7 research outputs found
Making Signs, Translanguaging Ethnographies: Exploring Urban, Rural and Educational Spaces
No full textFossil algae in the St. Louis limestone, near St. Louis, Missouri
Get PDFAlthough Mississippian algae research is fairly extensive, little has been published on algae from the Mississippian type locality, the Upper Mississippi River Valley. For this study, portions of sixteen St. Louis Limestone stratigraphic sections containing units with oncolites, domal stromatolites, laminations, or mottled (possibly algal) textures, were measured, described, and sampled to determine: (1) to what extent algae are preserved in the St. Louis Limestone, (2) if enough of the delicate structure was fossilized to determine morphology, (3) depositional environment of the algae, and (4) if the algae are related to a lithologic pattern. Thin sections of the sampled units were described and studied for calcareous algae types and environments of deposition of both units and algae.
The author found fragments of calcareous algae belonging to four genera, Koninckopora, Ortonella, Girvanella, and Pseudohedstroemia, as well as several unidentifiable types. Green algae fragments were more abundant in beds of intertidal and subtidal origin than in beds of supra- tidal origin. Beds with blue-green algae fragments were of high energy, intertidal to upper subtidal origin, while cryptalgal beds in which the presence of blue-green algae is inferred, were of supratidal to subtidal origin. The algal and oncolitic beds were not deposited in a particular lithologic sequence, but they are related to environmental conditions at the time of deposition. Several algal and oncolitic beds were associated with dolomite, which suggests the beds provided a porous pathway for dolomitizing waters --Abstract, pages iii-iv
Asia in the ageing century: part II - retirement income
Get PDFAsia\u27s general reliance on defined benefit schemes could potentially lead to unfunded liabilities similar to those experienced in some countries in Europe, once the tipping point is reached. Some segments of the population lack meaningful pensions, a feature of many developing economies in the region, which means the whole system of retirement income in Asia needs urgent attention. Summary• This is the second research brief in a three-part series that looks at Asia in the ageing century, with a particular focus on the countries of East and South-East Asia.• The context is outlined in the first brief, which describes population, urbanisation and social trends in the region. Specifically, it notes that population ageing in East and South-East Asia is happening faster and at a lower level of economic development than in the West. Many Asian countries now have a decade or so to prepare for the later stages of demographic transition.• With the challenges set out, we turn to responses and opportunities. In this regard, Parts II and III of the series focus on two areas of economic activity which are both pertinent and have enormous scale: providing retirement income (covered in the present brief) and healthcare (outlined in Part III). Getting these right could result in favourable macro-economic rebalancing of growth in the region – where individuals can pool risks and reduce the need for excessive precautionary savings.• As in Europe, Asia’s reliance on defined benefit schemes may result in unfunded liabilities when the ratio of pension recipients to contributors increases, unless sustainability features are built in. China’s generous urban workers’ scheme is only affordable because it is not yet mature or widespread. And poorly designed access arrangements can result in excessive costs and disincentives to work that waste the potential of healthy older people. For example, pension access ages are low in East and South-East Asian countries: on average 59 for men and 57 for women.• Alongside issues of sustainability, adequacy of pension benefits remains important. Many Asians have no pension entitlements. This is not surprising given the region’s economic development, but if demographic and social development is considered, the situation demands more urgent action. Adequacy also depends on ensuring regular retirement income, which is unlikely in the absence of preservation and annuities.• There are also private sector opportunities, including providing financial services to help Asian workers transition into retirement as has happened with assets accrued by baby boomers in the West. The size of pension assets already offers opportunities, but there are varying strategies for foreign entrants to choose from with different levels of capital investment – from opening local branches to building long-term links.• Lastly, a viable private pension sector requires the right set of preconditions. Here, experts from countries such as Japan and Australia have an opportunity to contribute to developing the region’s pension and insurance infrastructure. Both countries have experience in population ageing research and policy implementation. 
The entitlement of age
Get PDFThis paper argues that Australia\u27s current retirement income system is inadequate for meeting the longevity challenge, does not allow people to sufficiently manage longevity risk, and promotes financial inequality.
Introduction
Out of the myriad of issues that relate to increased life expectancy and ageing, money looms large. Will people have sufficient private savings to stretch across longer lives? Will governments be able to pay for rising health and welfare expenditure? The prevailing feeling is of uncertainty, not least because people recognise that they are likely to live longer, but also because they don’t have a gauge of just how long tha t is likely to be.
This report is concerned with incomes in later life and securing a minimum baseline standard of living for people in that phase. It stems from a normative position that all people in our society are entitled to a good quality of life across longer lives, with a minimum income that keeps them out of poverty.
Australians are living much longer than either they or the policy-makers ever contemplated. Not a couple of years longer, but whole decades longer. Private savings and public benefits have to stretch further.
For some Australians the prospect of longer lives won’t matter too much. They will float along into retirement as if nothing much changed; their lives will look much the same as they did before. In fact, from their vantage point things look very good indeed.
For a whole other group of Australians, the changing conditions are keenly felt. Although the social compact promised them a decent standard of living across their lives, things just didn’t work out that way.
This class of Australians is the most financially vulnerable in later years. They are the women who have had children, carers, the long-term unemployed and those who are in part-time, casual or contract work. Their income has been patchy and, when they are earning, it is often below the average wage, meaning that their superannuation payments are sporadic and low. At various times during their lives they have been paid no superannuation at all. They are the people who are more likely to have rented property rather than being homeowners and, while they would have liked to have worked into their 60s or later, they struggle to retain or find work.
Unsurprisingly, the amount of superannuation savings which this section of society retires on is not enough to provide an adequate standard of living. Even when you take into consideration that the superannuation system will mature and private savings will accrue across whole working lives, the nature of their circumstances during working life prevents them from saving enough.
