15 research outputs found
The Legal Implications of Living with HIV/AIDS In A Developing Country: The Afican Story
No full textThis article looks at customary and statutory laws, such as polygamy, widow inheritance, and other cultural practices that have contributed to the entrenchment of the disease in Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. 7 It also provides a discussion of the African dilemma with recommendations. The article further looks at how weak human rights laws are and how the stigmatization associated with HIV/AIDS has contributed to the multi-faceted and complex nature of this disease in Africa. Additionally, it evaluates the possibility of changing or amending some of the related existing laws by offering a checklist for policy makers and legislators. Finally, the author illustrates the role played by international institutions, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, International Finance Corporation, and International Labor Organization in the realm of HIV/AIDS
Productivity growth and the returns from public investment in R&D in Australian broadacre agriculture
No full textInvestment in R&D has long been regarded as an important source of productivity growth in Australian agriculture. Perhaps because research lags are long, current investment in R&D is monitored closely. Investment in R&D has been flat while productivity growth has remained strong, relative both to other sectors of the Australian economy and to the agricultural sectors of other countries. Such productivity growth, at a time when the decline in terms of trade facing Australian farmers has slowed, may have enhanced the competitiveness of Australian agriculture. The econometric results presented here suggest no evidence of a decline in the returns from research from the 15 to 40 per cent per annum range estimated by Mullen and Cox. In fact the marginal impact of research increases with research over the range of investment levels experienced from 1953 to 2000, a finding which lends support to the view that there is underinvestment in agricultural research. These results were obtained from econometric models which maintain strong assumptions about how investments in research and extension translate into changes in TFP. Hence some caution in interpreting the results is warranted.productivity, research and development, research evaluation, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,
Life cycle assessment and environmental profile evaluation of lead-free piezoelectrics in comparison with lead zirconate titanate
No full text© 2018 The Author(s) The prohibition of lead in many electronic components and devices due to its toxicity has reinvigorated the race to develop substitutes for lead zirconate titanate (PZT) based mainly on the potassium sodium niobate (KNN) and sodium bismuth titanate (NBT). However, before successful transition from laboratory to market, critical environmental assessment of all aspects of their fabrication and development must be carried out in comparison with PZT. Given the recent findings that KNN is not intrinsically ‘greener' than PZT, there is a tendency to see NBT as the solution to achieving environmentally lead-free piezoelectrics competitive with PZT. The lower energy consumed by NBT during synthesis results in a lower overall environmental profile compared to both PZT and KNN. However, bismuth and its oxide are mainly the by-product of lead smelting and comparison between NBT and PZT indicates that the environmental profile of bismuth oxide surpasses that of lead oxide across several key indicators, especially climate change, due to additional processing and refining steps which pose extra challenges in metallurgical recovery. Furthermore, bismuth compares unfavourably with lead due to its higher energy cost of recycling. The fact that roughly 90–95% of bismuth is derived as a by-product of lead smelting also constitutes a major concern for future upscaling. As such, NBT and KNN do not offer absolute competitive edge from an environmental perspective in comparison to PZT. The findings in this work have global practical implications for future Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation for piezoelectric materials and demonstrate the need for a holistic approach to the development of sustainable functional materials
O Perfil das contribuições científicas internacionais sobre Green Supply Chain Management
No full textMonografiaThe present study maps the scientific contributions published in international journals
in the area of Production Management and Green Operations, for the theme "Green
Supply Chain Management". To do so, it makes use of bibliometrics (author network,
quantitative of articles published by journals x years, quantitative articles published
by theoretical perspective x year, quantitative of articles published by type of
research x analysis technique and collection procedures) and identifies
methodological aspects (unit of analysis, collection procedure and collection
technique) of the articles available in the base of ScienceDirect, from January 2011
to April 2018, which resulted in a sample composed by 45 (forty five) articles. With
the collection and analysis of data of each article, it was verified that the theme had
an emphasis in the year 2015 (17), caused mainly by the publications in the journal
entitled "Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences" (16). Among the authors who
