The Efficiency-Equity Tradeoffs in Agricultural Research Priority Setting: The Potential Impacts of Agricultural Research on Economic Surplus and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

Public agricultural research has come under increasing pressure to redefine its strategic priorities to contribute to poverty alleviation goals. However, the issue of whether the poor benefit more from agricultural research that pursues efficiency or equity objectives remains unresolved, largely due to lack of empirical evidence on the nature and magnitude of the efficiencyequity tradeoffs. This paper estimates the potential impacts of agricultural research on economic surplus and poverty reduction in Nigeria, identifies strategic priorities according to both efficiency and equity criteria, and examines the nature and magnitude of the efficiencyequity tradeoffs. The results show that there are no significant efficiencyequity tradeoffs because the rural poor in Nigeria depend mainly on the production of food staples for both consumption and household income. Although introducing a poverty dimension does not result in a significant shift in strategic priorities, greater benefits to the poor are possible through poverty-based targeting without compromising total benefits. However, efforts made towards the realization of potential benefits to the poor from pursuing either efficiency or equity objectives would be more important than mere targeting of research. Therefore, both agricultural research and support services, including extension, credit, input supply, and infrastructure, should be targeted to the poor to achieve poverty alleviation goals through agricultural research.poverty reduction, economic surplus, research priority setting, Nigeria, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, I32, I38, O13, O32, Q16,

Resources endowment, income distribution and needs for techno-logies among peri-urban smallholders in the Gambia

One reason of the modest adoption of improved technologies by smallholder farmers is that the majority of them are resource constrained. Structural constraints at the households level and institutional weaknesses have often prevented most of the farmers from joining the economic development process. This study analyses the production resources in relation with the income and the needs for improved technologies of the peri-urban farm households in The Gambia. The results are compelling. The majority of the production resources are owned by small fraction of the smallholders. As a consequence, their income is higher and mostly derived from agriculture, while the poor-resource households rely on a relatively wide variety of activities to compensate their low income. The poor-resource households have also the greatest need for improved technologies, although many would also need some kind of subsidies to uptake them. There is a clear need for more agricultural research, expertise and policy-making to transcend the traditional global understanding of smallholder farmers, and consider their heterogeneity in terms of production resources

Open ventral hernia repair with a composite ventral patch : final results of a multicenter prospective study

Background: This study assessed clinical outcomes, including safety and recurrence, from the two-year follow-up of patients who underwent open ventral primary hernia repair with the use of the Parietex (TM) Composite Ventral Patch (PCO-VP). Methods: A prospective single-arm, multicenter study of 126 patients undergoing open ventral hernia repair for umbilical and epigastric hernias with the PCO-VP was performed. Results: One hundred twenty-six subjects (110 with umbilical hernia and 16 with epigastric hernia) with a mean hernia diameter of 1.8cm (0.4-4.0) were treated with PCO-VP. One hundred subjects completed the two-year study. Cumulative hernia recurrence was 3.0% (3/101; 95%CI: 0.0-6.3%) within 24months. Median Numeric Rating Scale pain scores improved from 2 [0-10] at baseline to 0 [0-3] at 1 month (P<0.001) and remained low at 24months 0 [0-6] (P<0.001). 99% (102/103) of the patients were satisfied with their repair at 24months postoperative. Conclusions: The use of PCO-VP to repair primary umbilical and epigastric defects yielded a low recurrence rate, low postoperative and chronic pain, and high satisfaction ratings, confirming that PCO-VP is effective for small ventral hernia repair in the two-year term after implantation. Trial registration: The study was registered publically at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01848184 registered May 7, 2013)

Five-Year Follow-Up of a Slowly Resorbable Biosynthetic P4HB Mesh (Phasix) in VHWG Grade 3 Incisional Hernia Repair

OBJECTIVE: To assess the 5-year recurrence rate of incisional hernia repair in Ventral Hernia Working Group (VHWG) 3 hernia with a slowly resorbable mesh.SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Incisional hernia recurs frequently after initial repair. In potentially contaminated hernia, recurrences rise to 40%. Recently, the biosynthetic Phasix mesh has been developed that is resorbed in 12-18 months. Resorbable meshes might be a solution for incisional hernia repair to decrease short- and long-term (mesh) complications. However, long-term outcomes after resorption are scarce.METHODS: Patients with VHWG grade 3 incisional midline hernia, who participated in the Phasix trial (Clinilcaltrials.gov: NCT02720042) were included by means of physical examination and computed tomography (CT). Primary outcome was hernia recurrence; secondary outcomes comprised of long-term mesh complications, reoperations, and abdominal wall pain [visual analogue score (VAS): 0-10].RESULTS: In total, 61/84 (72.6%) patients were seen. Median follow-up time was 60.0 [interquartile range (IQR): 55-64] months. CT scan was made in 39 patients (68.4%). A recurrence rate of 15.9% (95% confidence interval: 6.9-24.8) was calculated after 5 years. Four new recurrences (6.6%) were found between 2 and 5 years. Two were asymptomatic. In total, 13/84 recurrences were found. No long-term mesh complications and/or interventions occurred. VAS scores were 0 (IQR: 0-2).CONCLUSIONS: Hernia repair with Phasix mesh in high-risk patients (VHWG 3, body mass index &gt;28) demonstrated a recurrence rate of 15.9%, low pain scores, no mesh-related complications or reoperations for chronic pain between the 2- and 5-year follow-up. Four new recurrences occurred, 2 were asymptomatic. The poly-4-hydroxybutyrate mesh is a safe mesh for hernia repair in VHWG 3 patients, which avoids long-term mesh complications like pain and mesh infection.</p

