The Canberra Commission: Paths Followed, Paths Ahead

Despite its inauspicious start and virtual abandonment by the new Coalition government in Australia, the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons continued to attract international attention in arms control and disarmament circles

Dilution of seawater affects the Ca2 + transport in the outer mantle epithelium of crassostrea gigas

Varying salinities of coastal waters are likely to affect the physiology and ion transport capabilities of calcifying marine organisms such as bivalves. To investigate the physiological effect of decreased environmental salinity in bivalves, adult oysters (Crassostrea gigas) were exposed for 14 days to 50% seawater (14) and the effects on mantle ion transport, electrophysiology and the expression of Ca2+ transporters and channels relative to animals maintained in full strength sea water (28) was evaluated. Exposure of oysters to a salinity of 14 decreased the active mantle transepithelial ion transport and specifically affected Ca2+ transfer. Gene expression of the Na+/K+-ATPase and the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase was decreased whereas the expression of the T-type voltage-gated Ca channel and the Na+/Ca2+-exchanger increased compared to animals maintained in full SW. The results indicate that decreased environmental salinities will most likely affect not only osmoregulation but also bivalve biomineralization and shell formation.Funding Agency European Union (EU) 605051 Swedish Mariculture Research Center, SWEMARC, University of Gothenburg Herbert & Karin Jacobssons Stiftelse 15/h17 Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse F18-0128 Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology UID/Multi/04326/2019 Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology UID/Multi/04326/2019 FCT, under the "Norma Transitoria" DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0020 DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0011info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

HIV prevention programmes for female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India: outputs, cost and efficiency

BACKGROUND: Female sex workers and their clients play a prominent role in the HIV epidemic in India. Systematic data on the outputs, cost and efficiency for HIV prevention programmes for female sex workers in India are not readily available to understand programme functioning and guide efficient use of resources. METHODS: Detailed output and cost data for the 2002–2003 fiscal year were obtained using standardised methods at 15 HIV prevention programmes for female sex worker in the state of Andhra Pradesh in southern India. The services provided and their relation to the total and unit economic costs were analysed using regression techniques. The trends for the number of sex workers provided services by the programmes since inception up to fiscal year 2004–2005 were examined. RESULTS: The 15 programmes provided services to 33941 sex workers in fiscal year 2002–2003 (range 803–6379, median 1970). Of the total number of contacts with sex workers, 41.6% were by peer educators and 58.4% by other programme staff. The number of sex worker contacts in a year by peer educators varied 74-fold across programmes as compared with a 2.7-fold variation in sex worker contacts by other programme staff. The annual economic cost of providing services to a sex worker varied 6-fold between programmes from Indian Rupees (INR) 221.8 (US$4.58) to INR 1369 (US$ 28.29) with a median of INR 660.9 (US$13.66) and mean of INR 517.8 (US$ 10.70). Personnel salaries made up 34.7% of the total cost, and recurrent goods made up 38.4% of which 82.1% was for condoms. The cost per sex worker provided services had a significant inverse relation with the number of sex workers provided services by a programme (p < 0.001, R(2 )= 0.75; power function). There was no correlation between the full time equivalents of programme staff and the number of sex workers provided services by the programmes, but there was a modest inverse correlation between the number of sex workers served and the average time spent with each sex worker in the year adjusted for the full-time equivalents of programme staff (p = 0.011, R(2 )= 0.40; exponential function). The average number of sex workers provided services annually by the first batch of 7 programmes started in early 1999 plateaued after the fourth fiscal year to 3500, whereas the 8 second-batch programmes started in late 2000 reached an average of 2000 sex workers in 2004–2005 with an increasing trend up to this fourth fiscal year. CONCLUSION: The HIV prevention efforts in this Indian state would benefit from standardisation of the highly variable services provided by peer educators, who form an important part of the sex worker programmes. The cost per sex worker served decreases with increasing number of sex workers served annually, but this has to be weighed against an associated modest trend of decrease in time spent with each sex worker in some programmes

