Railway reforms: Do they influence operating efficiency?

This paper considers railway operations in 23 European countries during 1995-2001, where a series of reform initiatives were launched by the European Commission, and analyses whether these reform initiatives improved the operating efficiency of the railways. Efficiency is measured using Multi-directional Efficiency Analysis, which enables investigation of how railway reforms affect the inefficiencies of specific cost drivers. The main findings are that the reform initiatives generally improve operating efficiency but potentially differently for different cost drivers. Specifically, the paper provides clear empirical evidence that accounting separation is important for improving operating efficiency for both material and staff costs, whereas other reforms only influenced one of these factors.European railways; reforms; operating efficiency; Multi-directional Efficiency Analysis (MEA)

Aphandra natalia(Arecaceae) – un recurso poco conocido de piassaba en el oeste de la Amazonía

Aphandra natalia(Balslev & Henderson) Barfod is a multipurpose palm that is exploited both commercially and for subsistence purposes. Its fibers are important in Peruvian and Ecuadorean broom industries and support many people economically. In Brazil, it is found in the western part of Acre, where it is the main source for a local broom market. Data from fieldwork in Peru (2007) suggests that the variation in gross profit per kilogram of fiber is considerable among the different segments in the broom industry. Harvesters and distributors earn negligible amounts of money whereas manufacturers reap of the major part of the earnings. Fiber extraction appears to be sustainable in Ecuador and in some parts of Peru, whereas in other parts of Peru unsustainable harvest occurs, involving felling of entire palm trees for the harvest of fibers. The same destructive extraction method is used in Brazil, where the palm is becoming rare in its natural distribution area.La palmera de piasaba (piassava, piassaba) —Aphandra natalia(Balslev& Henderson) Barfod es una palma que se utiliza para muchos propósitos, tanto comerciales como para la subsistencia de pueblos rurales. Sus fibras son de importancia económica en industrias de escobas en Perú y Ecuador, las cuales sostienen económicamente a muchas personas. En Brasil, esta palma se encuentra en la parte oeste del estado de Acre, donde sus fibras constituyen el recurso principal para el mercado local de escobas. Información de campo originada en Perú en el año 2007, muestra que existe una importante variación en las ganancias económicas por kilo de fibra entre los diferentes sectores de la industria de escobas. Los que cosechan y distribuyen los productos obtienen ganancias muy reducidas, mientras que los productores de escobas son los que más ganan. La extracción de fibras parece ser sostenible en Ecuador y en algunas partes de Perú, mientras que en otras partes de Perú se tumban palmeras enteras para sacar la fibra, lo cual representa un método no sostenible. La misma forma destructiva de cosecha de las fibras existe en Brasil, lo cual ha traído como consecuencia que las poblaciones de la palma se encuentran muy disminuidas en su hábitat natural

Correlates of Product Quality of Soumbala, a West African Non-timber Forest Product

Knowledge of the correlates of product quality is a prerequisite for further commercialisation of soumbala, a food product extracted from the leguminous tree Parkia biglobosa. In this study qualitative and quantitative data derived from interviews of producers and expert users are used to estimate the influence of Parkia biglobosa management practises, soumbala product processing practises, and nutritional composition of soumbala on perceived soumbala quality. Several variables on management practises correlated with high quality soumbala as revealed by binary logistic regression, with quality as the dependent variable and six management related variables as independent variables. Variables relating to product processing were examined using qualitative data from group sessions, gathering all the producers in a given village. Finally the relationship between nutritional compositions and soumbala quality was determined. The results show that local knowledge, management practises, and product processing practises are correlated with soumbala quality, whilst nutritional composition is a poor predictor of soumbala quality

