India's Health Initiative: Financing Issues and Options

In response to the challenge of sustaining the health gains achieved in the better-performing states and ensuring that the lagging states catch up with the rest of the country, the Indian government has launched the National Rural Health Mission. A central goal of the effort is to increase public spending on health from the current 1.1 percent of GDP to roughly 2–3 percent of GDP within the next five years. In this paper, we examine the current status of health financing in India, as well as alternatives for realizing maximal health gains for the incremental expenditures.health financing, public spending, India, cost-effectiveness

Queensland’s criminal justice system and homosexuality, 1860–1954

An analysis of 464 cases between 1860 and 1954 from Queensland against male homosexual activities is presented to explore how Queensland's criminal justice system dealt with the issue then. It is observed that the police chose severe charges and manipulated evidence to ensure conviction, thereby attempting to curtail the emerging gay subculture

On a unique tree representation for P4-extendible graphs

AbstractSeveral practical applications in computer science and computational linguistics suggest the study of graphs that are unlikely to have more than a few induced paths of length three. These applications have motivated the notion of a cograph, defined by the very strong restriction that no vertex may belong to an induced path of length three. The class of P4-extendible graphs that we introduce in this paper relaxes this restriction, and in fact properly contains the class of cographs, while still featuring the remarkable property of admitting a unique tree representation. Just as in the case of cographs, the class of P4-extendible graphs finds applications to clustering, scheduling, and memory management in a computer system. We give several characterizations for P4-extendible graphs and show that they can be constructed from single-vertex graphs by a finite sequence of operations. Our characterization implies that the P4-extendible graphs admit a tree representation unique up to isomorphism. Furthermore, this tree representation can be obtained in polynomial time

A tree representation for P4-sparse graphs

AbstractA graph G is P4-sparse if no set of five vertices in G induces more than one chordless path of length three. P4-sparse graphs generalize both the class of cographs and the class of P4-reducible graphs. We give several characterizations for P4-sparse graphs and show that they can be constructed from single-vertex graphs by a finite sequence of operations. Our characterization implies that the P4-sparse graphs admit a tree representation unique up to isomorphism. Furthermore, this tree representation can be obtained in polynomial time

A Linear-Time Recognition Algorithm for P4-Reducible Graphs

The P4-reducible graphs are a natural generalization of the well-known class of cographs, with applications to scheduling, computational semantics, and clustering. More precisely, the P4-reducible graphs are exactly the graphs none of whose vertices belong to more than one chordless path with three edges. A remarkable property of P4-reducible graphs is their unique tree representation up to isomorphism. In this paper we present a linear-time algorithm to recognize P4-reducible graphs and to construct their corresponding tree representation

Risk adjustment for hospital use using social security data: cross sectional small area analysis

OBJECTIVES: To identify demographic and socioeconomic determinants of need for acute hospital treatment at small area level. To establish whether there is a relation between poverty and use of inpatient services. To devise a risk adjustment formula for distributing public funds for hospital services using, as far as possible, variables that can be updated between censuses. DESIGN: Cross sectional analysis. Spatial interactive modelling was used to quantify the proximity of the population to health service facilities. Two stage weighted least squares regression was used to model use against supply of hospital and community services and a wide range of potential needs drivers including health, socioeconomic census variables, uptake of income support and family credit, and religious denomination. SETTING: Northern Ireland. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Intensity of use of inpatient services. RESULTS: After endogeneity of supply and use was taken into account, a statistical model was produced that predicted use based on five variables: income support, family credit, elderly people living alone, all ages standardised mortality ratio, and low birth weight. The main effect of the formula produced is to move resources from urban to rural areas. CONCLUSIONS: This work has produced a population risk adjustment formula for acute hospital treatment in which four of the five variables can be updated annually rather than relying on census derived data. Inclusion of the social security data makes a substantial difference to the model and to the results produced by the formula

Safe and Efficient Tetrazole Synthesis in a Continuous Flow Microreactor

Safer flow: The synthesis of 5-substituted tetrazoles in flow (see scheme) is safe, efficient, scalable, requires no metal promoter, and uses a near-equimolar amount of NaN[subscript 3], yet nonetheless displays a broad substrate scope. The hazards associated with HN[subscript 3] are essentially eliminated, shock-sensitive metal azides such as Zn(N[subscript 3])[subscript 2] are avoided, and residual NaN[subscript 3] is quenched in-line with NaNO[subscript 2].Novartis Foundation (MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing

Development, Implementation, and Assessment of a Competency Model for a Graduate Public Affairs Program in Health Administration

Competency-based education has become the norm for professional graduate degree programs. This paper describes the development, implementation, and ongoing validation of a competency model designed for a multifaceted public administration program. The model is based on accreditation standards and competencies promulgated by NASPAA and CAHME, and reflects a unique focus on community-engaged pedagogies. A framework consisting of 10 competencies was implemented in 2011–12 and validated through feedback from stakeholders, alumni, field preceptors, and graduates. A two-dimensional matrix of content coverage and expected levels of competency attainment delineates the articulation of competencies, curriculum, and course content, and provides a framework for program evaluation. Multiple methods for evaluating the competency-based graduate health administration program are described. Ongoing efforts to refine courses, the curriculum, and the competency model are discussed in the context of the program’s mission, multiple accreditation standards, assessment of student learning outcomes, and engagement of community stakeholders

Is breaking up hard to do? Exploring emerging adults’ beliefs about their abilities to end romantic relationships

Objective: We explored emerging adults’ beliefs about their ability to end romantic relationships (i.e., breakup beliefs) and identified demographic, personality, and romantic experience factors associated with breakup beliefs. Background: Emerging adulthood typically involves forming and dissolving multiple romantic unions. Thus, ending relationships is a key component of emerging adult romantic development. Method: 948 emerging adults, recruited from Qualtrics Panel Services, participated in a cross-sectional study of romantic experiences and health outcomes. Results: Most participants perceive they are able to carry out breakup related tasks. Most participants reported knowing when to break up, being able to do so appropriately, being able to accept it when someone breaks up with them, and not delaying breaking up. However, a sizable proportion of participants (23.5% to 47.1% depending upon the item) reported that they lacked the skills necessary to end romantic relationships. Beliefs about the ability to end relationships were most consistently associated with emerging adults’ general self-efficacy. Conclusions: Although most emerging adults in the sample appear confident in their abilities to break up, a sizeable minority of this sample may lack key skills to end relationships. Implications: Relationship education programs for emerging adults generally do not focus on relationship dissolution. Yet, the findings from this study suggest that some emerging adults may need opportunities to build skills that will help them exit relationships that are unhealthy, unsatisfying, or out of sync with their individual goals