-sectional ecological analysis of international and sub-national health inequalities in commercial geospatial resource availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Dotse-Gborgbortsi, Winfred; Wardrop, Nicola; Adewole, Ademola; Thomas, Mair L H; Wright, Jim

2018-05-23

Commercial geospatial data resources are frequently used to understand healthcare utilisation. Although there is widespread evidence of a digital divide for other digital resources and infra-structure, it is unclear how commercial geospatial data resources are distributed relative to health need. To examine the distribution of commercial geospatial data resources relative to health needs, we assembled coverage and quality metrics for commercial geocoding, neighbourhood characterisation, and travel time calculation resources for 183 countries. We developed a country-level, composite index of commercial geospatial data quality/availability and examined its distribution relative to age-standardised all-cause and cause specific (for three main causes of death) mortality using two inequality metrics, the slope index of inequality and relative concentration index. In two sub-national case studies, we also examined geocoding success rates versus area deprivation by district in Eastern Region, Ghana and Lagos State, Nigeria. Internationally, commercial geospatial data resources were inversely related to all-cause mortality. This relationship was more pronounced when examining mortality due to communicable diseases. Commercial geospatial data resources for calculating patient travel times were more equitably distributed relative to health need than resources for characterising neighbourhoods or geocoding patient addresses. Countries such as South Africa have comparatively high commercial geospatial data availability despite high mortality, whilst countries such as South Korea have comparatively low data availability and low mortality. Sub-nationally, evidence was mixed as to whether geocoding success was lowest in more deprived districts. To our knowledge, this is the first global analysis of commercial geospatial data resources in relation to health outcomes. In countries such as South Africa where there is high mortality but also comparatively rich commercial geospatial

Conserving the zoological resources of Bangladesh under a changing climate.

Science.gov (United States)

DAS, Bidhan C

2009-06-01

It is now well recognized that Bangladesh is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate change and sea level rise. Low levels of natural resources and a high occurrence of natural disasters further add to the challenges faced by the country. The impacts of climate change are anticipated to exacerbate these existing stresses and constitute a serious impediment to poverty reduction and economic development. Ecosystems and biodiversity are important key sectors of the economy and natural resources of the country are selected as the most vulnerable to climate change. It is for these reasons that Bangladesh should prepare to conserve its natural resources under changed climatic conditions. Unfortunately, the development of specific strategies and policies to address the effects of climate change on the ecosystem and on biodiversity has not commenced in Bangladesh. Here, I present a detailed review of animal resources of Bangladesh, an outline of the major areas in zoological research to be integrated to adapt to climate change, and identified few components for each of the aforesaid areas in relation to the natural resource conservation and management in the country. © 2009 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Wind Energy Resource Atlas of Armenia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliott, D.; Schwartz, M.; Scott, G.; Haymes, S.; Heimiller, D.; George, R.

2003-07-01

This wind energy resource atlas identifies the wind characteristics and distribution of the wind resource in the country of Armenia. The detailed wind resource maps and other information contained in the atlas facilitate the identification of prospective areas for use of wind energy technologies for utility-scale power generation and off-grid wind energy applications. The maps portray the wind resource with high-resolution (1-km2) grids of wind power density at 50-m above ground. The wind maps were created at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) using a computerized wind mapping system that uses Geographic Information System (GIS) software.

E-learning in medical education in resource constrained low- and middle-income countries

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background In the face of severe faculty shortages in resource-constrained countries, medical schools look to e-learning for improved access to medical education. This paper summarizes the literature on e-learning in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and presents the spectrum of tools and strategies used. Methods Researchers reviewed literature using terms related to e-learning and pre-service education of health professionals in LMIC. Search terms were connected using the Boolean Operators “AND” and “OR” to capture all relevant article suggestions. Using standard decision criteria, reviewers narrowed the article suggestions to a final 124 relevant articles. Results Of the relevant articles found, most referred to e-learning in Brazil (14 articles), India (14), Egypt (10) and South Africa (10). While e-learning has been used by a variety of health workers in LMICs, the majority (58%) reported on physician training, while 24% focused on nursing, pharmacy and dentistry training. Although reasons for investing in e-learning varied, expanded access to education was at the core of e-learning implementation which included providing supplementary tools to support faculty in their teaching, expanding the pool of faculty by connecting to partner and/or community teaching sites, and sharing of digital resources for use by students. E-learning in medical education takes many forms. Blended learning approaches were the most common methodology presented (49 articles) of which computer-assisted learning (CAL) comprised the majority (45 articles). Other approaches included simulations and the use of multimedia software (20 articles), web-based learning (14 articles), and eTutor/eMentor programs (3 articles). Of the 69 articles that evaluated the effectiveness of e-learning tools, 35 studies compared outcomes between e-learning and other approaches, while 34 studies qualitatively analyzed student and faculty attitudes toward e-learning modalities. Conclusions E

E-learning in medical education in resource constrained low- and middle-income countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frehywot Seble

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the face of severe faculty shortages in resource-constrained countries, medical schools look to e-learning for improved access to medical education. This paper summarizes the literature on e-learning in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC, and presents the spectrum of tools and strategies used. Methods Researchers reviewed literature using terms related to e-learning and pre-service education of health professionals in LMIC. Search terms were connected using the Boolean Operators “AND” and “OR” to capture all relevant article suggestions. Using standard decision criteria, reviewers narrowed the article suggestions to a final 124 relevant articles. Results Of the relevant articles found, most referred to e-learning in Brazil (14 articles, India (14, Egypt (10 and South Africa (10. While e-learning has been used by a variety of health workers in LMICs, the majority (58% reported on physician training, while 24% focused on nursing, pharmacy and dentistry training. Although reasons for investing in e-learning varied, expanded access to education was at the core of e-learning implementation which included providing supplementary tools to support faculty in their teaching, expanding the pool of faculty by connecting to partner and/or community teaching sites, and sharing of digital resources for use by students. E-learning in medical education takes many forms. Blended learning approaches were the most common methodology presented (49 articles of which computer-assisted learning (CAL comprised the majority (45 articles. Other approaches included simulations and the use of multimedia software (20 articles, web-based learning (14 articles, and eTutor/eMentor programs (3 articles. Of the 69 articles that evaluated the effectiveness of e-learning tools, 35 studies compared outcomes between e-learning and other approaches, while 34 studies qualitatively analyzed student and faculty attitudes toward e-learning modalities

Potential for Zika virus introduction and transmission in resource-limited countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region: a modelling study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogoch, Isaac I; Brady, Oliver J; Kraemer, Moritz U G; German, Matthew; Creatore, Maria I; Brent, Shannon; Watts, Alexander G; Hay, Simon I; Kulkarni, Manisha A; Brownstein, John S; Khan, Kamran

2016-11-01

As the epidemic of Zika virus expands in the Americas, countries across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region are becoming increasingly susceptible to the importation and possible local spread of the virus. To support public health readiness, we aim to identify regions and times where the potential health, economic, and social effects from Zika virus are greatest, focusing on resource-limited countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Our model combined transportation network analysis, ecological modelling of mosquito occurrences, and vector competence for flavivirus transmission, using data from the International Air Transport Association, entomological observations from Zika's primary vector species, and climate conditions using WorldClim. We overlaid monthly flows of airline travellers arriving to Africa and the Asia-Pacific region from areas of the Americas suitable for year-round transmission of Zika virus with monthly maps of climatic suitability for mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus within Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. An estimated 2·6 billion people live in areas of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region where the presence of competent mosquito vectors and suitable climatic conditions could support local transmission of Zika virus. Countries with large volumes of travellers arriving from Zika virus-affected areas of the Americas and large populations at risk of mosquito-borne Zika virus infection include India (67 422 travellers arriving per year; 1·2 billion residents in potential Zika transmission areas), China (238 415 travellers; 242 million residents), Indonesia (13 865 travellers; 197 million residents), Philippines (35 635 travellers; 70 million residents), and Thailand (29 241 travellers; 59 million residents). Many countries across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region are vulnerable to Zika virus. Strategic use of available health and human resources is essential to prevent or mitigate the health, economic, and social

Multivitamin use and adverse birth outcomes in high-income countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wolf, Hanne T.; Hegaard, Hanne K.; Huusom, Lene D.

2017-01-01

of the studies compared the use of folic acid and iron vs the use of multivitamins. The use of multivitamin did not change the risk of the primary outcome, preterm birth (relative risk, 0.84 [95% confidence interval, 0.69–1.03]). However, the risk of small for gestational age (relative risk, 0.77 [95% confidence......Background In high-income countries, a healthy diet is widely accessible. However, a change toward a poor-quality diet with a low nutritional value in high-income countries has led to an inadequate vitamin intake during pregnancy. Objective We conducted a systematic review and meta......). Study Design We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and CINAHL) from inception to June 17, 2016, using synonyms of pregnancy, study/trial type, and multivitamins. Eligible studies were all studies in high-income countries investigating the association between multivitamin...

Speculative resources of uranium. A review of International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) estimates 1982-1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

On a country by country basis the International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) estimates 1982-1983 are reviewed. Information provided includes exploration work, airborne survey, radiometric survey, gamma-ray spectrometric survey, estimate of speculative resources, uranium occurrences, uranium deposits, uranium mineralization, agreements for uranium exploration, feasibilities studies, geological classification of resources, proposed revised resource range, production estimate of uranium

How to spend it: Resource wealth and the distribution of resource rents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segal, Paul

2012-01-01

Natural resource revenues differ from other government revenues both in their time profile, and in their political and legal status: they are volatile and exhaustible, and belong to all citizens of the country in which they are located. This paper discusses the theory of natural resource revenues and examines expenditure practices in a range of resource-rich countries. It considers both the distributional impact and the efficiency of expenditure policies, focusing on the extent to which they succeed in providing all citizens with their share of the benefits due to natural resources. - Highlights: ► We examine the relationship between resource rents and government resource revenues. ► We discuss the intertemporal management of resource revenues in theory and in practice. ► We critically examine existing policies for distributing resource revenues to populations.

Awareness and Misconceptions of High School Students about Renewable Energy Resources and Applications: Turkey Case

Science.gov (United States)

Tortop, Hasan Said

2012-01-01

Turkey is the one of the countries in the world which has potential of renewable energy resource because of its geographical position. However, being usage of renewable energy resources and applications (RERAs) is low, it shows that awareness and consciousness of RERAs is very low too. Education must play a key role in growing out of an energy…

Projections of costs, financing, and additional resource requirements for low- and lower middle-income country immunization programs over the decade, 2011-2020.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhi, Gian; Lydon, Patrick; Cornejo, Santiago; Brenzel, Logan; Wrobel, Sandra; Chang, Hugh

2013-04-18

The Decade of Vaccines Global Vaccine Action Plan has outlined a set of ambitious goals to broaden the impact and reach of immunization across the globe. A projections exercise has been undertaken to assess the costs, financing availability, and additional resource requirements to achieve these goals through the delivery of vaccines against 19 diseases across 94 low- and middle-income countries for the period 2011-2020. The exercise draws upon data from existing published and unpublished global forecasts, country immunization plans, and costing studies. A combination of an ingredients-based approach and use of approximations based on past spending has been used to generate vaccine and non-vaccine delivery costs for routine programs, as well as supplementary immunization activities (SIAs). Financing projections focused primarily on support from governments and the GAVI Alliance. Cost and financing projections are presented in constant 2010 US dollars (US$). Cumulative total costs for the decade are projected to be US$57.5 billion, with 85% for routine programs and the remaining 15% for SIAs. Delivery costs account for 54% of total cumulative costs, and vaccine costs make up the remainder. A conservative estimate of total financing for immunization programs is projected to be $34.3 billion over the decade, with country governments financing 65%. These projections imply a cumulative funding gap of $23.2 billion. About 57% of the total resources required to close the funding gap are needed just to maintain existing programs and scale up other currently available vaccines (i.e., before adding in the additional costs of vaccines still in development). Efforts to mobilize additional resources, manage program costs, and establish mutual accountability between countries and development partners will all be necessary to ensure the goals of the Decade of Vaccines are achieved. Establishing or building on existing mechanisms to more comprehensively track resources and

Ecologically Safe Geothermal Energy Resources in Western Siberia near high-rise construction zones

Science.gov (United States)

Shevchenko, Alexandr; Shiganova, Olga

2018-03-01

The development of geothermal energy in combination with other renewable energy sources (the sun, the wind) will help to solve the problem of heat supply and electrification in near high-rise construction zones of the country, especially in sparsely populated parts, where centralized energy and heat supply is economically unacceptable, and will improve the ecological situation. The aim of the research is to analyze the geothermal resources of the main aquifers in Western Siberia and to develop recommendations for further study and use of heat and power resources of this territory. The article gives retrospective of state research programs and potential use of hydrothermal resources of administrative units geographically entering the territory under consideration. It is noted that by now such programs have been curtailed for various reasons, although there are examples of their successful and effective use in various fields of industry and agriculture. According to the decision of the Supreme Ecological Council of the State Duma Committee of the Russian Federation adopted in 2014 on the beginning of the development of federal targeted programs for the use of heat power water as a source of electricity and heat supply, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation made proposals for further research and use of hydrothermal waters in Western Siberia. Implementation of the programs proposed by the authors, alongside with other positive aspects, will solve the problems of heat supply in remote territories and improve the environmental situation in the region.

Annotated Bibliography of Children's Literature Resources on War, Terrorism, and Disaster since 1945: By Continents/Countries for Grades K-8

Science.gov (United States)

Gangi, Jane M.

2009-01-01

This article presents an annotated bibliography of children's literature resources on war, terrorism, and disaster since 1945. This annotated bibliography focuses on grades K-8 from different continents/countries, including (1) Africa; (2) Asia; (3) The Caribbean; (4) Central and South America; (5) Europe; and (6) The Middle East.

The impact of the financial crisis on human resources for health policies in three southern-Europe countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Tiago; Dussault, Gilles; Pontes, Carla

2015-12-01

The public health sector has been the target of austerity measures since the global financial crisis started in 2008, while health workforce costs have been a source of rapid savings in most European Union countries. This article aims to explore how health workforce policies have evolved in three southern European countries under external constraints imposed by emergency financial programmes agreed with the International Monetary Fund, Central European Bank and European Commission. The selected countries, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus, show similarities with regard to corporatist systems of social protection and comprehensive welfare mechanisms only recently institutionalized. Based on document analysis of the Memoranda of Understanding agreed with the Troika, our results reveal broadly similar policy responses to the crisis but also important differences. In Cyprus, General Practitioners have a key position in reducing public expenditure through gatekeeping and control of users' access, while Portugal and Greece seeks to achieve cost containment by constraining the decision-making powers of professionals. All three countries lack innovation as well as monitoring and assessment of the effects of the financial crisis in relation to the health workforce. Consequently, there is a need for health policy development to use human resources more efficiently in healthcare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transposition and national level resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vasev, Nikolay Rumenov; Vrangbæk, Karsten

2014-01-01

Several recent papers have summarised the status of EU implementation studies. In this paper we suggest that the issue of sector specific resources has received too little attention in previous studies. Sector specific resources include “health sector resources” and “state administrative resources......”. Our theoretical contribution is thus to add an explicit and more detailed concern for "sector specific resources" in national transposition. This can refine the understanding of resources, for example in the multi-variable models that are emerging as the state of the art in the field of EU...... implementation studies. To illustrate these points we have chosen an empirical design focusing on a directive with a potentially high impact on system resources and several ambiguous components (the Cross Border Health Care Directive). We have further chosen to focus on two Eastern European countries (Bulgaria...

Integration study of high quality teaching resources in universities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Honglu Liu

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The development level and quality of education depend on the merits and efficiency in the use of teaching resources, especially in the case of obvious contradiction between the demand and supply of teaching resources. So to integrate teaching resources, improve the efficiency in the use of high quality teaching resources, and take the road of content development to enhance the competitiveness of education has become very important and urgent.Design/methodology/approach: On the basis of analysis on the teaching resources of universities and the problems they faced, this paper introduced the basic concepts of cloud storage, and built the integration architecture of high quality teaching resources in universities based on the cloud storage.Findings and Originality/value: The HDFS-based cloud storage proposed in this paper is a dynamically adjustable and Internet-based storage solution, and the users can access storage targets using the network through a common and easy-to-use protocol and application programming interfaces. This new technology is useful for end users benefits. With the continuous development and improvement of cloud storage, it will necessarily result in more and more applications in the institutions of higher learning and education network.Originality/value: This paper introduced the cloud storage into the integration of high quality teaching resources in universities first and as a new form of service, it can be a good solution.

Uranium market and resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capus, G.; Arnold, Th.

2004-01-01

The controversy about the extend of the uranium resources worldwide is still important, this article sheds some light on this topic. Every 2 years IAEA and NEA (nuclear energy agency) edit an inventory of uranium resources as reported by contributing countries. It appears that about 4.6 millions tons of uranium are available at a recovery cost less than 130 dollars per kg of uranium and a total of 14 millions tons of uranium can be assessed when including all existing or supposed resources. In fact there is enough uranium to sustain a moderate growth of the park of nuclear reactors during next decades and it is highly likely that the volume of uranium resources can allow a more aggressive development of nuclear energy. It is recalled that a broad use of the validated breeder technology can stretch the durability of uranium resources by a factor 50. (A.C.)

Cervical cancer screening and practice in low resource countries ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

While developed countries have recorded significant reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer owing to organizedscreening programs, treatment of premalignant cervical lesions, and follow‑up of treated cases, developing countries including Nigeria are yet to optimally utilize screening services due to lack of organized ...

High-altitude wind resources in the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Yip, Chak Man Andrew; Gunturu, Udaya; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.

2017-01-01

In the Middle East, near-surface wind resources are intermittent. However, high-altitude wind resources are abundant, persistent, and readily available and may provide alternative energy resources in this fossil-fuel-dependent region. Using wind field data from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2), this study identifies areas favorable to the deployment of airborne wind energy (AWE) systems in the Middle East and computes the optimal heights at which such systems would best operate. AWE potential is estimated using realistic AWE system specifications and assumptions about deployment scenarios and is compared with the near-surface wind generation potential with respect to diurnal and seasonal variability. The results show the potential utility of AWE in areas in the Middle East where the energy demand is high. In particular, Oman and Saudi Arabia have a high level of the potential power generation with low annual variability.

High-altitude wind resources in the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Yip, Chak Man Andrew

2017-08-23

In the Middle East, near-surface wind resources are intermittent. However, high-altitude wind resources are abundant, persistent, and readily available and may provide alternative energy resources in this fossil-fuel-dependent region. Using wind field data from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2), this study identifies areas favorable to the deployment of airborne wind energy (AWE) systems in the Middle East and computes the optimal heights at which such systems would best operate. AWE potential is estimated using realistic AWE system specifications and assumptions about deployment scenarios and is compared with the near-surface wind generation potential with respect to diurnal and seasonal variability. The results show the potential utility of AWE in areas in the Middle East where the energy demand is high. In particular, Oman and Saudi Arabia have a high level of the potential power generation with low annual variability.

Clean development mechanism: Perspectives from developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sari, Agus P.; Meyers, Stephen

1999-06-01

This paper addresses the political acceptability and workability of CDM by and in developing countries. At COP-3 in Kyoto in 1997, the general position among developing countries changed from strong rejection of joint implementation to acceptance of CDM. The outgrowth of CDM from a proposal from Brazil to establish a Clean Development Fund gave developing countries a sense of ownership of the idea. More importantly, establishing support for sustainable development as a main goal for CDM overcame the resistance of many developing countries to accept a carbon trading mechanism. The official acceptance of CDM is not a guarantee of continued acceptance, however. Many developing countries expect CDM to facilitate a substantial transfer of technology and other resources to support economic growth. There is concern that Annex I countries may shift official development assistance into CDM in order to gain carbon credits, and that development priorities could suffer as a result. Some fear that private investments could be skewed toward projects that yield carbon credits. Developing country governments are wary regarding the strong role of the private sector envisioned for CDM. Increasing the awareness and capacity of the private sector in developing countries to initiate and implement CDM projects needs to be a high priority. While private sector partnerships will be the main vehicle for resource transfer in CDM, developing country governments want to play a strong role in overseeing and guiding the process so that it best serves their development goals. Most countries feel that establishment of criteria for sustainable development should be left to individual countries. A key issue is how CDM can best support the strengthening of local capacity to sustain and replicate projects that serve both climate change mitigation and sustainable development objectives.There is support among developing countries for commencing CDM as soon as possible. Since official commencement must

Evaluating the relative environmental impact of countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradshaw, Corey J A; Giam, Xingli; Sodhi, Navjot S

2010-05-03

Environmental protection is critical to maintain ecosystem services essential for human well-being. It is important to be able to rank countries by their environmental impact so that poor performers as well as policy 'models' can be identified. We provide novel metrics of country-specific environmental impact ranks - one proportional to total resource availability per country and an absolute (total) measure of impact - that explicitly avoid incorporating confounding human health or economic indicators. Our rankings are based on natural forest loss, habitat conversion, marine captures, fertilizer use, water pollution, carbon emissions and species threat, although many other variables were excluded due to a lack of country-specific data. Of 228 countries considered, 179 (proportional) and 171 (absolute) had sufficient data for correlations. The proportional index ranked Singapore, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, Philippines and Netherlands as having the highest proportional environmental impact, whereas Brazil, USA, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, India, Russia, Australia and Peru had the highest absolute impact (i.e., total resource use, emissions and species threatened). Proportional and absolute environmental impact ranks were correlated, with mainly Asian countries having both high proportional and absolute impact. Despite weak concordance among the drivers of environmental impact, countries often perform poorly for different reasons. We found no evidence to support the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis of a non-linear relationship between impact and per capita wealth, although there was a weak reduction in environmental impact as per capita wealth increases. Using structural equation models to account for cross-correlation, we found that increasing wealth was the most important driver of environmental impact. Our results show that the global community not only has to encourage better environmental performance in less

Evaluating the relative environmental impact of countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corey J A Bradshaw

Full Text Available Environmental protection is critical to maintain ecosystem services essential for human well-being. It is important to be able to rank countries by their environmental impact so that poor performers as well as policy 'models' can be identified. We provide novel metrics of country-specific environmental impact ranks - one proportional to total resource availability per country and an absolute (total measure of impact - that explicitly avoid incorporating confounding human health or economic indicators. Our rankings are based on natural forest loss, habitat conversion, marine captures, fertilizer use, water pollution, carbon emissions and species threat, although many other variables were excluded due to a lack of country-specific data. Of 228 countries considered, 179 (proportional and 171 (absolute had sufficient data for correlations. The proportional index ranked Singapore, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, Philippines and Netherlands as having the highest proportional environmental impact, whereas Brazil, USA, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, India, Russia, Australia and Peru had the highest absolute impact (i.e., total resource use, emissions and species threatened. Proportional and absolute environmental impact ranks were correlated, with mainly Asian countries having both high proportional and absolute impact. Despite weak concordance among the drivers of environmental impact, countries often perform poorly for different reasons. We found no evidence to support the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis of a non-linear relationship between impact and per capita wealth, although there was a weak reduction in environmental impact as per capita wealth increases. Using structural equation models to account for cross-correlation, we found that increasing wealth was the most important driver of environmental impact. Our results show that the global community not only has to encourage better environmental performance in

Evaluating the Relative Environmental Impact of Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Bradshaw, Corey J. A.; Giam, Xingli; Sodhi, Navjot S.

2010-01-01

Environmental protection is critical to maintain ecosystem services essential for human well-being. It is important to be able to rank countries by their environmental impact so that poor performers as well as policy ‘models’ can be identified. We provide novel metrics of country-specific environmental impact ranks – one proportional to total resource availability per country and an absolute (total) measure of impact – that explicitly avoid incorporating confounding human health or economic indicators. Our rankings are based on natural forest loss, habitat conversion, marine captures, fertilizer use, water pollution, carbon emissions and species threat, although many other variables were excluded due to a lack of country-specific data. Of 228 countries considered, 179 (proportional) and 171 (absolute) had sufficient data for correlations. The proportional index ranked Singapore, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia, Philippines and Netherlands as having the highest proportional environmental impact, whereas Brazil, USA, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, India, Russia, Australia and Peru had the highest absolute impact (i.e., total resource use, emissions and species threatened). Proportional and absolute environmental impact ranks were correlated, with mainly Asian countries having both high proportional and absolute impact. Despite weak concordance among the drivers of environmental impact, countries often perform poorly for different reasons. We found no evidence to support the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis of a non-linear relationship between impact and per capita wealth, although there was a weak reduction in environmental impact as per capita wealth increases. Using structural equation models to account for cross-correlation, we found that increasing wealth was the most important driver of environmental impact. Our results show that the global community not only has to encourage better environmental performance in less

Future directions and cycles for electricity production from geothermal resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michaelides, Efstathios E.

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: 25% more power may be produced using binary-flashing geothermal cycles. - Highlights: • Power from geothermal power plants is continuously available and “dispatchable.” • The next generation of geothermal will include more binary plants. • Lower temperature geothermal resources will be utilized in the future. • Dry rock resources may produce a high fraction of electricity in several countries. - Abstract: Geothermal power production is economically competitive and capable to produce a high percentage of the electric power demand in several countries. The currently operating geothermal power plants utilize water from an aquifer at relatively higher temperatures and produce power using dry steam, flashing or binary cycles. A glance at the map of the global geothermal resources proves that there is a multitude of sites, where the aquifer temperature is lower. There are also many geothermal resources where a high geothermal gradient exists in the absence of an aquifer. It becomes apparent that the next generation of geothermal power plants will utilize more of the lower-temperature aquifer resources or the dry resources. For such power plants to be economically competitive, modified or new cycles with higher efficiencies must be used. This paper presents two methods to increase the efficiency of the currently used geothermal cycles. The first uses a binary-flashing system to reduce the overall entropy production, thus, producing more electric power from the resource. The second describes a heat extraction system to be used with dry hot-rock resources.

List of High risk countries

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

Francine Sinzinkayo

2013-07-26

Higher Risk Countries and Territories. Reviewed regularly. Last update: July 26, 2013. Country/Territory. Note (1). Sources of Concern. Canadian. Law or. Policy. Knowledge of research setting. Ability to monitor research activities. (Note 2). Operational. Issues. (Note 3). Banking. Restrictions. (Note 4). Afghanistan. X. X.

Paediatric cardiology programs in countries with limited resources: how to bridge the gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulafa, K M Ali

2010-07-01

Establishing paediatric cardiology service in a country with limited resources like Sudan is a challenging task. A paediatric cardiac team was formed then the services in different disciplines were gradually established. Echocardiography (echo) clinics were founded in tertiary and peripheral hospitals. Cardiac catheterization (cath) was established at the Sudan Heart Centre (SHC) in 2004 and over 400 procedures had been performed including interventional catheterization like pulmonary valve dilatation, patent ductus arteriosus and atrial septal defect device closure. Congenital heart surgery started in 2001, currently 200 cases are done each year including closed procedures as well as open heart procedures for patients weighing more than 8 kg. Cardiology-cardiac surgery as well as adult congenital heart disease meetings were held and contributed positively to the services. The cardiology-cardiac surgery scientific club meeting was founded as a forum for academic discussions. A fellowship program was established in 2004 and included seven candidates trained in paediatric cardiology and intensive care. Two training courses had been established: congenital heart disease echo and paediatric electrocardiogram interpretation. Links with regional and international cardiac centres had important roles in consolidating our program. Significant obstacles face our service due to the small number of trained personnel, high cost of procedures, the lack of regular supplies and lack of cardiac intensive care facilities for young infants. Bridging the huge gap needs extensive official as well as non-governmental efforts, training more staff, supporting families and collaboration with regional and international centres.

High-Amplitude Atlantic Hurricanes Produce Disparate Mortality in Small, Low-Income Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresser, Caleb; Allison, Jeroan; Broach, John; Smith, Mary-Elise; Milsten, Andrew

2016-12-01

Hurricanes cause substantial mortality, especially in developing nations, and climate science predicts that powerful hurricanes will increase in frequency during the coming decades. This study examined the association of wind speed and national economic conditions with mortality in a large sample of hurricane events in small countries. Economic, meteorological, and fatality data for 149 hurricane events in 16 nations between 1958 and 2011 were analyzed. Mortality rate was modeled with negative binomial regression implemented by generalized estimating equations to account for variable population exposure, sequence of storm events, exposure of multiple islands to the same storm, and nonlinear associations. Low-amplitude storms caused little mortality regardless of economic status. Among high-amplitude storms (Saffir-Simpson category 4 or 5), expected mortality rate was 0.72 deaths per 100,000 people (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-1.28) for nations in the highest tertile of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) compared with 25.93 deaths per 100,000 people (95% CI: 13.30-38.55) for nations with low per capita GDP. Lower per capita GDP and higher wind speeds were associated with greater mortality rates in small countries. Excessive fatalities occurred when powerful storms struck resource-poor nations. Predictions of increasing storm amplitude over time suggest increasing disparity between death rates unless steps are taken to modify the risk profiles of poor nations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:832-837).

Exploring Variation in Glycemic Control Across and Within Eight High-Income Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Charalampopoulos, Dimitrios; Hermann, Julia M; Svensson, Jannet

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: International studies on childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D) have focused on whole-country mean HbA1c levels, thereby concealing potential variations within countries. We aimed to explore the variations in HbA1c across and within eight high-income countries to best inform international ben...

Trends and implications for achieving VISION 2020 human resources for eye health targets in 16 countries of sub-Saharan Africa by the year 2020.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Jennifer J; Chinanayi, Farai; Gilbert, Alice; Pillay, Devan; Fox, Samantha; Jaggernath, Jyoti; Naidoo, Kovin; Graham, Ronnie; Patel, Daksha; Blanchet, Karl

2014-08-15

Development of human resources for eye health (HReH) is a major global eye health strategy to reduce the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by the year 2020. Building on our previous analysis of current progress towards key HReH indicators and cataract surgery rates (CSRs), we predicted future indicator achievement among 16 countries of sub-Saharan Africa by 2020. Surgical and HReH data were collected from national eye care programme coordinators on six practitioner cadres: ophthalmologists, cataract surgeons, ophthalmic clinical officers, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists and 'mid-level refractionists' and combined them with publicly available population data to calculate practitioner-to-population ratios and CSRs. Data on workforce entry and exit (2008 to 2010) was used to project practitioner population and CSR growth between 2011 and 2020 in relation to projected growth in the general population. Associations between indicator progress and the presence of a non-physician cataract surgeon cadre were also explored using Wilcoxon rank sum tests and Spearman rank correlations. In our 16-country sample, practitioner per million population ratios are predicted to increase slightly for surgeons (ophthalmologists/cataract surgeons, from 3.1 in 2011 to 3.4 in 2020) and ophthalmic nurses/clinical officers (5.8 to 6.8) but remain low for refractionists (including optometrists, at 3.6 in 2011 and 2020). Among countries that have not already achieved target indicators, however, practitioner growth will be insufficient for any additional countries to reach the surgeon and refractionist targets by year 2020. Without further strategy change and investment, even after 2020, surgeon growth is only expected to sufficiently outpace general population growth to reach the target in one country. For nurses, two additional countries will achieve the target while one will fall below it. In 2011, high surgeon practitioner ratios were associated with high CSR, regardless of the type

Problem solving for breast health care delivery in low and middle resource countries (LMCs): consensus statement from the Breast Health Global Initiative.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harford, J.B.; Otero, I.V.; Anderson, B.O.; Cazap, E.; Gradishar, W.J.; Gralow, J.R.; Kane, G.M.; Niens, L.M.; Porter, P.L.; Reeler, A.V.; Rieger, P.T.; Shockney, L.D.; Shulman, L.N.; Soldak, T.; Thomas, D.B.; Thompson, B.; Winchester, D.P.; Zelle, S.G.; Badwe, R.A.

2011-01-01

International collaborations like the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) can help low and middle income countries (LMCs) to establish or improve breast cancer control programs by providing evidence-based, resource-stratified guidelines for the management and control of breast cancer. The Problem

Biomass energy resource enhancement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grover, P D [Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi (India)

1995-12-01

The demand for energy in developing countries is expected to increase to at least three times its present level within the next 25 years. If this demand is to be met by fossil fuels, an additional 2 billion tonnes of crude oil or 3 billion tonnes of coal would be needed every year. This consumption pattern, if allowed to proceed, would add 10 billion tonnes of CO{sub 2}, to the global atmosphere each year, with its attendant risk of global warming. Therefore, just for our survival, it is imperative to progressively replace fossil fuels by biomass energy resources and to enhance the efficiency of use of the latter. Biomass is not only environmentally benign but is also abundant. It is being photosynthesised at the rate of 200 billion tonnes of carbon every year, which is equivalent to 10 times the world`s present demand for energy. Presently, biomass energy resources are highly under-utilised in developing countries; when they are used it is through combustion, which is inefficient and causes widespread environmental pollution with its associated health hazards. Owing to the low bulk density and high moisture content of biomass, which make it difficult to collect, transport and store, as well as its ash-related thermochemical properties, its biodegradability and seasonal availability, the industrial use of biomass is limited to small and (some) medium-scale industries, most of which are unable to afford efficient but often costly energy conversion systems. Considering these constraints and the need to enhance the use base, biomass energy technologies appropriate to developing countries have been identified. Technologies such as briquetting and densification to upgrade biomass fuels are being adopted as conventional measures in some developing countries. The biomass energy base can be enhanced only once these technologies have been shown to be viable under local conditions and with local raw materials, after which they will multiply on their own, as has been the case

Biomass energy resource enhancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grover, P.D.

