Suchergebnisse

Women empowerment through education process is the key element for the national development by providing basic resources & facilities. Every country has taken systemic initiatives for the development of girls' education at all levels, to empower women, Pakistan has also started number of motivational steps for girls' education especially in Sindh. Consequently government of Sindh has taken numerous initiatives to promote girls' education, in this connection girls' stipend program started was from 2001 for girls' students studying from VI to X level in public schools of Sindh. Keeping in view, the primary purpose of this study was to know the effectiveness of girls' stipend program in public schools of Sindh on the enrollment , attendance of girls , encouragement of parents' motivational & interest level of parents' towards continuity of education process as per the perception of head teachers . Current study was descriptive in nature and quantitative by method. Population of this study was all head teachers of elementary, middle and secondary schools of Sindh. Targeted population of this study was all head teachers of elementary, middle and secondary schools of district Shaheed Benazir Abad. Seventy percent head teachers of elementary, middle and secondary schools was selected by convenient random sampling from the targeted population of the study. Questionnaire with five points Likert scale was developed for exploring the perception of head teachers' about effectiveness of girls' stipend program. Data was analyzed by the help of percentage. Findings of this study identified that girls' stipend program proved as motivational factor for the enrolment, attendance, continuity and encouragement of parents and for girls who were studying in 6th to10th classes in public schools.

OBJECTIVES: Solomon Islands (SI) mandated wheat flour fortification in 2010. Rice is a key staple food in SI, and its fortification may provide an opportunity to deliver additional micronutrients to the population. The objective was to determine whether fortified rice (proposed) and fortified wheat flour potentially benefit women of reproductive age (WRA). METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2012–2013 Household Income and Expenditure Survey to quantify food purchases, which served as a proxy for food consumption. We accounted for varied household composition by using adult male equivalent (AME) adjustments. RESULTS: Among 4478 households, 95.6% purchased rice and 86.6% purchased at least 1 food containing fortified wheat flour in the previous 14 days. Median apparent intake of rice among WRA was 205 g/d/AME. If fortified according to proposed standards, this apparent intake could result in the consumption of 12.3 mg iron/d, fulfilling 44% of the estimated average requirement (EAR), and 226 µg folic acid/d, satisfying 57% of World Health Organization's recommended intake of 400 µg/d. Overall, apparent rice consumption could fulfill 113%, 114%, and 131% of the EAR for WRA for zinc, thiamin, and niacin, respectively. Fortified wheat flour was consumed in much lower quantities, with an estimated apparent median intake of 22 g/d/AME among WRA and 78 g/d/AME among women in urban populations. CONCLUSIONS: The potential benefit of fortified wheat flour in SI is likely limited to urban populations. Apparent consumption of fortified rice in SI could contribute considerably to daily intake of iron, B vitamins including folic acid, and zinc among WRA. FUNDING SOURCES: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Government of Australia.

BACKGROUND: The increase in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) severely hampers tuberculosis prevention and control in China, a country with the second highest MDR-TB burden globally. The first nationwide drug-resistant tuberculosis surveillance program provides an opportunity to comprehensively investigate the epidemiological/drug-resistance characteristics, potential drug-resistance mutations, and effective population changes of Chinese MDR-TB. METHODS: We sequenced 357 MDR strains from 4600 representative tuberculosis-positive sputum samples collected during the survey (70 counties in 31 provinces). Drug-susceptibility testing was performed using 18 anti-tuberculosis drugs, representing the most comprehensive drug-resistance profile to date. We used 3 statistical and 1 machine-learning methods to identify drug-resistance genes/single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We used Bayesian skyline analysis to investigate changes in effective population size. RESULTS: Epidemiological/drug-resistance characteristics showed different MDR profiles, co-resistance patterns, preferred drug combination/use, and recommended regimens among 7 Chinese administrative regions. These factors not only reflected the serious multidrug co-resistance and drug misuse but they were also potentially significant in facilitating the development of appropriate regimens for MDR-TB treatment in China. Further investigation identified 86 drug-resistance genes/intergenic regions/SNPs (58 new), providing potential targets for MDR-TB diagnosis and treatment. In addition, the effective population of Chinese MDR-TB displayed a strong expansion during 1993–2000, reflecting socioeconomic transition within the country. The phenomenon of expansion was restrained after 2000, likely attributable to the advances in diagnosis/treatment technologies and government support. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide an important reference and improved understanding of MDR-TB in China, which are potentially significant in achieving the goal of precision medicine ...

