Comparison of drug use and psychiatric morbidity between prostitute and non-prostitute female drug users in Glasgow, Scotland

Aims: To compare psychiatric morbidity between 176 female drug users with lifetime involvement in prostitution (prostitutes) and 89 female drug users with no involvement (non-prostitutes) in Glasgow, Scotland. Method: The Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R) measured current neurotic symptoms. Results: Prostitutes were more likely to report adult physical (OR 1.8) or sexual abuse (OR 2.4), to have attempted suicide (OR 1.7) and to meet criteria for current depressive ideas (OR 1.8) than non-prostitutes. Seventy-two percent of prostitutes and sixty-seven percent of non-prostitutes met criteria for a level of current neurotic symptoms likely to need treatment (CIS-R ≥18). Being in foster care (OR 8.9), being prescribed medication for emotional problems in the last 30 days (OR 7.7), adult sexual abuse (OR 4.5), poly drug use in the last 30 days (OR 3.6) and adult physical abuse (OR 2.6) were significantly associated with a CIS-R score of ≥18 for prostitutes using multiple logistic regression. Conclusions: Higher rates of adulthood abuse among prostitutes may explain the greater proportion of prostitutes than non-prostitutes meeting criteria for current depressive ideas and lifetime suicide attempts

Women in Governance and Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria,1999-2012

Democracy is a system of government that abhors gender segregation in politics. Also, it has been observed that contribution to development in any society is not gender discriminatory. Utilizing secondary data, the paper shows that although female of ages 20 and above constitute 50.10 percent of the nation’s population; their appointment into positions of authority is infinitesimal compared to their male counterpart of the same age. It reveals further that the dominance of male in the nation’s politics, and the low involvement of women in the election participation and their appointment into positions of authority have created the politics of “near-exclusion” of women in favour of their male counterpart in the past. It therefore recommends among others the integration of women into the political process in terms of their actual involvement in public policy formulation and implementation as basis for sustainable democracy and development in Nigeri

How does atmospheric circulation affect the diffusion of Covid-19 in polluted cities?

Abstract. This paper endeavors to explain how wind speed can affect the diffusion of COVID-19. The statistical analysis, based on data from Italy, suggests that high wind speed can reduce air pollution commingled with viral agents and as a consequence reduce infected individuals of COVID-19; moreover, results reveal that polluted cities with low wind speed have a greater number of infected individuals and total deaths also because of bad air quality. This study suggests the important role of atmospheric pollution and atmospheric circulation in the transmission dynamics of the novel Coronavirus to support appropriate environmental policy to reduce concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere, improving air quality and human health.Keywords. COVID-19, Air pollution, Environmental pollution, Wind speed, Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, Public health, Air quality, Environmental science.JEL. D81, D91, E71, G01, G41, H11, I18, Z18

Where Are We Now? Real-Time Estimates of the Macro Economy

This paper describes a method for calculating daily real-time estimates of the current state of the U.S. economy. The estimates are computed from data on scheduled U.S. macroeconomic announcements using an econometric model that allows for variable reporting lags, temporal aggregation, and other complications in the data. The model can be applied to find real-time estimates of GDP, inflation, unemployment or any other macroeconomic variable of interest. In this paper I focus on the problem of estimating the current level of and growth rate in GDP. I construct daily real-time estimates of GDP that incorporate public information known on the day in question. The real-time estimates produced by the model are uniquely-suited to studying how perceived developments the macro economy are linked to asset prices over a wide range of frequencies. The estimates also provide, for the first time, daily time series that can be used in practical policy decisions.