1995-01-01

The demand for energy in developing countries is expected to increase to at least three times its present level within the next 25 years. If this demand is to be met by fossil fuels, an additional 2 billion tonnes of crude oil or 3 billion tonnes of coal would be needed every year. This consumption pattern, if allowed to proceed, would add 10 billion tonnes of CO 2 , to the global atmosphere each year, with its attendant risk of global warming. Therefore, just for our survival, it is imperative to progressively replace fossil fuels by biomass energy resources and to enhance the efficiency of use of the latter. Biomass is not only environmentally benign but is also abundant. It is being photosynthesised at the rate of 200 billion tonnes of carbon every year, which is equivalent to 10 times the world's present demand for energy. Presently, biomass energy resources are highly under-utilised in developing countries; when they are used it is through combustion, which is inefficient and causes widespread environmental pollution with its associated health hazards. Owing to the low bulk density and high moisture content of biomass, which make it difficult to collect, transport and store, as well as its ash-related thermochemical properties, its biodegradability and seasonal availability, the industrial use of biomass is limited to small and (some) medium-scale industries, most of which are unable to afford efficient but often costly energy conversion systems. Considering these constraints and the need to enhance the use base, biomass energy technologies appropriate to developing countries have been identified. Technologies such as briquetting and densification to upgrade biomass fuels are being adopted as conventional measures in some developing countries. The biomass energy base can be enhanced only once these technologies have been shown to be viable under local conditions and with local raw materials, after which they will multiply on their own, as has been the case

Identification of the Critical Nontechnical Skills for Surgeons Needed for High Performance in a Variable-resource Context (NOTSS-VRC).

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, John W; Lin, Yihan; Ntakiyiruta, Georges; Mutabazi, Zeta; Davis, William A; Morris, Megan A; Smink, Douglas S; Riviello, Robert; Yule, Steven

2018-05-17

To identify the critical nontechnical skills (NTS) required for high performance in variable-resource contexts (VRC). As surgical training and capacity increase in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), new strategies for improving surgical education and care in these settings are required. NTS are critical for high performance in surgery around the world. However, the essential NTS used by surgeons operating in LMICs to overcome the challenges specific to their contexts have never been described. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, 52 intraoperative team observations as well as 34 critical incident interviews with surgical providers (surgeons, anesthetists, and nurses) were performed at the 4 tertiary referral hospitals in Rwanda. Interview transcripts and field notes from observations were analyzed using line-by-line coding to identify emerging themes until thematic saturation was achieved. Four skill categories of situation awareness, decision-making, communication/teamwork, and leadership emerged. This provided the framework for a contextually informed skills taxonomy consisting of 12 skill elements with examples of specific behaviors indicative of high performance. While the main skill categories were consistent with those encountered in high-income countries, the specific behaviors associated with these skills often focused on overcoming the frequently encountered variability in resources, staff, systems support, and language in this context. This is the first description of the critical nontechnical skills, and associated example behaviors, used by surgeons in a VRC to overcome common challenges to safe and effective surgical patient care. Improvements in the NTS used by surgeons operating in VRCs have the potential to improve surgical care delivery worldwide.

Uranium resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

This is a press release issued by the OECD on 9th March 1976. It is stated that the steep increases in demand for uranium foreseen in and beyond the 1980's, with doubling times of the order of six to seven years, will inevitably create formidable problems for the industry. Further substantial efforts will be needed in prospecting for new uranium reserves. Information is given in tabular or graphical form on the following: reasonably assured resources, country by country; uranium production capacities, country by country; world nuclear power growth; world annual uranium requirements; world annual separative requirements; world annual light water reactor fuel reprocessing requirements; distribution of reactor types (LWR, SGHWR, AGR, HWR, HJR, GG, FBR); and world fuel cycle capital requirements. The information is based on the latest report on Uranium Resources Production and Demand, jointly issued by the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency. (U.K.)

THE FASTEST GROWING LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wioletta NOWAK

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents trends in economic growth and development in twelve least developed countries from 2006 to 2015. The study is based on the data retrieved from the World Bank Database. During the analysed 10 years, seven Asian (Myanmar, Lao PDR, Bhutan, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and five African (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Angola, Sudan, and Mozambique LDCs had average annual GDP per capita growth rates higher than 4.0%. GDP has been largely generated through the services and industry sectors. A few LDCs sustained strong growth mainly because of foreign assistance and in other countries remittances were a significant source of development finance. Resource rich countries recorded high inflows of foreign direct investment. In a few fast growing LDCs the state has been heavily engaged in economy. The analysed LDCs substantially improved their development indicators.

Diet in chronic kidney disease in a Mediterranean African country

OpenAIRE

Kammoun, Khawla; Chaker, Hanen; Mahfoudh, Hichem; Makhlouf, Nouha; Jarraya, Faical; Hachicha, Jamil

2017-01-01

Background Mediterranean diet is characterized by low to moderate consumption of animal protein and high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread, beans, nuts, seeds and other cereals. It has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is not suitable for chronic kidney disease because of high potassium intake. Discussion Tunisia is an emerging Mediterranean country with limited resources, a high prevalence of chronic hemodialysis treatment and high dialysis expen...

A survey on critical care resources and practices in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Vukoja, Marija; Riviello, Elisabeth; Gavrilovic, Srdjan; Adhikari, Neill K J; Kashyap, Rahul; Bhagwanjee, Satish; Gajic, Ognjen; Kilickaya, Oguz

2014-09-01

Timely and appropriate care is the key to achieving good outcomes in acutely ill patients, but the effectiveness of critical care may be limited in resource-limited settings. This study sought to understand how to implement best practices in intensive care units (ICU) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and to develop a point-of-care training and decision-support tool. An internationally representative group of clinicians performed a 22-item capacity-and-needs assessment survey in a convenience sample of 13 ICU in Eastern Europe (4), Asia (4), Latin America (3), and Africa (2), between April and July 2012. Two ICU were from low-income, 2 from low-middle-income, and 9 from upper-middle-income countries. Clinician respondents were asked about bed capacity, patient characteristics, human resources, available medications and equipment, access to education, and processes of care. Thirteen clinicians from each of 13 hospitals (1 per ICU) responded. Surveyed hospitals had median of 560 (interquartile range [IQR]: 232, 1,200) beds. ICU had a median of 9 (IQR: 7, 12) beds and treated 40 (IQR: 20, 67) patients per month. Many ICU had ≥ 1 staff member with some formal critical care training (n = 9, 69%) or who completed Fundamental Critical Care Support (n = 7, 54%) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (n = 9, 69%) courses. Only 2 ICU (15%) used any kind of checklists for acute resuscitation. Ten (77%) ICU listed lack of trained staff as the most important barrier to improving the care and outcomes of critically ill patients. In a convenience sample of 13 ICU from LMIC, specialty-trained staff and standardized processes of care such as checklists are frequently lacking. ICU needs-assessment evaluations should be expanded in LMIC as a global priority, with the goal of creating and evaluating context-appropriate checklists for ICU best practices. Copyright © 2014 World Heart Federation (Geneva). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Financial development and oil resource abundance-growth relations: evidence from panel data.

Science.gov (United States)

Law, Siong Hook; Moradbeigi, Maryam

2017-10-01

This study investigates whether financial development dampens the negative impact of oil resource abundance on economic growth. Because of substantial cross-sectional dependence in our data, which contain a core sample of 63 oil-producing countries from 1980 through 2010, we use the common correlated effect mean group (CCEMG) estimator to account for the high degree of heterogeneity and drop the outlier countries. The empirical results reveal that oil resource abundance affects the growth rate in output contingent on the degree of development in financial markets. More developed financial markets can channel the revenues from oil into more productive activities and thus offset the negative effects of oil resource abundance on economic growth. Thus, better financial development can reverse resource curse or enhance resource blessing in oil-rich economies.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-04-01

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

Country programme review. Mongolia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolnicar, J.; Kamel, R.; Perera, O.; Tauchid, M.

1992-08-01

This document reviews the current nuclear program in Mongolia, identifying the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the country and possible future technical co-operation activities. Separate brief sections deal with food and agriculture; mineral resources; nuclear chemistry, nuclear physics and instrumentation; human health; radiation protection; water resources and nuclear energy. 1 tab

Market entry strategies into the BRIC countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boyd, Britta; Dyhr Ulrich, Anna Marie

2014-01-01

Based on a sample of 177 exporting SMEs, this study investigates what market entry strategy is used by Danish family and non-family businesses. From a resource-based view, three critical internal factors (risk, flexibility and control) affecting the entry mode choice into the BRIC markets...... are analysed. The effective management of firms’ resources and capabilities is influenced by the perception of these internal factors when expanding into foreign markets. Our results confirmed that family firms build up longer lasting relationships in the host country by choosing high commitment entry modes...... when entering the BRIC markets. In contrast, family firms choose high commitment entry modes which involve high risk and low flexibility when entering the BRIC markets. Further implications discuss the suitability of export strategies to BRIC markets for managers of Danish family and non-family firms....

Health Care Spending in the United States and Other High-Income Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Papanicolas, Irene; Woskie, Liana R; Jha, Ashish K

2018-03-13

Health care spending in the United States is a major concern and is higher than in other high-income countries, but there is little evidence that efforts to reform US health care delivery have had a meaningful influence on controlling health care spending and costs. To compare potential drivers of spending, such as structural capacity and utilization, in the United States with those of 10 of the highest-income countries (United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark) to gain insight into what the United States can learn from these nations. Analysis of data primarily from 2013-2016 from key international organizations including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), comparing underlying differences in structural features, types of health care and social spending, and performance between the United States and 10 high-income countries. When data were not available for a given country or more accurate country-level estimates were available from sources other than the OECD, country-specific data sources were used. In 2016, the US spent 17.8% of its gross domestic product on health care, and spending in the other countries ranged from 9.6% (Australia) to 12.4% (Switzerland). The proportion of the population with health insurance was 90% in the US, lower than the other countries (range, 99%-100%), and the US had the highest proportion of private health insurance (55.3%). For some determinants of health such as smoking, the US ranked second lowest of the countries (11.4% of the US population ≥15 years smokes daily; mean of all 11 countries, 16.6%), but the US had the highest percentage of adults who were overweight or obese at 70.1% (range for other countries, 23.8%-63.4%; mean of all 11 countries, 55.6%). Life expectancy in the US was the lowest of the 11 countries at 78.8 years (range for other countries, 80.7-83.9 years; mean of all 11 countries, 81.7 years), and infant

Pediatric anesthesia in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Bösenberg, Adrian T

2007-06-01

To highlight the problems faced in developing countries where healthcare resources are limited, with particular emphasis on pediatric anesthesia. The fact that very few publications address pediatric anesthesia in the developing world is not surprising given that most anesthetics are provided by nonphysicians, nurses or unqualified personnel. In compiling this article information is drawn from pediatric surgical, anesthetic and related texts. In a recent survey more than 80% of anesthesia providers in a poor country acknowledged that with the limited resources available they could not provide basic anesthesia for children less than 5 years. Although many publications could be regarded as anecdotal, the similarities to this survey suggest that the lack of facilities is more generalized than we would like to believe. The real risk of anesthesia in comparison to other major health risks such as human immunodeficiency virus, malaria, tuberculosis and trauma remains undetermined. The critical shortage of manpower remains a barrier to progress. Despite erratic electrical supplies, inconsistent oxygen delivery, paucity of drugs or equipment and on occasion even lack of running water, many provide life-saving anesthesia. Perioperative morbidity and mortality is, however, understandably high by developed world standards.

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…

Environmental policy implementation in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gamman, J.K.

1990-01-01

This study examines why national and international policies intended to protect limited natural resources in developing countries are not effectively implemented. It employs a comparative-policy implementation in three developing countries, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts, and three foreign assistance agencies, the US Agency for International Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organization of American States. The decision-making process within the countries and donor agencies is closed, preventing key stakeholders from participating. In two instances, the mutually reinforcing behavior of top officials in the countries and the donor agencies led to decisions that prevented natural resources from being protected. In all three cases, strategies to implement environmental policies failed to account for four major elements: national politics, behavior in the donor agency, the culture of decision making, and economic necessity. The existing-decision making process in both developing countries and donor agencies is dysfunctional

Isolation facilities for highly infectious diseases in Europe--a cross-sectional analysis in 16 countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Schilling

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Highly Infectious Diseases (HIDs are (i easily transmissible form person to person; (ii cause a life-threatening illness with no or few treatment options; and (iii pose a threat for both personnel and the public. Hence, even suspected HID cases should be managed in specialised facilities minimizing infection risks but allowing state-of-the-art critical care. Consensus statements on the operational management of isolation facilities have been published recently. The study presented was set up to compare the operational management, resources, and technical equipment among European isolation facilities. Due to differences in geography, population density, and national response plans it was hypothesized that adherence to recommendations will vary. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Until mid of 2010 the European Network for Highly Infectious Diseases conducted a cross-sectional analysis of isolation facilities in Europe, recruiting 48 isolation facilities in 16 countries. Three checklists were disseminated, assessing 44 items and 148 specific questions. The median feedback rate for specific questions was 97.9% (n = 47/48 (range: n = 7/48 (14.6% to n = 48/48 (100%. Although all facilities enrolled were nominated specialised facilities' serving countries or regions, their design, equipment and personnel management varied. Eighteen facilities fulfilled the definition of a High Level Isolation Unit'. In contrast, 24 facilities could not operate independently from their co-located hospital, and five could not ensure access to equipment essential for infection control. Data presented are not representative for the EU in general, as only 16/27 (59.3% of all Member States agreed to participate. Another limitation of this study is the time elapsed between data collection and publication; e.g. in Germany one additional facility opened in the meantime. CONCLUSION: There are disparities both within and between European countries regarding the design

Do all countries grow alike?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bos, J. W. B.; Economidou, C.; Koetter, M.; Kolari, J. W.

This paper investigates the driving forces of output change in 77 countries during the period 1970-2000. A flexible modeling strategy is adopted that accounts for (i) the inefficient use of resources, and (ii) different production technologies across countries. The proposed model can identify

Decision Support Systems for Water Resources Management in Developing Countries: Learning from Experiences in Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo Giupponi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Decision support system (DSS tools are rather popular in the literature on water resources management. The European Project “Splash” conducted a survey of the literature and of DSS implementation in developing countries with specific reference on Africa. Experts in the field were consulted through an ad hoc questionnaire and interviews. The results of the survey indicate that the exchange of experiences amongst projects with similar objectives or even the same case study is very limited, with a tendency towards restarting every time from scratch. As a consequence, it seems that DSS developments have produced only limited positive impacts. Most experts contacted shared either the frustration deriving from the limited impacts on intended end-users, who rarely used the tool after the project end, or in the case of ongoing projects, the preoccupation for future maintenance. Responses from the questionnaires indicate that priority efforts should not focus on developing the tools, but rather on improving the effectiveness and applicability of integrated water resource management legislative and planning frameworks, training and capacity building, networking and cooperation, harmonization of transnational data infrastructures and, very importantly, learning from past experiences and adopting enhanced protocols for DSS development.

Convergence in Food Demand and Delivery: Do Middle-Income Countries Follow High-Income Trends?

OpenAIRE

Regmi, Anita; Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Unnevehr, Laurian J.

2008-01-01

This study uses food expenditures and food-sales data from 1990 to 2004 to examine whether food-consumption patterns and food-delivery-mechanism trends are converging across 47 high- and middle-income countries. Results point to a high degree of convergence in global food systems. Middle-income countries appear to be following trends in high-income countries. Convergence is apparent in most important food-expenditure categories and in indicators of food-system modernization such as supermarke...

10 Best resources on… intersectionality with an emphasis on low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Elizabeth; George, Asha; Morgan, Rosemary; Poteat, Tonia

2016-10-01

Intersectionality has emerged as an important framework for understanding and responding to health inequities by making visible the fluid and interconnected structures of power that create them. It promotes an understanding of the dynamic nature of the privileges and disadvantages that permeate health systems and affect health. It considers the interaction of different social stratifiers (e.g. 'race'/ethnicity, indigeneity, gender, class, sexuality, geography, age, disability/ability, migration status, religion) and the power structures that underpin them at multiple levels. In doing so, it is a departure from previous health inequalities research that looked at these forms of social stratification in isolation from one another or in an additive manner. Despite its potential use and long history in other disciplines, intersectionality is uncommonly used in health systems research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). To orient readers to intersectionality theory and research, we first define intersectionality and describe its role in public health, and then we review resources on intersectionality. We found that applications in public health mostly increased after 2009, with only 14 out of 86 articles focused on LMICs. To arrive at 10 best resources, we selected articles based on the proportion of the article that was devoted to intersectionality, the strength of the intersectionality analysis, and its relevance to LMICs. The first four resources explain intersectionality as a methodology. The subsequent six articles apply intersectionality to research in LMIC with quantitative and qualitative analysis. We provide examples from India, Swaziland, Uganda and Mexico. Topics for the studies range from HIV, violence and sexual abuse to immunization and the use of health entitlements. Through these 10 resources, we hope to spark interest and open a needed conversation on the importance and use of intersectional analysis in LMICs as part of understanding people

Mineral Taxation Policies in Developing Countries: An Application of Resource Rent Tax (L'imposition des ressources dans les pays en développement: application du concept de taxe sur la rente minière) (Políticas de impuestos a los minerales en los países en desarrollo: Aplicación del impuesto a la renta de recursos)

OpenAIRE

Keith F. Palmer

1980-01-01

The central problem of mineral taxation policy in developing countries is to establish a stable fiscal framework that, under conditions of uncertainty, both obtains a high share of mineral rent for the resource-owning country and ensures for the investor the prospect of a return on his investment commensurate with his risk. The main concern of the paper is to propose a practical fiscal framework, based on the resource rent tax concept, that meets these objectives. The resource rent tax is a p...

Current status of high level radioactive waste disposal in Japan and foreign countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Satoru; Tanabe, Hiromi; Inagaki, Yusuke; Ishida, Hisahiro; Kato, Osamu; Kurata, Mitsuyuki; Yamachika, Hidehiko

2002-01-01

At a time point of 2002, there is no country actually disposing high level radioactive wastes into grounds, but in most of countries legislative preparation and practicing agents are carried out and site selection is promoted together with energetic advancement of its R and Ds. As disposal methods of the high level radioactive wastes, various methods such as space disposal, oceanic bottom disposal, ice bed disposal, ground disposal, and so on have been examined. And, a processing technology called partitioning and transmutation technology separating long-lived radionuclides from liquid high level radioactive waste and transmutation into short-lived or harmless radionuclides has also been studied. Here was introduced their wrestling conditions in Japan and main foreign countries, as a special issue of the Current status of high level radioactive waste disposal in Japan and foreign countries'. The high level radioactive wastes (glassification solids or spent nuclear fuels) are wastes always formed by nuclear power generation and establishment of technologies is an important subject for nuclear fuel cycle. (G.K.)

Sanitation planning in developing countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kerstens, S.M.

2016-01-01

Sanitation planning in developing countries: Added value of resource recovery

Worldwide 2.5 billion people lack access to sanitation. This impacts human live, the environment and represents a loss of valuable resources that can be regained from wastewater. This study

Availability of critical care resources to treat patients with severe sepsis or septic shock in Africa: a self-reported, continent-wide survey of anaesthesia providers.

Science.gov (United States)

Baelani, Inipavudu; Jochberger, Stefan; Laimer, Thomas; Otieno, Dave; Kabutu, Jane; Wilson, Iain; Baker, Tim; Dünser, Martin W

2011-01-01

It is unknown whether resources necessary to implement the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines and sepsis bundles are available in Africa. This self-reported, continent-wide survey compared the availability of these resources between African and high-income countries, and between two African regions (Sub-Sahara Africa vs. South Africa, Mauritius and the Northern African countries). The study was conducted as an anonymous questionnaire-based, cross-sectional survey among anaesthesia providers attending a transcontinental congress. Based on the respondents' country of practice, returned questionnaires were grouped into African and high-income countries. The questionnaire contained 74 items and evaluated all material resources required to implement the most recent Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. Group comparisons were performed with the Chi2, Fisher's Exact or Mann Whitney U test, as appropriate. The overall response rate was 74.3% (318/428). Three-hundred-seven questionnaires were analysed (African countries, n = 263; high-income countries, n = 44). Respondents from African hospitals were less likely to have an emergency room (85.5 vs. 97.7%, P = 0.03) or intensive care unit (73.8 vs. 100%, P resources available to implement the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines in entirety. The percentage of implementable recommendations was lower in African than in high-income countries (72.6 (57.7 to 87.7)% vs. 100 (100 to 100)%, P resources to implement the majority of strong Surviving Sepsis Campaign recommendations and the sepsis bundles may allow modification of current sepsis guidelines based on available resources and implementation of a substantial number of life-saving interventions into sepsis care in Africa.

Avoiding the resource curse the case Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holden, Steinar

2013-01-01

In many countries, natural resources have been detrimental to the economic development. The literature on “the resource curse” shows a bleak relationship: countries with large natural resources generally experience lower economic growth than other countries. Norway does not fit into this picture. Economic growth has much higher than in most other industrialized countries. This paper describes the key features of the Norwegian management of the petroleum resources. The main focus is on the management of the revenues from the petroleum sector, but the effects of the petroleum sector on the Norwegian economy more generally are also discussed. - Highlights: • In Norway, the sizeable petroleum resources have led to higher economic growth and a higher GDP per capita, measured in purchasing power parities. • This paper describes the key features of the Norwegian management of the petroleum resources. • The main focus is on the management of the revenues from the petroleum sector • Effects of the petroleum sector on the Norwegian economy more generally are also discussed

Persistence and Evolutions of the Rentier State Model in Gulf Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozyavuz, Anais; Schmid, Dorothee

2015-04-01

A general economic model of understanding Middle Eastern states was elaborated by political scientists around the 1980's, based on the concept of rent. Rent derived from the exploitations and sales of natural resources (mainly crude-oil and gas reserves for the Middle-East area) became a new factor of wealth around which the economic model as much as the governance of energy-rich countries was reorganized. The particular case of GCC's countries as rentier state has been at the cornerstone of this concept since they own the most important share of energy resources in the world. Despite bringing high revenues to resource-abundant countries, rent clearly has a bad reputation, implying a system of 'allocative state' vs. 'productive state'. After four decades of the concept's circulation, the historicity of the rentier state theory clearly requires discussion. This paper will first deal with the emergence of the concept of rent in Gulf countries, and will study in which extend GCC member states have undertaken reforms and changes for depending less on oil-wealth and for reaching a more diversified economy. Despite their efforts and achievements - both endogenous as exogenous factors - are still inhibiting the development processes in each country. The improvements of the economy and the governance in those 6 countries have been - and will be - important not only for the concerned countries but also for the development and especially the stability of the Middle-East area. This last concern is definitely the main issue of last months for the area, being in the chaos since the emergence of a new regional player, the terrorist group Daesh. (author)

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems? High-Achieving Black High School Students' Experiences with Resources, Racial Climate, and Resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Walter; Griffin, Kimberly

2006-01-01

A multi-site case study analyzed the college preparatory processes of nine African American high achievers attending a well-resourced, suburban high school and eight academically successful African Americans attending a low-resourced urban school. Students at both schools experienced barriers, that is, racial climate and a lack of resources, that…

Resources for Sale: Corruption, Democracy and the Natural Resource Curse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Damania, R.; Bulte, E.H.

2008-01-01

A puzzling piece of empirical evidence suggests that resource-abundant countries tend to grow slower than their resource-poor counterparts. We attempt to explain this phenomenon by developing a lobbying game in which rent seeking firms interact with corrupt governments. The presence or absence of

Developing an appropriate digital hearing aid for low-resource countries: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Israsena, P; Isaradisaikul, S; Noymai, A; Boonyanukul, S; Hemakom, A; Chinnarat, C; Navacharoen, N; Lekagul, S

2013-01-01

This paper reviews the development process and discusses the key findings which resulted from our multidisciplinary research team's effort to develop an alternative digital hearing suitable for low-resource countries such as Thailand. A cost-effective, fully programmable digital hearing aid, with its specifications benchmarking against WHO's recommendations, was systematically designed, engineered, and tested. Clinically it had undergone a full clinical trial that employed the outcome measurement protocol adopted from the APHAB, the first time implemented in Thai language. Results indicated that using the hearing aid improves user's satisfaction in terms of ease of communication, background noises, and reverberation, with clear benefit after 3 and 6 months, confirming its efficacy. In terms of engineering, the hearing aid also proved to be robust, passing all the designated tests. As the technology has successfully been transferred to a local company for the production phase, we also discuss other challenges that may arise before the device can be introduced into the market.

Trade policies, institutions and the natural resource curse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arezki, R.; van der Ploeg, F.

2010-01-01

We offer new cross-country evidence on the natural resource curse. We investigate the impact of the interaction of natural resource abundance and policies on growth. We find that the resource curse is less severe in countries with less restrictive trade policies and good institutions. However, we

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

The challenges of psycho-oncology research in developing countries: A non-equivalent process of growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmina Castellano-Tejedor

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In summary, most psycho-oncology research comes from resource-rich settings and, therefore, some results might be very different in developing countries if we acknowledge that they have specific and unique features. Consequently, research from developing countries is highly necessary and needs to be supported to advance this knowledge and to favour a better understanding of the specific realities of cancer patients and their families in those countries.

Should Canada Worry About a Resource Curse?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan Gelb

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An abundance of natural resources might seem like something any nation would want to be blessed with. But in some countries, a bounty of energy, minerals and other resources can become as much a curse as a blessing. The difference between whether resources benefit a country’s people, or lead to adversity and even suffering, has everything to do with how a country manages its resources. It is the difference between a resource-rich, free and democratically accountable country, such as Canada, and a resourcerich, corrupt, violent and impoverished country, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. In many resource-rich countries, the effect of ample natural wealth has been to sever the accountability link between citizens and government, slowing or even reversing democratic and social progress, while mostly enriching a few politically favoured constituencies. Canada’s plentiful resources are an indisputable blessing, and those critics of federal industrial policy who compare this country to illiberal and corrupt “petro-states” are being either ignorant or deceitful. There are numerous critical factors at work here that ensure that the Canadian public benefits, rather than suffers, from our natural endowments. We have a diversity of resources, as opposed to being reliant on a single commodity, and our natural-resource sector makes up only a small portion of our larger economy. We have well-established and diligently enforced standards for financial transparency and accountability, in both the private and public sectors. But, just as importantly, there is a national consensus in Canada that public wealth amassed from resource rents should be invested in strengthening human capital, through education, training and social services, as well as in improved infrastructure and better governance, eventually parlaying natural-resource wealth into a yet larger, further-diversified economy. But Canada — and especially resource-rich provinces, such as

Northeast Asian economy cooperation: study on energy resource cooperation in Northeast Asian region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Woo Jin [Korea Energy Economics Institute, Euiwang (Korea)

1999-12-01

In Northeast Asian region, there are East Russia with abundant resources, Japan a large energy consumption country, Korea and China with rapidly increasing energy consumption due to their economic development, but the utilization rate of East Russian resources are very low and the resource trading and investment among Korea, China and Japan are also low. Korea and Japan use most of energy imported from Middle East. It is expected that import of petroleum and gas except coal will be increasing in China and most of imported energy will be imported mainly from the Middle East. For Korea, with not much energy resources and foreign-oriented economic system, if investment on resource development among Northeast Asian countries is active and energy transportation among these countries is liberalized, the enhancement of energy cooperation in Northeast Asia has a high possibility to provide North and South Korean energy cooperation as well as to secure energy security and to develop energy industry. Therefore, Korean government needs to promote Northeast Asian energy cooperation by taking its lead. (author). 28 refs., 8 figs., 44 tabs.

Resource Use in Small Island States: Material Flows in Iceland and Trinidad and Tobago, 1961-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Krausmann, Fridolin; Richter, Regina; Eisenmenger, Nina

2014-04-01

Iceland and Trinidad and Tobago are small open, high-income island economies with very specific resource-use patterns. This article presents a material flow analysis (MFA) for the two countries covering a time period of nearly five decades. Both countries have a narrow domestic resource base, their economy being largely based on the exploitation of one or two key resources for export production. In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, the physical economy is dominated by oil and natural gas extraction and petrochemical industries, whereas Iceland's economy for centuries has been based on fisheries. More recently, abundant hydropower and geothermal heat were the basis for the establishment of large export-oriented metal processing industries, which fully depend on imported raw materials and make use of domestic renewable electricity. Both countries are highly dependent on these natural resources and vulnerable to overexploitation and price developments. We show how the export-oriented industries lead to high and growing levels of per capita material and energy use and carbon dioxide emissions resulting from large amounts of processing wastes and energy consumption in production processes. The example of small open economies with an industrial production system focused on few, but abundant, key resources and of comparatively low complexity provides interesting insights of how resource endowment paired with availability or absence of infrastructure and specific institutional arrangements drives domestic resource-use patterns. This also contributes to a better understanding and interpretation of MFA indicators, such as domestic material consumption.

Adapting clinical guidelines in low-resources countries : a study on the guideline on the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Widyahening, Indah S.; Wangge, Grace; van der Graaf, Yolanda; van der Heijden, Geert J M G

2017-01-01

Rationale, aims and objectives: Most of the clinical guidelines in low-resource countries are adaptations from preexisting international guidelines. This adaptation can be problematic when those international guidelines are not based on current evidence or original evidence-based international

Mauritius country study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manraj, D D [Central Statistical Office (Mauritius)

1998-10-01

Mauritius has no known oil, gas or coal reserves but is only endowed with limited renewable energy resources namely hydropower and bagasse. Bagasse represents about one third of the country`s energy requirements and meets almost all of the sugar industries energy demand. Projects identified for mitigation options are: Energy Sector - Renewable Sources (Solar, Wind, Biomass); Transport Sector - Fuel switching and Mass transit transport; Manufacturing Sector - Increase efficiency of energy use in the manufacturing process. (EG)

Comparative meta-analysis of tuberculosis contact investigation interventions in eleven high burden countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucie Blok

Full Text Available Screening of household contacts of tuberculosis (TB patients is a recommended strategy to improve early case detection. While it has been widely implemented in low prevalence countries, the most optimal protocols for contact investigation in high prevalence, low resource settings is yet to be determined. This study evaluated contact investigation interventions in eleven lower and middle income countries and reviewed the association between context or program-related factors and the yield of cases among contacts.We reviewed data from nineteen first wave TB REACH funded projects piloting innovations to improve case detection. These nineteen had fulfilled the eligibility criteria: contact investigation implementation and complete data reporting. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the percentage yield and case notifications for each project. Implementation strategies were delineated and the association between independent variables and yield was analyzed by fitting a random effects logistic regression.Overall, the nineteen interventions screened 139,052 household contacts, showing great heterogeneity in the percentage yield of microscopy confirmed cases (SS+, ranging from 0.1% to 6.2%. Compared to the most restrictive testing criteria (at least two weeks of cough the aOR's for lesser (any TB related symptom and least (all contacts restrictive testing criteria were 1.71 (95%CI 0.94-3.13 and 6.90 (95% CI 3.42-13.93 respectively. The aOR for inclusion of SS- and extra-pulmonary TB was 0.31 (95% CI 0.15-0.62 compared to restricting index cases to SS+ TB. Contact investigation contributed between <1% and 14% to all SS+ cases diagnosed in the intervention areas.This study confirms that high numbers of active TB cases can be identified through contact investigation in a variety of contexts. However, design and program implementation factors appear to influence the yield of contact investigation and its concomitant contribution to TB case detection.

Childhood acute non-traumatic coma: aetiology and challenges in management in resource-poor countries of Africa and Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gwer, Samson; Chacha, Clifford; Newton, Charles R; Idro, Richard

2013-08-01

This review examines the best available evidence on the aetiology of childhood acute non-traumatic coma in resource-poor countries (RPCs), discusses the challenges associated with management, and explores strategies to address them. Publications in English and French which reported on studies on the aetiology of childhood non-traumatic coma in RPCs are reviewed. Primarily, the MEDLINE database was searched using the keywords coma, unconsciousness, causality, aetiology, child, malaria cerebral, meningitis, encephalitis, Africa, Asia, and developing countries. 14 records were identified for inclusion in the review. Cerebral malaria (CM) was the commonest cause of childhood coma in most of the studies conducted in Africa. Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) was the second most common known cause of coma in seven of the African studies. Of the studies in Asia, encephalitides were the commonest cause of coma in two studies in India, and ABM was the commonest cause of coma in Pakistan. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated organism in ABM. Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever and enteroviruses were the viral agents most commonly isolated. Accurate diagnosis of the aetiology of childhood coma in RPCs is complicated by overlap in clinical presentation, limited diagnostic resources, disease endemicity and co-morbidity. For improved outcomes, studies are needed to further elucidate the aetiology of childhood coma in RPCs, explore simple and practical diagnostic tools, and investigate the most appropriate specific and supportive interventions to manage and prevent infectious encephalopathies.

Mineral resources in Afghanistan. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-02-01

Despite Afghanistan's wide variety of mineral resources and long history of small-scale mining of gems, gold, copper, and coal, it was not until the 1950's that the country's mineral resources were subject to systematic exploration. The report documents the past and present status of these resources and examines alternative strategies for their exploitation. Chapter 2 provides a brief history of minerals exploration, exploitation, and planning in Afghanistan, including the roles of Great Britain, France, Germany, the Soviet bloc, and the United States in Afghanistan's mineral sector; mineral policy in the five national plans during the years 1962-83; and sector assessments conducted by the World Bank (1978) and the US Department of Energy (1989). Chapter 3 discusses three strategies for developing the country's mineral and hydrocarbon resources. (1) a national orientation focusing on domestic needs; (2) a regional strategy that would consider markets in countries close to Afghanistan; and (3) an international strategy that would place Afghan resources on the international market

Timor-Leste : Country Environmental Analysis

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2009-01-01

The Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) for Timor-Leste identifies environmental priorities through a systematic review of environmental issues in natural resources management and environmental health in the context of the country's economic development and environmental institutions. Lack of data has been the main limitation in presenting a more rigorous analysis. Nevertheless, the repor...

Exploration strategy for high temperature geothermal resources in the Philippines - an update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayrante, L.F.; Ferrer, H.P.; Barnett, P.R.

1992-01-01

After nearly two decades of geoscientific-exploration at 45 geothermal areas in the Philippines, the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC) has developed a multi-disciplinary approach for exploring country's geothermal resources. It suitability for crater-hosted magmatic geothermal systems is currently being evaluated in the light of new data from six recently drilled prospects. New techniques are under consideration for future exploration programmes. (auth.). 59 refs.; 5 figs

Emergency medicine clerkship curriculum in a high-income developing country: methods for development and application.