Multivariate regression for electricity load forecasting in power systems

This is a paper for 15th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE2023), Dec. 3-7, 2023, Doha, Qatar.The development of smart grids in power system necessitates the need for forecasting the electricity load for the safe and economic functioning of electricity markets. A case study has been carried out considering a city’s electricity load data using Multivariate Regression model. An input database of the model is generated taking into account of peak and off-peak hours based on maximum and minimum load data obtained from the utility operator. The characteristics of the electricity load over the whole year have been primarily analyzed to obtain a better intuition on the load behavior. In this context, the information in the form of temperature, days, different time duration i.e., peak and off-peak hours and past load data have been given as input to the regression model. The accuracy of the method has been evaluated using Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The results of the adapted model have been compared with Neural Network, Ensemble and Kernel methods.https://www.energy-proceedings.orghj2024Electrical, Electronic and Computer EngineeringSDG-07:Affordable and clean energ

Outputs and cost of HIV prevention programmes for truck drivers in Andhra Pradesh, India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HIV prevention programmes for truck drivers form part of the HIV control efforts, but systematic data on the outputs and cost of providing such services in India are not readily available for further planning and use of resources.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Detailed cost and output data were collected from written records and interviews for 2005–2006 fiscal year using standardized methods at six sampled HIV prevention programmes for truck drivers in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The total economic cost for these programmes was computed and the relation of unit cost of services per truck driver with programme scale was assessed using regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 120,436 truck drivers were provided services by the six programmes of which 55.9% were long distance truck drivers. The annual economic cost of providing services to a truck driver varied between programmes from US$1.52 to 4.56 (mean US$ 2.49). There was an inverse relation between unit economic cost of serving a truck driver and scale of the programme (R²= 0.63; p = 0.061). The variation between programmes in the average number of contacts made by the programme staff with truck drivers was 1.3 times versus 5.8 times for contacts by peer educators. Only 1.7% of the truck drivers were referred by the programmes for counseling and HIV testing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data provide information for further planning of HIV prevention programmes for truck drivers and estimating the resources needed for such programmes. The findings suggest the need to strengthen the role of peer educators and increase referral of truck drivers for HIV testing.</p

Osthole Stimulates Osteoblast Differentiation and Bone Formation by Activation of β-Catenin–BMP Signaling

Osteoporosis is defined as reduced bone mineral density with a high risk of fragile fracture. Current available treatment regimens include antiresorptive drugs such as estrogen receptor analogues and bisphosphates and anabolic agents such as parathyroid hormone (PTH). However, neither option is completely satisfactory because of adverse effects. It is thus highly desirable to identify novel anabolic agents to improve future osteoporosis treatment. Osthole, a coumarin-like derivative extracted from Chinese herbs, has been shown to stimulate osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, but its effect on bone formation in vivo and underlying mechanism remain unknown. In this study, we found that local injection of Osthole significantly increased new bone formation on the surface of mouse calvaria. Ovariectomy caused evident bone loss in rats, whereas Osthole largely prevented such loss, as shown by improved bone microarchitecture, histomorphometric parameters, and biomechanical properties. In vitro studies demonstrated that Osthole activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, increased Bmp2 expression, and stimulated osteoblast differentiation. Targeted deletion of the β-catenin and Bmp2 genes abolished the stimulatory effect of Osthole on osteoblast differentiation. Since deletion of the Bmp2 gene did not affect Osthole-induced β-catenin expression and the deletion of the β-catenin gene inhibited Osthole-regulated Bmp2 expression in osteoblasts, we propose that Osthole acts through β-catenin–BMP signaling to promote osteoblast differentiation. Our findings demonstrate that Osthole could be a potential anabolic agent to stimulate bone formation and prevent estrogen deficiency–induced bone loss. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Gas storage

International audienceThe continuous increase of energy demands based on fossil fuels in the last years have lead to an increase of greenhouse gases (GHG) emission which strongly contribute to global warming. The main strategies to limit this phenomenon are related to the efficient capture of these gases and to the development of renewable energies sources with limited environmental impact. Particularly, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the main constituents of greenhouse gases while hydrogen (H2) is considered an alternative clean energy source to fossil fuels. Therefore, tremendous research to store these gases has been reported by several approaches and among them the physisorption on activated carbons (AC) have received significant attention. Their abundance, low cost and tunable porous structure and chemical functionalities with an existing wide range of precursors that includes bio-wastes make them ideal candidates for gas applications. This chapter presents the recent developments on CH4, CO2 and H2 storage by activated carbons with focus on biomass as precursor materials. An analysis of the main carbon properties affecting the AC's adsorption capacity (i.e. specific surface area, pore size and surface chemistry) is discussed in detail herein