BACKGROUND: The medical management of chronic respiratory diseases becomes more difficult with the increase in the rate of the elderly population. Monitoring and treating chronic respiratory diseases at home are more comfortable for both the patient and their relatives. Therefore, countries need to develop policies regarding home health services (HHS) according to the state of their social, cultural, and financial infrastructure. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to show the role and contribution of hospital-based HHS regarding respiratory disorders, and to evaluate the model and its efficiency. STUDY DESIGN: The design of this study was cross-sectional. Data were obtained from the Ministry of Health of Turkey with official permission. Data were collected for HHS concerning respiratory diseases between 2011 and 2017. Age and sex distribution, the number of recorded patients, the number of visits for pulmonary diseases, the distribution of institutional visits, and the quantitative alterations within the years were investigated. STUDY POPULATION: The study population was based on patients with respiratory disorders who were given HHS as directed by the Ministry of Health of Turkey. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2017, the majority of patients with pulmonary diseases, mostly those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and lung cancer, visited government hospitals (78%). The number of house visits concerning pulmonary disorders increased nearly ten times, but hospitalization due to respiratory diseases decreased (13.5% in 2011 to 12.9% in 2017). CONCLUSION: Hospital-based HHS in pulmonary diseases can be considered as an appropriate model for implementation for countries like Turkey, those that have inadequate hospice-type health service infrastructure.

BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) and its consequences have strained the resources of health, social, and criminal justice services in the Cincinnati region. However, understanding of the potential number of people suffering from OUD is limited. Little robust and reliable information quantifies the prevalence and there is often great variation between individual estimates of prevalence. In other fields such as meteorology, finance, sports, and politics, model averaging is commonly employed to improve estimates and forecasts. The objective of this study was to apply a model averaging approach to estimate the number of individuals with OUD in the Cincinnati region. METHODS: Three individual probabilistic simulation models were developed to estimate the number of OUD individuals in the Cincinnati Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA). The models used counts of overdose deaths, non-fatal overdoses, and treatment admissions as benchmark data. A systematic literature review was performed to obtain the multiplier data for each model. The three models were averaged to generate single estimate and confidence band of the prevalence of OUD. RESULTS: This study estimated 15 067 (SE 1556) individuals with OUD in the Cincinnati CBSA (2 165 139 total population). Based on these results, we estimate the prevalence of OUD to be between 13 507 (0.62% of population) and 16 620 (0.77% of population). CONCLUSIONS: The method proposed herein has been shown in diverse fields to mitigate some of the uncertainty associated with reliance on a single model. Further, the simplicity of the method described is easily replicable by community health centers, first-responders, and social services to estimate capacity needs supported by OUD estimates for the region they serve.

This paper works to examine and determine a relationship or association between unmet need from disability and depressive symptoms in older adults. The older adult population is extremely vulnerable to deteriorating quality of life in the presence of unmet need or disability. Older adults are significant members of the population and deserve the right to a healthy, positive quality of life. Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) provided quantitative data for both unmet need and depressive symptoms for beneficiaries of Medicare. The data was processed using descriptive statistics and basic statistical analysis. Dividing up data into subpopulations based on their unmet need and depressive symptoms across time points allowed the team to understand how the behaviors of the participants changed over time. The results of this analysis showed that those with a higher unmet need due to disability score also show more depressive symptoms. The data suggest that depressive symptoms and disability in adults are closely associated. Currently, there are several forms of governance helping this population out with basic needs, but there is substantial room for improvement. The results of this study have the potential to spread awareness and amend government policies to provide older adults with the services they need. ; This report was composed as the final assignment for Dr. Nikki Lewis in the spring 2019 UH-4504 Honors Topics in Discovery and Innovation Studios course titled, "Big Data, Natural Disasters, and Elder Care". This report is a learning object and should not be treated as a peer-reviewed article on the topic.

