The Current State-Of-The-Art In Active Region Seismology

Helioseismology is the study of the variations in the internal structure and properties of the dynamics of the Sun from measurements of its surface oscillations. With the 2010 launch of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) we are undoubtedly approaching a new dawn for local helioseismology, as the extent and quality of raw surface oscillation data has never been better. However, advances in theory and modelling are still required to fully utilise these data, especially in magnetic active regions and sunspots, where the physics is poorly understood.Comment: 6 pages. Proceedings of ESF/HELAS-5/EAST-4 Conference (Obergurgl, Austria, 20-25 May 2012), to appear in Astronomische Nachrichte

Equity of Health Care Financing: An Application to Iran

This paper analyzes inequality in Iran's health system from a financing perspective. Through grouped data of household budget published by Iran Statistic Center (ISC) and Beta Lorenz curve introduced in Kakwani (1980), it has been tried to extract Beta Lorenz curve and Kakwani progressivity index in each individual rural and urban district, and also to obtain other inequality measure in (1997-2007) Period.Then to study health inequality for the given period, we divided it into two sub-periods: (1997-2001) and (2002-2007) and finally to compare health inequality, using Bootstrap technique, we made a pseudo statistical population. Results show a degree of descending progressively in urban areas while in rural areas it has witnessed a slight improvement. However as the results show in both rural and urban areas, because of the negativity of Kakwani's index of the household expenditure which is financed by themselves is not progressive at all. Also the ratio of share richest quintile to poorest quintile for health care in urban and rural areas are 8.79 and 8.01 respectively.Equity, Health care financing, Kakwani progressivity index, Iran

Towards an Objective Account of Nutrition and Health in Colonial Kenya: A Study of Stature in African Army Recruits and Civilians, 1880-1980

nutrition, health, anthropometrics, inequality, colonial, Kenya

Selective Mortality or Growth after Childhood? What Really is Key to Understand the Puzzlingly Tall Adult Heights in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Sahara African populations are tall relative to the extremely adverse disease environment and their low incomes. Selective mortality, which removes shorter individuals leaving taller individuals in the population, was proposed as an explanation. From heights of surviving and non-surviving children in Gambia, we estimate the size of the survivorship bias and find it to be too small to account for the tall adult heights observed in sub-Saharan Africa. We propose instead a different yet widely ignored explanation: African populations attain a tall adult stature, because they can make up a significant amount of the growth shortfall after age 5. This pattern is in striking contrast to other developing countries. Moreover, mortality rates are relatively low after age 5 adding further doubts about selective mortality.adult height, mortality, sub-Saharan Africa, catch-up growth