Science.gov (United States)

Cevik, Arif Alper; Cakal, Elif Dilek; Abu-Zidan, Fikri M

2018-06-07

The published recommendations for international emergency medicine curricula cover the content, but exclude teaching and learning methods, assessment, and evaluation. We aim to provide an overview on available emergency medicine clerkship curricula and report the development and application experience of our own curriculum. Our curriculum is an outcome-based education, enriched by e-learning and various up-to-date pedagogic principles. Teaching and learning methods, assessment, and evaluation are described. The theory behind our practice in the light of recent literature is discussed aiming to help other colleagues from developing countries to have a clear map for developing and tailoring their own curricula depending on their needs. The details of our emergency medicine clerkship will serve as an example for developing and developed countries having immature undergraduate emergency medicine clerkship curricula. However, these recommendations will differ in various settings depending on available resources. The main concept of curriculum development is to create a curriculum having learning outcomes and content relevant to the local context, and then align the teaching and learning activities, assessments, and evaluations to be in harmony. This may assure favorable educational outcome even in resource limited settings.

Status on high enthalpy geothermal resources in Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koutinas, G.A.

1990-01-01

Greece is privileged to have many high and medium enthalpy geothermal resources. Related activities during the last 5 years were conducted mainly on the previously discovered geothermal fields of Milos, Nisyros and Lesvos islands, without any deep geothermal drilling. Most efforts were focused on the demonstration of a high enthalpy geothermal reservoir on Milos, by generating electricity from high salinity fluid, with a 2 MW pilot plant. Significant experience has been gained there, by solving technical problems, but still site specific constraints have to be overcome in order to arrive at a comprehensive feasibility study, leading to the development phase. A pre-feasibility study has been carried out in the Nisyros geothermal field. Moreover, a detailed geoscientific exploration program has been completed on Lesvos island, where very promising geothermal areas have been identified. In this paper, reference is made to the most important data concerning high enthalpy geothermal resources by emphasizing the Milos geothermal field

An assessment of the use of molecular markers in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonnino, A.; Carena, M.J.; Guimaraes, E.P.; Baumung, R.; Pilling, D.; Rischkowsky, B.

2007-01-01

Four different sources of information were analysed to assess the current uses of molecular markers in crops, forest trees and livestock in developing countries: the FAO Biotechnology in Developing Countries (FAO-BioDeC) database of biotechnology in developing countries; country reports evaluating the current status of applied plant breeding and related biotechnologies; country reports on animal genetic resources management for preparing the First Report on the State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources (SoW-AnGR); and the results of a questionnaire survey on animal genetic diversity studies. Even if still largely incomplete, the current data show that molecular markers are widely used for plant breeding in the developing world and most probably their use will increase in the future. In the animal sector the use of molecular markers seems less developed and limited or absent in most developing countries. Major differences exist among and within regions regarding the application of molecular marker techniques in plant and animal breeding and genetics. These can be explained by the relatively high investments in infrastructure and human resources necessary to undertake research in these fields. The spectrum of application of molecular markers in crop plants is quite wide, covering many plants relevant to the enhancement of food security, but other important plant species are still neglected. The practical results of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in the field are disappointingly modest, possibly due to: low levels of investment; limited coordination between biotechnologists and practical breeders; instable, non-focused or ill-addressed research projects; and the lack of linkages between research and farmers. Partnerships between developed and developing countries may be a means of better realizing the potential of molecular marker techniques for improving both animal and crop production. (author)

Cardiovascular Risk and Events in 17 Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries.

OpenAIRE

Yusuf, S; Rangarajan, S; Teo, K; Islam, S; Li, W; Liu, L; Bo, J; Lou, Q; Lu, F; Liu, T; Yu, L; Zhang, S; Mony, P; Swaminathan, S; Mohan, V

2014-01-01

: More than 80% of deaths from cardiovascular disease are estimated to occur in low-income and middle-income countries, but the reasons are unknown. : We enrolled 156,424 persons from 628 urban and rural communities in 17 countries (3 high-income, 10 middle-income, and 4 low-income countries) and assessed their cardiovascular risk using the INTERHEART Risk Score, a validated score for quantifying risk-factor burden without the use of laboratory testing (with higher scores indicating greater r...

Development challenges of resource-rich countries: the case of oil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper discusses some of the challenges that confront oil-rich developing countries in their development quest. It stresses that one of the surest ways governments in oil-rich developing countries have at their disposal to avoid the so-called curse of oil is through the insulation of fiscal policy from the volatility associated ...

Local level epidemiological analysis of TB in people from a high incidence country of birth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massey Peter D

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The setting for this analysis is the low tuberculosis (TB incidence state of New South Wales (NSW, Australia. Local level analysis of TB epidemiology in people from high incidence countries-of-birth (HIC in a low incidence setting has not been conducted in Australia and has not been widely reported. Local level analysis could inform measures such as active case finding and targeted earlier diagnosis. The aim of this study was to use a novel approach to identify local areas in an Australian state that have higher TB rates given the local areas’ country of birth profiles. Methods TB notification data for the three year period 2006–2008 were analysed by grouping the population into those from a high-incidence country-of-birth and the remainder. Results During the study period there were 1401 notified TB cases in the state of NSW. Of these TB cases 76.5% were born in a high-incidence country. The annualised TB notification rate for the high-incidence country-of-birth group was 61.2/100,000 population and for the remainder of the population was 1.8/100,000. Of the 152 Local Government Areas (LGA in NSW, nine had higher and four had lower TB notification rates in their high-incidence country-of-birth populations when compared with the high-incidence country-of-birth population for the rest of NSW. The nine areas had a higher proportion of the population with a country of birth where TB notification rates are >100/100,000. Those notified with TB in the nine areas also had a shorter length of stay in Australia than the rest of the state. The areas with higher TB notification rates were all in the capital city, Sydney. Among LGAs with higher TB notification rates, four had higher rates in both people with a high-incidence country of birth and people not born in a high-incidence country. The age distribution of the HIC population was similar across all areas, and the highest differential in TB rates across areas was in the 5–19

Local level epidemiological analysis of TB in people from a high incidence country of birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Massey, Peter D; Durrheim, David N; Stephens, Nicola; Christensen, Amanda

2013-01-22

The setting for this analysis is the low tuberculosis (TB) incidence state of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Local level analysis of TB epidemiology in people from high incidence countries-of-birth (HIC) in a low incidence setting has not been conducted in Australia and has not been widely reported. Local level analysis could inform measures such as active case finding and targeted earlier diagnosis. The aim of this study was to use a novel approach to identify local areas in an Australian state that have higher TB rates given the local areas' country of birth profiles. TB notification data for the three year period 2006-2008 were analysed by grouping the population into those from a high-incidence country-of-birth and the remainder. During the study period there were 1401 notified TB cases in the state of NSW. Of these TB cases 76.5% were born in a high-incidence country. The annualised TB notification rate for the high-incidence country-of-birth group was 61.2/100,000 population and for the remainder of the population was 1.8/100,000. Of the 152 Local Government Areas (LGA) in NSW, nine had higher and four had lower TB notification rates in their high-incidence country-of-birth populations when compared with the high-incidence country-of-birth population for the rest of NSW. The nine areas had a higher proportion of the population with a country of birth where TB notification rates are >100/100,000. Those notified with TB in the nine areas also had a shorter length of stay in Australia than the rest of the state. The areas with higher TB notification rates were all in the capital city, Sydney. Among LGAs with higher TB notification rates, four had higher rates in both people with a high-incidence country of birth and people not born in a high-incidence country. The age distribution of the HIC population was similar across all areas, and the highest differential in TB rates across areas was in the 5-19 years age group. Analysing local area TB rates and possible

An analysis of health system resources in relation to pandemic response capacity in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanvoravongchai Piya

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is increasing perception that countries cannot work in isolation to militate against the threat of pandemic influenza. In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS of Asia, high socio-economic diversity and fertile conditions for the emergence and spread of infectious diseases underscore the importance of transnational cooperation. Investigation of healthcare resource distribution and inequalities can help determine the need for, and inform decisions regarding, resource sharing and mobilisation. Methods We collected data on healthcare resources deemed important for responding to pandemic influenza through surveys of hospitals and district health offices across four countries of the GMS (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam. Focusing on four key resource types (oseltamivir, hospital beds, ventilators, and health workers, we mapped and analysed resource distributions at province level to identify relative shortages, mismatches, and clustering of resources. We analysed inequalities in resource distribution using the Gini coefficient and Theil index. Results Three quarters of the Cambodian population and two thirds of the Laotian population live in relatively underserved provinces (those with resource densities in the lowest quintile across the region in relation to health workers, ventilators, and hospital beds. More than a quarter of the Thai population is relatively underserved for health workers and oseltamivir. Approximately one fifth of the Vietnamese population is underserved for beds and ventilators. All Cambodian provinces are underserved for at least one resource. In Lao PDR, 11 percent of the population is underserved by all four resource items. Of the four resources, ventilators and oseltamivir were most unequally distributed. Cambodia generally showed higher levels of inequalities in resource distribution compared to other countries. Decomposition of the Theil index suggests that inequalities result principally from

Human resource development in nuclear medicine in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gopinathan Nair, P.G.

1998-01-01

An organization, an enterprise or a movement is only as good as the people in it and these cannot be conceived without considering the people that make it, in other words its human resources (HR). The definition of HR includes the total knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and aptitudes of the work-force. Equally important it includes the values, attitudes and benefits of each of the individuals concerned. No development is possible without proper planning. HR planning is therefore a prerequisite for HRD in NM and no planning can be made without defining the objectives of Nuclear Medicine (NM) in developing countries (DC). It is also essential to forecast the future needs of NM in DC keeping in mind the stated objectives before laying out the strategies of the HRD. HRD in NM is best achieved when all the partners in the game play their part with commitment and sincerity of purpose. At the national level the partners are the government (ministries of health and education), professional bodies (national societies of NM) and academic bodies (colleges of NM physicians, physicists and technologists etc.). In the implementation of the HRD systems and processes, involvement of all the partners is essential for success. Creation of task forces to implement, monitor and evaluate HRD tools ensures the quality of these tools. The operation of some of these tools may have to be centralized, and others decentralized depending upon the exigencies of need, propriety and practicality. In summary, the aim of HRD should be to ensure the right people at the right time for the right job and in doing so nuclear medicine achieves its objectives and the individuals in the workforce realize their full potentials, and benefits in full

Parental Resources and the Transition to Junior High.

Science.gov (United States)

Grolnick, Wendy S.; Kurowski, Carolyn O.; Dunlap, Kelly G.; Hevey, Cheryl

2000-01-01

This study examined whether maternal resources of involvement and autonomy support might buffer children against the negative effects of the transition to junior high. School, cognitive, and personal involvement were examined. Findings highlight the importance of the home environment in children's coping with the transition to junior high.…

Sanitation planning in developing countries

OpenAIRE

Kerstens, S.M.

2016-01-01

Sanitation planning in developing countries: Added value of resource recovery Worldwide 2.5 billion people lack access to sanitation. This impacts human live, the environment and represents a loss of valuable resources that can be regained from wastewater. This study shows that resource recovery can be a potential driver to accelerate sanitation. A new sanitation decision framework for policy makers was created and tested in Indonesia. The variety of advantages and disadvantages of sanitatio...

Approaches to achieve high grain yield and high resource use efficiency in rice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianchang YANG

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article discusses approaches to simultaneously increase grain yield and resource use efficiency in rice. Breeding nitrogen efficient cultivars without sacrificing rice yield potential, improving grain fill in later-flowering inferior spikelets and enhancing harvest index are three important approaches to achieving the dual goal of high grain yield and high resource use efficiency. Deeper root distribution and higher leaf photosynthetic N use efficiency at lower N rates could be used as selection criteria to develop N-efficient cultivars. Enhancing sink activity through increasing sugar-spikelet ratio at the heading time and enhancing the conversion efficiency from sucrose to starch though increasing the ratio of abscisic acid to ethylene in grains during grain fill could effectively improve grain fill in inferior spikelets. Several practices, such as post-anthesis controlled soil drying, an alternate wetting and moderate soil drying regime during the whole growing season, and non-flooded straw mulching cultivation, could substantially increase grain yield and water use efficiency, mainly via enhanced remobilization of stored carbon from vegetative tissues to grains and improved harvest index. Further research is needed to understand synergistic interaction between water and N on crop and soil and the mechanism underlying high resource use efficiency in high-yielding rice.

Electricity and telecommunications regulatory institutions in small and developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stern, J. [London Business School, London (United Kingdom)

2000-09-01

The spread of utility liberalisation and privatisation to middle and low income developing countries raises the problem of whether and how they can establish an effective regulatory capability of whether the supply of regulatory services is likely to be insufficient. The paper presents evidence on the size of electricity regulatory agencies in 24 mainly middle and lower income countries as well as the number of high-level, specialist regulatory staff and the potential resource pool from post-school education. The paper also discusses how far the problem can be alleviated and/or avoided by the use of regulation by contract, regulation by multi-national regulatory agency or contracting-out. The paper concludes that such solutions are unlikely to be generally effective but that informal exchanges of information and pooling of resources between national regulators on a market-driven basis, as seen in Southern Africa and the EU, is a promising option. The paper concludes by pointing to the need to ascertain the minimum required regulatory capability in developing countries as perceived by Governments and potential investors. (author)

Manual cleaning of hospital mattresses: an observational study comparing high- and low-resource settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopman, J; Hakizimana, B; Meintjes, W A J; Nillessen, M; de Both, E; Voss, A; Mehtar, S

2016-01-01

Hospital-associated infections (HAIs) are more frequently encountered in low- than in high-resource settings. There is a need to identify and implement feasible and sustainable approaches to strengthen HAI prevention in low-resource settings. To evaluate the biological contamination of routinely cleaned mattresses in both high- and low-resource settings. In this two-stage observational study, routine manual bed cleaning was evaluated at two university hospitals using adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Standardized training of cleaning personnel was achieved in both high- and low-resource settings. Qualitative analysis of the cleaning process was performed to identify predictors of cleaning outcome in low-resource settings. Mattresses in low-resource settings were highly contaminated prior to cleaning. Cleaning significantly reduced biological contamination of mattresses in low-resource settings (P cleaning in both the high- and low-resource settings seemed comparable. Cleaning with appropriate type of cleaning materials reduced the contamination of mattresses adequately. Predictors for mattresses that remained contaminated in a low-resource setting included: type of product used, type of ward, training, and the level of contamination prior to cleaning. In low-resource settings mattresses were highly contaminated as noted by ATP levels. Routine manual cleaning by trained staff can be as effective in a low-resource setting as in a high-resource setting. We recommend a multi-modal cleaning strategy that consists of training of domestic services staff, availability of adequate time to clean beds between patients, and application of the correct type of cleaning products. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Energy Markets of the APEC Countries: Opportunities for Russia

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Olga Valeryevna Dyomina

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The article evaluates the export possibilities of Russian energy resources to the markets of the APEC countries. The analysis is made with the help of the IEA Model of short-term energy security (MOSES Primary Energy Sources and Secondary Fuels. This model addresses four dimensions of energy security. These include external and domestic factors, reflecting both risk exposure and resilience, the ability of energy systems to adapt to or withstand disruptions. In MOSES countries with similar characteristics are grouped in the energy profiles (from A to E by each energy resource. Countries with profiles from B to E present potential markets for Russian energy resources, while countries with the profile A are our competitors. The most promising market of energy resources is China, but for Russia it is likely to become a monopsony market. The authors assume that Russia will retain its position with respect to the concluded long-term contracts for energy resources supply, but expectations about the formation of a large market niche are overestimated. The study concludes that Russia can strengthen its competitive positions due to the launch of complete products on the markets of the APEC countries, especially, due to the creation of new market niches on the basis of technological leadership

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.

Effects of patient-reported non-severe hypoglycemia on healthcare resource use, work-time loss, and wellbeing in insulin-treated patients with diabetes in seven European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Geelhoed-Duijvestijn, Petronella H; Pedersen-Bjergaard, Ulrik; Weitgasser, Raimund; Lahtela, Jorma; Jensen, Marie Markert; Östenson, Claes-Göran

2013-12-01

Hypoglycemia is a frequent side effect induced by insulin treatment of type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Limited data exist on the associated healthcare resource use and patient impact of hypoglycemia, particularly at a country-specific level. This study investigated the effects of self-reported non-severe hypoglycemic events (NSHE) on use of healthcare resources and patient wellbeing. Patients with T1DM or insulin-treated T2DM diabetes from seven European countries were invited to complete four weekly questionnaires. Data were collected on patient demographics, NSHE occurrence in the last 7 days, hypoglycemia-related resource use, and patient impact. NSHE were defined as events with hypoglycemia symptoms, with or without blood glucose measurement, or low blood glucose measurement without symptoms, which the patient could manage without third-party assistance. Three thousand, nine hundred and fifty-nine respondents completed at least one wave of the survey, with 57% completing all four questionnaires; 3827 respondents were used for data analyses. Overall, 2.3% and 8.9% of NSHE in patients with T1DM and T2DM, respectively, resulted in healthcare professional contact. Across countries, there was a mean increase in blood glucose test use of 3.0 tests in the week following a NSHE. Among respondents who were employed (48%), loss of work-time after the last hypoglycemic event was reported for 9.7% of NSHE. Overall, 10.2% (daytime) and 8.0% (nocturnal) NSHE led to work-time loss, with a mean loss of 84.3 (daytime) and 169.6 (nocturnal) minutes among patients reporting work-time loss. Additionally, patients reported feeling tired, irritable, and having negative feelings following hypoglycemia. Direct comparisons between studies must be interpreted with caution because of different definitions of hypoglycemia severity, duration of the studies, and methods of data collection. NSHE were associated with use of extra healthcare resources and work-time loss in all

Survey of basic data on human resources development (HRD) in the nuclear field in FNCA countries (Contract research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-03-01

In the 3rd FNCA* (Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia) Coordinator Meeting held on March 2002, it was proposed to carry out 'Survey of the Basic Data on Human Resources Development in the Nuclear Field'. It was considered to be the first step for developing the HRD strategy by producing the quantitative data on HRD in nuclear field. The survey results were introduced by Project Leaders during the 2002 FNCA Workshop on HRD held on October 2002. The follow-up survey was conducted with the cooperation of other Project Leaders in the respective field of FNCA such as medical and agriculture applications in each member countries. The collected survey data was analyzed in 2003, and summarized as 'Summary of the Survey Data'. This report consists of the summary of 'Survey of the Basic Data on Human Resources Development in Nuclear Field'. It was reported during the 2003 FNCA Workshop on HRD held on October 2003 and updated until early 2004. (author)

Strengthening laboratory systems in resource-limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Olmsted, Stuart S; Moore, Melinda; Meili, Robin C; Duber, Herbert C; Wasserman, Jeffrey; Sama, Preethi; Mundell, Ben; Hilborne, Lee H

2010-09-01

Considerable resources have been invested in recent years to improve laboratory systems in resource-limited settings. We reviewed published reports, interviewed major donor organizations, and conducted case studies of laboratory systems in 3 countries to assess how countries and donors have worked together to improve laboratory services. While infrastructure and the provision of services have seen improvement, important opportunities remain for further advancement. Implementation of national laboratory plans is inconsistent, human resources are limited, and quality laboratory services rarely extend to lower tier laboratories (eg, health clinics, district hospitals). Coordination within, between, and among governments and donor organizations is also frequently problematic. Laboratory standardization and quality control are improving but remain challenging, making accreditation a difficult goal. Host country governments and their external funding partners should coordinate their efforts effectively around a host country's own national laboratory plan to advance sustainable capacity development throughout a country's laboratory system.

The Desire for (Danish) Quality in High and Low Income Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Daniel Xuyen

with sales. These correlations are significantly different across destination countries within product categories, but across years for a given product-destination pair. While some existing theories perform better than others at predicting these patterns, none can reconcile the variation across countries......We estimate the correlation between firm prices and sales within a CN8 product-country-year market. We do this for every market to which at least 16 different Danish firms exported between 1999 and 2006. Approximately 60% of Danish exports are to markets in which the price is negatively correlated....... To fully explain the patterns, We introduce a model in which the price-sales correlation can be interpreted as the market's desire for high quality goods over low cost substitutes. We discover an inverted U shaped relation between a country's desire for quality and its per capita GDP, which we term...

Locating operations in high labor cost countries – Evidence from Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angel Diaz

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The location of operations in high labor cost countries is increasingly discussed in the media, in part for recent declarations and actions from the president of USA, Donald Trump. While this particular instance can be labeled as populist or protectionist, the factors underlying the debate are extremely important: advances in systematic increases in productivity, low population growth, and the transfer of jobs to countries with lower labor costs are creating unemployment and underemployment in developed countries that could eventually result in protectionism and restrictions to free trade. This phenomenon has enormous social and economic implications, and has attracted considerable interest from researchers. In particular, this study provides empirical evidence of the location of manufacturing and services in the context of a European country (Spain, exploring the drivers, social implications and organizational theories that can explain it.

Tax Policy in MENA Countries; Looking Back and Forward

OpenAIRE

Mario Mansour

2015-01-01

This paper reviews trends in taxation and revenue in MENA countries over 1990-2012, with a focus on non-resource taxes. On average, non-resource revenues declined slightly, while resource revenues soared. Country experiences vary: rates of main taxes and their revenues tend to be higher in the Magreb than in the Mashreq, except for the value-added tax, where lower rates are associated with equal or higher revenue; most oil producers raise little tax revenues—generally less than 5 percent of G...

Evaluation of our hydroelectric resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unsal, Istemi; Onoz, Bihrat

2006-01-01

regulate the regimes of the rivers in our country are not yet constructed; the definitions of primary and secondary energy we have been using are not suiting the country's conditions. Other than that, it has been seen that no change in unit prices of primary and secondary energies and that of peak power contribution has been made by DSI and significant differences with EIEI (General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration) unit prices have been detected. In the study, additionally, resources occupying the agenda while planning and diversifying energy have been compared from the point of view of different characteristics, total costs and harmony with the country's conditions. Other than that, an evaluation of 2005-2020 period planning by ETKB has been made. 2 scenarios thought of for the need increase have been taken as main issues for the analysis. From time to time some interpretations using 2005 data have been made as there is excess energy in our country and as old scenarios are exaggerated. According to 2005 data, it seems that there is an excess of 20% in our existing production capacity and 36.9% in our peak power capacity.Along with this the concepts of excess and sparing should not be confused. In scenarios prepared by ETKB the annual electrical energy demand increase is assumed to be 7.9% and 6.4%. However, it is seen above that in average it was 8.21% in 1980-2000 period and in average 7.33% in 2001-2005 period. Under these conditions the low increase scenario foreseen by ETKB is far below both of the realized increases and it does not seem probable to explain why it is selected that low. On the other hand, though the high scenario remains relatively higher than the demand increase within the years just after the economic crisis in 2000-2001, it remains lower than the previous 20-year average. That is why it is difficult to accept that the suggested solutions will be sufficient. ETKB does not seem very consistent in groups

Assessing the energy vulnerability: Case of industrialised countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gnansounou, Edgard

2008-01-01

The emergence of new big consumer countries on the energy markets and the perspective of oil and gas depletion at the end of the current century raise the concerns about fair distribution of the remaining resources for the common and sustainable well-being of the mankind. High volatility of energy prices discourages the investment and delays the energy technology transition. Voluntary measures are needed mainly in industrialised countries in order to develop alternative and sustainable energy sources, to enable technology transfer towards emerging and developing countries and to avoid struggle for energy procurement. In this paper, a composite index of energy demand/supply weaknesses is defined as a proxy of energy vulnerability. The proposed index is based on several indicators such as energy intensity, oil and gas import dependency, CO 2 content of primary energy supply, electricity supply weaknesses and non-diversity in transport fuels. The assessment of this composite index for selected industrialised countries is discussed as well as the sensitivity to various factors

and high-income countries

African Journals Online (AJOL)

opperwjj

sociodemographic, health risk behaviour and social-legal correlates among university students ... no national seatbelt law or a law that does not apply to all occupants, poor attitudes towards ..... inconsistently used seatbelts than female students, while in some other countries (China, ..... and Exercise, 35, 1381–1395. Cunill ...

"Living high - training low" vs. "living high - training high": erythropoietic responses and performance of adolescent cross-country skiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Christoulas, K; Karamouzis, M; Mandroukas, K

2011-03-01

To determine and compare the erythropoietic response and exercise performance of adolescent cross-country skiers, as a result of "living high-training high" (HH) and "living high-training low" (HL). Nine female and six male adolescent cross-country skiers volunteered to participate in separate trials. In the first trial (HH), the skiers lived and trained for 21 days at 1550-2050 m, while in the second trial (HL) they trained near sea level (450-500 m) but resided at 1550 m. All participants underwent maximal cycle ergometer tests for the determination of VO2max and cardiorespiratory parameters via an open circuit system at sea level before ascent to altitude, and 1-2 days after descent from altitude. Blood samples were drawn prior to and immediately after maximal cycle exercise testing, at sea level prior to ascent, on days 1 (D1) and 21 (D21) at altitude (1740 m), and 1-2 days post-altitude, for the determination of serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentration, haemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), and red blood cell (RBC) volume. The results showed that both boys and girls cross-country skiers, significantly improved their sea level VO2max after 21 days of living at moderate altitude and training near sea level. The present study demonstrates that living at moderate altitude, 1550-2050 m and training low, near sea level (450-500 m) significantly increases VO2max and RBC mass for both boys and girls. Results indicate that applying the training concept "living high - training low" in adolescent athletes may improve their endurance performance.

Integrated natural gas-electricity resource adequacy planning in Latin America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammons, T.J.; Barroso, L.A.; Rudnick, H.

2010-01-01

Latin America is among the most dynamic regions for natural gas and electricity development. This paper discussed natural gas-electricity resource adequacy planning for Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia. The perspectives for creating an integrated market in the Southern Cone of Latin America were also presented. The continent has abundant natural gas reserves and high-growth energy markets. Many countries are promoting the use of natural gas for power generation in an effort to diversify away from heavy investments in hydropower and costly oil. These measures have created competition between hydro- and thermal generation, the breaking of cross-country natural gas agreements, as well as competition between natural gas and other resources for power generation and transmission.

Assessment of human resources for health programme implementation in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Dal Poz, Mario Roberto; Sepulveda, Hernan Rodrigo; Costa Couto, Maria Helena; Godue, Charles; Padilla, Monica; Cameron, Rick; Vidaurre Franco, Thais de Andrade

2015-04-28

The health systems in the Americas region are characterized by fragmentation and segmentation, which constitute an important barrier to expanding coverage, achieving integrated primary health care, and reducing inefficiency and discontinuity of care. An assessment of the human resources for health (HRH) programmes that have been implemented at the country level was developed as part of the measurement of the 20 HRH regional goals for 2007-2015, adopted in 2007 by the Pan American Sanitary Conference (CSPA). The exercise was a combination of academic research and the development/application of an advocacy tool involving policy makers and stakeholders to influence the decision-making in the development, implementation, or change of HRH programmes while building evidence through a structured approach based on qualitative and quantitative information and the exchange and dissemination of best practices. This paper covers the methodological challenges, as well as a summary of the main findings of the study, which included 15 countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in the Central America, Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in the Andean sub region, and Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in the South Cone. Despite the different contexts, the results showed that the programmes evaluated faced common challenges, such as lack of political support and financial unsustainability. The evaluation process allowed the exchange and dissemination of practices, interventions, and programmes currently running in the region. A shared lesson was the importance of careful planning of the implementation of programmes and interventions. The similarities in the problems and challenges of HRH among the participating countries highlighted the need for a cooperation programme on the evaluation and assessment of implementation strategies in the Americas region.

Cambodia Rural Livelihoods and Natural Resources Research ...

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

Cambodia is one of the least developed countries in Southeast Asia, with a large poor rural population dependent on natural resources for food and income. Over the past several years, the country has introduced extensive legislation related to the management of natural resources. On paper, the role of local communities ...

Laboratory capacity building for the International Health Regulations (IHR[2005]) in resource-poor countries: the experience of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET).

Science.gov (United States)

Masanza, Monica Musenero; Nqobile, Ndlovu; Mukanga, David; Gitta, Sheba Nakacubo

2010-12-03

Laboratory is one of the core capacities that countries must develop for the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR[2005]) since laboratory services play a major role in all the key processes of detection, assessment, response, notification, and monitoring of events. While developed countries easily adapt their well-organized routine laboratory services, resource-limited countries need considerable capacity building as many gaps still exist. In this paper, we discuss some of the efforts made by the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) in supporting laboratory capacity development in the Africa region. The efforts range from promoting graduate level training programs to building advanced technical, managerial and leadership skills to in-service short course training for peripheral laboratory staff. A number of specific projects focus on external quality assurance, basic laboratory information systems, strengthening laboratory management towards accreditation, equipment calibration, harmonization of training materials, networking and provision of pre-packaged laboratory kits to support outbreak investigation. Available evidence indicates a positive effect of these efforts on laboratory capacity in the region. However, many opportunities exist, especially to support the roll-out of these projects as well as attending to some additional critical areas such as biosafety and biosecuity. We conclude that AFENET's approach of strengthening national and sub-national systems provide a model that could be adopted in resource-limited settings such as sub-Saharan Africa.

Central-line-associated bloodstream infections in a resource-limited ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... that reported from resource-limited settings, but exceeds that of high-income countries. Prolonged NICU stay and central-line insertion in the operating theatre were important risk factors for CLABSI development. Intensified neonatal staff training regarding CLABSI maintenance bundle elements and hand hygiene are key ...

Xpert MTB/RIF testing in a low tuberculosis incidence, high-resource setting: limitations in accuracy and clinical impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Sohn, Hojoon; Aero, Abebech D; Menzies, Dick; Behr, Marcel; Schwartzman, Kevin; Alvarez, Gonzalo G; Dan, Andrei; McIntosh, Fiona; Pai, Madhukar; Denkinger, Claudia M

2014-04-01

Xpert MTB/RIF, the first automated molecular test for tuberculosis, is transforming the diagnostic landscape in low-income countries. However, little information is available on its performance in low-incidence, high-resource countries. We evaluated the accuracy of Xpert in a university hospital tuberculosis clinic in Montreal, Canada, for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis on induced sputum samples, using mycobacterial cultures as the reference standard. We also assessed the potential reduction in time to diagnosis and treatment initiation. We enrolled 502 consecutive patients who presented for evaluation of possible active tuberculosis (most with abnormal chest radiographs, only 18% symptomatic). Twenty-five subjects were identified to have active tuberculosis by culture. Xpert had a sensitivity of 46% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26%-67%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 99%-100%) for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Sensitivity was 86% (95% CI, 42%-100%) in the 7 subjects with smear-positive results, and 28% (95% CI, 10%-56%) in the remaining subjects with smear-negative, culture-positive results; in this latter group, positive Xpert results were obtained a median 12 days before culture results. Subjects with positive cultures but negative Xpert results had minimal disease: 11 of 13 had no symptoms on presentation, and mean time to positive liquid culture results was 28 days (95% CI, 25-47 days) compared with 14 days (95% CI, 8-21 days) in Xpert/culture-positive cases. Our findings suggest limited potential impact of Xpert testing in high-resource, low-incidence ambulatory settings due to lower sensitivity in the context of less extensive disease, and limited potential to expedite diagnosis beyond what is achieved with the existing, well-performing diagnostic algorithm.

Country-scale phosphorus balancing as a base for resources conservation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seyhan, D.

2009-01-01

In order to effectively conserve the non-renewable resource phosphorus (P), flows and stocks of P must be known at national, regional and global scales. P is a key non-renewable resource because its use as fertilizer cannot be substituted posing a constraint on the global food production in the

Are natural resources bad for health?

Science.gov (United States)

El Anshasy, Amany A; Katsaiti, Marina-Selini

2015-03-01

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine whether economic dependence on various natural resources is associated with lower investment in health, after controlling for countries' geographical and historical fixed effects, corruption, autocratic regimes, income levels, and initial health status. Employing panel data for 118 countries for the period 1990-2008, we find no compelling evidence in support of a negative effect of resources on healthcare spending and outcomes. On the contrary, higher dependence on agricultural exports is associated with higher healthcare spending, higher life expectancy, and lower diabetes rates. Similarly, healthcare spending increases with higher mineral intensity. Finally, more hydrocarbon resource rents are associated with less diabetes and obesity rates. There is however evidence that public health provision relative to the size of the economy declines with greater hydrocarbon resource-intensity; the magnitude of this effect is less severe in non-democratic countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using the CMS high level trigger as a cloud resource

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colling, David; Huffman, Adam; Bauer, Daniela; McCrae, Alison; Cinquilli, Mattia; Gowdy, Stephen; Coarasa, Jose Antonio; Ozga, Wojciech; Chaze, Olivier; Lahiff, Andrew; Grandi, Claudio; Tiradani, Anthony; Sgaravatto, Massimo

2014-01-01

The CMS High Level Trigger is a compute farm of more than 10,000 cores. During data taking this resource is heavily used and is an integral part of the experiment's triggering system. However, outside of data taking periods this resource is largely unused. We describe why CMS wants to use the HLT as a cloud resource (outside of data taking periods) and how this has been achieved. In doing this we have turned a single-use cluster into an agile resource for CMS production computing. While we are able to use the HLT as a production cloud resource, there is still considerable further work that CMS needs to carry out before this resource can be used with the desired agility. This report, therefore, represents a snapshot of this activity at the time of CHEP 2013.

Cloud Computing-An Ultimate Technique to Minimize Computing cost for Developing Countries

OpenAIRE

Narendra Kumar; Shikha Jain

2012-01-01

The presented paper deals with how remotely managed computing and IT resources can be beneficial in the developing countries like India and Asian sub-continent countries. This paper not only defines the architectures and functionalities of cloud computing but also indicates strongly about the current demand of Cloud computing to achieve organizational and personal level of IT supports in very minimal cost with high class flexibility. The power of cloud can be used to reduce the cost of IT - r...