A crucial prerequisite for the success of development interventions is their uptake by the targeted population. We use the set-up of interventions conducted in Indonesia and Pakistan to investigate dis-/incentivising factors for a programme's uptake and support. Making use of a framework grounded on psychological theory - The Theory of Planned Behaviour - we consider three determinants for intervention uptake: personal attitudes; subjective norms (influenced by important others); and the perceived ease of performing the desired behaviour. As most development interventions are characterised by a cooperation between local and international agents, we investigate a potentially important dis-/incentivising factor further: the salience of the implementer's background. Our findings show that attitudes, subjective norms, and ease of use are indeed associated with increased uptake in our two culturally different settings. Conducting a framed field experiment in Indonesia, we go on to show that the study population in the Acehnese context exhibits higher levels of support for the project if the participation of international actors is highlighted. We find that previous experience with the respective actor is pivotal. To strengthen supportive behaviour by the target population for locally led projects, it is essential to foster local capabilities to create positive experiences. Hence, our results encourage development research and cooperation, first, to consider personal attitudes, subjective norms, and the perceived ease of use in the design of interventions in order to increase uptake. Second, and depending on the country context, implementers should consider previous experience with and attitude towards partners - either local or international - when aiming to achieve behavioural change.

Nashville's identity, at least to an outsider's eye, is inextricably linked to its musical heritage. But quite apart from its lyrical inclinations, Music City USA also has history of corruption scandals, countered by grassroots efforts of its citizenry to push for a more open and transparent government. The recent corruption charges against ex-Mayor Megan Barry and the "Do Better" law passed at the end of 2018 perfectly exemplify these dueling motifs of corruption and public integrity activism. Nashville was founded in 1779 under the name of Fort Nashborough. In 1806, Nashville was granted a charter by the Tennessee legislature and held its first mayor elections, with Joseph Coleman becoming the first mayor of the city. In 1843 Nashville became the permanent capital of Tennessee. From the middle of the 19th century and through War World II, Nashville expanded quickly into a commercial and industrial hub, taking advantage of its position on the Cumberland River. Its population grew rapidly, from a little under 7,000 inhabitants in 1840 to over 150,000 by the start of World War II. After World War II, Nashville struggled with an all too common problem facing U.S. cities at the time: an exodus of residents to the surrounding suburbs. As the population of the surrounding Davidson County swelled, Nashville's population shrank and its tax revenue dwindled. Faced with a shrinking tax base and unpopular attempts to raise tax revenue, Nashville officials worked with Davidson County officials to unite the two municipalities under one single charter. After a failed attempt in 1958, Nashville and Davidson County residents finally approved the charter on June 28, 1962 and the Metropolitan government was formed.

Este artigo analisa o estado nutricional durante o período entre guerras. Estuda o caso da Itália fascista (1922-1939). Como um indicador do bem-estar biológico das populações, os dados sobre a altura dos recrutas militares constituem a principal fonte de estudo. Os resultados revelam que, ao contrário do que aconteceu com outras ditaduras europeias, as condições de saúde e nutrição das populações masculinas italianas melhoraram durante o período de Mussolini. Embora os salários reais das classes trabalhadoras tenham diminuído desde meados dos anos 1920, o progresso das condições sanitárias e epidemiológicas – declínio da mortalidade infantil e das doenças infeciosas – e o desenvolvimento de um estado social incipiente em aspetos básicos, como a saúde, a educação e as pensões, contribuíram para melhorar o bem-estar biológico da população italiana, especialmente na década de 1920. This article analyses the nutritional status during the interwar period. It studies the fascist Italian period (1922-1940). As an indicator of the biological well-being of the populations, the height data of the military replacements constitutes the main source of study. The results reveal that, contrary to other European dictatorships, the health and nutrition conditions of Italian male populations improved during the Mussolini period. Although the real wages of the working classes decreased since the mid-twenties, the progress of health and epidemiological conditions -decline in the infant mortality and infectious diseases-, and the development of an incipient social state in basic factors such as health, education and pensions, contributed to improve the biological well-being of the Italian population as a whole, especially in the 1920´s.

