Tanzania: Pilot Rural Investment Climate Assessment. Stimulating Nonfarm Microenterprise Growth

Tanzania’s Pilot Rural Investment Climate Assessment (RICA) measures the economic environment of non-farm entrepreneurs. The pilot assessment has three key objectives: it aims to better understand the rural non-farm economy in Tanzania, shed light on rural enterprise dynamics and business constraints, and reflect on areas where government policies are readily directed to help promote rural non-farm enterprise activity. The RICA is based on an analysis of a unique survey data set collected by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) during January and March 2005, covering enterprises, households, and communities in all seven geographical zones of the country. Selected findings are: (i) Non-farm activities are an important source of income for approximately 1.4 million rural households, (ii) Tanzanian rural non-farm enterprises differ from their urban counterparts, (iii) the predominant entrepreneurial activity is trading, (iv) labor productivity is typically low, (v) formal enterprises have higher levels of labor productivity than informal, (vi) the rate of new firm creation appears to be lower than in other African countries, and (vii) only a minority of enterprises propels employment growth. The pilot approach call for a careful evaluation of the following recommendations, which presented to stimulate dialogue and future analysis: (i) favorable policies and investments for agriculture play a big role for rural enterprises, (ii) maintaining favorable internal trade policies may therefore be of utmost importance in determining enterprise performance, (iii) microcredit and savings may offer a tool for promoting rural non-farm activity in buoyant rural markets, (iv) easing bottlenecks in rural infrastructure is important, (v) exploring options for better telecommunications via private sector cell phone nodes may be an attractive policy option to stimulate entrepreneurial activities, (vi) continuation of business registration reform and effective implementation at the local level remains a high priority, and (vii) future analysis should address knowledge gaps.Tanzania; rural labor markets; enterprise performance; informal sector

Tanzania: Pilot Rural Investment Climate Assessment. Stimulating Nonfarm Microenterprise Growth

Tanzania’s Pilot Rural Investment Climate Assessment (RICA) measures the economic environment of non-farm entrepreneurs. The pilot assessment has three key objectives: it aims to better understand the rural non-farm economy in Tanzania, shed light on rural enterprise dynamics and business constraints, and reflect on areas where government policies are readily directed to help promote rural non-farm enterprise activity. The RICA is based on an analysis of a unique survey data set collected by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) during January and March 2005, covering enterprises, households, and communities in all seven geographical zones of the country. Selected findings are: (i) Non-farm activities are an important source of income for approximately 1.4 million rural households, (ii) Tanzanian rural non-farm enterprises differ from their urban counterparts, (iii) the predominant entrepreneurial activity is trading, (iv) labor productivity is typically low, (v) formal enterprises have higher levels of labor productivity than informal, (vi) the rate of new firm creation appears to be lower than in other African countries, and (vii) only a minority of enterprises propels employment growth. The pilot approach call for a careful evaluation of the following recommendations, which presented to stimulate dialogue and future analysis: (i) favorable policies and investments for agriculture play a big role for rural enterprises, (ii) maintaining favorable internal trade policies may therefore be of utmost importance in determining enterprise performance, (iii) microcredit and savings may offer a tool for promoting rural non-farm activity in buoyant rural markets, (iv) easing bottlenecks in rural infrastructure is important, (v) exploring options for better telecommunications via private sector cell phone nodes may be an attractive policy option to stimulate entrepreneurial activities, (vi) continuation of business registration reform and effective implementation at the local level remains a high priority, and (vii) future analysis should address knowledge gaps

Tanzania: Pilot Rural Investment Climate Assessment. Stimulating Nonfarm Microenterprise Growth

Tanzania’s Pilot Rural Investment Climate Assessment (RICA) measures the economic environment of non-farm entrepreneurs. The pilot assessment has three key objectives: it aims to better understand the rural non-farm economy in Tanzania, shed light on rural enterprise dynamics and business constraints, and reflect on areas where government policies are readily directed to help promote rural non-farm enterprise activity. The RICA is based on an analysis of a unique survey data set collected by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) during January and March 2005, covering enterprises, households, and communities in all seven geographical zones of the country. Selected findings are: (i) Non-farm activities are an important source of income for approximately 1.4 million rural households, (ii) Tanzanian rural non-farm enterprises differ from their urban counterparts, (iii) the predominant entrepreneurial activity is trading, (iv) labor productivity is typically low, (v) formal enterprises have higher levels of labor productivity than informal, (vi) the rate of new firm creation appears to be lower than in other African countries, and (vii) only a minority of enterprises propels employment growth. The pilot approach call for a careful evaluation of the following recommendations, which presented to stimulate dialogue and future analysis: (i) favorable policies and investments for agriculture play a big role for rural enterprises, (ii) maintaining favorable internal trade policies may therefore be of utmost importance in determining enterprise performance, (iii) microcredit and savings may offer a tool for promoting rural non-farm activity in buoyant rural markets, (iv) easing bottlenecks in rural infrastructure is important, (v) exploring options for better telecommunications via private sector cell phone nodes may be an attractive policy option to stimulate entrepreneurial activities, (vi) continuation of business registration reform and effective implementation at the local level remains a high priority, and (vii) future analysis should address knowledge gaps