Outputs, cost and efficiency of public sector centres for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV in Andhra Pradesh, India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) is an important part of the effort to control HIV. PMTCT services are mostly provided at public sector government hospitals in India. Systematic data on the cost and efficiency of providing PMTCT services in India are not available readily for further planning.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cost and output data were collected at 16 sampled PMTCT centres in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh using standardized methods. The services provided were analysed, and the relation of unit cost of services with scale was assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the 2005–2006 fiscal year, 125,073 pregnant women received PMTCT services at the 16 centres (range 2,939 to 20,896, median 5,679). The overall HIV positive rate among those tested was 1.67%. Of the total economic cost, the major components were personnel (47.3%) and recurrent goods (31.7%). For the 16 PMTCT centres, the average economic cost per post-HIV-test counselled pregnant woman was Indian Rupees (INR) 98.9 (US$2.23), ranging 2.7-fold from INR 71.4 (US$ 1.61) to INR 189.9 (US$4.29). The economic cost per mother-neonate pair who received nevirapine had a higher variation, ranging 41-fold for the 16 centres from INR 4,354 (US$ 98) to INR 179,175 (US$4,047), average INR 10,210 (US$ 231), with very high unit cost at some centres where HIV prevalence among pregnant women and the total volume of services were both low. Scale had a significant inverse relation with both of the unit costs, per post-HIV-test counselled pregnant woman and per mother-neonate pair who received nevirapine. In addition, HIV prevalence among pregnant women had a significant inverse relation with unit cost per mother-neonate pair who received nevirapine.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the variation between PMTCT centres for unit cost per post-HIV-test counselled pregnant woman was modest that per mother-neonate pair receiving nevirapine was over 40-fold. The extremely high unit cost for each mother-neonate pair receiving nevirapine at some centres suggests that the new approach of combining PMTCT services with voluntary counselling and testing services that has recently been started in India could potentially offer better efficiency.</p

Indian community health insurance schemes provide partial protection against catastrophic health expenditure

BACKGROUND: More than 72% of health expenditure in India is financed by individual households at the time of illness through out-of-pocket payments. This is a highly regressive way of financing health care and sometimes leads to impoverishment. Health insurance is recommended as a measure to protect households from such catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). We studied two Indian community health insurance (CHI) schemes, ACCORD and SEWA, to determine whether insured households are protected from CHE. METHODS: ACCORD provides health insurance cover for the indigenous population, living in Gudalur, Tamil Nadu. SEWA provides insurance cover for self employed women in the state of Gujarat. Both cover hospitalisation expenses, but only upto a maximum limit of US$23 and US$45, respectively. We reviewed the insurance claims registers in both schemes and identified patients who were hospitalised during the period 01/04/2003 to 31/03/2004. Details of their diagnoses, places and costs of treatment and self-reported annual incomes were obtained. There is no single definition of CHE and none of these have been validated. For this research, we used the following definition; "annual hospital expenditure greater than 10% of annual income," to identify those who experienced CHE. RESULTS: There were a total of 683 and 3152 hospital admissions at ACCORD and SEWA, respectively. In the absence of the CHI scheme, all of the patients at ACCORD and SEWA would have had to pay OOP for their hospitalisation. With the CHI scheme, 67% and 34% of patients did not have to make any out-of-pocket (OOP) payment for their hospital expenses at ACCORD and SEWA, respectively. Both CHI schemes halved the number of households that would have experienced CHE by covering hospital costs. However, despite this, 4% and 23% of households with admissions still experienced CHE at ACCORD and SEWA, respectively. This was related to the following conditions: low annual income, benefit packages with low maximum limits, exclusion of some conditions from the benefit package, and use of the private sector for admissions. CONCLUSION: CHI appears to be effective at halving the incidence of CHE among hospitalised patients. This protection could be further enhanced by improving the design of the CHI schemes, especially by increasing the upper limits of benefit packages, minimising exclusions and controlling costs