establish a greater number of relationships with other researchers, we highlight
Galankashi (6) and Acquaye (5). Regarding the theoretical perspective, the studies
that draw the most attention are those that deal with performance measurement (14)
and Green strategy (10). Among the most common types of research, those with a
quantitative character (38) and the use of the matrix or super matrix technique (8)
were more present. The use of bibliographic research (27) and the questionnaire (11)
predominates when it comes to collection procedures, which is understandable in
theoretical discussions (26).O presente estudo mapeia as contribuições científicas publicadas em periódicos
internacionais da área de Administração da Produção e Operações Verdes, para a
temática “Green Supply Chain Management”. Para tanto, faz uso da bibliometria
(rede de autores; quantitativo de artigos publicados por periódicos x anos;
quantitativos de artigos publicados por perspectiva teórica x ano; quantitativo de
artigos publicados por tipo de pesquisa x técnica de análise e procedimentos de
coleta) e identifica aspectos metodológicos (unidade de análise, procedimento de
coleta e técnica de coleta) dos artigos disponíveis na base do ScienceDirect, no
período de janeiro de 2011 a abril de 2018, o que resultou em uma amostra
composta por 45 (quarenta e cinco) artigos. Com a coleta e análise de dados de
cada artigo, constatou-se que a temática teve ênfase no ano de 2015 (17),
ocasionada principalmente pelas publicações no periódico intitulado “Procedia –
Social and Behavioral Sciences” (16). Dentre os autores que estabelecem um maior
número de relações com outros pesquisadores, destacam-se Galankashi (6) e
Acquaye (5). No que concerne à perspectiva teórica, os estudos que mais chamam
atenção, são os que abordam sobre medida de desempenho (14) e Estratégia verde
(10). Dentre os tipos de pesquisa mais comuns, mostraram-se mais presentes as de
caráter quantitativo (38) e o uso da técnica de matriz ou super matriz (8). O uso da
pesquisa bibliográfica (27) e do questionário (11) predomina quando se trata dos
procedimentos de coleta, o que é compreensível em discussões teóricas (26).Trabalho não financiado por agência de fomento, ou autofinanciad
Modelling heterogeneity to estimate the ex ante value of biotechnology innovations
No full textAfter more than a decade of GM crops, literature reports farmers and consumers can gain significantly from the technology, despite the intellectual property rights assigned to the innovator. In this paper we assess the effect of heterogeneity on this distribution of benefits. A two dimensional framework is created to assess the ex ante benefits of an innovation. Given this setting and the scarce data often available, a parametric modelling approach is taken. The two dimensions of heterogeneity, spatial and temporal, are explicitly modelled as they have a different importance for different technologies. Using this framework we can simulate different corporate pricing strategies and evaluate the benefits generated under changing heterogeneity. The framework is tested on the introduction of HT sugar beet in the EU-27.Heterogeneity, Parametric modelling, ex ante, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,
Lung Function Abnormalities in Sickle Cell Anaemia
No full textBackground. Abnormalities in lung function tests have been shown to commonly occur in a majority of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) even at steady state. The prevalence and pattern of these lung function abnormalities have been described in other populations but this is unknown among our sickle cell cohort. There is generally little information available on risk factors associated with the lung function abnormalities and its relevance in patient care. Method. This was an analytical cross-sectional study involving 76 clinically stable, hydroxyurea-naive adult Hb-SS participants and 76 nonsickle cell disease (non-SCD) controls. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic data and clinical history of the participants. Investigations performed included spirometry, pulse oximetry, tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRV) measurements via echocardiogram, complete blood counts, free plasma haemoglobin, serum urea, and creatinine. Results. Weight, BMI, mean FVC, and FEV1% predicted values were comparatively lower among the Hb-SS patients (p 0.05). The mean oxygen saturation was comparatively lower among Hb-SS patients (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Measured lung volumes were significantly lower in Hb-SS patients when compared to non-SCD controls and this difference was not influenced by anthropometric variance. Lung function abnormalities, particularly restrictive defects, are prevalent in Hb-SS patients but showed no significant association with recognized markers of disease severity
Conceptual design of a GIS-based land inventory model for urban informal settlement land management
No full textBibliography: leaves 77-82
Health System Governance for Injury Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries : a survey of policymakers and policy implementors
No full textPeer reviewe
Health system governance for injury care in low- and middle-income countries: a survey of policymakers and policy implementors
