Disaster Loses in the Developing World: Evidence from the August 1999 Earthquake in Turkey

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of a natural disaster on a developing country’s economy. In that sense, we look at the impact of August 1999 earthquake in Turkey on two important macroeconomic indicators of the Turkish economy (Real Output and Employment) with recovery policies followed by the government and international donors. Our results indicate that the earthquake had a significant immediate negative impact on both output and employment growth in Turkey. While output growth reverted back to its predisaster pattern after the initial shock, employment growth did not recover. The earthquake had both a short run and long run influence on the Turkish economy. This study will develop understanding of the possible effects of future earthquakes. Also, it will help the Turkish Government evaluate already-applied mitigation measures (like Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool etc.) and guide the preparation for forthcoming disasters since scientists have reached a consensus that a major earthquake is expected in Istanbul.

Measuring the Regional Economic Response to Hurricane Katrina

Naturkatastrophe; Sturm; Makroökonomischer Einfluss; USA

A Quantile Regression Approach to Measuring the Educational Effect on Body Mass Index

Background: By use of a publically available database, the effects of education and geography on obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI) were evaluated with a quantile regression approach. The focus of the analysis was on the practical interpretation of the regression results to inform health policy decision makers about the importance of educational attainment for the growing public health issue of obesity in the US, particularly in the Southeast. Methods: With data from the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), quantile regressions were employed to estimate the educational effect on BMI while controlling for relevant lifestyle, socioeconomic, geographic, and demographic factors. Results: The findings indicate that education is important, for college graduates have lower BMIs, regardless of their relative weight distribution. Persons with college educations and annual incomes of more than $50,000 had lower BMIs than those without college education and lower income. Also, after controlling for relevant lifestyle, socioeconomic, and demographic factors such as physical activity, education, and income, regional variations are evident. There are higher BMI levels in the South as compared to other regions in the US. Conclusions: For obesity, there are underlying causes and contributing factors, such as educational attainment and the related factor, income, that are not always considered as high priorities for addressing obesity issues. The focus has typically been on lifestyle choices, such as eating habits and physical activity. The present findings promote efforts for ensuring college education for young people to address various public health issues, including obesity. Further, econometric analysis of secondary databases could lead to a better understanding for policy makers in regard to allocation of resources to address educational attainment, recognizing its effect on public health issues such as obesity

Sequences of complete human cytomegalovirus genomes from infected cell cultures and clinical specimens

We have assessed two approaches to sequencing complete human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genomes (236 kbp) in DNA extracted from infected cell cultures (strains 3157, HAN13, HAN20 and HAN38) or clinical specimens (strains JP and 3301). The first approach involved amplifying genomes from the DNA samples as overlapping PCR products, sequencing these by the Sanger method, acquiring reads from a capillary instrument and assembling these using the Staden programs. The second approach involved generating sequence data from the DNA samples by using an Illumina Genome Analyzer (IGA), processing the filtered reads by reference-independent (de novo) assembly, utilizing the resulting sequence to direct reference-dependent assembly of the same data and finishing by limited PCR sequencing. Both approaches were successful. In particular, the investigation demonstrated the utility of IGA data for efficiently sequencing genomes from clinical samples containing as little as 3 % HCMV DNA. Analysis of the genome sequences obtained showed that each of the strains grown in cell culture was a mutant. Certain of the mutations were shared among strains from independent clinical sources, thus suggesting that they may have arisen in a common ancestor during natural infection. Moreover, one of the strains (JP) sequenced directly from a clinical specimen was mutated in two genes, one of which encodes a proposed immune-evasion function, viral interleukin-10. These observations imply that HCMV mutants exist in human infections

Weight management interventions in adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity: a systematic review of the evidence

o evaluate the clinical effectiveness of weight management interventions in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and obesity using recommendations from current clinical guidelines for the first line management of obesity in adults. Full papers on lifestyle modification interventions published between 1982 to 2011 were sought by searching the Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. Studies were evaluated based on 1) intervention components, 2) methodology, 3) attrition rate 4) reported weight loss and 5) duration of follow up. Twenty two studies met the inclusion criteria. The interventions were classified according to inclusion of the following components: behaviour change alone, behaviour change plus physical activity, dietary advice or physical activity alone, dietary plus physical activity advice and multi-component (all three components). The majority of the studies had the same methodological limitations: no sample size justification, small heterogeneous samples, no information on randomisation methodologies. Eight studies were classified as multi-component interventions, of which one study used a 600 kilocalorie (2510 kilojoule) daily energy deficit diet. Study durations were mostly below the duration recommended in clinical guidelines and varied widely. No study included an exercise program promoting 225–300 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity per week but the majority of the studies used the same behaviour change techniques. Three studies reported clinically significant weight loss (≥ 5%) at six months post intervention. Current data indicate weight management interventions in those with ID differ from recommended practice and further studies to examine the effectiveness of multi-component weight management interventions for adults with ID and obesity are justified

From early markers to neuro-developmental mechanisms of autism

A fast growing field, the study of infants at risk because of having an older sibling with autism (i.e. infant sibs) aims to identify the earliest signs of this disorder, which would allow for earlier diagnosis and intervention. More importantly, we argue, these studies offer the opportunity to validate existing neuro-developmental models of autism against experimental evidence. Although autism is mainly seen as a disorder of social interaction and communication, emerging early markers do not exclusively reflect impairments of the “social brain”. Evidence for atypical development of sensory and attentional systems highlight the need to move away from localized deficits to models suggesting brain-wide involvement in autism pathology. We discuss the implications infant sibs findings have for future work into the biology of autism and the development of interventions

ANL Technical Support Program for DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. Annual report, October 1990--September 1991

This report provides an overview of progress during FY 1991 for the Technical Support Program that is part of the ANL Technology Support Activity for DOE, Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM). The purpose is to evaluate, before hot start-up of the Defenses Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) and the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP), factors that are likely to affect glass reaction in an unsaturated environment typical of what may be expected for the candidate Yucca Mountain repository site. Specific goals for the testing program include the following: (1) to review and evaluate available information on parameters that will be important in establishing the long-term performance of glass in a repository environment; (2) to perform testing to further quantify the effects of important variables where there are deficiencies in the available data; and (3) to initiate long-term testing that will bound glass performance under a range of conditions applicable to repository disposal