Global risk of pharmaceutical contamination from highly populated developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehman, Muhammad Saif Ur; Rashid, Naim; Ashfaq, Muhammad; Saif, Ameena; Ahmad, Nasir; Han, Jong-In

2015-11-01

Global pharmaceutical industry has relocated from the west to Asian countries to ensure competitive advantage. This industrial relocation has posed serious threats to the environment. The present study was carried out to assess the possible pharmaceutical contamination in the environment of emerging pharmaceutical manufacturing countries (Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan). Although these countries have made tremendous progress in the pharmaceutical sector but most of their industrial units discharge wastewater into domestic sewage network without any treatment. The application of untreated wastewater (industrial and domestic) and biosolids (sewage sludge and manure) in agriculture causes the contamination of surface water, soil, groundwater, and the entire food web with pharmaceutical compounds (PCs), their metabolites and transformed products (TPs), and multidrug resistant microbes. This pharmaceutical contamination in Asian countries poses global risks via product export and international traveling. Several prospective research hypotheses including the development of new analytical methods to monitor these PCs/TPs and their metabolites, highly resistant microbial strains, and mixture toxicity as a consequence of pharmaceutical contamination in these emerging pharmaceutical exporters have also been proposed based on the available literature. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Principlism, medical individualism, and health promotion in resource-poor countries: can autonomy-based bioethics promote social justice and population health?

Science.gov (United States)

Azétsop, Jacquineau; Rennie, Stuart

2010-01-18

Through its adoption of the biomedical model of disease which promotes medical individualism and its reliance on the individual-based anthropology, mainstream bioethics has predominantly focused on respect for autonomy in the clinical setting and respect for person in the research site, emphasizing self-determination and freedom of choice. However, the emphasis on the individual has often led to moral vacuum, exaggeration of human agency, and a thin (liberal?) conception of justice. Applied to resource-poor countries and communities within developed countries, autonomy-based bioethics fails to address the root causes of diseases and public health crises with which individuals or communities are confronted. A sociological explanation of disease causation is needed to broaden principles of biomedical ethics and provides a renewed understanding of disease, freedom, medical practice, patient-physician relationship, risk and benefit of research and treatment, research priorities, and health policy.

Robust analysis of the determinants of healthcare expenditure growth: evidence from panel data for low-, middle- and high-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Younsi, Moheddine; Chakroun, Mohamed; Nafla, Amine

2016-10-01

This paper examines the determinants of healthcare expenditure for low-, middle- and high-income countries, and it quantifies their influences in order to assess policies for achieving universal health coverage. We elaborate two models, a fixed-effect model and the dynamic panel model, to estimate the factors associated with the total health expenditure growth as well as its major components for 167 countries over the period of 1993-2013. The panel data on total health expenditure per capita and its components were taken from the World Development Indicators. Overall, our results showed that total health expenditure per capita is rising in all countries over time as a result of rising incomes. However, our estimates showed that the income elasticity of health expenditure ranged from 0.75 to 0.96 in the fixed-effect static panel model, while in the dynamic panel model, it was smaller and ranged from 0.16 to 0.47. Our empirical findings indicate that development assistance for health reduced government domestic spending on health but increased total government health spending. Our results also indicate that the trend in health expenditure growth is significantly depending with the country's economic development. In addition, out-of-pocket expenditure is powerfully influenced by a country's capacity to increase general government revenues and social insurance contributions. Knowledge of factors associated to health expenditure might help policy makers to make wise judgments, plan health reforms and allocate resources efficiently. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Implications of Public External Debt for Social Spending: A Case Study of Selected Asian Developing Countries

OpenAIRE

Sadia Shabbir; Hafiz M. Yasin

2015-01-01

For developing countries with budgetary and balance-of-payments gaps to meet, maintaining large stakes of external debt is not free of cost. Highly indebted countries have to set aside a sizeable fraction of their scarce resources to service their debt, which naturally affects their development spending in general and allocations for the social sector in particular. This study examines the behavior of seven developing Asian countries and analyzes the impact of public external debt on social s...

Natural resources, innovation and development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Allan Dahl; Johnson, Bjørn Harold; Marín, Anabel

be supported politically? The Globelics review considers a range of contemporary and historical studies and diverse theoretical positions concerning resource intensive development paths. The intention is to make it easier for analysts and policy makers to learn both from countries that in the past have......In this Globelics Thematic Review, the author team presents and discusses recent research on the relationships between natural resources, innovation and development, and suggests some implications of this body of knowledge for policy makers. The Review sets out to explore three interlinked...... questions with a particular focus on innovation and industry dynamics. First, to what extent is it currently possible for a country to develop on the basis of natural resources? Second, what are the main underlying mechanisms of resource intensive development paths? Third, how can such mechanisms...

FBC utilization prospects in decentralized cogeneration units in Caucasus region countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skodras George

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Great differences are encountered among Caucasus region countries with respect to energy resources reserves and economic conditions. Thermal power plants consist of obsolete and inefficient units, while the Soviet-type large heating systems in the area collapsed after 1992 and their reconstruction is considered uneconomic. Renovation needs of the power and heat sector, and the potential of Fluidised Bed Combustion implementations in decentralized cogeneration units were investigated, since operating oil and gas power plants exhibit high fuel consumption, low efficiency and poor environmental performance. Results showed significant prospects of Fluidised Bed Combustion utilization in decentralized cogeneration units in the Caucausus region heat and power sector. Their introduction constitutes an economically attractive way to cover power and heat demands and promotes utilization of domestic energy resources in all of three countries, provided that financial difficulties could be confronted.

The health migration crisis: the role of four Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pond, Bob; McPake, Barbara

2006-04-29

The crisis of human resources for health that is affecting low-income countries and especially sub-Saharan Africa has been attributed, at least in part, to increasing rates of migration of qualified health staff to high-income countries. We describe the conditions in four Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) health labour markets that have led to increasing rates of immigration. Popular explanations of these trends include ageing populations, growing incomes, and feminisation of the health workforce. Although these explanations form part of the larger picture, analysis of the forces operating in the four countries suggests that specific policy measures largely unrelated to these factors have driven growing demand for health staff. On this basis we argue that specific policy measures are equally capable of reversing these trends and avoiding the exploitation of low-income countries' scarce resources. These policies should seek to ensure local stability in health labour markets so that shortages of staff are not solved via the international brain drain.

Assessment of Biomass Resources in Liberia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milbrandt, A.

2009-04-01

Biomass resources meet about 99.5% of the Liberian population?s energy needs so they are vital to basic welfare and economic activity. Already, traditional biomass products like firewood and charcoal are the primary energy source used for domestic cooking and heating. However, other more efficient biomass technologies are available that could open opportunities for agriculture and rural development, and provide other socio-economic and environmental benefits.The main objective of this study is to estimate the biomass resources currently and potentially available in the country and evaluate their contribution for power generation and the production of transportation fuels. It intends to inform policy makers and industry developers of the biomass resource availability in Liberia, identify areas with high potential, and serve as a base for further, more detailed site-specific assessments.

Past and Present Biophysical Redundancy of Countries as a Buffer to Changes in Food Supply

Science.gov (United States)

Fader, Marianela; Rulli, Maria Cristina; Carr, Joel; Dell' Angelo, Jampel; D' Odorico, Paolo; Gephart, Jessica A.; Kummu, Matti; Magliocca, Nicholas; Porkka, Miina; Prell, Christina;

Past and present biophysical redundancy of countries as a buffer to changes in food supply

Science.gov (United States)

Fader, Marianela; Rulli, Maria Cristina; Carr, Joel; Dell'Angelo, Jampel; D'Odorico, Paolo; Gephart, Jessica A.; Kummu, Matti; Magliocca, Nicholas; Porkka, Miina; Prell, Christina; Puma, Michael J.; Ratajczak, Zak; Seekell, David A.; Suweis, Samir; Tavoni, Alessandro

2016-05-01

Spatially diverse trends in population growth, climate change, industrialization, urbanization and economic development are expected to change future food supply and demand. These changes may affect the suitability of land for food production, implying elevated risks especially for resource-constrained, food-importing countries. We present the evolution of biophysical redundancy for agricultural production at country level, from 1992 to 2012. Biophysical redundancy, defined as unused biotic and abiotic environmental resources, is represented by the potential food production of ‘spare land’, available water resources (i.e., not already used for human activities), as well as production increases through yield gap closure on cultivated areas and potential agricultural areas. In 2012, the biophysical redundancy of 75 (48) countries, mainly in North Africa, Western Europe, the Middle East and Asia, was insufficient to produce the caloric nutritional needs for at least 50% (25%) of their population during a year. Biophysical redundancy has decreased in the last two decades in 102 out of 155 countries, 11 of these went from high to limited redundancy, and nine of these from limited to very low redundancy. Although the variability of the drivers of change across different countries is high, improvements in yield and population growth have a clear impact on the decreases of redundancy towards the very low redundancy category. We took a more detailed look at countries classified as ‘Low Income Economies (LIEs)’ since they are particularly vulnerable to domestic or external food supply changes, due to their limited capacity to offset for food supply decreases with higher purchasing power on the international market. Currently, nine LIEs have limited or very low biophysical redundancy. Many of these showed a decrease in redundancy over the last two decades, which is not always linked with improvements in per capita food availability.

Postgraduate and research programmes in Medicine and Public Health in Rwanda: an exciting experience about training of human resources for health in a limited resources country.

Science.gov (United States)

Kakoma, Jean Baptiste

2016-01-01

The area of Human Resources for Health (HRH) is the most critical challenge for the achievement of health related development goals in countries with limited resources. This is even exacerbated in a post conflict environment like Rwanda. The aim of this commentary is to report and share the genesis and outcomes of an exciting experience about training of qualified health workers in medicine and public health as well as setting - up of a research culture for the last nine years (2006 - 2014) in Rwanda. Many initiatives have been taken and concerned among others training of qualified health workers in medicine and public health. From 2006 to 2014, achievements were as follows: launching and organization of 8 Master of Medicine programmes (anesthesiology, family and community medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, psychiatry and surgery) and 4 Master programmes in public health (MPH, MSc Epidemiology, MSc Field Epidemiology & Laboratory Management, and Master in Hospital and Healthcare Administration); training to completion of more than 120 specialists in medicine, and 200 MPH, MSc Epidemiology, and MSc Field Epidemiology holders; revival of the Rwanda Medical Journal; organization of graduate research training (MPhil and PhD); 3 Master programmes in the pipeline (Global Health, Health Financing, and Supply Chain Management); partnerships with research institutions of great renown, which contributed to the reinforcement of the institutional research capacity and visibility towards excellence in leadership, accountability, and self sustainability. Even though there is still more to be achieved, the Rwanda experience about postgraduate and research programmes is inspiring through close interactions between main stakeholders. This is a must and could allow Rwanda to become one of the rare examples to other more well-to-do Sub - Saharan countries, should Rwanda carry on doing that.

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

Grid and Cloud for Developing Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Petitdidier, Monique

2014-05-01

The European Grid e-infrastructure has shown the capacity to connect geographically distributed heterogeneous compute resources in a secure way taking advantages of a robust and fast REN (Research and Education Network). In many countries like in Africa the first step has been to implement a REN and regional organizations like Ubuntunet, WACREN or ASREN to coordinate the development, improvement of the network and its interconnection. The Internet connections are still exploding in those countries. The second step has been to fill up compute needs of the scientists. Even if many of them have their own multi-core or not laptops for more and more applications it is not enough because they have to face intensive computing due to the large amount of data to be processed and/or complex codes. So far one solution has been to go abroad in Europe or in America to run large applications or not to participate to international communities. The Grid is very attractive to connect geographically-distributed heterogeneous resources, aggregate new ones and create new sites on the REN with a secure access. All the users have the same servicers even if they have no resources in their institute. With faster and more robust internet they will be able to take advantage of the European Grid. There are different initiatives to provide resources and training like UNESCO/HP Brain Gain initiative, EUMEDGrid, ..Nowadays Cloud becomes very attractive and they start to be developed in some countries. In this talk challenges for those countries to implement such e-infrastructures, to develop in parallel scientific and technical research and education in the new technologies will be presented illustrated by examples.

Electric network interconnection of Mashreq Arab Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Amin, I.M.; Al-Shehri, A.M.; Opoku, G.; Al-Baiyat, S.A.; Zedan, F.M.

1994-01-01

Power system interconnection is a well established practice for a variety of technical and economical reasons. Several interconnected networks exist worldwide for a number of factors. Some of these networks cross international boundaries. This presentation discusses the future developments of the power systems of Mashreq Arab Countries (MAC). MAC consists of Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen. Mac power systems are operated by government or semigovernment bodies. Many of these countries have national or regional electric grids but are generally isolated from each other. With the exception of Saudi Arabia power systems, which employ 60 Hz, all other MAC utilities use 50 Hz frequency. Each country is served by one utility, except Saudi Arabia, which is served by four major utilities and some smaller utilities serving remote towns and small load centers. The major utilities are the Saudi Consolidated electric Company in the Eastern Province (SCECO East), SCECO Center, SCECO West, and SCECO South. These are the ones considered in this study. The energy resources in MAC are varied. Countries such as Egypt, Iraq, and Syria have significant hydro resources.The gulf countries and Iraq have abundant fossil fuel, The variation in energy resources as well as the characteristics of the electric load make it essential to look into interconnections beyond the national boundaries. Most of the existing or planned interconnections involve few power systems. A study involving 12 countries and over 20 utilities with different characteristics represents a very large scale undertaking

Governance, resource curse and donor

OpenAIRE

Wiig, Arne

2008-01-01

Plan Part 1. Governance What is good governance? Why is it important? How can we measure good governance? Part 2. The resource curse and the importance of governance in resource rich countries Focus on political economy (PE) models of the resource curse Policy implications Some donor initiatives Transparency and the EITI Petroleum related aid - Window dressing initiatives or research based? Conclusion Governance, resource curse and donor

A systematic review of medical practice variation in OECD countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Corallo, Ashley N; Croxford, Ruth; Goodman, David C; Bryan, Elisabeth L; Srivastava, Divya; Stukel, Therese A

2014-01-01

Major variations in medical practice have been documented internationally. Variations raise questions about the quality, equity, and efficiency of resource allocation and use, and have important implications for health care and health policy. To perform a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on medical practice variations in OECD countries. We searched MEDLINE to find publications on medical practice variations in OECD countries published between 2000 and 2011. We present an overview of the characteristics of published studies as well as the magnitude of variations for select high impact conditions. A total of 836 studies were included. Consistent with the gray literature, there were large variations across regions, hospitals and physician practices for almost every condition and procedure studied. Many studies focused on high-impact conditions, but very few looked at the causes or outcomes of medical practice variations. While there were an overwhelming number of publications on medical practice variations the coverage was broad and not often based on a theoretical construct. Future studies should focus on conditions and procedures that are clinically important, policy relevant, resource intensive, and have high levels of public awareness. Further study of the causes and consequences of variations is important. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial Data for Resource Assessment, Mobilization and Allocation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Equitable utilization and co-ordinate management of the shared national resources in realization of the economic potential of the country requires targeted technical support in order to overcome barriers to management of resources of the country. The basis for such cooperation is joint planning and equitable sharing of ...

Uranium resources, 1983

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The specific character of uranium as energy resources, the history of development of uranium resources, the production and reserve of uranium in the world, the prospect regarding the demand and supply of uranium, Japanese activity of exploring uranium resources in foreign countries and the state of development of uranium resources in various countries are reported. The formation of uranium deposits, the classification of uranium deposits and the reserve quantity of each type are described. As the geological environment of uranium deposits, there are six types, that is, quartz medium gravel conglomerate deposit, the deposit related to the unconformity in Proterozoic era, the dissemination type magma deposit, pegmatite deposit and contact deposit in igneaus rocks and metamorphic rocks, vein deposit, sandstone type deposit and the other types of deposit. The main features of respective types are explained. The most important uranium resources in Japan are those in the Tertiary formations, and most of the found reserve belongs to this type. The geological features, the state of yield and the scale of the deposits in Ningyotoge, Tono and Kanmon Mesozoic formation are reported. Uranium minerals, the promising districts in the world, and the matters related to the exploration and mining of uranium are described. (Kako, I.)

The Trends in International Migration of Human Resources under Conditions of Geo-Economic Transformations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shymanska Kateryna V.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the article is to reveal the influence of geo-economic transformations on the trends in international migration of human resources as an element of the resource potential of countries and regions. The current state of geo-economic transformations is analyzed, and their influence on the processes of international migration of human resources is revealed. The relevance of analyzing international movement of human resources, not labor ones, in building the geo-economic strategy of a country or a regional grouping is justified. The connection between the international migration of human resources and the trends in development of individual countries and regions (oil exporting countries, newly industrialized countries and least developed agrarian countries is determined, the general patterns of migration flows in these countries are described. Furthermore, the topical issues in studying international migration of human resources in the context of the directions of geo-economics identified by scientists are formulated. It is determined that the regional migration policy should contribute to maximizing the benefits of migration of human resources for the development of the region and the use of immigrants in the countries of the region as an economic resource that becomes strategically important under conditions of geo-economic transformations.

Research on Formation Mechanisms of Hot Dry Rock Resources in China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, G.; Xi, Y.

2017-12-01

As an important geothermal resource, hot dry rock(HDR) reserves have been studied in many countries. HDR resources in China have huge capacity and have become one of the most important resources for the potential replacement of fossil fuels. However, HDR resources are difficult to develop and utilise. Technologies for use with HDR, such as high-temperature drilling, reservoir characterisation, reservoir fracturing, microseismic monitoring and high-temperature power stations, originate from the field of oil and drilling. Addressing how to take advantage of these developed technologies is a key factor in the development of HDR reserves. Based on the thermal crustal structure in China, HDR resources can be divided into four types: high radioactive heat production, sedimentary basin, modern volcano and the inner-plate active tectonic belt. The prospective regions of HDR resources are located in South Tibet, West Yunnan, the southeast coast of China, Bohai Rim, Songliao Basin and Guanzhong Basin. The related essential technologies are relatively mature, and the prospect of HDR power generation is promising. Therefore, analysing the formation mechanisms of HDR resources and promoting the transformation of technological achievements, large-scale development and the utilisation of HDR resources can be achieved in China.

Regulatory strategies for high-level radioactive waste management in nine countries: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-12-01

This report provides information on the regulatory strategies being developed or implemented in nine countries for the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The study was performed by International Energy Associates Limited on behalf of Pacific Northwest Laboratories and the US Department of Energy. IEAL obtained information for this report from the regulatory authorities in each country, who also later reviewed drafts of the respective country sections of the report. The nine countries surveyed were Belgium, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. These countries were selected for study because they are among the largest producers of nuclear energy in the world today and have aggressive programs for spent fuel management and waste disposal

Factors influencing trainee doctor emigration in a high income country: a mixed methods study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Clarke, Nicholas

2017-09-25

The Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel focuses particularly on migration of doctors from low- and middle-income countries. Less is understood about migration from high-income countries. Recession has impacted several European countries in recent years, and in some cases emigration has reached unprecedented levels. This study measures and explores the predictors of trainee doctor emigration from Ireland.

Resource Rents, Democracy and Corruption: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

Rabah Arezki; Thorvaldur Gylfason

2011-01-01

We examine the effect of the interaction between resource rents and democracy on corruption for a panel of 29 Sub-Saharan countries during the period from 1985 to 2007. We find that higher resource rents lead to more corruption and that the effect is significantly stronger in less democratic countries. Surprisingly, we also find that higher resource rents lead to fewer internal conflicts and that less democratic countries face not a higher but a lower likelihood of conflicts following an incr...

Challenges in managing postpartum hemorrhage in resource-poor countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Karoshi, Mahantesh; Keith, Louis

2009-06-01

Managing postpartum hemorrhage depends in part on having a prepared mind, a complement of trained coworkers, and full access to modern therapies. The last 2 components are rare in resource-poor areas and their absence may be accentuated by climatic instability and lack of basic transportation. Greater use of the active management of third stage of labor and administration of misoprostol by nontrained birth attendants will provide beneficial reductions in hemorrhage rates in resource-poor areas. Additional improvements depend on increasing public awareness, facilitating existing nongovernmental organizations in their community-related, upgrading training of traditional birth attendants, and providing cell phone communication to workers in remote areas, in addition to providing better access to blood.

High School Physics Textbooks, Resources and Teacher Resourcefulness: Results from the 2012-13 Nationwide Survey of High School Physics Teachers. Focus On

Science.gov (United States)

Tesfaye, Casey Langer; White, Susan

2014-01-01

What textbooks are physics teachers using? How highly do they rate those textbooks? What other types of materials do teachers use? The textbooks and other resources used by high school physics teachers in the US have evolved along with the changing demands of physics classes and the evolving set of options available to teachers. In this report,…

Resource-conserving agriculture increases yields in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretty, J N; Noble, A D; Bossio, D; Dixon, J; Hine, R E; Penning De Vries, F W T; Morison, J I L

2006-02-15

Despite great recent progress, hunger and poverty remain widespread and agriculturally driven environmental damage is widely prevalent. The idea of agricultural sustainability centers on the need to develop technologies and practices that do not have adverse effects on environmental goods and services, and that lead to improvements in food productivity. Here we show the extent to which 286 recent interventions in 57 poor countries covering 37 M ha (3% of the cultivated area in developing countries) have increased productivity on 12.6 M farms while improving the supply of critical environmental services. The average crop yield increase was 79% (geometric mean 64%). All crops showed water use efficiency gains, with the highest improvement in rainfed crops. Potential carbon sequestered amounted to an average of 0.35 t C ha(-1) y(-1). If a quarter of the total area under these farming systems adopted sustainability enhancing practices, we estimate global sequestration could be 0.1 Gt C y(-1). Of projects with pesticide data, 77% resulted in a decline in pesticide use by 71% while yields grew by 42%. Although it is uncertain whether these approaches can meet future food needs, there are grounds for cautious optimism, particularly as poor farm households benefit more from their adoption.

Resource curse: An analysis of causes, experiences and possible ways forward

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, Paul; Dietsche, Evelyn

2008-01-01

Higher prices for oil, gas and mineral resources have again raised questions about how exporting countries can counter the challenges of resource curse. International experience managing the risks of resource curse has varied. Summarising the continuing discussion on meeting the challenges of the resource curse, this paper addresses four questions: What are the positive and negative effects of high oil, gas and mineral prices on exporters? What have been the experiences with managing natural resource revenues? Can good institutions ensure that natural resource revenues have a positive impact on development? And what is the direction for the way forward? We argue that the current emphasis on 'institutions' as a potential solution has largely ignored under what conditions institutions are formed and changed. (author)

Dynamic Resource Allocation with the arcControlTower

CERN Document Server

Filipcic, Andrej; The ATLAS collaboration; Nilsen, Jon Kerr

2015-01-01

Distributed computing resources available for high-energy physics research are becoming less dedicated to one type of workflow and researchers’ workloads are increasingly exploiting modern computing technologies such as parallelism. The current pilot job management model used by many experiments relies on static dedicated resources and cannot easily adapt to these changes. The model used for ATLAS in Nordic countries and some other places enables a flexible job management system based on dynamic resources allocation. Rather than a fixed set of resources managed centrally, the model allows resources to be requested on the fly. The ARC Computing Element (ARC-CE) and ARC Control Tower (aCT) are the key components of the model. The aCT requests jobs from the ATLAS job management system (PanDA) and submits a fully-formed job description to ARC-CEs. ARC-CE can then dynamically request the required resources from the underlying batch system. In this paper we describe the architecture of the model and the experienc...

Intrahousehold bargaining and resource allocation in developing countries

OpenAIRE

Doss, Cheryl

2013-01-01

Many key development outcomes depend on women's ability to negotiate favorable intrahousehold allocations of resources. Yet it has been difficult to clearly identify which policies can increase women's bargaining power and result in better outcomes. This paper reviews both the analytical frameworks and the empirical evidence on the importance of women's bargaining power. It argues that the...

Factors influencing trainee doctor emigration in a high income country: a mixed methods study.

OpenAIRE

Clarke, Nicholas; Crowe, Sophie; Humphries, Niamh; Conroy, Ronan; O'Hare, Simon; Kavanagh, Paul; Brugha, Ruairi F

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel focuses particularly on migration of doctors from low- and middle-income countries. Less is understood about migration from high-income countries. Recession has impacted several European countries in recent years, and in some cases emigration has reached unprecedented levels. This study measures and explores the predictors of trainee doctor emigration from Ireland. METHODS: Using a partially mixed ...

Where wealth matters more for health: the wealth-health gradient in 16 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Semyonov, Moshe; Lewin-Epstein, Noah; Maskileyson, Dina

2013-03-01

Researchers have long demonstrated that persons of high economic status are likely to be healthier than persons of low socioeconomic standing. Cross-national studies have also demonstrated that health of the population tends to increase with country's level of economic development and to decline with level of economic inequality. The present research utilizes data for 16 national samples (of populations fifty years of age and over) to examine whether the relationship between wealth and health at the individual-level is systematically associated with country's level of economic development and country's level of income inequality. The analysis reveals that in all countries rich persons tend to be healthier than poor persons. Furthermore, in all countries the positive association between wealth and health holds even after controlling for socio-demographic attributes and household income. Hierarchical regression analysis leads to two major conclusions: first, country's economic resources increase average health of the population but do not weaken the tie between wealth and health; second, a more equal distribution of economic resources (greater egalitarianism) does not raise health levels of the population but weakens the tie between wealth and health. The latter findings can be mostly attributed to the uniqueness of the US case. The findings and their significance are discussed in light of previous research and theory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Summary of questionnaires completed by participating countries: for the project on the management of water resources in the Sahel region, using isotopic techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Mari

2012-07-01

This presentation was carried out as part of the project on water resources management in the Sahel region, using isotope techniques. It summarizes the two sets of questionnaires made, highlights the basins (aquifers) selected for the Sahel project which are the Lullemen Basin, Taoudeni Basin, Lake Chad Basin and Liptako Gourma. Also, as well as the number of questionnaires completed by the participating countries.

Transmission of Hepatitis E Virus in Developing Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad S. Khuroo

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis E virus (HEV, an RNA virus of the Hepeviridae family, has marked heterogeneity. While all five HEV genotypes can cause human infections, genotypes HEV-1 and -2 infect humans alone, genotypes HEV-3 and -4 primarily infect pigs, boars and deer, and genotype HEV-7 primarily infects dromedaries. The global distribution of HEV has distinct epidemiological patterns based on ecology and socioeconomic factors. In resource-poor countries, disease presents as large-scale waterborne epidemics, and few epidemics have spread through person-to-person contact; however, endemic diseases within these countries can potentially spread through person-to-person contact or fecally contaminated water and foods. Vertical transmission of HEV from infected mother to fetus causes high fetal and perinatal mortality. Other means of transmission, such as zoonotic transmission, can fluctuate depending upon the region and strain of the virus. For instance, zoonotic transmission can sometimes play an insignificant role in human infections, such as in India, where human and pig HEV infections are unrelated. However, recently China and Southeast Asia have experienced a zoonotic spread of HEV-4 from pigs to humans and this has become the dominant mode of transmission of hepatitis E in eastern China. Zoonotic HEV infections in humans occur by eating undercooked pig flesh, raw liver, and sausages; through vocational contact; or via pig slurry, which leads to environmental contamination of agricultural products and seafood. Lastly, blood transfusion-associated HEV infections occur in many countries and screening of donors for HEV RNA is currently under serious consideration. To summarize, HEV genotypes 1 and 2 cause epidemic and endemic diseases in resource poor countries, primarily spreading through contaminated drinking water. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 on the other hand, cause autochthonous infections in developed, and many developing countries, by means of a unique zoonotic

Financing the response to HIV in low-income and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Izazola-Licea, José Antonio; Wiegelmann, Jan; Arán, Christian; Guthrie, Teresa; De Lay, Paul; Avila-Figueroa, Carlos

2009-12-01

To describe levels of national HIV spending and examine programmatic allocations according to the type of epidemic and country income. Cross-sectional analysis of HIV expenditures from 50 low-income and middle-income countries. Sources of information included country reports of domestic spending by programmatic activity and HIV services. These HIV spending categories were cross tabulated by source of financing, stratified by type of HIV epidemic and income level of the country and reported in international dollars (I$). Fifty low-income and middle-income countries spent US $ 2.6 billion (I$ 5.8 billion) on HIV in 2006; 87% of the funding among the 17 low-income countries came from international donors. Average per capita spending was I$ 2.1 and positively correlated with Gross National Income. Per capita spending was I$ 1.5 in 9 countries with low-level HIV epidemics, I$ 1.6 in 27 countries with concentrated HIV epidemics and I$ 9.5 in 14 countries with generalized HIV epidemics. On average, spending on care and treatment represented 50% of AIDS spending across all countries. The treatment-to-prevention spending ratio was 1.5:1, 3:1, and 2:1 in countries with low-level, concentrated and generalized epidemics, respectively. Spending on prevention represented 21% of total AIDS spending. However, expenditures addressing most-at-risk populations represented less than 1% in countries with generalized epidemics and 7% in those with low-level or concentrated epidemics. The most striking finding is the mismatch between the types of HIV epidemics and the allocation of resources. The current global economic recession will force countries to rethink national strategies, especially in low-income countries with high aid dependency. Mapping HIV expenditures provides crucial guidance for reallocation of resources and supports evidence-based decisions. Now more than ever, countries need to know and act on their epidemics and give priority to the most effective programmatic

Characteristics of human resources in Serbian rural tourism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Premović Jelena

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Modern consumer society affects the changes in behavior and wishes of modern tourists who require high-quality tourist service which can be provided only by highly qualified and well-trained tourism personnel. However, the education system, in almost all tourist countries doesn't follow the trends of modern tourism. This paper analyzes demographic conditions and the basic characteristics of human resources in rural areas of Serbia. In this analysis were applied the method of induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis method, deductive and comparative methods as well as techniques of structured questionnaire. The obtained data were processed in SPSS program. Based on the results of the original research, it was concluded that there is a positive correlation between level of education and the number of days spent on professional training of human resources and the competitive position of tourism enterprises in which human resources are working.

Development of coal resources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

It is an important issue to expand stable coal supply areas for Japan, especially to assure stable supply of overseas coals. The investigations on geological structures in foreign countries perform surveys on geological structures in overseas coal producing countries and basic feasibility studies. The investigations select areas with greater business risks in coal producing countries and among private business entities. The geological structure investigations were carried out on China, Indonesia and Malaysia and the basic feasibility studies on Indonesia during fiscal 1994. The basic coal resource development investigations refer to the results of previous physical explorations and drilling tests to develop practical exploration technologies for coal resources in foreign countries. The development feasibility studies on overseas coals conduct technological consultation, surface surveys, physical explorations, and trial drilling operations, and provide fund assistance to activities related thereto. Fiscal 1994 has provided fund assistance to two projects in Indonesia and America. Fund loans are provided on investigations for development and import of overseas coals and other related activities. Liability guarantee for development fund is also described.

Maxillofacial prostheses challenges in resource constrained regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tetteh, Sophia; Bibb, Richard J; Martin, Simon J

2017-10-24

This study reviewed the current state of maxillofacial rehabilitation in resource-limited nations. A rigorous literature review was undertaken using several technical and clinical databases using a variety of key words pertinent to maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation and resource-limited areas. In addition, interviews were conducted with researchers, clinicians and prosthetists that had direct experience of volunteering or working in resource-limited countries. Results from the review and interviews suggest rehabilitating patients in resource-limited countries remains challenging and efforts to improve the situation requires a multifactorial approach. In conclusion, public health awareness programmes to reduce the causation of injuries and bespoke maxillofacial prosthetics training programmes to suit these countries, as opposed to attempting to replicate Western training programmes. It is also possible that usage of locally sourced and cheaper materials and the use of low-cost technologies could greatly improve maxillofacial rehabilitation efforts in these localities. Implications for Rehabilitation More information and support needs to be provided to maxillofacial defect/injuries patients and to their families or guardians in a culturally sensitive manner by governments. The health needs, economic and psychological needs of the patients need to be taken into account during the rehabilitation process by clinicians and healthcare organizations. The possibility of developing training programs to suit these resource limited countries and not necessarily follow conventional fabrication methods must be looked into further by educational entities.

Trading electricity in the Nordic countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

An open market for electric power in the Nordic countries will require extensive common solutions of a range of economic, technical and political problems as a consequence of the natural monopoly of the transmission and distribution grid, and the need for supply reliability. The main objective is to establish and effective framework for competition in buying and selling electricity, both nationally and in a Nordic context, and to secure optimal resource allocation. The key participants are owners of the high-voltage grid and of the international grid connections. The objective should be to develop a 'point-tariff' system, a system for effective handling of bottlenecks, and an optimisation of further developments in the common high-voltage grid. Effective routines for measurement of the trade across the borders should be established. Institutions for power-trading should be developed, such as organised spot markets which should be established in Sweden and Finland. Transaction costs for trade between the spot markets in the different countries should be low. Until spot markets are established in Sweden and Finland, Statnett Marked should be made available for Sweden and Finish consumers and producers. Abuse of a domimant market position in a common market should be firmly discouraged. Different competition policies in the Nordic countries may give participants unequal possibilities to compete. (AB)

Explanatory Resources on Energy in High School Physics Classes: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Alejandra Domínguez

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This paper examines and reflects on the explanatory resources that are used in high school physics classes for studying the topic of energy. Explanatory resources are a means of constructing and negotiating meaning. The research is an instrumental case study focusing on four years of high school physics classes on energy. The theoretical principles of sociocultural approaches and conversation analysis are taken as benchmarks for understanding how we construct and reconstruct meanings (on energy. The identification of the resources used in the process of meaning construction is of importance for understanding certain scientific phenomena addressed in the curricula. Among the resources most commonly employed to enhance explanation were definitions and the causes of phenomena. We also found that teachers’ interventions, either through verbal explanations or instructional proposals, were crucial for certain kinds of explanations and for the presence or absence of other resources associated with explanations.