No full textIntroduction Good health system governance is essential for reducing high mortality and morbidity after injury in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Unfortunately, the current state of governance for injury care is not known. This study evaluated governance for injury care in Ghana, Pakistan, Rwanda and South Africa, four LMICs with diverse contexts, to allow understanding of similarities or difference in the status of governance systems in different LMICs.Method This cross-sectional study captured the perceptions of 220 respondents (31 policymakers and 189 policy implementers) on injury care governance using the framework for governance in health system developed by Siddiqi. Input was captured in 10 domains: strategic vision; participation and consensus; rule of law; transparency; responsiveness; equity and inclusion; effectiveness and efficiency; accountability; intelligence and information; and ethics.Result The median injury care governance score across all domains and countries was 29% (IQR 17–43). The highest median score was achieved in the rule of law (50, 33–67), and the lowest scores were seen in the transparency (0, 0–33), accountability (0, 0–33), and participation and consensus (0, 0–33) domains. Median scores were higher for policymakers (33, 27–48) than for policy implementers (27, 17–42), but the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusion The four studied countries have developed some of the foundations of good injury care governance, although many governance domains require more attention. The gap in awareness between policymakers and policy implementers might reflect a delayed or partial implementation of policies or lack of communication between sectors. Ensuring equitable access to injury care across LMICs requires investment in all domains of good injury care governance
Methodology for the Design of Innovative Products in the Military Context With a Circular Economy Approach: Case Study Applied to the Construction of a Charging System Using Alternative Energies for Batteries in the Colombian National Army
No full textCurrently, research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) in military environments has become an increasingly common practice, aimed at achieving technological
independence, strengthening operational capabilities, and obtaining strategic advantages using cutting-edge technologies. However, many of these initiatives still follow linear production models that prioritize functionality and operational performance, without sufficiently considering the associated environmental impacts, resource efficiency, or circularity in the design, manufacturing, use, and final disposal of products.
This situation represents an even greater challenge in conservative institutional contexts, with low openness to collaborative innovation and restricted by factors such as military hierarchy, limited access to information, operational security, and low staff participation in co-creation processes. Faced with this challenge, this research proposes the design and implementation of a Methodology for the Design of Innovative Products in the Military Context with a CE Approach.
The proposal integrates principles of circularity into the development of military innovation artifacts, actively incorporating user participation as a central axis of the process. Its purpose is to contribute to the transition toward sustainable production models that reduce environmental impact and waste generation and optimize operating costs. As a basis, a Systematic Literature Review SLR was conducted between January 1, 2013, and February 19, 2025, analyzing more than 6,200 indexed articles, which addressed key concepts of the CE, its levels of application (micro, meso, and macro), the R0–R9 strategies, barriers to its implementation, its relationship with innovation, and its links to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a special emphasis on its adoption within the armed forces at the international level. This was complemented by a search of gray literature to identify product reference frameworks in industry with a CE approach, which provided an important conceptual basis for adapting the methodology proposed by the author.
Subsequently, the methodology was designed, articulating two contemporary reference frameworks, selected and taken as the basis for the original proposal of this research: the Circular Product Design and Development, developed by CIRCit Workbook 3, and the Circular Product Design Framework, proposed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and IDEO.
The methodology’s philosophy is based on ecocentrism, and it adapts the tools proposed in both frameworks to the military context, also incorporating complementary elements that are essential to ensure its successful application within the Armed Forces. Finally, preliminary validation of the model was carried out with several Colombian Army research centers, as well as its practical application in the design and testing of a functional prototype charger with alternative energies, aimed at facilitating the transition from the use of primary to secondary batteries within the military institution. The results suggest a projected positive impact in terms of sustainability, energy efficiency, and reduction of electronic waste in the logistical-operational context, as well as representing a reliable charging alternative for devices used by troops in operations.Doctorad