Where Are We Now? Real-time Estimates of the Macro Economy

This paper describes a method for calculating daily real-time estimates of the current state of the U.S. economy. The estimates are computed from data on scheduled U.S. macroeconomic announcements using an econometric model that allows for variable reporting lags, temporal aggregation, and other complications in the data. The model can be applied to find real-time estimates of GDP, inflation, unemployment or any other macroeconomic variable of interest. In this paper I focus on the problem of estimating the current level of and growth rate in GDP. I construct daily real-time estimates of GDP that incorporate public information known on the day in question. The real-time estimates produced by the model are uniquely-suited to studying how perceived developments the macro economy are linked to asset prices over a wide range of frequencies. The estimates also provide, for the first time, daily time series that can be used in practical policy decisions.Keywords: Real-time data, Kalman Filtering, Forecasting GDP

The use of social media in EU policy communication and implications for the emergence of a European public sphere

Cohesion policy is the European Union’s (EU) main investment policy and seeks to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion. While accomplishments in this regard are constantly measured, European citizens are not always aware of the policy’s impact and the role the EU plays therein. This is especially relevant as the communication of EU policies is central to the emergence of a European public sphere, an acknowledged condition for European integration. In this paper, we aim at advancing research in this regard through the analysis of cohesion policy communication on the social media channels of ten Local Managing Authorities (LMAs) responsible for managing and communicating structural funds at the local level. By building on a bottom-up construction of shared meaning structures through semi-automatic analysis techniques, we make the following three observations: first, social media communication is indicative of "horizontal Europeanization"; second, Europeanization occurs both in the form of the spontaneous amalgamation of shared discontent expressed by citizens and the institutionalization of top-down EU communication measures adopted by LMAs; and third, a cluster of topics articulated internationally and showcasing a negative attitude towards the EU funding scheme suggests that, counter-intuitively, Euroscepticism seems to facilitate the emergence of a European public sphere

Policy Options for Financing Urban Transportation in Resource Constrained Environments: The Case of Lahore, Pakistan

In all prosperous and modern economies, cities are the engines of growth and melting pots of diversely talented individuals. They offer inclusive environments with openness and access to opportunities, enabled by efficient and affordable transport systems leading to economically productive interaction between citizens. On the other hand, many cities in rapidly urbanising developing countries have not been able to develop efficient spatial structures, which results in traffic congestion and poor transport services. Their resource-constrained governments often struggle to fill gaps in transport infrastructure demand, which in the case of megacities requires mass transit projects. In the case of Lahore, Pakistan, however, the Provincial and Federal governments appear deeply committed to undertaking mass transit services despite chronic fiscal and financial constraints. The paper first explores Lahore’s urban form and function from the transportation and land-use perspectives, presenting an in-depth sub-city level analysis of spatial variations in key characteristics. Second, by undertaking a review of transport infrastructure financing literature it evaluates the viability of three main policy options in Lahore, including public private partnerships, municipal finance options and reforming urban land-use zoning. It concludes that governments in such environments could benefit from land-financing by utilising centrally located State-owned lands through market oriented land-use regulation reforms. JEL Classification: R11; R58; Z18; P25 Keywords: Regional Economic Activity, Regional Development Planning and Policy, Public Policy, Urban, Rural, and Regional Economic