Convergence in carbon dioxide emissions among industrialised countries revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero-Avila, Diego

2008-01-01

This paper examines the existence of stochastic and deterministic convergence of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in 23 countries over the period 1960-2002. For that purpose, we conduct unit root testing by employing the recently developed panel stationarity test of Carrion-i-Silvestre et al. [Carrion-i-Silvestre, J-L, del Barrio-Castro, T., Lopez-Bazo, E., 2005. Breaking the panels: An application to the GDP per capita. Econometrics Journal 8, 159-175] which assumes a highly flexible trend function by incorporating an unknown number of structural breaks. We accommodate general forms of cross-sectional dependence as well as control for finite-sample bias through bootstrap methods. Overall, our analysis provides strong evidence supporting both stochastic and deterministic convergence in CO 2 emissions, thus confirming Strazicich and List [Strazicich, M.C., List, J.A., 2003. Are CO 2 emission levels converging among industrial countries? Environmental and Resource Economics 24, 263-271] and Westerlund and Basher [Westerlund, J., Basher, S.A., 2007. Testing for convergence in carbon dioxide emissions using a century of panel data. Environmental and Resource Economics, forthcoming] findings of convergence

Problems and Approaches for Blood Transfusion in the Developing Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, David J; Field, Stephen; Delaney, Meghan; Bates, Imelda

2016-04-01

A safe supply of blood and the knowledge, skill, and resources for the appropriate use of blood are essential for medical services. Many problems are faced in the development of transfusion services in low- or medium-income countries (LMICs). Unfortunately, in many countries, providing safe blood is made more difficult by a lack of blood donors and the high frequency of transfusion-transmissible infections. The problems are compounded by the frequent need for urgent life-saving transfusions. This article examines the problems in supply, safety, and use of blood and how they are being addressed in LMICs, predominantly focusing on sub-Saharan Africa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pupil Science Learning in Resource-Based e-Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

So, Wing-mui Winnie; Ching, Ngai-ying Fiona

2011-01-01

With the rapid expansion of broadband Internet connection and availability of high performance yet low priced computers, many countries around the world are advocating the adoption of e-learning, the use of computer technology to improve learning and teaching. The trend of e-learning has urged many teachers to incorporate online resources in their…

Social and financial resources and high-risk alcohol consumption among older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Moos, Rudolf H; Brennan, Penny L; Schutte, Kathleen K; Moos, Bernice S

2010-04-01

This study examined long-term mutual predictive associations between social and financial resources and high-risk alcohol consumption in later life. A sample of 55- to 65-year-old older adults (n = 719) was surveyed at baseline and 10 years and 20 years later. At each contact point, participants completed an inventory that assessed social and financial resources and alcohol consumption. Over the 20-year interval, there was evidence of both social causation and social selection processes in relation to high-risk alcohol consumption. In support of a social causation perspective, higher levels of some social resources, such as participation in social activities, friends' approval of drinking, quality of relationship with spouse, and financial resources, were associated with a subsequent increased likelihood of high-risk alcohol consumption. Conversely, indicating the presence of social selection, high-risk alcohol consumption was associated with subsequent higher levels of friends' approval of drinking and quality of the spousal relationship, but lower quality of relationships with extended family members. These findings reflect mutual influence processes in which older adults' social resources and high-risk alcohol consumption can alter each other. Older adults may benefit from information about how social factors can affect their drinking habits; accordingly, information about social causation effects could be used to guide effective prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing the risk that late-life social factors may amplify their excessive alcohol consumption.

Managing research and surveillance projects in real-time with a novel open-source eManagement tool designed for under-resourced countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, Andreas; Hella, Jerry; Grüninger, Servan; Mhalu, Grace; Mhimbira, Francis; Cercamondi, Colin I; Doulla, Basra; Maire, Nicolas; Fenner, Lukas

2016-09-01

A software tool is developed to facilitate data entry and to monitor research projects in under-resourced countries in real-time. The eManagement tool "odk_planner" is written in the scripting languages PHP and Python. The odk_planner is lightweight and uses minimal internet resources. It was designed to be used with the open source software Open Data Kit (ODK). The users can easily configure odk_planner to meet their needs, and the online interface displays data collected from ODK forms in a graphically informative way. The odk_planner also allows users to upload pictures and laboratory results and sends text messages automatically. User-defined access rights protect data and privacy. We present examples from four field applications in Tanzania successfully using the eManagement tool: 1) clinical trial; 2) longitudinal Tuberculosis (TB) Cohort Study with a complex visit schedule, where it was used to graphically display missing case report forms, upload digitalized X-rays, and send text message reminders to patients; 3) intervention study to improve TB case detection, carried out at pharmacies: a tablet-based electronic referral system monitored referred patients, and sent automated messages to remind pharmacy clients to visit a TB Clinic; and 4) TB retreatment case monitoring designed to improve drug resistance surveillance: clinicians at four public TB clinics and lab technicians at the TB reference laboratory used a smartphone-based application that tracked sputum samples, and collected clinical and laboratory data. The user friendly, open source odk_planner is a simple, but multi-functional, Web-based eManagement tool with add-ons that helps researchers conduct studies in under-resourced countries. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Rethinking the cost of healthcare in low-resource settings: the value of time-driven activity-based costing.

Science.gov (United States)

McBain, Ryan K; Jerome, Gregory; Warsh, Jonathan; Browning, Micaela; Mistry, Bipin; Faure, Peterson Abnis I; Pierre, Claire; Fang, Anna P; Mugunga, Jean Claude; Rhatigan, Joseph; Leandre, Fernet; Kaplan, Robert

2016-01-01

Low-income and middle-income countries account for over 80% of the world's infectious disease burden, but measuring the human, equipment and facility resources used to treat the patients. The benefits of this approach are numerous: fewer assumptions need to be made, heterogeneity in expenditures can be studied, service delivery can be modelled and streamlined and stronger linkages can be established between resource allocation and health outcomes. TDABC has demonstrated significant benefits for improving health service delivery in high-income countries but has yet to be adopted in resource-limited settings. We provide an illustrative case study of its application throughout a network of hospitals in Haiti, as well as a simplified framework for policymakers to apply this approach in low-resource settings around the world.

Water Resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abira, M.A.

1997-01-01

Water is essential for life and ecological sustenance; its availability is essential component of national welfare and productivity.The country's socio-economic activities are largely dependent on the natural endowment of water resources. Kenya's water resources comprises of surface waters (rivers, lakes and wetlands) and ground water. Surface water forms 86% of total water resources while the rest is ground water Geological, topographical and climatic factors influence the natural availability and distribution of water with the rainfall distribution having the major influence. Water resources in Kenya are continuously under threat of depletion and quality degradation owing to rising population, industrialization, changing land use and settlement activities as well as natural changes. However, the anticipated climate change is likely to exacerbate the situation resulting in increased conflict over water use rights in particular, and, natural resource utilisation in general. The impacts of climate change on the water resources would lead to other impacts on environmental and socio-economic systems

The Dutch disease effect in a high versus low oil dependent countries

OpenAIRE

Allegret , Jean-Pierre; Benkhodja , Mohamed Tahar

2014-01-01

To investigate the main impacts of the recent increase of oil price on oil exporting economies, we estimate a DSGE model for a sample of 16 oil exporting countries (Algeria, Argentina, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela) over the period from 1980 to 2010, except for Russia where our sample begins in 1992. In order to distinguish between high-dependent and low-dependent countries, we use two indic...

Reciprocity in Labor Market Relationships: Evidence from an Experiment across High-Income OECD Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Israel Waichman

2015-10-01

Full Text Available We study differences in behavior across countries in a labor market context. To this end, we conducted a bilateral gift-exchange experiment comparing the behavior of subjects from five high-income OECD countries: Germany, Spain, Israel, Japan and the USA. We observe that in all countries, effort levels are increasing while rejection rates are decreasing in wage offers. However, we also find considerable differences in behavior across countries in both one-shot and repeated relationships, the most striking between Germany and Spain. We also discuss the influence of socio-economic indicators and the implications of our findings.

OECD Reviews of School Resources : Austria 2016

OpenAIRE

Theisens, Henno

2016-01-01

The effective use of school resources is a policy priority across OECD countries. The OECD Reviews of School Resources explore how resources can be governed, distributed, utilised and managed to improve the quality, equity and efficiency of school education. The series considers four types of resources: financial resources, such as public funding of individual schools; human resources, such as teachers, school leaders and education administrators; physical resources, such as location, buildin...

Evaluating the Relative Environmental Impact of Countries

OpenAIRE

Bradshaw, Corey J. A.; Giam, Xingli; Sodhi, Navjot Singh

2010-01-01

Environmental protection is critical to maintain ecosystem services essential for human well-being. It is important to be able to rank countries by their environmental impact so that poor performers as well as policy ?models? can be identified. We provide novel metrics of country-specific environmental impact ranks ? one proportional to total resource availability per country and an absolute (total) measure of impact ? that explicitly avoid incorporating confounding human health or economic i...

Regional Cooperation Towards Trans-country Natural Gas Market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shukla, P.R.; Dhar, Subash

2009-01-01

India began gas imports since 2004 through liquified natural gas (LNG) route. Imports through trans-country gas pipelines could help in bringing gas directly into the densely populated Northern part of India, which are far from domestic gas resources as well as coastal LNG terminals. The purpose ...... of this paper is to report scenarios, which quantify the impacts for India of regional cooperation to materialize trans-country pipelines. The analysis covers time period from 2005 to 2030.......India began gas imports since 2004 through liquified natural gas (LNG) route. Imports through trans-country gas pipelines could help in bringing gas directly into the densely populated Northern part of India, which are far from domestic gas resources as well as coastal LNG terminals. The purpose...

International Programme for Resource Use in Critical Care (IPOC)--a methodology and initial results of cost and provision in four European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Negrini, D; Sheppard, L; Mills, G H; Jacobs, P; Rapoport, J; Bourne, R S; Guidet, B; Csomos, A; Prien, T; Anderson, G; Edbrooke, D L

2006-01-01

A standardized top-down costing method is not currently available internationally. An internally validated method developed in the UK was modified for use in critical care in different countries. Costs could then be compared using the World Health Organization's Purchasing Power Parities (WHO PPPs). This was an observational, retrospective, cross-sectional, multicentre study set in four European countries: France, UK, Germany and Hungary. A total of 329 adult intensive care units (ICUs) participated in the study. The costs are reported in international dollars ($) derived from the WHO PPP programme. The results show significant differences in resource use and costs of ICUs over the four countries. On the basis of the sum of the means for the major components, the average cost per patient day in UK hospitals was $1512, in French hospitals $934, in German hospitals $726 and in Hungarian hospitals $280. The reasons for such differences are poorly understood but warrant further investigation. This information will allow us to better adjust our measures of international ICU costs.

Development perspective of transitional countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilić Bogdan B.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The end of 20th century witnessed the affirmation and development of information technology as well as the transformation of industrial into information, "new economy", which caused changes in people and circumstances. The role and importance of nonhuman factors was increased, causing entrepreneurship and knowledge-based information to become the most significant resources. The Internet became the basis of the "new economy". It changes the way of doing business, studying, researching, communicating and competition. It also reduces operating costs, crosses national borders and leads to the globalization of the world economy. Transitional countries have to fit into modern development flows by formulating their own strategy of national development and establishing their own competitive advantages in conditions of "new economy". These advantages lie predominantly in highly qualified and skilled younger labor which learns fast and adopts new knowledge and skills, through reducing transactional costs, shortening of certain development stages through which developed countries have already gone, using their experience, scientific-technological progress, a rise in work productivity, etc. Experience of other countries should be innovated and adapted to one's own material and social conditions, not copied. This enables the emergence of "European small tigers", which are similar to "Asian small tigers".

Classification of uranium reserves/resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-08-01

Projections of future availability of uranium to meet present and future nuclear power requirements depend on the reliability of uranium resource estimates. Lack of harmony of the definition of the different classes of uranium reserves and resources between countries makes the compilation and analysis of such information difficult. The problem was accentuated in the early 1990s with the entry of uranium producing countries from the former Soviet Union, eastern Europe and China into the world uranium supply market. The need for an internationally acceptable reserve/resource classification system and terminology using market based criteria is therefore obvious. This publication was compiled from participant's contributions and findings of the Consultants Meetings on Harmonization of Uranium Resource Assessment Concepts held in Vienna from 22 to 25 June 1992, and two Consultants Meetings on the Development of a More Meaningful Classification of Uranium Resources held in Kiev, Ukraine on 24-26 April 1995 and 20-23 August 1996. This document includes 11 contributions, summary, list of participants of the Consultants Meetings. Each contribution has been indexed and provided with an abstract

Effects of patient-reported non-severe hypoglycemia on healthcare resource use, work-time loss, and wellbeing in insulin-treated patients with diabetes in seven European countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geelhoed-Duijvestijn, Petronella H; Pedersen-Bjergaard, Ulrik; Weitgasser, Raimund

2013-01-01

the effects of self-reported non-severe hypoglycemic events (NSHE) on use of healthcare resources and patient wellbeing. Methods: Patients with T1DM or insulin-treated T2DM diabetes from seven European countries were invited to complete four weekly questionnaires. Data were collected on patient demographics...

Investigations of Very High Enthalpy Geothermal Resources in Iceland.

Science.gov (United States)

Elders, W. A.; Fridleifsson, G. O.

2012-12-01

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) is investigating the economic feasibility of producing electricity from supercritical geothermal reservoirs. Earlier modeling indicates that the power output of a geothermal well producing from a supercritical reservoir could potentially be an order of magnitude greater than that from a conventional hot geothermal reservoir, at the same volumetric flow rate. However, even in areas with an unusually high geothermal gradient, for normal hydrostatic pressure gradients reaching supercritical temperatures and pressures will require drilling to depths >4 km. In 2009 the IDDP attempted to drill the first deep supercritical well, IDDP-01, in the caldera of the Krafla volcano, in NE Iceland. However drilling had to be terminated at only 2.1 km depth when ~900°C rhyolite magma flowed into the well. Our studies indicate that this magma formed by partial melting of hydrothermally altered basalts within the Krafla caldera. Although this well was too shallow to reach supercritical pressures, it is highly productive, and is estimated to be capable of generating up to 36 MWe from the high-pressure, superheated steam produced from the upper contact zone of the intrusion. With a well-head temperature of ~440°C, it is at present apparently the hottest producing geothermal well in the world. A pilot plant is investigating the optimal utilization of this magmatically heated resource. A special issue of the journal Geothermics with 16 papers reporting on the IDDP-01 is in preparation. However, in order to continue the search for supercritical geothermal resources, planning is underway to drill a 4.5 km deep well at Reykjanes in SW Iceland in 2013-14. Although drilling deeper towards the heat source of this already developed high-temperature geothermal field will be more expensive, if a supercritical resource is found, this cost increase should be offset by the considerable increase in the power output and lifetime of the Reykjanes geothermal

Boom or bust : developing countries' rough ride on the commodity price rollercoaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, O.; Gibson, J.

2006-10-01

Current high commodity prices are driven by strong demand from the emerging economies of China and India in addition to high consumption in the United States. Many developing countries are experiencing massive windfall revenues from high commodity prices. However, commodity prices are highly volatile in the short term, and can vary as much as 50 per cent in a single year. While developed country producers are supported by subsidies and social safety nets, developing countries and smallholder producers feel the extent of commodity price volatility more directly. Many developing countries are becoming locked into the production and export of primary commodities whose volatile prices are declining over the long term, and over which they have very little control. Price volatility makes sound fiscal planning difficult for both countries and producers. Price booms and busts also drive social inequalities, livelihood inequalities, and corruption. Price swings can cause conflict over valuable land and resources, and does not create incentives for sound environmental stewardship. This paper described the impacts of commodity price volatility in developing countries with the aim of promoting discussion about what can be done to help stabilize revenues for countries as well as producers. Price trends and their importance were reviewed, and the theoretical benefits of liberalized commodity markets were examined. Previous attempts to stabilize commodity prices were reviewed. It was concluded that the best long-term solution to the commodity price problem is economic diversification. Recommendations for promoting economic diversification were provided. 43 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs

Breast Camps for Awareness and Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer in Countries With Limited Resources: A Multidisciplinary Model From Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayed, Shahin; Moloo, Zahir; Ngugi, Anthony; Allidina, Amyn; Ndumia, Rose; Mutuiri, Anderson; Wasike, Ronald; Wahome, Charles; Abdihakin, Mohamed; Kasmani, Riaz; Spears, Carol D; Oigara, Raymond; Mwachiro, Elizabeth B; Busarla, Satya V P; Kibor, Kibet; Ahmed, Abdulaziz; Wawire, Jonathan; Sherman, Omar; Saleh, Mansoor; Zujewski, Jo Anne; Dawsey, Sanford M

2016-09-01

Breast cancer is the most common cancer of women in Kenya. There are no national breast cancer early diagnosis programs in Kenya. The objective was to conduct a pilot breast cancer awareness and diagnosis program at three different types of facilities in Kenya. This program was conducted at a not-for-profit private hospital, a faith-based public hospital, and a government public referral hospital. Women aged 15 years and older were invited. Demographic, risk factor, knowledge, attitudes, and screening practice data were collected. Breast health information was delivered, and clinical breast examinations (CBEs) were performed. When appropriate, ultrasound imaging, fine-needle aspirate (FNA) diagnoses, core biopsies, and onward referrals were provided. A total of 1,094 women were enrolled in the three breast camps. Of those, 56% knew the symptoms and signs of breast cancer, 44% knew how breast cancer was diagnosed, 37% performed regular breast self-exams, and 7% had a mammogram or breast ultrasound in the past year. Of the 1,094 women enrolled, 246 (23%) had previously noticed a lump in their breast. A total of 157 participants (14%) had abnormal CBEs, of whom 111 had ultrasound exams, 65 had FNAs, and 18 had core biopsies. A total of 14 invasive breast cancers and 1 malignant phyllodes tumor were diagnosed Conducting a multidisciplinary breast camp awareness and early diagnosis program is feasible in different types of health facilities within a low- and middle-income country setting. This can be a model for breast cancer awareness and point-of-care diagnosis in countries with limited resources like Kenya. This work describes a novel breast cancer awareness and early diagnosis demonstration program in a low- and middle-income country within a limited resource setting. The program includes breast self-awareness and breast cancer education, clinical exams, and point-of-care diagnostics for women in three different types of health facilities in Kenya. This pilot

Philippines -- country wide water development projects and funds needed. Water crisis in Manila coincide with parliamentarians seminar on water resources and population.

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

The Philippines' Clean Water Act was developed to protect the country's remaining water resources by institutionalizing mechanisms to monitor, regulate, and control human and industrial activities which contribute to the ongoing environmental degradation of marine and freshwater resources. Approximately 70 participants attended the Philippine Parliamentarians' Conference on Water Resources, Population and Development held December 3-4, 1997, at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City. Participants included the legislative staff of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Committee Secretaries of the House and Senate, and government and nongovernmental organization officials. Following the opening programs, panel discussions were held on the role of nongovernmental organizations as legitimate monitors of governments' activities; the need to evaluate water sector assessment methods, water policy and strategy, and water legislation standards; and waste water treatment and sewerage systems used in households and industries. The following issues were raised during the conference's open forum: the need to implement new methods in water resource management; the handling of water for both economic and social purposes; the need to implement guidelines, policies, and pricing mechanisms on bottled water; regulating the construction of recreational facilities such as golf courses; and transferring watershed rehabilitation from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to local water districts. A declaration was prepared and signed by the participants at the close of the conference.

World uranium exploration, resources, production and related activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanly, A.

2014-01-01

A Nuclear Energy Series publication entitled “World Uranium Exploration, Resources, Production and Related Activities” (WUERPRA) will soon be published by the IAEA. The objective of the publication is to provide a comprehensive compilation of historic uranium exploration, resources, production and related activities based primarily on information from the 1966 to 2009 editions of the publication “Uranium Resources, Production and Demand”, a joint publication of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency/Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development commonly known as the ‘Red Book’. This has been supplemented by historic information from other reliable sources. The publications also include, where enough information was available, descriptions of the relative potential for discovery of new uranium resources on a per country basis. To recover complete historic information it is frequently necessary to refer to earlier editions of the Red Book, many of which may not be readily available. This publication aims to provide one comprehensive source for much of this type of information which will reduce the effort required to prepare future editions of the Red Book, as well as make the historic Red Book information, together with select related information from other sources, more readily available to all users with an interest in uranium. WUERPRA comprises 6 volumes containing 164 country reports, each organized by region; Volume 1: Africa (53 countries); Volume 2: Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (25 countries); Volume 3: Southeastern Asia, Pacific, East Asia (18 countries); Volume 4: Western Europe (22 countries); Volume 5: Middle East, Central and Southern Asia (19 countries), and; Volume 6: North America, Central America and South America (27 countries). The report also contains information on countries that have not reported to the Red Book. The poster will summarize select major highlights from each volume

Uranium resources, production and demand 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-10-01

This book is the Japanese edition of 'Uranium Resources, Production and Demand, 1993' published by OECD/NEA-IAEA in 1994. It contains data on uranium exploration activities, resources and production for about 50 countries. (K.I.)

Health spending, macroeconomics and fiscal space in countries of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Indrani; Mondal, Swadhin

2014-01-01

The paper examines the issues around mobilization of resources for the 11 countries of the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), by analysing their macroeconomic situation, health spending, fiscal space and other determinants of health. With the exception of a few, most of these countries have made fair progress on their own Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets of maternal mortality ratio and mortality rate in children aged under 5 years. However, the achieved targets have been very modest - with the exception of Thailand and Sri Lanka - indicating the continued need for additional efforts to improve these indicators. The paper discusses the need for investment, by looking at evidence on economic growth, the availability of fiscal space, and improvements in "macroeconomic-plus" factors like poverty, female literacy, governance and efficiency of the health sector. The analysis indicates that, overall, the countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region are collectively in a position to make the transition from low public spending to moderate or even high health spending, which is required, in turn, for transition from lowcoverage-high out-of-pocket spending (OOPS) to highcoverage-low OOPS. However, explicit prioritization for health within the overall government budget for low spenders would require political will and champions who can argue the case of the health sector. Additional innovative avenues of raising resources, such as earmarked taxes or a health levy can be considered in countries with good macroeconomic fundamentals. With the exception of Thailand, this is applicable for all the countries of the region. However, countries with adverse macroeconomic-plus factors, as well as inefficient health systems, need to be alert to the possibility of overinvesting - and thereby wasting - resources for modest health gains, making the challenge of increasing health sector spending alongside competing demands for spending on other areas of

Human Resources for Health Challenges in Nigeria and Nurse Migration.

Science.gov (United States)

Salami, Bukola; Dada, Foluke O; Adelakun, Folake E

2016-05-01

The emigration of sub-Saharan African health professionals to developed Western nations is an aspect of increasing global mobility. This article focuses on the human resources for health challenges in Nigeria and the emigration of nurses from Nigeria as the country faces mounting human resources for health challenges. Human resources for health issues in Nigeria contribute to poor population health in the country, alongside threats from terrorism, infectious disease outbreaks, and political corruption. Health inequities within Nigeria mirror the geographical disparities in human resources for health distribution and are worsened by the emigration of Nigerian nurses to developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Nigerian nurses are motivated to emigrate to work in healthier work environments, improve their economic prospects, and advance their careers. Like other migrant African nurses, they experience barriers to integration, including racism and discrimination, in receiving countries. We explore the factors and processes that shape this migration. Given the forces of globalization, source countries and destination countries must implement policies to more responsibly manage migration of nurses. This can be done by implementing measures to retain nurses, promote the return migration of expatriate nurses, and ensure the integration of migrant nurses upon arrival in destination countries. © The Author(s) 2016.

Petroleum and mineral resources of Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Kovar, Karel; Behrendt, John Charles

1983-01-01

No known petroleum or mineral resources occur in Antarctica. The data on these subjects have been collected, mainly since the IGY (International Geophysical Year), 1957-58, as a part of other research carried out by geologists and geophysicists from a number of countries. Specific resource-related studies have not been made. Wright and Williams (1974) summarized what was known of Antarctic mineral resources a decade ago.The U.S. Geological Survey has been actively pursuing various investigations in Antarctica since 194 7. In the course of this work and that of our colleagues elsewhere in the United States and in other countries, much information relevant to petroleum and mineral resources has been obtained. Since 1976, modern state-of-the-art multichannel seismic reflection and aeromagnetic surveys by several countries over the continental margin of Antarctica have indicated thick sedimentary basins. However, no offshore drilling beneath the continental shelf has taken place since the DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) holes in the Ross Sea in 1973. Geologic field investigations begun at the turn of the twentieth century have been intensified in the past two decades; most rock outcrops have been visited and samples collected. Technology to exploit resources, particularly in the Arctic, has been developing at a rapid rate, and much of it could be applied to Antarctica. As a result of the petroleum price increases of the past decade, the attention of a number of countries has turned to Antarctica, but under the policy of "voluntary restraint" adopted by the Antarctic Treaty nations, no active petroleum or mineral exploration is taking place. The Antarctic treaty countries are in the process of negotiating an Antarctic mineral resources regime that is anticipated to be completed within the next several years. Therefore it seemed timely to us to readdress the question of petroleum and mineral resources. These reports review and summarize the available information. The

High School Leadership: The Challenge of Managing Resources and Competencies

Science.gov (United States)

Alsaaty, Falih M.; Morris, Archie, III

2015-01-01

High schools play a vital role in achieving and reflecting American ideals and culture. They provide the foundation for the country's economic, social, and political systems as well as the impetus for its scientific progress and technological superiority. The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges facing high schools' leadership in…

Oil exporting countries need nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauffer, T.R.

1982-01-01

The economic rationale for nuclear power in the oil exporting countries is analysed, with the collateral objective of defining the size of the potential market in terms of the exporting countries' economic opportunities and energy needs. The need for appropriate new institutions for licensing reactors, training personnel, and starting up plants follows directly from the size of the market and the economic incentives for the oil exporters to husband gas and oil. Gas and oil resources of the Middle Eastern countries are discussed, and future electricity needs estimated. (author)

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.

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) orientation phase mission report: Bolivia. Draft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leroy, Jacques; Mueller-Kahle, Eberhard

1982-08-01

The uranium exploration done so far in Bolivia has been carried out by COBOEN, partly with IAEA support, and AGIP S.p.A. of Italy, which between 1974 and 1978 explored four areas in various parts of Bolivia under a production sharing contract with COBOEN. The basic objective of the International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) is to 'review the present body of knowledge pertinent to the existence of uranium resources, to review and evaluate the potential for discovery of additional uranium resources, and to suggest new exploitation efforts which might be carried out in promising areas in collaboration with the country concerned'. Following the initial bibliographic study which formed Phase I of IUREP, it was envisaged that a further assessment in cooperation with, and within, the country concerned would provide a better delineation of areas of high potential and a more reliable estimate as to the degree of favourability for the discovery of additional uranium resources. It was planned that such work would be accomplished through field missions to the country concerned and that these field missions and the resulting report would be known as the Orientation Phase of IUREP. The purpose of the Orientation Phase mission to Bolivia was a) to develop a better understanding of the uranium potential of the country, b) to make an estimate of the Speculative Resources of the country, c) to delineate areas favourable for the discovery of these uranium resources, d) to make recommendations as appropriate on the best methods for evaluating the favourable areas, operating procedures and estimated possible costs, e) to develop the logistical data required to carry out any possible further work, and f) to compile a report which would be immediately available to the Bolivian authorities. The mission reports contains information about a general introduction, non-uranium exploration and mining in Bolivia, manpower in exploration, geological review of Bolivia, past uranium

Research report of fiscal 1997. Survey on creation of high-efficiency renewable resources, and bioconversion technology; 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho. Kokoritsu saisei kano shigen no sosei narabi ni bioconversion gijutsu ni kansuru chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

Survey was made on material production technology using creation technology of high-efficiency renewable resources (photosynthesis reaction of plants). Industrially usable plant resources in overseas countries and Japan were arranged, and plant resources unused for food were also surveyed. The present state of genetic engineering necessary for metabolic engineering of higher plants such as fit and high-expression technology of genes, plant cell cultivation, and control technology of plant cell multiplication is described, and elementary technologies required for future gene-recombined plants are predicted. Survey was also made on the trend of creation technology of industrial plants for fat and oil, biodegradable polyester, amino acid, cellulose, fiber (cotton) and forest wood. A patent list on plant biotechnology was prepared, and study on bioconversion of plant resources was also surveyed. Overseas R & D trends on conversion and effective use technologies of renewable bio- resources are reported, and process design and its profitability were evaluated through a case study. 414 refs., 87 figs., 55 tabs.

World resources 1992-93

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

The World Resources series is intended to meet the critical need for accessible, accurate information on some of the most pressing issues of our time. Wise management of natural resources and protection of the global environment are essential to achieve sustainable economic development and hence to alleviate poverty, improve the human condition, and preserve the biological systems on which all life depends. This volume has a special focus on sustainable development, in support of the upcoming 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Part 1 consists of four special chapters on sustainable development: an overview chapter and three case studies of what sustainable development might mean in industrial countries, low-income countries, and rapidly industrializing countries. Additional material pertinent to this topic is found throughout the volume. Part 2 continues the tradition of examining in each volume a particular region in more detail - in this case, an overview of the severe environmental and resource problems faced by Central Europe as that region makes a difficult transition to more democratic governments and more market-oriented economies. Part 3 reports on basic conditions and trends, key issues, major problems and efforts to resolve them, and recent developments in each of the major resource categories, from population and human development to energy to atmosphere and climate. Where data exist, the chapters give a 20-year perspective on trends in the physical environment - spanning the time between the first United Nations Conference on the Environment and UNCED. Supporting data, as well as the core data tables from the World Resources Data Base, are found in Part 4. Chapters have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base

A realist synthesis of cross-border patient movement from low and middle income countries to similar or higher income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, Jo; Blondell, Sarah J

2017-08-29

Patient travel across borders to access healthcare is becoming increasingly common and widespread. Patients moving from high income to middle income countries for healthcare is well documented, with patients seeking treatments that are cheaper or more readily available than at home. Less well understood is when patients move from one low income country to another or from a low income country to a higher income country. In this paper, a realist review was undertaken to explore why, in what contexts and how patients from lower income countries travel to countries with the same, or more advanced, economies for planned healthcare. Based on an initial scoping of the literature and discussions with key informants, we generated an initial theory and set of propositions about why, how, who and in what contexts people cross international borders for planned healthcare. We then systematically located and synthesized (1) peer-reviewed studies from the Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Econlit databases; (2) non-indexed reports using key informants and Google; and (3) papers from the reference lists of included documents, to glean supportive or contradictory evidence for our initial propositions. As we reviewed the literature and extracted our data, we drew on the work of Pierre Bourdieu to understand the interplay between material and non-material capital and cognitive processes in decisions to cross borders for healthcare. Patient travel was largely undertaken due to a lack of services in the home country and/or unacceptability of local services, with decisions on when, and where, to travel, usually made within the patient's social networks. They were able to travel via use of multiple resources, including social networks, economic and cultural capital, and habitus. Those patients with greater volumes of the aforementioned factors had greater healthcare options; however, even those with limited resources engaged in patient travel. Patient movement challenges traditional

The water footprint of cotton consumption: An assessment of the impact of worldwide consumption of cotton products on the water resources in the cotton producing countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chapagain, Ashok; Hoekstra, Arjen Ysbert; Savenije, H.H.G.; Gautam, R.

2006-01-01

The consumption of a cotton product is connected to a chain of impacts on the water resources in the countries where cotton is grown and processed. The aim of this paper is to assess the ‘water footprint’ of worldwide cotton consumption, identifying both the location and the character of the

Effective management of combined renewable energy resources in Tajikistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimov, Khasan S; Akhmedov, Khakim M; Abid, Muhammad; Petrov, Georgiy N

2013-09-01

Water is needed mostly in summer time for irrigation and in winter time for generation of electric power. This results in conflicts between downstream countries that utilize water mostly for irrigation and those upstream countries, which use water for generation of electric power. At present Uzbekistan is blocking railway connection that is going to Tajikistan to interfere to transportation of the equipment and materials for construction of Rogun hydropower plant. In order to avoid conflicts between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan a number of measures for the utilization of water resources of the trans-boundary Rivers Amu-Darya and Sir-Darya are discussed. In addition, utilization of water with the supplement of wind and solar energy projects for proper and efficient management of water resources in Central Asia; export-import exchanges of electric energy in summer and winter time between neighboring countries; development of small hydropower project, modern irrigation system in main water consuming countries and large water reservoir hydropower projects for control of water resources for hydropower and irrigation are also discussed. It is also concluded that an effective management of water resources can be achieved by signing Water treaty between upstream and downstream countries, first of all between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In this paper management of water as renewable energy resource in Tajikistan and Central Asian Republics are presented. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Global Surgery 2030: a roadmap for high income country actors

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Sarah L M; Abdullah, Fizan; Amado, Vanda; Anderson, Geoffrey A; Cossa, Matchecane; Costas-Chavarri, Ainhoa; Davies, Justine; Debas, Haile T; Dyer, George S M; Erdene, Sarnai; Farmer, Paul E; Gaumnitz, Amber; Hagander, Lars; Haider, Adil; Leather, Andrew J M; Lin, Yihan; Marten, Robert; Marvin, Jeffrey T; McClain, Craig D; Meara, John G; Meheš, Mira; Mock, Charles; Mukhopadhyay, Swagoto; Orgoi, Sergelen; Prestero, Timothy; Price, Raymond R; Raykar, Nakul P; Riesel, Johanna N; Riviello, Robert; Rudy, Stephen M; Saluja, Saurabh; Sullivan, Richard; Tarpley, John L; Taylor, Robert H; Telemaque, Louis-Franck; Toma, Gabriel; Varghese, Asha; Walker, Melanie; Yamey, Gavin; Shrime, Mark G

2016-01-01

The Millennium Development Goals have ended and the Sustainable Development Goals have begun, marking a shift in the global health landscape. The frame of reference has changed from a focus on 8 development priorities to an expansive set of 17 interrelated goals intended to improve the well-being of all people. In this time of change, several groups, including the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, have brought a critical problem to the fore: 5 billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgical and anaesthesia care when needed. The magnitude of this problem and the world's new focus on strengthening health systems mandate reimagined roles for and renewed commitments from high income country actors in global surgery. To discuss the way forward, on 6 May 2015, the Commission held its North American launch event in Boston, Massachusetts. Panels of experts outlined the current state of knowledge and agreed on the roles of surgical colleges and academic medical centres; trainees and training programmes; academia; global health funders; the biomedical devices industry, and news media and advocacy organisations in building sustainable, resilient surgical systems. This paper summarises these discussions and serves as a consensus statement providing practical advice to these groups. It traces a common policy agenda between major actors and provides a roadmap for maximising benefit to surgical patients worldwide. To close the access gap by 2030, individuals and organisations must work collectively, interprofessionally and globally. High income country actors must abandon colonial narratives and work alongside low and middle income country partners to build the surgical systems of the future. PMID:28588908

Current R and D Status on High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal in Selected Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Youn Myoung; Hwang, Yong Soo

2008-11-15

Current R and D status of such countries moving forward as the United States, Sweden, France, Japan and a few other countries for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal in deep geological formation has been reviewed. Even though no HLW repositories have not practically constructed nor operated yet, lots of related R and D are being proceeded in many countries as well as in Korea. Through this brief review further progress is anticipated in this related R and D area in Korea.