A B S T R A KTransparansi informasi keuangan merupakan bentuk pertanggungjawaban pemerintah terhadap publik atas pengelolaan keuangan daerah. Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi transparansi informasi keuangan pemerintah daerah melalui website pemerintah daerah. Variabel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu tingkat pendidikan, jumlah penduduk, dan opini audit. Penelitian ini menggunakan sampel 35 kabupaten/kota di Provinsi Jawa Tengah. Metode analisis data yang digunakan ialah analisis regresi linear berganda. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan variabel jumlah penduduk memiliki pengaruh negatif tidak signifikan, sedangkan variabel tingkat pendidikan dan opini audit memiliki pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap transparansi informasi keuangan pemerintah daerah di Provinsi Jawa Tengah.Kata Kunci: Transparansi Informasi Keuangan, Tingkat Pendidikan, Jumlah Penduduk, Opini Audit, Pemerintah Daerah. A B S T R A C TTransparency of financial information is a form of government accountability to the public over regional financial management. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that influence the transparency of local government financial information through the local government website. The variables used in this study are education level, number of population, and audit opinion. This study uses a sample of 35 districts / cities in Central Java Province. The data analysis method used is multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that the variable number of population has a non-significant negative effect, while the education level variable and audit opinion have a positive and significant influence on the transparency of financial information of local governments in Central Java Province.Keywords: Transparency Of Financial Information, Education Level, Number Of Population, Audit Opinion, Local Government.

This Public Expenditure Review (PER) is the first for Namibia's health sector. Namibia is an upper-middle income country that has made major progress in improving the standard of living for its population and reducing poverty. Still, with one of the highest Gini coefficients in the world, the society is highly unequal. In addition, the size of Namibia, combined with a low population density, makes it challenging for the health sector to provide universal access to quality health services across the country. The recent economic downturn has put fiscal pressure on the government and heightened the need for spending efficiency. Although government spending on health has been consistently close to the Abuja target of 15 percent, health outcomes are poor. The country faces a double burden of both communicable and non-communicable disease (NCDs), with high HIV/AIDS, stunting and maternal mortality rates that predominately affect the poor, and an increasing prevalence in non-communicable diseases that will contribute to costly treatments and growing health expenditures in the future. The Namibian government is committed to improve health outcomes. Namibia's 5th National Development Plan (NDP5) for 2017-2022 aims to provide access to quality health care for its population, to increase Health Adjusted Life Expectancy (HALE) from currently 59 to 67.5 years, and to reduce mortality for mothers and children. To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has identified three strategic pillars for the health sector: (i) people's wellbeing; (ii) operational excellence; and (iii) talent management. This health PER identifies several areas for the Namibian government to address in view of its goals.

Background: The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of the Tibet Autonomous Region (hereinafter "Tibet") is still five times higher than the national average. This study aims to identify the successes and pitfalls of the health system that might be related to the high mortality rate based on the WHO health system building blocks, focusing on human resources for health and health infrastructure and the impact on maternal health and outcomes. Methods: Sources of information include China's central government and Tibet's local government policies and regulations, health statistical yearbooks, maternal and child health routine reporting system, and English and Chinese online research articles. Joinpoint analysis was applied for MMR and maternal health service trends, and correlation test was used to test the relationship between maternal health services and outcomes. Results: Between 2000 and 2015, public health spending in Tibet increased 67-fold, the hospital delivery rate increased 70.1%, and the MMR dropped from 466.9 to 100.1 per 100,000 live births. However, the total number of health workers, qualified medical doctors, and registered nurses per 1,000 people were 4.4, 1.4, and 1.0, respectively, much lower than the national average (5.8, 1.8, and 2.4). In Tibet, there were 80 basic and 16 comprehensive emergency obstetric care (EOC) centers. On average, there were 12 basic and 2.5 comprehensive EOC centers per 500,000 of the population. Though it met the WHO's recommendation, it might remain inadequate in the low population density of the area like Tibet. Conclusion: The shortage of health professionals and EOC centers and health information in predominantly remote rural areas with a scattered population still needs to be rectified

