The cost-of-illness due to rheumatic heart disease: national estimates for Fiji

Background Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic valvular heart disease that is responsible for a heavy burden of premature mortality in low- and middle-income countries. The total costs of RHD are important to health policy and research investment decisions. We estimate for the first time the total cost of RHD for Fiji (2008–2012) using a cost-of-illness approach and novel primary data on RHD disease burden and costs. Methods RHD cases were identified using probabilistic record linkage across four routine data sources: (1) the Fiji RHD Control Program, (2) national hospital admissions records, (3) the Ministry of Health database of cause-specific deaths and (4) hospital ECG clinic registers. For each individual with RHD, we obtained information on RHD hospital admissions, treatment and death. We conducted a prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis, including bottom-up assessment of indirect and direct (healthcare) costs. Results The estimated cost of RHD in Fiji for 2008–2012 was year-2010 $FJ91.6 million (approximately US$47.7 million). Productivity losses from premature mortality constituted the majority of costs (71.4%). Indirect costs were 27-fold larger than the direct costs. Conclusions RHD leads to a heavy economic burden in Fiji. Improved prevention strategies for RHD will likely confer substantial economic benefits to the country

All-conjugated cationic copolythiophene "rod-rod" block copolyelectrolytes: Synthesis, optical properties and solvent-dependent assembly

The optical and thermal properties and solvent-dependent assembly of all-conjugated cationic copolythiophene block copolyelectrolytes are investigated.</p

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Not AvailableSoil aggregates are the ‘building blocks’ of soil structure. Aggregation dominantly influences the physico-chemical and biological properties of soil. Farm management practices can alter soil aggregation, which can potentially influence carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes. We examined the effect of soil aggregate size on CO2 fluxes in a Vertisol following 47 years of contrasting management regimes, namely no-till (NT) or conventional till (CT), stubble retention (SR) or burning (SB), and without nitrogen (N) application (0 N) or with 90 kg N ha−1 year−1 (90 N). Aggregate size significantly affected CO2 fluxes over a 21-day incubation period, with the smallest aggregate size of <2 mm having the highest cumulative CO2 flux, followed by the 2–4 mm then 4–8 mm aggregates. The observed differences were mainly caused by total organic carbon contents, as well as substrate accessibility. Over all aggregate sizes, the SR treatments had higher CO2 fluxes compared to SB treatments due to additional substrate availability for microbial respiration. Cumulative CO2 flux was higher for the N fertilised treatments than the unfertilised treatments, likely as a result of increased soil organic matter content and the reduced C:N ratio. Fluxes of CO2 from small and intermediate aggregates were lower for NT compared to CT when 90 N fertiliser was applied, but not significantly different without N fertiliser application. This study identified the underlying controlling factors of CO2 flux from different aggregate sizes in a Vertisol under long term contrasting management regimes.Not Availabl

Soil organic phosphorus and microbial community composition as affected by 26 years of different management strategies

The original publication can be found at www.springerlink.comAgricultural management can affect soil organic matter chemistry and microbial community structure, but the relationship between the two is not well understood. We investigated the effect of crop rotation, tillage and stubble management on forms of soil phosphorus (P) as determined by solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microbial community composition using fatty acid methyl ester analysis in a long-term field experiment (26 years) on a Chromic Luvisol in New South Wales, Australia. An increase in soil organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the beginning of the experiment was found in a rotation of wheat and subterranean clover with direct drill and mulching, while stubble burning in wheat–lupin and wheat–wheat rotations led to soil organic matter losses. Microbial biomass was highest in the treatment with maximum organic matter contents. The same soil P forms were detected in all samples, but in different amounts. Changes in organic P occurred mainly in the monoester region, with an increase or decrease in peaks that were present also in the sample taken before the beginning of the experiment in 1979. The microbial community composition differed between the five treatments and was affected primarily by crop rotations and to a lesser degree by tillage. A linkage between soil P forms and signature fatty acids was tentatively established, but needs to be verified in further studies.E. K. Bünemann, P. Marschner, R. J. Smernik, M. Conyers and A. M. McNeil