Childhood immunization, vaccine hesitancy, and provaccination policy in high-income countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Frej Klem

2017-01-01

Increasing vaccine hesitancy among parents in high-income countries and the resulting drop in early childhood immunization constitute an important public health problem, and raise the issue of what policies might be taken to promote higher rates of vaccination. This article first outlines the bac...

Interprofessional education for whom? --challenges and lessons learned from its implementation in developed countries and their application to developing countries: a systematic review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno F Sunguya

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Evidence is available on the potential efficacy of interprofessional education (IPE to foster interprofessional cooperation, improve professional satisfaction, and improve patient care. While the intention of the World Health Organization (WHO is to implement IPE in all countries, evidence comes from developed countries about its efficiency, challenges, and barriers to planning and implementing IPE. We therefore conducted this review to examine challenges of implementing IPE to suggest possible pathways to overcome the anticipated challenges in developing countries. METHODS: We searched for literatures on IPE in PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases. We examined challenges or barriers and initiatives to overcome them so as to suggest methods to solve the anticipated challenges in developing countries. We could not conduct a meta-analysis because of the qualitative nature of the research question and the data; instead we conducted a meta-narrative of evidence. RESULTS: A total of 40 out of 2,146 articles were eligible for analyses in the current review. Only two articles were available from developing countries. Despite the known benefits of IPE, a total of ten challenges or barriers were common based on the retrieved evidence. They included curriculum, leadership, resources, stereotypes and attitudes, variety of students, IPE concept, teaching, enthusiasm, professional jargons, and accreditation. Out of ten, three had already been reported in developing countries: IPE curriculum, resource limitations, and stereotypes. CONCLUSION: This study found ten important challenges on implementing IPE. They are curriculum, leadership, resources, stereotypes, students' diversity, IPE concept, teaching, enthusiasm, professional jargons, and accreditation. Although only three of them are already experienced in developing countries, the remaining seven are potentially important for developing countries, too. By knowing these

Interprofessional education for whom? --challenges and lessons learned from its implementation in developed countries and their application to developing countries: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sunguya, Bruno F; Hinthong, Woranich; Jimba, Masamine; Yasuoka, Junko

2014-01-01

Evidence is available on the potential efficacy of interprofessional education (IPE) to foster interprofessional cooperation, improve professional satisfaction, and improve patient care. While the intention of the World Health Organization (WHO) is to implement IPE in all countries, evidence comes from developed countries about its efficiency, challenges, and barriers to planning and implementing IPE. We therefore conducted this review to examine challenges of implementing IPE to suggest possible pathways to overcome the anticipated challenges in developing countries. We searched for literatures on IPE in PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC databases. We examined challenges or barriers and initiatives to overcome them so as to suggest methods to solve the anticipated challenges in developing countries. We could not conduct a meta-analysis because of the qualitative nature of the research question and the data; instead we conducted a meta-narrative of evidence. A total of 40 out of 2,146 articles were eligible for analyses in the current review. Only two articles were available from developing countries. Despite the known benefits of IPE, a total of ten challenges or barriers were common based on the retrieved evidence. They included curriculum, leadership, resources, stereotypes and attitudes, variety of students, IPE concept, teaching, enthusiasm, professional jargons, and accreditation. Out of ten, three had already been reported in developing countries: IPE curriculum, resource limitations, and stereotypes. This study found ten important challenges on implementing IPE. They are curriculum, leadership, resources, stereotypes, students' diversity, IPE concept, teaching, enthusiasm, professional jargons, and accreditation. Although only three of them are already experienced in developing countries, the remaining seven are potentially important for developing countries, too. By knowing these challenges and barriers in advance, those who implement IPE programs

Optimized use of resources in the context of the North-South tensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giesel, H B [Gesamtverband des deutschen Steinkohlenbergbaus, Essen (Germany)

1992-01-01

Worldwide, there is no scarcity of energy resources, however, not all can be recovered cost-effectively, but those concentrated in the Third World, however, are being intensively and increasingly exploited by the industrialized countries. The industrialized countries themselves own abundant energy resources (e.g. 'non-conventional' oils) which, however, cannot be cost-effectively recovered unless a substantially higher energy price level assures economic viability. This paper analyses fundamental questions concerning an optimized balance of interests in the field of utilization of resources between the North (rich countries) and the South (poor countries, need for energy; increasing overpopulation). Alternative solutions aiming at better conservation of cost-effectively recoverable resources to the advantage of the Third World countries are discussed as well as viable instruments to be used within the framework of an international energy policy (strategy). 10 refs.

Angola - an Oil Dependant Country in Sub-Saharan Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baumgartner Boris

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The Sub-Saharan Africa belongs to the most underdeveloped regions in the world economy. This region consists of forty nine countries but it’s world GDP share is only a small percentage. There are some very resource rich countries in this region. One of them is Angola. This former Portuguese colony has one of the largest inventories of oil among all African countries. Angola recorded one of the highest growth of GDP between 2004-2008 from all countries in the world economy and nowadays is the third biggest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria and South Africa. The essential problem of Angola is the one-way oriented economy on oil and general on natural resources. Angola will be forced to change their one-way oriented economy to be more diversified and competitive in the future.

CHEP2015: Dynamic Resource Allocation with arcControlTower

CERN Document Server

Filipcic, Andrej; The ATLAS collaboration; Nilsen, Jon Kerr

2015-01-01

Distributed computing resources available for high-energy physics research are becoming less dedicated to one type of workflow and researchers’ workloads are increasingly exploiting modern computing technologies such as parallelism. The current pilot job management model used by many experiments relies on static dedicated resources and cannot easily adapt to these changes. The model used for ATLAS in Nordic countries and some other places enables a flexible job management system based on dynamic resources allocation. Rather than a fixed set of resources managed centrally, the model allows resources to be requested on the fly. The ARC Computing Element (ARC-CE) and ARC Control Tower (aCT) are the key components of the model. The aCT requests jobs from the ATLAS job mangement system (Panda) and submits a fully-formed job description to ARC-CEs. ARC-CE can then dynamically request the required resources from the underlying batch system. In this paper we describe the architecture of the model and the experience...

Renewable Energies and Sustainable Development: Challenges and Perspectives for Emerging Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kiwonghi Bizawu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article proposes the study of sustainable development in the use of renewable resources by emerging countries. It is noted that the financing of projects and policies related to renewable energy is moving from developed countries to emerging nations. Studies indicate that it will take more targeted investments to fuel production area and power generation, which can set a problem for developing countries, since they do not have sufficient resources to diversify and expand their energy matrixes. The deductive method was adopted based on exploratory research.

Country programme review. Ethiopia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This document reviews the current nuclear program in Ethiopia, identifying the peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the country and possible future technical cooperation activities. Separate brief sections deal with food and agriculture; human health; water and geothermal resources; industrial applications and instrumentation; radiation protection; higher education; programming, coordination and development

Exploring the influence of the Global Fund and the GAVI Alliance on health systems in conflict-affected countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Preeti; Cummings, Rachael; Roberts, Bayard

2015-01-01

Global Health Initiatives (GHIs) respond to high-impact communicable diseases in resource-poor countries, including health systems support, and are major actors in global health. GHIs could play an important role in countries affected by armed conflict given these countries commonly have weak health systems and a high burden of communicable disease. The aim of this study is to explore the influence of two leading GHIs, the Global Fund and the GAVI Alliance, on the health systems of conflict-affected countries. This study used an analytical review approach to identify evidence on the role of the Global Fund and the GAVI Alliance with regards to health systems support to 19 conflict-affected countries. Primary and secondary published and grey literature were used, including country evaluations from the Global Fund and the GAVI Alliance. The WHO heath systems building blocks framework was used for the analysis. There is a limited evidence-base on the influence of GHIs on health systems of conflict-affected countries. The findings suggest that GHIs are increasingly investing in conflict-affected countries which has helped to rapidly scale up health services, strengthen human resources, improve procurement, and develop guidelines and protocols. Negative influences include distorting priorities within the health system, inequitable financing of disease-specific services over other health services, diverting staff away from more essential health care services, inadequate attention to capacity building, burdensome reporting requirements, and limited flexibility and responsiveness to the contextual challenges of conflict-affected countries. There is some evidence of increasing engagement of the Global Fund and the GAVI Alliance with health systems in conflict-affected countries, but this engagement should be supported by more context-specific policies and approaches.

Gastroenterology in developing countries: Issues and advances

Science.gov (United States)

Mandeville, Kate L; Krabshuis, Justus; Ladep, Nimzing Gwamzhi; Mulder, Chris JJ; Quigley, Eamonn MM; Khan, Shahid A

2009-01-01

Developing countries shoulder a considerable burden of gastroenterological disease. Infectious diseases in particular cause enormous morbidity and mortality. Diseases which afflict both western and developing countries are often seen in more florid forms in poorer countries. Innovative techniques continuously improve and update gastroenterological practice. However, advances in diagnosis and treatment which are commonplace in the West, have yet to reach many developing countries. Clinical guidelines, based on these advances and collated in resource-rich environments, lose their relevance outside these settings. In this two-part review, we first highlight the global burden of gastroenterological disease in three major areas: diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis B, and Helicobacter pylori. Recent progress in their management is explored, with consideration of future solutions. The second part of the review focuses on the delivery of clinical services in developing countries. Inadequate numbers of healthcare workers hamper efforts to combat gastroenterological disease. Reasons for this shortage are examined, along with possibilities for increased specialist training. Endoscopy services, the mainstay of gastroenterology in the West, are in their infancy in many developing countries. The challenges faced by those setting up a service are illustrated by the example of a Nigerian endoscopy unit. Finally, we highlight the limited scope of many clinical guidelines produced in western countries. Guidelines which take account of resource limitations in the form of “cascades” are advocated in order to make these guidelines truly global. Recognition of the different working conditions facing practitioners worldwide is an important step towards narrowing the gap between gastroenterology in rich and poor countries. PMID:19533805

Challenging (Strategic) Human Resource management Theory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Paauwe (Jaap); J.P.P.E.F. Boselie (Paul)

2002-01-01

textabstractTo fully understand the relationship between human resource management and performance in different contexts, we are in need of a synthesis between resource-based theory and new institutionalism. We argue that differences in institutional settings (between for example countries or

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.

Influenza vaccines in low and middle income countries

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Jördis J.; Klein Breteler, Janna; Tam, John S.; Hutubessy, Raymond C.W.; Jit, Mark; de Boer, Michiel R.

2013-01-01

Objectives: Economic evaluations on influenza vaccination from low resource settings are scarce and have not been evaluated using a systematic approach. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review on the value for money of influenza vaccination in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE were searched for economic evaluations published in any language between 1960 and 2011. Main outcome measures were costs per influenza outcome averted, costs per quality-adjusted life years gained or disability-adjusted life years averted, costs per benefit in monetary units or cost-benefit ratios. Results: Nine economic evaluations on seasonal influenza vaccine met the inclusion criteria. These were model- or randomized-controlled-trial (RCT)-based economic evaluations from middle-income countries. Influenza vaccination provided value for money for elderly, infants, adults and children with high-risk conditions. Vaccination was cost-effective and cost-saving for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and in elderly above 65 y from model-based evaluations, but conclusions from RCTs on elderly varied. Conclusion: Economic evaluations from middle income regions differed in population studied, outcomes and definitions used. Most findings are in line with evidence from high-income countries highlighting that influenza vaccine is likely to provide value for money. However, serious methodological limitations do not allow drawing conclusions on cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination in middle income countries. Evidence on cost-effectiveness from low-income countries is lacking altogether, and more information is needed from full economic evaluations that are conducted in a standardized manner. PMID:23732900

Impact of R&D expenditures on research publications, patents and high-tech exports among European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Meo, S A; Usmani, A M

2014-01-01

This study aimed to compare the impact of Research&Development (R&D) expenditures on research publications, patents and high-tech exports among European countries. In this study, 47 European countries were included. The information regarding European countries, their per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), R&D spending, number of universities, indexed scientific journals, high technology exports and number of patents were collected. We recorded the total number of research documents in various science and social sciences subjects during the period 1996-2011. The main source for information was World Bank, Web of Science, Thomson Reuters and SCImago/Scopus. The mean GDP per capita for all the European countries is 23372.64 ± 3588.42 US$, yearly per capita spending on R&D 1.14 ± 0.13 US$, number of universities 48.17 ± 10.26, mean number of Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) indexed journal per country 90.72 ± 38.47, high technology exports 12.86 ± 1.59 and number of patent applications 61504.23 ± 22961.85. The mean of research documents published in various science and social science subjects among all the European countries during the period 1996-2011 is 213405.70 ± 56493.04. Spending on R&D, number of universities, indexed journals, high technology exports and number of patents have a positive correlation with number of published documents in various science and social science subjects. We found a positive correlation between patent application and high-tech exports. However, there was no association between GDP per capita and research outcomes. It is concluded that, the most important contributing factors towards a knowledge based economy are spending on R&D, number of universities, scientific indexed journals and research publications, which in turn give a boast to patents, high technology exports and ultimately GDP.

Why do managers allocate resources to workplace health promotion programmes in countries with national health coverage?

Science.gov (United States)

Downey, Angela M; Sharp, David J

2007-06-01

There is extensive evidence that worksite health promotion (WHP) programmes reduce healthcare costs and improve employee productivity. In many countries, a large proportion of healthcare costs are borne by the state. While the full benefits of WHP are still created, they are shared between employers and the state, even though the employer bears the full (after-tax) cost. Employers therefore have a lower incentive to implement WHP activity. We know little about the beliefs of managers with decision responsibility for the approval and implementation of WHP programmes in this context. This article reports the results of a study of the attitudes of Canadian senior general managers (GMs) and human resource managers (HRMs) in the auto parts industry in Ontario, Canada towards the consequences of increasing discretionary spending on WHP, using Structural Equation Modelling and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. We identified factors that explain managers' intentions to increase discretionary spending on wellness programmes. While both senior GMs and HRMs are motivated primarily by their beliefs that WHP reduces indirect costs of health failure, GMs were also motivated by their moral responsibility towards employees (but surprisingly HRMs were not). Importantly, HRMs, who usually have responsibility for WHP, felt constrained by a lack of power to commit resources. Most importantly, we found no social expectation that organizations should provide WHP programmes. This has important implications in an environment where the adoption of WHP is very limited and cost containment within the healthcare system is paramount.

Use of Validation by Enterprises for Human Resource and Career Development Purposes. Cedefop Reference Series No 96

Science.gov (United States)

Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2014

2014-01-01

European enterprises give high priority to assessing skills and competences, seeing this as crucial for recruitment and human resource management. Based on a survey of 400 enterprises, 20 in-depth case studies and interviews with human resource experts in 10 countries, this report analyses the main purposes of competence assessment, the standards…

A high resolution global wind atlas - improving estimation of world wind resources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Badger, Jake; Ejsing Jørgensen, Hans

2011-01-01

to population centres, electrical transmission grids, terrain types, and protected land areas are important parts of the resource assessment downstream of the generation of wind climate statistics. Related to these issues of integration are the temporal characteristics and spatial correlation of the wind...... resources. These aspects will also be addressed by the Global Wind Atlas. The Global Wind Atlas, through a transparent methodology, will provide a unified, high resolution, and public domain dataset of wind energy resources for the whole world. The wind atlas data will be the most appropriate wind resource...

Petroleum term markets and OPEC producers countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bensarsa, F.

1994-01-01

The situation of petroleum producers countries in front of term markets is described. With an economics liberalization, policy configuration changing the energetic balance (increasing of american imports, of asiatic demand and developing countries; decreasing of russian production), a more efficient technology, a right management of energetic resources with energy economy, renewable energies and non polluting energies, it is difficult for producers countries to resist at the pressure of financing tools, more and more modern and efficient as they are term markets

Mapping human resources for eye health in 21 countries of sub-Saharan Africa: current progress towards VISION 2020

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Development of human resources for eye health (HReH) is a major focus of the Global Action Plan 2014 to 2019 to reduce the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by 25% by the year 2019. The eye health workforce is thought to be much smaller in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions of the world but data to support this for policy-making is scarce. We collected HReH and cataract surgeries data from 21 countries in sub-Sahara to estimate progress towards key suggested population-based VISION 2020 HReH indicators and cataract surgery rates (CSR) in 2011. Methods Routinely collected data on practitioner and surgery numbers in 2011 was requested from national eye care coordinators via electronic questionnaires. Telephone and e-mail discussions were used to determine data collection strategies that fit the national context and to verify reported data quality. Information was collected on six practitioner cadres: ophthalmologists, cataract surgeons, ophthalmic clinical officers, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists and ‘mid-level refractionists’ and combined with publicly available population data to calculate practitioner to population ratios and CSRs. Associations with development characteristics were conducted using Wilcoxon rank sum tests and Spearman rank correlations. Results HReH data was not easily available. A minority of countries had achieved the suggested VISION 2020 targets in 2011; five countries for ophthalmologists/cataract surgeons, four for ophthalmic nurses/clinical officers and two for CSR. All countries were below target for optometrists, even when other cadres who perform refractions as a primary duty were considered. The regional (sample) ratio for surgeons (ophthalmologists and cataract surgeons) was 2.9 per million population, 5.5 for ophthalmic clinical officers and nurses, 3.7 for optometrists and other refractionists, and 515 for CSR. A positive correlation between GDP and CSR as well as many practitioner ratios was observed

Mapping human resources for eye health in 21 countries of sub-Saharan Africa: current progress towards VISION 2020.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Jennifer J; Chinanayi, Farai; Gilbert, Alice; Pillay, Devan; Fox, Samantha; Jaggernath, Jyoti; Naidoo, Kovin; Graham, Ronnie; Patel, Daksha; Blanchet, Karl

2014-08-15

Development of human resources for eye health (HReH) is a major focus of the Global Action Plan 2014 to 2019 to reduce the prevalence of avoidable visual impairment by 25% by the year 2019. The eye health workforce is thought to be much smaller in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions of the world but data to support this for policy-making is scarce. We collected HReH and cataract surgeries data from 21 countries in sub-Sahara to estimate progress towards key suggested population-based VISION 2020 HReH indicators and cataract surgery rates (CSR) in 2011. Routinely collected data on practitioner and surgery numbers in 2011 was requested from national eye care coordinators via electronic questionnaires. Telephone and e-mail discussions were used to determine data collection strategies that fit the national context and to verify reported data quality. Information was collected on six practitioner cadres: ophthalmologists, cataract surgeons, ophthalmic clinical officers, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists and 'mid-level refractionists' and combined with publicly available population data to calculate practitioner to population ratios and CSRs. Associations with development characteristics were conducted using Wilcoxon rank sum tests and Spearman rank correlations. HReH data was not easily available. A minority of countries had achieved the suggested VISION 2020 targets in 2011; five countries for ophthalmologists/cataract surgeons, four for ophthalmic nurses/clinical officers and two for CSR. All countries were below target for optometrists, even when other cadres who perform refractions as a primary duty were considered. The regional (sample) ratio for surgeons (ophthalmologists and cataract surgeons) was 2.9 per million population, 5.5 for ophthalmic clinical officers and nurses, 3.7 for optometrists and other refractionists, and 515 for CSR. A positive correlation between GDP and CSR as well as many practitioner ratios was observed (CSR P = 0

Country brand equity model: Sustainability perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teodorović Milivoj

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a model of country brand equity that incorporates the issue of sustainability in determining destination brand equity. In particular, the model includes elements of sustainability as its core dimensions and promotes the concept of the country sustainability promise that transforms destination resources into the positive perception and experience. The theoretical model is empirically tested using global secondary data confirming that country image is the most important element followed by sustainability and loyalty. Also, the analysis suggests the existence of the higher order construct confirming the country brand equity concept. Based on the research findings, the article offers some implications to the destination managers by suggesting the direction for further development and strategy implementation.

Energy problems in developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tasugi, Hirosaburo [Japan Industrial Tech. Association, Tokyo, Japan

1989-06-20

In order to rid the people's living of poverty in developing countries, first, the production of food has been planned to increase. And then, resource development and industrialization have been tried to improve with efforts. Because of such development and an increase in population, energy consumption has been increasing. Advanced countries have supported these countries in many ways, however, there is much difference in their assistance depend on various situations such as racial, religious, and political ones. Moreover, a gap between cities and farm villages has widen since infrastructure has not been fully equipped in developing countries. The electrification ratio is used as an index to show the degree of development in developing countries. It is low in the countries where development is lagging, particularly in farm villages. This gap is an urgent problem that faces developing countries. In order to cope with the actual conditions, advanced countries including Japan should be plan to reinforce their technological and economic assistance more suitable for farm villages. Furthermore, they should also improve the assistance system which includes a measure for environmental pollution control, considering the spot directly. 3 figs., 14 tabs.

Are resources a curse? Rentierism and energy policy in post-Soviet States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gawrich, Andrea; Franke, Anja; Windwehr, Jana (eds.) [Kiel Univ. (Germany)

2011-07-01

The analysis of rentierism in post-Soviet states, which this book presents, underscores the need for further research as rentier state concepts have mainly been applied on ''older'' rentier states like Arab, African and Latin American countries. An important contribution to a topical discussion. During the last 30 years, many resource-rich countries have experienced economic and political stagnation (''resource curse''). They have developed deficient political systems in which the process of modern state formation is being undercut (''rentier state'') as well as economic structures in which sectors that provide strong incentives for the accumulation of physical and human capital are under-represented (''Dutch disease''). These political and economic challenges can be observed in many of the post-Soviet states with high resource incomes since the mid 1990s. Such incomes present opportunities for reducing poverty and promoting economic growth. But instead of taking advantage of these opportunities, many of them present authoritarian regimes with high levels of corruption, low political freedom and rent-seeking elites. The book gives an detailed analysis of rentierism in post-Soviet states. (orig.)

The WHO/PEPFAR collaboration to prepare an operations manual for HIV prevention, care, and treatment at primary health centers in high-prevalence, resource-constrained settings: defining laboratory services.

Science.gov (United States)

Spira, Thomas; Lindegren, Mary Lou; Ferris, Robert; Habiyambere, Vincent; Ellerbrock, Tedd

2009-06-01

The expansion of HIV/AIDS care and treatment in resource-constrained countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, has generally developed in a top-down manner. Further expansion will involve primary health centers where human and other resources are limited. This article describes the World Health Organization/President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief collaboration formed to help scale up HIV services in primary health centers in high-prevalence, resource-constrained settings. It reviews the contents of the Operations Manual developed, with emphasis on the Laboratory Services chapter, which discusses essential laboratory services, both at the center and the district hospital level, laboratory safety, laboratory testing, specimen transport, how to set up a laboratory, human resources, equipment maintenance, training materials, and references. The chapter provides specific information on essential tests and generic job aids for them. It also includes annexes containing a list of laboratory supplies for the health center and sample forms.

Development of Reference Training Courses for the Countries Introducing Nuclear Power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eui-Jin; Han, Kyong-Won; Min, Byung-Joo; Nam, Young-Mi [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2008-10-15

Human resources development is an important issue for the countries introducing their first nuclear power plant. Countries, which are considering introducing the nuclear power programs, will have to establish their infrastructure required for such programs. Since Korea has successfully achieved her self-reliance in nuclear power technology over the last 3 decades with a rapid expansion of nuclear power program, most of the countries have been interested in the Korean experience on human resources development and also hoped to share the experiences on nuclear training and education. The purpose of this paper is to present reference training courses developed at KAERI which can be shared with countries that need an infrastructure development for nuclear power.

Migration from low- to high-risk countries:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristiansen, M; Lue-Kessing, Linnea; Mygind, A

2013-01-01

to be caused by multiple factors, including genetics, health behaviour, stress, fertility and breastfeeding. Some women perceived breast cancer to be more prevalent in Denmark as compared with their country of birth, and perceived their risk of developing breast cancer to increase with length of stay......Migrants are less likely to participate in mammography screening programmes compared with local-born populations in Europe. We explored perceptions of breast cancer risk and the influence on participation in mammography screening programmes among migrant women born in countries with low incidence...... rates of breast cancer. We conducted eight individual interviews and six group interviews including a total of 29 women aged 50-69 years living in Copenhagen, Denmark. Women were migrants born in Somalia, Turkey, Pakistan or Arab countries. Phenomenological analysis was used. Breast cancer was perceived...

Renewable Resources, Environmental Pollution, and International Migration

OpenAIRE

KENJI KONDO

2013-01-01

We develop a two-country model with two industries: the smokestack manufacturing industry, which generates pollution, and the transboundary renewable resource industry. With no trade, migration occurs from the foreign country, with lower manufacturing productivity, to the home country. If the gap in pollution abatement technology, which is superior in the home country, dominates the productivity gap, both countries gain from migration. Under a free trade equilibrium, we also show that if the ...

Natural resources as a factor of economic growth in Kosovo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haki Shatri

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In the history of the economic growth, there are numerous examples of countries that have developed based on their available natural resources. Especially, these assets have been the propulsion of the development in the initial period. But we also find some cases where countries with limited natural resources have experienced dynamic economic development. Kosovo is the last federal unit dismembered from former Yugoslavia after a decade under Milosevic’s Serbian regime and a two years’ war. International intervention and the inclusion of the country under an international protectorate created the conditions for the development of devastated economy by war and the robbery to be recovered together with the creation of institutional and economic infrastructure (Lidhja e Ekonomistëve të Kosovës, 1996. Under these conditions, everything had to start from scratch. The only development factor that Kosovo possessed was the human factor - age structure and the abundant natural resources, especially in key sectors such as the energy and in mining and minerals, agriculture and tourism. Thus it is sustainable the conclusion that “The rapid and sustainable economic and social development of Kosovo depends substantially from the implementation of the appropriate policies and suitable economic reforms that enable more rational use of its natural and human resources”. The list of the available resources of Kosovo is long. Kosovo possesses significant amount of all mineral raw materials in both quality and quantity terms. Among the most important raw materials have been ranked the power-lignite mining that is stretched into three basins and it is estimated to be around 9 billion exploitable tons (Kelmendi, 2012. Kosovo also owns mineral resources which are found in the Trepca’s Metals basin. The geological researches show favorable conditions of exploitation and high quality of the ore. Mainly one can found the lead, zinc, silver and other

Explicit Bias Toward High-Income-Country Research: A Randomized, Blinded, Crossover Experiment Of English Clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Matthew; Marti, Joachim; Watt, Hillary; Bhatti, Yasser; Macinko, James; Darzi, Ara W

2017-11-01

Unconscious bias may interfere with the interpretation of research from some settings, particularly from lower-income countries. Most studies of this phenomenon have relied on indirect outcomes such as article citation counts and publication rates; few have addressed or proven the effect of unconscious bias in evidence interpretation. In this randomized, blinded crossover experiment in a sample of 347 English clinicians, we demonstrate that changing the source of a research abstract from a low- to a high-income country significantly improves how it is viewed, all else being equal. Using fixed-effects models, we measured differences in ratings for strength of evidence, relevance, and likelihood of referral to a peer. Having a high-income-country source had a significant overall impact on respondents' ratings of relevance and recommendation to a peer. Unconscious bias can have far-reaching implications for the diffusion of knowledge and innovations from low-income countries.

Incidence of neonatal necrotising enterocolitis in high-income countries: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Battersby, Cheryl; Santhalingam, Tharsika; Costeloe, Kate; Modi, Neena

2018-03-01

To conduct a systematic review of neonatal necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) rates in high-income countries published in peer-reviewed journals. We searched MEDLINE, Embase and PubMed databases for observational studies published in peer-reviewed journals. We selected studies reporting national, regional or multicentre rates of NEC in 34 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Two investigators independently screened studies against predetermined criteria. For included studies, we extracted country, year of publication in peer-reviewed journal, study time period, study population inclusion and exclusion criteria, case definition, gestation or birth weight-specific NEC and mortality rates. Of the 1888 references identified, 120 full manuscripts were reviewed, 33 studies met inclusion criteria, 14 studies with the most recent data from 12 countries were included in the final analysis. We identified an almost fourfold difference, from 2% to 7%, in the rate of NEC among babies born REVIEWS REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42015030046. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

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

Science.gov (United States)

Mwandri, Michael B; Hardcastle, Timothy C

2018-06-01

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

Income inequality and population health in Islamic countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Esmaeili, A; Mansouri, S; Moshavash, M

2011-09-01

To undertake a fresh examination of the relationship between income inequality and population health for a group of Islamic countries using recent information derived from data resource sites from the World Bank and Islamic countries. Cross-sectional data on different measures of income distribution (prosperity, health care, women's role and environment) and indicators of population health were used to illuminate this issue. The relationship between income inequality and population health for a group of Islamic countries was tested using recent information derived from data resource sites from the World Bank and Islamic countries. After consideration of previous studies, seven dependent variables were determined and tested in six equation formats. According to the equations, the urban population percentage and gross domestic product are the most important significant variables that affect life expectancy and the infant mortality rate in Islamic countries. The income distribution coefficient, regardless of the type of measure, was almost insignificant in all equations. In selected Islamic countries, income level has a positive effect on population health, but the level of income distribution is not significant. Among the other dependent variables (e.g. different measures of income distribution, health care, role of women and environment), only environment and education had significant effects. Most of the Islamic countries studied are considered to be poorly developed. Copyright © 2011 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy investment in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rovani, Y.

1982-01-01

The developing countries are likely to represent the fastest growing component of the global energy demand over the next two decades. The paper presents considerations based on the World Bank's approach to the energy sector in these countries. It is considered that an accelerated development of conventional indigenous sources of energy is absolutely vital if developing countries are to attain a satisfactory rate of economic growth. The cost of the energy investment, the power sector issues, the optimal use of the resources, the role of the external financing and the need of technical assistance are reviewed. One emphasizes the role of the World Bank in analyzing and preparing projects, and in mobilizing financing from other official and commercial sources

Post-approval monitoring and oversight of U.S.-initiated human subjects research in resource-constrained countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Brandon; Kinsler, Janni; Folayan, Morenike O; Allen, Karen; Cáceres, Carlos F

2014-06-01

The history of human subjects research and controversial procedures in relation to it has helped form the field of bioethics. Ethically questionable elements may be identified during research design, research implementation, management at the study site, or actions by a study's investigator or other staff. Post-approval monitoring (PAM) may prevent violations from occurring or enable their identification at an early stage. In U.S.-initiated human subjects research taking place in resource-constrained countries with limited development of research regulatory structures, arranging a site visit from a U.S. research ethics committee (REC) becomes difficult, thus creating a potential barrier to regulatory oversight by the parent REC. However, this barrier may be overcome through the use of digital technologies, since much of the world has at least remote access to the Internet. Empirical research is needed to pilot test the use of these technologies for research oversight to ensure the protection of human subjects taking part in research worldwide.

Water Resources: the Central Component of the WEF Nexus?

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, K.; Gunda, T.; Hornberger, G. M.

2017-12-01

Increasing population growth, consumption of natural resources, and deterioration of the environment coupled with climate change impacts (such as increased variability in precipitation) will challenge our abilities to provide water, energy and food (WEF) to the global populace. Less developed areas, such as the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, are particularly vulnerable to such resource issues due to immature governance and management structures and strategies. We introduce an integrated approach to resource security analysis, which traditionally has focused on the WEF components separately and apply the methods to a suite of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, we evaluate the inter-connected nature of WEF securities by considering physical, demographic, socioeconomic, health, and institutional parameters related to each of the resource securities and by analyzing the relationships among the metrics. For example, reported food deficits for countries are strongly correlated with reported levels of access to safe drinking water. Multivariate statistical analyses are applied to identify relationships among resources and to develop indices that robustly and comprehensively capture the WEF nexus. Our results indicate that water plays the central role in the WEF nexus, due to its extensive use for both food and energy production in these countries. This approach provides a framework for analyzing the WEF nexus in other regions of the world.

Viewls - Possibilities and performance of international biofuel trade from CEEC to WEC[Central and Eastern European Countries; Western European Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dam, J. van; Faaij, A.; Lewandowski, I. [Utrecht Univ., Dept. of Science, Technology and Society, Utrecht (Netherlands); Zeebroeck, B. van [Transport and Mobility Leuven, Leuven (Belgium); Falkenberg, D.; Hein, M.; Schroeder, G.; Thraen, D.; Weber, M. [Inst. of Energy and Environment, Leipzig (Germany)

2006-05-13

The EU has set high targets to increase the use of renewable energy sources from which a large part has to come from biomass. To meet these targets, a large amount of biomass resources is needed, which requires large areas of land in the EU for energy crop production. However, the availability of good land for energy crop production is limited in Western European countries (WEC). This means that the potential from indigenous biomass resources is not sufficient to meet the set bioenergy targets. At the same time, the expansion of the EU and the inclusion of the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) in agricultural and energy EU policies create potential difficulties as well as opportunities. Agriculture plays an important role in the CEEC furthermore, the share of agricultural employment is still large. In the future rationalization of the current agriculture in the CEEC is expected. This will lead to increased productivity and economic performance. On the other hand, unemployment and an increase in abandoned land are expected as well. A study of the technical biomass production potentials in the CEEC shows that in some scenarios the biomass production potential exceeds the current final energy consumption on a country level. The main objectives of this study are: 1) Define the critical factors to set up a stable international biofuel trade between CEEC and WEC, 2) Estimate the cost performance of the energy carriers delivered in the WEC from the CEEC, 3) Analyze the regional differences in cost performance of the energy carriers in the CEEC. (BA)

Renewable Energy Country Profiles. Caribbean

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-09-15

IRENA Renewable Energy Country Profiles take stock of the latest developments in the field of renewables at country level around the world. Each profile combines analysis by IRENA's specialists with the latest available country data and additional information from a wide array of sources. The resulting reports provide a brief yet comprehensive picture of the situation with regard to renewable energy, including energy supply, electrical generation and grid capacity, and access. Energy policies, targets and projects are also considered, along with each country's investment climate and endowment with renewable energy resources. The energy statistics presented here span the period from 2009 until 2012, reflecting varying timelines in the source material. Since data availability differs from country to country, wider regional comparisons are possible only for the latest year with figures available for every country included. Despite the time lag in some cases, the evident differences and disparities between countries and regions around the world remain striking. The current package of country profiles is just a starting point. The geographic scope will continue to expand, and existing profiles will be enhanced with new indicators, with the whole series maintained as a live product on the IRENA website (www.irena.org)

HTA Implementation Roadmap in Central and Eastern European Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaló, Zoltán; Gheorghe, Adrian; Huic, Mirjana

2016-01-01

The opportunity cost of inappropriate health policy decisions is greater in Central and Eastern European (CEE) compared with Western European (WE) countries because of poorer population health and more limited healthcare resources. Application of health technology assessment (HTA) prior to health......The opportunity cost of inappropriate health policy decisions is greater in Central and Eastern European (CEE) compared with Western European (WE) countries because of poorer population health and more limited healthcare resources. Application of health technology assessment (HTA) prior......, use of local data, scope of mandatory HTA, decision criteria, and international collaboration in HTA. Although HTA implementation strategies from the region can be relevant examples for other CEE countries with similar cultural environment and economic status, HTA roadmaps are not still fully...

