Transformation or Stagnation? The South African Defence Industry in the early 21st Century

In post-Apartheid South Africa, the ANC Government faced the challenge of restructuring an unsustainably large defence sector. This was in the context of economic and social problems and a declining international arms market. This paper considers the restructuring of the South African industry over that period and more recently, providing a valuable case study of defence industrial restructuring in a small industrialised economy. It considers how the public sector (DENEL) and private sector responded to the cuts in defence spending and the impact of the Government’s decision to modernise the South African Defence Force through foreign procurement, the Strategic Defence Package (SDP) but with extensive offset deals. Within this context the prospects for the industry and the issues surrounding the privatisation of DENEL are considered. The SDP and its offset deals is seen to be continuing to have a considerable impact on the defence industry, but is of questionable value to the South African economy. While the defence projects seem to have some successes the experience of the non defence projects is poor and overall the value of the deals is nowhere near the promises made at the outset. Lack of transparency has created a environment where corruption was almost inevitable and successful industrial planning almost impossible. While there is still some way to go, the scepticism of offset programmes expressed by Brauer and Dunne (2004) seems to be justified by the experience of South Africa.South Africa; Defence; industry

The transformation of hunger revisited: estimating available calories from the budgets of late nineteenth-century British households

Levels of nutrition among British worker's households in the late nineteenth century have been much debated. Trevon Logan (2006, 2009) estimated a very low average level of available calories. This paper re-examines the data and finds average levels of available calories much more in line with existing studies, more in line with what is known about energy requirements, and more in line with other aspects of the data. In sum, British households were likely to have been significantly better fed than Logan reports

Heat and risk of myocardial infarction: hourly level case-crossover analysis of MINAP database.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the association between exposure to higher temperatures and the risk of myocardial infarction at an hourly temporal resolution. DESIGN: Case-crossover study. SETTING: England and Wales Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) database. PARTICIPANTS: 24,861 hospital admissions for myocardial infarction occurring in 11 conurbations during the warmest months (June to August) of the years 2003-09. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Odds ratio of myocardial infarction for a 1 °C increase in temperature. RESULTS: Strong evidence was found for an effect of heat acting 1-6 hours after exposure to temperatures above an estimated threshold of 20 °C (95% confidence interval 16 °C to 25 °C). For each 1 °C increase in temperature above this threshold, the risk of myocardial infarction increased by 1.9% (0.5% to 3.3%, P=0.009). Later reductions in risk seemed to offset early increases in risk: the cumulative effect of a 1 °C rise in temperature above the threshold was 0.2% (-2.1% to 2.5%) by the end of the third day after exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Higher ambient temperatures above a threshold of 20 °C seem to be associated with a transiently increased risk of myocardial infarction 1-6 hours after exposure. Reductions in risk at longer lags are consistent with heat triggering myocardial infarctions early in highly vulnerable people who would otherwise have had a myocardial infarction some time later ("short term displacement"). Policies aimed at reducing the health effects of hot weather should include consideration of effects operating at sub-daily timescales

The effects of hourly differences in air pollution on the risk of myocardial infarction: case crossover analysis of the MINAP database.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate associations between air pollution levels and myocardial infarction (MI) on short timescales, with data at an hourly temporal resolution. DESIGN: Time stratified case crossover study linking clinical data from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) with PM(10), ozone, CO, NO(2), and SO(2) data from the UK National Air Quality Archive. Pollution effects were investigated with delays (lags) of 1-6, 7-12, 13-18, 19-24, and 25-72 hours in both single and multi-pollutant models, adjusted for ambient temperature, relative humidity, circulating levels of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, day of week, holidays, and residual seasonality within calendar month strata. SETTING: Population based study in 15 conurbations in England and Wales. SUBJECTS: 79,288 diagnoses of myocardial infarction recorded over the period 2003-6. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Excess risk of myocardial infarction per 10 µg/m(3) increase in pollutant level. RESULTS: In single pollutant models, PM(10) and NO(2) levels were associated with a very short term increase in risk of myocardial infarction 1-6 hours later (excess risks 1.2% (95% confidence interval 0.3 to 2.1) and 1.1% (0.3 to 1.8) respectively per 10 μg/m(3) increase); the effects persisted in multi-pollutant models, though with only weak evidence of an independent PM(10) effect (P = 0.05). The immediate risk increases were followed by reductions in risk at longer lags: we found no evidence of any net excess risk associated with the five pollutants studied over a 72 hour period after exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of PM(10) and NO(2), which are typically markers of traffic related pollution, seem to be associated with transiently increased risk of myocardial infarction 1-6 hours after exposure, but later reductions in risk suggest that air pollution may be associated with bringing events forward in time ("short-term displacement") rather than increasing overall risk. The well established effect of air pollution on cardiorespiratory mortality may not be mediated through increasing the acute risk of myocardial infarction, but through another mechanism

The Ursinus Weekly, January 14, 1910

Group fair • Field House fund • Special offer • Farewell gathering • Modern language meeting • Soloists decided upon • YMCA • Society notes • Letter to the Editor • Vice-President Omwake honored • Prize essays • YWCA • Localshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/3093/thumbnail.jp

The whisky industry and the regional Scottish economy : an economic analysis of the impact of imminent innovations in public policy