Innovation management. Theory and practice

Z wyłączeniem rozdziałów V i VI autorstwa Anny Domańskiej

Optimization Solid Waste Management in Nablus Joint service council

The existing solid waste management system in Nablus Joint Service Council (JSC) is suffering from the absence on a real plan for collection waste from localities with a clear vehicle routes. Therefore, the total process of SWM is affected by; collected fees are not covering the real costs of SWM, and solid waste service revenues normally flow into a general municipal account. Although, about 41% of total solid waste management cost is related to waste collection (Load waste, Expenses waste disposal/Sirafi, and Expenses Landfill); high amount from this cost is related to fuel (16%). Currently, the daily transportation cost for one ton collected by Nablus JSC is 36,718.55 ILS. In this study, a dynamic waste management model is developed by a proposed liner algebra mathematical model using GAMS software program; to minimize the transportation cost of the SWM process for municipal solid waste management system for identifying optimal Waste-flow-allocation, and to assist decision makers to improve solid waste management in Nablus JSC-SWM. The model has two scenarios one for minimizing the transportations cost by identifying the best route to transfer solid waste to the nearest transfer station with in Nablus governorate (Al-Sirafi or Beta). The second scenario is to give the optimal route and cost incase a recycling process were done in both transfer stations Al-Sirafi and Beta before delivering the waste to its last distention in Zahret Al-Finjan landfill in Jenin. The modeling results are valuable for supporting the planning of Nablus JSC management practices. The total transportation costs for the current used system is 36,718.55 ILS / day while applying the first scenario of GAMS model the total daily transportation costs using two transfer station will be 32,718.94 ILS which means is only 12 % of the current used system with 3,946.03 ILS daily saving from costs. Although, the results show that applying the second scenario is the best by including a recycling and re-using processes in the two transfer stations (Beta and Al-Sirafi) before delivering the remaining solid waste after the recycling process to Zahret Al-Finjan land fill in Jenin. The second scenario will make the iv total daily transportation cost is only 17,871.94 ILS which leads to 51% reduction on the existing daily total transportation costs. In order to improve solid waste management in Nablus JSC and the served 24 local government units (LGUs), and to improve the solid waste management for the JSC’s surrounding localities the emerging conditions for the adoption and operation of the model need to be addressed through the main stakeholder collaborations under the umbrella of Ministry of Local government (MoLG) as a decision maker to encourage the solid waste sector participation and the development of technological innovations for solid waste management in Palestine.يعاني نظام إدارة النفايات الصلبة الموجود في مجلس الخدمات المشترك لإدارة النفايات الصلبة في محافظة نابلس كمعظم المجالس المشتركة لإدارة النفايات الصلبة في فلسطين من غياب خطة حقيقيه واضحة لآلية جمع و نقل النفايات من الهيئات المحلية التي يقدم لها المجلس المشترك خدمة إدارة النفايات وهي أربعة وعشرون هيئة محلية ضمن حدود محافظة نابلس. كما ولا يوجد خطة واضحة لمسار آليات المجلس المشترك لعملية جمع النفايات الصلبة. و لذلك، تتأثر العملية الكلية لإدارة النفايات الصلبة بنسبة الرسوم المحصلة من الهيئات والتي لا تغطي التكاليف الحقيقة لإدارة النفايات الصلبة من قبل المجلس المشترك هذا ويجدر الإشارة بأن معظم إيرادات خدمة إدارة النفايات الصلبة المدفوعة من المواطنين للهيئات المحلية تتدفق عادة في الحساب البنكي ً تخصيصها لتطوير خدمة إدارة النفايات العام للهيئات المحلية مما يجعل من الصعب أحيانا الصلبة في الهيئات المحلية أو مجلس الخدمات المشترك. كما يتم إنفاق ما معدله 41 ٪من إجمالي تكلفة إدارة النفايات الصلبة في مجلس خدمات نابلس على عملية جمع النفايات، و تحميلها وترحيل النفايات إلى محطة الترحيل في الصيرفي ونفقات مكب زهرة الفنجان ورسوم الطمر الصحي للنفايات الصلبة في مكب زهرة الفنجان. فيما تتراوح نسبة التكلفة المنفقة على وقود آليات المجلس المشترك 16 ٪من اجمالي تكلفة إدارة النفايات الصلبة ضمن مجلس خدمات محافظة نابلس في هذه الدراسة، تم تطوير نموذج إدارة النفايات الصلبة بواسطة نموذج رياضي مقترح باستخدام برنامج GAMS لتقليل تكلفة نقل و جمع النفايات الصلبة من خلال تحديد الآلية الأمثل لجمع النفايات الصلبة، ومساعدة صانعي القرار لتحسين إدارة النفايات الصلبة في مجلس الخدمات المشترك لإدارة النفايات الصلبة في محافظة نابلس. 