Systems approaches to integrated solid waste management in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, Rachael E.; Farahbakhsh, Khosrow

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Five drivers led developed countries to current solid waste management paradigm. ► Many unique factors challenge developing country solid waste management. ► Limited transferability of developed country approaches to developing countries. ► High uncertainties and decision stakes call for post-normal approaches. ► Systems thinking needed for multi-scale, self-organizing eco-social waste systems. - Abstract: Solid waste management (SWM) has become an issue of increasing global concern as urban populations continue to rise and consumption patterns change. The health and environmental implications associated with SWM are mounting in urgency, particularly in the context of developing countries. While systems analyses largely targeting well-defined, engineered systems have been used to help SWM agencies in industrialized countries since the 1960s, collection and removal dominate the SWM sector in developing countries. This review contrasts the history and current paradigms of SWM practices and policies in industrialized countries with the current challenges and complexities faced in developing country SWM. In industrialized countries, public health, environment, resource scarcity, climate change, and public awareness and participation have acted as SWM drivers towards the current paradigm of integrated SWM. However, urbanization, inequality, and economic growth; cultural and socio-economic aspects; policy, governance, and institutional issues; and international influences have complicated SWM in developing countries. This has limited the applicability of approaches that were successful along the SWM development trajectories of industrialized countries. This review demonstrates the importance of founding new SWM approaches for developing country contexts in post-normal science and complex, adaptive systems thinking

Systems approaches to integrated solid waste management in developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marshall, Rachael E., E-mail: rmarsh01@uoguelph.ca [School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Albert A. Thornbrough Building, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada); Farahbakhsh, Khosrow, E-mail: khosrowf@uoguelph.ca [School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Albert A. Thornbrough Building, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 (Canada)

2013-04-15

Highlights: ► Five drivers led developed countries to current solid waste management paradigm. ► Many unique factors challenge developing country solid waste management. ► Limited transferability of developed country approaches to developing countries. ► High uncertainties and decision stakes call for post-normal approaches. ► Systems thinking needed for multi-scale, self-organizing eco-social waste systems. - Abstract: Solid waste management (SWM) has become an issue of increasing global concern as urban populations continue to rise and consumption patterns change. The health and environmental implications associated with SWM are mounting in urgency, particularly in the context of developing countries. While systems analyses largely targeting well-defined, engineered systems have been used to help SWM agencies in industrialized countries since the 1960s, collection and removal dominate the SWM sector in developing countries. This review contrasts the history and current paradigms of SWM practices and policies in industrialized countries with the current challenges and complexities faced in developing country SWM. In industrialized countries, public health, environment, resource scarcity, climate change, and public awareness and participation have acted as SWM drivers towards the current paradigm of integrated SWM. However, urbanization, inequality, and economic growth; cultural and socio-economic aspects; policy, governance, and institutional issues; and international influences have complicated SWM in developing countries. This has limited the applicability of approaches that were successful along the SWM development trajectories of industrialized countries. This review demonstrates the importance of founding new SWM approaches for developing country contexts in post-normal science and complex, adaptive systems thinking.

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

Convergence in carbon dioxide emissions among industrialised countries revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romero-Avila, Diego [Pablo de Olavide University, Department of Economics, Carretera de Utrera, Km. 1, 41089, Seville (Spain)

2008-09-15

This paper examines the existence of stochastic and deterministic convergence of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions in 23 countries over the period 1960-2002. For that purpose, we conduct unit root testing by employing the recently developed panel stationarity test of Carrion-i-Silvestre et al. [Carrion-i-Silvestre, J-L, del Barrio-Castro, T., Lopez-Bazo, E., 2005. Breaking the panels: An application to the GDP per capita. Econometrics Journal 8, 159-175] which assumes a highly flexible trend function by incorporating an unknown number of structural breaks. We accommodate general forms of cross-sectional dependence as well as control for finite-sample bias through bootstrap methods. Overall, our analysis provides strong evidence supporting both stochastic and deterministic convergence in CO{sub 2} emissions, thus confirming Strazicich and List [Strazicich, M.C., List, J.A., 2003. Are CO{sub 2} emission levels converging among industrial countries? Environmental and Resource Economics 24, 263-271] and Westerlund and Basher [Westerlund, J., Basher, S.A., 2007. Testing for convergence in carbon dioxide emissions using a century of panel data. Environmental and Resource Economics, forthcoming] findings of convergence. (author)

Biomass energy resource enhancement: the move to modern secondary energy forms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Craig, K; Overend, R P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO (United States)

1995-12-01

Income growth and industrialization in developing countries is driving their economies towards the use of secondary energy forms that deliver high efficiency energy and environmentally more benignant-uses for biomass. Typical of these secondary energy forms are electricity, distributed gas systems and liquid fuels. This trend suggests that the hitherto separate pathways taken by biomass energy technology development in developing and industrialized countries will eventually share common elements. While in the United States and the European Union the majority of the bioenergy applications are in medium- and large-scale industrial uses of self-generated biomass residues, the characteristic use in developing countries is in rural cook-stoves. Increasing urbanization and investment in transportation infrastructure may allow increasing the operational scale in developing countries. One factor driving this trend is diminishing individual and household biomass resource demands as rural incomes increase and households ascend the energy ladder towards clean and efficient fuels and appliances. Scale increases and end-user separation from the biomass resource require that the biomass be converted at high efficiency into secondary energy forms that serve as energy carriers. In middle-income developing country economies such as Brazil, secondary energy transmission is increasingly in the form of gas and electricity in addition to liquid transportation fuels. Unfortunately, the biomass resource is finite, and in the face of competing food and fibre uses and land constraints, it is difficult to substantially increase the amount of biomass available. As a result, development must emphasize conversion efficiency and the applications of bioenergy. Moreover, as a consequence of economic growth, biomass resources are increasingly to be found in the secondary and tertiary waste streams of cities and industrial operations. If not used for energy production, this potential resource needs

Biomass energy resource enhancement: the move to modern secondary energy forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, K.; Overend, R.P.

1995-01-01

Income growth and industrialization in developing countries is driving their economies towards the use of secondary energy forms that deliver high efficiency energy and environmentally more benignant-uses for biomass. Typical of these secondary energy forms are electricity, distributed gas systems and liquid fuels. This trend suggests that the hitherto separate pathways taken by biomass energy technology development in developing and industrialized countries will eventually share common elements. While in the United States and the European Union the majority of the bioenergy applications are in medium- and large-scale industrial uses of self-generated biomass residues, the characteristic use in developing countries is in rural cook-stoves. Increasing urbanization and investment in transportation infrastructure may allow increasing the operational scale in developing countries. One factor driving this trend is diminishing individual and household biomass resource demands as rural incomes increase and households ascend the energy ladder towards clean and efficient fuels and appliances. Scale increases and end-user separation from the biomass resource require that the biomass be converted at high efficiency into secondary energy forms that serve as energy carriers. In middle-income developing country economies such as Brazil, secondary energy transmission is increasingly in the form of gas and electricity in addition to liquid transportation fuels. Unfortunately, the biomass resource is finite, and in the face of competing food and fibre uses and land constraints, it is difficult to substantially increase the amount of biomass available. As a result, development must emphasize conversion efficiency and the applications of bioenergy. Moreover, as a consequence of economic growth, biomass resources are increasingly to be found in the secondary and tertiary waste streams of cities and industrial operations. If not used for energy production, this potential resource needs

Supportive and palliative care for metastatic breast cancer: resource allocations in low- and middle-income countries. A Breast Health Global Initiative 2013 consensus statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleary, James; Ddungu, Henry; Distelhorst, Sandra R; Ripamonti, Carla; Rodin, Gary M; Bushnaq, Mohammad A; Clegg-Lamptey, Joe N; Connor, Stephen R; Diwani, Msemo B; Eniu, Alexandru; Harford, Joe B; Kumar, Suresh; Rajagopal, M R; Thompson, Beti; Gralow, Julie R; Anderson, Benjamin O

2013-10-01

Many women diagnosed with breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) present with advanced-stage disease. While cure is not a realistic outcome, site-specific interventions, supportive care, and palliative care can achieve meaningful outcomes and improve quality of life. As part of the 5th Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) Global Summit, an expert international panel identified thirteen key resource recommendations for supportive and palliative care for metastatic breast cancer. The recommendations are presented in three resource-stratified tables: health system resource allocations, resource allocations for organ-based metastatic breast cancer, and resource allocations for palliative care. These tables illustrate how health systems can provide supportive and palliative care services for patients at a basic level of available resources, and incrementally add services as more resources become available. The health systems table includes health professional education, patient and family education, palliative care models, and diagnostic testing. The metastatic disease management table provides recommendations for supportive care for bone, brain, liver, lung, and skin metastases as well as bowel obstruction. The third table includes the palliative care recommendations: pain management, and psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care. The panel considered pain management a priority at a basic level of resource allocation and emphasized the need for morphine to be easily available in LMICs. Regular pain assessments and the proper use of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions are recommended. Basic-level resources for psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care include health professional and patient and family education, as well as patient support, including community-based peer support. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Information systems for mental health in six low and middle income countries: cross country situation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhaya, Nawaraj; Jordans, Mark J D; Abdulmalik, Jibril; Ahuja, Shalini; Alem, Atalay; Hanlon, Charlotte; Kigozi, Fred; Kizza, Dorothy; Lund, Crick; Semrau, Maya; Shidhaye, Rahul; Thornicroft, Graham; Komproe, Ivan H; Gureje, Oye

2016-01-01

Research on information systems for mental health in low and middle income countries (LMICs) is scarce. As a result, there is a lack of reliable information on mental health service needs, treatment coverage and the quality of services provided. With the aim of informing the development and implementation of a mental health information sub-system that includes reliable and measurable indicators on mental health within the Health Management Information Systems (HMIS), a cross-country situation analysis of HMIS was conducted in six LMICs (Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda), participating in the 'Emerging mental health systems in low and middle income countries' (Emerald) research programme. A situation analysis tool was developed to obtain and chart information from documents in the public domain. In circumstances when information was inadequate, key government officials were contacted to verify the data collected. In this paper we compare the baseline policy context, human resources situation as well as the processes and mechanisms of collecting, verifying, reporting and disseminating mental health related HMIS data. The findings suggest that countries face substantial policy, human resource and health governance challenges for mental health HMIS, many of which are common across sites. In particular, the specific policies and plans for the governance and implementation of mental health data collection, reporting and dissemination are absent. Across sites there is inadequate infrastructure, few HMIS experts, and inadequate technical support and supervision to junior staff, particularly in the area of mental health. Nonetheless there are also strengths in existing HMIS where a few mental health morbidity, mortality, and system level indicators are collected and reported. Our study indicates the need for greater technical and resources input to strengthen routine HMIS and develop standardized HMIS indicators for mental health, focusing in

The challenges of disaster management in south Asian countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qamar-ul-Islam; Anjum, G.A.; Shahzad, M.

2005-01-01

The type of this research work reflects an overview of disasters in South Asian countries. This outlines geographical aspects and institutional structures briefly in each country, and identifies gaps in disaster management regimes. Identified of these gaps is expected to give insights to the media to develop more informal disaster communications in South Asian Countries. Natural disasters have become a severe global problem. Deaths, displacements and damages resulting from natural disasters are colossal. During the 1990s global economic losses from major natural catastrophes averaged more than US $ 40 billion a year. The current Tsunami disaster has broken all previous records particularly in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India. This paper focuses particularly on sub continental countries in the South Asian countries, how they are managed and mismanaged, and aims to provide condensed resource material on the subject. In such countries issues related to natural disasters are covered under the legal frameworks for environment, land use, water resources and human settlements. The shift from emergency management to disaster preparedness requires coordination between various government building departments and ministries and with other international organization and various community organizations. (author)

MANAGING AFRICA'S NATURAL RESOURCE ENDOWMENTS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

RAYAN_

explained by the fact that many of the oil-producing countries or petro- states are ... Specifically for Africa, it has been argued that the resource curse paradigm .... sector.18 In Mozambique, after an audit of investments between 2002 and 2008, the ..... resources reserves in Africa, in most cases, the heart of usage – especially.

The Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure MIRRI: Strength through Coordination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erko Stackebrandt

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Microbial resources have been recognized as essential raw materials for the advancement of health and later for biotechnology, agriculture, food technology and for research in the life sciences, as their enormous abundance and diversity offer an unparalleled source of unexplored solutions. Microbial domain biological resource centres (mBRC provide live cultures and associated data to foster and support the development of basic and applied science in countries worldwide and especially in Europe, where the density of highly advanced mBRCs is high. The not-for-profit and distributed project MIRRI (Microbial Resource Research Infrastructure aims to coordinate access to hitherto individually managed resources by developing a pan-European platform which takes the interoperability and accessibility of resources and data to a higher level. Providing a wealth of additional information and linking to datasets such as literature, environmental data, sequences and chemistry will enable researchers to select organisms suitable for their research and enable innovative solutions to be developed. The current independent policies and managed processes will be adapted by partner mBRCs to harmonize holdings, services, training, and accession policy and to share expertise. The infrastructure will improve access to enhanced quality microorganisms in an appropriate legal framework and to resource-associated data in a more interoperable way.

Review of international classification systems for uranium resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Wenyou

2007-01-01

The two primary classification systems for uranium resources in common use in the whole world are described. These uranium resource classification systems were developed under two distinct philosophies, it implies two very different processes, criteria, terms and definitions from which the systems evolved and were implemented. However, the two primary systems are all based on two considerations: the degree of geological confidence and the degree of economic attractiveness based on cost of producing the resource. The uranium resource classification methods currently used in most major uranium producing countries have all a bearing on the two aforesaid classification systems. The disparity exists only in the way or practice of classifying and estimating the uranium resources for reasons of different political and economical systems in various countries. The harmonization of these resource classification systems for uranium can be realized with the economic integration on a global scale. (authors)

High Out-of-Pocket Health Spending in Countries With a Mediterranean Connection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Grima

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, we analyzed healthcare provision and health expenditure across six Mediterranean countries that adopt the National Health System (Beveridge model and that form part of the European Union (EU with the main aim being that of analyzing and comparing out-of-pocket health spending in countries with a European Mediterranean connection. To this end, we considered various economic indicators and statistics to derive commonalities and differences across these countries and also compared trends in these indicators to those observed across the rest of the EU. We then analyzed these findings in light of other data related to the quality of healthcare delivery and the infrastructure of the health system and discussed recent developments in healthcare within each country and the main challenges faced by the respective health systems. The results show that on average, Mediterranean countries spend less on total healthcare expenditure (THE than the EU average, both as a proportion of GDP, as well as in per capita terms. This is primarily driven by lower-than-EU-average public funding of healthcare. The 2008/2009 macro-economic and financial crisis had a significant impact on the countries under review, and explains the persistent reductions in public health spending as part of the austerity measures put in force across sectors. On the flipside, Mediterranean countries have a higher presence of private health providers in total funding, thereby explaining the higher Out-of-Pocket (OOPs health expenditures in these countries relative to the EU-average. With regard to the overall health infrastructure in these countries, we observed that although the supply of physicians is largely in line with the rest of the EU, there is under-supply when it comes to hospital beds. This may be symptomatic of lower government funding. Nonetheless, all countries score highly in the evaluation of the quality of health services, as recorded by international rankings

International: development, the petroleum, security for the least developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2004-01-01

The annual report of the CNUCED presents the economic situation improvement of the developing countries, those which benefit from petroleum resources. The CNUCED worries on the durability of the economic improvement of these countries. (A.L.B.)

Renewable energy resources and technologies practice in Bangladesh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rofiqul Islam, M.; Rafiqul Alam Beg, M. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi 6204 (Bangladesh); Rabiul Islam, M. [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi 6204 (Bangladesh)

2008-02-15

Bangladesh has very limited nonrenewable energy resources of its own. She is facing energy crisis and serious desertification problem in rural areas. These issues could be removed if renewable energy is used as a primary source of energy in rural areas. It is essential for scientists and researchers to find out the renewable energy resources and effective technologies. Bangladesh is endowed with vast renewable energy resources such as biomass and solar insolation. Besides, hydro and wind power can be considered as potential renewable energy resources. Harnessing these resources appears to be a promising solution for improving the quality of life of rural villagers. The government and many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have tried to comprehend and have strived to address the problem of energy. This paper reviews the renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies (RETs) practicing in Bangladesh in terms of its implementation, research and development activities. The development and trial of systems are mostly funded so far by donor agencies in collaboration with government and NGOs. Biomass energy sources are traditionally used for domestic cooking and in small rural industries. Approximately 60% of total energy demand of the country is supplied by indigenous biomass based fuels. Activities on the development and promotion of biomass technologies have been going on for one decade. Some national and international funds have been available for biogas technology, improved biomass cookers and production of biomass briquettes. At the time, around 25,000 biogas plants exist all over the country in rural areas and educational institutes, etc. More than 0.20 million improve stoves have been installed to save biomass fuel. Over 900 briquetting machines have been operating in the country on commercial basis. The annual solar radiation availability in Bangladesh is as high as 1700 kWh/m{sup 2}. Research and demonstration activities carried out for one

Is astronomical research appropriate for developing countries?

Science.gov (United States)

Snowden, Michael S.

An unproductive 45-cm astronomical telescope, given by JICA (Japan) to Sri Lanka, raises general questions as to the reasons for unproductive pure science in developing countries. Before installation, site, maintenance, and scientific objectives were discussed. The facility was launched with a conference organised by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. Unfortunately, no research or significant education has resulted after four years. The annual operating cost is U.S. $5000 per year, including salary for a trainee, maintenance, and a modest promotional programme. Comparison with a similar installation in Auckland suggests lack of funding or technical competence do not explain the failure in Sri Lanka. The facility in New Zealand, on the roof of Auckland University's Physics Department, has a slightly smaller budget but has led to modest but useful research and teaching. Lack of financial backing and expertise are often blamed for weak science in developing countries, but examination shows most of these countries have adequately skilled people, and plenty of resources for religion and military. General lack of motivation for science appears to be the principal reason. This lack of interest and highly inefficient bureaucracies are common to scientifically unproductive countries. They mostly lack the cultural and philosophical base of the European Renaissance that motivate the pursuit of modern science, an activity that violates human preferences. There are excellent facilities (ESO, SAAO, Cerro Tololo, and GONG) in some of these same countries, when administered from the West.

Resource utilization of symbiotic high-temperature gas-cooled reactor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borgonovi, G.M.; Brogli, R.H.

1978-01-01

The cumulative uranium requirements of different symbiotic combinations of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) prebreeders have been calculated assuming an open-end nuclear economy. The results obtained indicate that the combination of prebreeders and near-breeders does not save resources over a self-generated recycle case of comparable conversion ratio, and that it may take between 40 and 50 yr before the symbiotic system containing breeders starts saving resources over an HTGR with self-generated recycle and a conversion ratio of 0.83

Improved Offshore Wind Resource Assessment in Global Climate Stabilization Scenarios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arent, D.; Sullivan, P.; Heimiller, D.; Lopez, A.; Eurek, K.; Badger, J.; Jorgensen, H. E.; Kelly, M.; Clarke, L.; Luckow, P.

2012-10-01

This paper introduces a technique for digesting geospatial wind-speed data into areally defined -- country-level, in this case -- wind resource supply curves. We combined gridded wind-vector data for ocean areas with bathymetry maps, country exclusive economic zones, wind turbine power curves, and other datasets and relevant parameters to build supply curves that estimate a country's offshore wind resource defined by resource quality, depth, and distance-from-shore. We include a single set of supply curves -- for a particular assumption set -- and study some implications of including it in a global energy model. We also discuss the importance of downscaling gridded wind vector data to capturing the full resource potential, especially over land areas with complex terrain. This paper includes motivation and background for a statistical downscaling methodology to account for terrain effects with a low computational burden. Finally, we use this forum to sketch a framework for building synthetic electric networks to estimate transmission accessibility of renewable resource sites in remote areas.

Philippines Wind Energy Resource Atlas Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elliott, D.

2000-11-29

This paper describes the creation of a comprehensive wind energy resource atlas for the Philippines. The atlas was created to facilitate the rapid identification of good wind resource areas and understanding of the salient wind characteristics. Detailed wind resource maps were generated for the entire country using an advanced wind mapping technique and innovative assessment methods recently developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Groundwater resources in Southern and Eastern Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Water shortage, water quality, and the protection of investments in water supply, are of continuing concern to countries in Africa. As more countries join those already short of water, sound management of groundwater resources becomes more critical. Isotope techniques provide information that is unobtainable by other means and help to achieve a better understanding of mechanisms and processes through which water resources can be managed. The International Atomic Energy Agency is sponsoring a regional technical co-operation project addressing practical issues related to water resources assessment and development in Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The project also seeks to strengthen isotope hydrology capacity in the sub-region. (IAEA)

Increasing biomass resource availability through supply chain analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welfle, Andrew; Gilbert, Paul; Thornley, Patricia

2014-01-01

Increased inclusion of biomass in energy strategies all over the world means that greater mobilisation of biomass resources will be required to meet demand. Strategies of many EU countries assume the future use of non-EU sourced biomass. An increasing number of studies call for the UK to consider alternative options, principally to better utilise indigenous resources. This research identifies the indigenous biomass resources that demonstrate the greatest promise for the UK bioenergy sector and evaluates the extent that different supply chain drivers influence resource availability. The analysis finds that the UK's resources with greatest primary bioenergy potential are household wastes (>115 TWh by 2050), energy crops (>100 TWh by 2050) and agricultural residues (>80 TWh by 2050). The availability of biomass waste resources was found to demonstrate great promise for the bioenergy sector, although are highly susceptible to influences, most notably by the focus of adopted waste management strategies. Biomass residue resources were found to be the resource category least susceptible to influence, with relatively high near-term availability that is forecast to increase – therefore representing a potentially robust resource for the bioenergy sector. The near-term availability of UK energy crops was found to be much less significant compared to other resource categories. Energy crops represent long-term potential for the bioenergy sector, although achieving higher limits of availability will be dependent on the successful management of key influencing drivers. The research highlights that the availability of indigenous resources is largely influenced by a few key drivers, this contradicting areas of consensus of current UK bioenergy policy. - Highlights: • As global biomass demand increases, focus is placed indigenous resources. • A Biomass Resource Model is applied to analyse UK biomass supply chain dynamics. • Biomass availability is best increased

World uranium resources, production and demand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindholm, I.

1988-01-01

Reasonably assured resources of uranium in WOCA (World Outside the Centrally Planned Economies Area) countries recoverable at less than US $80/kg U increased by about 9% between 1983 and 1985 and currently stand at 1.5 million tonnes. Uranium also exists in significant quantities in higher cost resources or in less known resources. However, the annual exploration expenditure is less than 20% that of the 1979 level. Uranium production in WOCA countries was higher than consumption during the period 1965 to 1984 and considerable stocks were accumulated. However, the production figures for 1985 were estimated to be slightly less than those of consumption. Production from centres now on stand-by or new centres will probably be necessary around 1990. Analysis of the longer term production possibilities indicates that uranium supplies will probably not be constrained by an ultimate resource adequacy. Constraints, if any, are more likely to be of political nature. (author). 11 figs, 1 tab

'Now I am free' - education and human resource development in Eritrea : contradictions in the lives of Eritrean women in higher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Müller, T.R.

2004-01-01

Human resource development as an objective of education policy in developing countries is increasingly narrowed down to its human capital component. In Eritrea, the objective of a highly centralized human resource development strategy is to produce human capital for the advancement of the nation.

Boundary Conditions of the High-Investment Human Resource Systems-Small-Firm Labor Productivity Relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Chadwick, Clint; Way, Sean A.; Kerr, Gerry; Thacker, James W.

2013-01-01

Although a few published, multiindustry, firm-level, empirical studies have linked systems of high-investment or high-performance human resource management practices to enhanced small-firm performance, this stream of strategic human resource management research is underdeveloped and equivocal. Accordingly, in this study, we use a sample of…

Dietary health behaviour and beliefs among university students from 26 low, middle and high income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pengpid, Supa; Peltzer, Karl

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of six healthy dietary behaviours and associated factors in university students from 26 low, middle and high income countries. In a cross-sectional survey, we used a self-administered questionnaire (largely based on the European Health and Behaviour Survey) among 19503 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.8, Standard deviation=2.8, age range of 16-30 years) from 27 universities in 26 countries. Results indicated that for a total of six healthy dietary behaviours, overall, students scored a mean of 2.8 healthy dietary behaviours. More female than male students indicated healthy dietary behaviours. In multivariate linear regression among men and women, living in an upper middle income or high income country, dieting to lose weight, the high importance of dietary health benefits, high non-organized religious activity, high physical activity and currently a non-tobacco user were associated with the healthy dietary behaviour index. The study found a high prevalence of relatively poor dietary healthy behaviours.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-09-01

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

The variation of acute treatment costs of trauma in high-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Willenberg, Lynsey; Curtis, Kate; Taylor, Colman; Jan, Stephen; Glass, Parisa; Myburgh, John

2012-08-21

In order to assist health service planning, understanding factors that influence higher trauma treatment costs is essential. The majority of trauma costing research reports the cost of trauma from the perspective of the receiving hospital. There has been no comprehensive synthesis and little assessment of the drivers of cost variation, such as country, trauma, subgroups and methods. The aim of this review is to provide a synthesis of research reporting the trauma treatment costs and factors associated with higher treatment costs in high income countries. A systematic search for articles relating to the cost of acute trauma care was performed and included studies reporting injury severity scores (ISS), per patient cost/charge estimates; and costing methods. Cost and charge values were indexed to 2011 cost equivalents and converted to US dollars using purchasing power parities. A total of twenty-seven studies were reviewed. Eighty-one percent of these studies were conducted in high income countries including USA, Australia, Europe and UK. Studies either reported a cost (74.1%) or charge estimate (25.9%) for the acute treatment of trauma. Across studies, the median per patient cost of acute trauma treatment was $22,448 (IQR: $11,819-$33,701). However, there was variability in costing methods used with 18% of studies providing comprehensive cost methods. Sixty-three percent of studies reported cost or charge items incorporated in their cost analysis and 52% reported items excluded in their analysis. In all publications reviewed, predictors of cost included Injury Severity Score (ISS), surgical intervention, hospital and intensive care, length of stay, polytrauma and age. The acute treatment cost of trauma is higher than other disease groups. Research has been largely conducted in high income countries and variability exists in reporting costing methods as well as the actual costs. Patient populations studied and the cost methods employed are the primary drivers for the

The variation of acute treatment costs of trauma in high-income countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willenberg Lynsey

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In order to assist health service planning, understanding factors that influence higher trauma treatment costs is essential. The majority of trauma costing research reports the cost of trauma from the perspective of the receiving hospital. There has been no comprehensive synthesis and little assessment of the drivers of cost variation, such as country, trauma, subgroups and methods. The aim of this review is to provide a synthesis of research reporting the trauma treatment costs and factors associated with higher treatment costs in high income countries. Methods A systematic search for articles relating to the cost of acute trauma care was performed and included studies reporting injury severity scores (ISS, per patient cost/charge estimates; and costing methods. Cost and charge values were indexed to 2011 cost equivalents and converted to US dollars using purchasing power parities. Results A total of twenty-seven studies were reviewed. Eighty-one percent of these studies were conducted in high income countries including USA, Australia, Europe and UK. Studies either reported a cost (74.1% or charge estimate (25.9% for the acute treatment of trauma. Across studies, the median per patient cost of acute trauma treatment was $22,448 (IQR: $11,819-$33,701. However, there was variability in costing methods used with 18% of studies providing comprehensive cost methods. Sixty-three percent of studies reported cost or charge items incorporated in their cost analysis and 52% reported items excluded in their analysis. In all publications reviewed, predictors of cost included Injury Severity Score (ISS, surgical intervention, hospital and intensive care, length of stay, polytrauma and age. Conclusion The acute treatment cost of trauma is higher than other disease groups. Research has been largely conducted in high income countries and variability exists in reporting costing methods as well as the actual costs. Patient populations studied

Nuclear contamination of water resources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The impact of the Chernobyl accident throughout Europe has been highly variable and wide-ranging, and has demonstrated the need to evaluate potential risk to drinking water supplies, soil water and the food chain. This book provides information on radiological standards as they exist at present, methods of monitoring, and concepts in design to minimize risk and to highlight possible consequences of a nuclear event. With contributions from engineers and scientists from eight countries, this book includes comprehensive coverage of the effects on water resources of, and deals with the development of management strategies designed to cope with, a nuclear event. (author)

MULTI-NATIONAL COMPANIES AND TRANSITION COUNTRIES: A MACEDONIAN EXPERIENCE

OpenAIRE

Aleksandra Patoska; Branko Dimeski

2015-01-01

The process of globalization and liberalization is further accelerated by the growing expansion of multinational companies in post-communist transition countries. Transition countries improve their technological development, increase the exports and gain better access to global markets. On other hand, global companies maximize their profits by employing cheaper resources, paying lower taxes and using a number of benefits that the transition countries offer to them. The main purpose of the pap...

Panel discussion on exploitation of geothermal resources in thermal zones

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Viramonte, J G; Mange, J; Stefani, G

1978-03-01

The topics discussed include the major known geothermal resources, varying ways of exploiting geothermal resources, technical and economic difficulties in the exploitation, the place of geothermal energy in the total energy policy of a given country, advanced exploration techniques, and indications of needed areas of study. The panelists represented most of the South American countries, Mexico, and Italy. (JSR)

Human resource management at 'AD Imlek Belgrade'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samardžić Maja

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Human resources include overall human potential within an organization: the available knowledge and experience, usable skills and abilities, possible ideas and creations, the level of motivation and interest in the achievement of organizational objectives, etc. The objective of this paper is to highlight the role and importance of human resource management (HRM in achieving business success, based on the analysis of the most important theoretical and practical aspects of human resource management at the 'Imlek' Company. This study required the use of different methods and techniques such as: content analysis, case study, observation, testing and systemic approach. The study showed that sale of the Imlek Company products was widespread in the country and the region. An ongoing market advantage is achieved due to a high quality standard of products, and primarily due to an effective management of human resources. Company management should make formalization and unification, and implement a set of measures in order to improve discipline of the employees. Top workers should be motivated through incentives for performance and innovation.

Symposium on development and utilization of biomass energy resources in developing countries. Proceedings. V. 2: Country case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-12-01

The present publication presents the results of three UNIDO-sponsored case studies, each with a separate abstract, concerned with perspectives of development and utilisation of biomass energy resources in Brazil, Philippines and Romania. Emphasis is put on identifying regional biomass energy resources. Policies and strategies governing as well as barriers limiting the development and utilization of biomass energy are discussed. Innovative technologies as well as technology transfer related to biomass energy utilisation are dealt with, together with economic and environmental issues

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. TRANSITION ECONOMIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dumitru FILIPEANU

2016-05-01

Full Text Available According to the modern theories of economic development – the take-off, backwardness, convergence and balanced growth hypothesis - the new industrialized states from Asia seem to have noticed the advantages of backwardness from which low income countries benefited, namely the possibility to take advantage of the latest technological discoveries of advanced countries, thus achieving a faster growth than the latter which operated closer to the technological border. The assimilation of appropriate technologies, however, required the efficient mobilization and allocation of resources and the improvement of human and physical capital. While the Western countries were confronted with crises generated by inflationary shocks and movements of speculative capital, the relative isolation of countries whose economy was planned by the world economy sheltered them until 1990, unemployment being practically non-existent. Asia's exceptional economic success is not only due to borrowing Western practices, but also to the fact that Asian societies maintained certain traditional features of their own culture - such as a strong work ethic - and integrated them in the modern business environment.

Recombinase polymerase amplification: Emergence as a critical molecular technology for rapid, low-resource diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Ameh; Macdonald, Joanne

2015-01-01

Isothermal molecular diagnostics are bridging the technology gap between traditional diagnostics and polymerase chain reaction-based methods. These new techniques enable timely and accurate testing, especially in settings where there is a lack of infrastructure to support polymerase chain reaction facilities. Despite this, there is a significant lack of uptake of these technologies in developing countries where they are highly needed. Among these novel isothermal technologies, recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) holds particular potential for use in developing countries. This rapid nucleic acid amplification approach is fast, highly sensitive and specific, and amenable to countries with a high burden of infectious diseases. Implementation of RPA technology in developing countries is critically required to assess limitations and potentials of the diagnosis of infectious disease, and may help identify impediments that prevent adoption of new molecular technologies in low resource- and low skill settings. This review focuses on approaching diagnosis of infectious disease with RPA.

Resource management for multimedia services in high data rate wireless networks

CERN Document Server

Zhang, Ruonan; Pan, Jianping

2017-01-01

This brief offers a valuable resource on principles of quality-of-service (QoS) provisioning and the related link-layer resource management techniques for high data-rate wireless networks. The primary emphasis is on protocol modeling and analysis. It introduces media access control (MAC) protocols, standards of wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless personal area networks (WPANs), and wireless body area networks (WBANs), discussing their key technologies, applications, and deployment scenarios. The main analytical approaches and models for performance analysis of the fundamental resource scheduling mechanisms, including the contention-based, reservation-based, and hybrid MAC, are presented. To help readers understand and evaluate system performance, the brief contains a range of simulation results. In addition, a thorough bibliography provides an additional tool. This brief is an essential resource for engineers, researchers, students, and users of wireless networks.