Telehealth Services to Improve Nonadherence: A Placebo-Controlled Study

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/tmj.2006.12.289.The objective of this study was to test whether a telehealth intervention could improve the compliance with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) by patients with sleep apnea. These patients had been nonadherent for the initial 3 months of therapy even after receiving the initial standard and then supplemental audiotaped/videotaped patient education for adhering to CPAP nightly. The materials and methods included a randomized testing of experimental and placebo interventions. Interventions were delivered by nurses to two groups in their homes by telehealth over a 12-week period. The placebo intervention was used to control for Hawthorne effect, time and attention influences and the novelty of having telehealth in the home. Results following the telehealth interventions were that significantly more patients in the experimental group 1 (n = 10) than the placebo group 2 (n = 9) were adhering nightly to CPAP (χ2 = 4.55, p = 0.033). Group 1 patients reported greater satisfaction with their intervention. However, both groups rated telehealth delivery positively. The mean cost of each 20-minute telehealth visit was $30 while the total cost of the telehealth intervention for each patient was$420. These costs included telehealth equipment, initial installation, longdistance telephone charges, nurse salary, and intervention materials. Conclusions are that telehealth interventions are a potentially cost-effective service for increasing adherence to prescribed medical treatments. Replication studies with large samples and in other clinical groups are recommended

Mutation of the Diamond-Blackfan Anemia Gene Rps7 in Mouse Results in Morphological and Neuroanatomical Phenotypes

The ribosome is an evolutionarily conserved organelle essential for cellular function. Ribosome construction requires assembly of approximately 80 different ribosomal proteins (RPs) and four different species of rRNA. As RPs co-assemble into one multi-subunit complex, mutation of the genes that encode RPs might be expected to give rise to phenocopies, in which the same phenotype is associated with loss-of-function of each individual gene. However, a more complex picture is emerging in which, in addition to a group of shared phenotypes, diverse RP gene-specific phenotypes are observed. Here we report the first two mouse mutations (Rps7(Mtu) and Rps7(Zma)) of ribosomal protein S7 (Rps7), a gene that has been implicated in Diamond-Blackfan anemia. Rps7 disruption results in decreased body size, abnormal skeletal morphology, mid-ventral white spotting, and eye malformations. These phenotypes are reported in other murine RP mutants and, as demonstrated for some other RP mutations, are ameliorated by Trp53 deficiency. Interestingly, Rps7 mutants have additional overt malformations of the developing central nervous system and deficits in working memory, phenotypes that are not reported in murine or human RP gene mutants. Conversely, Rps7 mouse mutants show no anemia or hyperpigmentation, phenotypes associated with mutation of human RPS7 and other murine RPs, respectively. We provide two novel RP mouse models and expand the repertoire of potential phenotypes that should be examined in RP mutants to further explore the concept of RP gene-specific phenotypes.This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of NHGRI, NIH, and the Wellcome Trust and by NHMRC Australia grant 366746. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Comparison of the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of ST-246® after IV Infusion or Oral Administration in Mice, Rabbits and Monkeys

ST-246® is an antiviral, orally bioavailable small molecule in clinical development for treatment of orthopoxvirus infections. An intravenous (IV) formulation may be required for some hospitalized patients who are unable to take oral medication. An IV formulation has been evaluated in three species previously used in evaluation of both efficacy and toxicology of the oral formulation. plasma concentrations. These effects were eliminated using slower IV infusions. associated toxicity. Shorter infusions at higher doses in NHP resulted in decreased clearance, suggesting saturated distribution or elimination. Elimination half-lives in all species were similar between oral and IV administration. The administration of ST-246 was well tolerated as a slow IV infusion

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research