87 تم استخدام البرمجة الخطية في النموذج المقترح بواسطة برنامج GAMS وتم اقتراح سيناريوهات عمل لإدارة النفايات الصلبة في مجلس خدمات محافظة نابلس. السيناريو الأول يهدف للتقليل من التكاليف المدفوعة لجمع و نقل النفايات الصلبة من 24 هيئة محلية إلى مكب زهرة الفنجان في محافظة جنين وذلك من خلال تحديد أفضل طريق لجمع و نقل النفايات الصلبة إلى أقرب محطة ً على بعد الهيئات ُ ترحيل في محافظة نابلس (محطة الصيرفي أو محطة بيتا) وذلك اعتمادا المحلية عن محطتي الترحيل. في حين أن السيناريو الثاني يعتمد على تقليل تكلفة نقل وجمع النفايات الصلبة بناء عملية إعادة استخدام لبعض ً على السيناريو الأول ولكن على أن تكون هنالك المواد القابلة للتدوير وا جلس المشترك في كل ٕ عادة استخدام لبعض النفايات المجموعة من قبل الم ً في من محطة بيتا ومحطة الصيرفي للترحيل قبل ارسال ما تبقي للمحطة النهائية ليطمر صحيا مكب زهرة الفنجان في محافظة جنين. تعتبر النتائج قيمة لدعم التخطيط لإدارة النفايات الصلبة في مجلس خدمات محافظة نابلس في حين أن مجموع تكاليف النقل اليومية للنظام الحالي المستخدم هي 55.718,36 شيكل اسرائيلي فقد أظهرت النتائج أنه في حال تطبيق السيناريو الأول من سيكون مجموع تكاليف النقل اليومية في حال استخدام محطتي ترحيل بيتا والصيرفي يكون 94.718,32 شيكل اسرائيلي وهو ما يعني ان السيناريو الأول سيعمل فقط على ما هو حوالي 12 ٪ فقط من تكاليف النظام الحالي المستخدم مع توفير يومي علي تكاليف النقل تبلغ 03.946,3 شيكل اسرائيلي.فيما قد بينت النتائج أن تطبيق السيناريو الثاني هو الأفضل في حال اعتماد السيناريو الأول بما يشمل إعادة التدوير وا النفايات الصلبة التي يتم ترحيلها لمحطتي ترحيل بيتا و الصيرفي قبل ترحيل ٕ عادة استخدام النفايات الصلبة المتبقية بعد عملية إعادة التدوير للطمر الصحي في مكب زهرة الفنجان في محافظة جنين. حيث أن إجمالي تكلفة النقل اليومي فقط 94.971,17 شيكل اسرائيلي الأمر الذي سيؤدي إلى تخفيض 51 ٪من إجمالي تكاليف النقل اليومية الحالية. وهذه النتائج تعني أنه حال تطبيق هذه الآلية في العمل سيتسنى للمجلس المشترك تقديم خدمة إدارة النفايات لعدد من الهيئات المحلية القريبة في المستقبل القريب. من أجل تحسين إدارة النفايات الصلبة في مجلس الخدمات المشترك لإدارة النفايات الصلبة في محافظة نابلس، وتحسين إدارة النفايات الصلبة للهيئات المحلية الاعضاء في المجلس المشترك و الهيئات المحلية القريبة والمحيطة فهنالك ضرورة ملحة لتعاون أصحاب المصلحة الرئيسيين تحت 88 مظلة وزارة الحكم المحلي باعتبارها صانع القرار الرئيس لإدارة النفايات على المستوي الوطني لتشجيع المشاركة في تطوير قطاع النفايات الصلبة وتطوير الابتكارات التكنولوجية لإدارة النفايات الصلبة في فلسطي

The Evaluation of Public Policies from the Perspective of the Agenda 21 of Culture: a Case Study

This research shows the results of the implementation of a public cultural policy at the municipal level and has as a main objective to evaluate, from the perspective of the agenda 21 of culture, the program "Art for social development" by the Municipal Institute of Art and Culture developed in a secondary-level boarding school located at the Topolobampo community, in the municipality of Ahome, Mexico. A QUAN-QUAL methodology was used with instruments like questionnaires applied to the young participants and interviews with the workshop facilitators and administrative staff. Guitar, painting and theatre workshops were given, through which the development of new artistic expression skills was achieved, as well as contributing to the strengthening of social behaviors such as tolerance, patience and interpersonal communication, among others. It was found the constant need of having permanent programs of integral training, both in the field of artistic training and socio-emotional, giving priority to groups at risk, such as students of the boarding school that mostly come from families of scarce resources, some of the low performance academic and aggressive behavior. The conclusion is that public policies are required to promote greater articulation of education and culture in order to have a stronger impact on the social and cultural inclusion of young people