Mauritius country study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manraj, D.D.

1998-01-01

Mauritius has no known oil, gas or coal reserves but is only endowed with limited renewable energy resources namely hydropower and bagasse. Bagasse represents about one third of the country's energy requirements and meets almost all of the sugar industries energy demand. Projects identified for mitigation options are: Energy Sector - Renewable Sources (Solar, Wind, Biomass); Transport Sector - Fuel switching and Mass transit transport; Manufacturing Sector - Increase efficiency of energy use in the manufacturing process. (EG)

IAEA Helps Remove Highly Radioactive Material from Five South American Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2018-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has helped remove 27 disused highly radioactive sources from five South American countries in a significant step forward for nuclear safety and security in the region. It was the largest such project ever facilitated by the IAEA. The material, mainly used for medical purposes such as treating cancer and sterilizing instruments, was transported to Germany and the United States for recycling. Canada, where some of the sources were manufactured, funded the project upon requests for IAEA support from Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. The sealed Cobalt-60 and Caesium-137 sources pose safety and security risks when no longer in use, according to Raja Adnan, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security. “The removal of this large number of radioactive sources has significantly reduced those risks in the five countries,” Adnan said. In recent years, the IAEA has assisted Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Honduras, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Uzbekistan in the removal of disused sources. The South American operation was the largest the IAEA has so far coordinated in terms of both the number of highly radioactive sources and countries involved. While nuclear safety and security are national responsibilities, the IAEA helps Member States upon request to meet these responsibilities through training, technical advice, peer reviews and other advisory services. Such efforts may include support for Member States in implementing the safe and cost-effective recovery, conditioning, storage, disposal or transportation of disused sealed radioactive sources (DSRS).

Gas pricing in developing countries: A case study of Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sohail, H.M.; Abid, M.S.; Ansari, A.M.

1994-01-01

Pakistan, a developing country, has gone through various phases of formulating gas pricing policies during its 40-year history of natural gas production and consumption. This paper identifies critical factors that influenced gas pricing policies in Pakistan and adverse effects experienced when any of these factors was not given proper consideration. For instance, on the producer's side, discounted pricing formulas discouraged further exploration and development, leaving high-potential areas unexplored and discovered fields dormant for more than a decade. On the consumer's side, subsidized gas prices encouraged consumption to rise steeply without new discoveries to offset additional surplus consumption. The paper also discusses various short- and long-term variables that should go into a gas pricing policy for developing countries. References to recent policies are also given, indicating how these variables were incorporated in real terms. The conclusions and recommendations, based on Pakistan's long experience with the gas industry, should be useful for other oil-importing countries rich in indigenous gas resources

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.

Natural resources and environmentally sound sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pastizzi-Ferencic, D.

1992-01-01

This article summarizes the activities of the United Nations Department of Technical Co-operation for Development (UNDTCD), which has been active for over 40 years in assisting developing countries to make the fullest possible use of their natural resources. Energy, water and mineral resources must be developed, and the impacts of the development on the environment must be mitigated. The importance of protecting supplies of fresh water, the central part occupied by the mining industry in developing countries, and the proper role of energy sources for sustainable development are all discussed

ASSOCIATION OF ISOMETRIC STRENGTH OF HIP AND KNEE MUSCLES WITH INJURY RISK IN HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS.

Science.gov (United States)

Luedke, Lace E; Heiderscheit, Bryan C; Williams, D S Blaise; Rauh, Mitchell J

2015-11-01

High school cross country runners have a high incidence of overuse injuries, particularly to the knee and shin. As lower extremity strength is modifiable, identification of strength attributes that contribute to anterior knee pain (AKP) and shin injuries may influence prevention and management of these injuries. To determine if a relationship existed between isometric hip abductor, knee extensor and flexor strength and the incidence of AKP and shin injury in high school cross country runners. Sixty-eight high school cross country runners (47 girls, 21 boys) participated in the study. Isometric strength tests of hip abductors, knee extensors and flexors were performed with a handheld dynamometer. Runners were prospectively followed during the 2014 interscholastic cross country season for occurrences of AKP and shin injury. Bivariate logistic regression was used to examine risk relationships between strength values and occurrence of AKP and shin injury. During the season, three (4.4%) runners experienced AKP and 13 (19.1%) runners incurred a shin injury. Runners in the tertiles indicating weakest hip abductor (chi-square = 6.140; p=0.046), knee extensor (chi-square = 6.562; p=0.038), and knee flexor (chi-square = 6.140; p=0.046) muscle strength had a significantly higher incidence of AKP. Hip and knee muscle strength was not significantly associated with shin injury. High school cross country runners with weaker hip abductor, knee extensor and flexor muscle strength had a higher incidence of AKP. Increasing hip and knee muscle strength may reduce the likelihood of AKP in high school cross country runners. 2b.

Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus among women in two English-speaking Caribbean countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Andall-Brereton, Glennis; Brown, Eulynis; Slater, Sherian; Holder, Yvette; Luciani, Silvana; Lewis, Merle; Irons, Beryl

2017-06-08

To characterize high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in a sample of women in two small English-speaking Caribbean countries: Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Sexually active women ≥ 30 years old attending primary care health facilities participated in the study. Each participant had a gynecological examination, and two cervical specimens were collected: (1) a specimen for a Papanicolaou (Pap) test and (2) a sample of exfoliated cervical cells for HPV DNA testing, using the HPV High Risk Screen Real-TM (Sacace). High-risk HPV genotypes were assessed in 404 women in Saint Kitts and Nevis and 368 women in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. High-risk HPV was detected in 102 of 404 (25.2%) in Saint Kitts and Nevis and in 109 of 368 (29.6%) in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. High-risk HPV genotypes 52, 35, 51, 45, and 31 were the most common high-risk types in Saint Kitts and Nevis. In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the most common high-risk HPV genotypes were 45, 35, 31, 18, and 51. Current age was found to be significantly associated with high-risk HPV infection in both countries. In addition, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, high parity (> 3 pregnancies) and having had an abnormal Pap smear were found to be independent risk factors for high-risk HPV. These results contribute to the evidence on HPV prevalence for small island states of the Caribbean and support the accelerated introduction of the 9-valent HPV vaccine in the two countries and elsewhere in the English-speaking Caribbean. Use of the study's results to guide the development of policy regarding implementation of HPV testing as the primary screening modality for older women is recommended.

Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus among women in two English-speaking Caribbean countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glennis Andall-Brereton

2017-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective To characterize high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV infections in a sample of women in two small English-speaking Caribbean countries: Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Methods Sexually active women ≥ 30 years old attending primary care health facilities participated in the study. Each participant had a gynecological examination, and two cervical specimens were collected: (1 a specimen for a Papanicolaou (Pap test and (2 a sample of exfoliated cervical cells for HPV DNA testing, using the HPV High Risk Screen Real-TM (Sacace. High-risk HPV genotypes were assessed in 404 women in Saint Kitts and Nevis and 368 women in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Results High-risk HPV was detected in 102 of 404 (25.2% in Saint Kitts and Nevis and in 109 of 368 (29.6% in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. High-risk HPV genotypes 52, 35, 51, 45, and 31 were the most common high-risk types in Saint Kitts and Nevis. In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the most common high-risk HPV genotypes were 45, 35, 31, 18, and 51. Current age was found to be significantly associated with high-risk HPV infection in both countries. In addition, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, high parity (> 3 pregnancies and having had an abnormal Pap smear were found to be independent risk factors for high-risk HPV. Conclusions These results contribute to the evidence on HPV prevalence for small island states of the Caribbean and support the accelerated introduction of the 9-valent HPV vaccine in the two countries and elsewhere in the English-speaking Caribbean. Use of the study’s results to guide the development of policy regarding implementation of HPV testing as the primary screening modality for older women is recommended.

Principles of adoption of the successful environmental practices used in developed countries into mining industry in developing countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Masaitis, Alexandra

2013-04-01

The successful implementation of the environmental practices in the mining industry is of a paramount importance, as it not only prevents both local and trans-border pollution but also guarantees clean and healthy environment for the people regardless of their place of habitation. It is especially important to encourage the progress of the environmental practices implementation in developing countries because such countries have resource-oriented economy based on exploitation of nonrenewable resources. Poor environmental practices in developing countries will lead to local environmental crises that could eventually spill into surrounding countries including the most economically advanced. This abstract is a summary of a two-year research project attempted (1) to determine deficiencies of the mining sector ecological practices in developing countries and (2) to suggest substitute practices from developed countries that could be adapted to the developing countries reality. The following research methods were used: 1. The method of the system analysis, where the system is an interaction of the sets of environmental practices with the global mining sector; 2. The comparative method of inquiry, where the comparison was made between environmental protection practices as implemented in the US (developed country) and the developing countries such as RF, Mongolia mining sectors; 3. Quantitative date analysis, where date was collected from "The collection of statistic data", Russian Geographic Society Annual reports, the US EPA open reports, and the USGS Reports; The following results were obtained: Identified the systemic crisis of the ecological environmental policies and practices in the mining sector in developing countries based on the exploitation of nonrenewable resources, absence of the ecological interest by the mining companies that lack mechanisms of environmental and public health protection, the lack of insurance policy, the lack of risk assistance, and in the

Human Resource Education in the Middle East Region

Science.gov (United States)

Dirani, Khalil M.; Hamie, Christine Silva

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of human resource development (HRD) education in Middle Eastern countries. In particular, the authors discuss the current state of HRD education, country readiness and challenges that hinder HRD progress in Middle Eastern countries. They argue that HRD programs need to prepare young…

Comparing the Income Elasticity of Health Spending in Middle-Income and High-Income Countries: The Role of Financial Protection

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas Bustamante, Arturo; Shimoga, Sandhya V.

2018-01-01

Background: As middle-income countries become more affluent, economically sophisticated and productive, health expenditure patterns are likely to change. Other socio-demographic and political changes that accompany rapid economic growth are also likely to influence health spending and financial protection. Methods: This study investigates the relationship between growth on per-capita healthcare expenditure and gross domestic product (GDP) in a group of 27 large middle-income economies and compares findings with those of 24 high-income economies from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) group. This comparison uses national accounts data from 1995-2014. We hypothesize that the aggregated income elasticity of health expenditure in middle-income countries would be less than one (meaning healthcare is a normal good). An initial exploratory analysis tests between fixed-effects and random-effects model specifications. A fixed-effects model with time-fixed effects is implemented to assess the relationship between the two measures. Unit root, Hausman and serial correlation tests are conducted to determine model fit. Additional explanatory variables are introduced in different model specifications to test the robustness of our regression results. We include the out-of-pocket (OOP) share of health spending in each model to study the potential role of financial protection in our sample of high- and middle-income countries. The first-difference of study variables is implemented to address non-stationarity and cointegration properties. Results: The elasticity of per-capita health expenditure and GDP growth is positive and statistically significant among sampled middle-income countries (51 per unit-growth in GDP) and high-income countries (50 per unit-growth in GDP). In contrast with previous research that has found that income elasticity of health spending in middle-income countries is larger than in high-income countries, our findings show that

Regulatory challenges associated with conducting multicountry clinical trials in resource-limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndebele, Paul; Blanchard-Horan, Christina; Shahkolahi, Akbar; Sanne, Ian

2014-01-01

International public health and infectious diseases research has expanded to become a global enterprise transcending national and continental borders in organized networks addressing high-impact diseases. In conducting multicountry clinical trials, sponsors and investigators have to ensure that they meet regulatory requirements in all countries in which the clinical trials will be conducted. Some of these requirements include review and approval by national drug regulatory authorities and recognized research ethics committees. A limiting factor to the efficient conduct of multicountry clinical trials is the regulatory environment in each collaborating country, with significant differences determined by various factors including the laws and the procedures used in each country. The long regulatory processes in resource-limited countries may hinder the efficient implementation of multisite clinical trials, delaying research important to the health of populations in these countries and costing millions of dollars a year.

Analysis of human resources for health strategies and policies in 5 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, in response to GFATM and PEPFAR-funded HIV-activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Cailhol, Johann; Craveiro, Isabel; Madede, Tavares; Makoa, Elsie; Mathole, Thubelihle; Parsons, Ann Neo; Van Leemput, Luc; Biesma, Regien; Brugha, Ruairi; Chilundo, Baltazar; Lehmann, Uta; Dussault, Gilles; Van Damme, Wim; Sanders, David

2013-10-25

Global Health Initiatives (GHIs), aiming at reducing the impact of specific diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), have flourished since 2000. Amongst these, PEPFAR and GFATM have provided a substantial amount of funding to countries affected by HIV, predominantly for delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ARV) and prevention strategies. Since the need for additional human resources for health (HRH) was not initially considered by GHIs, countries, to allow ARV scale-up, implemented short-term HRH strategies, adapted to GHI-funding conditionality. Such strategies differed from one country to another and slowly evolved to long-term HRH policies. The processes and content of HRH policy shifts in 5 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were examined. A multi-country study was conducted from 2007 to 2011 in 5 countries (Angola, Burundi, Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa), to assess the impact of GHIs on the health system, using a mixed methods design. This paper focuses on the impact of GFATM and PEPFAR on HRH policies. Qualitative data consisted of semi-structured interviews undertaken at national and sub-national levels and analysis of secondary data from national reports. Data were analysed in order to extract countries' responses to HRH challenges posed by implementation of HIV-related activities. Common themes across the 5 countries were selected and compared in light of each country context. In all countries successful ARV roll-out was observed, despite HRH shortages. This was a result of mostly short-term emergency response by GHI-funded Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and to a lesser extent by governments, consisting of using and increasing available HRH for HIV tasks. As challenges and limits of short-term HRH strategies were revealed and HIV became a chronic disease, the 5 countries slowly implemented mid to long-term HRH strategies, such as formalisation of pilot initiatives, increase in HRH production and mitigation of internal migration of HRH

Neo-Industrial and Sustainable Development of Russia as Mineral Resources Exploiting Country

Science.gov (United States)

Prokudina, Marina; Zhironkina, Olga; Kalinina, Oksana; Gasanov, Magerram; Agafonov, Felix

2017-11-01

In the Russian economy, the world leadership in the extraction of different mineral resources is combined with the potential for their processing and a significant scientific sector. Innovative development of raw materials extraction is impossible without the parallel technological modernization of the high-tech sector. In general, the complex of these processes is a neo-industrialization of the economy. Neo-industrially oriented transformation of the economy reflects complex changes in its structure, the transformation of established stable relationships between various elements of the system of social production that determine macroeconomic proportions. Neo-industrial transformations come along with the modification of economic relations associated with investments, innovations, labor and income distribution, with the process of locating productive forces and regulating the economy by the government. Neo-industrialization of economy is not only significant changes in its technological and reproductive structure (the development of high-tech industries, the integration of science and industry), but, above all, the implementation of a system structural policy of innovative development of raw material industry and the recovery of manufacturing industries on a new technological basis.

Symposium on development and utilization of biomass energy resources in developing countries. Proceedings. V. 2: Country case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-01

The present publication presents the results of three UNIDO-sponsored case studies, each with a separate abstract, concerned with perspectives of development and utilisation of biomass energy resources in Brazil, Philippines and Romania. Emphasis is put on identifying regional biomass energy resources. Policies and strategies governing as well as barriers limiting the development and utilization of biomass energy are discussed. Innovative technologies as well as technology transfer related to biomass energy utilisation are dealt with, together with economic and environmental issues Refs, figs, tabs

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

A sample application of nuclear power human resources model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurgen, A.; Ergun, S.

2016-01-01

One of the most important issues for a new comer country initializing the nuclear power plant projects is to have both quantitative and qualitative models for the human resources development. For the quantitative model of human resources development for Turkey, “Nuclear Power Human Resources (NPHR) Model” developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory was used to determine the number of people that will be required from different professional or occupational fields in the planning of human resources for Akkuyu, Sinop and the third nuclear power plant projects. The number of people required for different professions for the Nuclear Energy Project Implementation Department, the regulatory authority, project companies, construction, nuclear power plants and the academy were calculated. In this study, a sample application of the human resources model is presented. The results of the first tries to calculate the human resources needs of Turkey were obtained. Keywords: Human Resources Development, New Comer Country, NPHR Model

Health care expenditure in the Islamic Republic of Iran versus other high spending countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Khosravi, Bahman; Soltani, Shahin; Javan-Noughabi, Javad; Faramarzi, Ahmad

2017-01-01

Background: In all countries, health expenditures are a main part of government expenditure, and governments try to find policies and strategies to reduce this expenditure. Overall expenditure index has been raised 30 times during the past 20 years in Iran, while in the health sector, the growth in health expenditures index has been 71 times. The present study aimed at examining health care expenditure in the Islamic Republic of Iran versus other high spending countries. Methods: A comparative panel study was conducted in selected countries with the high mean of health expenditure per capita. Data were collected from the WORLD BANK. Out- of- pocket (OOP), health expenditure per capita, public and private health expenditure, and total health expenditure were compared among the selected counties. Results: Iran has the lowest health expenditure per capita compared to other countries and the USA has the highest health expenditures per capita. In Iran, out- of- pocket expenditure, with more than 50%, was the most cost, while in Luxembourg it was the least cost during 2004 to 2014, with less than 12%. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that politicians and health care executives should find a stable source to finance the health system. Stable sources of financing lead to having a steady trend in health expenditure.

Should all suspected tuberculosis cases in high income countries be tested with GeneXpert?

Science.gov (United States)

Vella, Venanzio; Broda, Agnieszka; Drobniewski, Francis

2018-05-01

In countries with a low incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), universal testing with GeneXpert might not be always cost-effective. This study provides hospital managers in low MDR-TB incidence countries with criteria on when decentralised universal GeneXpert testing would make sense. The alternatives taken into consideration include: universal microbiological culture and drug susceptibility testing (DST) only (comparator); as above but with concurrent centralized GeneXpert in a referral laboratory vs a decentralized GeneXpert system in every hospital to test smear-positive cases only; as above but testing all samples with GeneXpert regardless of smear status. The parameters were from the national TB statistics for England and from a systematic review. Decentralised GeneXpert to test any suspected TB case was the most cost-effective option when 6% or more TB patients belonged to the high-risk group, defined as previous TB diagnosis and or being born in countries with a high MDR-TB incidence. Hospital managers in England and other low MDR-TB incidence countries could use these findings to decide when to invest in GeneXpert or other molecular diagnostics with similar performance criteria for TB diagnostics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transplantation in low resource countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Faulkner

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Thalassemia major (TM is the most common deadly genetic disorder, a major cause of chronic non-infectious morbidity and financial burden in many low and middle-income regions. In these settings few children reach adulthood because proper long-term supportive care is seldom available. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT is the only available curative modality and it can be very successful and cost-effective for young children with low-risk features and a compatible related donor. However, in countries where TM is most prevalent, there is a dire shortage of BMT centers. The Cure2Children Foundation has supported a feasibility study evaluating safety, efficacy and costs of developing a new BMT center in an underserved lower-middle-income country with relatively untrained professionals within a structured collaboration and knowledge-transfer program. A total of 24 consecutive patients who underwent BMT in Pakistan between September 2008 and August 2010 are included in this prospective analysis, 17 from an established bone marrow transplant center, the National Institute for Blood Diseases in Karachi, Pakistan and the initial 7 BMTs from a start up unit in a government civil hospital, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Children’s Hospital in Islamabad. Patients were matched for age, nutritional status, growth, disease, disease status and post-BMT follow-up time. All patients had a matched-related sibling donor, were younger than 10 years of age at the time of transplantation, received the same conditioning regimen. All needy families could rely on a support program throughout the 8-month post-transplant period. The Cure2Children Foundation provided professional and financial support as well as a structured web-based data management and cooperation platform. At a median follow up of 19.6 months (range 8.7 to 31.5 actuarial thalassemia-free survival is 85.6% and 85.7% and overall survival 94.1% and 85.7% in the established and start-up center

Higher Education R&D and Productivity Growth: An Empirical Study on High-Income OECD Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Eid, Ashraf

2012-01-01

This paper is a macro study on higher education R&D and its impact on productivity growth. I measure the social rate of return on higher education R&D in 17 high-income OECD countries using country level data on the percentage of gross expenditure on R&D performed by higher education, business, and government sectors over the period…

Passive Solar Driven Water Treatment of Contaminated Water Resources

OpenAIRE

Ahmed, Mubasher

2016-01-01

Master's thesis in Environmental technology Freshwater, being vital for mankind survival, has become a very serious concern for the public especially living in countries with limited water, energy and economic resources. Freshwater generation is an energy-intensive task particularly when fossil based fuels are required as energy source. However, environmental concerns and high energy costs have called for the alternative and renewable sources of energy like wind, hy...

Cyclotrons in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vera Ruiz, Hernan

2004-01-01

Cyclotron accelerators are prolific sources of charged particle for the production of radionuclides and have become an essential tool in the practice of modern nuclear medicine by providing reliable radiotracers for SPECT and PET studies. In a recent survey conducted by the IAEA in 2001, the growth in the number of cyclotron facilities installed in laboratories and hospitals in developed as well as developing countries was recorded. This trend, which started in the late 70's, continues in the present time also and all indications are that it will continue in the next five to ten years. The reasons for this growth are several: technology involved has become more user or 'hospital friendly', third party reimbursement for several clinical studies based on F-18 PET radiopharmaceuticals at least in some of the advanced countries started in 1998 and above all, the clear irrefutable and demonstrable conclusion of the positive cost/benefit outcomes of PET studies in the field of oncology to a lesser degree, thus far, for cardiology and neurology. It is however recognizable that the overall financial cost of the technology, which comprises the premises to house the facility, the cyclotron accelerator, the corresponding radiochemistry and quality control equipment and the PET cameras can be nevertheless an expensive proposition that requires careful advance planning. This fact is even more relevant when the facility is planned for installation in a developing country, which, frequently, in addition to having a lack of sufficient financial resources, do have shortage of qualified human resources to efficiently run the facility. In spite of the above, it is fact that more and more public as well as private organizations in the developing countries are setting up cyclotron/PET programmes or are seriously considering the installation of such a facility

Case Study for Effectiveness Analysis on Nuclear Regulatory Infrastructure Support for Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Y. E.; Byeon, M. J.; Yoo, J. W.; Lee, J. M.; Lim, J. H. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

The donor countries need to make decisions on various steps such as whether to fully accept newcomers’ requests, the depth of support, and how the supportive action will be carried out. Such is not an easy task due to limited time, resources, manpower, etc. Thus, creating an infrastructure to support emerging nuclear energy countries is needed. This paper suggests the resource portfolio concept used in business management and aims to analyze the validity of supporting the new entrants’ development of regulatory infrastructure as a case study. This study tries to develop a very simple Excel-based tool for assessing the supporting strategy quantitatively and screening the activities that is projected to be less effective and attractive. There are many countries, so called newcomers, which have expressed interests in developing their own nuclear power program. It has been recognized by the international community that every country considering embarking upon their own nuclear power program should establish their nuclear safety infrastructure to sustain a high level of nuclear safety. The newcomers have requested for considerable assistance from the IAEA and they already have bilateral cooperation programs with the advanced countries with matured nuclear regulatory programs. Currently, the regulatory bodies that provide support are confronted with two responsibilities as follows; the primary objective of the regulatory bodies is to ensure that the operator fulfills the responsibility to protect human health.

Case Study for Effectiveness Analysis on Nuclear Regulatory Infrastructure Support for Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Y. E.; Byeon, M. J.; Yoo, J. W.; Lee, J. M.; Lim, J. H.

2016-01-01

The donor countries need to make decisions on various steps such as whether to fully accept newcomers’ requests, the depth of support, and how the supportive action will be carried out. Such is not an easy task due to limited time, resources, manpower, etc. Thus, creating an infrastructure to support emerging nuclear energy countries is needed. This paper suggests the resource portfolio concept used in business management and aims to analyze the validity of supporting the new entrants’ development of regulatory infrastructure as a case study. This study tries to develop a very simple Excel-based tool for assessing the supporting strategy quantitatively and screening the activities that is projected to be less effective and attractive. There are many countries, so called newcomers, which have expressed interests in developing their own nuclear power program. It has been recognized by the international community that every country considering embarking upon their own nuclear power program should establish their nuclear safety infrastructure to sustain a high level of nuclear safety. The newcomers have requested for considerable assistance from the IAEA and they already have bilateral cooperation programs with the advanced countries with matured nuclear regulatory programs. Currently, the regulatory bodies that provide support are confronted with two responsibilities as follows; the primary objective of the regulatory bodies is to ensure that the operator fulfills the responsibility to protect human health

Natural Resources and Socio-Economic Progress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larissa Mikhaylovna Kapitsa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article reviews international debates on development problems of the resource-based economies. It draws atten tion to causes and mechanisms of the so-called "resource curse" and symptoms of systemic breakdowns and stagnant phenomena in resource-based economies named "Dutch disease". Specific attention is given to the role of national elites and institutions in the emergence of "Dutch disease", preservation of economic backwardness and/or de-industrialization of resource-rich countries. The author also considers new approaches to resolving the problem of'resource-curse", in particular, return to traditional instruments of economic diversification as industrialization and protectionism.

Developing countries: small technology with big effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McRobie, G.; Carr, M.

1978-01-01

As far the poor countries of the world are concerned, during the past twenty years they have had access only to the technologies developed by the rich to suit the rich. It is now beyond question that some of the most daunting problems confronting the majority of the worlds populations stem directly from the kind of technology transferred to them under current aid and development programs. That the technology of the rich is generally inappropriate to meet the needs and resources of the poor countries is becoming more widley recognized both by aid-givers and aid-receivers. Yet it is this technology that continues to be almost exclusively and most powerfully promoted in the developing countries. To meet their needs a new technology must be discovered or devised: one that lies between the sickle and the combine harvester and is small, simple and cheap enough to harmonise withlocal human and material resources and lends itself to widespread reproduction with the minimum of outside help. What we now need most urgently is a new set of technologies, designed, by people who are informed by the need to develop capital-saving technologies capable of being decentralized to the maximum extend. The technology gap is not only wide, but the knowledge an resources required to fill is, although they exist in the industrialized countries, have not been mobilized to provide the right kind of knowledge and to make it available to those who need it. It was to do this that the Intermediate Technology Development Group was set up ten years ago. (orig.) 891 HP 892 EKI [de

Quality tools and resources to support organisational improvement integral to high-quality primary care: a systematic review of published and grey literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Janamian, Tina; Upham, Susan J; Crossland, Lisa; Jackson, Claire L

2016-04-18

To conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify existing online primary care quality improvement tools and resources to support organisational improvement related to the seven elements in the Primary Care Practice Improvement Tool (PC-PIT), with the identified tools and resources to progress to a Delphi study for further assessment of relevance and utility. Systematic review of the international published and grey literature. CINAHL, Embase and PubMed databases were searched in March 2014 for articles published between January 2004 and December 2013. GreyNet International and other relevant websites and repositories were also searched in March-April 2014 for documents dated between 1992 and 2012. All citations were imported into a bibliographic database. Published and unpublished tools and resources were included in the review if they were in English, related to primary care quality improvement and addressed any of the seven PC-PIT elements of a high-performing practice. Tools and resources that met the eligibility criteria were then evaluated for their accessibility, relevance, utility and comprehensiveness using a four-criteria appraisal framework. We used a data extraction template to systematically extract information from eligible tools and resources. A content analysis approach was used to explore the tools and resources and collate relevant information: name of the tool or resource, year and country of development, author, name of the organisation that provided access and its URL, accessibility information or problems, overview of each tool or resource and the quality improvement element(s) it addresses. If available, a copy of the tool or resource was downloaded into the bibliographic database, along with supporting evidence (published or unpublished) on its use in primary care. This systematic review identified 53 tools and resources that can potentially be provided as part of a suite of tools and resources to support primary care practices in

4. Rapidly industrializing countries: Forging new models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starke, L.

1992-01-01

This chapter discusses the following: the experience of newly industrializing countries (NIC); human development; broadening economic development; conserving natural resources (agriculture, forests, air quality); energy consumption; using more efficient technology; new markets and new products. Governments in rapidly industrializing countries can do a great deal to steer development in a sustainable direction by adopting appropriate policies - many of which are discussed in this and preceding chapters. Governments in industrialized countries also have an important role to play by offering the necessary technical and financial assistance to support this kind of development. The chapter uses as examples Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand

GDP Structure and Economic Performance in Sub-Saharan Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luboš Smutka

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Africa belongs to important regions of the world economy with specific problems distinguishing this part of the world from other regions. The region is suffering because of limited economy structure and high level of poverty. Low economic performance ranks most of African countries among the worldwide poorest ones (both from the point of view of total economy performance and also individuals living standards; the development is hindered by political instability and also by other accompanied problems as high level of corruption, deficit of democracy, low level of education, limited investments, criminality, local conflicts, civil wars etc. On the other hand, African natural, economy and social resources and unexploited opportunities in many areas offer a potential for a considerable economic development. Understanding the current economic position of African states thus may reveal causes of problematic development and outline ways to overcome existing shortcomings. The aim of the paper is to analyze main changes in area of GDP structure formation (agricultural, industrial and services sector share in GDP and value performance which have occurred in selected African (Sub-Saharan countries. Changes are analyzed both in relation to the total GDP and GDP per capita. The authors identify main trends of economic development in the Sub-Saharan region and to specify differences among Sub-Saharan countries with the intention to identify particular groups of African countries according to their economic structure and to identify differences in their GDP formation.

Capital goods for energy development: power equipment for developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parikh, J.K.

1986-01-01

Questions of energy policy in developing countries are considered, with the goal of 'evolution from exports to indigenization' i.e. independence. Levels of technologies are considered in relation to the resources of each country. Nuclear power is considered among other energy sources. (G.Q.)

Isotope methods in water resources assessment and environmental management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araguas-Araguas, L.

1996-01-01

Availability of water and protection of water resources have become top environmental issues in many countries. Governments are forced to issue strict guidelines to protect the environment and create agencies to pursue these aspects as well as enforce such regulations. The supply of good-quality water from rivers and lakes is becoming a costly and complex problem for many institutes responsible for water supply. Because of the high pollution levels in surface waters, ground water is the main source of drinking water in many countries. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people world-wide depend on it for drinking water. Since ground water cannot be directly measured, and despite its importance for drinking purposes there is not enough public concern about its protection. In other cases, it is found that the exploited ground water is not a renewable resource. In many countries in arid and semi-arid regions, fossil ground water is being tapped for extensive agricultural development, but such extraction depletes the reserves, in the same way as an oil reservoir. The availability of correct information, before decisions are taken will lead to improved management of water resources, distributing the available resources for different uses according to their quality, and ultimately, to manage the resource. Nuclear science has developed a series of methodologies based on the use of naturally-occurring isotopes and artificial tracers to study the processes involved in the occurrence and circulation of water. The discipline called 'Isotope Hydrology' provides a deep insight into many parts of the water cycle; from the evaporation over the ocean or the continents, to the formation of surface runoff and ground water and in the discharge of aquifer systems into the ocean. Isotope hydrology, as a scientific and applied discipline in earth sciences, was created during the late 1950s and early 1960s, beyond the classical hydrological science. In these early stages, new methodologies

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) national favourability studies: Republic of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-12-01

The Republic of Korea, occupies the southern end of the Korean peninsula. It has a long history of mining and mineral production, and has an active and fairly well equipped Geological Survey. The country in general is quite highly mineralized with many minerals including uranium although there has been no uranium production from it yet. Uranium occurs in granites, schists, and in black carbonaceous shales. The Korean Geological survey has estimated that one ore body contains 650 tonnes U in 1,600,000 tons of ore at an average grade of 0.047 percent U 3 O 8 . Many recent reports also indicate very large resources of uranium in very low grade ranges. The uranium potential for the Republic of Korea is considered in Category 2 (1,000 - 10,000 tonnes U) in the normal IUREP context. However, a very large resource may exist in the very low grades in black shales of the country. This resource is considered as in category 6 (500,000 to 1,000,000 tonnes U). (author)

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

International Comparison of Water Resources Utilization Efficiency in the Silk Road Economic Belt

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Long; Ma, Jing; Deng, Wei; Wang, Yong

2018-03-01

In order to get knowledge of the standard of water utilization of the Silk Road Economic Belt from international point of view, the paper analyzes the annual variation of water resources utilization in the Silk Road Economic Belt, and compares with other typical countries. The study shows that Water resources utilization efficiency has been greatly improved in recent 20 years and the water consumption per USD 10000 of GDP has been declined 87.97%. the improvement of industrial water consumption efficiency is the key driving factors for substantial decrease in water consumption.The comparison of water utilization and human development shows that the higher HDI the country is, the more efficient water utilization the country has. water consumption per USD 10000 of GDP in country with HDI>0.9 is 194m³, being 8.5% of that in country with HDI from 0.5 to 0.6. On the premise of maintaining the stable economic and social development of the Silk Road Economic Belt, the realization of the control target of total water consumption must depend on the strict control over the disorderly expansion of irrigated area, the change in the mode of economic growth, the implementation of the development strategy for new industrialization and urbanization, vigorous development of the processing industry with low water consumption as well as the high-tech and high value-added industry. Only in this way, the control target of total water consumption can be realized in the process of completing the industrialization task.

Comparing ecological awareness in developed countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kessel, H.

1982-01-01

This paper addresses the questions ''Do people think about the environment in similar ways.'', ''What are the similarities and differences across different groups within a country, and what are the similarities and differences across countries.'' Using a new factor-analytical approach (which is described in detail in the appendix) four independent cognitive dimensions of the ecological awareness could be found from a set of 12 Items of the International Environmental Survey of 1980: 1. Attitude toward science and technology; 2. Concern about resources and energy supply; 3. Attitude toward nuclear power; 4. Concern about the limits to growth. The major similarities overall and the minor differences between the countries will be discussed. (orig.) [de

Nuclear energy prospects and uranium resources in Latin America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polliart, A.J.; Barretto, P.M.C.

1976-01-01