Classification of primary and incisional abdominal wall hernias

A classification for primary and incisional abdominal wall hernias is needed to allow comparison of publications and future studies on these hernias. It is important to know whether the populations described in different studies are comparable.Comparative StudyConsensus Development ConferenceJournal ArticleReviewSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Outcomes of a new slowly resorbable biosynthetic mesh (Phasix (TM)) in potentially contaminated incisional hernias : a prospective, multi-center, single-arm trial

Background: Resorbable biomaterials have been developed to reduce the amount of foreign material remaining in the body after hernia repair over the long-term. However, on the short-term, these resorbable materials should render acceptable results with regard to complications, infections, and reoperations to be considered for repair. Additionally, the rate of resorption should not be any faster than collagen deposition and maturation; leading to early hernia recurrence. Therefore, the objective of this study was to collect data on the short-term performance of a new resorbable biosynthetic mesh (Phasix (TM)) in patients requiring Ventral Hernia Working Group (VHWG) Grade 3 midline incisional hernia repair. Materials and methods: A prospective, multi-center, single-arm trial was conducted at surgical departments in 15 hospitals across Europe. Patients aged >= 18, scheduled to undergo elective Ventral Hernia Working Group Grade 3 hernia repair of a hernia larger than 10 cm(2) were included. Hernia repair was performed with Phasix (TM) Mesh in sublay position when achievable. The primary outcome was the rate of surgical site occurrence (SSO), including infections, that required intervention until 3 months after repair. Results: In total, 84 patients were treated with Phasix (TM) Mesh. Twenty-two patients (26.2%) developed 32 surgical site occurrences. These included 11 surgical site infections, 9 wound dehiscences, 7 seromas, 2 hematomas, 2 skin necroses, and 1 fistula. No significant differences in surgical site occurrence development were found between groups repaired with or without component separation technique, and between clean-contaminated or contaminated wound sites. At three months, there were no hernia recurrences. Conclusion: Phasix (TM) Mesh demonstrated acceptable postoperative surgical site occurrence rates in patients with a Ventral Hernia Working Group Grade 3 hernia. Longer follow-up is needed to evaluate the recurrence rate and the effects on quality of life. This study is ongoing through 24 months of follow-up

A post-market, prospective, multi-center, single-arm clinical investigation of Phasix™ mesh for VHWG grade 3 midline incisional hernia repair

BACKGROUND: Incisional heia is a frequent complication of midline laparotomy. The use of mesh in hernia repair has been reported to lead to fewer recurrences compared to primary repair. However, in Ventral Hernia Working Group (VHWG) Grade 3 hernia patients, whose hernia is potentially contaminated, synthetic mesh is prone to infection. There is a strong preference for resorbable biological mesh in contaminated fields, since it is more able to resist infection, and because it is fully resorbed, the chance of a foreign body reaction is reduced. However, when not crosslinked, biological resorbable mesh products tend to degrade too quickly to facilitate native cellular ingrowth. Phasix™ Mesh is a biosynthetic mesh with both the biocompatibility and resorbability of a biological mesh and the mechanical strength of a synthetic mesh. This multi-center single-arm study aims to collect data on safety and performance of Phasix™ Mesh in Grade 3 hernia patients. METHODS: A total of 85 VHWG Grade 3 hernia patients will be treated with Phasix™ Mesh in 15 sites across Europe. The primary outcome is Surgical Site Occurrence (SSO) including hematoma, seroma, infection, dehiscence and fistula formation (requiring intervention) through 3 months. Secondary outcomes include recurrence, infection and quality of life related outcomes after 24 months. Follow-up visits will be at drain removal (if drains were not placed, then on discharge or staple removal instead) and in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th and 24th month after surgery. CONCLUSION: Based on evidence from this clinical study Depending on the results this clinical study will yield, Phasix™ Mesh may become a preferred treatment option in VHWG Grade 3 patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered on March 25, 2016 on clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02720042

First impact of biotechnology in the EU: Bt maize adoption in Spain’,

Summary In the present paper a bio-economic model was constructed to estimate the impact of a biotechnology innovation in EU agriculture. Transgenic Bt maize offers the potential to efficiently control corn borers that cause economically important losses in maize growing in Spain. Since 1998, Syngenta has commercialised the variety Compa CB, equivalent to an annual maize area of about 25 000 ha. During the 6-year period 1998-2003, a total welfare gain of 15.5 million euros was estimated from the adoption of Bt maize, of which Spanish farmers captured two thirds, the rest accruing to the seed industry

Effet de l'éloignement des champs sur la productivité du travail dans la culture du manioc en Afrique sub-Saharienne

Effet de l'éloignement des champs sur la productivité du travail dans la culture du manioc en Afrique sub-Saharienne. Three soil tillage practices - summer ploughing, autumn ploughing and chisel - have been evaluated through their effect on soil physical characteristics and on water content during three months after wheat seeding. A comparison was made with no-tillage. This experiment has been conducted on a shallow calcareous clay soil during the season 1995-96. Primary field preparation allows a porous layer up to 20 cm depth which reduces bulk density and penetration resistance. All the profiles generated by the tillage implements were uniformed by the rain effect. The water content and distribution in the profile was significantly affected by the tillage implements. No-tillage allows the best distribution of water in the profile which is the most suitable to seed germination and plant stand. The increasing porosity due to the autumn tillage action reduced the amount of water stored in the soil in comparison with the no-tillage case