Economic objectives, public sector deficits and macroeconomic stability in Zimbabwe

A fundamental macroeconomic problem in Zimbabwe is that the sum of public-sector projects is greater than the resources available to finance them. The government’s difficulty in discerning the macroeconomic limitations on new initiatives was greatly increased by the unusual circumstances of the first two years: a commodity boom; promises of more aid than eventually arrived; expectations of a peace dividend which did not come; initial high rates of economic growth; and initial low foreign debt. All of these circumstances created unrealistic expectations, concealing the probability that the government’s plans would be impossible to finance. The government was slow to react to expectations being disappointed. This created a debt problem. Drought and terms of trade shocks make things worse. No allowance is made for the likelihood of these shocks. The government is unwilling (or politically unable) to engage in fiscal adjustment, so the burden of adjustment is pushed on to the monetary authorities. Forced saving by the private sector enables greater domestic borrowing by the government, but this reduces private consumption. Uncertainty caused by the growing public-sector debt reduces private investment. The result is a further reduction in the growth rate. A macroeconomic model shows that the variable with greatest influence on overall growth is agricultural output. However, the budget deficit has an unambiguously negative impact on exports. It also reduces private welfare and worsens the distribution of income between high- and low-income earners by reducing private consumption and investment and therefore employment. In other words, some of the policies implemented after independence and aimed at redistributing resources or alleviating poverty have been unsuccessful, or have perverse effects, creating distortions which push the economy towards macroeconomic instability. In Zimbabwe the growth of government has become a drain on the economy, rather than a facilitator of economic growth and development.

Translation Research: Where are our Communities?

This is the Symposium\u27s Keynote presentation by Carolyn M. Jenkins, DrPH, MSN, RD, LD, FAAN, who is the Ann Darlington Edwards Endowed Chair in Nursing and a Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Dr. Jenkins reviews principles of CEnR (Community-engaged Research) with focus on CBPR (Community-based participatory research); describes community engagement in the context of research frameworks; explores methods for training academic and community members for CEnR; and reviews the Community Engaged Scholars Program and examples of CEnR and action

Transferable urban framework for adapting to sea rise

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. "February 2013."Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-166).Urban vulnerability to climate change is constantly increasing. Many coastal cities will need to begin sea rise mitigation efforts soon, and now is a critical time for architects to intervene in this process with good design that takes on the issue of sea rise in the city, not just as a problem but as an opportunity and catalyst for change. Data published in August 2012 revealed that the US East Coast is experiencing a rate of sea rise that is four times the global average. The city of Boston in particular has a high percentage of flood-prone areas due to the city's dramatic history of landmaking. Of all the neighborhoods comprising Boston, the often-overlooked neighborhood of East Boston is the most flood-prone. The project is site-specific in that it is sited in the context of East Boston, but the design methodology and synthesis of technologies serve as a prototype to be applied to any urban waterfront. This thesis project address the issue of sea rise in an urban context as a unique condition related to the construction a sustainable environment. In order to meet seemingly contradictory need for sea rise defense and capacity for future urban growth, the project reconsiders waterfront architecture as a new hybrid of architecture plus infrastructure as a means of building resilience and addressing scientific uncertainty. The project establishes a systematic approach to a layered buffer zone that mediates between the sea and the vulnerable urban fabric of East Boston. The buffer is conceived of as a framework for future development that balances energy collection, environmental enhancement, and social enrichment through the allocation of productive, inhabitable, and recreational spaces within a defensive landscape. Through careful orchestration and layering of multi-disciplinary sea rise mitigation tools, the designed framework projects a new future for the urban waterfront - one that promotes social as well as physical resilience and adaptability in an ever-changing coastal environment.by Carolyn Jenkins.M.Arch

The Effect of Payer Status on the Quality of Diabetes Care: Results from a REACH 2010 Project

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of payer status on indicators of the quality of diabetes care delivered in four health care systems that participated in a REACH Coalition’s efforts to eliminate health care disparities for African Americans with diabetes. Design and Methods: Secondary analyses of data from 899 health care records of people who received diabetes care were conducted to determine differences in quality of care by payer status. Extracted information included process information related to frequency of A1C, lipid, and kidney tests, foot examinations, and blood pressure measurements, as well as intermediate health outcomes for blood pressure control, A1C results, lipid results, and kidney tests. Multivariate logistic regression, which included variables that had a change \u3e10% for any payer status (based on odds ratio), was used to predict the likelihood of a person with diabetes receiving a care measure and/or achieving desired health outcomes related to diabetes control. Results: There were no significant differences observed except: (1) LDL cholesterol control where Medicare enrollees and Medicaid recipients experienced poorer outcomes than those with commercial insurance (p = 0.04 for both); and (2) foot exams where Medicaid recipients received fewer annual exams than those with no insurance (p = 0.034). Conclusions: Payer status had little effect on quality of diabetes care among this population. Other influences not accounted for in this study apparently have a great impact on quality of care in these four health systems

Equal Care, Unequal Outcomes: Experiences of a REACH 2010 Community

Diabetes is growing in prevalence and costs. Guidelines for care have been available since 1983, yet diabetes care and outcomes remain less than ideal. CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health 2010 (REACH 2010) identified diabetes in African Americans as a priority for action. This article documents the activities, interventions, and current progress of the REACH 2010 diabetes coalition formed in Charleston and Georgetown counties, South Carolina, in reducing health care disparities and describes next steps for improving outcomes. The Chronic Care Model guided many of the implementation activities, and chart audits were used to document outcomes. Ambulatory care visits (N = 1522) between 2000 and 2004 were reviewed. Significant progress has been made in reducing disparities in process measures, but similar reductions for intermediate outcomes have not been observed

Some Aspects of Word-Formation in a Polysynthetic Language

Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (1984), pp. 104-11

Empowering Agent for Oklahoma School Learning Communities: An Examination of the Oklahoma Library Improvement Program

The purposes of this study were to determine the initial impact of the Oklahoma Library Media Improvement Grants on Oklahoma school library media programs; assess whether the Oklahoma Library Media Improvement Grants continue to contribute to Oklahoma school learning communities; and examine possible relationships between school library media programs and student academic success. It also seeks to document the history of the Oklahoma Library Media Improvement Program 1978 - 1994 and increase awareness of its influence upon the Oklahoma school library media programs. Methods of data collection included: examining Oklahoma Library Media Improvement Program archival materials; sending a survey to 1703 school principals in Oklahoma; and interviewing Oklahoma Library Media Improvement Program participants. Data collection took place over a one year period. Data analyses were conducted in three primary phases: descriptive statistics and frequencies were disaggregated to examine mean scores as they related to money spent on school library media programs; opinions of school library media programs; and possible relationships between school library media programs and student academic achievement. Analysis of variance was used in the second phase of data analysis to determine if any variation between means was significant as related to Oklahoma Library Improvement Grants, time spent in the library media center by library media specialists, principal gender, opinions of library media programs, student achievement indicators, and the region of the state in which the respondent was located. The third phase of data analysis compared longitudinal data collected in the 2000 survey with past data. The primary results indicated students in Oklahoma from schools with a centralized library media center, served by a full-time library media specialist, and the school having received one or more Library Media Improvement Grants scored significantly higher academically than students in schools not having a centralized library media center, not served by a full-time library media specialist, and the school not having received one or more Library Media Improvement Grants. Students in schools having even one of these components scored higher academically than students in schools with none of these components