This dissertation analyses imminent innovations in public policy that will impact upon the whisky industry, and, through linkage adjustments, the regional Scottish economy. An analysis of the interconnectedness between the whisky industry and the wider Scottish economy reveals that such linkages are substantial. A holistic conspectus of the whisky industry in the first part of the dissertation reveals that the predominant form of structural change in the past has been merger & acquisition. Such consolidation has permitted economies in marketing & distribution, but it is contended that in this arena at least there is scope for further performance improvement in the industry. Nevertheless, with taxation forming such a significant proportion of the final price of the product, realising a sustained increase in demand is deemed to be largely outwith the capability of the industry. It is advanced, therefore, that two tax-related developments in public policy in the next few years will impact not merely upon the whisky industry, but materially upon the regional Scottish economy as well. The first of these imminent innovations examined is the proposed abolition of the intra-EU duty free concession in 1999. Whilst it is concluded that such a move is inevitable (and economically logical), it is nonetheless determined that this will have a meaningful detrimental impact upon the whisky industry and Scottish economy. Secondly, the current proposals of the European Commission for the harmonisation of alcohol excises across the European Union are critically appraised, and are shown to be grounded on no logical economic principles, but instead, enshrine protection for European vinicultures. The rationale for alcohol taxation is considered de novo, concluding that within the United Kingdom & across the European Union, at a minimum all alcoholic beverages should be taxed on an equal basis according to alcoholic content, at a level sufficient to cover an estimate of the negative externalities associated with alcohol consumption. Mindful of the importance of the whisky industry to the Scottish economy, it is revealed that in times past, the public authorities have been proactive in intervening to secure the continuing prosperity of the whisky industry, and it is contended that such a stance may be required of the present government. The dissertation concludes by advocating a set of reforms to the structure of alcohol excises in the United Kingdom. An approximate halving of the excise applied to spirits, such that all alcoholic beverages are taxed equally according to alcoholic content, would ensure that the whisky industry & government could lobby with credibility for comparable structures to be adopted overseas, particularly in any revised proposals for European excise harmonisation. In addition, it is suggested that the fillip such a reform would give to domestic sales of whisky would mitigate the negative effects upon the whisky industry & regional Scottish economy of losing the intra-EU duty free concession in 1999

Body Satisfaction and Body Weight: Gender Differences and Sociodemographic Determinants

Background: Given the documented links between body satisfaction, weight-related behaviors, and weight change in adolescents, we sought to examine the prevalence of poor body satisfaction in prepubescent girls and boys and its associations with body weight, socioeconomic factors, and rural residence. Methods: We obtained data from 4254 girls and boys participating in a population-based survey of grade five students in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. We examined gender specific associations between the prevalence of poor body satisfaction and body mass index (BMI) with generalized additive models and applied multilevel logistic regression methods to estimate associations of body satisfaction with BMI, rural residence, parental education and income, and neighborhood household income. Results: We observed a linear increase in poor body satisfaction with increasing BMI in girls. Among boys, however, we found a U-shape association where boys with low BMI and those with high BMI reported higher levels of poor body satisfaction. We also found that poor body satisfaction was more prevalent among girls whose parents had lower educational attainment and among those who reside in rural areas. Conclusion: Insight into the unique relationships between body satisfaction and BMI experienced by prepubescent children, males, and populations diverse in parental education and geographic location may help to inform public health initiatives designed to improve weight-related behaviors and reduce overweight in children

The Haleakala Argentine ant project: a synthesis of past research and prospects for the future

Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.1. The Haleakala Argentine Ant Project is an ongoing effort to study the ecology of the invasive Argentine ant in the park, and if possible to develop a strategy to control this destructive species. 2. Past research has demonstrated that the Argentine ant causes very significant impacts on native arthropods where it invades, threatening a large portion of the park’s biodiversity in subalpine shrubland and alpine aeolian ecosystems. 3. Patterns of spread over the past 30+ years indicate that the invasion process is influenced to a substantial degree by abiotic factors such as elevation, rainfall and temperature, and that the ant has not reached its potential range. Predictions of total range in the park suggest that it has only invaded a small fraction of available suitable habitat, confirming that this species is one of most serious threats to the park’s natural resources. 4. Numerous experiments have been conducted since 1994 in an attempt to develop a method for eradicating the Argentine ant at Haleakala using pesticidal ant baits. Thirty baits have been screened for attractiveness to ants in the park, and ten of these were tested for effectiveness of control in field plots. While some of these baits have been very effective in reducing numbers of ants, none has been able to eliminate all nests in experimental plots. 5. Research into a secondary management goal of ant population containment was initiated in 1996. By treating only expanding margins of the park’s two ant populations with an ant pesticide, rates of outward spread were substantially reduced in some areas. While this strategy was implemented from 1997 to 2004, it was ultimately discontinued after 2004 because of the difficulty and insufficient effectiveness of the technique. 6. In order to achieve the types of results necessary for eradication, the project would probably need to explore the possibility of developing a specialized bait, rather than relying on a commercially produced bait. An alternative would be to pursue approval to use Xstinguish bait, a commercial bait manufactured in New Zealand and not registered for use in the US, which has yielded good results against Argentine ants. Either route would involve significant regulatory hurdles. Because the baits ultimately used would likely be liquid or paste in form, there would also be major logistical challenges in devising methods to successfully apply the baits across the two large ant populations at Haleakala.I would like to thank S.M. Joe for help in the field, and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council and Haleakala National Park for funding and logistical support. A. Bernard of Innovative Pest Control Products provided the Gourmet Liquid Ant Bait and made helpful comments on an earlier version of this report. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposed only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government