ZIKA virus (ZIKAV) outbreak in Latin America was associated with international concerns of ZIKAV circulation. The lack of vaccine and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs against this virus rendered prevention as the single most effective method to control its spread. Hence, this study aimed to assess Jordanian population knowledge, attitude, and practices toward ZIKAV and its prevention. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to adults in Amman, Jordan. The overall knowledge of participants was poor (mean knowledge score of 13.7/32). Between 75% and 86% of the respondents did not know the highest risk group of ZIKAV infection, its complications, and the major routes of transmission. About 40% of the population did not know that ZIKAV is sexually transmitted. Only 40% of the population believed that prevention measures are effective. Female gender, working in the medical field, having children, and the source of medical information were associated with significantly higher level of knowledge (R(2) = 0.143, P-value < 0.0001). Being pregnant, however, was not associated with a significantly high knowledge score. Physician recommendations and government's role were the most important predictors of practices toward ZIKAV prevention. Of the 14 returnees from outbreak areas, only six were tested for ZIKAV on coming back and only three continued the use of prevention measures for a sufficient time. Therefore, formulation of a national health policy, preparedness plans against any potential transmission, and organization of educational campaigns to meet the population's health educational needs are required. Special emphasis should be placed on pregnant women and travelers to/returnees from ZIKAV-affected areas.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record ; The European City Fish project aimed to develop a generic methodology for ecological risk assessment for urban rivers. Since traditional methods only consider a small fraction of substances present in the water cycle, biological effect monitoring is required for a more reliable assessment of the pollution status. A major challenge for environmental risk assessment (ERA) is the application of adverse outcome pathways (AOP), i.e. the linking of pollutant exposure via early molecular and biochemical changes to physiological effects and, ultimately, effects on populations and ecosystems. We investigated the linkage between responses at these different levels. Many AOP aspects were investigated, from external and internal exposure to different classes of micropollutants, via molecular key events (MKE) the impacts on organs and organisms (fish physiology), to changes in the population dynamics of fish. Risk assessment procedures were evaluated by comparing environmental quality standards, bioassay responses, biomarkers in caged and feral fish, and the impact on fish populations. Although no complete AOP was observed, indirect relationships linking pollutant exposure via MKE to impaired locomotion were demonstrated at the most polluted site near a landfill for chemical waste. The pathway indicated that several upstream key events requiring energy for stress responses and toxic defence are likely to converge at a single common MKE: increased metabolic demands. Both fish biomarkers and the bioanalytical SIMONI strategy are valuable indicators for micropollutant risks to fish communities. ; City of Amsterdam ; European Union ; Waternet Institute for the Urban Water Cycle, Amsterdam

Abstract─ Human capital is one of the most important components in national defense because it includes the availability of manpower. Countries with large populations tend to rank higher in terms of defense forces. The population of Indonesia estimated to increase by 305.6 million in 2035 and will dominated by people in productive age. This period is referred as the demographic bonus and it is an opportunity to accelerate development, especially in the areas of both military and non-military defense. This study aims to analyze strategies owned by Indonesia, India and China in utilizing demographic dividend to develop national defense. The method used in this research is qualitative research method with comparative analysis. Research data obtained through primary data analysis and secondary data analysis and interview. The results show that China and India are better in preparation to face the demographic transition and to take advantage of the demographic bonus period to build national defense. India has the National Skill Development Council and National Skill Development Agency as coordinator who responsible for improving the productivity and skill of the population. India's strategy include developing taskforce for defense reform, developing Civil Defense Policy of the Government of India, improving defense technology, and training elite forces. Furthermore, the strategy undertaken by China is to develop National Military Objectives (NMOs), and The National Military Strategic Concepts (NMSC) through the use of resources called National Military Resources (NMR). While Indonesia focused on the empowerment of human resources as a supporting component in national defense through the development of the awareness of nationalism and patriotismKeywords: national defense, demographic dividend, strategy, human capital