The result of inadequate private savings is a lower standard of living. But what does this mean in human terms, in the experience of everyday life? It means putting on the heater for only an hour a day in the middle of winter. It means saying no to the invitation to go out for dinner, or to see a film. It means only buying meat or fish once a month. It means putting off that doctor’s appointment, again.
This paper argues that the current retirement income system is inadequate to meet the longevity challenge. It does not allow people to sufficiently manage longevity risk and it promotes financial inequality. It is manifestly unfair that people who do not need public money should receive it, through either the age pension or superannuation tax concessions, when others who are more needy are struggling.
So, what of it? What does it matter that certain people have less in retirement, when these are the same people who are most likely to have had less all their lives? It matters because our retirement income system was established so that all Australians would have enough for a modest standard of living in retirement.
It matters that the system is not fulfilling its aims. A second reason, which informs the former, is that there is a moral basis for saying that vulnerable people should be able to live their later years with a decent standard of living. This is a question of ensuring that all people age with dignity
The private sector and family planning in developing countries
Get PDFWhile a private sector exists in every society, the nature of its involvement in family planning service delivery varies widely across countries. This paper reviews the role of the private sector in family planning and discusses how much more of the demand for contraception can be met through the private sector, thereby reducing government's subsidies for contraception. Following the introduction, section 2 discusses the characteristics of private sector supply, with a strong emphasis on for-profit producers and distributors of contraceptives. Section 3 describes the distribution of users across sources and addresses the issue of pricing at public, for-profit and NGO sources of family planning services. In section 4 the experience to date with private sector approaches is outlined to provide a sense of what has been and is currently going on in public and and donor efforts to harness and collaborate with the private sector. Section 5 presents alternative means for government and donors to promote private sector activity in family planning, and suggests some of the costs of a greater private sector role. The final section summarizes and concludes the paper.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Adolescent Health,Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems,Health Economics&Finance,ICT Policy and Strategies
The effect of macrolides on allergic rhinitis versus chronic rhinosinusitis- an in-vitro study
No full textPhDBackground
The mechanisms of the rhinitic process are complex. Previous studies upon nasal
epithelial cells have begun to investigate rhinitis. HNECs from turbinate explant
tissue were taken from three patient groups (Normals, Chronic Rhinosinusitics and
Rhinitics).
Aims
The study, firstly, aims to establish fundamental differences in cytokine activity
between allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis by analysing baseline levels
of cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 and subsequent impact of bacterial endotoxin.
Secondly the study analyses the affect of macrolides on activity in each subgroup.
Methods
HNECs were grown from the biopsy specimens as explant culture. Standardised
exposures to LPS bacterial endotoxin and macrolide were carried out. The
concentration of each mediator present in the medium at the end of incubation
was assessed by ELISA). A final quantity of total cellular protein was obtained.
3
Results
Baseline levels of IL-6 in unstimulated Allergic Rhinitics are
significantly higher than in Normal patients. Baseline levels of IL-8, however, are
lowest in Allergics. LPS significantly stimulates Allergics to increase production
of both IL-6 and IL-8. Macrolides lower IL-6 and IL-8 in both stimulated and
unstimulated AR cells.
Baseline levels of IL-6 and IL-8 are higher in CRS than AR and Normals. LPS
significantly raises IL-6 and IL-8 in CRS. Macrolides increase IL-6 and IL-8 in
stimulated CRS cells however reduce levels of both in un-stimulated cells.
Discussion
Pre-existing neutrophilic and eosinophilic activity in CRS subjects may explain the
increased baseline levels of both cytokines upon macrolide exposure.
Whilst some studies have suggested macrolides act as antimicrobial, others have
suggested that it is their anti-inflammatory effects that are more relevant.
Treatment for Allergic Rhinitis needs to be effective long-term. The results here
are novel and encourage further research to improve understanding of the effects of
macrolides in a potentially pivotal role
Investigation of risk management changes in insurance companies
Get PDFThis thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This thesis studies the change process of risk management practices associated with the
implementation of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and the extent to which it can lead to
changes in capital allocation practices. The study develops a theoretical framework to study risk management changes, which draws on structuration theory (Giddens, 1979, 1984) and institutional theory, particularly the institutional framework of Burns and Scapens (2000), as well as new institutional sociology theory. A two-stage empirical study was undertaken in non-life insurance companies. The first stage was a field study of 10 listed non-life insurance companies, while the second stage was a case study of a large non-life insurance company. Multiple data collection methods were used including semi-structured interviews, documentary evidence, annual reports, and publicly available data. Findings show internal, coercive, and normative pressures have mainly driven the ERM adoption decision. The literature supports the impact of coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures on the trend toward ERM in financial industries. However, the study finds that internal pressures related to achieving the company's objectives are either equal to or surpass
the external pressures. The study also provides empirical evidence of the changes in risk management practices, which include capital allocation change process associated with ERM implementation. Effective capital allocation requires the incorporation of ERM elements in the whole process of allocating capital. Furthermore, new capital allocation routines and institutions are produced. The study shows that the risk-based capital allocation method is intra- and extra-institutionalised at the company level. The main contribution of this thesis is to identify the nature of ERM adoption and
implementation in insurance companies. More specifically, this study provides a better
understanding of the institutional forces driving ERM adoption and offers empirical evidence on ERM implementation and the change in risk management practices (routines) within nonlife insurance companies. Moreover, this study avoids the limitations of previous research that was based on surveys, and it does so by conducting an exploratory field study and
explanatory case study to address the changes in risk management practices. Practices and process need to be located in their institutional context and hence cannot be reflected in surveys