Inefficiency patterns in family-owned banks in Bangladesh

Purpose Multi-directional efficiency analysis (MEA) is an alternative methodology to data envelopment analysis (DEA) that investigates the improvement potentials in each input and output dimension and identifies a benchmark proportional to these potential improvements. This results in a more nuanced picture of the sources of the inefficiency providing opportunities for additional conclusions about which variables the inefficiency is mainly located on. MEA provides insights into not only the level of the inefficiency but also the patterns within the inefficiency, i.e. its sources and location. This paper applies this methodology to Bangladeshi banks to understand the differences in the inefficiency patterns between different subgroups. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses the difference in the pattern of inefficiency between the older family-dominated banks and the newer non-family-owned banks in Bangladesh using the recently developed MEAs technology, which enables analysis of patterns within inefficiencies rather than only levels of (in)efficiency. The empirical results show that whilst there are few significant differences in the levels of variable-specific efficiency scores between the two subgroups, there are clearer differences on the inefficiency contributions from particular outputs in most of the study period and also on most variables in the time window of 2007–2009. This finding provides clues to differences in business models and management practice between the two types of banks in Bangladesh. Findings The empirical results show that whilst there are few significant differences in the levels of variable-specific efficiency scores between the two subgroups (older family-dominated banks and the newer non-family-owned banks), there are clearer differences on the inefficiency contributions from particular outputs in most of the study period and also on most variables in the time window of 2007–2009, during the Global Financial Crisis (GFCs). This finding provides clues to differences in business models and management practice between the two types of banks in Bangladesh. Practical implications DEA is a conventional tool for benchmarking in management science. However, conventional benchmarking exercises based on DEA do not reveal significant differences in the sources of inefficiency that show differences in business models. While DEA remains the most utilized technique in the efficiency literature, we think that a more flexible and deeper analysis requires something like MEA. Originality/value The contribution is twofold. First, examination of performances of family-owned firms is a well-established but analysis of performances of family-dominated banks is relative scarce. Secondly, isolating the sources of inefficiency which differs between types of banks even if there is no difference in inefficiency levels is absolutely new for a complete data set of conventional banks in Bangladesh. It turns out that there are few (significant) differences between the groups in terms of the inefficiency levels, whereas clear patterns emerge in terms of differences in inefficiency contributions between family-dominated and non-family-owned banks, during the Global Financial Crisi

Decreased Heart Rate Variability in HIV Positive Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy: Importance of Blood Glucose and Cholesterol

The presence of autonomic dysfunction in HIV patients is largely unknown. Early studies found autonomic dysfunction in patients with AIDS. Antiretroviral combination therapy (ART) has dramatically changed the course of the disease and improved prognosis and decreased morbidity

Aphandra natalia (Arecaceae) - A little known source of piassaba fibers from the western amazon

Aphandra natalia (Balslev & Henderson) Barfod is a multipurpose palm that is exploited both commercially and for subsistence purposes. Its fibers are important in Peruvian and Ecuadorean broom industries and support many people economically. In Brazil, it is found in the western part of Acre, where it is the main source for a local broom market. Data from fieldwork in Peru (2007) suggests that the variation in gross profit per kilogram of fiber is considerable among the different segments in the broom industry. Harvesters and distributors earn negligible amounts of money whereas manufacturers reap of the major part of the earnings. Fiber extraction appears to be sustainable in Ecuador and in some parts of Peru, whereas in other parts of Peru unsustainable harvest occurs, involving felling of entire palm trees for the harvest of fibers. The same destructive extraction method is used in Brazil, where the palm is becoming rare in its natural distribution area. © Facultad de Ciencias Bioĺgicas UNMSM

