Targeting Of Food Aid in Rural Ethiopia: Chronic Need or Inertia?

This paper identifies the factors driving the allocations of food aid in Ethiopia. We determine both how food aid is allocated across rural regions, reflecting the targeting criteria of the federal government, as well as how aid is allocated within regions, reflecting the decisions of local authorities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Devising a measure of "need" is difficult and controversial and there is no consensus on how to do so. It is agreed by most analysts that income is an imperfect measure of need, yet it is arguably the best single indicator of need in the absence of more detailed anthropometric information. Econometric analysis is used to examine the degree to which food aid is targeted according to pre-aid per capita household income, as well as to other factors. The paper also identifies factors associated with low incomes at regional- and household-levels, in order to be helpful to donors, NGOs and governments in their efforts to improve the targeting of food aid. Data are drawn from the Food Security Survey (FSS), fielded on a subset of the 1995/96 Annual Agricultural Sample Survey by the Ethiopian Central Statistical Authority. The data covers 4,112 households in 348 weredas. To examine the validity of the data, we calculated the amount of food aid received at the regional level from the FSS sample households and compared these results with actual food aid distribution records of the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC). The results showed striking similarities, and provide a robust external test of validity of the FSS and CSA data sets (Clay, Molla, and Debebe 1998).Food Security and Poverty, Downloads May 2008-July 2009: 32,

Trends in Kenyan Agricultural Productivity: 1997-2007

Egerton University Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and DevelopmentAfrica, Kenya, productivity, Productivity Analysis, Q10,

Improving the Impact of Market Reform on Agricultural Productivity in Africa: How Institutional Design Makes a Difference

Improving the Impact of Market Reform on Agricultural Productivity in Africa: How Institutional Design Makes a Difference Abstract: This paper reviews the emerging empirical record of agricultural marketing policy reform and agricultural productivity, drawing from research on food access and agricultural productivity supported by USAID’s Africa Bureau on seven countries in West, Eastern, and Southern Africa. We also examine key factors constraining past and future performance of the food systems in these countries. The paper concludes by identifying a set of policy issues for further consideration that would help provide the investment incentives to promote productivity growth for the millions of low-input semi-subsistence rural households in the region.food security, food policy, market reform, Agricultural and Food Policy, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Downloads June 2008 - July 2009: 40, Q13,

Innate immune response to intramammary infection with Serratia marcescens and Streptococcus uberis

Streptococcus uberis and Serratia marcescens are Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively, that induce clinical mastitis. Once initial host barrier systems have been breached by these pathogens, the innate immune system provides the next level of defense against these infectious agents. The innate immune response is characterized by the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as increases in other accessory proteins that facilitate host recognition and elimination of the pathogens. The objective of the current study was to characterize the innate immune response during clinical mastitis elicited by these two important, yet less well-studied, Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. The pro-inflammatory cytokine response and changes in the levels of the innate immune accessory recognition proteins, soluble CD14 (sCD14) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP), were studied. Decreased milk output, induction of a febrile response, and increased acute phase synthesis of LBP were all characteristic of the systemic response to intramammary infection with either organism. Infection with either bacteria similarly resulted in increased milk levels of IL-1$\beta$, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-$\gamma$, TNF-$\alpha$, sCD14, LBP, and the complement component, C5a. However, the duration of and/or maximal changes in the increased levels of these inflammatory markers were significantly different for several of the inflammatory parameters assayed. In particular, S. uberis infection was characterized by the sustained elevation of higher milk levels of IL-1$\beta$, IL-10, IL-12, IFN-$\gamma$, and C5a, relative to S. marcescens infection. Together, these data demonstrate the variability of the innate immune response to two distinct mastitis pathogens

Is infant exposure to antiretroviral drugs during breastfeeding quantitatively important? A systematic review and meta-analysis of pharmacokinetic studies

Objectives The objectives of this study were to summarize antiretroviral drug concentrations in breast milk (BM) and exposure of breast-fed infants. Methods This was a systematic review of pharmacokinetic studies of HIV-positive women taking antiretrovirals that measured drugs in BM. The quality of pharmacokinetic and laboratory methods was assessed using pre-defined criteria. Pooled ratios and 95% CIs were calculated using the generalized inverse variance method and heterogeneity was estimated by the I2 statistic. PubMed Central, SCOPUS and LactMed databases were searched. No date or language restrictions were applied. Searches were conducted up to 10 November 2014. Clinical relevance was estimated by comparing ingested dose with the recommended therapeutic dose for each drug. Results Twenty-four studies were included. There was substantial variability in the clinical and laboratory methods used and in reported results. Relative to maternal plasma (MP), NRTIs accumulate in BM, with BM : MP ratios (95% CI estimates) from 0.89 to 1.21 (14 studies, 1159 paired BM and MP samples). NNRTI estimates were from 0.71 to 0.94 (17 studies, 965 paired samples) and PI estimates were from 0.17 to 0.21 (8 studies, 477 paired samples). Relative to the recommended paediatric doses, a breast-fed infant may ingest 8.4% (95% CI 1.9–15.0), 12.5% (95% CI 2.6–22.3) and 1.1% (95% CI 0–3.6) of lamivudine, nevirapine and efavirenz, respectively, via BM. Conclusions Transfer to untreated infants appears quantitatively important for some NRTIs and NNRTIs. The pharmacokinetic methods varied widely and we propose standards for the design, analysis and reporting of future pharmacokinetic studies of drug transfer during breastfeeding

Mass accommodation coefficient measurements for HNO3, HCl and N2O5 on water, ice and aqueous sulfuric acid droplet surfaces

Preliminary results are reported of the direct measurement of accommodation coefficients for HNO3, N2O5 and HCl on water drops, aqueous sulfuric acid drops and ice particles. The heterogeneous chemistry of these species together with ClONO2 has been implicated in the ozone depletion observed in the Antarctic stratosphere during the spring in the last eight years. The most plausible chemical mechanism involves the removal of nitrogen oxide species via condensation on ice particles in polar stratospheric clouds resulting in a increase in the active chlorine species responsible for the ozone depletion. The observation of low NO2 and high ClO densities in the Antarctic stratosphere last summer appear to be consistent with such a mechanism

School Food Case Study: Scotland

This school meals case study forms part of a collection led by the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition’s "Good Examples" Community of Practice. Developed by the University of Edinburgh Business School, Argyll and Bute Council and the Glasgow Caledonian University, the School Meals Case Study of Scotland serves to document how the national school meals programme is organized, funded, and monitored throughout the country. The objectives of this case study include presenting an introduction to the country profile, outlining the design and implementation of school feeding programmes, describing their monitoring and evaluation processes, and highlighting lessons learned, best practices, and challenges. This case study is written as a working paper, and can be updated to reflect evolving circumstances. The ‘Good Examples’ Community of Practice supports the evidence generation of the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, the evidence-generating arm of the School Meals Coalition. The Research Consortium’s objective is to carry out independent research across diverse sectors and generate solid, compelling, and actionable evidence regarding the benefits of school food programs to inform evidence-based decision-making on school health and nutrition policies and practices

Authors’ Response: Balancing Openness and Structure in Conference Design to Support a Burgeoning Research Community

We focus on the following issues: our intentions behind establishing the new Research Through Design conference series; epistemological concerns around "research through design"; and how we might find a balance between openness and specificity for the conference series going forward