2,548 research outputs found
Welfarism vs. extra-welfarism
'Extra-welfarism' has received some attention in health economics, yet there is little consensus on what distinguishes it from more conventional 'welfarist economics'. In this paper, we seek to identify the characteristics of each in order to make a systematic comparison of the ways in which they evaluate alternative social states. The focus, though this is not intended to be exclusive, is on health. Specifically, we highlight four areas in which the two schools differ: (i) the outcomes considered relevant in an evaluation; (ii) the sources of valuation of the relevant outcomes; (iii) the basis of weighting of relevant outcomes and (iv) interpersonal comparisons. We conclude that these differences are substantive. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Cost comparison of asthma treatments in 12-week study : caution about matching and short observational follow-up
This review was funded by Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute Pte Ltd.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Effect of Farmer Education and Managerial Ability on Food Crop Production in Nigeria
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of education and managerial ability on the technical efficiency of food crop production in Nigeria, using the stochastic frontier production analysis. The research which was conducted in Oyo state of Nigeria used primary data which were obtained from one hundred and fifty representative samples of food crop farmers through the use of well structured questionnaire. Results of the analysis showed that the technical efficiency level ranged between 84.4% and 99.4% with a mean of 94.3%. The study showed that there still existed some levels of inefficiency among the sampled food crop farmers. The contributing factors to efficiency were age and level of education of the farmers. The study observed that there was a scope for increase in farmersâ efficiency by improving their level of education, and therefore suggested policy recommendations which could ensure food security thereby enhancing national development. Keywords: Food Crop Production, Farmer Education, Managerial Ability, Nigeri
Learning from the experiences of cancer patients and their carers
UK cancer policy aims to improve the quality of cancer services and enhance the experience of people affected by cancer. A recognised barrier to improving services is healthcare professionalsâ lack of insight into patientsâ and carersâ experiences; this article reports on the process of integrating these into a cancer education programme for nursing students. The cancer academic team identified patients and carers to help co-produce the programme. Students had an opportunity to listen to patientsâ and carersâ stories and to learn from â rather than about â patients. Small-group work enabled patients, carers and students to explore the cancer experience in a safe and supportive setting. Working collaboratively with people affected by cancer ensured that the focus was on their experience, placing it at the core of the cancer education programme
Transparency and Pre-meetings
Some committees are made up of experts, persons interested in both the (subject) matter at hand and in coming across as able decision-makers. Such committees would like to concea
Etanol, meio ambiente e tecnologia: reflexĂ”es sobre a experiĂȘncia brasileira.
O trabalho apresenta uma breve reflexĂŁo sobre os principais aspectos ambientais e tecnolĂłgicos da experiĂȘncia brasileira voltada Ă produção e ao uso de etanol a partir da cana-de-açĂșcar. Ao se analisar toda a cadeia produtiva do etanol, observa-se que o aproveitamento estratĂ©gico de todos os subprodutos da cana-de-açĂșcar Ă© condição essencial para a sustentabilidade do processo produtivo. Por sua vez, a queima da cana-de-açĂșcar para colheita e a expansĂŁo da monocultura canavieira sĂŁo fatores que requerem maior atenção. O trabalho demonstra que a produção de etanol de cana-deaçĂșcar contribui para a sustentabilidade ambiental e que seu uso como combustĂvel renovĂĄvel Ă© favorĂĄvel em relação aos combustĂveis fĂłsseis
How committees of experts interact with the outside world: some theory, and evidence from the FOMC
Some committees are made up of experts, persons who care both
about the matter at hand and about coming across as able decision-
makers. We derive two propositions about the way members of such
committees interact with the outside world. First, they would like
to conceal disagreement from the public. That is, once the decision
has been reached, they show a united front to the outside world.
Second, if such committees are required to become transparent, e.g.,
by publishing verbatim transcripts of their meetings, members will
organize pre-meetings away from the public eye. Large part of the
paper is dedicated to a case study of the U.S. Federal Open Market
Committee in the United States. It provides suggestive evidence
supporting the two propositions
Factors Influencing Farmers Participation in Smallholder Irrigation Schemes: The Case of Ntfonjeni Rural Development Area
Most Swazi households depend on rainfed agriculture for food production, which limits the output because of the unreliable rainfall in the country. To mitigate this, the government has invested in rehabilitation of irrigation schemes to reduce the dependence on rainfall. This study therefore determined the factors influencing participation of farmers in small holder irrigation schemes in Swaziland, using Ntfonjeni Rural Development Area (RDA), as a case study. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 96 farming households, 48 participants of local irrigation scheme and 48 non participants. Data was collected using questionnaires. Analysis involved descriptive statistics and probit model. The study revealed that the participation in small holder irrigation schemes is significantly influenced by households distance to the scheme, age and occupation of household head, farm size and access to credit and membership in other groups. Participation improves output and income for households. Hence it is recommended that peasant farmers should be assisted with credit facilities as an incentive to participate in irrigation schemes. Key words: Participation, small scale irrigation schemes, Probit, Ntfonjeni, Swaziland
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