Pårørende til demente. En spørgeskemaundersøgelse om deres helbred og behov

Demens er en alvorlig sygdom, der fører til svigtende hukommelse og ændret adfærd. Personer med demens har derfor behov for støtte til den daglige omsorg og pleje (1) - en omsorg og pleje, der ofte varetages både af familien og den kommunale ældrepleje. En undersøgelse har vist, at ca. 85% af de demente bor i eget hjem, hvoraf ca. 55% modtager hjemmepleje (2). Mange pårørende til demente (ægtefæller, børn/svigerbørn, børnebørn, fjernere slægtninge eller nærtstående venner) påtager sig ofte en meget stor plejemæssig opgave ved enten at være samboende eller ved at have en regelmæssig og tæt kontakt til den demente. I de kommende årtier, hvor de yngre generationer bliver mindre, samtidig med, at ældrebefolkningen vokser, må det formodes at der bliver en øget andel af ældre med demenssygdom samt et øget behov for offentlig finansieret ældrepleje. Pårørende til demente er ofte en vigtig ressource i pleje- og omsorgsindsatsen for hjemmeboende demente. Udenlandske undersøgelser af pårørende, som er omsorgsgivere til demente, har vist, at såvel den dementes sygdom som den pårørendes rolle som omsorgsgiver, påvirker den pårørende negativt: De pårørende giver oftere udtryk for dårligt fysisk helbred, manglende overskud, stress og isolation, ligesom de oftere udviser symptomer på angst og depression end personer på samme alderstrin i den generelle befolkning (3-5). Pårørende, som er samboende med og omsorgsgivere til demente (ex. ægtefæller og samlever), udviser højere grad af depression og angst end ikke-samboende (ex. børn og børnebørn) i forbindelse med plejeog omsorgsgivning (6-8). Kvindelige ægtefæller til demente klager hyppigere over depressive symptomer, mens mandlige ægtefæller hyppigere klager over angst (9). Et godt socialt netværk hos den pårørende, uanset relation til den demente, synes at mindske belastningen (10). Undersøgelsen Undersøgelsen er en tværsnitsundersøgelse gennemført blandt pårørende til demente personer, som var hjemmeboende eller indflyttet på plejehjem maks. 6 måneder før undersøgelsestidspunktet. Pårørende blev defineret som nuværende eller tidligere ægtefælle/samlever, søskende, børn, børnebørn, svigerbørn eller nære venner til den demente. Da der ikke findes registeroplysninger på pårørende til demente, er deltagerne rekrutteret fra 3 forskellige rekrutteringssteder.Center for Anvendt Sundhedstjenesteforskning og Teknologivurdering (CAST), SD

Pårørende til demente. En spørgeskemaundersøgelse om deres helbred og behov

Demens er en alvorlig sygdom, der fører til svigtende hukommelse og ændret adfærd. Personer med demens har derfor behov for støtte til den daglige omsorg og pleje (1) - en omsorg og pleje, der ofte varetages både af familien og den kommunale ældrepleje. En undersøgelse har vist, at ca. 85% af de demente bor i eget hjem, hvoraf ca. 55% modtager hjemmepleje (2). Mange pårørende til demente (ægtefæller, børn/svigerbørn, børnebørn, fjernere slægtninge eller nærtstående venner) påtager sig ofte en meget stor plejemæssig opgave ved enten at være samboende eller ved at have en regelmæssig og tæt kontakt til den demente. I de kommende årtier, hvor de yngre generationer bliver mindre, samtidig med, at ældrebefolkningen vokser, må det formodes at der bliver en øget andel af ældre med demenssygdom samt et øget behov for offentlig finansieret ældrepleje. Pårørende til demente er ofte en vigtig ressource i pleje- og omsorgsindsatsen for hjemmeboende demente. Udenlandske undersøgelser af pårørende, som er omsorgsgivere til demente, har vist, at såvel den dementes sygdom som den pårørendes rolle som omsorgsgiver, påvirker den pårørende negativt: De pårørende giver oftere udtryk for dårligt fysisk helbred, manglende overskud, stress og isolation, ligesom de oftere udviser symptomer på angst og depression end personer på samme alderstrin i den generelle befolkning (3-5). Pårørende, som er samboende med og omsorgsgivere til demente (ex. ægtefæller og samlever), udviser højere grad af depression og angst end ikke-samboende (ex. børn og børnebørn) i forbindelse med plejeog omsorgsgivning (6-8). Kvindelige ægtefæller til demente klager hyppigere over depressive symptomer, mens mandlige ægtefæller hyppigere klager over angst (9). Et godt socialt netværk hos den pårørende, uanset relation til den demente, synes at mindske belastningen (10). Undersøgelsen Undersøgelsen er en tværsnitsundersøgelse gennemført blandt pårørende til demente personer, som var hjemmeboende eller indflyttet på plejehjem maks. 6 måneder før undersøgelsestidspunktet. Pårørende blev defineret som nuværende eller tidligere ægtefælle/samlever, søskende, børn, børnebørn, svigerbørn eller nære venner til den demente. Da der ikke findes registeroplysninger på pårørende til demente, er deltagerne rekrutteret fra 3 forskellige rekrutteringssteder.Center for Anvendt Sundhedstjenesteforskning og Teknologivurdering (CAST), SD