Consensus, institutions, and supply response : the political economy of agricultural reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa

During the late 1980s and the 1990s, most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa implemented agricultural policy reforms, along with national political and economic reforms. The agricultural reforms focused on opening up processing and marketing activities to increased competition and eliminating export taxes and restrictions to improve producer incentives. In eight of nine country/commodity case studies analyzed in this paper, output responded positively in the short run to the reforms. In many cases, however, the initial supply response was not sustained in the face of subsequent shocks. The studies suggest that stakeholder consensus on the distribution of sector-specific rents is a key variable affecting the sustainability of supply responses. Agricultural sector reforms lead to large changes in income distribution. The greater the acceptance of the distribution of rents following the reforms, the better sectors are able to accommodate subsequent shocks. In cases where the initial consensus on the distribution of rents is weak, shocks lead to reform reversals in some cases or an inability to design necessary support institutions in others. The diversity in outcomes across similar products and countries suggests it is possible to achieve sector and local level results that differ from national ones.Markets and Market Access,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Emerging Markets,Economic Theory&Research,Labor Policies

Epidemiologic Evaluation and Clinical Aspects of Superficial Corneal Foreign Body Injuries at a Tertiary Referral Center in Istanbul

Aim: To assess the demographic characteristics and clinical aspects of superficial corneal foreign body (CFB) trauma, as well as to estimate the impact of awareness of CFB scar on wearing protective goggles (PG)

Characteristics of Turkish children with Type 2 diabetes at onset: a multicentre, cross-sectional study

Aims To describe the baseline clinical and laboratory findings and treatment modalities of 367 children and adolescents diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in various paediatric endocrinology centres in Turkey. Methods A standard questionnaire regarding clinical and laboratory characteristics at onset was uploaded to an online national database system. Data for 367 children (aged 6-18 years) newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at 37 different paediatric endocrinology centres were analysed. Results After exclusion of the children with a BMI Z-score 50% of the children were asymptomatic at diagnosis. The other important result of our study was the high rate of exclusion from the initial registration (38%), suggesting that accurate diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in youth is still problematic, even for paediatric endocrinologists

Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Aged Below 18 Years during 2013-2015 in Northwest Turkey

Objective: To assess the incidence of type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children under 18 years of age in the northwest region of Turkey during 2013-2015

Incidence of Type 1 diabetes in children aged below 18 years during 2013-2015 in Northwest Turkey

Azizoglu, Mehmet (Trakya author) Dilek, Emine (Trakya author)Objective: To assess the incidence of type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children under 18 years of age in the northwest region of Turkey during 2013-2015. Methods: All newly diagnosed T1DM cases were recorded prospectively during 2013-2015. Total, as well as gender and age group specific (0-4, 5-9. 10-14 and 15-17 age) mean incidences per 100,000 per year were calculated. Results: There were 1,773 patients diagnosed during 2013-2015 (588 cases in 2013, 592 cases in 2014, 593 cases in 2015). Of these, 862 (48.6 %) were girls and 911 (51.4%)were boys. The mean age at diagnosis was 9.2 +/- 4.2 years and it was not significantly different between girls (9.0 +/- 4.1 years) and boys (9.4 +/- 4.4 years) (p = 0.052). The crude mean incidence was 8.99/100.000 confidence interval (CI) (95% CI: 8.58-9.42). Although mean incidence was similar between boys [8.98/100.000 (CI: 8.40 to 9.58)] and girls [9.01/100.000 (CI: 8.42 to 9.63)], there was male predominance in all groups except for 5-9 year age group. The standardized mean incidence was 9.02/100.000 according to the World Health Organization standard population. The mean incidence for the 0-4, 5-9, 10-14 and 15-17 age groups was 6.13, 11.68, 11.7 and 5.04/1 00.000 respectively. The incidence of T1DM was similar over the course of three years (p = 0.95). A significant increase in the proportion of cases diagnosed was observed in the autumn-winter seasons. Conclusion: The northwest region of Turkey experienced an intermediate incidence of T1DM over the period of the study

Characteristics of Turkish children with Type 2 diabetes at onset: a multicentre, cross-sectional study

Aims To describe the baseline clinical and laboratory findings and treatment modalities of 367 children and adolescents diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in various paediatric endocrinology centres in Turkey. Methods A standard questionnaire regarding clinical and laboratory characteristics at onset was uploaded to an online national database system. Data for 367 children (aged 6-18 years) newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at 37 different paediatric endocrinology centres were analysed. Results After exclusion of the children with a BMI Z-score < 1 SD, those with genetic syndromes associated with Type 2 diabetes, and those whose C-peptide and/or insulin levels were not available, 227 cases were included in the study. Mean age was 13.8 +/- 2.2 (range 6.5-17.8) years, with female preponderance (68\%). Family history of Type 2 diabetes was positive in 86\% of the children. The mean BMI was 31.3 +/- 6.5 kg/m(2) (range 18.7-61) and BMI Z-score was 2.4 +/- 0.8 (range 1-5). More than half (57\%) of the children were identified by an opportunistic diabetes screening due to existing risk markers without typical symptoms of diabetes. Only 13\% (n = 29) were treated solely by lifestyle modification, while 40.5\% (n = 92) were treated with metformin, 13\% (n = 30) were treated with insulin, and 33.5\% (n = 76) were treated with a combination of insulin and metformin initially. Mean HbA(1C) levels of the insulin and combination of insulin and metformin groups were 98 (11.1\%) and 102 mmol/mol (11.5\%), respectively, and also were significantly higher than the lifestyle modification only and metformin groups mean HbA(1C) levels (70(8.6\%) and 67 mmol/mol (8.3\%), respectively). Conclusions An opportunistic screening of children who are at high risk of Type 2 diabetes is essential, as our data showed that > 50\% of the children were asymptomatic at diagnosis. The other important result of our study was the high rate of exclusion from the initial registration (38\%), suggesting that accurate diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in youth is still problematic, even for paediatric endocrinologists