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The dried endosperm of the seed of Phytelephas sp is widely used for artisanal work in the Amazon region due to its favorable mechanical properties and pleasant appearance that resemble elephant ivory. While the seeds have enjoyed popularity and limited use by selected industries (e.g., military uniform buttons and piano keys) and handicraft applications, little is known about the mechanical properties and structure of this sustainable material. This work is the first to characterize the dried Jarina endosperm and to investigate its functionality as a viable substitute for elephant ivory. Structural analysis of typical seeds reveals the prevalence of tubules that align in rings and radiate from the (usually hollow) core of the seed. This seed, in the absence of a reinforcement structure or mineral phase, possesses mechanical properties slightly inferior to elephant ivory and selected plastics, while retaining the visual appeal of a naturally occurring material. A synthetic structure inspired on the seed is created and suggestions for further development are discussed.

The dried endosperm of the seed of Phytelephas sp is widely used for artisanal work in the Amazon region due to its favorable mechanical properties and pleasant appearance that resemble elephant ivory. While the seeds have enjoyed popularity and limited use by selected industries (e.g., military uniform buttons and piano keys) and handicraft applications, little is known about the mechanical properties and structure of this sustainable material. This work is the first to characterize the dried Jarina endosperm and to investigate its functionality as a viable substitute for elephant ivory. Structural analysis of typical seeds reveals the prevalence of tubules that align in rings and radiate from the (usually hollow) core of the seed. This seed, in the absence of a reinforcement structure or mineral phase, possesses mechanical properties slightly inferior to elephant ivory and selected plastics, while retaining the visual appeal of a naturally occurring material. A synthetic structure inspired on the seed is created and suggestions for further development are discussed.

The compendium presents structured information on key facts of these four domains from 27 EU MS/AC that participated in the InRoad consultation from May to June 2017. The countries include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The key country facts comprise the domains 1) roadmapping and 2) funding, which are presented in the main section of the compendium. The country facts regarding detailed information on 3) evaluation and monitoring as well as 4) national RI embedment are organised in the annex. The information from the first two domains is primarily retrieved from the InRoad consultation that was answered mainly by policy makers and funders. For the domains 3) evaluation and monitoring as well as 4) national RI embedment, consultation information was complemented by information collected during direct phone contacts and publicly available information.

Background International studies of the health of Indigenous and tribal peoples provide important public health insights. Reliable data are required for the development of policy and health services. Previous studies document poorer outcomes for Indigenous peoples compared with benchmark populations, but have been restricted in their coverage of countries or the range of health indicators. Our objective is to describe the health and social status of Indigenous and tribal peoples relative to benchmark populations from a sample of countries. Methods Collaborators with expertise in Indigenous health data systems were identified for each country. Data were obtained for population, life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, low and high birthweight, maternal mortality, nutritional status, educational attainment, and economic status. Data sources consisted of governmental data, data from non-governmental organisations such as UNICEF, and other research. Absolute and relative differences were calculated. Findings Our data (23 countries, 28 populations) provide evidence of poorer health and social outcomes for Indigenous peoples than for non-Indigenous populations. However, this is not uniformly the case, and the size of the rate difference varies. We document poorer outcomes for Indigenous populations for: life expectancy at birth for 16 of 18 populations with a difference greater than 1 year in 15 populations; infant mortality rate for 18 of 19 populations with a rate difference greater than one per 1000 livebirths in 16 populations; maternal mortality in ten populations; low birthweight with the rate difference greater than 2% in three populations; high birthweight with the rate difference greater than 2% in one population; child malnutrition for ten of 16 populations with a difference greater than 10% in five populations; child obesity for eight of 12 populations with a difference greater than 5% in four populations; adult obesity for seven of 13 populations with a difference greater than 10% in four populations; educational attainment for 26 of 27 populations with a difference greater than 1% in 24 populations; and economic status for 15 of 18 populations with a difference greater than 1% in 14 populations. Interpretation We systematically collated data across a broader sample of countries and indicators than done in previous studies. Taking into account the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we recommend that national governments develop targeted policy responses to Indigenous health, improving access to health services, and Indigenous data within national surveillance systems.